The Church Isn't Supposed to Be Inspirational

America's Got Talent should be renamed to "America's Got Inspirational Stories."

Our family watches every summer, living and dying with the performances of our favorites. As the show progresses, the talent takes a backseat to the stories:

• The deaf woman who sings. 
• The violinist who's losing feeling in his fingers. 
• The comic who's stuttering issues make a 90-second set a challenge. 

As this year's show was just starting, auditions were already being pushed for next year.
Because theses inspiring stories will fade.
Many Twitter and Instagram followers will eventually "unfollow."

Inspiration is really just a feeling, and feelings are fleeting.

(OK...this one is pretty good)

Pre-marital counseling with a starry-eyed couple starts as I ask them to define the word love. After allowing them to ramble a while, I finally help them out: "Love is not a feeling. It's a commitment."

Inspiration isn't a commitment. It's a feeling.
Churches and pastors cannot be ok with simply making worshippers feel something.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16

Notice scripture is not meant to inspire, but to convict.
Inspiration is fleeting.
Conviction is forceful.

A memorable turn of phrase or inspirational quote can support a lesson, but the church cannot allow those to be the lesson. To do so elevates human wisdom and turns the Bible into nothing more than proof texts to be cherry picked in support of whatever we want to say. 

God did not leave the church behind to inspire. He left it behind to make disciples. That's a hard work and undoubtably it is also an emotional work. But we cannot allow ourselves to be driven by the mental sugar rush of emotions or we will find that when the real trials come, we have no solid truth to stand on.

The church must declare the truth of Scripture. 
The truth of Scripture is what changes our thoughts, words, and actions. 
As a Bible teacher, allow the scripture to speak louder than your own notions. 
As a Christian, don't merely look for inspiration. Accept the conviction of scripture knowing it is the very Word of God that prepares and upholds you for every situation life can throw at us. 

Fight the Idea, Not the Individual

"Old buddy, that's politics-after 6 o'clock we can be friends; but before 6 it's politics." 
-House Speaker Tip O'Neill (D) to President Ronald Reagan (R)

John McCain's passing this week reminds us once again that political rivalries are less serious in Washington than between two random, politically-opposed people on Facebook.

Hours after McCain's passing, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer proposed renaming the Senate Office Building in McCain's honor, a Republican. In our politically charged environment it seems impossible that political opponents could also be friends. 

Clearly not every person across the aisle has a bestie, but there are more than you might realize. We've been reminded of numerous odd political friendships during the memorial this week:

• George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton
• John Boehner and Barack Obama
• Michelle Obama and George W. Bush

While they disagree on fundamental issues, it doesn't prevent their ability to be civil and even friendly! As Christians, we must be models of both standards and civility.  

"Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable..." 1 Peter 2:12

We must learn how to disagree without disregarding someone. Clearly I want to see politicians who will stand up for their principles, but the mission is to fight conflicting ideas, not individuals. 

Let's speak our mind. 
Let's disagree respectfully.
Let's represent Jesus and truth well as we seek to love those we disagree with the most.