Stuff BREWing in my head

It seems sometimes in ministry it is hard to get ahead. Ministry in the church constantly feels as though it is two steps forward and three steps back. Just when I get my ministry leaders recruited and volunteers trained, something happens to set it all back. Ministry is never predictable. I can't always guarantee a certain outcome based on what I do, the amount of time I spend or the degree of effort I do. Ministry is NOT a formula. Ministry and the church always seems like a moving target. In some ways that reality is very frustrating to me, and in other ways that is what I like best about it. Ministry is never boring. There is always new and fresh challenges. There is always the ability to reshape, re-mold and recreate. I need to remind myself of that, the next time I feel like banging my head against the wall.

My two girls are growing up. My oldest daughter got some eyeglasses the other day. She was having a hard time seeing the blackboard, so she is officially near-sighted. But in order for her to get glasses they had to be stylish (at her age it is all about look and brand). I must say that her new glasses look good on her. What surprised me was how the glasses added a couple of years of maturity on her. I already think she looks too mature now! My little girls aren't little anymore. I am not sure I am ready for this next season of parenting. Whether I am or not, I better be.

Why do I bother going to sequels? Shrek 3 and Pirates 3 were just ok. Nothing fantastic. The first movie is often times the best. When I first saw Shrek, I laughed out loud. The movie caught me by surprise. Shrek 3 only made me smile occasionally. And now I read that they are in production for Shrek 4. I think I am going to save my money. Although I don't hear anyone talking about it, I am looking forward to the Simpson's Movie.

Information Overload

I come across a lot of good material throughout the week. This is in my stack of stuff that shows up in my Google RSS Reader. I end up filing so much of this stuff away and I never have the ability to comment on it within the blog. This stuff is interesting enough that I want to just pass it along. So kick back, get a fresh cup of coffee and let your finger click away!


Who are the NEW BREED of Evangelicals? The New York Times asks the question.

25 Uses for a Zip-lock - more uses than I can handle.

10 Benefits of Early-Rising - I need to get this one in my life.

Microsoft has developed what looks like a computerized coffee table. This gadget looks cool.

Read this post about how to deal and address INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

Did you see the Pirates of the Caribbean? Read about the Real Jack Sparrow!

Read about Christianity Today's 2007 Book Awards, and also see a list of the BEST SELLING BOOKS of ALL time.

Have a trouble watching a movie? Someone talking too loud? Check this new device out!

Are you a Millionaire?

I love the King Arthur Legend, that is why this post was so fascinating to me.

What are you paying for gas? Consumer Reports asks how gas prices are changing lifestyles. And Wisebread compares the savings or NOT of flying to driving for your summer vacation.

The world's biggest CURSOR - very funny!

A great summary of the "Doctrines of Grace" (a.k.a - the Reformed theology T.U.L.I.P.)

Perry Noble hits it out of the park with the 5 questions I must ask as a Pastor.

Todd got me with this statement, "I am a beginning to wonder if we have the whole thing backward. Maybe we’ll find God and a healthy church the more we “we seek to stay connected with God by seeking to connect others to God” through truthful awareness of frailty both in ourselves and in our world." Read the rest here.

I was never a Mister Rogers fan, but someone thinks that there are 15 reasons why Mister Rogers was the best neighbor EVER! Do you agree?

Best Years Of Area Man's Life Apparently Never Going To Happen (a parody - WARNING some language) Although this is a parody, it reminded me of Ecclesiastes.

What is the Gospel?, from D.A. Carson via Justin Taylor


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How not to be so easily contented

I was reading from one of my favorite devotions this morning, The Valley of Vision, A collection of Puritan Prayers.

GOD THE SPIRIT

O Lord God,

pray not so much for graces as for
the Spirit himself,
because I feel his absence,
and act by my own spirit in everything.
Give me not weak desires but the power
of his presence,
for this is the surest way to have all his graces,
and when I have the seal I have the impression
also;
He can heal, help, quicken, humble suddenly
and easily,
can work grace and life effectually,
and being eternal he can give grace eternally.
Save me from great hindrances,
from being content with a little measure
of the Spirit,
from thinking thou wilt not give me more.
When I feel my lack of him, light up life and faith,
for when I lose thee I am either in the dark
and cannot see thee,
or Satan and my natural abilities content me
With a little light,
so that I seek no further for the Spirit of life.
Teach me then what to do.
Should I merely humble myself and not stir up
my heart?
Should I meditate and use all means to bring
him near,
not being contented by one means,
but trust him to give me a blessing by the use
of all,
depending only upon, and waiting always for,
thy light, by use of means?
Is it a duty or an error to pray
and look for the fullness of the Spirit in me?
Am I mistaken in feeling I am empty of the Spirit
because I do not sense his presence within,
when all the time I am most empty
and could be more full by faith in Christ?
Was the fullness of the Spirit in the apostles
chiefly a power,
giving the subsistence outside themselves
in Christ,
in whom was their life and joy?
Teach me to find and know fullness of the Spirit
only in Jesus.

God the Spirit taken from The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, Arthur Bennett, editor. ©The Banner of Truth Trust 1975, 2002

I can be so easily contented. God make me thirsty. Make me to want to want you more!

Vision is the Paycheck

I was in conversation with a bunch of guys this morning at Caribou Coffee. We were talking about the church, ministry and vision and Richard laid out a thought bomb. A thought bomb is like tossing a grenade, it ticks and ticks until it finally explodes. Well this thought kept ticking and ticking in my head well after it was spoken.

Richard said that with staff, a paycheck provides a degree of motivation and accountability - in addition to the church's VISION. Volunteers and those who serve in the church aren't paid, so why do they serve?

With volunteers their paycheck is VISION. It is the thing that fuels and propels volunteers. Vision provides anticipation, motivation and satisfaction. Vision is what volunteers feed on. As a leader, I need to continually keep putting our VISION out. Vision is the volunteer's paycheck.

Thank you for your sacrifice!

On May 5, 1868, retired Union Major General Jonathan A. Logan inaugurated "Decoration Day" so that "no vandalism of neglect, no ravages of time" would allow coming generations to forget "the cost of a free and undivided republic." By 1882, Decoration Day was changed to "Memorial Day" and fallen soldiers from all wars were honored as well. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday on the last Monday in May. By this time, however, Memorial Day had become a cookout rather than a commemoration. So much for the "vandalism of neglect and the ravages of time." (HT: Mike Metzger)

Take some time to remember and thank our men and women who have served or are currently serving our country in uniform. Also pray for them and their families this Memorial Day. Thank you for serving and your incredible sacrifice that secures our freedoms.















Technorati Tags: Memorial_Day, Holiday

got thirst?

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This is my sermon from yesterday morning.

Text is John 7:37-38

Communion Meditations

At Big Creek Church we celebrate communion weekly, you can read the theological and practical reasons from this series of posts on the Lord's Supper, part 1; part 2; part 3.

These are this Sunday's communion meditations.

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made thirsty still." Amen! It is my desire, and the desire of all who believe and thirst after God, that we may be filled with longing to long after God, and to thirst that we may be thirsty still. God grant that we may be men and women who, being satisfied, thirst for Him! - A.W. Tozer

1As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.

2My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?

3My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

4These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
Psalm 42:1-4 (ESV)

"Putting all this evidence together, we can see that this thirst that Jesus was speaking about is a spiritual craving for God, a longing that operates deep within the heart of every human being created in the image of God, a thirst that Jesus and Jesus alone can satisfy for all eternity. According to John's gospel this universal spiritual thirst can be quenched and satisfied only by the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to give to all who will believe in him, and who will give to the believer eternal life. And it is this kind of thirst, this spiritual thirst, that Jesus experienced on the cross." - John Piper


But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” John 4:14-15 (ESV)


"We should not be surprised that one of the central pictures of God in the Bible is water. Much of life is desert, and it is in the desert that one understands the water of God." - Ray Vanderlaan

Celebrating 30 years since the Release of Star Wars

This is how George Lucas got his ideas for Star Wars.

The original Star Wars film was released in theaters on May 25th, 1977. To celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary here are 30 facts about the movie that you may not know.

Georgia Carnival of Bloggers

The new edition (that would be 10 if you are counting) is up and running. Hear what others, and yours truly, are saying in Georgia and the blogosphere.

Georgia Carnival of Bloggers

Pastors only work one day a week, right?!

(HT: MMI)

How to learn from your mistakes!

Journaling.

Simple right?

I have always struggled with journaling. That seems like an odd comment from someone who is keeping a blog, considering that a blog is a "web journal". Perhaps blogging these past couple of years has increased my capacity to be a better journaler and writer. Nevertheless most of my Christian experience has had frustration with journal keeping. And to add insult to injury, my wife is a wonderful journaler, and I look from a far and wish - why can't I do that?

So needless to say, this post from Matt's Idea Blog caught my attention.

Here is an excerpt from Matt's blog post:

Around this time last year I started keeping a log of "lessons learned," after reading Curt Rosengren's fantastic essay The genius of mistakes. I did this because I knew I'd be making a ton of mistakes in switching careers to workflow coaching from programming, and I wanted to a) acknowledge them in a positive way, and b) learn from them.

Here's the basic idea: Rosengren calls it a mistake genius journal and describes it this way:

Next time you make a mistake, don't beat yourself up for it. Celebrate the genius of your mistakes, and be thankful for the insight you've just been given. Learn from them and ask yourself, "How can I apply what I've just learned?"

You might even try keeping a mistake genius journal. Not a place for you to berate yourself for how many mistakes you make, but a place for you to actively learn from what has happened. Explore the mistake, explore what insights you've gained as a result, and summarize those insights into key points.

This will do two things. First, it will crystallize your learning so you can easily draw from it in the future, and second, it will start developing a habit of looking for the positive side of your mistakes, rather than beating yourself up about them.

(HT: Matt's Idea Blog)

I think that this hits the nail right on the head. People use journals like this for all kinds of reasons, food journals to track diet, sleep journals to track dreams and sleeping patterns. So it makes sense that using a mistake journal can help a person to learn and grow. That is what the Christian life is all about, growing and transforming (sanctification). I want to grow as person, a husband, a father, a son and as a pastor.

Even though this kind of journal focus on mistakes and the lessons learned, it does stoke and develop the skill and discipline of "reflection". That is the power of journaling, it allows me to slow down, reflect and process. I am going to keep a mistake genius journal for two months and see how it goes. There I said, now you can ask me how it's going. Pray for me, because my track record for journal keeping is spotty.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. --John Wooden

LOST has me hooked again.

Great season finale! Definitely some wicked mind games. Haven't quite figured out where they are going, so it has accomplished it's goal. That is -keeping me tuned in when the next season starts.

If you are a LOST junkie, go to Lostpedia

Little known effects of quenching thirst with a Coke

You thirsty? If not now you'll going to be. Thirst is a good thing. God made us to thirst. But how you quench it can do more harm than good.

You're thirsty so you crab for that bottle of refreshing Coca-Cola. That is what Coke wants you to do. Read this excerpt from their 1993 stockholder's annual report:

All of us in the Coca-Cola family wake up each morning knowing that every single one of the world's 5.6 Billion people will get thirsty that day...and we are the ones with the best opportunity to refresh them. Our task is simple: make Coca Cola and our other products available, affordable, and acceptable to them, quenching their thirst and providing them a perfect moment of relaxation. If we do this..if we make it impossible for these 5.6 Billion people to escape Coca Cola...then we assure our future success for many years to come. Doing anything else is not an option.

Coke wants to satisfy your thirst. But what happens when you chug down that ice-cold Coca-Cola?

• In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
• 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
• 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
• >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
• >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
• >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, urinated away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

(HT: What Happens To Your Body If You Drink A Coke Right Now? -Healthbolt)

It matters how we satisfy our physical thirst. The same is absolutely true with our spiritual thirst. God has made us thirsty so that He can be the one who satisfies it. But too often, you and I, are trying to satisfy our spiritual thirst, with things that only leave us more thirsty and dissatisfied.

I know for me I often try to satisfy my thirst with entertainment. When I am tired and bored, I go to a movie or television. I drink from the wells of Hollywood, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox too often, when I should be drinking from Jesus.

Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

I need to go to Him. I am praying THIS PRAYER.

Let Him satisfy your thirst.

The next best thing to being there...

Justin Taylor has killer notes on Tim Keller's speech from the Gospel Coalition Conference.

You got to check them out, go here!


Technorati Tags: Tim_Keller, gospel

The ONE tool that you need to use

I needed an energy boost. I was traveling in an area today that I wasn't too familiar with, and I wanted a cup of coffee. I didn't want to travel all around town looking for a coffee shop, even though Starbucks are practically on every corner.

So I called my personal assistant. NO, not a real person, but rather Google 411. This is the latest in the stable of powerful and FREE tools from Google.

1. I have Google 411 on my speed dial (I am handsfree with bluetooth when I am driving!).
2. It is all voice recognition, I tell them where I am at and what I am looking for.
3. Google 411 gives me results
4. Google 411 automatically dials the location I choose.

Finding a Starbucks was so stinkin' easy!

Thank you Google! If you are a pastor, or literally anyone for that matter, you need to be using this tool.

35 Sure-Fire Questions to Get to the Heart

I am constantly confronting the idols of heart. These are the things and people that desire to supplant God as chief of my affections. They penetrate deep and cling tightly. These idols require that I shine the light of the gospel into the deep, dark, hidden crevices of my heart. Tim Keller's work and writings have been of significant help in confronting those idols (see my previous posts-Identifying our Idols & Idols that Drive Us)

In addition to Tim Keller, I've enjoyed David Powlison's writings on this issue (Idols of the Heart). I just became aware of Powlison's new book, "Seeing With New Eyes". From what I have read about the book this book is worth the purchase and read, especially for chapter 7 concerning 35 diagnostic questions which Powlison calls, "X-ray Questions"

Concerning these 35 X-ray questions Powlison says: "The questions aim to help people identify the ungodly masters that occupy positions of authority in their heart. These questions reveal 'functional gods,' what or who actually controls their particular actions, thoughts, emotions, attitudes, memories, and anticipations."

Here's all 35 of Powlison's X-Ray questions:

1. What do you love? Hate?

2. What do you want, desire, crave, lust, and wish for? What desires do you serve and obey?

3. What do you seek, aim for, and pursue?

4. Where do you bank your hopes?

5. What do you fear? What do you not want? What do you tend to worry about?

6. What do you feel like doing?

7. What do you think you need? What are your 'felt needs'?

8. What are your plans, agendas, strategies, and intentions designed to accomplish?

9. What makes you tick? What sun does your planet revolve around? What do you organize your life around?

10. Where do you find refuge, safety, comfort, escape, pleasure, security?

11. What or whom do you trust?

12. Whose performance matters? On whose shoulders does the well-being of your world rest? Who can make it better, make it work, make it safe, make it succesful?

13. Whom must you please? Whose opinion of you counts? From whom do you desire approval and fear rejection? Whose value system do you measure yourself against? In whose eyes are you living? Whose love and approval do you need?

14. Who are your role models? What kind of person do you think you ought to be or want to be?

15. On your deathbed, what would sum up your life as worthwhile? What gives your life meaning?

16. How do you define and weigh success and failure, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable, in any particular situation?

17. What would make you feel rich, secure, prosperous? What must you get to make life sing?

18. What would bring you the greatest pleasure, happiness, and delight? The greatest pain or misery?

19. Whose coming into political power would make everything better?

20. Whose victory or success would make your life happy? How do you define victory and success?

21. What do you see as your rights? What do you feel entitled to?

22. In what situations do you feel pressured or tense? Confident and relaxed? When you are pressured, where do you turn? What do you think about? What are your escapes? What do you escape from?

23. What do you want to get out of life? What payoff do you seek out of the things you do?

24. What do you pray for?

25. What do you think about most often? What preoccupies or obsesses you? In the morning, to what does your mind drift instictively?

26. What do you talk about? What is important to you? What attitudes do you communicate?

27. How do you spend your time? What are your priorities?

28. What are your characteristic fanasies, either pleasurable or fearful? Daydreams? What do your night dreams revolve around?

29. What are the functional beliefs that control how you interpret your life and determine how you act?

30. What are your idols and false gods? In what do you place your trust, or set your hopes? What do you turn to or seek? Where do you take refuge?

31. How do you live for yourself?

32. How do you live as a slave of the devil?

33. How do you implicitly say , 'If only...' (to get what you want, avoid what you don't want, keep what you have)?

34. What instictively seems and feels right to you? What are your opinions, the things you feel true?

35. Where do you find your identity? How do you define who you are?


(HT:Buzzard Blog)


Technorati Tags: David_Powlison, Powlison, Idols_of_the_Heart, Tim_Keller

Information Overload

I come across a lot of good material throughout the week. This is in my stack of stuff that shows up in my Google RSS Reader. I thought I would pass some of it along to you and share the wealth. So kick back, get a fresh cup of coffee and let your finger click away!

101 New Uses for Everyday Things

How do American's use technology? Read all about it! (pdf)

This is an important video, featuring step-by-step instructions for the man hug.

Read about Marek Turowsk has broken the Fastest Furniture Land Speed Record

Read Ben Witherington's poem about David and Bathsheba.

Learn how you can squeeze 25 hours into your day.

Watch the Civil War in FOUR minutes. A fun and fascinating video!

Martin Luther's rules for good preachers. I like rule number 6, "They should know when to stop." - ouch!

Read this pastoral response to Online Dating.

Some disturbing stats about the problem with Internet Porn.

Do you need a good COMPUTER PRANK?

Are pastors fibbing with their attendance numbers?

Learn how to cook GREAT meals with your CAR ENGINE! Talk about food on the go.

Do you know the TOP sayings that are NOT in the Bible?

Become a better communicator with your BODY LANGUAGE.

Learn the 10 steps to better meetings.

Shawn Lovejoy shares on why he’s determined to NOT be a “Pastor of the big Screen.”

Which Star Wars character are you?

Read about how Greenpeace is building a replica of Noah's Ark and why they are doing it.

Read about the 10 Greatest Christian Biographies.


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My prayer

Wow! I am going to memorize this prayer and let it sink deep into my heart and life.

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made thirsty still." - A.W. Tozer

"24" ended with a whimper

Very disappointed with this season of 24. My time is valuable, I don't have time to waste, and literally this show stole 1 full day of my life. I want it back!!!!


Technorati Tags: 24, Television

Communion Meditations

At Big Creek Church we celebrate communion weekly, you can read the theological and practical reasons from this series of posts on the Lord's Supper, part 1; part 2; part 3.

These are this Sunday's communion meditations.

"Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives." - A. Sachs

"The many contradictions in our lives - such as being home while feeling homeless, being busy while feeling bored, being popular while feeling lonely, being believers while feeling many doubts - can frustrate, irritate, and even discourage us. They make us feel that we are never fully present. Every door that opens for us makes us see how many more doors are closed. But there is another response. These same contradictions can bring us into touch with a deeper longing, for the fulfillment of a desire that lives beneath all desires and that only God can satisfy. Contradictions, thus understood, create the friction that can help us move toward God."
- Henri Nouwen

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."
- Helen Keller

Listen to how Dostoevsky puts it in Brothers Karamazov: "I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, of the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, of all the blood that they've shed; and it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify what has happened."

That is strong and that last sentence is particularly strong…but if the resurrection is true, it's absolutely right. Amen.

- Tim Keller, speaking about 9/11, tragedies and suffering.

Always in BETA

If you have been around the world of computers, you've most likely come across the term BETA.

Before a new program or piece of software is released to the public there is a BETA version. BETA is the test version. It is a version that is not ready for Prime Time. It is a preliminary version that is released in order to work out the bugs. Nowadays it seems as if most programs though are in perpetual BETA.

There is a trend in the world of technology that argues that a program should never come out of BETA. There's no final version. Nothing is static, everything is changing. When a product is still in BETA, you never know what's going to happen next. The product may change its direction, it might morph into something completely different. Perpetually it remains an unfinished product.

That's what our Christian Lives are like, we are in perpetual BETA. We are always in process, continuing to grow, never complete, never finished.

In Philippians chapter three, Paul writes these compelling words while sitting in a jail cell.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Paul had a deep intimacy with Jesus and yet as you read this you can sense his hunger and thirst for Christ just dripping and oozing off the page. Paul isn't satisfied. He is hungry and thirsty to know God more. Paul, a spiritual stud, was still in process, he was in BETA.

Big Creeker's, we must never forget that truth. God is constantly working in, through and on our life. As we walk with Christ, we should always have a healthy dissatisfaction to want to know God more. We must be willing to allow God to take us to new, fresh and undiscovered places.

As I look on the horizon, I see new places that God wants to take us.

I believe God wants us to be a place where we are reaching out to the community in ways that we have never done before. I believe God wants us to be a church where within the fabric of everything we do, we are getting outside of the church and being the hands and feet of Christ.

I believe that The Zone workshops are just the beginning, I believe God wants us to be a church where people are empowered and released to use their God-given gifts, skills, ability and passions to serve Him and others.

I believe that God wants us to grow and go deeper in the impact and reality of the Gospel in each of our lives.

These are just scratching the surface!

God is not done with us. We are still in BETA. Big Creek Church is still in BETA. Buckle up and brace yourself, for an incredible journey ahead of us.

Clowning around with Communion?

I never thought that I would use Clown and Communion in the same sentence. I am not sure if I want to laugh, cry or groan - I think that I am doing all three right now!

At Big Creek Church we celebrate communion weekly, you can read the theological and practical reasons from this series of posts on the Lord's Supper, part 1; part 2; part 3. One of the reasons that we celebrate it weekly is because of it's deep significance. The Lord's Supper is a means of God's grace to us, His people. It is a time when Christ strengthens and encourages the people of God. I can't believe anyone thought that an entire clown service was a good idea.

“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.” 1 Cor 11:27











































Here is an actual video of the service!



(HT: GalatiansC4V16)


Technorati Tags: Clowns, Communion

Ok "24" show me what you got!

US TV drama 24, which stars Kiefer Sutherland as special agent Jack Bauer, will return for two more series, according to trade magazine Variety.



Let's hope they can kick-start this series again, they got two more years. Although I will be watching the 2 hour finale on Monday! Can't wait.





Technorati Tags: 24, Television

Information overload

I come across a lot of good material throughout the week. This is in my stack of stuff that shows up in my Google RSS Reader. I thought I would pass some of it along to you and share the wealth. So kick back, get a fresh cup of coffee and let your finger click away!



Read a weird story of a house sold with it's previous owner still inside.

Want to have night vision like a Ninja?

Read Joe Carter and the Dangers of Evangelism.

Play “Guess the Google,” which flashes you a collage of 20 images and you have to guess the keyword that was searched for.

Read what University facility think of Evangelical Christians. Having worked on college campuses for 16 years, nothing surprising here.

Read how secular work is a calling and designed by God (a great follow up to my post on Are you Called?)

Oh No, a new Terminator Movie, but without Arnold, read all about it.

Browse Yahoo’s list of the top 25 internet hoaxes.

The debate featuring Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort is available online in its entirety.

Read how Cosmetic Surgery is becoming a growing trend among teens!

Read about a pastor that says a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan. Talk about hyperbole!

Tammy Messner—formerly Tammy Faye Bakker, wife of the disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker—is dying of cancer. Read her moving letter to her fans.

Read how to open a door with a credit card. This information is be used for good not for evil :-)

Read this excellent and yet tough discussion on would your church welcome a convicted sex offender? Maybe there’s one in your church and you’re not even aware of it. Would you allow this person to worship next to you? Does your church have the right to refuse to let a convicted sex offender serve within the church?

Read about 6 great ways to remove stains with household products.

Read about weird and crazy laws and some silly sentences people have received.

Wow, this was a Big Mother's Day gift for a church to have given away!



Have a great rest of the week!

Falwell dies at 73

By now you probably have heard the news about Rev. Jerry Falwell's death while working at Liberty University. Whether you agreed with him or not on the issues, his theology, or his methods, the fact remains he left his stamp of evangelicalism, culture and politics and he is in the arms of his precious Savior.

What is incredibly sad has been the ungracious and hate-filled responses concerning his death. Read the comments after Al Mohler's article at the Washington Post, and read this excerpt from the World Magazine blog.

These kind of reactions are NO better than what those hate-filled fools, such as the Westboro Baptist group, do at funerals of people, like Matthew Shepard, in the name of Christianity. No one should revel or celebrate in someone's death. Shame!



Technorati Tags: Falwell, Matthew_Shepard, Westboro_Baptist

Big Creek Hero of the Week

The hero this week is Tim Mills. Tim is our Worship Team Leader. He, along with Paul Reeves, gives us great leadership with worship on Sunday mornings. We have two of the most talented guys around! What I appreciate about Tim is that he was willing to go the extra mile in all that we do here at Big Creek. Part of that is in helping outside groups use our facility. Here at Big Creek Church, we are about Building Community for the Community. And we want to make available our facilities to outside groups whenever possible. Having outside groups in our facility can be terribly disruptive, and we have even had to modify the amount of groups and type of events we can accommodate for future. They can be disruptive because if the group needs a lot of staging, sound and video, it can require a lot of tear down and set up and therefore it makes it doubly hard to get everything ready for Sunday morning. It is a real challenge! Tim has been doing SUPER-HUMAN work making it work. And even though he would honestly tell you that outside groups has been one of the most challenging aspects of his job, he has graciously and willingly served even when it has been hard. THANK YOU TIM! I appreciate your leadership and all the ways that you serve at Big Creek. YOU ARE DA MAN!

Numbers are PEOPLE!

Here is a great post from Paul Peterson, who got some of it from Perry Noble (talk about six degrees of separation :-) )

For people that say, “God isn’t into numbers”, check this out from the book of Acts....

• Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

• Acts 2:47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

• Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

• Acts 5:14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

• Acts 6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

• Acts 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

• Acts 11:21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

• Acts 11:24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

• Acts 14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.

• Acts 14:21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch,

• Acts 17:4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.

• Acts 17:12 Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

• Acts 17:34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

• Acts 19:18-20 ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. {19 A drachma was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages.} ²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

The bottom line… when God is at work the result is numbers! Numbers of radically changed lives! I want to be a part of that! I want to be a part of a movement where thousands are coming to Christ! Church, God cares about numbers because numbers have names!

(HT: Paul Peterson)

Here are some of my thoughts....

When the church is passionate about people becoming Christ followers and crossing over from darkness to light and having their lives radically turned upside down - that translates into numbers. We should be passionate about numbers, because like Paul Peterson said, numbers are people, numbers have names. Not all people like the idea of the church talking about NUMBERS. I think the blow back we get because of numbers comes because of several reasons:

1. When people talk about numbers, and numerical growth all they see are people switching churches. (see my earlier posts, Shuffling the Deck, and the (not so) Funny Cartoon) And if that is a church’s plan to grow then there is a problem with growth simply defined as “re-shuffling the deck”. Numbers have to be more than just putting butts in the seats.

2. A lack a passion for the church growing and for seeing numerical growth may be a lack of passion to see lost people become followers of Christ. Ouch! This one may hurt.

3. Also, people may put the reluctance of numbers, because they need to justify why their church isn’t growing. Every church should be growing, by some number. It doesn’t have to be the insane numbers that God is blessing some churches with. (we want to guard against the comparison trap) But what about last year? Can a particular church at least count 1 person who has come to faith and is growing and serving in the church from last year? Considering that some statistics have a good portion of churches not having seen anyone come to faith through their ministry last year, 1 person would be an awesome reversal of where some churches are currently at.

Like Paul and Perry, I have been thinking a lot of this idea of numbers recently. But, I have been thinking about it via a different track, through the idea of the “Kingdom of God”. When you look at the Kingdom, when Jesus talks about the Kingdom, it is always in terms of a growing organism. The Kingdom of God grows. It spreads. It is like a mountain that covers the earth. It is like yeast spreading the the dough. It is like a small seed that grows and flourishes into a healthy, vibrant tree. Read the OT and the NT and you can’t help to walk away with a picture of God’s Kingdom growing in greater stature, power and influence. When we look at the Kingdom of God we should anticipate (no wait!, EXPECT) to see it GROW. Of course this picture of growth obviously translates into numerical growth. (Read Graeme Goldsworthy's Gospel and Kingdom)

Christ's church should grow, part of that growth is numerical, and every number is a Person.


Technorati Tags: Church, Ministry, Growth, Kingdom_of_God, Kingdom, Ministry_Philosophy

Communion Mediations

At Big Creek Church we celebrate communion weekly, you can read the theological and practical reasons are from this series of posts on the Lord's Supper, part 1; part 2; part 3.

These are our communion meditations that we post on the screen to provide an opportunity of meditation and contemplation during the Lord's Supper.

Romans 5:6 (NIV) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Psalm 20:7 (NIV) Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Ephesians 6:1 (NIV) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise--3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." {[3] Deut. 5:16}

2 Chronicles 14:11 (NIV) Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."

Psalm 27:10 (NIV) Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.





Technorati Tags: Communion, Communion_Meditations, Quotes

Some stuff BREWing in my head.

Here is some stuff that I have brewing in my head these days...

Communication. I think that this is our biggest challenge for the upcoming ministry year. This spring the ministries are preparing their budget and planning the calendar for the year ahead. But I think that even with all the best planning and strategies, it will be communication that will make or break us. There is so much noise in the air. Email, text messages, IM, TV, movies, blogs, etc...

How do we cut through all the noise and grab people's attention. Sometimes I feel as we communicate, talk about it, announce it and advertise it and yet people still are in the dark. How do we communicate better? Ultimately it is our responsibility to communicate well and effectively. I think that is the issue we need to work hard with the upcoming year.


Also, I am realizing the power of vision. We are beginning to define more clearly our vision here at Big Creek in simple, clear ways - ala Simple Church. What I have been experiencing recently is the freedom that Vision gives. It is freedom when I can say that these are the parameters and the tracks that we are running on as a church, and that we are not going outside of that. It is freedom when we stay the course and direction that God is taking us.

And another thing, I am beginning to wonder if my favorite show 24 has jumped the shark. I feel as if they have exhusted all their bag of tricks. I have heard a lot of buzz about the show Heroes. I might get the DVD's of season 1 when they become available and get caught up on that show. I haven't though given up with my love affair of LOST though.

Also, I am reading Sam Harris' book, The End of Faith. As an atheist, he doesn't see faith and religion as merely something to be tolerated or just plain neutral, but rather he says it is harmful and dangerous. I have just started the book. I am reading it as part of the 5 new notions book challenge.









Technorati Tags: Ministry

Are you called?

Joe Thorn has been posting about being Called to Ministry.

Charles Spurgeon also believed that only those men who have sense of divine calling should enter the ministry, and that without it we find our way into danger...In the same chapter, “The Call to The Ministry,” Spurgeon goes on to explain how a man can determine if he is called by God to the ministry. He explains that such a man will have an “intense, all-absorbing desire for the work,” the ability to do the work, bear fruit in the work, and receive the affirmation of the local church.

This is what is defined as Internal and External call. Let me add another thought to internal and external call that Joe talks about. I had a seminary prof/mentor add to the list “actual call” - let me explain from my experience. I moved my family from Baltimore to Orlando to finish my last year of seminary at RTS, Orlando. As I was finishing up seminary, I was looking for a call as a pastor. I felt a sense a strong internal call, and I received a lot of feedback from the body of Christ and the church that affirmed an external call, but no local church was actually calling me. The reasons at the time appeared to be that the churches I was approaching didn’t understand clearly how 17 years of Campus para-church ministry were going to translate into ministry into the local church (in hindsight I have a better understanding that God was making me wait until this current opportunity opened up which was the best thing for me, I know that God will excuse all the whining that I did at the time!). But when I was going through a hard time seeing door after door slam in my face, my seminary prof/mentor said to me (as I was complaining that I was called by God to be a pastor, but that nothing was happening) that although the internal and external call are important, the third ingredient in affirming the call is actually receiving one. God has to provide a call. A church must "call" you in order to be "called". That piece of advice help me process the whole issue of calling, especially as I was going through a time of questioning my calling.

Spurgeon's words are wise, entering into the ministry one shouldn't be unclear or vacillate about one's calling. It should be testing by an internal work of the Spirit, affirmed by the church and confirmed by an actual call by a local body.

(not so) Funny Cartoon

(HT: Ars Gratia)

This cartoon dovetails with my comments on Shuffling the Deck.

I think that this cartoon illustrates the frustration of how deep the individualistic and consumeristic culture has influenced God's people and Christ's church.



Technorati Tags: Church_hopping, humor

I think this is a mistake

I haven't talked a lot about Ray Comfort on my blog. Ray Comfort, in conjunction with Kirk Cameron do the Way of the Master, an Evangelism and Outreach Program. Perhaps you have seen them on TBN while channel surfing. I have never been a big fan of the approach and methodology of Ray Comfort and the Way of the Master. I respect his heart for God and desire for people to come to saving faith, but I have had concerns about his approach to evangelism and it's implications.

Now I read that Ray Comfort is going to debate a couple of athiests on the existence of God.

And Ray Comfort is asserting that he can prove the existence of God without using the Bible. Perhaps at first glance, it sounds like a noble undertaking, but I think it is a major strategic mistake. Following the lead of Cornelius Van Til and John Frame, our starting point when debating God shouldn't be based on the foundation of "reason". What that does is it concedes that reason and reason alone is the sole arbitrator of what is true. Rather, we should, unapologetically, use the Scriptures to talk about God. We should operate out of our presuppositions that God exists and that the Bible is authoritative to discuss such matters.

Anyway, this should make for some interesting television viewing.

The debate will be shown on Wednesday, which is TONIGHT on Nightline, ABC

Information overload

I come across a lot of good material throughout the week. This is in my stack of stuff that shows up in my Google RSS Reader. I thought I would pass some of it along to you and share the wealth.

Lifehacks has some pointers on the Gentle Art of Saying NO

Mike Metzger has a good article on the Redemptive nature of eating

Read Frank Page, from the SBC, and his call to Evangelism Integrity

Tim Keller has some killer talks on preaching that he did at Gordon-Conwell seminary, for purchase, but I think that I am going to break open the wallet on these!

Learn how to tie the top ten useful knots

Read an article from the Los Angeles Times which addresses that an unusually high number of people pack churches in Blacksburg, Va., seeking comfort and answers. After massacre, worshipers ask God 'Why?'

Read how loving people is a dying art.

Read about the guy who claims to be Jesus Christ reincarnated, very sad.

Read about how to speed read and speed listen.

Perry Noble always hits a home run, read his thoughts on what sparks creativity.

Watch the trailer for a movie based on a show that critics have called "The Most Religious Show on Television".

Read about the discovery of King Herod's Tomb.
Also Bible Places blog has Top Ten things you probably don't know about King Herod.

If you dare, see the 8 Smooches that Shook the World (sort of)

Read about an unfortunate billboard campaign that is encouraging people that Life is Short, Get a Divorce!

Read and see how the Community of God's people makes up a mosaic that shows us the face of God.

See a new video game called Bible Fight, a Mortal Kombat-style battle game featuring famous Bible characters like Noah, Eve, and (if you use a cheat code) God Himself.

Read Mark Batterson and how infighting is just using up sideways energy. I love Mark's heart!

Check out this blog of two agnostic church hoppers. They are mystery shoppers for churches.

Read a great review of Spiderman 3 and about the Redemptive elements of the movie.

View aesthetic beauty, see the 10 Divinely Designed Churches.

Enjoy the "linkage love" this Wednesday!

Shuffling the Deck

I have been thinking a lot recently of why people move from church to church (especially after reading this article: "Dissatisfaction, yearning make churchgoers switch" -USATODAY.com).

You know what I am talking about, we call it shuffling the deck, or rearranging the chairs. It is the biggest way that churches grow, people swapping churches and going to shop for a new one (we need to grow more from conversation that just people swapping churches) .Church shopping is a double edged sworded. We feel the loss when people leave our church to go looking elsewhere, and we are blessed when people visit our church for the first time. But what really gets my boxers in a bunch is the frequency that people change churches. People seem to change churches as often as they change their underwear.

1. Are there good reasons to move on from your church and look elsewhere? Yes, there of course good reasons to have to move on to another church. Our denomination, the PCA, came out of moving out from the mainline denomination. Issues of doctrine and theology motived men to form another denomination. But here was the key, they weren't capricious about it. They were sober minded, prayerful and working painstakingly to make sure it could work to stay before they pulled the trigger on leaving. This is just one example, and I know that there are many good, and thoughful reasons to have to move on to another church. I don't want to draw up a list of what they are, because the reasons for leaving a church can be much more complicated that just one list.

2. Ultimately the issue isn't that people may need to move on, it is the manner that do so. We are treating the church like a commodity. It isn't somthing to be consummed. The church is a family, it is a place where we belong. Can church get difficult sometimes? Sure, we are all big sinners and we bump up against and ding one another. Can church sometimes fail to meet our expections. Sure it does. But too often we complain that this church or that church isn't meeting our needs. The church isn't in the business of meeting your needs. Christ is! If you see something that needs to improve or change, then roll up your slevles and dig in. We are way too passive, waiting to receive and consume from the church without being willing to actively engage in the ministry of the church ourself. Can the church or someone in the church, like ME, offend you or rub you wrong? You bet, and so make sure to work it out. don't just flee. That might be the first impulse. But if all you do is do flee, you are going to carry that baggage into the next place you land. If you don't resolve stuff and just flee, then ultimately nothing will change.

Often times within our church, we call our body a covenant community. It is a covenant community, because of God's grace and faithfulness to His people. He is our God and we are His people. But it is also a covenant community, because of our bond with one another. In Christ, we are united by the same Spirit. We are bound together. We are a family. Let us be committed as such and treat one another as family, not as a commodity.


Technorati Tags: Church, Ministry, Trends