When it comes to Super Bowl ads--
Farting horses? Sure, Budweiser.
Racial stereotypes? Come right in, SalesGenie.
Objectify women? As long as you're willing pay, GoDaddy.
But NBC rejected this one for tomorrow's broadcast.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
LeaderLines: Five Essentials When Praying for the Lost, Week 2
For my LeaderLines e-newsletter, I’ve decided we need to spend a few weeks “camped out” in the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-8 (Msg). These words can teach us how to pray for the lost:
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know....He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us -- Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth. Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray -- not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.
According to this text, there are 5 essentials when praying for the lost:
- The right priority
- The right perspective
- The right solution
- The right hope
- The right person
Last week we looked at the first essential: the right priority. This week, let’s spend some time with the second essential: you must have the right perspective.
“He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know,” Paul wrote to Timothy, “everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned.” This concept is so important that we’re going to take a couple of weeks in LeaderLines to meditate on it.
Paul said that God wanted “everyone saved.” Both of those words are important: everyone . . . saved. Without the right perspective that both of those words provide, you won’t have the kind of prayer life that makes any sort of impact.
Let’s look at that word “saved” in this edition of LeaderLines, and then next week we’ll look at why we’re more likely to pray when we discover that God wants “everyone” saved.
“Saved.” That is the perspective the Bible provides on our greatest need—we need to be “saved.” People choke on that word today, even in church. You can tell by the way people refer to their decision for Christ. We’ll talk about the time we made a commitment to Christ, we’ll say that we became believers, or we’ll even say we gave our heart to the Lord. But fewer and fewer of us will bluntly say we “got saved.”
Do you want to know why fewer of us are using that word “saved” to talk about our decision for Christ? Because it sounds so exclusive, and there’s nothing we fear more than being looked upon as narrow-minded. To say that people need to be saved implies that people who have not received Christ are lost, and that makes some of us uncomfortable. We’d much rather say that they’re “on their own spiritual path” and “all roads ultimately lead to God” and “each world religion is just another way of looking at God” and “Oh, I know he doesn’t believe the same things I do about Jesus but once you get to know him you’ll see he’s spiritual in his own way.” I’ve heard all those statements.
Could it be that you’ve never prayed for those you know at work or in your family because you no longer believe that people without Christ are lost and need to be found, that they are in trouble and need to be rescued?
Take a moment to thank God that he saved you, and take a moment to reflect on exactly why people need to be rescued. We need sin’s power broken in this life and we need sin’s penalty removed in the afterlife. When you get “the right perspective,” you’ll be more likely to pray for your lost friends and family.
There’s another word in our Scripture that will give you the perspective you need for effective praying, and that’s the word “everyone”—God wants “everyone saved.” We’ll look at that one in next week’s LeaderLines.
_________________________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by more than 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Winning Ways: "Get Anchored!"
Our first Sunday “together @ 10” was fantastic! After celebrating with one couple at their baby dedication and then honoring another couple for their 65th wedding anniversary, you know we made the right decision to combine the two services into one! And it was special to hear the Word read to us by three generations of a Hillcrest family: a grandma (Barbara Fowler), a mom (Karen Raulie), and a daughter (Gayla Raulie). Spread the word about the exciting new thing God is doing at Hillcrest!
Also, spread the word about our upcoming Anchor Course. It’s easy to invite someone: just forward this e-mail to them!
The Anchor Course is a place to build friendships around a weekly meal, and to build faith around a weekly discussion. The Anchor Course is ideal if...
- you’re a spiritual seeker who wants to learn more about the life and teaching of Jesus, but you don’t know where to start, or
- you’ve become curious about the Christian convictions of your friends, or
- you’re married to a believer and you want to learn more about your partner’s Christian faith, or
- you’re a parent who’s wondered how to explain Christianity to your kids, or
- you’re a believer who wants a better grasp of the main points of your faith.
Want to learn more about the Course before you commit? Come to my “Get Anchored” Dinner on Wednesday, February 4, 6:30-8:00pm. You’ll enjoy a good meal and learn more about the Course.
By coming to the “Get Anchored” Dinner, you’re under no obligation to sign up for the full study. But if you decide to register, you’ll receive a copy of my book, The Anchor Course: Exploring Christianity Together. We’ll then meet eight weeks for dinner and discussion starting Wednesday, February 11, 6:30-8:00pm. Your children can join you for the meal and then go to preschool care and children’s activities, which take place at the same time.
There is no cost for the “Get Anchored” Dinner, but we need your RSVP. Contact my assistant, Jami (345-3771 or jami@hbcaustin.org). To learn more, go to the Anchor Course website (here) or read a book excerpt (here).
Tom
P.S., I’ll tell you more about the new Hillcrest Institute semester in next week’s newsletter. But go ahead and review the course descriptions at our website or pick up a brochure at the Worship Center entrance this Sunday.
______________________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Links to Your World, Tuesday January 27
Thousands of orders pour in for Aretha Franklin’s inauguration hat.
Top 10 Funniest Super Bowl Commercials
What team are you siding with this weekend? I’ve gotta pull for the team led by an old guy…you understand:
“What you do on social media leaves traces and cannot be easily removed from the Web. Information can fairly easily be tracked back to you and what you say and do will be public for a long time.” (ReadWriteWeb explains in “The Unforeseen Consequences of the Social Web”)
You're a book hoarder. How do you stop the insanity? Ten steps.
“Lots of organizations need public money now, but Planned Parenthood—with a $1 billion budget and a $114 million operating surplus—isn’t one of them” (story). The $337 million in public funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider could be better spent in this tough economy.
“TinyURL, one of the most popular URL-shortening services [which shows up on Facebook user’s posts frequently] is now being used by cybercriminals to redirect web surfers to pages that contain viruses, trojans, and other sorts of malware.” (story)
Why you can't find a library book in your search engine.
“Is the party too conservative or not conservative enough? The Perry-Hutchison smackdown brings this question to the forefront; it is a proxy fight for the future of the GOP.” You should read “The Thrilla in Vanilla,” Paul Burka’s coverage of the anticipated Republican primary fight for the 2010 Texas Governor race. This is a rare Texas Monthly article available for free online; the other articles are available only to subscribers (what is this, 1999?). Burka’s coverage is worth the read, despite his annoying jab that concerns such as abortion—where Hutchison is somewhat vulnerable— “have little impact on the serious problems facing the country, but they arouse voters—and especially Republican primary voters—to a degree that the great policy questions of the day do not.” Ignore this too-typical bias of liberal journalists (at least he didn’t trot out the tired old labels “hot button” and “culture war”) but cull the worthwhile insights this veteran of Texas political coverage.
“The remains of an ancient gate have pinpointed the location of the biblical city Sha'arayim, say archaeologists working in Israel. In the Bible young David, a future king, is described as battling Goliath in the Elah Valley near Sha'arayim.” (Nat’l Geographic News)
USA Today: Ministry tends to the feet, dignity of city's homeless
The NY Times writes, “Your Nest is Empty? Enjoy Each Other”
“Barack Obama's decision to use the same Bible for his inauguration that Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration in 1861 forges an intriguing connection between these two presidents….As with all symbols, the use of the Lincoln Bible — gilt-edged, covered in burgundy-colored velvet — does much more than physically link two administrations. Lincoln made surprising and controversial use of the Bible and faith as president. Will Obama, whose religious beliefs have already played a role in American politics, do the same?” You should read this piece from Ronald White, author of the just-released biography A. Lincoln: A Biography. The book is on my to-read list.
“According to the paleontologist Peter Ward…the earth's history makes clear that, left to run its course, life isn't naturally nourishing - it's poisonous. Rather than a supple system of checks and balances, he argues, the natural world is a doomsday device careening from one cataclysm to another…. Ward, a paleontologist at the University of Washington and a scholar of the earth's great extinctions, calls his model the Medea Hypothesis, after the mythological Greek sorceress who killed her own children. The name makes clear Ward's ambition: To challenge and eventually replace the Gaia Hypothesis, the well-known 1970s scientific model that posits that every living thing on earth is part of a gargantuan, self-regulating super-organism” (“Dark Green,” from the Boston Globe)
“Over the past several years, studies have consistently shown that people on the political right outperform those on the left when it comes to charity. This pattern appears to have held -- increased, even -- in 2008….But here's where the charity gap really starts to make a difference for the recession of 2009: Conservatives don't just give more; they also decrease their giving less than liberals do in response to lousy economic conditions.” (Arthur Brooks, WSJ)
I imagine it’s tough to appear dignified when you tell people you live in towns and on roads with these unfortunate names.
WSJ: Boomer grandparents want to pick what grandkids call them, and “Grandma” and “Grandpa” won’t do.
In the Chronicle of Higher Education, read Tim Clydesdale’s “Wake Up and Smell the New Epistemology.” It’s written for college professors, but it has application to everyone—pastors included--who want to communicate with a 20-something audience:
“The Moral Accountability Project trusts that those self-identified pro-life and pro-marriage Catholics and Evangelicals who helped to put Barack Obama into a position to accomplish his goals were sincere in their admiration for him. We are willing to believe that they genuinely hope that he will go back on his pledges to attack pro-life laws and repeal pro-marriage policies. Still, actions have consequences, and the actions of these intellectuals and activists will have consequences that are all too easy to predict. With each assault of the Obama administration on laws and policies upholding the sanctity of human life and the dignity of marriage, we will ask all Catholics and Evangelicals, including those who supported Obama, to join us in resisting these assaults. That is what we will do at http://www.moralaccountability.com/.” Signatories include Francis Beckwith at Baylor University.
“Lost regularly tackles complex themes like redemption, an ordered universe, and the literal sins of the fathers with an untidy approach that fits the messy subject matter. No easy answers are offered. Characters take one step forward and two steps back as they try to grasp their purpose and overcome personal weaknesses. The mysterious sci-fi story has viewers constantly wondering what is going on: Is this island the Garden of Eden? Atlantis? Just a hub of mystical powers?” (CT Review)
Related: Read Jim White’s take on Lost and evangelism.
“Laboratory experiments using simulators, real-world road studies and accident statistics all tell the same story: drivers talking on a cellphone are four times as likely to have an accident as drivers who are not. That’s the same level of risk posed by a driver who is legally drunk.” (NY Times article)
Tired of doom-and-gloom headlines? Here are ten reasons to be grateful for the times we live in.
A while back, an ex-gang member got baptized at our church. He fell in love with Jesus and turned from his old lifestyle. But after several months at the church, he stopped attending. When we asked him why he stopped attending, he answered: ‘I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church, I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren't just nice to each other once a week-we were family.’ That killed me because I knew that what he expected is what the church was intended to be. It saddened me because I realized that the gangs paint a better picture of loyalty and family than the local church body does.” (Francis Chan in the Catalyst article, “A Gathering Force.”)
“In the one corner, Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good For You; in the other, Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation. Two very smart people with very different ideas about where young Americans are heading….Johnson’s basic position is that (a) today’s young people are smarter than kids of earlier generations and (b) this is largely a result of their constant exposure to varieties of pop culture that are cognitively demanding. It takes more brainpower, he would argue, to play Grand Theft Auto IV than to play Monopoly; and Lost demands levels of concentration and attention that Gunsmoke never did. Pop culture today is “good for you” because it forces you to develop a certain mental acuity in order to enjoy it. Johnson also frequently cites studies indicating that today’s teenagers are “the least violent, the most politically engaged and the most entrepreneurial since the dawn of the television era.” So when Johnson looks at the data about young people, he’s especially interested in, and encouraged by, two things: skills acquisition and activity levels .... Bauerlein, by contrast, is concerned about the content of young people’s brains, or the lack thereof. If they don’t actually know anything about American government, should we really be encouraged by their apparent political activism?” (Alan Jacobs in the first of three posts called “Johnson vs. Bauerlein”)
Top 10 Funniest Super Bowl Commercials
What team are you siding with this weekend? I’ve gotta pull for the team led by an old guy…you understand:
“Kurt Warner's autobiography is titled, All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football and the Miracle Season. Warner is at the center of yet another miracle season, leading his underdog Arizona Cardinals to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance” (article).
“What you do on social media leaves traces and cannot be easily removed from the Web. Information can fairly easily be tracked back to you and what you say and do will be public for a long time.” (ReadWriteWeb explains in “The Unforeseen Consequences of the Social Web”)
You're a book hoarder. How do you stop the insanity? Ten steps.
“Lots of organizations need public money now, but Planned Parenthood—with a $1 billion budget and a $114 million operating surplus—isn’t one of them” (story). The $337 million in public funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider could be better spent in this tough economy.
“TinyURL, one of the most popular URL-shortening services [which shows up on Facebook user’s posts frequently] is now being used by cybercriminals to redirect web surfers to pages that contain viruses, trojans, and other sorts of malware.” (story)
Why you can't find a library book in your search engine.
“Is the party too conservative or not conservative enough? The Perry-Hutchison smackdown brings this question to the forefront; it is a proxy fight for the future of the GOP.” You should read “The Thrilla in Vanilla,” Paul Burka’s coverage of the anticipated Republican primary fight for the 2010 Texas Governor race. This is a rare Texas Monthly article available for free online; the other articles are available only to subscribers (what is this, 1999?). Burka’s coverage is worth the read, despite his annoying jab that concerns such as abortion—where Hutchison is somewhat vulnerable— “have little impact on the serious problems facing the country, but they arouse voters—and especially Republican primary voters—to a degree that the great policy questions of the day do not.” Ignore this too-typical bias of liberal journalists (at least he didn’t trot out the tired old labels “hot button” and “culture war”) but cull the worthwhile insights this veteran of Texas political coverage.
“The remains of an ancient gate have pinpointed the location of the biblical city Sha'arayim, say archaeologists working in Israel. In the Bible young David, a future king, is described as battling Goliath in the Elah Valley near Sha'arayim.” (Nat’l Geographic News)
USA Today: Ministry tends to the feet, dignity of city's homeless
The NY Times writes, “Your Nest is Empty? Enjoy Each Other”
“Barack Obama's decision to use the same Bible for his inauguration that Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration in 1861 forges an intriguing connection between these two presidents….As with all symbols, the use of the Lincoln Bible — gilt-edged, covered in burgundy-colored velvet — does much more than physically link two administrations. Lincoln made surprising and controversial use of the Bible and faith as president. Will Obama, whose religious beliefs have already played a role in American politics, do the same?” You should read this piece from Ronald White, author of the just-released biography A. Lincoln: A Biography. The book is on my to-read list.
“According to the paleontologist Peter Ward…the earth's history makes clear that, left to run its course, life isn't naturally nourishing - it's poisonous. Rather than a supple system of checks and balances, he argues, the natural world is a doomsday device careening from one cataclysm to another…. Ward, a paleontologist at the University of Washington and a scholar of the earth's great extinctions, calls his model the Medea Hypothesis, after the mythological Greek sorceress who killed her own children. The name makes clear Ward's ambition: To challenge and eventually replace the Gaia Hypothesis, the well-known 1970s scientific model that posits that every living thing on earth is part of a gargantuan, self-regulating super-organism” (“Dark Green,” from the Boston Globe)
“Over the past several years, studies have consistently shown that people on the political right outperform those on the left when it comes to charity. This pattern appears to have held -- increased, even -- in 2008….But here's where the charity gap really starts to make a difference for the recession of 2009: Conservatives don't just give more; they also decrease their giving less than liberals do in response to lousy economic conditions.” (Arthur Brooks, WSJ)
I imagine it’s tough to appear dignified when you tell people you live in towns and on roads with these unfortunate names.
WSJ: Boomer grandparents want to pick what grandkids call them, and “Grandma” and “Grandpa” won’t do.
In the Chronicle of Higher Education, read Tim Clydesdale’s “Wake Up and Smell the New Epistemology.” It’s written for college professors, but it has application to everyone—pastors included--who want to communicate with a 20-something audience:
Today's students know full well that authorities can be found for every position and any knowledge claim, and consequently the students are dubious (privately, that is) about anything we claim to be true or important….
After interviewing some 400 students on 34 campuses nationwide, I found few in awe of their institutions or faculty, many averse to lectures, and most ambivalent about anyone's knowledge claims other than their own….
Short of fame or a lottery win, today's students recognize that a college degree is the minimum credential they will need to attain their desired standard of living (and hence "happiness"). So this new epistemology produces a rather odd kind of student — one who appears polite and dutiful but who cares little about the course work, the larger questions it raises, or the value of living an examined life. And it produces such students in overwhelming abundance.
This is where many begin the blame game, and where I part ways with them. Polite, dutiful, and disengaged students deserve neither blame nor scorn. They have become exactly what one would expect of those born during the information age and reared in America's profoundly pragmatic culture….
I am asking instructors to see the two questions that the new epistemology emblazons across the front of every classroom — "So what?" and "Who cares?" — and then to adjust their teaching accordingly.
“The Moral Accountability Project trusts that those self-identified pro-life and pro-marriage Catholics and Evangelicals who helped to put Barack Obama into a position to accomplish his goals were sincere in their admiration for him. We are willing to believe that they genuinely hope that he will go back on his pledges to attack pro-life laws and repeal pro-marriage policies. Still, actions have consequences, and the actions of these intellectuals and activists will have consequences that are all too easy to predict. With each assault of the Obama administration on laws and policies upholding the sanctity of human life and the dignity of marriage, we will ask all Catholics and Evangelicals, including those who supported Obama, to join us in resisting these assaults. That is what we will do at http://www.moralaccountability.com/.” Signatories include Francis Beckwith at Baylor University.
“Lost regularly tackles complex themes like redemption, an ordered universe, and the literal sins of the fathers with an untidy approach that fits the messy subject matter. No easy answers are offered. Characters take one step forward and two steps back as they try to grasp their purpose and overcome personal weaknesses. The mysterious sci-fi story has viewers constantly wondering what is going on: Is this island the Garden of Eden? Atlantis? Just a hub of mystical powers?” (CT Review)
Related: Read Jim White’s take on Lost and evangelism.
“Laboratory experiments using simulators, real-world road studies and accident statistics all tell the same story: drivers talking on a cellphone are four times as likely to have an accident as drivers who are not. That’s the same level of risk posed by a driver who is legally drunk.” (NY Times article)
Tired of doom-and-gloom headlines? Here are ten reasons to be grateful for the times we live in.
A while back, an ex-gang member got baptized at our church. He fell in love with Jesus and turned from his old lifestyle. But after several months at the church, he stopped attending. When we asked him why he stopped attending, he answered: ‘I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church, I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren't just nice to each other once a week-we were family.’ That killed me because I knew that what he expected is what the church was intended to be. It saddened me because I realized that the gangs paint a better picture of loyalty and family than the local church body does.” (Francis Chan in the Catalyst article, “A Gathering Force.”)
“In the one corner, Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good For You; in the other, Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation. Two very smart people with very different ideas about where young Americans are heading….Johnson’s basic position is that (a) today’s young people are smarter than kids of earlier generations and (b) this is largely a result of their constant exposure to varieties of pop culture that are cognitively demanding. It takes more brainpower, he would argue, to play Grand Theft Auto IV than to play Monopoly; and Lost demands levels of concentration and attention that Gunsmoke never did. Pop culture today is “good for you” because it forces you to develop a certain mental acuity in order to enjoy it. Johnson also frequently cites studies indicating that today’s teenagers are “the least violent, the most politically engaged and the most entrepreneurial since the dawn of the television era.” So when Johnson looks at the data about young people, he’s especially interested in, and encouraged by, two things: skills acquisition and activity levels .... Bauerlein, by contrast, is concerned about the content of young people’s brains, or the lack thereof. If they don’t actually know anything about American government, should we really be encouraged by their apparent political activism?” (Alan Jacobs in the first of three posts called “Johnson vs. Bauerlein”)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Song of the Week: Over the Rhine's "New Redemption Song"
Here's "New Redemption Song" from Over the Rhine:
Lord we need a new redemption song
Lord we’ve tried
It just seems to come out wrong
Won’t you help us please
Help us just to sing along
A new redemption song
Lord we need
A new redemption day
All our worries
Keep getting in the way
Won’t you help us please
Help us find the words to pray
To bring redemption day
Lord we need a new redemption song
Lord we’ve tried
It just seems to come out wrong
Won’t you help us please
Help us just to sing along
A new redemption song
Lord we need
A new redemption day
All our worries
Keep getting in the way
Won’t you help us please
Help us find the words to pray
To bring redemption day
Saturday, January 24, 2009
No Other Name
People wondered if Rick Warren would pray in Jesus' name at the inauguration. Unlike Joel Hunter's "on-the-count-of-three" conclusion to his prayer at the DNC, Warren closed in Jesus' name--in in four languages. Christianity Today offered a "a handy cheat sheet if you want to outdo him while saying grace tonight"--
Arabic, Kazakh, Uzbek, Kyrgyz: EE-sa
Aramaic: EEE-sho
Bengali, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Swahili: ye-su
Burmese: ye-SHOO
English: GEE-zes
German: YAY-sus
Hebrew: YESH-yoo-ah
Mandarin: yay-soo
Russian, Greek: ee-SOOS
Spanish, Quechua: he-SOOS
Welsh: ye-SEE
Yoruba, Zulu: GEE-soo
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Episode 4 of "Will Tom Keep His New iPhone?"
"Will Tom Keep His New iPhone?" the game show in the Goodman household, is down to its last week. The contestant has 30 days to decide whether his iPhone is more than just a pretty toy. As he moves into his last week, he has hit another snag.
As mentioned before, the contestant was flabbergasted that the iPhone makers left off a to-do list and offered a lame "notes" app. While the iPhone will sync with Tom's Outlook Contacts and Outlook Calendar, the iPhone makers decided Tom didn't need his Outlook Tasks and Outlook Notes.
As a workaround, Tom has been waiting to try a program called imExchange, which syncs Tasks and Notes with his office Exchange server. This afternoon, his IT guy got his phone interfacing with his Exchange server. But when Tom went to download the RerlSoft app so he could have his Tasks and his Notes in his iPhone, the iTunes store suddenly announced that the RerlSoft apps are not available from the U.S. store.
Anyone know what's up with that?
Looks like the contestant's iPhone's gonna go back in the box next week.
As mentioned before, the contestant was flabbergasted that the iPhone makers left off a to-do list and offered a lame "notes" app. While the iPhone will sync with Tom's Outlook Contacts and Outlook Calendar, the iPhone makers decided Tom didn't need his Outlook Tasks and Outlook Notes.
As a workaround, Tom has been waiting to try a program called imExchange, which syncs Tasks and Notes with his office Exchange server. This afternoon, his IT guy got his phone interfacing with his Exchange server. But when Tom went to download the RerlSoft app so he could have his Tasks and his Notes in his iPhone, the iTunes store suddenly announced that the RerlSoft apps are not available from the U.S. store.
Anyone know what's up with that?
Looks like the contestant's iPhone's gonna go back in the box next week.
LeaderLines: Five Essentials When Praying for the Lost, Week 1
I believe God is preparing our congregation to be his “power tool” to reach Austin with the Gospel. To that end, across the next five weeks of LeaderLines I want us to “camp out” in the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-8 (Msg). These words can teach us how to pray for the lost:
Prayer should take precedence in evangelism. There’s an old saying among prayer giants: “There are a lot of things you should do after you’ve prayed; there’s not a thing you can do until you’ve prayed.” And that’s true when it comes to influencing people with the Gospel. There are many things that can and should be done after you’ve begun praying for them; but there’s not a thing you can do until you’ve begun praying for them. Prayer must have priority—Paul writes, “The first thing I want you to do is pray—in every way you know how, for everyone.”
Paul had the same priority in his own life that he expected others to maintain. In Romans 10:1 (Msg), he says, “Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what’s best for Israel: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time.”
Now, if you replaced the word “Israel” with the name of someone you know, would it still ring true or would it sound hollow and hypocritical? Try it. Read the verse aloud right now and replace the word “Israel” with the name of a lost friend or relative: “All I want for _________ is what’s best for ________________: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time.” When you read it aloud, was it the truth or a lie?
Back in 2000 I read about a little seven-year-old boy from Spring, Texas, whose first name is Cody. Doctors discovered a baseball-size tumor on the right hip and that began months of tedious treatment. Someone who knew Cody got the bright idea not simply to ask people to pray for him but to let him know they were praying for him. So they gave Cody a beeper, a pager, and got some little cards printed with the pager’s toll-free number. The cards urged people to pray for Cody and then page him. Not so he would call them back--just to let him know someone was praying for him. The first couple of months after Cody got the beeper it went off nonstop. Then the pace slowed to 20 or 30 times a day. One of the doctors noticed it when examining Cody and said, "He gets more calls than I do!”
If your friend were wearing a beeper indicating how many times you were praying for him, how many times has it gone off in the last month? Prayer must have priority if your prayer life is to make an impact on others.
Next week, we’ll look at the second essential when praying for the lost: the right perspective.
_________________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by more than 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know....He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us -- Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth. Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray -- not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God.According to this text, there are 5 essentials when praying for the lost:
The right priorityThis week, give some thought to that first point. Effective prayer begins with the right priority. The Scripture says: “The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. . . . “
The right perspective
The right solution
The right hope
The right person
Prayer should take precedence in evangelism. There’s an old saying among prayer giants: “There are a lot of things you should do after you’ve prayed; there’s not a thing you can do until you’ve prayed.” And that’s true when it comes to influencing people with the Gospel. There are many things that can and should be done after you’ve begun praying for them; but there’s not a thing you can do until you’ve begun praying for them. Prayer must have priority—Paul writes, “The first thing I want you to do is pray—in every way you know how, for everyone.”
Paul had the same priority in his own life that he expected others to maintain. In Romans 10:1 (Msg), he says, “Believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what’s best for Israel: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time.”
Now, if you replaced the word “Israel” with the name of someone you know, would it still ring true or would it sound hollow and hypocritical? Try it. Read the verse aloud right now and replace the word “Israel” with the name of a lost friend or relative: “All I want for _________ is what’s best for ________________: salvation, nothing less. I want it with all my heart and pray to God for it all the time.” When you read it aloud, was it the truth or a lie?
Back in 2000 I read about a little seven-year-old boy from Spring, Texas, whose first name is Cody. Doctors discovered a baseball-size tumor on the right hip and that began months of tedious treatment. Someone who knew Cody got the bright idea not simply to ask people to pray for him but to let him know they were praying for him. So they gave Cody a beeper, a pager, and got some little cards printed with the pager’s toll-free number. The cards urged people to pray for Cody and then page him. Not so he would call them back--just to let him know someone was praying for him. The first couple of months after Cody got the beeper it went off nonstop. Then the pace slowed to 20 or 30 times a day. One of the doctors noticed it when examining Cody and said, "He gets more calls than I do!”
If your friend were wearing a beeper indicating how many times you were praying for him, how many times has it gone off in the last month? Prayer must have priority if your prayer life is to make an impact on others.
Next week, we’ll look at the second essential when praying for the lost: the right perspective.
_________________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by more than 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
A Thought-Provoking 30-Second Spot
On Jan 22, 1973, the Supreme Court claimed to discover a right that nearly two centuries of previous jurists had missed in the Constitution. We will not forget that anniversary until the Court's error is reversed. Here's a 30-second spot to make you think:
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Winning Ways: Worship and Welcome
God intends Hillcrest to be a worshipping church and a welcoming church. He wants us busy worshipping him and welcoming those who seek him.
And Jesus reacts forcefully against those who would divert his church’s attention from his Father’s intention. That’s the lesson we learn from the famous account of Jesus “cleansing” the Temple.
I distinctly remember how unsettling it was to first discover this story from the life of Jesus. As a small boy, I remember flipping through my Bible and coming across a full-color painting of an angry Jesus in the Temple. His left hand powerfully gripped a table he was flipping over; his right hand brandished a whip raised over his head. In the portrait, people scrambled to escape his anger, scattering coins and startling animals as they ran.
The picture didn’t frighten me. I just remember wanting to know what made Jesus so angry since I had been taught that he was so gentle and approachable.
What made Jesus so angry was seeing how far the Jerusalem Temple had come from God’s intentions. “Is it not written,” he said, quoting Scripture, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?” (Mark 11:17)
There’s a lesson here for our congregation. God intends us to be “a house of prayer…for all the nations.” The first phrase speaks of worship while the second phrase speaks of welcome.
First, Hillcrest is to be a place of worship. The purpose of our Sunday morning gatherings is nothing less than to have an encounter with the Lord of life. Our music, our Bible studies, even our offering and fellowship time, are all designed with the expectation that God will meet with us.
Second, Hillcrest is to be a place of welcome. When Jesus explained his violent actions in the Temple, he quoted from Isaiah 56, and the whole chapter is about God’s aim of bringing in those who were still outside. In the center of the chapter God said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations,” and then added, “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered” (verses 7-8).
Let’s make sure that what we want church to be matches what God wants church to be. This Sunday, we’ll look at this story as it appears in Matthew 21. Join us together @ 10!
____________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
And Jesus reacts forcefully against those who would divert his church’s attention from his Father’s intention. That’s the lesson we learn from the famous account of Jesus “cleansing” the Temple.
I distinctly remember how unsettling it was to first discover this story from the life of Jesus. As a small boy, I remember flipping through my Bible and coming across a full-color painting of an angry Jesus in the Temple. His left hand powerfully gripped a table he was flipping over; his right hand brandished a whip raised over his head. In the portrait, people scrambled to escape his anger, scattering coins and startling animals as they ran.
The picture didn’t frighten me. I just remember wanting to know what made Jesus so angry since I had been taught that he was so gentle and approachable.
What made Jesus so angry was seeing how far the Jerusalem Temple had come from God’s intentions. “Is it not written,” he said, quoting Scripture, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?” (Mark 11:17)
There’s a lesson here for our congregation. God intends us to be “a house of prayer…for all the nations.” The first phrase speaks of worship while the second phrase speaks of welcome.
First, Hillcrest is to be a place of worship. The purpose of our Sunday morning gatherings is nothing less than to have an encounter with the Lord of life. Our music, our Bible studies, even our offering and fellowship time, are all designed with the expectation that God will meet with us.
Second, Hillcrest is to be a place of welcome. When Jesus explained his violent actions in the Temple, he quoted from Isaiah 56, and the whole chapter is about God’s aim of bringing in those who were still outside. In the center of the chapter God said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations,” and then added, “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered” (verses 7-8).
Let’s make sure that what we want church to be matches what God wants church to be. This Sunday, we’ll look at this story as it appears in Matthew 21. Join us together @ 10!
____________________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Links to Your World, Inauguration Day, Tuesday January 20
Inauguration Links:
Paste Magazine can put you in the iconic Obama campaign poster, with your own one-word slogan.
President-elect Barack Obama will use the same Bible at his inauguration that Abraham Lincoln used in 1861 when he was sworn in. The WSJ has an interactive timeline showing which Bibles and verses other U.S. presidents chose.
“A Muslim scholar [Ingrid Mattson] chosen to speak at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural prayer service Wednesday is the leader of a group that federal prosecutors say has ties to terrorists…. The court documents represent a complicated picture of the group.” (USA Today)
Amy Sullivan in Time says,“Warren wants to be both the universally admired pastor who speaks to the nation and the influential leader who mobilizes religious conservatives for political ends. But those are two inherently conflicting roles, and he cannot be both, no matter how hard he tries.” I wonder, though: should Warren be seen as consciously showing two faces to the public, or is he just trying to figure out how to get stable footing on the new cultural landscape? While we’re at it, am I?
“It is not a triumphant, boastful affair, ‘America the Beautiful.’ … It is a simple Congregationalist musing, composed in peacetime, making a humble pleading for God to find this mongrel nation worthy of having grace shed upon it and ‘crown thy good with Brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.’” (Read the WaPo story behind “America the Beautiful,” slated to be sung by a children’s choir at today’s inauguration)
"As a conservative, I think I may actually enjoy Barack Obama's inauguration more than my many Obama-supporting friends. I'm not planning a special trip to Washington, D.C., or stocking up on commemorative coins or coffee cups. Throughout the campaign, I considered Obama to be an impressive orator, a compelling candidate, and, as we got closer to November, the likely victor. But, at the end of the day, he was still—in my eyes—just a politician, and, perhaps more distressing to his legions of fans, a human being. My hopes and expectations for Obama, therefore, are much more reasonable, and I will be able to take in the history and the pomp without the accompanying anxiety that Inauguration Day will bring to my more liberal friends." (Rachael Larimore in Slate)
Assessment of the Outgoing President:
Krauthammer: Acknowledge what we owe Bush
“By his own standard, Mr. Bush achieved the one big thing he and all Americans demanded of his Administration. Not a single man, woman or child has been killed by terrorists on U.S. soil since the morning of September 11. Al Qaeda was flushed from safe havens in Afghanistan, then Iraq, and its terrorist network put under siege around the world. All subsequent terror attacks hit soft targets and used primitive means. No one seriously predicted such an outcome at the time….A measure of the Administration's success is the criticism it has drawn as the threat has seemed more remote….After the Clinton decade in which al Qaeda and proliferation went unchallenged, the Bush Presidency had to scramble to defend against a terror threat that with WMD could kill millions of Americans. His decision to fight this as a "war," and to marshal the means attendant to war, has been controversial and expensive. But like Harry Truman's decisions at the onset of the Cold War, we suspect more of his policy will survive than his many critics now admit.” (WSJ editorial, assessing Bush’s foreign policy legacy)
Time photographers reflecting on eight years photographing President Bush
“For the bulk of the nation, reeling from recession, Bush leaves presidential office with a severely tattered legacy. At the same time, perhaps paradoxically, Bush's most remarkable contributions were to victims of poverty and disease overseas and sufferers in the U.S. who will be helped by faith-based organizations for years to come.” (Read CT’s assessment of the Bush years: “Bush’ Faith-Based Legacy,” by Tony Carnes and Sarah Pulliam)
Other Links for this Week:
Surfing the Net is Great for the Mind
Time magazine asks, “Does Facebook Replace Face Time or Enhance It?
“I continue to see movements gaining traction among Christians that do not seem to have many converts. In other words, they have recruits to their cause, but few converts to Christ. And I am concerned. I am concerned that in the name of "fixing the Church" we are not proclaiming the Church's gospel.” (Ed Stetzer in this Catalyst article)
PETA Tries to Re-brand Fish as “Sea Kittens”
Internet generation leave parents behind.
15,000 iPhone/iPod apps have been created; half a billion downloads have been performed. Gizmodo breaks down the numbers, and after two weeks with my iPhone, I’m guessing they’re about right. Useful apps: 1%--
Churchgoing linked to lower suicide risk (Washington Times)
Mysterious credit card charge may have hit millions of users
“My personal trainer sometimes gives me an odd piece of advice during workouts: ‘Relax your face.’ For a long time, I found this advice confusing. Isn't physical exertion supposed to be expressed in grimaces? I thought of the face as a pressure-relief valve that helps emit the pain the body is experiencing. But the trainer suggested I think about it the other way around — that controlling the face can help control the mind…. It turns out the trainer is right: The face isn't a pressure-relief valve. It is more like a thermostat. When you turn down the setting, the machinery inside has to do less work.” (“How to Lift Your Mood? Try Smiling.” Time magazine)
Producers of a British TV show hid the cross in a 14th century British church during their church wedding scene “to avoid offending non-Christians” (story)
In “The ‘American Experience’ and the Death of Evangelism,” Albert Mohler says that unexamined American assumptions is killing any drive to evangelism.
A Christian bus driver has refused to drive a bus with an atheist slogan proclaiming "There's probably no God". (BBC)
“The question married women ask me most often is, ‘What can I do to help my husband become the spiritual leader in our home?’” (“Following My Leading Man”)
“The breadth and depth of California's toleration regarding sexual lifestyles refute the worry that gays are a vulnerable minority menaced by majoritarian tyranny. Proposition 8 merely restored to California law the ancient and nearly universal definition of marriage, a definition resoundingly endorsed by the U.S. Congress (85-14 in the Senate, 342-67 in the House) and written into the laws of 47 other states.… Just eight years ago, Proposition 22 was passed 61.4 to 38.6. The much narrower victory of Proposition 8 suggests that minds are moving toward toleration of same-sex marriage. If advocates of that have the patience required by democratic persuasion, California's ongoing conversation may end as they hope. If, however, the conversation is truncated, as Brown urges, by judicial fiat, the argument will become as embittered as the argument about abortion has been by judicial highhandedness.” (George Will)
Paste Magazine can put you in the iconic Obama campaign poster, with your own one-word slogan.President-elect Barack Obama will use the same Bible at his inauguration that Abraham Lincoln used in 1861 when he was sworn in. The WSJ has an interactive timeline showing which Bibles and verses other U.S. presidents chose.
“A Muslim scholar [Ingrid Mattson] chosen to speak at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural prayer service Wednesday is the leader of a group that federal prosecutors say has ties to terrorists…. The court documents represent a complicated picture of the group.” (USA Today)
Amy Sullivan in Time says,“Warren wants to be both the universally admired pastor who speaks to the nation and the influential leader who mobilizes religious conservatives for political ends. But those are two inherently conflicting roles, and he cannot be both, no matter how hard he tries.” I wonder, though: should Warren be seen as consciously showing two faces to the public, or is he just trying to figure out how to get stable footing on the new cultural landscape? While we’re at it, am I?
“It is not a triumphant, boastful affair, ‘America the Beautiful.’ … It is a simple Congregationalist musing, composed in peacetime, making a humble pleading for God to find this mongrel nation worthy of having grace shed upon it and ‘crown thy good with Brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.’” (Read the WaPo story behind “America the Beautiful,” slated to be sung by a children’s choir at today’s inauguration)
"As a conservative, I think I may actually enjoy Barack Obama's inauguration more than my many Obama-supporting friends. I'm not planning a special trip to Washington, D.C., or stocking up on commemorative coins or coffee cups. Throughout the campaign, I considered Obama to be an impressive orator, a compelling candidate, and, as we got closer to November, the likely victor. But, at the end of the day, he was still—in my eyes—just a politician, and, perhaps more distressing to his legions of fans, a human being. My hopes and expectations for Obama, therefore, are much more reasonable, and I will be able to take in the history and the pomp without the accompanying anxiety that Inauguration Day will bring to my more liberal friends." (Rachael Larimore in Slate)
Assessment of the Outgoing President:
Krauthammer: Acknowledge what we owe Bush“By his own standard, Mr. Bush achieved the one big thing he and all Americans demanded of his Administration. Not a single man, woman or child has been killed by terrorists on U.S. soil since the morning of September 11. Al Qaeda was flushed from safe havens in Afghanistan, then Iraq, and its terrorist network put under siege around the world. All subsequent terror attacks hit soft targets and used primitive means. No one seriously predicted such an outcome at the time….A measure of the Administration's success is the criticism it has drawn as the threat has seemed more remote….After the Clinton decade in which al Qaeda and proliferation went unchallenged, the Bush Presidency had to scramble to defend against a terror threat that with WMD could kill millions of Americans. His decision to fight this as a "war," and to marshal the means attendant to war, has been controversial and expensive. But like Harry Truman's decisions at the onset of the Cold War, we suspect more of his policy will survive than his many critics now admit.” (WSJ editorial, assessing Bush’s foreign policy legacy)
Time photographers reflecting on eight years photographing President Bush
“For the bulk of the nation, reeling from recession, Bush leaves presidential office with a severely tattered legacy. At the same time, perhaps paradoxically, Bush's most remarkable contributions were to victims of poverty and disease overseas and sufferers in the U.S. who will be helped by faith-based organizations for years to come.” (Read CT’s assessment of the Bush years: “Bush’ Faith-Based Legacy,” by Tony Carnes and Sarah Pulliam)
Other Links for this Week:
Surfing the Net is Great for the Mind
Time magazine asks, “Does Facebook Replace Face Time or Enhance It?
“I continue to see movements gaining traction among Christians that do not seem to have many converts. In other words, they have recruits to their cause, but few converts to Christ. And I am concerned. I am concerned that in the name of "fixing the Church" we are not proclaiming the Church's gospel.” (Ed Stetzer in this Catalyst article)
PETA Tries to Re-brand Fish as “Sea Kittens”
Internet generation leave parents behind.
15,000 iPhone/iPod apps have been created; half a billion downloads have been performed. Gizmodo breaks down the numbers, and after two weeks with my iPhone, I’m guessing they’re about right. Useful apps: 1%--Churchgoing linked to lower suicide risk (Washington Times)
Mysterious credit card charge may have hit millions of users
“My personal trainer sometimes gives me an odd piece of advice during workouts: ‘Relax your face.’ For a long time, I found this advice confusing. Isn't physical exertion supposed to be expressed in grimaces? I thought of the face as a pressure-relief valve that helps emit the pain the body is experiencing. But the trainer suggested I think about it the other way around — that controlling the face can help control the mind…. It turns out the trainer is right: The face isn't a pressure-relief valve. It is more like a thermostat. When you turn down the setting, the machinery inside has to do less work.” (“How to Lift Your Mood? Try Smiling.” Time magazine)
Producers of a British TV show hid the cross in a 14th century British church during their church wedding scene “to avoid offending non-Christians” (story)
In “The ‘American Experience’ and the Death of Evangelism,” Albert Mohler says that unexamined American assumptions is killing any drive to evangelism.
A Christian bus driver has refused to drive a bus with an atheist slogan proclaiming "There's probably no God". (BBC)“The question married women ask me most often is, ‘What can I do to help my husband become the spiritual leader in our home?’” (“Following My Leading Man”)
“The breadth and depth of California's toleration regarding sexual lifestyles refute the worry that gays are a vulnerable minority menaced by majoritarian tyranny. Proposition 8 merely restored to California law the ancient and nearly universal definition of marriage, a definition resoundingly endorsed by the U.S. Congress (85-14 in the Senate, 342-67 in the House) and written into the laws of 47 other states.… Just eight years ago, Proposition 22 was passed 61.4 to 38.6. The much narrower victory of Proposition 8 suggests that minds are moving toward toleration of same-sex marriage. If advocates of that have the patience required by democratic persuasion, California's ongoing conversation may end as they hope. If, however, the conversation is truncated, as Brown urges, by judicial fiat, the argument will become as embittered as the argument about abortion has been by judicial highhandedness.” (George Will)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Song of the Week: Peter Mayer's "O Sun"
Here's Peter Mayer's prayer, "O Sun." When it comes to living within the biblical worldview, sometimes he can be spot-on. He's in the bullseye on this one. If you're accessing this post via Facebook or a reader, go to the weblog to listen:
You are the sun
I am the dew
Gifted with life for a moment or two
That I for my time
May sparkle and shine
O Sun, come fill me with you
O Sun, come fill me with you
You are the wind
I am the sail
You are my strength and without you I fail
Breathe but a sigh
And I’ll open wide
O Wind, come fill me with you
O Wind, come fill me with you
You are the wine
I am the cup
I can yield nothing till I am filled up
Hold me upright
And pour forth your life
O Wine, come fill me with you
O Wine, come fill me with you
O Wine, come fill me
O Wind, come fill me
O Sun, come fill me
With you
You are the sun
I am the dew
Gifted with life for a moment or two
That I for my time
May sparkle and shine
O Sun, come fill me with you
O Sun, come fill me with you
You are the wind
I am the sail
You are my strength and without you I fail
Breathe but a sigh
And I’ll open wide
O Wind, come fill me with you
O Wind, come fill me with you
You are the wine
I am the cup
I can yield nothing till I am filled up
Hold me upright
And pour forth your life
O Wine, come fill me with you
O Wine, come fill me with you
O Wine, come fill me
O Wind, come fill me
O Sun, come fill me
With you
Thursday, January 15, 2009
LeaderLines: How to Pray for Your Pastor
Pastor Ligon Duncan wrote, “Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: ‘how can I pray for you?’” He made a few suggestions at this blog post.
The Apostle Paul said you can partner with a pastor or a missionary by your prayers (Romans 15:30). It’s no surprise that he often asked for prayer (Ephesians 6:19; Philippians 1:19; Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2). In that fine tradition, how can you pray for me? I’m copying Ligon Duncan’s suggestions and will always covet your prayers:
Pray –
1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.
2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.
3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.
4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.
6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.
7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.
8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.
10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.
11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.
12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.
13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.
14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.
15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially,
16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.
17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.
_______________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
The Apostle Paul said you can partner with a pastor or a missionary by your prayers (Romans 15:30). It’s no surprise that he often asked for prayer (Ephesians 6:19; Philippians 1:19; Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2). In that fine tradition, how can you pray for me? I’m copying Ligon Duncan’s suggestions and will always covet your prayers:
Pray –
1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.
2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.
3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.
4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.
6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.
7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.
8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.
10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.
11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.
12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.
13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.
14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.
15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially,
16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.
17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.
_______________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Winning Ways: Are You Alive?
How would you convince someone you’re alive? How long would it take?
It took a Romanian man a year of expensive litigation, and as I read his story it made me think about our life in Christ.
When Gheroghe Stirbu tried to renew his identity card, Romanian officials told him that he was dead.
Chalk another one up to government bureaucracy: Stirbu had been confused with another man. Although Stirbu pointed out the error, the government refused to acknowledge their mistake until Stirbu won a 12 month legal claim to be declared alive.
Judges renewed his status as alive—and then charged him for the court costs! “I will of course appeal the imposition of the costs,” Mr Stirbu said, “but I am already beginning to wonder whether or not I would have been better off staying dead.”
When I baptize someone I recite a paraphrase of Romans 6:4--“You are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in a new way of life.” From the moment you committed to Christ, Scripture tells us that “God made you alive with Christ” (Colossians 2:13) and so “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).
The problem is, sometimes we find ourselves in a position like Mr. Stirbu: our “aliveness” is up for question. Maybe certain habits that should have been left behind still occupy us. Or sour attitudes still flow like poison through our veins. Maybe we can’t seem to find enthusiasm for connecting with other believers. Or, given the choice between reading God’s word or a night of idle web surfing, the mouse wins. Maybe we can’t remember the last time we shared the gospel with someone.
What proof could you offer that you are alive in Christ?
Don’t get me wrong: no amount of behavior modification or attitude adjustment will set you right with God. It’s the other way around: entering into God’s grace results in a new way of life. If we have little evidence that we’re alive in Christ, the first thing we have to do is reflect on God’s amazing grace to us. Every change and every commitment we make after that is just our “thank you” to God.
Find a way to express that gratitude to God today and show someone you’re alive in him!
______________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
It took a Romanian man a year of expensive litigation, and as I read his story it made me think about our life in Christ.
When Gheroghe Stirbu tried to renew his identity card, Romanian officials told him that he was dead.
Chalk another one up to government bureaucracy: Stirbu had been confused with another man. Although Stirbu pointed out the error, the government refused to acknowledge their mistake until Stirbu won a 12 month legal claim to be declared alive.
Judges renewed his status as alive—and then charged him for the court costs! “I will of course appeal the imposition of the costs,” Mr Stirbu said, “but I am already beginning to wonder whether or not I would have been better off staying dead.”
When I baptize someone I recite a paraphrase of Romans 6:4--“You are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in a new way of life.” From the moment you committed to Christ, Scripture tells us that “God made you alive with Christ” (Colossians 2:13) and so “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).
The problem is, sometimes we find ourselves in a position like Mr. Stirbu: our “aliveness” is up for question. Maybe certain habits that should have been left behind still occupy us. Or sour attitudes still flow like poison through our veins. Maybe we can’t seem to find enthusiasm for connecting with other believers. Or, given the choice between reading God’s word or a night of idle web surfing, the mouse wins. Maybe we can’t remember the last time we shared the gospel with someone.
What proof could you offer that you are alive in Christ?
Don’t get me wrong: no amount of behavior modification or attitude adjustment will set you right with God. It’s the other way around: entering into God’s grace results in a new way of life. If we have little evidence that we’re alive in Christ, the first thing we have to do is reflect on God’s amazing grace to us. Every change and every commitment we make after that is just our “thank you” to God.
Find a way to express that gratitude to God today and show someone you’re alive in him!
______________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Links to Your World, Tuesday January 13
You gotta see this 2-minute drill that WGN-TV weekend anchors Robert Jordan and Jackie Bange do each Saturday and Sunday night during their telecast's first commercial break. Hilarious!
File this under “Yeesh!” This man wants the value of the kidney he donated to his wife in 2001 added to their divorce settlement ($1.5m, to be exact).
Indianapolis Star drops daily prayer, keeps daily horoscope.
How often do you say “I love you” to your spouse? How does your answer compare to others around the world?
City Journal explores the new popularity of thrift.
Atlantic journal explores the end of white America.
In “Who Would Jesus Smack Down?” the NY Times explores the world of the young, edgy, Calvinistic evangelicals at Mars Hill in Seattle, led by Mark Driscoll. Unfortunately, the article didn't quiet "get" Calvinism, and so it couldn't quite "get" why anyone would be attracted to it. E.Y. Mullins' comment summarizes the attraction: "In hours of weakness and sorrow and defeat, [God's] sovereignty is the rock foundation of my hopes. There are so many things which seem to control the world. It is the thought of God's control which saves me from despair." Mullins was an early 20th century Texas-raised Baptist theologian.
“When Serving the Lord, Ministers Are Often Found to Neglect Themselves” (NY Times)
The beautiful film, Bella, has been credited with averting at least 40 abortions—including for the co-star of the film. Read the story and rent the film.
“Now that you are ten, I want to write to you about something that is important to me….I want to…warn you against three bad reasons for believing anything. They are called ‘tradition,’ ‘authority,’ and ‘revelation.’” (From a letter atheist pit bull Richard Dawkins wrote to his 10-year-old daughter. The post made me wonder if we believers work as hard to convey our convictions to our kids.)
Last week I linked to the article about the Pediatrics study claiming that abstinence pledges don’t work. William McGurn at he WSJ says the media isn’t seeing what needs to be seen.
What do you think about “A Closer, Faster Walk with Thee”? This is an LA Times article about Americans trying to squeeze a little devotional time into their busy schedules.
8 Traits of Teens Who Abstain From Sex
Cool: create online flashcards with Cramberry, a new web application that helps people study for exams, learn a new language, and remember important things. I hope they’ll create an iPhone version.
Churches must pay attention to stepfamilies and help them thrive.
“A large sculpture of Christ on the cross has been removed from outside a church in West Sussex after its vicar said it was ‘scaring young children’.” (BBC Story)
“Genuine excuse artisans — and there are millions of them — don’t wait until after choking to practice their craft. They hobble themselves, in earnest, before pursuing a goal or delivering a performance. Their excuses come preattached: I never went to class. I was hung over at the interview. I had no idea what the college application required.” (“Some Protect the Ego by Working on Their Excuses Early”)
Think that remodel will increase the price you’ll get for your house? David Crook in the WSJ says, “Read This Before You Remodel.”
Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard:
File this under “Yeesh!” This man wants the value of the kidney he donated to his wife in 2001 added to their divorce settlement ($1.5m, to be exact).
Indianapolis Star drops daily prayer, keeps daily horoscope.
How often do you say “I love you” to your spouse? How does your answer compare to others around the world?
City Journal explores the new popularity of thrift.
Atlantic journal explores the end of white America.
In “Who Would Jesus Smack Down?” the NY Times explores the world of the young, edgy, Calvinistic evangelicals at Mars Hill in Seattle, led by Mark Driscoll. Unfortunately, the article didn't quiet "get" Calvinism, and so it couldn't quite "get" why anyone would be attracted to it. E.Y. Mullins' comment summarizes the attraction: "In hours of weakness and sorrow and defeat, [God's] sovereignty is the rock foundation of my hopes. There are so many things which seem to control the world. It is the thought of God's control which saves me from despair." Mullins was an early 20th century Texas-raised Baptist theologian.
“When Serving the Lord, Ministers Are Often Found to Neglect Themselves” (NY Times)
The beautiful film, Bella, has been credited with averting at least 40 abortions—including for the co-star of the film. Read the story and rent the film.
“Now that you are ten, I want to write to you about something that is important to me….I want to…warn you against three bad reasons for believing anything. They are called ‘tradition,’ ‘authority,’ and ‘revelation.’” (From a letter atheist pit bull Richard Dawkins wrote to his 10-year-old daughter. The post made me wonder if we believers work as hard to convey our convictions to our kids.)
Last week I linked to the article about the Pediatrics study claiming that abstinence pledges don’t work. William McGurn at he WSJ says the media isn’t seeing what needs to be seen.
What do you think about “A Closer, Faster Walk with Thee”? This is an LA Times article about Americans trying to squeeze a little devotional time into their busy schedules.
8 Traits of Teens Who Abstain From Sex
Cool: create online flashcards with Cramberry, a new web application that helps people study for exams, learn a new language, and remember important things. I hope they’ll create an iPhone version.
Churches must pay attention to stepfamilies and help them thrive.
“A large sculpture of Christ on the cross has been removed from outside a church in West Sussex after its vicar said it was ‘scaring young children’.” (BBC Story)
“Genuine excuse artisans — and there are millions of them — don’t wait until after choking to practice their craft. They hobble themselves, in earnest, before pursuing a goal or delivering a performance. Their excuses come preattached: I never went to class. I was hung over at the interview. I had no idea what the college application required.” (“Some Protect the Ego by Working on Their Excuses Early”)
Think that remodel will increase the price you’ll get for your house? David Crook in the WSJ says, “Read This Before You Remodel.”
Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard:
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Song of the Week: Offline
Looks like the computer has to go to the doctor. The "Song of the Week" feature will return next Sunday.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
LeaderLines: Inreach and Outreach
This weekly e-newsletter is designed for my Hillcrest “leadership partners,” though many others subscribe to it as well. On this first LeaderLines for the new year, we need to think about inreach and outreach.
Some churches excel at one or the other; few churches can do both well. Inreach is about building relationships with those already attending, while outreach is about drawing in those who aren’t connected to a church or our Savior.
There are two events in January that will help us in both areas.
First event: the vote on our Sunday morning schedule. Well, not just the vote. I’m thinking about the discussion leading up to it and the implementation of whatever is decided. Whether we decide to combine into one service on continue in two, this whole process can help us with our inreach.
How so? As I said in our church business meeting last night, we never graduate from God’s college: he’s always teaching us something. I believe that God uses business meetings like we had last night to build our fellowship. Of course, too often we’re poor students unwilling to hear God’s lessons, but he’s always teaching those with ears to hear.
In discussions like we had last night, one of the things that God can teach us is to listen to other segments of our church. We get so accustomed to expressing our opinions among a small group of like-minded individuals that we forget that Hillcrest is a lot larger than our small group. Discussions like we had last night can broaden our perspective.
That’s what’s happened in our deacon body. It’s a joy for me to see such camaraderie, laughter, and mutual respect among the men. And all of this takes place despite a wide age range. We have younger men with small children or kids on the way; we have middle aged men whose children are teenagers and college students; we have other men at the empty-nest years or just entering into retirement; and we have senior adult men.
How in the world does such a diverse group enjoy unity? Well, they meet regularly, and instead of avoiding hot topics they discuss them (and discuss them, and discuss them, and discuss them, as chairman William Hyden joked last night). They pray with each other, they ask questions of each other, they verbally express respect for each other.
The deacons have given us an example of how our entire church can enjoy each other’s company.
And that leads me to a suggestion: we need more meetings like we had last night. In 2009, I’m going to figure out a way to have “town hall” meetings where we can hear from each other across the generations. I haven’t settled firmly on how to accomplish this, but I’m thinking about having panel discussions: I’d put 3 people from various generations on the stage, interview them on a particular topic, and then open the floor for questions and comments. What do you think? And if you like it, what topics should I cover in such meetings?
Now, here’s our second task at Hillcrest: outreach. Not only must we build fellowship with all who attend, but we need to draw into our fellowship those who need to attend.
And there’s a second event in January that can help us with that: our “Winning Ways” Banquet January 25.
This Sunday, I’m going to challenge all our Sunday School and Common Ground groups to plan on your group sitting together at the banquet.
The banquet is on Sunday evening, January 25, in the Multipurpose Center. Jay and Dee Simpson will be cooking the barbeque, our own country recording artist Brent Blaha will sing, and Representative Jim Keffer will speak. Among other responsibilities, he currently chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. In addition to hearing from Rep. Keffer, you will be able to meet some of the men and women who represent you, including those from the United States House and Senate. After Jim Keffer shares his Christian testimony, I will explain the plan of salvation.
Make plans in your class today to sit together at the banquet. This will make it easy for you to introduce prospects to your class!
Outreach and Inreach. As we put it on our banners, you need to “Invite Your World to Life” and “Love the Fellowship for Life.” Let’s make sure we’re a church that’s famous for both!
Still in School,
Tom
__________________________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
Some churches excel at one or the other; few churches can do both well. Inreach is about building relationships with those already attending, while outreach is about drawing in those who aren’t connected to a church or our Savior.
There are two events in January that will help us in both areas.
First event: the vote on our Sunday morning schedule. Well, not just the vote. I’m thinking about the discussion leading up to it and the implementation of whatever is decided. Whether we decide to combine into one service on continue in two, this whole process can help us with our inreach.
How so? As I said in our church business meeting last night, we never graduate from God’s college: he’s always teaching us something. I believe that God uses business meetings like we had last night to build our fellowship. Of course, too often we’re poor students unwilling to hear God’s lessons, but he’s always teaching those with ears to hear.
In discussions like we had last night, one of the things that God can teach us is to listen to other segments of our church. We get so accustomed to expressing our opinions among a small group of like-minded individuals that we forget that Hillcrest is a lot larger than our small group. Discussions like we had last night can broaden our perspective.
That’s what’s happened in our deacon body. It’s a joy for me to see such camaraderie, laughter, and mutual respect among the men. And all of this takes place despite a wide age range. We have younger men with small children or kids on the way; we have middle aged men whose children are teenagers and college students; we have other men at the empty-nest years or just entering into retirement; and we have senior adult men.
How in the world does such a diverse group enjoy unity? Well, they meet regularly, and instead of avoiding hot topics they discuss them (and discuss them, and discuss them, and discuss them, as chairman William Hyden joked last night). They pray with each other, they ask questions of each other, they verbally express respect for each other.
The deacons have given us an example of how our entire church can enjoy each other’s company.
And that leads me to a suggestion: we need more meetings like we had last night. In 2009, I’m going to figure out a way to have “town hall” meetings where we can hear from each other across the generations. I haven’t settled firmly on how to accomplish this, but I’m thinking about having panel discussions: I’d put 3 people from various generations on the stage, interview them on a particular topic, and then open the floor for questions and comments. What do you think? And if you like it, what topics should I cover in such meetings?
Now, here’s our second task at Hillcrest: outreach. Not only must we build fellowship with all who attend, but we need to draw into our fellowship those who need to attend.
And there’s a second event in January that can help us with that: our “Winning Ways” Banquet January 25.
This Sunday, I’m going to challenge all our Sunday School and Common Ground groups to plan on your group sitting together at the banquet.
The banquet is on Sunday evening, January 25, in the Multipurpose Center. Jay and Dee Simpson will be cooking the barbeque, our own country recording artist Brent Blaha will sing, and Representative Jim Keffer will speak. Among other responsibilities, he currently chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. In addition to hearing from Rep. Keffer, you will be able to meet some of the men and women who represent you, including those from the United States House and Senate. After Jim Keffer shares his Christian testimony, I will explain the plan of salvation.
Make plans in your class today to sit together at the banquet. This will make it easy for you to introduce prospects to your class!
Outreach and Inreach. As we put it on our banners, you need to “Invite Your World to Life” and “Love the Fellowship for Life.” Let’s make sure we’re a church that’s famous for both!
Still in School,
Tom
__________________________________________________
Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.
What's the Ideal Time for a Worship Service to Begin?
What's the ideal time for a worship service to begin (and end)? Church leaders who struggle with this question could learn from this business owner:
(HT: Neatorama)
(HT: Neatorama)
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Winning Ways: What Jesus Thinks of Helicopter Parents
As parents, our ambitions for our kids can get out of hand. Most of us in Texas remember the 90s headlines about Wanda Holloway, the mom who wanted to help her middle school daughter make it on the cheerleading squad. After her daughter was passed over for a rival two years in a row, reporters said the ambitious mom tried to hire a hit man to take out the mother of her daughter’s rival.
According to the Time magazine coverage, the mom was the organist at a local Baptist church in Channelview. You can’t make this stuff up.
When the middle school principal was interviewed about the bizarre incident, he said, “We all want our children to achieve. There’s a part of Wanda Holloway in all of us.”
How true. Oh, I doubt any of us are in danger of hiring hit men to knock off our kids’ rivals. But we can go too far in ensuring our kids reach our warped view of success.
A couple of years ago the term “helicopter parent” started showing up in news stories. It was a reference to parents who “hovered” over their kids lives like a helicopter, ready to swoop in and fix whatever problems they saw. I talked with one of our members on staff at the University of Texas, and she said that helicopter parents are real and they are numerous on college campuses. Some even use the term “Black Hawk parents” for parents who take their hovering to an extreme--writing their children's college admission essays or calling their children's workplaces after graduation to help negotiate salaries and promotions for their grown kids.
The term may be new, but the phenomenon is not. This Sunday we’re going to meet Salome, the ultimate “helicopter mom.” In Matthew 20, she wanted Jesus to grant special privileges for her sons, James and John, in the new kingdom. In reply, Jesus highlighted three things that we need to accept and pass on to our kids. First, don’t focus on the crown; focus on the cross. Second, don’t focus on self-advancement; focus on meeting needs. And, third, don’t imitate the world; mimic the Master.
That Channelview middle school principle said, “There’s a little bit of Wanda Holloway in all of us.” Well, there’s certainly a little bit of Salome in all of us. Let’s learn from Jesus how to pray for our kids. See you at 9:30 or 10:45 this Sunday!
___________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
According to the Time magazine coverage, the mom was the organist at a local Baptist church in Channelview. You can’t make this stuff up.
When the middle school principal was interviewed about the bizarre incident, he said, “We all want our children to achieve. There’s a part of Wanda Holloway in all of us.”
How true. Oh, I doubt any of us are in danger of hiring hit men to knock off our kids’ rivals. But we can go too far in ensuring our kids reach our warped view of success.
A couple of years ago the term “helicopter parent” started showing up in news stories. It was a reference to parents who “hovered” over their kids lives like a helicopter, ready to swoop in and fix whatever problems they saw. I talked with one of our members on staff at the University of Texas, and she said that helicopter parents are real and they are numerous on college campuses. Some even use the term “Black Hawk parents” for parents who take their hovering to an extreme--writing their children's college admission essays or calling their children's workplaces after graduation to help negotiate salaries and promotions for their grown kids.
The term may be new, but the phenomenon is not. This Sunday we’re going to meet Salome, the ultimate “helicopter mom.” In Matthew 20, she wanted Jesus to grant special privileges for her sons, James and John, in the new kingdom. In reply, Jesus highlighted three things that we need to accept and pass on to our kids. First, don’t focus on the crown; focus on the cross. Second, don’t focus on self-advancement; focus on meeting needs. And, third, don’t imitate the world; mimic the Master.
That Channelview middle school principle said, “There’s a little bit of Wanda Holloway in all of us.” Well, there’s certainly a little bit of Salome in all of us. Let’s learn from Jesus how to pray for our kids. See you at 9:30 or 10:45 this Sunday!
___________________________________
Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Links to Your World, Tuesday Jan 6
“Moods 'spread like ripples through friends' say scientists.” Bad moods are contagious and can spread through friends and family across hundreds of miles, according to new research.
First, it was a bevy of gay activists protesting the invitation to Rick Warren to lead the invocation at Barack Obama’s inauguration. Now atheists are suing to remove all prayers and references to God from the swearing-in ceremony. The effort is being led by Michael Newdon. But Scott Walter of the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty says, “Newdow's lawsuit over the inauguration is a lot like the streaker at the Super Bowl: a pale, self-absorbed distraction. And anybody who looks at it carefully can see there's not much there.” (WaPo story)
The iPhone, which only launched its App Store in July 2008, has more than 10,000 applications, and they’ve been downloaded 300 million times. If you have an iPhone, leave a comment or send me an email and tell me your favorite apps.
“Facebook” pic (HT: Neatorama). The growing popularity of Facebook has an unintended consequences for young people who used to have the social networking website all to themselves: their parents are joining and befriending them! Story:
Erin McCarley — a singer/songwriter whose work was featured this past week on Apple’s iTunes Music Store — is a Baylor alumna. Her song “Pony (It’s OK)” was the site’s Single of the Week. McCarley’s album, “Love, Save the Empty” has been among the top 10 most purchased albums on iTunes for the past week. McCarley, a 2001 graduate, married another Baylor Bear and now lives in Nashville. (HT: Baylor Proud)
20 Amazing Places to Bungee Jump
Global warming: Reasons why it might not actually exist
Healthy Foods for Under $1
Life 'meaningless' for one in 10 young adults
USA Today’s April article, “Has the 'notion of sin' been lost?”
“Risk ignorance is now too risky.” The CS Monitor says state lotteries are suffering under the current recession.
“Scientists have discovered true love. Brain scans have proved that a small number of couples can respond with as much passion after 20 years as most people exhibit only in the first flush of love.” (Times)
Bart Ehrman is the author of the bestselling book “Misquoting Jesus.” He calls into question the authority of the New Testament as scribal changes over time have changed the documents. So can we trust the scripture? Bible scholar Peter Williams believes in the reliability of the New Testament and that Bart's prognosis is far too pessimistic. Listen to their debate here. (HT: Between Two Worlds)
“Traditionally, more people file for divorce in January than at any other time of the year because they decide to take action after a dysfunctional family Christmas.” (London Telegraph)
Mashup of inspirational lines from a bunch of flicks:
First, it was a bevy of gay activists protesting the invitation to Rick Warren to lead the invocation at Barack Obama’s inauguration. Now atheists are suing to remove all prayers and references to God from the swearing-in ceremony. The effort is being led by Michael Newdon. But Scott Walter of the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty says, “Newdow's lawsuit over the inauguration is a lot like the streaker at the Super Bowl: a pale, self-absorbed distraction. And anybody who looks at it carefully can see there's not much there.” (WaPo story)
The iPhone, which only launched its App Store in July 2008, has more than 10,000 applications, and they’ve been downloaded 300 million times. If you have an iPhone, leave a comment or send me an email and tell me your favorite apps.
“Facebook” pic (HT: Neatorama). The growing popularity of Facebook has an unintended consequences for young people who used to have the social networking website all to themselves: their parents are joining and befriending them! Story:
The Facebook group entitled "For the love of g*d — don’t let parents join Facebook" has 5,819 high school and college-aged members who want to stop the growing number of parents who are joining Facebook, the massively popular social networking site, from "spying" on them. [...]
"It’s really weird that nonstudents and parents use Facebook," said Emma Gaines, a Tufts University sophomore. "It makes me feel really uncomfortable that my older aunt has Facebook, because she says that she likes to check up on her teenage nieces and nephews and takes our pictures for her own use. That’s creepy."
Erin McCarley — a singer/songwriter whose work was featured this past week on Apple’s iTunes Music Store — is a Baylor alumna. Her song “Pony (It’s OK)” was the site’s Single of the Week. McCarley’s album, “Love, Save the Empty” has been among the top 10 most purchased albums on iTunes for the past week. McCarley, a 2001 graduate, married another Baylor Bear and now lives in Nashville. (HT: Baylor Proud)
20 Amazing Places to Bungee Jump
Global warming: Reasons why it might not actually exist
Healthy Foods for Under $1
Life 'meaningless' for one in 10 young adults
USA Today’s April article, “Has the 'notion of sin' been lost?”
“Risk ignorance is now too risky.” The CS Monitor says state lotteries are suffering under the current recession.
“Scientists have discovered true love. Brain scans have proved that a small number of couples can respond with as much passion after 20 years as most people exhibit only in the first flush of love.” (Times)
Bart Ehrman is the author of the bestselling book “Misquoting Jesus.” He calls into question the authority of the New Testament as scribal changes over time have changed the documents. So can we trust the scripture? Bible scholar Peter Williams believes in the reliability of the New Testament and that Bart's prognosis is far too pessimistic. Listen to their debate here. (HT: Between Two Worlds)
“Traditionally, more people file for divorce in January than at any other time of the year because they decide to take action after a dysfunctional family Christmas.” (London Telegraph)
Mashup of inspirational lines from a bunch of flicks:
Monday, January 05, 2009
New Ringtones
I've created some new ringtones from songs in my collection. Listen/download them:
Keller Williams: Breathe
Eric Johnson: Cliffs of Dover
Jim Cole: Effie
Keller Williams: Breathe
Eric Johnson: Cliffs of Dover
Jim Cole: Effie
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Song of the Week: Let Your Kingdom Come
For Christmas a friend of mine gave me Valley of Vision, a CD project from Soverign Grace. The project was designed to make devotional and congregational worship music from the words of 350-year-old Puritan prayers. Good stuff. I'm posting "Let Your Kingdom Come." It's inspired by the prayer, "God's Cause," a centuries-old prayer--
As usual, if you're reading this post on Facebook or a Reader, you'll have to go to my blog to hear the song:
Lyrics:
Sovereign God,Bob Kauflin shared his thoughts on the song here, where he has offered the song as a free download.
Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart,
and I appeal to thee with greatest freedom
to set up thy kingdom in every place
where Satan reigns;
Glorify thyself and I shall rejoice,
for to bring honour to thy name is my sole desire.
I adore thee that thou art God,
and long that others should know it, feel it,and rejoice in it.
O that all men might love and praise thee,
that thou mightest have all glory
from the intelligent world!
Let sinners be brought to thee for thy dear name!
To the eye of reason everything respecting
the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,
But thou canst accomplish great things;
the cause is thine,
and it is to thy glory that men should be saved.
Lord, use me as thou wilt,
do with me what thou wilt;
but, O, promote thy cause,
let thy kingdom come,
let thy blessed interest be advanced
in this world!
O do thou bring in great numbers to Jesus!
let me see that glorious day,
and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;
let me be willing to die to that end;
and while I live let me labour for thee
to the utmost of my strength,
spending time profitably in this work,
both in health and in weakness.
It is thy cause and kingdom I long for,
not my own.
O, answer thou my request!
As usual, if you're reading this post on Facebook or a Reader, you'll have to go to my blog to hear the song:
Lyrics:
Your glorious cause, O God, engages our hearts
May Jesus Christ be known wherever we are
We ask not for ourselves but for Your renown
The cross has saved us so we pray,
Your kingdom come
Let Your kingdom come
Let Your will be done
So that everyone might know Your Name
Let Your song be heard everywhere on earth
Till Your sovereign work on earth is done
Let Your kingdom come
Give us Your strength, O God, and courage to speak
Perform Your wondrous deeds
Through those who are weak
Lord use us as You want, whatever the test
By grace we’ll preach Your gospel
Till our dying breath
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Episode 3 of 'Will Tom Keep His New iPhone'
For those just tuning in, there's an exciting new game show in our house: 'Will Tom Keep His New iPhone?'
In Episode 3, Tom discovers that he can't click a phone number or URL within an iPhone note to call the number or go to the site. And, since he can't highlight text to copy it and paste it in another application, he just has to remember the info when he moves to the phone app or the Safari browser.
Tom had these capabilities with his Treo, and wonders what else his pretty new toy can't do.
Update: Phone numbers and URLs are recognized in some iPhone apps (e.g. Evernote), but not in the apps that come with the phone such as Calendar and Notes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)