A Gift of a Bible

Question of the Day? “How much do you have to hate somebody, to NOT proselytize [share your faith]? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that?” – Penn Jillette

Since becoming a believer in Christ I have always been intrigued by views that are opposed to mine. I am constantly listening to sermons, debates, and searching some honest and well thought out arguments for and against my beliefs. This all correlates with my passion for sharing my faith and doing the work of Christ. This is what led me to this video, please watch and then ask yourself the questions that he asked. They are great questions.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM]

Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, musician and writer known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller as the vocal half of the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, andscientific skepticism.

Statement of Intent Part 2

Recently, I have been truly contemplating what I should say as I start this new blog and eventually our ministry. I want to go back and finish a thought that was started back last week. It was called “Statement of Intent Part 1: Here is a part of it you can also click here to read that rest.

Over my lifetime I have heard or even made many statements of intent, but recently I heard that Jesus made a statement that started and drove His intent. A pastor friend of mine (Mark Van Steenwyk) is writing a book called “The Jesus Manifesto”. “The Jesus Manifesto” refers to Luke 4:18-19, Jesus, after getting tested in the wilderness, gives his first sermon in his hometown. He opens the scroll of Isaiah and read what is to be His manifesto………

Luke 4:18 – 19 has all the earmarks of a political manifesto. To the 1st century Jew, it evoked images of Messiah, of Jubilee, of reversal of the oppression that they were under. The passage sets a trajectory for the rest of Luke, as well as the book of Acts, and I believe that the Jesus Manifesto should be our manifesto as well. I believe that the Kingdom of God is real, not an abstraction, that Jesus is our king, not our figurehead, and if we are to follow him as our king, we must embrace the way of life that he sets out for us in the gospels. This is a radical ideal and could lead towards an even more radical way of life. Imagine your life being lead just like those in the first century, giving everything to anyone who needed, bringing hope to those who had none. This is what gained us our name, Christian, to be like Christ.

For those who read this blog I would like to present ideas that are meant to frustrate and disrupt quaint notions of Jesus and the even quainter notions of the religion he founded. You see, I am convinced that what passes for Christianity in our culture has very little resemblance to the radical and indeed political (not Democrat/ Republican) movement Jesus started on the fringes of the Empire roughly two thousand years ago. Most of the ways in which we’ve been taught to think about our faith get in the way of following Jesus. I don’t just want to disrupt and subvert our preconceived notions of Christ I want to proclaim something much deeper…hope. Hope that we can still achieve what we are called to do, to bring hope to those that have none, to embody hope that is attainable here and now. You can only challenge things for so long before you need to help create the alternative, ultimately, this is what this blog is all about, I want to captivate you with a kingdom vision and explore what it would look like to make that a tangible reality. Let me know what you think!

Painful worship?

Sometimes I can’t see past my own pain and struggles. Life has suffering and pain, people hurt you and often just suck in general. This simple video reminds me that nothing can defeat me if we don’t let it define me, in Christ. We should be defined by worship, not pain. The underlying question of this video is “who are you worshipping?” ALL of these people have been given something beautiful. Hope, Peace and the knowledge that their situations and pain only will define them if they let them. If you miss it then please take some time to reevaluate where you place your worship, you need your life changed by a Divine perspective.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUtFV127i-s&feature=player_profilepage]

(If you are reading this on a feed please click through to see the video)

Statement of Intent Part 1

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

By reading from Isaiah 61, Jesus not only proclaims himself to be the Messiah (the political ruler who would rescue Israel from its enemies), but also that his Messianic reign would defy the peoples’ expectations. Jesus quotes the beginning of Isaiah 61, but leaves out the proclamation of vengeance. Jesus’ hometown gets the point: this proclamation of the “Lord’s favor” (Jubilee) is being extended to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. And in response, they try to kill him. With this manifesto, Jesus sets the course for His ministry of subversive love. The rest of Luke-Acts is the fleshing out of this manifesto–first for Christ and then for His Church. Luke, perhaps more than any other Gospel writer, understands the subversive implications of Jesus’ life and ministry. Luke tends to write from the aspect that Jesus is a man and that helps us to understand why he writes the way he does. Jesus turns everything upside down; He challenges the majority of economic, religious, and political assumptions of the time. As the Church, we have been sent by Christ into the world just as He was sent by his Father (John 20:21). Jesus’ manifesto is our manifesto.

Have you joined Him?

Some thoughts on “Leadership”

I’ve had some people say, effectively, “Dude, you critique leadership, but don’t you think you’re leading people, too? Aren’t you worried about that?”

Nah. Not really.

Shoot, I’m honored if I’m allowed to lead somebody, if I have an influential role in someone’s life. We need leadership — properly understood, the Jesus-type of “leadership”, you know shepherd leadership– like crazy. What we don’t need is the type of leadership I hear being pushed today.

I have been fortunate and unfortunate opportunity to lead and be lead by both style and I can truthfully say that we don’t need any more of “LeaderMan”. What we need are servant leaders, men and women who are gifted for leadership, whom people naturally follow, who point those people toward Jesus alone, our Teacher.

Granted, as always, I may not know what I’m talking about. But below are some off-the-top-of-the-head attempts at distinguishing one from the other.

———–

LeaderMan: Wants a platform on which to say something

Servant Leader: Has something to say

———–

LeaderMan: You almost feel you know his family, because he’s your Leader

Servant Leader: You allow him to influence you, because you know his family

———–

LeaderMan: Wants you to know he’s a Leader

Servant Leader: You’re not sure he knows he’s a leader

———–

LeaderMan: Loves the idea of the Gospel, and the idea of The Church

Servant Leader: Loves God and the actual individual people God brings across his path

———–

LeaderMan: A great speaker, but self-described as, “Not really a people person.”

Servant Leader: Makes himself a people person

———–

LeaderMan: Helps you find where God is leading you in his organization

Servant Leader: Helps you find where God is leading you

———–

LeaderMan: Gets together with you to talk about his vision

Servant Leader: Just gets together with you

———–

LeaderMan: Resents “sheep stealing”

Servant Leader: Doesn’t get the “stealing” part, since he doesn’t own anyone to begin with

———–

LeaderMan: Wants the right people on the bus

Servant Leader: Wants to find the right bus for you, and sit next to you on it

———–

Servant Leader: Shows you his whole heart

LeaderMan: Shows you a flow chart

———–

LeaderMan: A visionary who knows what the future looks like

Servant Leader: Knows what your kitchen looks like

———–

LeaderMan: If it’s worth doing, it worth doing with excellence

Servant Leader: Not exactly sure how to even calculate “worth doing”

———–

LeaderMan: Talks about confronting one another in love

Servant Leader: Actually confronts you in love

———–

LeaderMan: Impressed by success and successful people

Servant Leader: Impressed by faithfulness

———–

LeaderMan: Invests time in you, if you are “key people”

Servant Leader: Wastes time with you

———–

LeaderMan: Reveals sins of his past

Servant Leader: Reveals sins of his present

———-

LeaderMan: Gives you things to do

Servant Leader: Gives you freedom

———–

LeaderMan: Leads because of official position

Servant Leader: Leads in spite of position

———–

LeaderMan: Deep down, threatened by other Leaders

Servant Leader: Has nothing to lose

72/28 and rising!

For years against the odds I avoided running into the addiction that grips so many in our nation. In 1998 I began my freshman year at the greatest of schools K-State and was summarily exposed to my first pornographic movie, internet site, picture, ect. and my world has never been the same. This experience changed my world in a way that I wish it wouldn’t have. My eyes wander, my mind is consumed with thoughts that should have been there, and in turn I have made decisions that I, to this day, have to deal with the consequences. I truly thought I was the only one and once I gave my life to Christ I quickly found that I wasn’t the only person with this problem, but I wasn’t aware of this.

Breakdown of male/female visitors to pornography sites: 72% male & 28% female.
70% of women keep their cyber activities secret.
17% of all women struggle with pornography addiction.
Women favor chat rooms 2X more than men.
1 of 3 visitors to all adult web sites are women. (33%)
9.4 million women access adult web sites each month.
Women admitting to accessing pornography at work: 13%
Women, far more than men, are likely to act out their behaviors in real life, such as having multiple partners, casual sex, or affairs.

Source: Internet Filter Review, ChristianityToday.com

You see, I went to a class, read a book, heard speakers that spoke about sexual addiction being a male problem BUT IT IS NOT JUST A GUY THING! Over the last few years I’ve run into woman after woman who struggle with the same addiction that I have yet they don’t have near the resources that males have. Which brings me to why I am posting. Crystal Renaud is one of those young ladies that I’m talking about (Please check out her porn story here). She is bravely proclaiming God’s provision for her and following His calling for her to help other women away from where she has been. Please check out some of the heart breaking stories from women all over in the confessional (and add yours) and support this ministry in anyway that you can. These women are desperately in need of help (maybe you are one of them) and this ministry will help serve the women who remain in silence wishing that someone else could help them out of this problem.

Dirty Girls Ministries (DGM) has the mission to:

Make the church and people in general aware that porn is a problem for women
Offer support, guidance, and a way out for women who struggle with porn
Show that this addiction does not have to write our future or be our life story – recovery is possible
Reveal that Jesus Christ and God’s Word are the keys for rescue.

Why I’m a King James only guy!!!

Okay so if you believed the title you are almost as silly as the video below and if you haven’t seen this yet you need to take a few moments, breathe deeply, and allow this bold pastor to challenge you and provoke you with The Bible.

A friend of mine showed this video to me a few years ago and it’s rare to witness someone exegeting scripture with utter precision, while simultaneously channeling the spirit of Michael Scott.

By the way THIS IS REAL!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo3o4nfiG7A]

Chameleon for Christ?

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. – 1 Corinthians 9:19 – 23

The apostle Paul is my unsuspecting first guest blogger. I think there are some important questions to be asked in relation to his thoughts.

What is involved with becoming like someone you’re (at least partially) not?
Paul–who at times was vehemently against following the law–followed the law for the sake of others. Why do we Christians now expect everyone to become like them?
How far are you willing to push contextualizing the gospel? Would you become like a Jewish person, following the law? A Gentile without the law? How about becoming a Muslim to save Muslims?
Or push it further would you go somewhere that you may struggle in order to win others for Christ? Strip club? Porn Convention? Shopping mall? Gaming convention?
In the incarnation, God in Christ became like us to save us. The incarnation of Christ is a unique and unrepeatable event. However, it appears that Paul is saying that he follows incarnational principles when sharing the gospel. What does this look like for you?

What other thoughts or questions were raised when you read the these words? Please let me know below…..

Filth

A couple of weeks ago I woke up to what was a rather normal morning. I usually get up at 0’dork thirty while my girls sleep and then I get myself together. If my wife catches me she will help me to look presentable, which I’m sure many of you just appreciate her more now. This morning my wife got up not to much after I did to get ready for some time with friends and we walked into a scene that gave me pause. My daughter had a “blowout” that night and it was not at all. The problem is this Human excrement, when under pressure, can defy gravity, and we have seen this on multiple occasions. I say all of this to say this, my lil girl was happy to sit in her filth. My wife and I walked into her room and smelled what almost knocked the both of us out. Meanwhile our little girl was enjoying herself and playing with her toys. This absolutely blew me away! Could she smell that? Doesn’t it feel nasty? Don’t you want to be clean? The answer to each of the questions were apparently, No! We cleaned her up and went about our day and as I drove to school I began to think. Is this what God sees when He sees us? Children who play in filth, enjoying our toys and not wanting to take a bath and be clean? That thought plagued me all of that day and I wanted to share it with you. Are you content in just being dirty?

“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

– James 1:21

How He loves!

Every time I hear this song words cannot describe how it effects me. The beginning of this video is the most important part and every time I watch it I feel, sorry, happy, desperate, grateful and joy all mixed together. Please spend a couple of minutes listening to this mans story. By the way this person is John Mark McMillan and he is telling his story and singing at a conference named “The Call” in Nashville, TN about 3 years ago.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chx6s3qXKt4&fmt=18]

Challenge: Think about this story, the promise taken, and the raw nature of this song the next time you hear it and then let it affect you. Just a suggestion.

A Gift of a Bible

Statement of Intent Part 2

Painful worship?

Statement of Intent Part 1

Some thoughts on “Leadership”

72/28 and rising!

Why I’m a King James only guy!!!

Chameleon for Christ?

Filth

How He loves!

Soma Community Church

Get Connected