"You are intolerant. You are judgmental."

Not the kind of thing I enjoy hearing after walking off the stage after speaking. However, this, along with several other comments I'll leave in the archives of my mind, is exactly what was said to me at an event where I spoke last week. I also heard from several teens online in the days following this event who vocalized similar "affections" toward me. There were about 1,200 students who attended this event. Therefore, I have to believe that there may be others who feel the same. This is why I want to address these concerns.

The topic of this event was "Dating." The reason I was labeled as one who is intolerant and judgmental is because of a particular question I addressed while speaking. The question:

Is it okay to date someone who is not a Christian?

My answer to this question is more questions:
Would you want to marry someone who doesn't believe there is a Heaven, hell, or God, and doesn't believe that Jesus is his or her Savior?
Would you want to marry someone who wouldn't embrace reading the Bible, going to church, and praying?
Would you want to marry someone who wouldn't instill in your children godly character and the practices of praying, going to church, and reading the Bible?

As I shared at this event, I hope the answer to each of these questions would be a definite no from you. If this is the case, then why would you choose to date someone who wouldn't do these things? I'm not saying you have to think you're going to marry every person you date. But I do believe that any person you date should be "marriage-worthy." If not, why spend the time dating him/her? And the first question on the marriage-worthy test should always be: Is this person a Christian?

If you have heard me speak before, then you know I always challenge you to look beyond my words and look at what the Bible says. Check out what 2 Corinthians 6:14 (MSG) has to say about partnering with a nonbeliever:

Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives.

Go back and read it again. Did you see it? This verse is saying when you choose to unite with a nonbeliever, it's as if you're setting up a pagan idol in God's temple. That's pretty serious stuff. I mean, God warns us against making idols and worshipping other gods in the Ten Commandments. In this case, opposites do not attract.

Therefore, according to Scripture, when it comes to who you choose to date (and one day marry), this person should be one who desires to place God at the position of most authority in his/her life. One student at this event said to me, "Jeffrey, that is being judgmental. We are taught (in our church) to love everyone and accept everyone. Who are you to judge them and say that I can't spend time with them?"

My response – I am not judging anyone. And I most definitely am not saying you should never spend time with this person. It's not an issue over "judging another" or "not accepting another." It is an issue of "partnering with them" in a relationship that could develop into a life-long commitment. The Bible, not Jeffrey Dean, is saying that if you choose to do so, you are choosing to "…setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple."

This doesn't mean that you are turning your back on an individual, not accepting them, or choosing not to love them. What it does mean is that you are striving to protect God's temple (your body – see 1 Corinthians 6:19) from becoming something God never intended it to be.

Jesus Himself spent time with the lowest of the low while He walked this planet. He dined with prostitutes, liars, thieves, murderers, and the likes. But He did so, not to partner with them. Rather, to point them to His Father.

So the question becomes, "Can you, just as Jesus did, choose to impact others by accepting them, loving on them, and sharing truth with them?" Absolutely! We should do no less. But there is a huge distinction between accepting one who is lost and partnering with one who is lost. Don't let Satan muddy the matter in your head in his attempt to lure you into a relationship that could pull you away from God.

Acceptance and partnership are two different things entirely. In your quest to reach out to the world in love, don't confuse the two. To be tolerant doesn't mean one foolishly and flippantly partners with another just for the sake of being nonjudgmental. Tolerance is the act of accepting another regardless of his/her lifestyle convictions. But tolerance without the intent to point others to Jesus is, in and of itself, a foolish interpretation of Scripture.

In reference to dating, it may seem innocent to date a non-Christian. You may think that in time you can "win them over" or that it's just dating, not marriage, so it doesn't matter. But the Bible warns that you're walking on dangerous ground when you choose to unite (even just for a few dates) with "those who reject God."

I just returned from my last camp of the summer which was in Cleveland, TN - another great camp! For those of you who attended one of the camps where I spoke over the past two months, I want to remind you that what God did in your life at camp this summer He wants to continue. We talked about what it means to live life ALIVE. We discussed the fact that you will never truly live as God created you to live until you get serious about hating sin. We talked about how God is pursuing you and that He desires a close relationship with you. We also discussed time in the Word, time in prayer, and time without is critical to maintaining a daily walk with God.

Remember, Satan wants to destroy what God did in your life this summer. Satan wants you to believe that what happened in your life is something that can only happen once a year at such an event as this. Don't buy the lies! "Kill 'em dead!" God wants to continue speaking to you. He wants to use you this year in your school to share the saving news of Jesus with your Mr. Apple. Let Him use you. One day at a time. Stick to the 1:1:1 Plan. And then, trust God with the rest and He will make you fearless!

I have just returned from Beach Blast '07 in Galveston, TX. What a week! Every night at worship was absolutely incredible. The students at this camp were so hungry for truth. I watched as students and adults invited God to show them areas of their lives that needed attention. Each night a majority of teens would respond to God's invitation to give Him more of themselves.

I wish you could have seen the Galveston Convention Center at 9 pm the last night of worship as students chose to give God more. I began my message that evening by asking the question, "More?" What more does God want to do in your life this week? What more of yourself can you give God? Again, teens responded by giving Him more of themselves. I believe we had seven more students surrender their lives to Jesus that night.

This is why I do what I do. There is nothing more incredible and fulfilling than watching as the Holy Spirit begins to take over and a room full of teens respond to God's call.

On my final morning before leaving, we ended camp by baptizing twenty-two teens in the Gulf of Mexico! Thank you for all of you who prayed about this week and specifically prayed that, from day one, teens would experience life change. This was indeed a life-changing week for us all.

I am at camp this week in Indiana. This is a very unique camp. Only 54 students are here. But it has been an awesome time of worship each night due, in part, to the unique size of the camp. Very intimate, real, and as the week has continued, it has been cool to watch as God has moved during worship. Fifteen teens were saved Monday night alone!

The band Sevenglory led worship this week. For you youth leaders, if you haven't checked out this band, you need to. This is my fourth time to work with Sevenglory. These guys are the real deal. Go to myspace/thisisjd and check them out.

As of today, 3,420 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since the war began in 2003. 386 troops have died in Afghanistan. Nearly 400 of these U.S. troops are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. in a location known as Section 60.

I just finished reading an article about a nineteen-year old soldier, Justin Davis, Pfc., who was killed in combat in Afghanistan recently. He was buried in Section 60. The article talked about his mother and the many others who visit Arlington each year to mourn the loss of a loved one killed while serving our country.

Maybe it is the TV monitors tuned to CNN that I am in front of each month in countless airports, constantly reminding me of the war we are in and the overwhelming loss of life as a result of this war. Or maybe it is because as a father of two, I can't imagine the sense of grief Pfc. Davis's mom must feel losing her son who was only one year removed from high school. Most likely it is the combination of the two. Whatever the reason, I find myself this Memorial Day Weekend thinking more and more about the sacrifice that so many men and women have made and are presently making for this great nation in which we live.

That a soldier would be willing to go to a foreign land and actually give his or her life to save another amazes me. For one to give his or her life for what he or she believes in is an incredible thing. When you stop and consider this, it truly makes the story of what Jesus did on the cross by giving his life for all so much more amazing to me. I can't even begin to grasp how God must have felt the day His Son, Jesus, too made such an incredible sacrifice for what He believed in. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and gave His life so that you and I could live. But I wonder how many of us ever take time to pause and think about what Jesus did for us on the cross? And then, thank Him.

I sat near a soldier recently on a plane. I overheard him telling another passenger that he was on his way back to Iraq. I have to admit I wondered briefly if he would make it back alive. And I now wonder, if he does not, will he too one day be laid to rest in Section 60?

I walked over and shook his hand that day and said, "Thank you." He didn't have to ask, "For what?" He knew.

Today, I spoke in Norfolk, VA where 30 + teens gave their lives to Jesus. Awesome! In the past few months, many have surrendered their lives to Jesus at one of our events. If you are one of those to whom I am referring who prayed to receive Christ into your life, let me be the first to give you a cyber-five (this would be the equivalent of a high-five if we were standing person to person with one another). You have just made the most important decision of your life!

I have been humbled lately as I have watched teens (and adults) come to the realization that they need Jesus, and then be willing to pray to receive Him into their lives. Coming to this understanding that your life is about much more than you, that God has created you, and that He has a plan for you life is an awesome realization at which to arrive.

Praying to ask Jesus into your life truly is a simple process. However, it can also be confusing to one who doesn't fully understand what he or she is doing. Since so many teens have responded recently at our events to surrender their lives to Jesus, I thought it might be beneficial to explain the actual process of what happens to one who steps from death to life. If you have never made such a decision, I hope you will continue reading as well.

To say that God exists, that there is a place called Heaven, and that you can actually go there one day can be difficult for some to believe. This is why a critical step in this process is called faith. In this world, there are many things you can place your faith in. You do this each day probably more than you realize. You place your faith in relationships, popularity, friendships, money and more each day. If you are sitting down right now then you actually are exercising your faith without even fully realizing it. Before you sat down, did you stop and think, "I wonder if this chair will work for me when I sit down in it?" Probably not. With little to no effort on your part, you simply sat. You had faith that this four-legged piece of furniture would hold you rather than dump you on the floor faster than Paris Hilton is headed to prison.

Everyday we place our trust in people and things. But as the Bible says, nothing on earth will last forever. Nothing on this planet you place your trust in will work for you for an eternity. When God created you, He did so desiring that you would choose to place your trust in Him. Take a look at the story of the first humans to walk this planet and you will see that this was God's intention with them as well. However, they chose to disobey God. Because of their choice, union between man and God was broken.

God is perfect and He cannot tolerate sin. Since the first sin was committed on earth, that one sin separated every human from God, and every person since has been born into this world a sinner; born separated from God; born lost; born destined to Hell.

But because God loves us, He desires to have a relationship with us. He wants to spend an eternity with us in Heaven. He wants to keep us out of hell. You see the Bible clearly explains that after life on earth, there is one of two places that every human will go – either to Heaven with God or to Hell separated from God. Because you and I are sinners, the Bible says that we deserve death. When the Bible talks about death, it isn't referring to a physical death that ends on Earth. It means a spiritual death that separates us for eternity from God. In short, it means that unless you give your life to Him, when you die you will miss out on Heaven and go to Hell.

But here is the cool part. John 3:16 says that "God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son and whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

That's right. God's Son, Jesus, gave His life for you and me. Why? Because it was the only way to save you and me from death (Hell.)

What does it mean that God "gave His son?" Jesus paid the ultimate price of giving His life as a ransom for yours and mine by dying on a cross. Jesus basically said, "I will die in your place." Jesus died for you so that you could spend an eternity with God in Heaven. The Bile also says that Jesus came back to life three days later and proved that He was in fact the Son of God. Sure, it's hard to believe that someone could actually die and then come back to life. Yea, it works on the big screen at the movies. But not in real life, right? Again, this is where the faith part comes in.

I have included an acronym for the word faith that will explain the process of giving your life to God. If you prayed to receive Jesus into your life at one of our events recently, then check this out. This will explain why faith in Him is so important and will help you better understand the choice you have made.

F is for Forgiveness.
Because we are sinners, we all deserve Hell. But because of what Jesus did on the cross by dying for us, God offers forgiveness of sin and entry into Heaven. Entry into Heaven is impossible without the forgiveness of God.
…everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sin through His name.
Acts 10:43

A is for Available.
God's forgiveness is available for all. No matter what you have done in your past, God will not turn His back on you if you will give your life to Him.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish and have eternal life.
John 3:16

I is for Impossible.
It is impossible for God to allow sin into Heaven. Remember, God is perfect. We are not. Because of that, God cannot allow sin into Heaven. But through forgiveness of our sin, we can live for an eternity with Him in Heaven.
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23

T is for Turn.
Turn means that you take Jesus at His word, that you believe He is the Son of God and that He died for you. Turn also means that you let go of whatever the "thing" is that you have been placing your trust in and give God the chance to take over your life.
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9

H is for Heaven.
Heaven is a place Jesus is preparing for those who have trusted in Him and surrendered their lives to Him.
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
John 14:2

At the end of your time in this world, placing your faith in Jesus is the only thing that will count. Studies show that 96% of Americans believe that God is a real person. However, many never come to a point of surrendering their lives to Him through faith. If you are not sure that you have ever taken this step of faith and surrendered your life to Jesus, you can right now. Pray this prayer:

Dear God,

I believe in you. I believe your Son Jesus died for me. I want to turn from my past and ask you to forgive me of all of my sins. Today I give you my life.

If you prayed this prayer, you have now given your life to Jesus and nothing can take that away from you. If you did pray this prayer, respond by letting me know that you did. Also, go tell someone about the step of faith you just took.

Monday, April 16, 2007 will forever be etched in the history books of American culture as a day of great sadness and unexplainable death. As you are aware, thirty-two students and faculty members lives were ended at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA by the merciless killings of a 23-year-old English major from South Korea named Cho Seung-Hui. My heart breaks for those affected by this tragedy.

I am in California today speaking. Many have approached me with feelings of hurt and anger, questioning how someone could commit such atrocious acts upon others. Just hours ago I was approached by several students who asked me some really interesting and difficult questions such as, "Are you mad over what Cho Seung-Hiu did?" "What do you think God will do to him?" And, "How could someone be so evil?"

It is difficult to separate feelings of anger and sadness over such an event and try to find reason in this madness. I can admit that had one of my loved ones been the recipient of Cho's rage, the hurt and anger I feel over this tragedy would be even more intense and unexplainable. I don't think I could ever fully understand nor explain why a person could carry out such a grotesque, horrid, and brutal act upon another. None of us will ever know what was going on inside the mind of this, obviously, very distributed young man.

Nonetheless, his acts have led me to think some pretty harsh thoughts about him, even though I do not even know him. I've thought about him in the same light that I remember thinking about Adolph Hitler while reading Anne Frank's Diary in seventh grade. Or, how I felt about the terrorists that brought tragedy to America on 9/11 when I watched the movie United 93 recently. The VTU tragedy has got me thinking over the past few days about sin, and how I often judge others for their acts of sin, yet, how rarely I stop and become sickened over my own.

Sure, you are probably thinking, "Come on Jeffrey. You can't even compare the two. This guy murdered 30+ people, innocent people. You can't even compare your sins to his." Maybe not intellectually speaking. But, what about from God's point of view?

I do find it interesting that just last night I happened to open my Bible to Romans 7 where Paul says," I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do…I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. " Romans 7:14-15, 18

Here is a man considered to be one of the spiritual giants of the Bible. He, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, wrote much of the New Testament and his words have been repeated, recorded, and quoted countless times throughout the world. In short, when it comes to great heroes of the Bible, Paul is the man! But how interesting it is that this man states that he too struggles with sin. And doesn't just struggle, but says that he does over and over again the things he doesn't want to. He fails - repeatedly. He goes on to say at the end of Chapter 7, " What a wretched man I am!" Paul, the "servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle - and set apart from the gospel of God" (Romans 1:1), admits that when it comes to sin, he cannot stop doing it.

And consider this. The bible says that if you hate your brother, you have committed murder in your heart. (1 John 3:15) Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 that even if you just look upon a woman lustfully, then you are an adulterer. The writer of Psalm 51:5 writes, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Man, that is some pretty harsh stuff. I can think of several times when I have looked upon a few people with hate. And, I can admit that there have been times when I have looked at a woman other than my wife and thought "things" that would really embarrass me today if others could have read my mind in those exact moments.

No, I've never killed another. And, I've never had an affair. (And if I ever did, Amy would probably see to it that I never did again…one way or the other.) But, by God's standards, these verses tell me that I am a murderer. I am an adulterer. These verses are evidence that to God, sin is sin. And, from the way God looks at sin, a thought is just as wicked as an act; a look, just as sinful as a touch.
I consider the words of Paul and see that this anointed man of God struggled a great deal with his sins. And then, I look at myself and think, "I too am such a sinner." I too have failed God miserably. And then I am humbly reminded that, if sin is sin, and if God looks upon all sins equally, then I too am just as detestable, just as broken, and, in God's eyes, just as at fault for my own sins…as is Cho Seung-Hiu.

Humanly, I consider the actions of Cho Seung-Hiu and think, "How could he do something so utterly detestable?" But scripturally, I look at myself and think, "How could I act as I do and say that I am a genuine follower of Christ?" Maybe this is what Paul too was thinking when he called himself "wretched."

This is why Psalm 130: 4 is such an important verse for me, and hopefully you too, to remember during this incredible time of tragedy that we all are experiencing on some level this week in America:

"But with you (God) there is forgiveness."

If as Christians we believe, which I do, that in the eyes of God sin is sin, wrong is wrong, and no sin is greater or less than another, then we must also believe, no matter how difficult it may be to do so, that Cho's choice to kill is no more evil than another's choice to lie, steal, cheat, or look lustfully at another. Here me correctly. I am not excusing the actions of Cho Seung-Hiu. What he did was humanly inexcusable. My point, however difficult it is to accept, is that though his actions were detestable to us, they were not unforgivable by God. Whether or not Cho chose to deal with his sin with God before ending his life is a question none of us is equipped to answer. But his actions should be a reminder to all of us this week that God detests sin – every sin. But also, that God loves the sinner – every sinner. Even Cho Seung-Hiu.

Our prayers go out to the families and friends who have lost loved ones in the Virgina Tech tragedy today.

Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure. - Psalm 23:4

While on the road last week, a youth pastor took me to lunch. He warned me that we were about to go eat in a place "you wouldn't want to be at night!" "But," he said, "it is worth the trip during the day. The steaks rock!" He was right about the 16 ounce thick-cut ribeye. And from the looks of the place during the day, I assume he got it right too about not wanting to be there once the sun goes down.

I have eaten in many interesting places across the country through the years. But I must say, this one takes them all. From the looks of the place outside, you would have thought they hadn't been open in years. I don't even think there was a sign hanging out front. Just a car that looked like it had been there since the Back Street Boys actually had a #1 on the radio. To give you a better idea of our surrondings, this is the city where the movie Deliverance was filmed. Seriously.

When we first pulled into the parking lot, I truly thought he was joking. He was not! The place looked scary enough to me on the outside. But once inside, you knew the steaks were going to be good. The place smelled like beef. And, the iced tea rocked…I am an ice tea freak.

One thing that was absolutley funny about this place was that here we were out in the middle of nowhere, in a hole-in-the-wall shack of a restaurant, where I am pretty sure they filmed every episode of Gunsmoke, and right in the middle of the room hanging on the wall, was a 40 inch plasma TV (on which you'd think would be playing old Andy Griffith re-runs) tuned to CNN.

I am always looking for a memory making moment on the road. This was one for sure. Not so much for the location of this restaurant. Rather, for the one-stop grocery store that was run out of the side of it. Yes, after eating a pound of cow, you could mosey on over to the other side of the room and pick up cigarettes, beer, chips, ice cream, and yes, you guessed it…live bait! Of course, I needed none of the above. But my curiosity got the best of me. So I made my way into the store and, after taking a gander (just spending an afternoon in such a place encourages me to use words such as "mosey" and "gander"), I approached the door to leave. And, this is when I noticed the sign hanging by the door that caught my attention. It read:

'82 Ford Truch (I'm pretty sure the writer actually meant to say "Truck.) Short-wheel base, nice truck, lots of new parts, needs motor, $450.00

Maybe it was the humor I found in eating a great steak in a scary place, with worms and minnows an arms-throw away, while CNN blared in the background. Or maybe it was that this place reminded me a lot of many of the places I hung out in as a kid growing up in and around the lakes of Arkansas. I don't know. But reading a sign about a truch for sale that had lots of new parts but just needed a motor gave me a good laugh that I think I really needed that day.

I hope you find something today that humors you as much as this experience did me.

I spoke this weekend at a youth revival in Newport, TN. It was an awesome event. Over 60 teens made either a decision to accept Jesus at their Savior or let go of something in their life that was keeping them from living unashamedly for Him. One highschool teen gave his life to Jesus Friday night! He went home and told his brother that he too needed to go to the Saturday night event. The following night, he brought his younger brother and his best friend with him. The two of them also prayed to give their lives to Jesus Saturday night!

The grammy nominated band, Decemberadio played both nights at this event. If you have not checked out their music, you need to. These guys - Eric, Josh, Brian, and Boone are the real deal. Loved their music…was really impressed with their hearts.

I have uploaded a few videos of them playing at the event.  You can also check them out at Decemberadio.com.