Tag Archives: church

Why I’m Catholic

By | April 9, 2013

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I had grown up a Presbyterian Christian who believed that as long as you were a Christian who believed in Jesus, you belonged to the “church.” It didn’t matter which church you belonged to or where you went to worship on Sundays, it just mattered if you believed in Jesus. If you believed in Jesus, you were doing just fine.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Still Standing: Church Teaching vs. Changing Trends

By | March 11, 2013

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Saint Peter died defending a faith that wouldn’t submit to any empire. The witness of millions of martyrs over the past 2,000 years gives testimony to faith that is unflinching and love that is stronger than death.

Today when you walk toward St. Peter’s Square, you can’t help but notice the obelisk that was once a sign of Rome’s power. In the past two millennia, empires and kingdoms, presidents and dictators have risen and fallen . . . but the Church remains standing.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

D.I.Y. Religion: Do We Need the Catholic Church?

By | March 5, 2013

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You know religion comes from the word “religare” meaning “to bind” – something we may not like. But you know sin? The word sin comes from a German word “Sünde” that means “to sunder” . . . to tear apart . . . to be divided.

And I don’t know about you but I have a sundered heart. I have a divided heart. I have a heart with sin and so I need religion because I have division and I need to be bound back together. I need some binding of my own. And I think God’s people – we’ve been sundered – we need religion, we need religare – we need to be bound.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Community Matters

By | April 12, 2012

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Although there may be times when we face loneliness, whether by choice or by circumstance, as Catholics we’re not asked to walk every aspect of our faith journey alone. This can be difficult for those of us who don’t have support at home or for someone like me who likes to do a lot of things by himself. I’ve discovered though, that as I strive for heaven everyday I need as much help as I can get. It’s your community that cheers you on in this life, encouraging you with their words and actions in the good times and the bad (Proverbs 12:25).

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Relationship: The Answer to Jesus vs. Religion

By | February 15, 2012

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I have to admit I’m a bit late on this one. I realize that the whole “Jesus vs. Religion” showdown is sooooo last month, but I think it’s worth taking another look at.

Who hasn’t thought at one point or another about how great it would be to just have Jesus without all the rules and lists of things we’re supposed to do? Why do we need all the rules? Why can’t we just have Jesus without all the obligations? Sure, Jesus spoke often about the importance of following His commands (Luke 8:21) but why do we even need religion then? Why do we need labels and definitions? Why can’t we just be close to Him and not worry about all the details?

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Not Cool, Nicki Minaj

By | February 13, 2012

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Dear Nicki Minaj,

I want to begin by letting you know that I don’t know much about you. I don’t listen to your music. I don’t know your background, and I even had to look up how to spell your name. I think you performed at the Super Bowl this year, but last night, watching the Grammy’s, was probably my first real introduction to you. And if it’s important to make a good first impression, with me, you failed.

To say that I was offended by your performance is an understatement, and I really don’t want to go back and re-live it again, so I’m not going to get into any specifics. What I do want you to know is something all of us Catholics believe.

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LifeTeen.com Podcast

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday: 01/29/12

By | January 23, 2012

Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Dt 18:15-20; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9; 1 Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28 Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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LifeTeen.com Blog

What If I Told You The Truth

By | January 13, 2012

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Editor’s Note: Can you see the truth through the Religion vs. Jesus debate? We’re praying for you as you talk about this issue and the viral video with your friends. We loved how well Peter Kreeft articulates this question about “church” in his book Before I Go: Letters to Our Children about what Really Matters. Here is the truth, boiled down to the basics without any fancy distractions. “What’s the Big Deal about Church? Why is she so important? Because she is how we Read more [...]

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LifeTeen.com Blog

An Update on Life Teen’s Web Ministry

By | December 14, 2011

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Advent is usually a season of waiting for Christmas and not waiting for websites to work, but many of you have been patiently waiting and hoping that our websites would be back to normal. Thankfully, I’m happy to say that the sites are back up to speed (mostly).

With that in mind, this might be a good time to look back at what happened over the past month with our sites as well as take a look at all of 2011, and give you a glimpse of what the future holds for Life Teen’s websites.

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Video

Video: Pentecost Bible Study with Mark Hart

By | June 10, 2011

Mark Hart sits down with Ryan Miller to do a live video bible study for the feast of Pentecost. Discover the meaning behind this important feast day in the Church, including the foundations of the Jewish feast, the Tower of Babel, the early Church, and how the Spirit’s love flows in today’s world.

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