Maybe you’ve heard the pop-punk sounds of three brothers: Kevin (18), Joseph (16) and Nicholas Jonas (13). Their album It’s About Time released this past spring.

While on the road, they shared advice and thoughts on the guy-girl thing.

What’s the hardest aspect of a relationship?
“Maintaining the relationship. But there’s also physical temptation and being on the same spiritual level, which can be difficult.” —Kevin

How do you feel about the way that girls dress?
“[Some] girls try too hard to get guys’ attention by not wearing much clothes. When a girl dresses nicely with good taste, it says that she has confidence and that she takes pride in her appearance.” —Nicholas

What thing do you wish girls knew about guys?
“Guys can’t read minds.” —Nicholas

“We’re being nice when we compliment you.” —Joseph

Is it hard to take the initiative in a relationship?
“No way! If the guy doesn’t take initiative, the girl shouldn’t be with the guy.” —Kevin

What’s your idea of something fun to do on a date?
“We live in Wyckoff, N.J., so I believe the best date would be going to New York City and having dinner. A restaurant we like is LaMela. Tables are set up in the street covered with overhanging lights. Then head to a Broadway show. End the date by walking her to the door.” —Kevin

“I would buy box tickets to a Yankees’ game and watch the Yankees beat the Red Sox.” —Nicholas

“It’s all about the surprise. I like to have fun, so we’d go bowling.” —Joseph

Would you rather spend time with a girl who has a similar or different personality?
“Similar, but we would have to be different enough to keep it interesting.” —Kevin

“I like girls with the same personality.” —Joseph

“Somewhat similar, but not too similar—I don’t want to date myself.” —Nicholas

What do you think is the most beautiful feature of a godly young woman?
“That we’re able to share the same faith.” —Joseph

“Girls who have a strong belief system are beautiful in a great way.” —Kevin

“Her heart.” —Nicholas

Somehow the Mission Impossible music playing in the background seems fitting.

Have you caught the buzz circulating on the internet about Tom Cruise’s leaked Scientology rant? Cruise was caught on film rambling on at length about his Scientology beliefs. Just trying to follow the logic in his rant on the merits of Scientology seems like an impossible mission.

Reportedly, the Church of Scientology did not want the video surfacing on the internet and has heavy-handedly moved in with the lawyer brigade to try and restrict the video’s availability. This legal maneuvering by the Scientologists was seen by some as a ‘restriction of free speech.’ The result: the launch of the internet wars raging between the Church of Scientology and a loose affiliation of illegal hackers trying to bring down the Scientologists’ website and initiating a variety of other internet sabotage, including ‘Google bombing.’ Now the FBI’s involved, computers have been seized…and who knows how this is going to play out in the end…

But what is the Church of Scientology about? What do Scientology’s followers believe? Let’s zero in briefly on two key teachings - God and salvation and compare Scientology with what the Bible has to say.
God:

Scientology draws its view of God from science fiction and eastern mysticism and teaches there are multiple gods, while denying the deity of Christ. In contrast, the Bible teaches there is one eternal God revealed in three persons, as explained in these verses:

* There is one who is called the Father and is identified as being God.

“‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

* There is one who is called Jesus and is identified as being God

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Col. 2:9).

* There is one who is called the Holy Spirit and is identified as being God.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17).

Salvation:

Scientologists believe personal salvation comes through freeing oneself from the cycle of birth and death associated with reincarnation. This Scientology process of breaking this birth/death cycle is called ‘auditing,’ where memories and subconscious thoughts that block positive energy are removed. Auditing can be a lengthy and expensive process. In contrast, the Bible teaches that salvation is through Jesus Christ.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

So take the opportunity to use the buzz around the Tom Cruise Scientology video circulating on the web to talk with your friends about spiritual things. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

* Ask your friends if they’ve heard any of the news stories about the recently released Tom Cruise’s Scientology video rant? Ask them if they’re interested in spiritual things.
* Find out if your friends understand much about the basic beliefs of the Church of Scientology. Take the opportunity to share how the teachings of the Bible differ from the teachings of Scientology in the key areas of who God is and what Jesus had to say about salvation.
* Ask your friends what they think happens when you die. Do they believe in reincarnation like Scientologists do? Share what you believe based on Hebrews 9:27-29:

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

* Talk about how you become a Christian. Share what difference your relationship with Jesus has made in your life since you’ve become one of his followers.

Celebrities’ religious beliefs, no matter how strange or convoluted, can be a springboard for spiritual conversations about the true message of God’s grace and forgiveness as revealed in the Bible. Step up and take the opportunity to turn the conversation toward Jesus and share what He’s done in your life.

Surprise indie hit film Juno provides an intriguing glimpse into the world of teen sexuality, unwanted pregnancies, and the complexity of human relationships. Filled with heart and wit, Juno pushes viewers to move beyond the ‘pro-choice’ and ‘pro-life’ buzz words, as it explores the messy consequences of teen sexual activity and the tough choices and heartbreak that can result.

The film opens with 16 year old Juno MacGuff confronting the little plus sign staring out at her from her third pregnancy test…she’s trying determinedly to produce a different result through repeat testing. Life has taken an abrupt left turn, and she is suddenly facing some huge decisions. Laced with wit and authentic emotion, the movie follows Juno’s journey into the world of an unwanted pregnancy, the reversal of her decision to have an abortion and her subsequent search for adoptive parents to give her baby to. Along the way we catch glimpses of how dramatically teen pregnancy changes everyone involved forever.

All the stats indicate that a sizeable segment of our culture has pushed aside God’s blueprint for human sexuality - sex in the context of a life-long marriage commitment. (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and 6:18-19, Matthew 5:28 and Matthew 26:41.) The societal consequences are evident all around us - single parents, STDs, divorce, and yes, unwanted pregnancies.

There’s a reason God has given us guidelines for sexual behavior in the Bible, and it’s not that He’s a killjoy. It’s because sex outside of marriage has destructive consequences. It breaks His heart to see us willfully damage or destroy our lives and relationships. Our sexual sin, whether it’s sexual intimacy outside of marriage, lustful thoughts, struggles with porn, or whatever, breaks His heart because all sinful behaviors distance us in our relationship to Him and eventually brings pain and hurt into our lives.

The movie Juno depicts some of these painful consequences. Yet rather than choosing abortion for a quick and private solution to her unwanted pregnancy, Juno steps up to follow her own convictions and do the braver, more difficult thing: give the baby life and seek out adoptive parents. She chooses to take the messy situation and do what she can to redeem it - to bring some good out of the troubles that have flooded into her life.

As Christians we know that ‘redeeming the messes’ is something our God specializes in, for it stands at the very center of the message of the cross. God stepped into human time and space on the cross and redeemed the mess we humans had made of our relationship with God through our sinful choices. And all of us have friends or acquaintances who need to hear that truth and experience God’s redemption in the midst of the big or small messes of their life.

Because in the real world, real people are not following God’s blueprint for sexuality, with the result that real consequences smash into lives. Case in point, the recent news that Jamie Lynn Spears, star of the TV series Zoey 101, is 16, single and pregnant.

As we find opportunities to come alongside real people coping with the real consequences of ignoring God’s blueprint for sexuality, rather than directing our attention to the poor choices that result in the difficulties and heartbreak, our focus should be on extending Jesus’ message of grace and life. After all, Jesus modeled for us how to respond to those trapped in sexual sin with his interactions with the woman taken in adultery (John 8:1-11) and the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42). In both situations, he extended truth, grace and forgiveness, rather than judgment and condemnation.

So look for opportunities to use the movie Juno as a springboard to conversation about God. This indie hit provides plenty of openings for talking about values and choices and relationships. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

* What emotions does Juno’s story stir up in you? Do you think she was brave to walk away from abortion and choose life for her baby?
* What’s the basis of your moral compass? How do you decide what’s right and what’s wrong? How did you arrive at your own personal convictions about sexual activity? Share how your relationship with Jesus impacts every dimension of your life.
* Where do you think our sense of conscience comes from? Do you think conscience is a God-given attribute? Listen and share what you believe.
* What do you think of Juno’s stepmother’s comment, “Someone’s going to get a special blessing from Jesus in this garbage dump of a situation”? Explain how God is in the business of redeeming the messes in our lives by bringing good from difficulty. (Romans 8:28)
* Juno’s dad tells her, “Find a person who loves you for exactly who you are.” Is it possible to find someone who will love you exactly as you are? Share how God has promised to be that Person, extending love and forgiveness to all who turn to Him. To learn more about God’s unconditional love, check out the Soul Fuel article Did Juno How Much God Loves You?

Is it easy to follow God’s blueprint for sexuality? No. Is it worth it? Yes. Can we do it in our own power? Not likely. God wants us to put Him at the very center of our lives - all dimensions of our lives. So cling to Him as your guide and strength in every dimension of life, and share that reality with your friends who don’t know Jesus.