I'm not a big quote restoration movement fathers guy, but this one is worth it. Alexander Campbell said this concerning God's Word...the Bible:
The Bible is to the intellectual and moral world of men what the sun is to the planets in our system – the foundation and source of light and life, spiritual and eternal. There is not a spiritual idea in the whole human race that is not drawn from the Bible. As soon will the philosopher’s find an independent sunbeam in nature, as the theologian a spiritual conception in man, independent of the ONE BEST BOOK. (The Christian System, Pg. 3)
Read it. Know it. Live it.
By the way, you can read The Christian SystemHere, if you are so inclined. It is considered to be Alexander Campbell's defining work.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Amanda the Wiccan
I stopped in at McDonald's today. I actually had to return a Red Box DVD but I decided to go in and get a pop as well. While I was in line, I noticed this young McDonald's employee sitting near me at a table (obviously on her break) reading a book. The title of the book caught my eye. She was reading a book on magical herbs. She was also wearing a pentacle...a well known symbol for the wiccan religion.
So I asked her, "So, are you a wiccan?"
She looked up from her book at me and said, "Yep."
I said, "I couldn't help but notice the title of your book. So how long have you been into Wicca?"
"Oh, I don't know," she said, "since Jr. High sometime."
I just nodded. After I got my order I just wondered how she got caught up in it. Was she involved in a youth group but the kids in the group were mean to her and never accepted her? Were her parents devoutly religious people on Sundays and anything but during the rest of the week?
Her name tag displayed her name, "Amanda." I know you don't know her. Neither do I. But God does. She is swimming in darkness and lost. Pray that God can break through to her. Pray for Amanda.
Wiccans detest Christians for the most part. So I didn't try to start up a discussion about Jesus with her. But pray for the opportunity to arise.
Amanda needs Jesus. Because the dark power she is seeking to leverage in her life may have made big promises to her but it will ultimately be her destruction as well. Because that is the only natural result of involvement in Wicca.
So I asked her, "So, are you a wiccan?"
She looked up from her book at me and said, "Yep."
I said, "I couldn't help but notice the title of your book. So how long have you been into Wicca?"
"Oh, I don't know," she said, "since Jr. High sometime."
I just nodded. After I got my order I just wondered how she got caught up in it. Was she involved in a youth group but the kids in the group were mean to her and never accepted her? Were her parents devoutly religious people on Sundays and anything but during the rest of the week?
Her name tag displayed her name, "Amanda." I know you don't know her. Neither do I. But God does. She is swimming in darkness and lost. Pray that God can break through to her. Pray for Amanda.
Wiccans detest Christians for the most part. So I didn't try to start up a discussion about Jesus with her. But pray for the opportunity to arise.
Amanda needs Jesus. Because the dark power she is seeking to leverage in her life may have made big promises to her but it will ultimately be her destruction as well. Because that is the only natural result of involvement in Wicca.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The hard work of marriage
Marriage can be hard. That's just a true statement. It takes work. From what I have seen, typically there are four pictures at any given moment in a marriage.
There is the picture in the husband's mind of what he believes his wife is trying to turn him into. Maybe he thinks his wife is trying to turn him into some emasculated version of Richard Simmons. Oh wait, he already is emasculated...but I digress. The husband usually thinks his wife wants to deflate his masculinity and inflate his feminine side. She wants him to help with cooking, cleaning and noticing how pretty she is. And the husband thinks that his wife wants him to join Richard Simmons fan club.
There is the picture in the wife's mind of what she believes her husband is trying to turn her into. Maybe she thinks her husband wants to be married to June Cleaver. She thinks all he wants is a little domesticated mouse at home who waits on her husband's every need and want.
Then there is also the picture that God has for the relationship. This picture is too often not held closely by either spouse.
Then there is the sad picture of reality. It isn't what the husband's picture looks like and it isn't what the wife's picture looks like and sadly, reality is usually very far from what God's picture looks like for the relationship.
The goal in any marriage is to move away from the exaggerated pictures held by the husband or wife and to gain a clear vision of God's picture for their marriage. Then they will more easily be able to transition from reality's picture to God's picture.
A really good place to start is by exploring what God's Word says. Ephesians 5:21-25 is a picture where you see two people mutually submitting to each other and the husband initiating an aggressive love (AGAPE) toward his wife.
When a man attempts to love his wife in such a way that he wants to out-serve her. When he will not be satisfied with her serving him more than he serves her. In a setting like that, there is not a woman on this planet that would not easily find herself submitting to a Man like that. Because a man like that has embraced God's picture for his marriage. The picture of self-sacrifice. When you have a relationship filled with two people trying to serve each other, you have a thing of beauty.
There is the picture in the husband's mind of what he believes his wife is trying to turn him into. Maybe he thinks his wife is trying to turn him into some emasculated version of Richard Simmons. Oh wait, he already is emasculated...but I digress. The husband usually thinks his wife wants to deflate his masculinity and inflate his feminine side. She wants him to help with cooking, cleaning and noticing how pretty she is. And the husband thinks that his wife wants him to join Richard Simmons fan club.
There is the picture in the wife's mind of what she believes her husband is trying to turn her into. Maybe she thinks her husband wants to be married to June Cleaver. She thinks all he wants is a little domesticated mouse at home who waits on her husband's every need and want.
Then there is also the picture that God has for the relationship. This picture is too often not held closely by either spouse.
Then there is the sad picture of reality. It isn't what the husband's picture looks like and it isn't what the wife's picture looks like and sadly, reality is usually very far from what God's picture looks like for the relationship.
The goal in any marriage is to move away from the exaggerated pictures held by the husband or wife and to gain a clear vision of God's picture for their marriage. Then they will more easily be able to transition from reality's picture to God's picture.
A really good place to start is by exploring what God's Word says. Ephesians 5:21-25 is a picture where you see two people mutually submitting to each other and the husband initiating an aggressive love (AGAPE) toward his wife.
When a man attempts to love his wife in such a way that he wants to out-serve her. When he will not be satisfied with her serving him more than he serves her. In a setting like that, there is not a woman on this planet that would not easily find herself submitting to a Man like that. Because a man like that has embraced God's picture for his marriage. The picture of self-sacrifice. When you have a relationship filled with two people trying to serve each other, you have a thing of beauty.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Amped Up
This weekend I am laying it out as I close out this series called Playlist. I can't do this thing alone. We have got to get people to quit playing church. It is time that we get more people involved. We are never going to "tear walls down" if we just have people sit on their butts on Sundays enjoying (or criticizing) worship services.
There is too much at stake! We have got to take it to the next level as a church. It is no longer acceptable that we remain a church of under 200 on Sunday morning. Those days are on their way out.
When I think about all the people on the South Side of Des Moines who are without Christ I can't sleep at night. People are dying every day and going to hell and we have the answer in our laps. We have got to get busy.
No more lazy leeches at church! It is time for those who take and take and take and never serve or give to find a new place to drain life out of. Because we need that seat!
I am totally pumped about our next series "Acts". We are going to spend 6 weeks studying how the early church did it. That is where we need to get out plays from.
There is too much at stake! We have got to take it to the next level as a church. It is no longer acceptable that we remain a church of under 200 on Sunday morning. Those days are on their way out.
When I think about all the people on the South Side of Des Moines who are without Christ I can't sleep at night. People are dying every day and going to hell and we have the answer in our laps. We have got to get busy.
No more lazy leeches at church! It is time for those who take and take and take and never serve or give to find a new place to drain life out of. Because we need that seat!
I am totally pumped about our next series "Acts". We are going to spend 6 weeks studying how the early church did it. That is where we need to get out plays from.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Rick Warren's Inauguration Prayer
He was highly criticized by many on all sides of religious and political spectrum for agreeing to pray at Barack Obama's inauguration as President. But it was the right thing to do. Here is the transcript of his prayer:
Almighty God, our Father:
Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory. History is your story.
The Scripture tells us, “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.
Now today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.
We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans—united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.
When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you—forgive us.
When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone—forgive us.
When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve—forgive us.
And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.
And may we never forget that one day, all nations--and all people--will stand accountable before you.
We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, 'Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus—who taught us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Almighty God, our Father:
Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory. History is your story.
The Scripture tells us, “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.
Now today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.
We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans—united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.
When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you—forgive us.
When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone—forgive us.
When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve—forgive us.
And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.
And may we never forget that one day, all nations--and all people--will stand accountable before you.
We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, 'Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus—who taught us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
New President
Well, aside from all the drama and incessant media coverage (some might say, "love affair") with Obama. It is sincerely cool that we have crossed the threshold of the end of racial division in our country once and for all. Yes, there are still bigots. Yes, there are still racists. But as a nation...today we stood as one and said, "Any man. Any man can."
That, my friends, is a good thing. A God-pleasing thing. Now we have a job to do as Christians. Scripture is very clear on this matter. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 clarifies our job. We have to pray for him. Pray for his family. Pray that God will grant him wisdom (and that he will listen). So pray, people. Pray for him. Pray for our nation.
That, my friends, is a good thing. A God-pleasing thing. Now we have a job to do as Christians. Scripture is very clear on this matter. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 clarifies our job. We have to pray for him. Pray for his family. Pray that God will grant him wisdom (and that he will listen). So pray, people. Pray for him. Pray for our nation.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Al Gore on Ice
Al Gore is now a permanent part (at least until Spring) of the wintry landscape of Fairbanks, Alaska thanks to local businessman Craig Compeau. He had the 8.5 foot tall and 5 ton sculpture of a shivering Al Gore made to make a statement about global warming. You can read more on the story HERE. Here's a picture to enjoy...
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sanctity of Life
My buddy Shane Vander Hart shared the link of this video on his blog. It was very impressive and being that today is Sanctity of Life Sunday, enjoy!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Where I am at right now...
I have been struggling a bit lately. I have sincerely been dissatisfied with our attendance numbers at The Fort. I feel like we have got to make a change. It has to happen. We are too comfortable. And if it doesn't change, I don't know what will happen.
It is killing me inside. I remember back when I was in Bible College and the excitement I held. I was chomping at the bit to get out of the classroom and into ministry. I had so many dreams about what it would be like. (I understand I was naive...and I really was.) But it seems that what I have experienced so far isn't anywhere near the dream I held.
It isn't that I am not thankful for all that God has done in my life, because he has. It is just that I know we can do better than we are as a church. I wonder at times if it is me. Am I the reason we are at the number we are at? Can I only lead a church to a certain size? Do I have the leadership skills to take it to another level?
Maybe there's sin. Maybe there is hidden, secret sin that hasn't been dealt with and that is holding us back as a congregation. I don't know. Whatever it is...I can't stay at these numbers and be okay with it any longer. Something has got to change. We have got to start working at this with all of our heart.
What it means is that we have got to take our worship up to a whole new level. We have got to create the best worship experiences we know how to do. We have to make the climate and culture of our church a place where people WANT to invite their family, friends, coworkers and neighbors.
To be 100% honest, I feel alone in this struggle sometimes. I feel like people pay lip service to desiring the church to grow but aren't willing to commit to getting us there. And that falls back on me. Because maybe I am not casting a strong enough vision. Maybe I don't know how.
I want it. I literally ache for it. I lose sleep over it. I have cried about it. I have begged God about it.
It kills me to think that as a congregation we are okay with being where we are. That it doesn't really matter that there are more lost people right around us that are going to die and go to hell without Jesus every single week and we struggle with getting out of bed on Sundays! That kills me. Don't we care?! We are letting them down.
I so want that to change. How can we be so numb when we've been so well fed?
It is killing me inside. I remember back when I was in Bible College and the excitement I held. I was chomping at the bit to get out of the classroom and into ministry. I had so many dreams about what it would be like. (I understand I was naive...and I really was.) But it seems that what I have experienced so far isn't anywhere near the dream I held.
It isn't that I am not thankful for all that God has done in my life, because he has. It is just that I know we can do better than we are as a church. I wonder at times if it is me. Am I the reason we are at the number we are at? Can I only lead a church to a certain size? Do I have the leadership skills to take it to another level?
Maybe there's sin. Maybe there is hidden, secret sin that hasn't been dealt with and that is holding us back as a congregation. I don't know. Whatever it is...I can't stay at these numbers and be okay with it any longer. Something has got to change. We have got to start working at this with all of our heart.
What it means is that we have got to take our worship up to a whole new level. We have got to create the best worship experiences we know how to do. We have to make the climate and culture of our church a place where people WANT to invite their family, friends, coworkers and neighbors.
To be 100% honest, I feel alone in this struggle sometimes. I feel like people pay lip service to desiring the church to grow but aren't willing to commit to getting us there. And that falls back on me. Because maybe I am not casting a strong enough vision. Maybe I don't know how.
I want it. I literally ache for it. I lose sleep over it. I have cried about it. I have begged God about it.
It kills me to think that as a congregation we are okay with being where we are. That it doesn't really matter that there are more lost people right around us that are going to die and go to hell without Jesus every single week and we struggle with getting out of bed on Sundays! That kills me. Don't we care?! We are letting them down.
I so want that to change. How can we be so numb when we've been so well fed?
Monday, January 12, 2009
Cleared Path
I thought about something today while I was clearing snow from my driveway and sidewalks. One thing I try to always do as well is clear a path for our mailman. So after I do the driveway and the sidewalks I will also take time to dig out a path for our mailman through my yard that leads right up to our front porch where our mailbox is.
I know it isn't something I have to do, but it is something that makes his role easier. He can deliver the message more effectively when a good path has been cleared for him.
I think the same is true of our worship experiences on Sunday morning. When we have average worship or even lousy worship...it's kind of like I don't have a path cleared. It's not that I can't bring the message because I still can but it is more difficult for me.
When worship is kicking and everyone seems to be firing on all cylinders and people are being moved in the worship experience then when I get up to deliver the message...it's so much easier. That's because the path has been cleared for me to do that.
And when that happens...usually God rocks the lives of the people present! This happened to me yesterday during our second service. Our worship was electrifying and by the time I walked up to deliver the message people's hearts were more than ready. The path had been cleared. And when I delivered the message, God really spoke into people's lives.
It wasn't me or my message even (although I felt I hit it out of the park), it was the worship experience that cleared the path for the delivery of the message.
I know it isn't something I have to do, but it is something that makes his role easier. He can deliver the message more effectively when a good path has been cleared for him.
I think the same is true of our worship experiences on Sunday morning. When we have average worship or even lousy worship...it's kind of like I don't have a path cleared. It's not that I can't bring the message because I still can but it is more difficult for me.
When worship is kicking and everyone seems to be firing on all cylinders and people are being moved in the worship experience then when I get up to deliver the message...it's so much easier. That's because the path has been cleared for me to do that.
And when that happens...usually God rocks the lives of the people present! This happened to me yesterday during our second service. Our worship was electrifying and by the time I walked up to deliver the message people's hearts were more than ready. The path had been cleared. And when I delivered the message, God really spoke into people's lives.
It wasn't me or my message even (although I felt I hit it out of the park), it was the worship experience that cleared the path for the delivery of the message.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Annual Meetings
Tomorrow at The Fort we will hold our annual meeting during our Sunday School hour. In the ten years I have been here at The Fort I have only had one Annual Meeting that I sincerely regret. It was way back when we jumped to two services and were in the heat of the worship wars (contemporary vs. traditional music).
At that meeting one lady got up and read a letter which absolutely infuriated me. I stood up, told her exactly what I thought about her letter and walked out of the meeting. Although it was high drama, I really regret that moment.
I didn't treat her with respect, even though she definitely wasn't giving me any respect (it didn't mean I could give her the same treatment). Also a lot of folks thought after my actions that I was going to leave the church...I didn't and they know better now. But it still wasn't cool.
The Bible is very clear. Read James 1:19. We have no excuse for spouting off at the mouth. The Bible never affords us that kind of lack of self control.
But I will say one thing though, it seems like people get really shocked when a pastor does something like this. Most people like it when a pastor will keep his mouth shut and just take whatever foul treatment is dished out at him. All I can say is...not this one. I wouldn't encourage it. I have definitely matured since that regrettable moment at that annual meeting so many years ago, but I still lose my temper and go goofy on people when they are just being a jerk.
I had one woman get all over my case a couple of years ago because she didn't think I had come to visit her enough (even though every time they were in the hospital I was there...every surgery, every crisis, every family member's funeral)...that still wasn't good enough. In the midst of her getting on my case I asked her when the last time it was IN THE PAST EIGHT YEARS that she had come by my home to see how I was doing? When was the last time she had picked up the phone to see how my family was doing? The answer was NEVER.
But she expected me to continue to do that for her. I may have signed up for being a pastor...I am still a person. And people in the church better not hold their pastor to a standard they are unwilling to live by themselves! But I digress.
Tomorrow's annual meeting should go well. They always seem to. We haven't had any real conflict for a number of years. We aren't perfect, mind you. But the days of the crazy soap-opera stomp out of the room annual meetings are over. But hey, you never know? We just might have a good one like that for old times sake!
At that meeting one lady got up and read a letter which absolutely infuriated me. I stood up, told her exactly what I thought about her letter and walked out of the meeting. Although it was high drama, I really regret that moment.
I didn't treat her with respect, even though she definitely wasn't giving me any respect (it didn't mean I could give her the same treatment). Also a lot of folks thought after my actions that I was going to leave the church...I didn't and they know better now. But it still wasn't cool.
The Bible is very clear. Read James 1:19. We have no excuse for spouting off at the mouth. The Bible never affords us that kind of lack of self control.
But I will say one thing though, it seems like people get really shocked when a pastor does something like this. Most people like it when a pastor will keep his mouth shut and just take whatever foul treatment is dished out at him. All I can say is...not this one. I wouldn't encourage it. I have definitely matured since that regrettable moment at that annual meeting so many years ago, but I still lose my temper and go goofy on people when they are just being a jerk.
I had one woman get all over my case a couple of years ago because she didn't think I had come to visit her enough (even though every time they were in the hospital I was there...every surgery, every crisis, every family member's funeral)...that still wasn't good enough. In the midst of her getting on my case I asked her when the last time it was IN THE PAST EIGHT YEARS that she had come by my home to see how I was doing? When was the last time she had picked up the phone to see how my family was doing? The answer was NEVER.
But she expected me to continue to do that for her. I may have signed up for being a pastor...I am still a person. And people in the church better not hold their pastor to a standard they are unwilling to live by themselves! But I digress.
Tomorrow's annual meeting should go well. They always seem to. We haven't had any real conflict for a number of years. We aren't perfect, mind you. But the days of the crazy soap-opera stomp out of the room annual meetings are over. But hey, you never know? We just might have a good one like that for old times sake!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Marriage should be honored...
With the cultural climate against any traditional view of marriage, it seems prudent for all of us to understand the renewed significance and importance of the Scripture's view of marriage. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 that "marriage should be honored by all."
But from the very beginning of the Scriptures it is undeniably clear that marriage is between a male and a female (Genesis 2:24). I personally don't believe that there is any coincidence in the intent of the language early on in Genesis that you see over and over again phrases such as husband and "wife", and "male and female." In fact, by Genesis 7:16, the phrase "male and female" is used 12 times.
It's almost as if God is trying to imprint the idea that there is a design motif and we shouldn't try to mess that up. But we did. In fact you see in Genesis 6 that mankind's wickedness had become very, very great (Genesis 6:5). There are three hallmarks of this wickedness...1)every thought that man had was only evil all the time, 2)mankind was corrupt [Genesis 6:12] and 3) mankind was violent [Genesis 6:11].
The word translated "corrupt" has a notion of sexual deviancy attached to it. Sexual deviancy and violence. Hmmmm....sound like any culture you know? We have walked so far in a circle that we have devolved ourselves right back to the days of Noah...the very days which made God sad he had ever made man in the first place.
No matter what laws are passed in any statehouse, or declared from any rogue group of justices on any supreme court, the Word of God is true and unchanging. Marriage cannot be allowed to be redefined by any "corrupt" or "violent" group whose thoughts are only evil all the time!
I would challenge you, as we are coming into the month where we celebrate LOVE, to reaffirm your commitment to honor marriage as being between one man and one woman for life! Nothing else but that is what should be.
But from the very beginning of the Scriptures it is undeniably clear that marriage is between a male and a female (Genesis 2:24). I personally don't believe that there is any coincidence in the intent of the language early on in Genesis that you see over and over again phrases such as husband and "wife", and "male and female." In fact, by Genesis 7:16, the phrase "male and female" is used 12 times.
It's almost as if God is trying to imprint the idea that there is a design motif and we shouldn't try to mess that up. But we did. In fact you see in Genesis 6 that mankind's wickedness had become very, very great (Genesis 6:5). There are three hallmarks of this wickedness...1)every thought that man had was only evil all the time, 2)mankind was corrupt [Genesis 6:12] and 3) mankind was violent [Genesis 6:11].
The word translated "corrupt" has a notion of sexual deviancy attached to it. Sexual deviancy and violence. Hmmmm....sound like any culture you know? We have walked so far in a circle that we have devolved ourselves right back to the days of Noah...the very days which made God sad he had ever made man in the first place.
No matter what laws are passed in any statehouse, or declared from any rogue group of justices on any supreme court, the Word of God is true and unchanging. Marriage cannot be allowed to be redefined by any "corrupt" or "violent" group whose thoughts are only evil all the time!
I would challenge you, as we are coming into the month where we celebrate LOVE, to reaffirm your commitment to honor marriage as being between one man and one woman for life! Nothing else but that is what should be.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Testosterone-filled Evening...
Tonight me and my boys went to Monster Jam at Wells Fargo Arena. There were a few of my buddies there from church too. Wow! What a very manly night! Loud trucks and lots of exhaust fumes!
We had a real blast. Here are a couple of shots from my camera phone. One of them is of Maximum Destruction right after he rolled over and landed on Grave Digger. That was awesome! The other shot is of one of the freestyle motorcycle riders jumping the huge ramp they had set up and doing a stunt in the air.
We had a real blast. Here are a couple of shots from my camera phone. One of them is of Maximum Destruction right after he rolled over and landed on Grave Digger. That was awesome! The other shot is of one of the freestyle motorcycle riders jumping the huge ramp they had set up and doing a stunt in the air.
Wii Fit
On New Year's Day I began a new exercise regimen. Part of my program is daily time on the Wii Fit. It is a combination of all the things I love (and one thing I'm not particularly fond of...exercise!) You have a video game, an electronic device, an LCD HD TV and exercise. What a mix!
I've done it for two days now and I have to say, it is really challenging! But I really enjoy it. The Wii Fit program includes Yoga, Aerobics, Strength Training, and Balance Training. And it does it in a very fun way.
One thing I was a little nervous about was seeing what my Wii age is. But mine was 37! That's awesome because I'm actually 38! I never thought I would actually look forward to workouts but with the Wii Fit I do.
I've done it for two days now and I have to say, it is really challenging! But I really enjoy it. The Wii Fit program includes Yoga, Aerobics, Strength Training, and Balance Training. And it does it in a very fun way.
One thing I was a little nervous about was seeing what my Wii age is. But mine was 37! That's awesome because I'm actually 38! I never thought I would actually look forward to workouts but with the Wii Fit I do.
Bible Reading
Yesterday I started a new Bible reading plan. I am doing the Youversion One Year Plan. It is actually right on my iPod which makes it super easy. There are tons of one year plans out there. This Sunday I am putting out a challenge to my church to do this and I am giving them all a copy of a one year plan for their own. You can access the same one HERE.
It is only January 2nd. You can do it. You only have to get caught up with yesterday's reading. So start now. Get in the Word. Let God give you direction and strength from your daily meetings together!
And if you get started and then miss a day, don't think, "Well, I screwed this up! I'll try it again next year." That would be stupid. Just pick up reading on the next day's reading. It will take you about 10 minutes every day. That's it. 10 minutes a day and you can read through the entire Bible in one year's time. So get to it!
It is only January 2nd. You can do it. You only have to get caught up with yesterday's reading. So start now. Get in the Word. Let God give you direction and strength from your daily meetings together!
And if you get started and then miss a day, don't think, "Well, I screwed this up! I'll try it again next year." That would be stupid. Just pick up reading on the next day's reading. It will take you about 10 minutes every day. That's it. 10 minutes a day and you can read through the entire Bible in one year's time. So get to it!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2008 Sermon Series
Last year we had 13 different sermon series at The Fort. I'm wondering what series really stood out for you? Here they are in the order that they were given:
I'd have to say that I enjoyed preaching the 30 Days To Live series the most. It was an all-encompassing series that I really am proud of. It was truly a team effort which is why it was such a great series.
I'd have to say that I enjoyed preaching the 30 Days To Live series the most. It was an all-encompassing series that I really am proud of. It was truly a team effort which is why it was such a great series.
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