A small mind

I was there......

2009-11-04T15:34:00.002-06:00

In April of 2009 I attended the Pastor's Conference for the family of churches that my church is a part of. When we first arrived to the church building that this conference was being held, I heard this group rehearsing this song. I remember getting goose bumps as I heard the music but then an overwhelming feeling came over me as I listened to the words. I remember thinking "this music is stirring my emotions but these words stirring my soul." (Don't tell anybody, but the "worship service" for me began at that moment :)

I have been a part of many moments where God has made His presence very evident, but there was something about this song (music and words) at the moment we sang it corporately that has stuck with me. I remember God's presence being so overwhelming that as much as I wanted to sing nothing would come out. Instead I sat back and just enjoyed the overwhelming presence of God. Words can't describe it.

I'm thankful that this video exists so in those "valley" times that we go through from time to time, I can think back to this moment and be reminded that yes, not only is God real but He's very real in my life!

Glorious and Mighty Choral Performance from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

Good

2009-11-04T15:19:00.000-06:00

All I Have Is Christ from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

The Obama School Speech Controversy -- What to Think?

2009-09-08T09:54:00.003-05:00

I had many thoughts on this, but Al Mohler has once again done a fantastic job summing up my thoughts. No matter what your thoughts or opinions are about this everyone should take time and read what Al says. His points are right on.

Get to the link by clicking here.

Comments are welcome but ONLY if you read the entire article first.

Bible Giveaway!

2009-07-27T15:19:00.004-05:00

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

The Purpose of Evangelism

2009-07-27T15:12:00.001-05:00

That the lost would be saved
That the saved would be sanctified

Thought

2009-04-01T15:36:00.001-05:00

God never intends His gifts to replace Him as the object of our desire and delight.
-Bob Kauflin from the book Worldliness

Who are you to say?????

2009-03-17T12:20:00.006-05:00

As I was driving to work the other day, I was thinking through several conversations that I've had with different people over the past few weeks. These conversations were usually of the type that involved one of those topics that "we shouldn't talk about out loud". Typically, the person would be talking about a subject and then make their conclusion with the following statement, "but, who am I to say what's right or wrong?"

As is usually the case with these conversations, after the person is done giving their speech and politically correct conclusion, they ask me for my take. For those that know me you know that I usually speak what's on my mind (Yes, I acknowledge that this usually..... okay, more often than not gets me in trouble) but I've been making an effort as of late to preface my answering with where I am getting my answer from and not being so abrupt as to the tone of my voice. So, it usually goes something like this, "Here's what I get from what the Bible says about ______ (insert subject here)" and then go on to give my take based on what the Scripture says. More often than not, here is the response I get:

Who are you to say a woman doesn't have a right to choose an abortion?
Who are you to say that it's wrong for people to embrace a life of homosexuality?
Who are you to say that sex before marriage isn't okay?
Who are you to say that there is only one way to God and that's through Jesus Christ?
Who are you to say that good people don't go to Heaven?

I think you get the idea. The problem with this is that if I believe that the Scripture is absolute Truth (which I do), and I am getting my take from the Scripture (which I am), then it is not me who is "saying" these things, but rather it is God. I'm not saying or implying that I'm God (help us all if that were the case!) but what I am saying that their problem is not with my words, but rather with God's Word. So when you narrow down their retort, here is what it really means:

Who is God to say a woman doesn't have a right to choose an abortion?
Who is God to say that it's wrong for people to embrace homosexuality?
Who is God to say that sex before marriage is wrong?
Who is God to say that there is only one way to God and that's through Jesus Christ?
Who is God to say that good people don't go to Heaven?

I would encourage you to do an examination of the Bible and see what happens when people question the Almighty out of a heart of accusation and pride. I'll give you a hint...... it usually ends up going badly for them.....

We live in a time that absolute truth has been side stepped for political correctness. We live in a time where absolute truth is look down upon in favor of a "gentler" more "loving" way of thinking called post-modernism. The fact is this though, God is not politically correct, and there is no other Being more gentle or loving that God almighty. He is so loving that He even defined right and wrong for us in the Bible. Our problem is that we have rejected His love (His definition of right and wrong) and exchanged it with a love for ourselves (our man made definitions of right and wrong, or better said, we have re-defined truth). And, although we don't say it this way, in reality we come back with "Who is God to tell me how to live?" Make no mistake, there are many people who would call themselves a Christian who subscribe to this way of thinking too.

If you are not giving your conclusion based on being Scriptually well informed, and you begin to lash out at the person who is giving you a take based on the Scriptures, you need to stop and think, "who am I questioning here, this person or God's Truth? Is my problem with them or is it with God?" The true question is, who are any of US here on planet earth to question Almighty God????????

I hope we learn to see the foolishness that is all around us.........

5 “isms” that can kill the church

2009-03-05T23:43:00.002-06:00

A. Liberalism – At the heart of liberalism is replacing scripture as the inspired word of God, and thus authoritative, with the notion that it is simply man's thoughts about God and thus interesting but optional. Everything else, God, the gospel, etc. falls from there. Jesus is simply a good teacher and moral example. The gospel is lost and the focus of church life becomes helping people become more ethical, happier and more fulfilled, helping the poor and underprivileged, social justice, etc. None of these are bad in themselves, but woefully inadequate apart from the gospel.

Age of Reason – universe a closed system, man's intellect the highest worth, revelation rejected for reason, Newton's scientific method gone too far – verifiable by observation
Effect on the church – no inspiration, no miracles, no incarnation
The Bible then becomes simply man's religious thoughts about God
Jesus is not son of God and savior but good teacher and moral example
The gospel becomes be nice to each other and do good works
No possibility of miracles or even Holy Spirit power
Man becomes basically good and able, through reason, to fix the problems of the world caused by religion, inequity, etc.
This has been the basic philosophy of government and education for 75 years

Edmund Clowney - "If the church rather than Christ becomes the center of our devotion, spiritual decay has begun. A doctrine of the church that does not center on Christ is self-defeating and false. But Jesus said to the disciples who confessed him, 'I will build my church.' To ignore his purpose is to deny his lordship. The good news of Christ's coming includes the good news of what he came to do: to join us to himself and to one another as his body the new people of God."

This could be the danger of the Christian right political movement

B. Formalism – orthodox in doctrine but without passion and personal application and involvement; meetings that weren't impacting life; studies that show that the ethical views and behavior of those claiming to be Christians and church goers does not significantly different than those who don't. Another study found that only 6-10% of those who claimed to be Christians were "highly spiritually committed".

Elton Trueblood (quoted by Bill Hull, The Disciple Making Pastor, 19) – "Perhaps the greatest single weakness of the contemporary Christian church is that millions of supposed members are not really involved at all, and what is worse, do not think it strange that they are not."

This has its greatest effect on progressive sanctification and assurance of salvation.

C. Consumerism – attempts to make the church relevant rob it of one or more aspects of its essential character. People become customers that need to be attracted and kept. Too much focus on being big. Its not that these churches aren't trying to proclaim the gospel the medium often overwhelms the message. And slowly but surely the method subtly begins to shape the message. Relevance without roots.

Mark Dever (Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, 11) – "The purpose of too many evangelical churches has fallen from one of glorifying god simply to growing larger, assuming that the goal, however achieved, must glorify God. One problem, theologically and even practically, with such a lowering of our vision is the self-defeating pragmatism that results: If the aim of the church is to grow, the way to do it is to make people feel good. And when people discover that there are other ways to feel good, they leave the church they no longer need. The relevant church is sowing the seeds of its own irrelevance, and losing its identity to boot."

D. Individualism – just Jesus and me. People see all the problems with the church and give up on it all together. Or they tailor their beliefs to fit themselves. My God…

One persons response to a Gallup poll on the church – "I am my own church"

The pluralistic, post-modern way of thinking.

Bruce Milne - "Scripture knows nothing of solitary religion. No one can be reconciled to God without being reconciled to the people of God among whom his experience of God's grace immediately sets him. Thus soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) is indissolubly bound up with ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church)."

The Emergent Church – Corporate Individualism

Protest
Conversation
Missional

E. Elitism – thinking we are superior and lacking appreciation for the rest of the church and the church historic. Isolating ourselves from them.

The Pharisees were a elitist group with, at first, good intentions. Yes, we are a restoration church!!! One of the dangers of radicalism is elitism.

This can easily happen as we try to combat all the above.

Notes taken from an Ecclesiology class.

Best Album of 2008

2009-01-10T21:22:00.002-06:00

I meant to do this last week, but, well, I didn't.

This is the best album I heard, bought, experienced......

I commend this album to everybody. It's such good stuff. It's so much more than a complication of different "types" of songs, but rather I would say that they are all songs that glorify God by being theologically well informed, music that compliments the lyrics, and 5,000 voices singing in the background by people who love Jesus. I forgot how beautiful just a piano and voices can be. Heck, I forgot how beautiful just voices with no instruments can be. I hope I never forget, however, how beautiful God-centered and theologically well informed lyrics are.

If you don't have this album, add it to your collection now! For my Dave Ramsey friends, pull the dollars out of one of your envelopes if all your allowance money is gone. I promise, it will be well worth it!

Click on the picture to get the album.

Addiction is a Prison, but Wisdom Holds the Keys to Freedom

2008-12-05T10:08:00.002-06:00

Addiction is a Prison, but Wisdom Holds the Keys to Freedom
New Group Study Offers Hope to Addicts at the Crossroads of Recovery

To walk with an addict is both a gift and a grief. What begins as a temporary escape can become a permanent prison, engulfing the live of the addict and those who love them. Every addict eventually finds themselves at a crossroads, and in his newly released curriculum Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction, author Ed Welch states that the answer to addictions is found at the cross.

In his newly released curriculum Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction, author Ed Welch reveals the common problem in the heart of every addict. "We are all cut from the same cloth. All of us, if we are truly honest, would have to acknowledge a familiarity with that tug of addictions," Welch states. "There is a lot of wanting in the human heart. The desire for drugs, alcohol, sex, and food are the more dramatic ones, but they aren't fundamentally different from our cravings for comfort, significance, relationship, money, love, and so on. Try to find one person who has successfully and consistently said no to any of those wants. You won't succeed."

Crossroads builds on the theological truths laid down in Welch's previous book Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave and was designed as a group study for those struggling with addiction. These ten steps, presented in Welch's trademark direct, no-nonsense style, provide a biblical framework for change. Welch is a wise and loving partner who walks beside readers on their journey to freedom. Along the way, they will learn to recognize the patterns of addiction, to choose wisdom over foolish desires, and to cling to the hope they have in Jesus, who sets captives free. The path away from addiction has been laid by a God who is full of surprises, who pursues them even as they have avoided Him.

Welch's definition of addiction as "voluntary slavery" distinguishes Crossroads from other recovery programs. Though many have approached the topic from a Christian perspective, most of the Christian literature currently available struggles to combine both the voluntary and enslaved aspects of addictions. "Some of the people who will work through this study will begin as those who love their addiction more than anything else-and there is a voluntary element that must be addressed there. Most resources usually emphasize the enslaved aspect, glossing over the voluntary nature of addiction in the process. My goal was to highlight both," Welch says.

In both the study guide and facilitators guide Welch guides leaders and addicts through the process of loving, connecting with, and speaking truth to each other. The facilitators guide contains helpful observations about the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual state common to most addicts. With access to Welch's solid theology of addiction and years of counseling experience, counselors, pastors, and others with a heart for hurting people can play an active role in God's restorative work in the lives of those enslaved to an addiction.

To learn more, visit newgrowthpress.com

Top Five Books of 2008; #1 "Humility: True Greatness"

2008-12-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Humility – Honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.

This is the first book I read in 2008. My biggest struggles in life stem from my pride; there is no way of getting around it. When I read in the opening paragraph, “Humility is a funny thing. On the one hand, it’s an extremely desirable trait. Most of us, as Christians, would say we want to be humble, right? Or at least WE WANT TO BE THOUGHT OF AS HUMBLE. At the same time, few of us have given attention to what being humble actually means” I knew I was in for a read that my flesh was going to absolutely hate and despise, but my Spirit would be refreshed by.

My plan is to re-read this book at the beginning of each year. I believe that ALL sin is rooted in pride, and it’s only in a pursuit of humility that pride can be properly dealt with. As the book says, “The real issue is not if pride exists in your heart; it’s where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life. Pride takes innumerable forms but has only one end: self-glorification”. And, just as I thought that I was getting what this book was saying I read, “Merely being inspired by the promise of humility or the meaning of true greatness is not sufficient; nor is it enough to also be educated about the perils of pride. If there’s ever to be meaningful transformation in our lives, if we are to make progress in restraining pride and manifesting humility, there must be the purposeful application of truth – an effort and pursuit on our part that God will use for sanctifying transformation in our lives”.

So, there you have it, my #1 book of 2008. At this rate, it might serve me as #1 for 2009 as well!

View all my reviews.

Top Five Books of 2008; #1.5 "Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change"

2008-12-02T12:00:00.001-06:00

Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change by Paul David Tripp

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anything by Tripp is good, but this one is above them all.

I am always meeting with people, but not always do I feel like I have what it takes to meet with people. Does that make sense?

The core of this book is found in its title, "People in need of change helping people in need of change". This book is an outstanding resource and doesn’t seem like a 5 step solution to being the perfect counselor. My only regret is that I wasn't led to this resource sooner. Buy it, read it, apply it, use it!

View all my reviews.

Top Five Books of 2008; #2 "Worldliness"

2008-12-01T12:00:00.001-06:00

Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World by C. J. Mahaney

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I CAN'T RECOMMEND THIS BOOK ENOUGH!!!!!!!

If there is a better book, talk, or movie on this subject, I've yet to ever hear of it. I'm still processing a lot of what I read in this book (which I will be blogging about at a later date) but God has used this book to expose my heart's desire for worldliness that I never knew exsisted.

Here's what I like about this book and what makes it different from most (if not all) on this subject. It is written with humility, is full of grace, and saturated with Scripture. If you are looking for a book that gives you the "approved listening, watching, and buying list for Christians", get another book because you're not going to find that here.

This book deals with the heart, exposes the wordliness inside of it, and by God's grace leads you through the process (notice not quick fix, but PROCESS) of tuning your heart to live a life centered by the cross of Christ.

I can't think of a better book for personal reading, small group discussion, for congregational reading, or a resource to give to another brother or sister that is struggling with this issue as you are in some way.

The people that God has brought together in Sovereign Grace Ministries are a blessing to me. I love that this book isn't authored by just one person, but rather is authored by several men who are in all kinds of different pastoral ledership situations. They are real with their sin and allow you to see the worldliness that still rests in their heart. This book is raw, honest, humbling, loving, and full of grace.

I will be buying a bunch of these books to hand out to folks in hopes that God would cultivate more of Himself in the people that explore this issue in their hearts. Thanks C.J. for your putting this project together, your humility, leadership, love for Jesus, and a great resource!

View all my reviews.

Top Five Books of 2008; #3 "The Reason for God"

2008-11-30T12:00:00.006-06:00

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I hope as many people as possible will read this book. I have bought several to give out to peeps, both Christians and non-Christians alike in hopes of just having additional conversation with both groups.

Tim Keller is an amazing pastor in NYC. I can't give this five stars b/c I'm not 100% on board with all his theology (His section on evolution for example). That said, his thoughts are very well laid out in a format of 2 sections:

Section 1 - The Leap of Doubt (doubts raised)

1. There can't be just ONE true religion

2. How could a good god allow suffering?

3. Chrisitanity is a straitjacket

4. The church is responsible for so much in justice

5. How can a loving God send people to hell?

6. Science has disproved Christianity

You can't take the Bible literally

Section 2 - The Reasons for Faith

8. The clues of God

9. The knowledge of God

10. The problem of sin

11. Religion and the Gospel

12. The (true) story of the cross

13. The reality of the resurrection

14. The dance of God

GOOD QUOTES FROM THE BOOK

Evil and Suffering Isn't Evidence Against God

It is a mistake, though an understandable one, to think that if you abandon belief in God it somehow makes the problem of evil easier to handle. God takes our misery and suffering SO seriously that He was willing to take it on Himself.

If you say all truth-claims are power plays, then so is your statement.

Freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones, the liberating restrictions.

A central message of the Bible is that we can only have a relationship with God by sheer grace.

The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.

What strikes us as overly fanatical is actually a failure to be fully committed to Christ and His Gospel.

Those who believe goodness naturally feel that they and their devotion and moral goodness naturally feel that they and their group deserve deference and power over others. The God of Jesus and the prophets, however, SAVES COMPLETELY BY GRACE. He cannot be manipulated by religious and moral performance - He can only be reached through repentance, through the giving up of power.

We believe so deeply in our personal rights in this realm that the very idea of divine Judgement Day seems impossible. ...this belief is tied to a quest for control and power that has had terrible consequences in recent world history.

Anger isn't the opposite of love. Hate is, and the final form of hate is indifference... God's wrath is not a cranky explosion, but His settled opposition to the cancer... which is eating out the insides of the human race He loves with His whole being. -Beck Pippert, from the book "Hope Has It's Reasons"

I urge people to consider that their problem with some texts might be based on an unexamined belief in the superiority of their own historical moment over all others.

If you don't trust the Bible enough to let it challenge and correct your thinking, how could you ever have a personal relationship with God?

Only if your God can say things that outrage you and make you struggle (as in a real friendship or marriage!) will you know that you have gotten hold of a real God and not a figment of your imagination. So an authoritative Bible is not the enemy of a personal relationship with God. It is the precondition for it.

Jesus was the most moraly upright person who ever lived, yet He had a life filled with the experience of poverty, rejection, injustice, and even torture.

If I was saved by my good works then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with "rights" - I would have done my duty and now I would deserve a certain quality of life. But if I am a sinner saved by sheer grace - then there's nothing He cannot ask of me.

Repentance - Confessing the things besides God Himself that you have been relying on for your hop, significance, and security. That means we should repent not only for things we have done wrong but also for the motivations beneath our good works.

Christians are people who let the reality of Jesus change everything about who they are, how they see, and how they live.

View all my reviews.

Top Five Books of 2008; #4 "Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be)"

2008-11-29T14:07:00.002-06:00

Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
A MUST READ!

Two thoughtful young guys with different styles, DeYoung (the pastor-theologian) and Kluck (the journalist)have teamed up to write a fair-minded, biblically grounded, insightful book. It's clear that they are not motivated by the desire to criticize, but rather by their love of the church as the body of Christ. -Justin Taylor

With careful observation, faithful handling of Scripture, and an eye for the ironic and absurd, DeYoung and Kluck have given us a feel for what attracts some to emerging churches and thoughts about why that's sometimes a very bad thing.

-Mark Dever

View all my reviews.

Top Five Books of 2008; #5 “Beyond Belief” The Story of Josh Hamilton

2008-11-20T09:38:00.001-06:00

Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back by Josh Hamilton

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love baseball…baseball, baseball, baseball…….. I grew up watching and playing the game. I’ve been a fan for years, and so biographies of the players always interest me. Enter one Josh Hamilton.

I wasn’t really all that familiar with Josh’s story until I watched the Home Run Derby at the All Star game this summer. WOW, this guy was jacking them over the fence (and a few nearly out of Yankee Stadium) one by one. But that wasn’t what made this night so special, what made this night so special is who Josh Hamilton is, or rather, who he has become.

Josh grew up with what people in sports would call the intangible “it”. Nobody really can define “it” but “it” is something beyond a natural ability to play the game. Josh had “it” all throughout his growing up in North Carolina. He was drafted #1 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at 19 years old. He was the good kid and was always a role model to others. Then, another phase of Josh’s life took place. It was a phase filled with alcohol, rebellion, cocaine, crack, violence, sorry, and letting others down. The baseball player who had “it” turned into no more than a waste of flesh walking the world seeking his next high.

This book is so much more than a biography of a baseball player. It’s a story of God’s undeserved mercy and grace on a man who has been given a platform by God, for God. You won’t find Josh shying away from proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ in this book, nor will you find him making excuses for his past behavior. What you will find in this book is a story about a man with all the talent in the world (think of the movie The Natural) and wasted that talent for many years. I don’t believe God gives us the proverbial “second chance” but rather our lives are following the script He’s writing out. Josh’s past is part of His script, but the beauty is that Josh’s future, redeemed through Christ, is as well. It is a future of a man saved by God’s mercy and grace. A grace that found Josh right where he was; broken, good as dead, and ruined. It’s a grace that restored Josh, not to just play baseball, but that the name of Jesus might be glorified in Josh’s life.

If you’re looking for a gift to buy somebody who loves the game of baseball, buy this book for them without hesitation. They will be thankful that you did!

View all my reviews.

A Righteous Man

2008-11-11T09:37:00.001-06:00

Every believer carries a measure of the guilt for Jesus' death. Was it not for our willful disobedience to God's perfect Law, we would have no need of a Savior. We acknowledge in song that it was our hands that drove the spikes into His and sometimes speak about driving the nails into Jesus' hands every time we sin. We speak figuratively, of course, knowing that although we were not present at the time of His death, we bear the guilt of creating the need for His death. Had we not sinned, Christ would not have died.

In the Bible we are given a brief glimpse of a man who was present while Jesus was nailed to the tree. He is mentioned in three of the four gospel accounts. But he is mentioned not for his cruelty, ruthlessness or ability as a soldier. He is mentioned for something far more important, for a marvelous transformation. This man was a Roman centurion, a commander over 100 soldiers of the Roman army. We know little about the man except that he was probably a hardened solider who commanded a detachment of Syrian-born soldiers. He had, in all likelihood, presided over the crucifixion of hundreds or even thousands of men and must have become hardened to the agony these men endured. Day after day he would watch men endure unspeakable agony.

It is likely that this man was present from the time Jesus was brought before Pilate right until the Lord's body was lowered from the cross and given to Joseph of Arimathea. He may even have been present with the detachment of soldiers that aided in Jesus' arrest the night before His crucifixion. This man would have accompanied Jesus from the time the Jewish leaders brought him to the Praetorium. He would have ordered his men to beat Him, caring little for who He was, knowing Him only to be another in a long line of people he was commanded to execute. He would have been nearby when his men dressed Jesus in a robe, pressed a crown of thorns onto His head and walked Him to Golgotha. He would have given the order to proceed with the crucifixion. He was there through it all, undoubtedly viewing Jesus as just one more man in an endless succession.

Having seen so many crucifixions, the centurion knew what to expect from prisoners. Most people who were sentenced to be crucified were criminals, brigands, thieves and murderers. He had heard countless men scream in agony while being whipped and plead for their lives before Pilate. He had heard them shout curses to men below and blasphemies to God above. The behavior of the thieves on either side of Jesus was all too common, as they mocked and ridiculed Jesus while he hung between them. What more could you expect from the kind of man who was hung on a cross?

Perhaps it was during this time that the centurion began to notice that there was something different about Jesus. Where most men cursed and swore, Jesus, as His hands were nailed to the wood, cried out for God to forgive those who were causing His suffering. Or maybe He noticed the tender mercy in Jesus' voice when He spoke to the penitent thief beside Him, promising that the same day he would be with Jesus in paradise. Perhaps he was amazed that during such suffering Jesus could look down at His mother and ensure that her future was secure by telling John to take care of her. Certainly the three hours of darkness that accompanied Jesus' suffering would have marked this as an execution unlike any other.

We can only guess when the centurion began to realize that perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. What we do know is exactly when He knew with full certainty.
Just before He died, Jesus cried out "It is finished!" and then said "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." At that very moment Jesus died. At that same moment a violent earthquake shook the land with such ferocity that rocks were split. Matthew tells us "when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" Luke expands on this saying "when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"

And just like that, the man who presided over Jesus' execution, the man who ordered the nails to be driven into His hands and feet, became the first person to become a believer after Jesus' death.

What an awesome, exciting testament this is to God's divine grace! God was willing and eager to save one of those primarily responsible for the murder of His Son. A man who watched Jesus be scourged, who watched his soldiers mock and abuse Him and who probably enjoyed every minute of it, suddenly cries out in terror, realizing that He has killed an innocent man. But his cry of terror is also an expression of faith as he confesses his new-found knowledge that Jesus was and is the Son of God.

I am certain that this story served as a great encouragement to many people in the early church. Though many of them carried the guilt for having killed the Lord, the realization that God could save even those who held the nails, would have proven that He is a God of love and forgiveness. It would have reassured them that, like this centurion, they could gain God's favor through Jesus' sacrifice.

This centurion's miraculous conversion continues to serve as an encouragement today. Just as we share the centurion's guilt for driving the nails into Jesus, so we can share the victory He won that day. As with this soldier who lived and died almost 2000 years ago, we need only have faith to believe that "truly this was the Son of God" and we, too, can be forgiven for the part we played in this terrible, unjust execution. (Written by Tim Challies)

My Top 5 Books of 2008

2008-11-09T17:35:00.002-06:00

I got the chance to read a LOT of books in 2008. So, instead of keeping those resources that had a profound impact on my life this year to myself, I have decided that I want to share them with the world (Of course, I think "the world" might only be the one person who still reads this thing, but that's okay). Since I want to write my thoughts as to what was so impactful about the book rather than just posting a general list, it depends on my schedule as to if I will do this in one week or over a few weeks, so keep checking back.

A Historic Night and Thinking Forward…

2008-11-05T00:48:00.001-06:00

Tonight I witnessed a historic event unfold as I saw the first black American get elected to the Presidency of the United States. I figured that Barack Obama would win, but I wondered what my first thoughts would be when it was made official.

Not too long ago human beings with black skin were not even allowed to drink out of the same water fountain as human beings with white skin. Fast forward a few years later and now a human being with black skin will be sitting in the Oval Office as the President of the United States for the first time. Unless I grew up in a culture where I was a slave or was treated lesser because of the color of my skin, I don't think I could fully appreciate seeing the reality of a human being with black skin stand up at the podium tonight and become the President Elect of the United States. Tonight was truly a historical event that was a long time coming and I am thankful to live in a country where the color of a human being's skin will not disqualify him from running for the Presidency of the United States.

However, as thrilling as that moment is in history, the color of this human being's skin is not what will lead this country. The things that make up who Barack Obama is (background, thoughts, ideals, morals, etc.) is what will be leading this country. When Obama was officially announced as President Elect, there was no doubt a wide range of emotions from the American people; concern, hate, bigotry, hope, devastation, joy, pride, and the list could go on.

I have many concerns about this President and the leadership he is going to bring to Washington. My concerns are less about the economic issues, and more about the issues that Scripture says are explicitly wrong. America is going to get the change that she voted for, but I wonder if we are fully aware of the changes that Obama wants to make? Only time will tell.

Regardless of how I feel about the man, what's done is done, and for better or worse he will be my President come January. That said, my hope and trust is in God, it has never been in a man. I read the Bible and I see way worse things than this that have happened. My purpose in life is to worship God and enjoy Him forever. And, as much as I love my country, I serve God, not a President. My identity is in Christ, not American citizenship. My passion is to make Christ and His Gospel known, not fret over who sits in the Oval Office. Sure, I don't like thinking about what the next four years might bring under Obama's administration, but I wonder what good works I can do in the name of the Kingdom in the next four years?

I've got no control as to what happens in Washington, I voted and the peeps I voted for lost. But I do have control over the good works I do. No President can stop me from the mission of my life; making Christ known and telling others about His Gospel. No Congressman can stop me from worshipping God and enjoying Him forever. No Senator can discourage me enough to forsake the love of my life, Jesus Christ. All these things we are upset about right now are but a vapor in the wind and they are guaranteed to pass away. The things of God will NEVER pass away.

I love this country, and yes, I do believe that this country is a blessing to live in. And as much as I don't like the ideals of the man who got elected tonight, I will pray for him and hope that all Christians would humble themselves and do the same. I love living in my country, but I love living for my LORD even more. I pray that the way I react to this election will give me an opportunity to show the light of Christ to a dying world, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.

Al Mohler also has some good post-election thoughts.

Should I Listen to Emergent Church Types?

2008-11-02T19:35:00.001-06:00

This Is Exactly How I Feel About This Election!

2008-11-01T14:44:00.001-05:00

On many occasions over the past few weeks, I started to type out my thoughts about this election. I would begin on a thought, only for this thought to turn into a major thesis paper. This short clip captures the essence of everything I wanted to say. I'll have additional thoughts later, but this sums it up well. It's worth 7 minutes of your life.

Why an Album on Suffering?

2008-10-28T11:39:00.001-05:00

Niiiiiiiiiice!

2008-10-16T21:44:00.002-05:00

I finally got my ESV Study Bible today. WOW! I knew this thing was going to be detailed, but the resources in this study Bible are unlike anything I've ever seen outside of a Systematic Theology book or a Commentary. What's even better is that the explanation and supplementary articles are a lot more abbreviated than those big books and get to the point. I don't think I could recommend a different study Bible after having seen everything that this one contains. Go get one, use it, learn from it, and let it teach you how to think and engage God while reading it!

Jason Witten Jersey Anybody???

2008-09-06T15:34:00.005-05:00

I was shipped the wrong jersey and now have an extra Jason Witten jersey. I'd like to find someone to buy it rather than going through the process of sending it back (I ordered it online). It's a medium throwback jersey and it's in perfect shape, they just sent me the wrong one. As you can see from the link above it goes for $90, but I had a coupon so I'll be willing to sell it for $75, OBO.

A Pitbull with Lipstick!

2008-09-04T13:33:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a night at the GOP convention! Say what you want about the McCain platform, but he has picked a running mate that not only gives a strong speech as it comes to the delivery, but her message was also loud, clear, and put most of her thoughts out on the table.

Although I would still like to know what the McCain/Palin ticket is going to do to help the nation and turn Washington upside down, the issue of a woman VP has stirred a lot of conversation, as well as a lot of thoughts in my mind.

My issue is not with a woman VP at all. In fact, maybe it's a good idea to always have a mixed gender ticket? The issue, however, that I keep tossing around in my mind is the fact that she still has young children and how you raise those children while serving in public office (especially VP of the United States)? Does the "First Dude" of Alaska plan on staying home and raising them? From what I understand he doesn't do that now so that doesn't lead me to think that it's going to change if she gets into this office. It's an interesting dynamic to think about as I know that most will not give it much thought.

The leaders elected into public office are NOT our spiritual guides, nor should they ever be thought of in such a way, that much is certain. My heart does ache, however, for the kids (not just Palin's) that while biology would confirm who the kid's parents are, the two adults in the kid's life are more suited to be called guardians than they are parents. Parenting is a verb and somehow we have made only it into a noun that carries little action other than providing food and shelter for their children and no accountability.

Again, I like what I heard from Palin last night (I laughed and agreed with much of what she said) but is voting for the McCain/Palin ticket saying what she is doing to her family is okay?

Anyway, the original intent of this post was to throw this link out there that gives a Scriptural POV on women in public office. I totally agree with everything that this says, so instead of re-inventing the wheel, I'll just show you where the wheel is. Enjoy!

Organized Randomness

2008-08-29T13:52:00.003-05:00

Being laid off from your job makes you realize just how busy you’ve made yourself.
I’m in search of what God would have me do now rather than being consumed with seeking what He would have me do next.
Don’t correct or point out a character flaw in someone until you have first pointed out evidences of God’s grace in their life.
God thinks much of Himself and His ideas. His ideas are in the Scriptures. We would do well to look at those ideas (ok, maybe commands is a better word) and carry them out the WAY He instructs us to rather than modifying His already perfect ideas (ooops, commands) to what we think might be better for our day and age.
I am grateful for the peeps that God has placed throughout my life.
I am blessed far beyond what I deserve.
God’s idea is for us to live in community with one another, not isolate ourselves from people. He likes to work through people in our communities to minister to us.
I hate my pride, yet I can’t escape it.
My pursuit of humility will keep me busy enough for a lifetime.
“Serving” the church is not signing up for programs, ministries, or other busy work. It is living life in such a way that serves the Kingdom which advances the Gospel. You signed up to serve when you accepted Christ.
“No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand.”
I still worship “stuff” that I can’t have. I worship it because I can’t have it.
Pride is the root of all sin. I am the biggest sinner I know.
My wife rocks!
Wii Fit is a workout, especially with a titanium rod in your femur.
It’s just as important to study the Scriptures as it is to live them out. Balance is the key, as one is not more important than the other.
I have a friend who doesn’t like to eat turkey but yet lives there.
Persecution is a privilege. YIKES!
Just because we might not be able to figure certain concepts out, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t think upon such things.
Do hard things!
I love my life right now and wouldn’t change a thing!!
“God uses people who are themselves in need of change, as instruments of the same kind of change in others.”

ESV Study Bible

2008-08-28T16:54:00.001-05:00

This is a GREAT summary of the features of the new ESV Study Bible. It's worth a couple of minutes of your time.

The Power of the Media

2008-08-26T13:21:00.001-05:00

Here is a perfect example as to why I can't stand to watch or read the "news".The Context: Yes, this is about....... American Idol (Insert that infamous idol music here). More specifically, this is about a FOURTH judge that will be, reportedly, joining Simon, Paula, and Randy this season (and a sudden gasp is heard among all the Idol fans of the world that can't get their minds around this big change). Apparently, Paula Abdul was on a radio show this morning and was asked about her feelings on the matter.

This report would make you think that Paula is concerned about this idea.

This report would make you think that Paula is thrilled about this idea.

Personally, I really don't care what Paul Abdul thinks about American Idol (or really anything else for that matter). What I find interesting is that both stories came from the same interview, but the one from Fox makes it out to be like there is already drama on the set (I know, all republicans will now start cursing me for calling out the almighty "right wing, you decide" station). REVISION: PLEASE SEE THE COMMENT THREAD AS I AM NOT TOTALLY ACCURATE ON THIS AS POINTED OUT BY LAURIE.

This just goes to show you that the media doesn't take proper context into consideration when reporting a story (OR MABYE CERTAIN BLOGGERS DON'T READ EVERYTHING ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO POST). The media (REVISION: NOT EVERYONE IN THE MEDIA IS LIKE THIS) is all about ratings and telling you what to think (yes, even Fox) rather than you thinking for yourself. I can't wait for them to tell me what I should think of each presidential candidate and "educate" me on whom to vote for. (For the record, I think I'm just going to write my name in on the ballot.)

The media (REVISION: THE PEOPLE OF THE MEDIA WHO MISREPRESENT THE FACTS) is about as useful as the commentators that work the Olympics and sporting events (Yes, I listed those as two different things on purpose, think ping-pong, anything that has the word "synchronized" in front of it, and gymnastics). Now, if you will excuse me I have to go figure this Idol thing out or I won't be able to sleep tonight......

Now This Should Be Interesting

2008-08-16T01:48:00.001-05:00

I can't think of a better person to address this topic (and I don't mean that sarcastically). I wonder how many Christians will have a negative first reaction to this video clip.....

For the record, I agree that there are times that harsh language needs to be used, but just like everything else, there is a danger because it can be abused. I don't think that asking "is harsh language is right or wrong" is the correct question, after all, it is in the Bible multiple times. I think what must be sought out is the motivation for using such language. I would argue that OFTEN (not always) pride is the motivation for using harsh language and that's when it would be wrong and inappropriate. But just as we are given an outline of how we are to rebuke others, the Scriptures also show us how and when it's right to use harsh language.

I trust that the Spirit is going to speak through Driscoll to show us just that, and no matter what people think about some of his past "moments", he is a child of the King who is pursuing humility. The difference between him and most of his critics is that he hasn't crafted the art of hiding his pride as well as they have. By God's grace may we ALL be so fortunate as Driscoll to have our pride exposed in hopes that people will love us enough to come along side and walk with us on our pursuit of humility and sanctification.

A Little Insight is a Big Gift!

2008-08-15T00:46:00.004-05:00

Wow, it seems like preaching and sermons has been a hot topic around here lately, and rightfully so! That is why I'm once again thankful for another resource that has just been put out in the blogsphere that might serve those of us who preach.

Josh Harris, pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg MD, has started a new series on his blog called The Preaching Notes Series. This series will be composed of sermon notes from many pastors in an effort to show pastors the different ways that preachers work and hopefully encourage them in the preaching task. So far the list of peeps on board with sharing their notes are:

Mark Dever
Mike Bullmore
C.J. Mahaney
Ray Ortland Jr.
Tim Keller

As someone that continues to learn how to preach well, this is a huge blessing and a great gift!

Don't Waste Your Humor

2008-08-13T17:35:00.004-05:00

In the spirit of continuing the conversation below about what is and is not appropriate in a sermon, CJ Mahaney preached a message a few weeks back entitled Don't Waste Your Humor. My hope is that you will listen to this sermon, be served well by this sermon, and laugh often during this sermon.

CJ's humility, wisdom, and pursuit of Christ has had much influence on me in the past year. My hope is that God will continue to use him in a mighty way, not only in my life, but in the lives of others as well.

Wrigley Field, Hot Dogs, and a Dis-Astro-esk Turnaround

2008-08-13T16:17:00.004-05:00

Last week I had the privilege to attend the best baseball park on the planet, Wrigley Field! I flew to Chicago last Wednesday, ahead of my wife and in-laws, to go see my beloved dis-astros “play” on this field. The result, well I’ll put it like this, the fans and the field were amazing (more on the dis-astros play later). I’ve never seen more passionate baseball fans than those that cheer and boo the “loveable losers”. When Carlos Lee hit his homerun in the third inning, there were literally 7 of us dis-astro fans versus 42,000 loveable loser fans (and I’m not kidding about those numbers). I heard more F bombs when that happened (both directed at the Cubs and me) than I have in my life! That said when the Cubbies had their 8 run 4th inning, Cub fan got in a better mood and was very nice to this 1 of 7 dis-astro fans. If you’ve never been to a true sports town like Chicago, New York, or Boston, you’re really missing out. The fields are cool, the peeps are generally nice, the food is usually great, and you’ll learn that most true sports town fans get mad and boo their team (and articulate other words) when they’re slumping. Why? Because they care!

BTW, if you’re ever at Wrigley, it’s a must to get a hot dog! Wow! I’m a bit indifferent to the hot dog, don’t hate ‘em and don’t love ‘em, but I’ve gotta say that this isn’t your ordinary hot dog. It’s a Wrigley Field hot dog, and yes, there is a difference! This dog would make a vegetarian change their POV.

Ok, now about the dis-astros, what the heck! These guys are absolutely killing me. I’m the biggest fan on the planet of these guys (if you don’t think so, ask my wife sometime) but if they keep on winning games Uncle Drayton is going to think that his theory of signing older, over priced players, and not building a farm system actually works. AAAHHHHH! Oh well, that’s the life of a Houston sports fan. Take the W's when you can, even if it means that the owner will now continue to justify his flawed way of putting together a baseball club.

I think the Big Puma finally woke up last night (Insert puma growl here)!

WAR ‘STROS RIDING THIS WINNING STRETCH AS LONG AS THEY CAN.

Video Clips in Sermons, Yes or No?

2008-07-16T18:35:00.002-05:00

Leslie over at the Grafting Process says "no".

What say you and why?

Good

2008-06-23T22:07:00.001-05:00

Tommy Nelson on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood

2008-06-17T08:44:00.003-05:00

Tommy Nelson, senior pastor of Denton Bible Church in Dallas and who you might recognize from his Song of Solomon sermon series, is doing a three week sermon series on biblical manhood and womanhood... in big church!

On June 4th 2008, an open invitation letter was sent to pastors in the Dallas area informing them of a three week series that the church was doing addressing the question "Can a Woman be in Authority Over a Man in the Local Church?""Can they serve as pastors, elders or deacons over a man?" . (I wonder how full the email inboxes have been in the past few weeks after that letter went out???? :)

The three week lineup is:
June 15 – Pastor Tommy Nelson
June 22 – Dr. Bruce Ware
June 29 – Dr. Russell Moore

Here is a link to Denny Burk's website, who has posted a summary from Tommy's sermon yesterday, along with the audio. I can't wait to hear it!

This is a critical issue in the church today and will have a major impact on the future of the church. Why do I say this? If we start to interpret scripture with the hermeneutic that is used to justify women leading and teaching men in the church, then that same hermeneutic eventually will be used to accept sex before marriage, same sex marriage, and other issues that the Bible clearly says is wrong.

Just to be clear:

I believe that men and women are equal in value in God's eyes. Value is not the issue or discussion in play here. We see God's love transmitted to both men and women alike all throughout the Scriptures.

This is not a matter of ability, as I would affirm that there are many women that have the ability to teach. That said, I have many abilities, but those abilities must be used is a way that glorifies God. Even if I use those abilities for "good", but use them in a manner in which does not glorify God (ie, go against the way Scripture tells me these abilities and gifts must be used) then I have done nothing but accomplish works that please me, not God. Matthew 7:20-22

I would affirm The Danver's Statement.

Allow men to serve the Body in the way that God has ordered them to do so. Be served by the men's leadership and teaching! Again, this isn't about having the ability to do it better.

This is about it Biblical obedience and seeing that God places as much value in the way we are to do things as He does the result. If you don't agree with this, please read through Exodus and notice the precision in which the Temple HAD to be made. Also, please see the New Testament and notice the precision in which Christ HAD to live and die in order to be a qualifying atoning sacrifice that would satisfy the wrath of God and save the elect. Please see the precision in which the local church is suppose to be structured (contrary to most belief). The church can not allow political correctness to trump biblical obedience.

I would encourage all of you to visit The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood website.

ESV Study Bible; A New Gift in Several Ways!

2008-06-14T12:53:00.007-05:00

Usually if somebody wants to find me, there are one of three places that I'm going to be at: Antigua Coffee House, Panera Bread, or the "world famous" iHop (I usually refer to this as the Study Triangle :). I am at these places to accomplish two things; study (read) and meet peeps. When studying I usually tote around a bag with books that weigh enough to justify a company like Continental Airlines to charge me an additional $500. Come October, however, this bag will contain a lot less books. Why you ask? Good question!

Come October, Crossway is releasing it's new ESV Study Bible. Let's make no mistake, the Word of God itself is of ultimate value. There is no other book or commentary that is of equal or greater value than the Scriptures. With that said, the notes and study helps in this Bible will significantly cut down the amount of supplementary study tools that I will need to bring along with me to the study triangle. Crossway has been gracious enough to pre-release introductions and excepts from the books of Luke and Revelation. To see an overview of the content and features of the whole Bible, click here.

Made With People That Use Their Bible In Mind
One of the things I'm most excited about in this new Study Bible is the quality of how it's made. The binding is Smyth sewn, which is considered the finest Bible binding method and is designed to last a lifetime and the paper is high-opacity, high-quality French Bible paper from Papeteries Du Luman (PDL); this is widely considered the finest paper in the world and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), having been made from forests that are managed to preserve and sustain forestlands.. Finally, a Bible that's not going to fall apart after six months of use!!

35% Pre-Order Discount From now until July 31!
Friends of Sovereign Grace Ministries (this means any of you who are reading this) are invited to pre-order the Study Bible at a 35% discount! Simultaneously, Crossway will donate five percent of these purchases to Sovereign Grace Ministries. These donations will be used to support families who are training at the Pastors College. The Pastors College exists to train men to serve, lead, and plant Sovereign Grace Ministries churches and to support men currently serving as pastors within Sovereign Grace. My church, Sovereign Grace of Pearland, is sending a family to Pastors College this year, and I can tell you that the fruit produced from the training that he will receive at this college is beyond what anyone can measure. How generous of Crossway to kick back some of the profits to our ministry so men can be trained biblically in order to properly lead churches and fulfill the call that God has placed on their life!

To receive the discount—and support men in the PC—simply click here. You will be directed to a customized webpage where you can see an overview of the Study Bible and place your order.

I have been using the ESV translation for the past 5 years and I have yet to find a better translation. The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original. (More about the translation philosophy here and about the ESV in general here.)

List of Endorsements
These are men that have been given a chance to see this Bible already and the value that they see in it. May we always be more passionate about the Scriptures themselves, yet thankful for the gifts and grace that God has given certain men to help us in our understanding of what the Bible says!

“I can’t imagine a greater gift to the body of Christ than the ESV Study Bible. It is a potent combination indeed: the reliability and readability of the ESV translation, supplemented by the best of modern and faithful scholarship, packaged in an accessible and attractive format. A Christian could make no wiser investment for himself, a pastor could recommend no better resource for his congregation.”
C. J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.”
John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church

“The ESV Study Bible is the most important resource that has been given to the emerging generation of Bible students and teachers. The ESV Study Bible is the best. Period.”
Mark Driscoll, Preaching Pastor, Mars Hill Church; President of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network

“Like the ESV itself, this Study Bible sets a new standard in excellence. The craftsmanship invested in every page—from the insightful articles and informative notes to the crisp design and gorgeous illustrations—makes it an invaluable tool for students of God’s Word. As a pastor it’s my goal to get one into the hands of every member of my church.”
Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church

“Outstanding! The ESV Study Bible is a treasure—a beautiful volume, filled with a wealth of resources. It will be just as useful for the seminarian and long-time pastor as it will be accessible to the brand-new Christian.”
R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The ESV Study Bible is a tour de force: innovative production, beautiful graphics, and notes by outstanding scholars packed with useful information.”
Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

“I was privileged to act as General Editor of the English Standard Version, and now that I look back on what we did in producing that version, I find myself suspecting very strongly that this was the most important thing that I have ever done for the Kingdom, and that the product of our labors is perhaps the biggest milestone in Bible translation in certainly the last half century at least, and perhaps more. And now, as Theological Editor of the ESV Study Bible, I believe that the work we have done together on this project has set an altogether new standard in study Bibles.”
J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College (Vancouver, Canada)

“The ESV Study Bible is accessible, comprehensive, theologically sound, beautifully and helpfully formatted, chock full of maps, charts, well-chosen cross-references, and illustrations. I’m confident that it will be an instant and reliable help to growing Christians; high school, college, and seminary students; busy pastors; and Bible teachers. In short, the ESV Study Bible is an edifying, state-of-the-art resource that I highly recommend and will use with joy!”
Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church (Jackson, Mississippi); President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

An Evangelical Manifesto

2008-05-13T11:51:00.002-05:00

Who are the Evangelicals? The issue of Evangelical identity and definition has been central to the Evangelical project from its very beginning in America. Given the nature of the movement, definition is elusive and constantly contested.
The release of "An Evangelical Manifesto" on May 7 caught the attention of the national media, and thus it represents yet another opportunity for evangelical definition. The document, released May 7, also represents a challenge, for its framers hope to redefine the movement in the context of our unsettled times. -Al Mohler

This is an interesting document/project. I would encourage you to read the document, articulate your initial thoughts on it, read Mohler's thoughts, and then listen to the discussion between Os Guinness (one of the framers of this project) and Al Mohler about this document.

Download An Evangelical Manifesto

Al Mohler's thoughts on An Evangelical Manifesto

Os Guinness interviewed by Al Mohler about An Evangelical Manifesto (Interview begins at 11:24)

Guinness does a great job of clarifying some of the questions that I had about the document. The objections that I had to Mohler's responses that he had stated in his blog I would still object to after listening to the interview.

I agree and disagree with some of what is said from both of these men. I think what Guinness and his partners are attempting to do is important, to a degree. Just because something is hard does not mean that it should not be attempted, and that's what I believe this group is trying to overcome with this document.

I would be very interested to read your comments/thoughts on this.

He Should Grow Them Back!

2008-05-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's #17 again. Confused? Find a spring training pic of the Big Puma.

Dude Has GOT To Get On Base......

2008-05-08T07:22:00.000-05:00

.....and then start stealing bases!

13 steals at this point in the season is awesome, but think of how many he would have if he would start hitting the stinkin' baseball!!!

Favorite Player to Watch

2008-05-07T07:14:00.000-05:00

No, he's not killing the ball like he did last season (yet), but he'll adjust and get better.

How do I know this? Simple....

Unlike most, he loves to play the game of baseball.

It's that love and passion for the game that will drive him to improvement.

Best Off-Season Trade Acquisition

2008-05-06T07:04:00.000-05:00

Even without "the juice", rrrrrrrrrrr, B-12, this guy is producing!

.349 - 5 - 25

.325 - 10 - 31

2008-05-05T12:42:00.004-05:00

And because of his "puma-like" speed, he's even stolen 4 bases.

(Cue puma growl)

T4G '08

2008-04-27T23:50:00.003-05:00

I was able to go to the Together for the Gospel conference this year. I'm still processing everything that was spoken about but I'll leave you with a few thoughts.

R.C. Sproul gave the most incredible Gospel presentation I've ever heard. I was challenged to think about just how much of a curse Jesus had to become to satisfy the wrath of God that I might be saved. Wow......
Books, books, and more books! Every time a new session started we got a pile of books, AND THEY WERE FREE! You can see the books they gave us to the right of the post in my goodreads section. (Did I mention that all 14 were free?)
My pastor snores.......
John Piper once again gave a solid talk on the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice . Believe me, he said some pretty radical things, even for the Piper...
The 'ol "average pastor" C.J. Mahaney (He's hardly average, but he insists on the title) gave a talk that every pastor should be forced to listen to often on Sustaining a Pastor's Soul.
My pastor thinks St. Louis is Louisville.
I have many thoughts on the Absolute Truth of Scripture and how that is playing out in a post-modern world. I will be studying what the Bible says about the local church and the offices and roles that are to be carried out within the local church this summer. I'm excited to dive into that. I'm sure my conclusion won't be popular since I'm aiming to be biblically correct and not politically correct, but oh well. It won't be the first time in my life. :)
I would highly encourage that you download all the T4G talks You can download them all for free here.

Soundtrack of the Year!

2008-04-10T20:50:00.002-05:00

Hands down the best soundtrack to come out in a LONG time. The movie is also a must see!

Fruit

2008-03-23T19:13:00.002-05:00

One of the things that I absolutely love about my church is that we spend time every week praying for the lost. It's something that I look forward to on the way to church every Sunday. There is something about intentionally praying for the lost in the middle of the service that both glorifies God and edifies the Body. It's good, sweet, real, and honest.

This morning was the first time that Meg and I got to witness baptism in our church since we joined. For some odd reason, the city of Pearland didn't build a baptistery when they built their city hall buildings (which we currently meet in) so we have a "baptistery on wheels" that we use. Our pastor (Grady) meets with people that are requesting baptism well in advance to ensure that they truly have the best understanding that they can of their sinful nature, which earns them death and eternal punishment in hell, the need to be saved from their sinful nature and hell, that they have repented of their sin, that they have accepted the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a substitute for their sinful nature, and believe that three days later He rose from the grave and beat death.

Grady introduces each person before they are baptized and tells the congregation a little bit about their story and the process they went through to ensure that they had an understanding of the gospel. This morning we got to hear one of the sweetest stories I've heard yet. I think she is 8 years old. Grady didn't really have to talk to her much to know that she knew what was going on. This is what the girl told Grady...

"I went to church one morning with my parents. When we got to the part where the church prays for the lost, I realized something. After church I looked at my dad and said, "Dad, I realized this morning when yall were praying for the lost, yall were praying for me. I am lost......"

-Matthew 19:13-15

Quotable 3-20-08

2008-03-20T23:45:00.001-05:00

"Grace does not simply provide the option for salvation; it always accomplishes what it purposes." -Robert Peterson

The Doctrine of Unconditional Election

2008-03-20T12:25:00.003-05:00

The work on this paper has begun! The first five pages have to deal with the doctrine itself and the back ten pages are to be on the practical application of this doctrine in life and in ministry.
The first five are no problemo! The back ten pages, well, are going to be bit more challenging.

FIRST, God chose to save me specifically (the first five pages).
the practical application is, hhmmm, let's see....

Because He first chose me it freed my fallen (bonded to sin) will to
THEN respond in choosing Him and accepting His salvation.

Because I chose to accept His salvation (and yes, you still must choose to accept God's salvation after His choosing you, but that's a whole other paper :) I
NOW live in such a way that reflects the relationship I have with God through Jesus because of the grace He has on my life shown in His saving me. (Practical application)

Now I just have to figure out how to expound on that just a little bit to hit the 15 page minimum. Thoughts, comment, rude gestures, and snide remarks are all welcome.... :)

I Almost Forgot

2008-03-17T09:27:00.002-05:00

....that I have a blog! I think, however, it's almost to the point of being a blahhhhh-og due to lack of neglect. Things have been out of control busy between serving in our new church, going to school, work, and oh yea, that whole being a husband thing (which I shamefully admit I have not done a good job of as of late).

There are many things that I have often wanted to blog about but just haven't had the time to do so. So, a quick summary with no promises whatsoever to be better at updating this thing (do I have commitment issues or am I just learning my limits??).

LB just learned that I have a blog! I'm sure she's been waiting with anticipation and checking everyday to see my updates and has therefore been totally disappointed and perhaps a bit depressed, as her expectations have not been met in this area.
School - I'm in the weeds right now. March consists of one 6 page book review (done), 1 mid-term in Systematic Theology (done, and feel good about it), two 15 page papers (one on Unconditional Election, and the other on Matthew 11:20-30 or John 13. Any suggestions?). Once March is done, April will meet me with one 6 page book review and preparing for 2 finals which are the first week in May.
I get to take a break mid April and go to a conference for a couple of days. Very welcomed and a LOT of fun!
I'm facilitating our bi-weekly Care Group discussion on Evangelism which has been great. Awesome group of peeps and always good discussion!
Work, well, honestly has been rough. Somehow I have disappointed my boss and I'm not sure what in the world he wants from me. We've had multiple discussions now (he's only been my boss for 3 weeks the other one retired) and he's got everybody wound up so tight around this place that they're all about to snap! I have got called out for being "too humble" the other day. I loooooove being micro-managed! Sheesh!
Meg and I are doing well, and I'm learning how to pursue humility everyday in hopes of being a better husband. I've gotta loooooooong way to go!

Okay, maybe more soon. I hope to get some book reviews up along with some random thoughts. I might even do some posts as a way of "thinking out loud" as I'm writing my paper and let the blogging world (all one of you that still hits this thing) join me.

I'm Back!

2008-01-27T21:07:00.000-06:00

Okay so it has been a while. A quick update from the past how ever long its been:

Went to Hawaii for Christmas and loved it!
Signed up for two courses this semester: 1) Systematic Theology 2, 2) New Testament 1
Lots of thoughts, lots of questions, not a lot of answers.
2 weddings in February
Got a new gym membership. The wife and I are gettin' in shape in '08! (Wow, that was cheesy, even for me)
My new nephew Bode Lee Ham (Bo-Dee) was born a couple of weeks ago. Cool kid!
It's going to be a loooooong semester.

In the mean time, anybody got any thoughts on the '08 Dis-Astros???????

Good Ideas

2007-12-20T09:33:00.000-06:00

EATS

Start the day off with a grapefruit and cup of green tea. This will help eliminate coffee dependancy (uhhhhhh, I don't know anybody addicted to coffee...)
Try to eat five different fruits a day and make sure it includes grapefruit and apples.
Salmon and halibut make good entrees and brown rice as a side.
Buy a juicer (or ask for one for Christmas). You can make all kinds of different combinations of healthy stuff with it!
Spinach - Although I'm not a fan it's allegedly good for you, just not creamed!
Oatmeal! Suggestion of stirring in Parmesan cheese has been made. Interesting....
NO white flour, sugar, or junk food.
Chefs Diet is getting great reviews. Check out the link, again, interesting.....

ACTION

Incorporate working out through the day within your daily routine.
Do crunches while sitting on the couch and watching TV.
Park further away when going to shop so you have to walk a little more.
Do a few pushups before getting in the shower in the morning.

PARTY FOOD (Eat something BEFORE going to a party)

A salad with some chicken in it is fast and easy.
Eat some yogurt before you go.
Bring some protein bars with you while you're out. This way if you're at a party or shopping you can eat that instead of the "junk" options.

The Reporting of Pettitte's HGH "use" = Overrated

2007-12-16T15:55:00.000-06:00

Thursday was a heck of a day for baseball for it was the day the long awaited "Mitchell Report" came out. For two years players, owners, unions, and fans knew this day would come but the bottom line is this, there was a LOT of statements from two people, with little physical evidence, this report really doesn't prove anything. There were players named in this report by name for alleged drug use. Two types of drugs were brought up, steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). HGH was banned from baseball beginning in 2005.

Andy Pettitte's name was brought up in the report, and because ESPN and other media outlets don't have a lot going on, they once again misrepresented what the report said for the most part, and dragged Pettitte's name through the mud.

All the Mitchell report said about Pettitte was that he and Roger Clemens used the same trainer and that Pettitte asked for, and was injected with, HGH when he was on the D.L. in 2002 in order to heal faster to get back to his team. The report never said, or implied, that Pettitte used steroids or HGH anytime beside the time he was on the D.L. However, if you listened to every media outlet, you would think because of his relationship with Clemens that he used both substances everyday of his career.

Note to media (especially ESPN): Stop reporting stuff that is not there and making up stuff in order for your 5 Sports Centers in a row to be somewhat different. In the process of trying to "make news", you're dragging a good man's name through the mud.

I'm not saying Pettitte is without blame (he came out Saturday and admitted to taking HGH when on the DL in 2002). As a Christian, Pettitte should be above reproach. I would say that above reproach for Pettitte would have been to either not take the HGH and heal naturally, or come out long ago and just tell everybody what happened. It technically wasn't against the rules in 2002 but at the same time he knew that the report was going to come out. In fact, he was even asked by the peeps conducting the Mitchell report if he wanted to comment on what they were going to put in there about him. Pettitte chose not to speak up, and because of that, now he's got this nightmare on his hands.

I don't know if Pettitte would have made it to the Hall of Fame or not. He's a great left handed pitcher and has been on some of the best teams in baseball. His mechanics are amazing and his control is awesome. I love to watch him pitch. It makes me mad that because of the way many in the media are reporting this story that Pettitte will now be booed at stadiums around baseball. We will now see fans holding up signs at ballparks with pictures of syringes and all kinds of stuff.

So, if Pettitte didn't technically break any rules (which he didn't since HGH wasn't a banned substance in 2002 when he took it) then what's the big deal with his name being in this report? If it's because what he did wasn't moral or above reproach, then some of the greatest players of all time (Ruth, Mantle, Joe D) should be on trial as well. Pettitte didn't use the HGH to improve his everyday game like some currently do.

As a Christian, I am a little disappointed in Andy, but I am absolutely in no position to judge him. Wouldn't church be an interesting place if we put the same expectations of confession on every member confessing their sins to the the church the same way we have expectations of sports stars confessing their wrong doings to everybody?

If Andy didn't think what he did was even somewhat wrong or suspect, he would have told the public about this a long time ago when it was first brought up. Not because he owes it to the public, but because he knew better and part of being above reproach is owning up to your mistakes. That said, his name shouldn't be dragged through the mud. Andy has done such much for so many. He made a mistake, a mistake he didn't make while actively playing, but a mistake nonetheless. Regardless of the reason, he has confessed his mistake. It's now time for the media and the public to let it go. Focus on the people that currently use steroids or those that use HGH to improve their play. If there is ever proof that Andy used steroids or HGH at any other time besides the time that he has confessed to (since in his confession he said that he's never used HGH at any other time) then throw him to the wolves of the court of public opinion. Until such a time, stick to the FACTS of what you know and stop reporting your speculation or "expert analysis" as fact.

To put Andy Pettitte and Barry Bonds's names in the same sentence is just downright stupid and irresponsible. There is LOADS of proof against Bonds taking steroids and HGH during the season, including his own confession that he took it (unknowing that what he was taking was a steroid, ALLEGEDLY).

Jayson Stark has a very well written article about this.

Okay, I feel somewhat better now....

Are They at Odds?

2007-12-07T11:59:00.000-06:00

I know what I'm about to admit is going to cause some to want to throw stones at me, but I wasn't a big fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Maybe it's because I've only seen the movie and not read the books, but neither the story nor the way the movie was made did much for me. I didn't think it was horrible, I just didn't enjoy it like most.

Now that I've thrown that out there, I've heard many interesting things in the past few weeks about an up and coming movie called The Golden Compass. In short (at least from what I'm hearing) while Narnia was meant draw a parallel to Christianity, Compass was written to draw a parallel to a non-Christian tale of life. I'm sure much will be said about this movie and comparing the differences between it and Narnia in the next few weeks. There was one review that I recently read that I found to have a very good quote in regards to how Christians should react to this movie (especially those that are up in arms or freaking out right about now):

"A good first step would be to take a deep breath. The Christian faith is not about to be toppled by a film, nor by a series of fantasy books. Pullman has an agenda that is clear, and Christians need to inform themselves of what this agenda is and what it means. At the same time, nothing would serve his agenda better than to have Christians speaking recklessly or unintelligently about the film or the books.... While Christians will not celebrate the release of this film, we should recognize the mixture of challenge and opportunity that comes with millions of persons watching this film and talking about the issues it raises. When the movie is mentioned in the workplace, in school, on the playground, or in the college campus, this is a great opportunity to show that Christians are not afraid of the battle of ideas."

If you are a Christian reading this, please take that quote to heart. Don't be "that guy" that starts ripping on people that like this movie. As the idea in the quote above says, speak intelligently about the film/books. Don't be afraid to engage in a conversation about opposing ideas, but please don't get into some argument whose only platform is emotion with no substance.

If you don't feel like you should spend money to go see the movie because you don't want to support it, great! Have kids and don't want them to see it, totally understandable!! However, I would encourage you to stay away from conversations and "debates" about the movie until you've seen it yourself.

Also, if you are a Christian reading this and are surprised that movie like this has been made.... well..... nevermind. That's a whole other subject that deserves its own post at some other point.

P.S. If you are reading this and are thinking I'm being hypocritical for posting this since I haven't seen the movie yet (The movie opens today and I have yet to see it) please note that the title of this entry is a question. I also didn't give my take on the movie itself. This post is more about how we as Christians should react and not fear to have intellectual conversation about such movies/books, more than it is a review. In addition, the review that I did link to is written by somebody that has seen the movie.

Repenting and Mark Driscoll

2007-12-05T22:14:00.001-06:00

I wish we would see more of this from pastors, leaders, and all church members. There is much to be learned and thought about here.

OLD School Pre-Thanksgiving Tradition....

2007-11-21T10:51:00.000-06:00

I know there is at least one person out there that knows what I'm talkin' about....

Powerful

2007-11-13T22:42:00.000-06:00

Both the lyrics and music

Confession: I'm not sure of the last time, that at the very mention of the name of Jesus Christ, I was filled with awestruck wonder. He really is a marvelous mystery.....

I Spied Something Red This Morning.....

2007-11-09T08:21:00.000-06:00

Who needs snow and cold weather to tell you it's winter when you have red starbucks cups!

Take This, "*", Verizon!!!

2007-11-05T12:50:00.000-06:00

After switching from Sprint to Verizon last year, I finally could say that I have had every cell phone carrier that has been offered in Houston. Sad, but true. I have been very pleased with Verizon since the big switch (praise the Lord you can take your number with you now!) but after two weeks of ZERO dropped calls (again, thankful) I noticed something that drove me crazy everytime I called the wife and other friends that have Verizon.....

One of the advantages to Sprint (Actually, I think it's the only advantage) is when voice mail comes on, you can skip over the greeting by pushing the "1" key. This is a feature that I never realized the true value of until I made the switch to the big "V". Not only can you not press "1" to skip the greeting with the V, but after your personal message is done, another woman comes on with further instruction. It is the "other woman" that has been in my life for over a year and a half now that is driving me to drink! Not only do I know what to do since your personal greeting told me what to do (another great blog topic would be why we are still telling peeps what to do after the beep, if you don't know by now there is no hope for you!) but then this other woman starts blabbing about what to do after the beep. AHHHHHHH!

HOWEVER, I can now offer hope to those that are annoyed by this other woman. If you know that somebody is a V subscriber, all you have to do is hit the "*" key, and it will go straight to the beep! No more listening to the loooooooooooooooooooooong overused message #1 or #2. No more of Verizon getting us to rack up our minutes by listening to two messages! We can now silence the other woman in our life and the useless message of our friend's personal greeting.

Helpful

2007-11-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

Desiring God and Logos Research Systems have combined efforts in order to bring us a piece of very useful software. The John Piper Sermon Manuscript Library is one of the best purchases I've made yet.

Last year, Desiring God did an overhaul on their website which now allows people to search for sermons (both audio and scripted) with a lot more ease. They have made this available to everybody for free. But if you're like me you don't always have an internet connection while you're studying and there might be something you want to look up. This software will allow you to do that!

On the disc is a manuscripted version of every sermon that Piper has preached since being at Bethlehem Baptist. Once loaded on your PC, it will automatically update every time Piper preaches via an internet connection. It's literally the gift that keeps on giving!

If you have Logos Software, this fits nicely into your Libronix (electronic library). The nice part about this is that even if you don't have Logos Software, it will operate on your PC just fine!

This would be a GREAT gift for those that are in seminary, enjoy learning from John Piper, teachers of any kind, or anybody who likes to do any kind of theological research. It's a very easy to use software and well worth every penny. I just got done writing a paper on Romans 9, and if you know anything about Piper, you can image how helpful it was to have access to his research, thoughts, and interpretations of the text.

A Better Review

2007-10-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to say anything about this book, however, after reading the review that Tim Challies posted, I felt like I should a least post the link to his review. It's spot on. It's not a "let's trash Joel review" but rather a truthful examination of the book compared to what the scriptures say. Good, short, and very well written!

I'm sure there will be much talk about this book, and Joel himself, in the next few weeks. My hope is that those of us that are Christians can respond to those in favor of this book in love, but in that love speak unapologetic truth.

My thoughts on Joel have never been a big secret. I've been pretty articulate about him and his "ministry". But after listening to him on the talk shows and other various interviews, there is no doubt in my mind that he really believes what he is saying is true and helpful to others. I believe that this man has been deceived by a lie and has fallen for this lie hook, line, and sinker. This lie is very pleasing to the ear, which in turn has produced what the world would see as incredible results. That is why he has the platform and large audience that he has today. How could this be so bad if it's producing positive results that make ME feel good about MYself and MY life? Why would a god that calls himself loving want anything else for ME? All the while never once stopping to see what the Scriptures have to say about God, His value to Himself, and His value compared to us (His creation). Nothing but me, me, me.

However, when I sit back and really think about all of this, and then reflect upon my life, I look at some of the lies that I've bought into. This reflection brought a renewed revelation:

If it weren't for God's grace upon my life, I too, would buy into more lies!

There is not a thing that I have done to earn the grace that God has bestowed upon me that keeps me from living out a life that embraces these lies. His grace was extended to me when He chose to love me before He even formed the universe. Then His grace came down from Heaven in the form of His Son who lived a perfect life, put that perfect life to a very bloody death on a cross, and perfectly rose from the dead in order to be the only perfect sacrifice to pay for my jacked up sinful life. His grace is active in my life even in this moment. His grace is what gives me the passion I have to read The Scriptures, Study the Scriptures, and commune with the Spirit to seek His Truth according to the Scriptures. Why He would pick a messed up red head to extend such grace can only be summed up in one word, love. For whatever reason, He loves me enough to continue to extend grace to me. Wow.....

I don't think for a second that without God's grace on my life that I wouldn't believe the stuff that Joel and others like him teach. My hope is that we wouldn't just sit back and call out books and "ministries" like Joel's (Because I do believe we have a biblical responsibility to do that) but in addition to that we would also:

BEG CHRIST to give the church a passion to teach and equip Christians to go out and be the church that His Scripture has very clearly called us to be!

BEG CHRIST to continue to extend His grace to us!

BEG CHRIST to extend His grace to the Joel Osteen's of the world. That they might see the Truth of what a Pastor is called to be. That they would see the responsibility that God has placed on those men with that calling, and the accountibility that comes with it.

BEG CHRIST to extend His grace to those hearing and reading books that are just not true.

THANK CHRIST for His grace that opened up our hearts to those of us who are called to believe the true gospel and to thank Him for the continued grace that He extends to us daily.

A New Addition to the Podcast Section

2007-10-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

I've added another person to the podcast list, Trent Henderson. Trent is the pastor at Heritage Park Baptist in Friendswood, Texas. I met Trent ten years ago (gosh I feel old admitting that) when I was a youth pastor. He came out and spoke for a Disciple Now Weekend.

Trent is now pastoring the church that he came and spoke at ten years ago. It's fun to see how God works and how His timing falls into place.

Trent is a solid Bible teacher and a great person. My hope is that this church will grow in Christ under Trent's leadership and teaching; and be a reflection of Jesus and His Kingdom.

Grab the podcast, you won't be sorry....

Work: A Holy Calling

2007-10-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is definitely worth the 2 minutes it takes to read!!

Well Said in 2.5 Minutes!

2007-09-20T18:28:00.001-05:00

A Loaded Question

2007-09-16T23:17:00.000-05:00

I would like to know your thoughts on spiritual gifts that some would conclude are no longer among us. These gifts include:

Tongues
Prophecy
Healing

Yes, I know that this is a loaded question, but I'm curious to know what you think. Even more importantly, I would like to know the "why" behind your conclusion.

The current class that I'm in is what's prompting this question (because I know you were wondering why in the world I'm asking this). I would like as many responses as possible. Just throw out what you think. I'm not looking for a thesis, just top of your head thoughts. The more scripture to support your thoughts, however, would be nice.

The Best Study Companions Ever!

2007-09-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

What Pastors Are Called To Be

2007-08-31T08:58:00.000-05:00

I would like to recommend a book to everybody reading this. If you're like me, you have a million books I'm sure you'd like to get to. You'll even fall into the trap of buying more books before you read the ones that you already have! I get that, I really do. But that being said, I'm still going to encourage that you read Preaching the Cross. This book is a compilation of talks that were given at the Together For Gospel conference. Each chapter is a talk from that conference. The talks are from Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan III, C.J. Mahaney, John Piper, RC Sproul, John MacArthur, Albert Mohler Jr. You can get the table of contents here. This book is important for two types of people:

The individual that feels God's call to full time ministry. This book helps guide us through what the Bible says the role of the pastor IS, not what many are trying to make it into. Jim Hamilton is right when he says that this book should be required reading for those preaching or in pastoral/ministries. I would submit that pastors read this book every year as a good reminder of what the WORD says we are to be as pastors.
People that are currently church members. At first I thought this book was just for preachers, but I am now convinced that every church member should read this book in effort to know what the Word says the Pastoral role is to be and ask ourselves if the pastors of the churches we attend are being true to the Word. Not in an effort to be more critical, but rather, biblical.

Furthermore, thanks to our friends at Sovereign Grace Ministries, you can download the actual talks that this book is written from for free (See the post below this one)! If we read these words and hear these words, we have a better chance of remembering these words and retaining what we are attempting to learn.

This Is Great!

2007-08-23T15:39:00.000-05:00

Although the internet can have some bad stuff on it, it can also be used for good. I have found many good podcasts to download for the commute to work everyday. But now Sovereign Grace Ministries is making all of their audio resources available to download for free! This includes Sunday talks, conference talks, etc. Grab the link here. You don't have to pay, register, give a name, give up your first born, or anything. While you're there, take a look at their ministry. It's incredible to see the vision that God has given them and their response to that vision, especially in church planting and pastors college.

I love it when ministries do the right thing and give away the teaching for God's word for free!

Quotable

2007-08-22T19:26:00.000-05:00

The return of Christ is the answer. Until then we work like Armenians and sleep like Calvinists.

-Matt Chandler in the sermon Salt and Light Part 3

Halarious!

My Friend Is With Jesus

2007-08-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

On Thursday around 4:30am, my friend was getting ready for work. He put on his socks one at a time, pants, shirt, shoes, you know, the usual. It was just like any other morning with no reason to think otherwise. Same routine as usual.

He arrived at work on time as usual. There's never any need to think he's not going to show up when he's scheduled. He clocks in, goes back to his work area, and gets prepared for the day. Same routine as usual.

It starts to rain.

Around 11:30am, his usual routine stops because something unusual happens. Rain pours hard, thunder is heard, and the roof collapses in the receiving dock of where he is working. Two men are in the dock. One dies instantly, my friend is trapped.

After an hour of trying to dig him out of the debree, he is finally freed. His bones are crushed. He gets loaded into Life Flight and looses consciousness.

After 8 hours of surgery, Daniel is in the throne room with Jesus.

I will always remember Daniel as a blue jeans and t-shirt guy, who was ALWAYS positive, had a heart of gold, a servant, and a man who loves Christ without a doubt. We worked together for many years and served at many ministry events together.

When somebody you know well dies, there are many different things that race through your mind. It's amazing that Daniel's day started so ordinary. And then, without any warning and out of nowhere, the roof falls down on top of him.

There is no doubt that Daniel loves Jesus (and yes, I did use the proper verb tense). I love knowing that he's in heaven without a doubt. It just makes you think of how fast life can change, and how precious it really is.

He was 29, married for less than two years, and had two brothers. I happened to glace over at his parents when as the pastor said, "You never prepare yourself to bury your children." I don't even want to imagine what his new wife is going through. Please pray for Daniel's family.

Praise God that He allowed Daniel to live for 29 years. My hope is that we realize just how fragile and finite our little lives really are and that it is only by God's grace that we are able to take another breath, live another day, sleep another night, and do it all over again the next day. I pray that we don't become to arrogant and overconfident that we loose site that it is only God's grace that keep us alive. I hope we never take that for granted, ever.....

Ah Yes, Remember This?

2007-08-16T10:08:00.001-05:00

Ah yes, the infamous tombstone that the Houston Chronicle printed in 2005. The Chronicle counted the Astros dead and buried that year, but to their surprise (and everybody else that would be honest) instead "The Good Guys" turned it around and went to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Ah yes, the good old days. Back when "The Good Guys" had a pitching staff, The Big Puma hit the ball out of the park, Jeff Bagwell was held together by duct tape, and Lights Out Lidge hadn't been lit up!

Ah yes, I almost forgot, the Dis-astros had a real G.M. back then by the name of Jerry Hunsicker. Sure, Jerry wasn't here after 2004, but this was the team HE put together, not Little Timmy Purpura.

Ah yes, the disaster that is Little Timmy Purpura. LTP I'm sure is a "Good Guy", besides, who on the Astros is not one of the "Good Guys". But it's time for LTP to go! That's right, I said it, give him the boot Uncle Drayton! He has turned your World Series team into, well, good guys that don't play ball well together. LTP is incompetent as a General Manager. I know it, the team knows it, and I hope that Uncle D knows it too. Memo to Uncle D, look at your team's results with Jerry and compare it to the team's results with LTP..... Hhmmmmm.....

Ah yes, it was LTP that wasn't aggressive enough to get the Rocket back, wasn't aggressive enough to re-sign Pettitte, put Burke into center field and then move him to Triple A after a month, continues to believe in Jason "Clubber" Lane, trade for Jason "I can't win a gave to save my life" Jennings for three players that are more valuable than Jennings on their worst days, can't even sign his High School draft picks, and waited until there were no more options to promote Hunter Pence! The ONLY thing good about the Jennings trade is that it forced LTP hand to promote Pence to the bigs. I'm sure by the LTP philosophy of baseball that Pence wouldn't be ready for 5 more years, after all, we don't want to rush the youngster...

Ah yes, the disaster that is the Astros is of LTP making. Sure, the players still have to hit and pitch, but a lot of baseball is about chemistry and putting the right players together. LTP doesn't have a clue on how that works. Uncle D, suck it up, admit to Hunsicker that you NEED him and can't run this club without him, fire LTP, and get Jerry on the first flight back to H-town! If you don't, we'll be looking at the above tombstone for many more years. This just in, LTP has done nothing to build your farm system...

Ah yes, it's going to be a loooong 3-5 years for Astro fan. I will still root for them and still go to the games (Minute Maid Park is a great ballpark). Afterall, I'm a baseball fan and an Astros fan. I will still cheer for the home team, boycott "Deep in the Heart of Texas" during the 7th inning stretch (And we wonder why peeps make fun of Texas?), and enjoy baseball. But Uncle D, not everybody shares this view. You best act quick, Houston fan is a very fair weather fan, which means your ticket sales are going to bottom out. Show us some good faith, fire your G.M. and get the old one back....QUICKLY!!

A Recommendation/Shamless Plug

2007-08-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

Finding a house that you want to buy can be stressful enough. You would think that when you have found "the one" that things would finally slow down and become relaxing. WRONG!! It's only the beginning my friends.

Once you've found "the one" your next step is to get a loan (or if you might do this before you find "the one" to get pre-approved). If you go to a conventional bank, you might not get as good of a rate as if you went to a mortgage company.

I asked a friend about his mortgage guy, and it sounded like he was pretty good. So, I was about 20 minutes from signing my papers when another friend of mine convinced me to give her mortgage guy a call. It's one of the best calls I've made!

Jody Wright at First Houston Mortgage not only saved me $4,000 dollars from what the other guy was going to charge me, but really helped me understand how this whole process works. He educated me on how to read the market, when to lock in a loan, and how to read a Good Faith Estimate to know if I was getting ripped off or not. The bottom line is that all lenders are selling money, but not only was Jody able to get me the best rate at a better price, but he took the time to explain the whole process.

Since we closed on our house, I have two other friends that have used Jody (one of which is Dean). They, too, felt the same way about his rates and the customer service he delivers. Yes, this is a shameless plug, but when there is a good deal out there for people to get I like to share it. Plus this is my blog and I'll do what I want to, dang it!

To get a hold of Jody you can reach him at the office: 866-803-9634 or his cell: 281-804-2777 or by email: jwright@loanhouston.com

P.S. that is not a picture of my house, it's Dean's.

There is a difference

2007-08-13T14:09:00.001-05:00

One of the things that I found as a home owner I must decide on is which home improvement store to use. It's like deciding between McDonald's or Burger King; Exxon or Shell; Wal-Mart or Target; Chick-Fil-A or, well, bad example. One would think that this would be an easy task being that I live right behind a Home Depot, but this isn't so much the case.

The Home Depot that I live behind is always out of stock on what I need, the stuff is never in the right place, and there isn't nearly enough associates to help you when you need it. So this led me to Lowe's (ahhhhhh).

Lowe's is wonderful. It is a clean, well stocked, customer service focused store. However, as with anything in life, there is a problem with them as well. They don't have a good selection of lighting products and their prices tend to run a little higher than the Depot. But they are first class in everything else.

So, the red headed endorsement of the day goes to Lowe's.

A Question

2007-08-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

Why is it that people are scared to be transparent with one another? What is it that we are afraid of?

Thoughts from the summer

2007-08-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

- Houston will always be hot and humid in the summer.

- I love the Church.

- The Astros will never be "champions" as long as Tim Purpura is the GM.

- Churches don't need a marketing campaign.

- Transformers is just as cool now as it was in the 80's.

- We added Coors Field to our list of ballparks we've been to.

- Avalanche beer from Colorado is good. Did I just admit that...

- Matt Chandler continues to be one of the best preachers I've ever heard

- Jason Bourne is James Bond without the cool toys or accent. I'm okay with this.

- If somebody doesn't have the gift of teaching, they should not be teaching in the church.

- Owning a house is cool.

- Owning a house is a lot of hard work.

- Churches spend too much money on stuff that doesn't matter.

- It's good to catch up with old friends.

- Loving somebody enough to be totally honest with them is severely underrated and needs to happen more often.

- Getting your tree trimmed is expensive.

- I feel old.

- Hawaii.

- Why do I choose to live in Houston when there is Colorado

- I want to find a church that's living out Biblically based teaching in a spirit of joy and worship.

- Door knobs are expensive.

- My nephew and niece rock!

- Barry Bonds has more home runs than anybody else in major league baseball history.

- Bar-roid Bonds did steroids.

- Nobody every gives the bat boy any credit at a baseball game. That's just wrong, afterall, he runs faster than Carlos Lee.

- Ryno's last post was April 2nd. I think it's his last one forever.

- True friends are hard to come by.

- Some people are so caught up in themselves and their self pity that they will never enjoy life. This makes me sad.

- The new Camero is really stinkin' cool.

- There are some stupid classes that you have to take to get a seminary degree.

- My friend was almost on The Biggest Loser and has a great blog that everybody should read.

- I love the Church.

- What's up with Brad Lidge?

- How 'bout them Cowboys!!

- I will always love New York.

- My wife is my best friend.

- My wife's husband is getting fat.

- L.J. is the best blogger, ever, period.

- Kirk and Chris got engaged....but not to each other.....

- Robbie is married

- Tim is getting married

- It would be cool to live in Canada for a while

- Pizza will always be a weakness and one of my favorite foods

- DeWalt has the best power tools!!

- Craftsman tools are great hand tools with a lifetime guarantee

- I wonder if anybody is still reading this thing.

- I wonder if/when I will ever blog again.

An Education

2007-05-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

So I'm sitting here studying at Panera Bread for my final (free wi-fi and free coffee, enough said). There is a group of four mothers solving all the problems of their kids lives, all the problems of the schools, and everything else. Mother 1 says, "You'll never believe what my friends friend told me about ____". Mother 2, "I can't believe that! (In totall shock and horror). Mother 3, well, she could care less. Mother 4, she doesn't really fit with this group, but she's trying too.

This is cracking me up!

Oooooohhh, now they're cracking on conservatives.... uh oh, now the conversation has turned and we are now talking about the entire city of Pearland.....

Who needs FoxNews when you have four mothers at Panera Bread.

Good times, good times indeed......

This Makes Jesus Happy

2007-04-16T13:15:00.000-05:00

I'll begin this with a confession , it's really easy for me to see what is going wrong in the church rather than what is going right. But this entry, however, is about something that I not only believe is right, but also an example of how the church should function.

Since 2002, I've been listening to a lot of Matt Chandler's sermons. I first met Matt when we were doing Metro Bible Study at First Baptist Houston. If you've never heard Matt, you need to look to the right, find the link to his podcast, download it, and listen with an open heart. God has used him for many years now to speak directly to me.

One of the things that I admire about Matt is the way he leads his church. He doesn't talk about the latest Christian cliche (expect to mock it) but rather he talks and lives a life that reflects Christ. He's very real with the people that he shepards and is humble enough to admit when he has gone wrong.

His church has experienced an unbelievable amount of growth in the past four years since he has been the pastor at The Village. Their "formula" has been simple; love the people that Jesus loves (sinners and saints), pray pray pray, and teach the Word of God lovingly and unapologetically. No "Purpose Driven" whatever or "5 Ways to..." whatever here. Just truth, love, and honesty.

It amazes me how God has blessed this. I'm not saying that because the size of their congregation, but because of what God has done in and through the hearts of the people in the congragation. It's amazing and humbling.

When you start teaching the real Jesus (as Matt does very well), I believe two things happen:
1) People will get mad at you and you'll always be in trouble. There are many (Christians and none Christians) who don't like you to mess up their idea of who they feel Jesus should be.
2) There is something about being real that attracts people.
This is what The Village is experiencing now. An overwhelming amount of people come each week. To combat this, they started multiple services a couple of years back. Now that they have 6 services, they are having to show some by video because it's just too much to do. They have done all this because they want to be good stewards of the facilities that God has given them as well as their financial resources.

The leadership of The Village has put off buying a building or building a new building for the past couple of years. Matt's reasoning, "Think of how much can be done for the Kingdom both here and overseas with that money rather than building a building. A building, which by the way, you only spend an hour and a half in once a week." However, because of the work God is doing there, the time has come to do something about the space issues. What I love though is that the elders didn't get up on stage Sunday and say, "Okay, let's go for it. Let's build a building!", start a building campaign, and blah, blah, blah. NO, instead of taking that route, this is what they're doing.

Building attractive buildings is not what makes Jesus happy, nor do attractive buildings make Jesus attractive. The Body seeking Jesus together for His idea is what makes Jesus happy. We (meaning churches everywhere) could learn a lot from this.
Please pray for The Village during this time.

Fillet or Gerber?

2007-03-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

I checked my email today and there it sat in my inbox, another email with "fw" in the subject line. Two letters that might seem harmless enough, but it's those two letters that everybody dreads. Honestly, I usually go straight to the delete button upon seeing such letters in the subject line, but decided not to this time. After I got past the other 1.2 million people that it had been forwarded from (If you're going to send forwards, clean them up at least!) I finally got to the text. Here is what it said:

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

Let me start out by stating that I looove the person that sent this to me (in case you happen to be reading this entry) and I understand what whoever wrote this meant, but even though I understand this person's intent, it is wrong.

Part of the problem in modern times is many think, just as this writer wrote, that the purpose of the church is to be our only source of spiritual nourishment. No wonder the church looks so anorexic. I would like to ask the person who wrote in to the newspaper what he or she would look like if they only ate once a week?

Going to church (in the context of the building where the believers gather) is a time and place set aside to worship God together as a gathered people, or family. While we are there, we worship the Almighty God through song and his Word being taught (preaching). We do this because the scriptures tell us that it pleases God to do so. Are we fed while we are there, yes (at least in some churches, but that's a different blog for a different time) but that should be a starting point for the week, not the only time we feed ourselves! The same way we eat everyday, we should be nourishing ourselves everyday, not just on Sundays at church. We do this outside of church with prayer, reading the scriptures for ourselves (with the grace of the Holy Spirit to help us understand what we are reading), fellowship with other believers, and enjoying the life that God has given us! If we just do this on Sunday, if we just take in spiritual nourishment when the preacher is preaching, we will never grow. We will wilt up like a flower, shriveling up into nothing.

We forget what a privilege it is to even have the Scriptures here in the good 'ol U.S. of A. I wish we realized the value, taste, and fulfillment of the feast we have the opportunity to eat of everyday. A full course meal with all the trimmings! Sadly, some would rather have spoon fulls of baby food fed to them once a week. Going to church once a week and hearing a real sermon (and I don't count "7 ways to whatever" as a real sermon) won't sustain your health. Run to the King's table and devour the fillet and drink the wine that the King is serving, pass up the Gerber. It is yours for the taking.....

A Saint Went Home on Tuesday

2007-03-07T12:48:00.000-06:00

William S. H. Piper (1919-2007)

As some of you might know by now, John Piper's father went to heaven on Tuesday. Here is his journal entry from the night he died. Wow......

Test Time

2007-03-04T22:26:00.000-06:00

I have my first test for school on Thursday. I haven't taken a test in 7 years, however, I still remember how to do a couple of things:

- Clean every part of the house before studying

- Get everything on my to-do-list done before studying

Just when I thought I was out of options, I remembered that I could post something on my blog! Now that more papers and tests are due, there will be much more blogging in my future. Enjoy!

Procrastination Thought

2007-02-21T22:53:00.000-06:00

Character transformation is the key to behavior modification.

Another Thought

2007-02-20T22:04:00.000-06:00

(From Bruce A. Smith's God's Greater Glory)

If the exodus (Old Testament) reveals God's heart of love and his willingness to act powerfully for his people, the New Testament events of the incarnation and cross emphasize the same concerns of God but now at the highest level imaginable....

The God of the Bible seeks relationship with those whom he has freely made, and the cross of Christ serves to implore us never to think lightly of the intensity of this desire within the heart of God as expressed supremely here.

...the God of the Bible is one who actively seeks to be in intimate relationship with those whom he has freely made.

Emphasis mine

A thought

2007-02-18T21:16:00.000-06:00

God is more concerned with our character than our comfort,
With our transformation than with the trials necessary to get us where he wants us to be.

-Bruce A. Ware
God's Greater Glory

Women Teaching in Seminary Classes, Right or Wrong?

2007-01-24T09:56:00.000-06:00

So, I was reading this article from a church's website and I figured by posting this I would get a feeling for how many people still read this blog. Please post, but keep it clean. :)

iNews

2007-01-09T16:11:00.000-06:00

Apple is making me tired, I just can't keep up! I've got a good cell phone and a good iPod and so what do they do.... iPhone, are you freaking kidding me! iStop iThe iMaddness!!

Something To Chew On

2006-12-11T21:01:00.000-06:00

If salvation were a choice it would cease to be a gift and would become an accomplishment.

-Neil McClendon

Tim Purpura is stupid

2006-12-08T16:03:00.000-06:00

This guy is going to be the end of the Astros. He signs a guy in Carlos Lee and waaaaay over pays him which causes him to not have the financial resources to sign Andy Pettitte. Bring back Hunsicker!!!!

All Pettitte wanted was an option for another year and 1 million more than the Astros initially offered. So let's get this straight:

100 million over 6 years for a guy that will more than likely produce less and less each year with a high strike out rate and shotty defense at best.

Nothing for one of the best left handed pitchers in the game. A proven veteran ball player of good character.

Good job, Purpura.....

Baby got back-yard

2006-11-17T12:24:00.000-06:00

Closer...

2006-11-15T07:40:00.000-06:00

Since another step in the process has been completed, it's time for another pic. Today is the living room.

Confession

2006-11-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

There are some people that love shoes (my wife), some people that like cats (Dean, for which reason I will never figure out), some people that like monkeys, and some people that love blogging and are the best at it. I confess, I'm a "gadget" guy. I love going to Best Buy, The Home Theater Store, Fry's, or the mother ship of them all.... the apple store. However, as of late I found myself in a dilemma. Now that I've got the HDTV, do I go Blu-ray or HD-DVD? I know that some of you right now are thinking that I need to get over it, but this decision has consequences. All of the sudden, I feel like I'm back in the 80's when people were having the great VHS or Beta debate! VHS won because of price, but anyone in media would tell you that Beta was (and still is) far superior.

So what should I do? Wait it out? According to this article, HD-DVD is the way to go right now. But what if it all takes a turn tomorrow? AAHHHHHHH!! This is important stuff! Far more important that having the right shoes with the right outfit, for this will determine which camp the Bennett household falls under. This is a war and sides must be taken!

oooops, this just in. I have re-read this article and this posting doesn't really matter anymore being that I don't have the money for either. Feel free to express opinion, and when I can finally afford one of these in 10 years, I will look to this post for advice.

Inspection Complete!

2006-11-11T10:04:00.000-06:00

The inspection went very well yesterday. Only a couple of minor things were found that we need her to fix. Once that is done, it's on to the bank to appraise the house. Since we're one step closer, I thought I'd put up one more picture.

Okay, what the heck, I'll give ya another one....

Love at first site

2006-11-09T11:28:00.000-06:00

The holidays are officially here, for this morning I had my first siting of the Starbucks Red Cup! Although the U.S. isn't the first to get them, I am nonetheless excited. What this means to the red head is that I now must build up my patience to do my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, get my long sleeved shirt cleaned so I can wear it once, re-unite with the Griswolds, and yes, have a Peppermind Mocha out of a red cup!

....and yes, it does taste different out of the red cup.

The Pearland Bennetts?

2006-11-08T14:43:00.000-06:00

Now, here's a way to make a "blog-back". If this house passes inspections, you are looking at the new Bennett residence! More pics to come when/if it officially becomes a done deal.

The Return??

2006-11-06T16:55:00.000-06:00

I just might bring both this blog and sexy back. More to come, soon, maybe, I hope......
Is anybody still out here?

Provider #4

2006-07-19T17:42:00.000-05:00

So, it all started with Houston Cellular about 10 years ago, then Nextel (Before the Sprint buyout), then Sprint. Well being that Sprint can hold a call without dropping it about as good as the Astros bullpen can protect a lead without blowing it, Megan and I have made the switch to Verizon! The digits haven't changed; however, the phone has. For that reason, I must depart with my very new A900 Sprint phone. This is my plea for someone to buy it at a ridiculously low price of $100. The price includes the phone, holster clip, wall charger, and car charger (I paid a little over $300 for all of that). So for all your "Sprint-ers" out there, here's the phone I'm talking about:

The phone is in perfect shape. It's also a little MP3 player, you can watch TV, take pictures and movies.... you can do just about everything but talk to someone (just joking). Anyway, shoot me an email if you're interested!

These Times are Sad......

2006-07-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

I was reading a blog that belongs to a professor at the Southwestern Seminary Extension campus in Houston. As Jim puts it, this article is a "slap in the face" to some. I also agree that I can't believe this was in the LA Times. My hope is that we would pray for all the churches (regardless of the particular denomination) that are falling into this type of liberalism.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-allen9jul09,0,2668973.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

"Fun" on the 4th!

2006-07-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

So, I'm sitting here at work while the rest of the good 'ole USA is firing up the BBQ pits and sleeping in. While working extremely hard today, I came across this quiz. I thought it might be fun for everyone to post their results (if anyone is still reading this thing). Have fun!!

http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=43870

Wow....

2006-06-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

This is a must read! What an encouragement to know what God is doing in the heart's of people. Our God is good, all the time....

Alaska, here we come!

2006-06-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

After months of waiting, the day is finally here. Tonight Meg and I are heading north for a cruise to Alaska. A week off of work, and weather that is the opposite of Houston, will be very welcoming! Props go to my mother in law who retired this year to make this possible.

When we get back from the cruise, the red head is looking forward to a day in Seattle where I am hopeful to find the original Starbucks and take a picture of it for our good friend Chris Keith (aka Patches) and hopefully get to take a tour of Safeco field, home of the Seattle Mariners. Unfortunately, the Mariners are out of town that day, but a tour of the field will still be cool nonetheless.

As food for thought while I'm gone, I'm attaching a link that everybody should read. It's very well written and challenging. Agree, disagree, whatever, but my hope is three fold:
- That you would read this with an open mind and get your hamster (brain) moving.
- That you would learn some historical facts.
- That you would be challenged on what the Bible says about theology and don't believe what just "sounds" right.

I'm not saying that I agree with everything on this page, but I don't think we challenge ourselves to think about what the Bible says about the theology that we claim to believe.

Anyway, have fun!!!

CLICK HERE

Grace and peace!

Good Book

2006-05-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a good, new book, I highly recommend:

I have recently picked this book up again (2nd time). Mark's words are fantastic and refreshing. It's an easy, convicting, mind provoking, challenging, "this is so cool", liberating books. Click on the picture of the book for more details.

Why are we so fearful of "The Code"?

2006-05-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

I have been planning to post on this subject for the past few weeks, but knowing that this was going to take a while, I am just now getting to it.

Over the past few months, there has been a lot of talk about “The Code”. Some Christian groups say peeps should boycott it, others say go see it; others say that they can’t believe such a movie is being made, while others admit that it scares them. Frankly, I don’t understand all of it….

Have I read the book? No, I have not, nor do I intend to. I have a hard time reading books so it’s not something that I would normally do. I have read and heard about the premise of the book. I have heard from peeps that have read it, the so-called “experts” on both sides (peeps who like and dislike it), and everyone in between. But here’s what’s really bugging me…..

I don’t understand why Christian’s are so fearful of a movie? Where in the world is our faith? Do we think that little of God and His sovereignty? I can’t even count the number of upset, angry, and fearful Christians I have seen as a result of this book, and for what? A MOVIE? A BOOK? HOLLYWOOD??

The day that Hollywood instills more fear in us than who the Almighty Sovereign Lord is, well, we have problems. Based on what I’ve observed, I would say that day is here and we do have a problem. How in the world did we get to the point where a movie would instill so much fear in us that we would get so up in arms over it? I’ll tell you how, we have gotten away from really knowing who this God is that we worship and go sing about. If we did, we would not be so fearful of a movie, but rather we would be as the scriptures instruct us, and have a holy fear of Him! Do we really think so little of God that we believe Hollywood might “get one over” on us?

Say what you will about this movie, but for whatever reason, God has allowed it to come to fruition. I would suggest that we spend more time engaging the Holy One rather than getting up in arms over a piece of 8mm film.

I would submit that most Christians are lazy and never share their faith. I would also submit that many ask God for a way to share their faith at work. This fictional work (or perversion of Truth) is allowing such the opportunities that many have been praying for. Instead of protests, let’s praise the Almighty that He has put His Spirit within each of us that have accepted Him and allows us to enter into conversation about who He is. My question is do we really want to have such a conversation? Would you be able to have such a conversation with somebody? Do you know Him?

I am not saying that we shouldn’t call out heresy, we should. But I do question our motives for protesting a movie. If we do it out of fear, I would submit that our faith in who God truly is lacks. He’s bigger than a movie or someone’s fictional book. I wonder if people even know the One on whose “behalf” they are protesting for.

Get to know Him, trust Him, be like Him, fear Him, but not a movie……

Just when you thought life couldn't get better....

2006-05-09T07:12:00.000-05:00

This gets released next Tuesday!!