Fireproof continues to do well...

Well, weekend results came in putting Fireproof in 4th place overall bringing in 6.5 million dollars. It has made 6.8 million so far and will continue to do very well. The movie only cost $500,000 to make.

If you recall, Facing The Giants was produced with a budget of $100,000 and made over 10 million dollars. In one weekend, they have almost met that prior number!

Continue to go see Fireproof! We went as a family yesterday afternoon. It was just as good the second time I saw it as it was the first. If you know a couple struggling in their marriage, take them to see the film as a treat.

This movie is awesome. Get everyone you can there to see it!

30 Days is over...

Well...we ended our 30 Days To Live Series with a bang! It was without a doubt the BEST worship service we have ever had at The Fort! For me, I usually have a manuscript, but I will practice my sermon enough that I have my manuscript as more of a pacifier than anything else. But for this service I was naked (well, kind of)...I was noteless. It was a lot of extra work and stretched me a little bit but that's a good thing.

I think the 30 Days series really struck a nerve in a lot of folks. We all tend to not think about our own mortality very often but the Bible is very clear that we should make a habit out of it. I think it's a very healthy exercise to live like today may be my last. If it was...I'd want to forgive and be forgiven, for sure!

I'm really satisfied with the 30 Days series. I think it was one of The Fort's finest moments!

Big Opening Night for Fireproof

Fireproof opened on Friday night in 839 theaters across America. It was NUMBER 3 in the nation for ticket sales! To give you a comparison, of the top eight films on Friday, other than Fireproof, the movie with the smallest number of theaters opened in 2,300 theaters!

Pray that Fireproof goes gang busters this weekend and flabbergasts Hollywood! It is a fantastic movie that you need to go see. In fact, take someone with you to see it!

End Times

I have to admit that I have been VERY busy these past few weeks and I haven't been doing much blogging...sorry about that. But I do read a lot of blogs every day and there is one that recently had a post on the end times that got me going. My friend Shane Vander Hart posted his thoughts on the end times (you can read that HERE). I thought it was a good topic, so let me fill you in on my own thoughts on this.

I feel that there is a whole bunch of bad information out there about the end times. People like Hal Lindsey with his Late, Great Planet Earth and Tim LaHaye and his novel series Left Behind have propagated so much sensationalism into this issue that it is hard to really navigate biblical truth from pop culture fantasy.

In the first century, Nero (the zero!) and Domitian were emperors of Rome who had a fetish for killing Christians. These evil men wanted to stamp out Christianity using a "whatever-it-takes" mentality. Countless thousands of Christians were murdered and suffered under the reigns of these men.

Christianity was on a knife blade. It was literally on the brink, right after it had just begun. And never was there a more needed time to receive a message of hope and victory as this. When John wrote his Revelation, that was precisely the message being communicated. In short, we will win, he was in essence saying.

Most commentators today take the newspaper in one hand and their Bible in the other and they do a great injustice to the plight of the Christians who suffered so much in the 1st century. The over-arching message of all of the New Testament concerning the end times is very simple: Be Ready!

We need to live like Jesus' return can happen today. Because, frankly, it very well could. No sensationalism, no fanfare. Just simply be ready for Jesus to come back.

I guess the one thing I do appreciate about Hal Lindsey or Tim LaHaye is that at least they get people thinking about Jesus' return. When was the last time you even gave it a thought? It is really good to stay focused on Christ's imminent return. That will change how you live.

An awesome commercial that will never air

I wish that Microsoft wasn't going to pull these ads...but they're not going to air. They are awesome. This is the long version of all of them...

To Be There or Not To Be There...

Hebrews 10:25 says that we shouldn't make a habit out of missing church. I have so many folks that I know that will miss church faster than Ron Paul will bash America. I am blown away at how so many people have non-Christian friends that they hope to influence for the Lord, but those non-Christian friends seem to exert a stronger influence than they do.

Out of fear of being labeled "fanatical" a lot of these Christians will wimp out when an invitation is extended on a Sunday to an event and not desiring to rock the boat these Christians choose to miss church rather than tell their friends they'll have to wait to go until after church.

Better yet, get some spiritual kahunas and invite your non-Christian friends to church with you. Tell them you'll take them out to lunch afterward.

I think it is wonderful to have non-Christian friends (I do), but when your non-Christian friends influence you to miss church...something's wrong.

Just being frank on this, it really does blow me away how easily people choose to miss church on any given Sunday. I am sick and tired of wimpy Christians not living out their faith in a real way!

Been a while...

I have been really laser-beam focused on getting primed and ready for 30 Days To Live. I feel things have gotten off to a great start. I preached the first sermon and feel like it hit people where they live. My father-in-law's Testimony was received well. But listen, if I can give you a small preview...next week you will see a testimony video that will leave you very unsettled for some time to come. It will stick with you. You won't forget it. I am very excited about next week's message and video!

All in all I feel things are going well. Satan certainly is alive and well. Whenever people start to get upset about something at church...I know we're on the right track!

On another note, I had a very cool opportunity the other night to pre-screen the upcoming movie Fireproof. It opens in theaters on Friday, September 26th. Let me just tell you, you need to see this movie! This movie will blow you away. It is phenomenal! Don't miss it. Go see Fireproof on opening weekend! You won't be disappointed.

Labor Day Weekend Rest

I have been in Kewanee, IL with my in-laws for the weekend holiday. My youth pastor held down The Fort while I was gone. (It's nice to have other staff who can jump in the pulpit when you need to have a break!)

I had the opportunity to hear my father-in-law preach for the first time. He preaches at First Congregational Church in Galva, IL. Here are a couple pics from the building...



The building is beautiful on the outside, this image doesn't do it justice. It was built in 1865. There are about a dozen churches in Galva which boasts about 2,800 residents.
These stained-glass windows are stunning. There were more throughout the church but these were the centerpiece. The church members are very proud of their building (as they should be).

My father-in-law was hired to help them come back from the brink. On the Sunday I was there, there were 35 people in attendance (including the six of us)...that was a record Sunday! Pray for Bob's ministry there. Pray for the people to begin to care about their community as much as they do their building. Pray for them to wake up from their long, deep slumber!

Pretty churches with no people. I pray to God that The Fort never gets that way!