April 2011
27 posts
anatheistbiblestudy asked: You seem to tell me that you disagree with me a lot, but you never state why or what your reasons for disagreeing are. I'd be interested to actually have a discussion with you about some of our disagreements.
March 2011
39 posts
live by the sun, love by the moon: church :) →
nycballad:
one thing i love about church: you can leave for 6 months, and the minute you walk back in everyone treats you like you’ve never left. no one asks where you’ve been in a condescending tone, they just smile that you’re there. it’s like someone welcoming you home with no judgment at all.
honestly, i needed church again. i was always jealous of the children that grew up in families...
2 tags
How To Righteously Rebuke, Part One →
A nine minute podcast about the difficulties, intentions, and methodology of the rebuke.
A difficult biblical mandate that no one likes to do, but is necessary. How to righteously rebuke: the motives, approach, goal, and fall-out.
1 tag
“Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.”
– (via coryjohnny)
"Ask a Christian about his blind faith and he'll...
I know you atheists hate that sort of stuff (so did I) but I’m poppin off like Burger King/McDonald’s — Have it your way dude, I’m lovin it.
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Movies that Christians should see: Eternal... →
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Summary: Joel meets Clementine for the first time — again. A new technology developed by Lacuna Inc. allows broken lovers to erase memories of their past, effectively removing all the associated pain. After Joel, played by Jim Carrey as a brilliantly bored writer, finds out that Clementine has wiped memories of him clean, he opts for the same...
4 tags
TV shows that Christians should see: 24 →
Summary: Over an exact period of twenty-four hours — each episode in real time — federal agent Jack Bauer gets shot, stabbed, electrocuted, tasered, burned, choked out, attacked by dogs, infected by a killer virus, killed twice, and endures various other health hazards all in the name of America. That’s usually before breakfast. He is part of CTU, the fictional Counter Terrorist Unit...
2 tags
News that Christians should read: Week of March 21... →
The weird, outrageous, funny, and inspiring.
Doctor saves his wife’s life … twice “Still, Tim knew time was of the essence, so he decided to break the rules — at least until the other crew could get there. Crying, he held his wife’s hand, reassuring her, ‘Hold on babe. You’re gonna be OK.’ At the same time, he was directing the medical staff to give her medications that would save her...
4 tags
TV shows that Christians should see: Scrubs →
Scrubs (2001-2010)
Summary: Following a first year medical student J.D. under the tutelage of a vicious Dr. Cox, we’re treated to a bizarre and insightful world of insane janitors, callous hospital staff, dysfunctional nurses, and really dumb surgeons. The show balances laughs with pathos as we, to our surprise, care for the outcomes of these very weird people. Starring Zach Braff,...
1 tag
"Pain is a process. Don't try to shortcut it."
— Dr. Ravi Zacharias
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Book Review: King's Cross →
King’s Cross By Timothy Keller
Summary: Taking on the Gospel of Mark, Dr. Keller presents a history of the world filtered through the life story of Jesus Christ. By focusing on the fastest of the gospel accounts, we’re taken on a cosmic, sprawling journey of Jesus’ every word and miracle that shines a light on the narrative of humanity. It’s not an easy task but Dr. Keller’s ...
3 tags
TV shows that Christians should see: Mad Men →
Mad Men (2007-ongoing)
Summary: Don Draper is an advertisement director for an ad agency in the 1960s. They are jokingly called Mad Men, it says in the opening placard. The show follows him, his agency, and his family through every spectrum of human morality in this dark but satisfying show. Starring Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, and...
1 tag
"The Church can never tolerate any limits set to...
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost Of Discipleship
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Movies that Christians should see: Up →
Up (2009)
Summary: Carl is a reserved old man who, by a series of impulsive actions, will be removed from his house. It’s the very house he shared with Ellie, the love of his life who has since passed. He cannot stand the thought of leaving so he attaches hundreds of helium balloons to his house to take off. He accidentally takes a young boy scout Russell with him. They end up in the...
3 tags
Hey pastor: Why should I do what you preach? →
Note: If anyone decides to unfollow me from this, I totally understand. It’s pretty disagreeable.
—
Many times I see these sort of statements on Christian blogs:
“How can we hope to change the world if we do not change ourselves?”
“If you’re not really living it, you’re just a faker.”
“If the church was really Christian, you’d be doing it right.”
“Not loving, then you’re not...
1 tag
Repenting of my own means of repentance.
Part of my sermon for tomorrow night:
If you’re going through something crazy right now, God has picked you for it out of everyone else.
You might think, “What the heck? What for?”
I try to imagine life without adversity and challenge – it’s comfortable but boring.
I know some terrible things happen to people, I could never downplay that.
But at the brink of my helplessness, I find what I’m...
scripturesketches asked: Dude, I love your "Movies Christians should see." Well done, man.
3 tags
Movies that Christians should see: The Truman Show →
The Truman Show (1998)
Summary: Truman Burbank (in one of Jim Carrey’s best performances) has a nice wife, a nice house, a nice job, nice neighbors, but none of it’s real. He’s the center of a global reality show in which he’s the only one who doesn’t know. From birth he’s been raised on an engineered island with hired actors, including the nice wife and neighbors. If you think I’ve ...
1 tag
Fast end.
Lasted forty hours, which I know is not much. It was my first one and a fellow pastor told me to take it easy. Until next time. =)
Thanks for the prayers! Pray hard for Japan, Libya, Egypt, the world.
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Please don't forget Libya.
Updates from New York Times.
“March 16 A day after routing a ragtag army in an eastern town near the rebel capital of Benghazi, forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi launched attacks on the city of Misurata, the last rebel stronghold in western Libya, about 125 miles east of the capital, Tripoli. Government forces fired artillery, bombarding the city of several hundred thousand as...
2 tags
Rob Bell, Tsunamis, and The Apocalypse →
Podcast updated.
On Rob Bell’s controversy for Love Wins, if tsunamis send people to hell, and how soon the Apocalypse is coming.
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Movies that Christians should see: The King's... →
The King’s Speech (2010)
Summary: Based on the reign of King George VI, Colin Firth plays Albert George, a stuttering prince who is reluctantly crowned the King of England. His speech impediment undermines his authority as he bumbles through speaking engagements while his country enters World War II. His wife Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) enlists the help of lingual coach Lionel...
3 tags
Movies that Christians should see: The Emperor's... →
The Emperor’s Club (2002)
Summary: Kevin Kline plays Dr. William Hundert, a Classics professor who teaches the history of the Roman Empire at an all boys prep school. Things go smoothly until Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch) walks in, an upstart rebel with an almost hypnotic grip on the other students. Seeing his potential and brokenness, Professor Hundert invests in Sedgewick for the ...
Six Ways You Can Help Earthquake and Tsunami... →
— From Time Magazine.
I feel like giving up. Pastors aren’t supposed to talk about it but I’d like to be real about that. Please throw me a prayer.
mateo47-deactivated20110401 asked: Hope you're having a good day.
Prayed for Japan this morning.
You?
3 tags
Is church bad for you? →
Every Gallup poll, Barna poll, and flagpole tells us: people are leaving the church. The polls also say it’s hardly ever about Jesus. Always it’s some kind of divisive issue: hypocrisy, homosexuality, brutality, pressure, conflict. That the church treats its converts like projects instead of people. That the church invests only in those who do instead of those who just want to be. That...
4 tags
Seven things they don't tell you in seminary. →
Seven things I wish seminary would’ve told students to prepare them for ministry.
1) Confrontation: When you really like Bob but can’t. The big dogs are always talking about church discipline because no one ever does it, but stop short of explaining how. It’s easy to talk tough when you’re speaking in scenarios. “If that husband cheating on his wife comes to church with his new...
1 tag
New Zealand Quake: 10,000 homes cannot be rebuilt →
Can we keep praying for New Zealand?
“New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has said 10,000 homes in Christchurch cannot be rebuilt after the 22 February earthquake.
“The death toll, at 166 so far, is expected to rise to around 200 as rescue work continues.”
28 year old pastor murdered in Texas. →
Taken too soon. God bless your ministry, Pastor Clint.
Psalm 116:15.
The devil says I'm worthless -- Jesus says I'm...
3 tags
When a pastor just wants to quit. →
It would be so great if everyone at church fell in line with God’s best plans and genuinely lived out the righteous truth, but in the end most people do what they want. Despite all the good teaching and sound doctrine and powerful delivery, everyone trusts their own opinion. It surprises me — and shouldn’t — when I ask who believes in a relative morality, and half the people in the room...
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"How do you get that -- from this?"
Francis Chan at the Youth Pastor’s Summit, quoting the Chinese missionaries questioning American Christianity by holding up the Bible.
3 tags
It is the Holy Spirit who garrisons our hearts...
— Jill Briscoe, A Little Pot of Oil
