by Phil Sanders

“Have you found honey? Eat only what you need,    
That you not have it in excess and vomit it” (Prov. 25:16).

The children of Israel in the wilderness complained about the manna and wanted some of the foods they had in their slavery in Egypt (Numbers 31). The Lord gave them quail for a whole month, so much that they had it running out their nostrils. It became loathsome to them. Too much

Centuries later the people demanded a king from the Lord. They wanted to be like all the nations surrounding them. Samuel warned them of the heavy price they would pay to have a king (1 Samuel 8). Their sons and daughters would be taken for various services. Their money and crops would go to support the king. It didn’t matter, they wanted a king. Too much.

Writing about a heresy in his day, John said, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9). The error of these false teachers was that they taught more than they needed to teach. They did not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. Separating fleshly Jesus from a spiritually pure Christ, they thought to go beyond the teaching about Christ to a new level of knowledge. Going beyond God’s teaching cost them a relationship with God. Too much.

In an entertainment-driven society, some are clamoring for more than God offers. Not satisfied with the manna of singing a cappella, they want to be like all the religious groups around them and go beyond the teaching of Scripture. To justify their desires they substitute the word “praise” for “worship” and call their praise a “concert.” Since they have their praise concerts on days other than Sunday, they figure it must be all right. They want too much and will not be denied.

Too much is still too much. Going beyond is still going beyond. “Transgression” (parabasis) is “going beyond the prescribed limits” to do what you want, as you want, and when you want (Heb. 2:2). Transgression is disobedience. It is not listening to God to see what He desires; it is going too far to fulfill our own desires.

Too much.

To keep the faith relevant, it’s important we reach today’s youth in a manner to which they can relate - but not compromise the faith at the same time. As a 7th grade religion teacher for the last few years, I have some suggestions based on my experience:

1. Pair younger teachers with older grades.
2. Avoid “Jesus is cool”-type references. Most kinds find them patronizing.
3. Know your audience. Distribute index cards at the start of the year to get favorite music, movies, etc. If your class listens to rap and hard rock, they likely won’t relate to soft contemporary Christian music.
4. Use rewards they like. Rubber bracelets are popular now, so I give out wristbands embossed with a cross symbol followed by “think why & try.” I found them on eBay from C3KB Solutions and found they went over well. (Candy always works, too.)
5. Try to find Christian themes in popular movies. I’ve used portions of “Signs” and “Lord of the Rings” to lead productive discussions.
6. Use a variety of approaches. Posters, word puzzles, movies, Jeopardy-type contests, etc.

Basically, I’ve found it best to use an empathetic approach - “Listen, I know this material isn’t always exciting or cool, but it’s necessary, and if you take it to heart, it can and will be the most important thing you do with your life.”

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