Advertising - Youth Ministry & The Bible Made Easy?

I came across an add in Group magazine that I think is a problem for youth workers and students in the church today. Here's part of the ad for this software that is being marketed to youth workers to help them with their study and teaching of God's Word.

"Don't Panic - The Youth Worker's Guide to the Really Big Book. Relax, don't sweat it, this is easy...Sometimes the best things in youth ministry just come easy!"

Don't panic? When I read this all I can do is panic. And you guessed right, my panic isn't over whether or not I can teach the really big book.

Do you see my problem? I can't speak to the content, but I will speak to the ad.

Since when was the Bible supposed to be easy? Since when did we start calling the Bible a really big book? Stand by Stephen King was really really big! Since when did the words "relax" and "don't sweat it" define part of the youth workers job as it relates to studying and teaching the Bible? There is nothing easy about taking the inspired word of God, letting it burn in you, praying over it and through it, and then preparing what you hope will give your students a vision of God.

I've found this ad to be false in 10 years of youth ministry. The best things in youth ministry just come with a lot of hard work, tears, wrestling with God and getting out of the way of so the Spirit can move.

What bothers me about this ad is what they are selling. They're selling the words "relax, don't sweat it, this is easy, best things come easy." Is this really the message we need to be sending youth workers about the "really big book?" If this is the message youth workers are getting, then what are our students getting? If youth workers think it's easy, what do our students think? Do our students think it's easy? Are they relaxed? I know most of them aren't sweating it! I know most of them think this Jesus thing is pretty easy and it's one of those "best things in life" to have. I am not buyin it, and I don't think Paul or Jesus would.

I want to think on Paul's words as a pastor of students,

1 Corinthians 9:24-28 "24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

I want our students to think on Jesus' words,

Matthew 10:37-39 "37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."