- I love leading worship. I get such joy out of praising God through song and helpipng others do the same. I find energy in helping people draw close to God through words, music, art, visuals, etc. It is something that I have grown to love, and something that I would love to do in the future.
- I enjoy preaching and teaching. I love God's word, and I love helping others come to understand it better. I enjoy imparting God's word by sharing the things that I have discovered.
- I want to reach people who have either (a) never heard the good news of Jesus, or (b) written him off because of the example of his followers. I am not sure if that means international mission work or church planting, but I do think it means NOT being a traditional pulpit minister (at least for a while.)
- I don't do a good enough job reaching the lost. I have only had a few Bible studies with people who aren't "good church folk." I want to be challenged and challenged them. I long to hear people ask the REALLY important questions of life. I am just not sure how to reach those people at times.
- I am easily frustrated. I don't want to be, but I get really frustrated by people who don't see things the way I do. Well, let me rephrase that. I get frustrated by people who have no vision. As long as you have a vision you are working to achieve, I won't be AS frustrated at you because you are moving with purpose towards a goal. However, I get insanely frustrated by those who are simply doing what they are doing because (a) they have always done it that way, (b) they are going through the motions because "it makes them feel better," or (c) it's the only "right way." In essence, I think God's people suffer from a lack of vision. We have gone blind because we don't care where we are going.
- Relationships sustain me. I am so thankful for my friends who constantly support me, encourage me, challenge me. I am thankful for Megan, who loves me unconditionally and I strive to be a better man for her. I am thankful for a God who does the same: loves me unconditionally, but loves me to much to leave me how he found me.
- I am not sure how long I can work/live/function/minister without a vision. Or when visions don't align.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
What Does God Have In Store?
Many of you know that I have been wrestling, trying to figure out what God has in store for my future. Over the last year I have dealt with incredible ups and downs: becoming engaged to the most wonderful woman (MAJOR up), and being discouraged in my work (major down). I keep wrestling, trying to figure out what God has in store for my future. Here's what I have figured out thus far:
Friday, April 24, 2009
What;s Your Illustration?
If people were to look at your life today, what would they see? What would they think were the most important things in your life, the things that you believe or stand for? How is your illustration?
One of the things we are learning in our Let’s Start Talking training is that our lives serve as the illustration of God’s word. We bring the Word of God to life. Our words, our attitude, our actions… all serve as tools to illustrate the word of God. As followers of Christ our lives are to reflect his. As Peter tells us, we are called to walk in his steps (1 Peter 2:21). If we are following Christ, other people should see God’s glory in and through us.
Paul refers to this as our reflection of the glory of God: “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:16-18). Our goal is that our faces (and our lives) should reflect the beautiful glory of God.
Peter takes this one step further. We are called to reflect God’s glory so that the world will know the power and majesty of God. Our lives are called to be fundamentally different from the world around us. We are “aliens and strangers” to the world, people who look, act, and live differently than those we are living among. “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:11-12).
We aren’t just called to be weird; we are called to be different so that the world will know the God whom we serve. So, what’s your illustration?
One of the things we are learning in our Let’s Start Talking training is that our lives serve as the illustration of God’s word. We bring the Word of God to life. Our words, our attitude, our actions… all serve as tools to illustrate the word of God. As followers of Christ our lives are to reflect his. As Peter tells us, we are called to walk in his steps (1 Peter 2:21). If we are following Christ, other people should see God’s glory in and through us.
Paul refers to this as our reflection of the glory of God: “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:16-18). Our goal is that our faces (and our lives) should reflect the beautiful glory of God.
Peter takes this one step further. We are called to reflect God’s glory so that the world will know the power and majesty of God. Our lives are called to be fundamentally different from the world around us. We are “aliens and strangers” to the world, people who look, act, and live differently than those we are living among. “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:11-12).
We aren’t just called to be weird; we are called to be different so that the world will know the God whom we serve. So, what’s your illustration?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
From One Atheist Scuba Diver to Another: "I need some Ehrman!" (Think about it...)
Steven Colbert has interviewed Bart Ehrman twice on his books. Enjoy these; I'd love to hear what you think of their discussions.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Bart Ehrman | ||||
| ||||
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Bart Ehrman | ||||
| ||||
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Red Sox and Angels are seeing red...
The Boston Red Sox started the 2009 baseball season with high hopes and eager expectation. They have the second highest salary in baseball, a great group of starting pitchers, and a depth of talent. (Indeed, their bench players have higher salaries than most of the starting players with the KC Royals!)
Yet the Sox are a dismal 2-4 in the first six games of the season. The city of Boston is already in a meltdown, wondering if it is all just another wasted year. To top it all off, pitcher Josh Beckett has been suspended for six games by Major League Baseball for throwing the ball at the LA Angels' Bobby Abreu.
Abreu called for a time-out after Beckett wasted close to forty seconds on the mound (trying to scare the runner on second.) Beckett then threw the ball at Abreu's head. He claims it was an accident. However, when you watch the play Beckett immediately steps off the mound and begins to talk crap to Abreu 9who is being restrained by the umpire.) The benches clear as the Sox and the Angels get into a shouting/shoving match.
When the dust settled the game continued on. Beckett is outraged at his suspension, however, because he claims it was unintentional, and the worst punishment should go to the one who caused the biggest problem.
Want to know who called the biggest problem? Beckett! Here's why:
1) Don't throw the ball at a player's head. If you want a retaliation hit, hit them in the back or the side. Giving a player a concusion (or a brain hemorrhage, orblindness, etc) is NEVER a good idea. Any pitcher who intentionally hits another in the head out to be put in front of a firing squad of pitching machines. WITHOUT a helmet...
2) If you break Rule #1, never, never, NEVER walk towards the player you just tried to kill.
3) If you subsequently break Rule #1 AND Rule #2, you better be saying nothing but sweet things and apologies to the player you just tried to send to Lake Concussion. Never ever try to talk crap to the guy you just tried to bean. Seriously... the guy is carrying a huge club!
4) If the pitcher breaks Rule #1, then makes the mistake of breaking Rule #2, then decides he wants to start something, I believe we should nip this behavior in the bud. The umpire should get out of the way and allow the batter to beat the MESS out of the pitcher. Seriously, those guys are jerks and weanies anyway. AL pitchers don't even bat in the lineup! (They are afraid the opposing pitcher would retaliate, plus they all bat like 7 year old nails-just-painted whiny girls.) They deserve to have the crap beat out of them.
So Beckett, shut up and serve your suspension. In the weird world of baseball it means you are only missing one start. Get over it and grow up. If you are man enough to throw the ball at a fellow player you are man enough to take your punishment.
Yet the Sox are a dismal 2-4 in the first six games of the season. The city of Boston is already in a meltdown, wondering if it is all just another wasted year. To top it all off, pitcher Josh Beckett has been suspended for six games by Major League Baseball for throwing the ball at the LA Angels' Bobby Abreu.
Abreu called for a time-out after Beckett wasted close to forty seconds on the mound (trying to scare the runner on second.) Beckett then threw the ball at Abreu's head. He claims it was an accident. However, when you watch the play Beckett immediately steps off the mound and begins to talk crap to Abreu 9who is being restrained by the umpire.) The benches clear as the Sox and the Angels get into a shouting/shoving match.
When the dust settled the game continued on. Beckett is outraged at his suspension, however, because he claims it was unintentional, and the worst punishment should go to the one who caused the biggest problem.
Want to know who called the biggest problem? Beckett! Here's why:
1) Don't throw the ball at a player's head. If you want a retaliation hit, hit them in the back or the side. Giving a player a concusion (or a brain hemorrhage, orblindness, etc) is NEVER a good idea. Any pitcher who intentionally hits another in the head out to be put in front of a firing squad of pitching machines. WITHOUT a helmet...
2) If you break Rule #1, never, never, NEVER walk towards the player you just tried to kill.
3) If you subsequently break Rule #1 AND Rule #2, you better be saying nothing but sweet things and apologies to the player you just tried to send to Lake Concussion. Never ever try to talk crap to the guy you just tried to bean. Seriously... the guy is carrying a huge club!
4) If the pitcher breaks Rule #1, then makes the mistake of breaking Rule #2, then decides he wants to start something, I believe we should nip this behavior in the bud. The umpire should get out of the way and allow the batter to beat the MESS out of the pitcher. Seriously, those guys are jerks and weanies anyway. AL pitchers don't even bat in the lineup! (They are afraid the opposing pitcher would retaliate, plus they all bat like 7 year old nails-just-painted whiny girls.) They deserve to have the crap beat out of them.
So Beckett, shut up and serve your suspension. In the weird world of baseball it means you are only missing one start. Get over it and grow up. If you are man enough to throw the ball at a fellow player you are man enough to take your punishment.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Acts 11-13
This post is copied from the Hawks for Christ blog. Hope you enjoy it!
____________________
Hey guys, sorry it has been so long. I am posting 11-13 here, and 14 and 15 tomorrow, then we will be caught up. Again, sorry about the delay. Hope you are keeping up with your reading.
Acts 11:
I love the story of Barnabas, "The Son of Encouragement." Barnabas seems to have the gift of discernment and encouragement; he always seems to know those who have the best hearts and those who are truly seeking to follow God. Here's what we know about him: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord." What an amazing thought! Barnabas was the one who spoke up for Paul before the disciples; he was the one sent to Antioch to encourage the new Christians and to teach them in their faith. And he was the one who brought Paul to Antioch to minister to the people there.
I hope I can be a Barnabas in the lives of other people.
Acts 12:
During this time we begin to see the church being truly persecuted. Herod gets in on the action, having the apostle James killed for his faith and jailing Peter. He surrounded him with soldiers, and yet God STILL managed to pull of a miraculous escape.
One of the things that always sticks out to me about this story is the actions of the church. Luke tells us that the church is gathered together praying for Peter's release. Yet when Peter shows up they are sure that he had died! Rather than believing their prayers worked, they instead think that the worst has happened!
Don't we sometimes pray like that too? I know I do. I pray that God will act, but then I try to explain it away when he actually does. It seems like I could have been an integral part of this church's ministry!
Acts 13:
How do you make decisions in your own life? How did you decide to go to KU? How did you decide what to major in? How do you know what God wants you to do in your life?
These are important questions to consider.
In Acts 13 we find the church in Antioch engaged in worship and fasting. It seems like this is a typical part of their practice. In the midst of their worship the Holy Spirit told them to send Paul and Barnabas out on a trip to spread the Gospel.
It doesn't seem like Paul and Barnabas are looking to leave; it doesn't even seem like the church is looking to send people out as missionaries. However, when the Holy Spirit speaks, they listen!
What do they do next? They continue to do what they were doing before! They continued to fast and pray about the Lord's decision, then they decided to obey. They blessed Paul and Barnabas and then sent them out to do the Lord's work.
I sometimes think that I refuse to listen to God's leading in my life. Sometimes I spend all of my time praying about the future and forget to listen for God to lead me!
Ultimately, however, I think God's guidance comes from a life of worship, fasting, and prayer. These practices don't seem to be new for the church; rather, they seem to be a part of their system of worship. I believe that our hearts become attuned to the heart of God as we worship him and seek to honor and glorify him.
____________________
Hey guys, sorry it has been so long. I am posting 11-13 here, and 14 and 15 tomorrow, then we will be caught up. Again, sorry about the delay. Hope you are keeping up with your reading.
Acts 11:
I love the story of Barnabas, "The Son of Encouragement." Barnabas seems to have the gift of discernment and encouragement; he always seems to know those who have the best hearts and those who are truly seeking to follow God. Here's what we know about him: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord." What an amazing thought! Barnabas was the one who spoke up for Paul before the disciples; he was the one sent to Antioch to encourage the new Christians and to teach them in their faith. And he was the one who brought Paul to Antioch to minister to the people there.
I hope I can be a Barnabas in the lives of other people.
Acts 12:
During this time we begin to see the church being truly persecuted. Herod gets in on the action, having the apostle James killed for his faith and jailing Peter. He surrounded him with soldiers, and yet God STILL managed to pull of a miraculous escape.
One of the things that always sticks out to me about this story is the actions of the church. Luke tells us that the church is gathered together praying for Peter's release. Yet when Peter shows up they are sure that he had died! Rather than believing their prayers worked, they instead think that the worst has happened!
Don't we sometimes pray like that too? I know I do. I pray that God will act, but then I try to explain it away when he actually does. It seems like I could have been an integral part of this church's ministry!
Acts 13:
How do you make decisions in your own life? How did you decide to go to KU? How did you decide what to major in? How do you know what God wants you to do in your life?
These are important questions to consider.
In Acts 13 we find the church in Antioch engaged in worship and fasting. It seems like this is a typical part of their practice. In the midst of their worship the Holy Spirit told them to send Paul and Barnabas out on a trip to spread the Gospel.
It doesn't seem like Paul and Barnabas are looking to leave; it doesn't even seem like the church is looking to send people out as missionaries. However, when the Holy Spirit speaks, they listen!
What do they do next? They continue to do what they were doing before! They continued to fast and pray about the Lord's decision, then they decided to obey. They blessed Paul and Barnabas and then sent them out to do the Lord's work.
I sometimes think that I refuse to listen to God's leading in my life. Sometimes I spend all of my time praying about the future and forget to listen for God to lead me!
Ultimately, however, I think God's guidance comes from a life of worship, fasting, and prayer. These practices don't seem to be new for the church; rather, they seem to be a part of their system of worship. I believe that our hearts become attuned to the heart of God as we worship him and seek to honor and glorify him.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Happy Resurrection Day!!!
We follow a Savior who died but wouldn’t stay dead!
Have you ever thought about how amazing the resurrection is? It is shocking, crazy, and hard to believe. But it is true! Think about how Jesus’ followers felt. They watched him die, they buried him in the tomb, and when they went to take care of his body it was GONE! Mark tells us the women ran away scared! Matthew describes the scene:
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”
Those who experienced the resurrection were frightened, amazed, struck with awe, dumbfounded, scared witless, worshipful… Actually, all of the above all at once! But I think we have grown so used to the story that it has stopped truly shocking us.
I have had the opportunity to see people hear the Gospel message for the first time. I was teaching in Papua New Guinea and told the basic Gospel story: God sent his Son, Jesus, to teach us how to live to honor God, but people didn’t like his message so they had him killed. I watched the sadness in the crowd as we talked about the death of Jesus and his burial. I needed to stop to get a drink of water when one of the listeners spoke up: “NO! That can’t be the end! I know you didn’t come all this way to tell us a story about how a man died.” So I was able to tell them the REST of the story (as Paul Harvey used to say.) As I told them about the resurrection they began to smile and clap, and two or three started crying out of joy. The entire group was moved by the story of the resurrection.
It is powerful. It is amazing. It is ridiculous. It is the hinge of history. It is an act of God. Think about it: We follow a Savior who died but wouldn’t stay dead! That is the message of hope that the world needs to hear. And that is the wonderful event that we are celebrating today.
Happy Resurrection Day!
Have you ever thought about how amazing the resurrection is? It is shocking, crazy, and hard to believe. But it is true! Think about how Jesus’ followers felt. They watched him die, they buried him in the tomb, and when they went to take care of his body it was GONE! Mark tells us the women ran away scared! Matthew describes the scene:
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”
Those who experienced the resurrection were frightened, amazed, struck with awe, dumbfounded, scared witless, worshipful… Actually, all of the above all at once! But I think we have grown so used to the story that it has stopped truly shocking us.
I have had the opportunity to see people hear the Gospel message for the first time. I was teaching in Papua New Guinea and told the basic Gospel story: God sent his Son, Jesus, to teach us how to live to honor God, but people didn’t like his message so they had him killed. I watched the sadness in the crowd as we talked about the death of Jesus and his burial. I needed to stop to get a drink of water when one of the listeners spoke up: “NO! That can’t be the end! I know you didn’t come all this way to tell us a story about how a man died.” So I was able to tell them the REST of the story (as Paul Harvey used to say.) As I told them about the resurrection they began to smile and clap, and two or three started crying out of joy. The entire group was moved by the story of the resurrection.
It is powerful. It is amazing. It is ridiculous. It is the hinge of history. It is an act of God. Think about it: We follow a Savior who died but wouldn’t stay dead! That is the message of hope that the world needs to hear. And that is the wonderful event that we are celebrating today.
Happy Resurrection Day!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Worship
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise...
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands.
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,
all that swim in the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Acts in April
Happy Holy Week! May God bless you in your journey towards his kingdom.
I am sorry that it was been so long since my last post. I apologize for not being more forthcoming in my blog postings.
Recently, Hawks for Christ has been reading through the book of Acts together. Our event, entitled "Acts in April," is a chance to read through the founding of the early church and discover our purpose and mission in the Kingdom. Each day we read one chapter from the book of Acts and discuss it in a blog setting. We have had a great discussion over our readings so far; to read more see the blog.
I wanted to bring over today's post and put it here for you to read. I hope you enjoy it. Please fill me in with any thoughts you might have.
God's blessings on you today!
------
One man is hauled in front of the Sanhedrin on trumped up charges. He is accused of blasphemy and wanting to destroy the Temple of the LORD. The religious leaders are afraid that he (and the movement he is a part of) will overthrow their power and bring about a new religious revolution.
Sound familiar? This sounds a lot like the story of Jesus, which played out this week two thousand years ago. Jesus is hauled up in front of the religious leaders, who have been looking for a way to kill him for years. They accuse him of blasphemy, present false witnesses (a breaking of the Ten Commandments), and then arrange to have him murdered (yet another break with the 10 Commandments.)
And the exact same thing happens to Stephen. Stephen is a man full of the Holy Spirit who serves the church in Jerusalem. The religious leaders are afraid of the miracles he is doing in the name of Christ, and they arrange to have him killed.
Stephen sums up the story of the Old Testament in his sermon. As he traces the history of the people of Israel, he talks about all of the times they were "hard-hearted," turning their backs on the LORD and his messengers.
What really riles them up, however, is the fact that he downplays the Temple. "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?' says the LORD. 'Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?'"
This totally ticks off the religious elite, who are holding Stephen based on his blasphemy of the Temple. Then Stephen attacks their stubbornness, and reminds them that the Jews killed most of their prophets, and now they've killed the Son of God. At this point, they have him killed.
One of the things that stands out to me in this passage, however, is who was there. Saul (later known as Paul) is standing there giving his approval. After his conversion, Paul comes to the city of Athens and looks up at the Parthenon, a temple to Athena (and the other gods of Greece.) As he speaks to the Areopagus in the shadow of the Parthenon, he tells them: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands." Wow, that sounds a lot like Stephen's statements in Acts 7. Isn't it amazing to think that Paul, the man who holds their coats while they stone Stephen, takes Stephen's words to heart in Acts 17 and uses them in a sermon of his own?
Isn't God good, that he can use tragic events to bring about amazing consequences?
I am sorry that it was been so long since my last post. I apologize for not being more forthcoming in my blog postings.
Recently, Hawks for Christ has been reading through the book of Acts together. Our event, entitled "Acts in April," is a chance to read through the founding of the early church and discover our purpose and mission in the Kingdom. Each day we read one chapter from the book of Acts and discuss it in a blog setting. We have had a great discussion over our readings so far; to read more see the blog.
I wanted to bring over today's post and put it here for you to read. I hope you enjoy it. Please fill me in with any thoughts you might have.
God's blessings on you today!
------
One man is hauled in front of the Sanhedrin on trumped up charges. He is accused of blasphemy and wanting to destroy the Temple of the LORD. The religious leaders are afraid that he (and the movement he is a part of) will overthrow their power and bring about a new religious revolution.
Sound familiar? This sounds a lot like the story of Jesus, which played out this week two thousand years ago. Jesus is hauled up in front of the religious leaders, who have been looking for a way to kill him for years. They accuse him of blasphemy, present false witnesses (a breaking of the Ten Commandments), and then arrange to have him murdered (yet another break with the 10 Commandments.)
And the exact same thing happens to Stephen. Stephen is a man full of the Holy Spirit who serves the church in Jerusalem. The religious leaders are afraid of the miracles he is doing in the name of Christ, and they arrange to have him killed.
Stephen sums up the story of the Old Testament in his sermon. As he traces the history of the people of Israel, he talks about all of the times they were "hard-hearted," turning their backs on the LORD and his messengers.
What really riles them up, however, is the fact that he downplays the Temple. "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?' says the LORD. 'Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?'"
This totally ticks off the religious elite, who are holding Stephen based on his blasphemy of the Temple. Then Stephen attacks their stubbornness, and reminds them that the Jews killed most of their prophets, and now they've killed the Son of God. At this point, they have him killed.
One of the things that stands out to me in this passage, however, is who was there. Saul (later known as Paul) is standing there giving his approval. After his conversion, Paul comes to the city of Athens and looks up at the Parthenon, a temple to Athena (and the other gods of Greece.) As he speaks to the Areopagus in the shadow of the Parthenon, he tells them: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands." Wow, that sounds a lot like Stephen's statements in Acts 7. Isn't it amazing to think that Paul, the man who holds their coats while they stone Stephen, takes Stephen's words to heart in Acts 17 and uses them in a sermon of his own?
Isn't God good, that he can use tragic events to bring about amazing consequences?
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