Well…I’ve been sick since Tuesday so I haven’t felt like doing many updates on here this week. The goal is to do 4-5 posts a week, so this week I’ve fallen behind. The good news is, I’m feeling some better today!

What do tattoos, the Bible, and Tupac all have in common? They were all part of questions that we discussed at our first ever Q & A night Wednesday. Even though I could hardly talk from being sick, it went really well. Check out a small sample of the questions that our 6th-12th graders had:

* How can I know when I’ve found true love?
* If God knows (and plans) the future, how can we have free will?
* How do we know that the Bible we have is right?
* Was Noah’s family the only people to survive the apocalypse? (Hmmmm….)
* Who shot Tupac?

All in all, we looked at a lot of questions…and obviously some dumb ones too. Honestly…I can’t say that I could answer all of them. And you know what? That’s ok! It’s a great moment when you realize that you don’t have all the answers.

I thought about something afterwards that I think a lot of people have wrongly been taught…that you can’t question God. Let’s clear this up. It’s OK to question God! I think that God enjoys it when we come to Him with our questions. I mean…C’mon….if awe all admitted it, we all have questions for Him at one time or another. How can I be sure that we can question Him? Christ questioned God! Check it out here What’s funny is that Christ already knew the answer…He knew the reason behind what was happening and knew what the outcome would be. Yet He still offered up His question.

The fact is, God knows that we have questions and He knows exactly who we are. Which do you think honors God more: a person that comes to Him with everything laid on the table? OR someone that acts like they’ve got it all figured out and doesn’t acknowledge any questions?

So bring all your questions to God. He may not give an answer, but he does know the answers. He even knows who shot Tupac.

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about Halloween. We are hosting a “Fright Night” for our student ministry and while 95% of the feedback thus far has been great, we still have our people that think that having a Halloween event is a horrible idea (Gasp…we’re even clips from some movies like Saw and the Ring). Anyways, it got me thinking a lot about how Christians respond to Halloween. The following are some of those. I’ll let you know how our night went.

1) Why do you think that the only way to reach people is by having a Halloween alternative such as “Trunk or Treat” or a “Fall Festival?” This is the only day of the year that some of your neighbors will actually step foot at your front door. Maybe you should be there so you could meet them. Have conversations with all the goblins and axe murderers you come into contact with.

2) Do you really think that a kid wants a gospel tract in their gift bag? I think that the only thing they’re really looking for is candy…but I could be wrong.

3) As for the candy in the Halloween bags that you’re handing out…PLEASE…PLEASE…don’t put the cheap, crappy candy in there. Let’s bring out the Ho Hos and regular candy bars. Rule of thumb…if you wouldn’t buy it for your house, don’t give it out. Maybe I should say it this way…”Brother (enter your name here)….God wants us to bring our best from the storehouse.”

4) If it makes you feel better, that kid is not dressed up as a demon. They are simply dressed as a fallen angel.

5) Instead of boycotting Halloween, maybe you should be more concerned with that whole box of Twinkies you just ate, the illegal music downloads and porn on your computer, or the debt that you just keep building up. Strangely enough, while Halloween is not mentioned in Scripture, maintaining your health, stealing, lust, and avoiding debt can be found. Seriously, pick the right battles.

6) How do you think Jesus would celebrate Halloween? He might show up at your neighborhood bar dressed up as Elvis.

7) The little kid wearing the Spiderman costume is not a satan worshipper or dabbling in the occult. He simply has a sweet tooth and he may not have even picked out his own costume.

It is stupid that Christians don’t want to have anything scary because it’s too “graphic.” Here’s the deal. Most churches fully embraced the movie The Passion of the Christ and despite it’s extremely graphic elements, either showed it at church or sold tickets to see it in theaters. Let’s face it…your issue isn’t about being graphic.

9) Last, but not least. If you give out candy on Halloween, bob for apples, host a Halloween alternative, or anything else not covered here on Halloween night, aren’t you technically celebrating Halloween? Hmm….