My Prayer For This Week
"Heavenly Father, give me the ability to see how big you are and how small I am this week.
Lord, in the midst of my smallness take whatever skills, gifts and weaknesses,
I possess
and use these things to make your name great
to those I come in contact with."
The Cussing, Political, Orange County Pastor
No, I am not talking about me, but about my fellow Orange County Pastor, Wiley Drake.
Wiley is known around the area as a staunch proponent of
churches being involved in politics.
I believe he has good reasons to have such strong convictions
but sadly he mostly comes across in the local media as a publicity hound
with a chip on his shoulder.
This Sunday was no different...
Read the following excerpts from an article from the Orange County Register appearing
in Monday's paper.
By MARK EADES
The Orange County Register
BUENA PARK – Contending government wasn't going to push him around, a pastor today announced he's backing a third-party candidate for president.
"The church is not endorsing a candidate, I am personally endorsing a candidate," said Pastor Wiley Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park.
Drake spoke out in front of his congregation before launching into his sermon – the same day pastors across the country were scheduled to make similar statements in defiance of an IRS rule prohibiting the endorsement of candidates from the pulpit.
The Alliance Defense Fund organized the day as "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" encouraging pastors to exercise their First Amendment rights to preach about the moral qualifications of candidates seeking political office, despite federal tax regulations prohibiting preachers from intervening in a political campaign.
"I'm angry because the government, the IRS and some churches have taken away the right of pastors to endorse who they damn well please," Drake said during his sermon to approximately 40 people in attendance, along with another 10 members of the press. Later during his sermon, Drake, who has staked out controversial positions in the past, came out with his own personal endorsement from behind the pulpit.
"I'm here to tell you that I personally endorse Alan Keyes as our next president of the United States," said Drake. "There's no way a Christian can vote for Barack Obama. You could vote for John McCain. I want you to vote your conscience. Let the Bible act as your guide."
3 Questions for You:
Q1: Do you think Pastor's should personally endorse candidates from the pulpit?
Q2: What involvment should churches have in the political realm?
Q3: What are your thoughts about Drake dropping the "D-word" in his sermon?
Wiley is known around the area as a staunch proponent ofchurches being involved in politics.
I believe he has good reasons to have such strong convictions
but sadly he mostly comes across in the local media as a publicity hound
with a chip on his shoulder.
This Sunday was no different...
Read the following excerpts from an article from the Orange County Register appearing
in Monday's paper.
By MARK EADES
The Orange County Register
BUENA PARK – Contending government wasn't going to push him around, a pastor today announced he's backing a third-party candidate for president.
"The church is not endorsing a candidate, I am personally endorsing a candidate," said Pastor Wiley Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park.
Drake spoke out in front of his congregation before launching into his sermon – the same day pastors across the country were scheduled to make similar statements in defiance of an IRS rule prohibiting the endorsement of candidates from the pulpit.
The Alliance Defense Fund organized the day as "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" encouraging pastors to exercise their First Amendment rights to preach about the moral qualifications of candidates seeking political office, despite federal tax regulations prohibiting preachers from intervening in a political campaign.
"I'm angry because the government, the IRS and some churches have taken away the right of pastors to endorse who they damn well please," Drake said during his sermon to approximately 40 people in attendance, along with another 10 members of the press. Later during his sermon, Drake, who has staked out controversial positions in the past, came out with his own personal endorsement from behind the pulpit.
"I'm here to tell you that I personally endorse Alan Keyes as our next president of the United States," said Drake. "There's no way a Christian can vote for Barack Obama. You could vote for John McCain. I want you to vote your conscience. Let the Bible act as your guide."
3 Questions for You:
Q1: Do you think Pastor's should personally endorse candidates from the pulpit?
Q2: What involvment should churches have in the political realm?
Q3: What are your thoughts about Drake dropping the "D-word" in his sermon?
Voddie Brings It
Voddie Baucham is a Preacher/Camp Speaker/Author
who I listen to from time to time.
He is one of these guys who I find myself disagreeing with half-way through all of
his sermons but amazingly by the end of his sermon, I am cut to the heart by Biblical conviction
and forever changed.
I am serious, he is that gifted.
Yesterday I was listening to a message he gave to 1,000 Pastors in Texas a couple of years ago.
In his talk he said a couple of things that rocked me.
#1 - 75% to 85% of kids in his church denomination (Southern Baptist) walk away from church for good by the age of 18.
#2 - The average Christian family in his church denomination has 2 kids.
#3 - Following these statistics it theoretically takes a Christian family 2 generations to produce 1 Christ follower in a family.
Baucham's conclusion?
Parents are dropping the ball in raising up their kids to follow Jesus.
It is not the youth ministries fault that the numbers are so high in kids who walk away.
He points to Ephesians 6 as our mandate as parents,
"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4
This was a great challenge for me.
I need to step it up in reading the Bible with my family
and be intentional about modeling being a follower of Christ
at home.
who I listen to from time to time.
He is one of these guys who I find myself disagreeing with half-way through all of
his sermons but amazingly by the end of his sermon, I am cut to the heart by Biblical conviction
and forever changed.
I am serious, he is that gifted.
Yesterday I was listening to a message he gave to 1,000 Pastors in Texas a couple of years ago.
In his talk he said a couple of things that rocked me.
#1 - 75% to 85% of kids in his church denomination (Southern Baptist) walk away from church for good by the age of 18.
#2 - The average Christian family in his church denomination has 2 kids.
#3 - Following these statistics it theoretically takes a Christian family 2 generations to produce 1 Christ follower in a family.
Baucham's conclusion?
Parents are dropping the ball in raising up their kids to follow Jesus.
It is not the youth ministries fault that the numbers are so high in kids who walk away.
He points to Ephesians 6 as our mandate as parents,
"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4
This was a great challenge for me.
I need to step it up in reading the Bible with my family
and be intentional about modeling being a follower of Christ
at home.
Wondering About...
How are Christians perceived by people who are not Christians? 
this week, my eyes have been opened to just how much of a post-Christian era we live in.
Marie and I got married at her Uncle's church in Pacific Palisades, Ca
right off of the Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Blvd.
Down the street from Marie's Uncle's church is this bizzare, new age "Enlightment" garden/temple/shrine
that has these massive walls surrounding it.
Everytime we would go up to her Uncle's Church to prepare for our wedding
I would always try to catch a glimpse of anyone coming in or out of the
new age temple. I was curious about what type of person did such a thing?
What did they look like? Were they freaks? Are they brainwashed?
I really wanted to know.
I wonder if this is how people look at me as they drive down Tustin Ave. past our church
and see me or others walking around the church campus.
Are they curious about what we look like? Do they wonder if I am brainwashed, and out of touch with reality for being a Christian?
This may seem like a strange topic, but as I have been reading the book "UnChristian"
this week, my eyes have been opened to just how much of a post-Christian era we live in.The average non-Christian has little to no knowledge of Christianity and what Christians really think or act like.
Warning: Preaching Moment...
This is why it is of upmost importance that we who follow Jesus seriously and passionately
must be intentional about being missional minded. Having the hearts of missionaries who engage the culture around us, building true and lasting relationships with those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, so that others by our real life example will NOT look at Christians as being brainwashed or out of touch with reality but as authentic people who have placed Jesus at the center of their lives.
13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."- Matthew 5:13-16
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."- Matthew 5:13-16
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." -1 Peter 2:12
When You Have an Older Sister, Part III
Today, Samuel was "recruited" by older sister Lily
to be the baby in her shopping game.
Gay Marriage - A Christian's Response
Tuesday night at our Young Adult gathering at Calvary Church
we continue our series based on Dan Kimball's book,
"They Like Jesus, But Not the Church."
Tonight's topic is: A Christian's Response to Gay Marriage
I have been reading tons and tons on this topic as I prepare to teach:
2 of my favorite resources so far have been:
1) "UnChristian" by David Kinnamen (fellow Biola classmate)
2) "A Biblical Point of View" by Kerby Anderson
I hope to post the entire transcipt of my message in the next couple of days or so
on this blog for the one or two people who may be slightly interested in such a thing,
but for now I just want to ask for prayer:
Will you pray for me Tueday night?
Pray that I will have a good balance of Biblical Truth and Biblical Compassion
Pray that the Holy Spirit will be with my words and will inspire and transform any "unchristian" default responses my group may have toward homosexuals.
One last thing I will share is a paragaph from Kerby Anderson's book,
we continue our series based on Dan Kimball's book,
"They Like Jesus, But Not the Church."
Tonight's topic is: A Christian's Response to Gay Marriage
I have been reading tons and tons on this topic as I prepare to teach:
2 of my favorite resources so far have been:
1) "UnChristian" by David Kinnamen (fellow Biola classmate)
2) "A Biblical Point of View" by Kerby Anderson
I hope to post the entire transcipt of my message in the next couple of days or so
on this blog for the one or two people who may be slightly interested in such a thing,
but for now I just want to ask for prayer:
Will you pray for me Tueday night?
Pray that I will have a good balance of Biblical Truth and Biblical Compassion
Pray that the Holy Spirit will be with my words and will inspire and transform any "unchristian" default responses my group may have toward homosexuals.
One last thing I will share is a paragaph from Kerby Anderson's book,
"In recent decades churches have responded to homosexuals in different ways.
There is the permissive church, which focuses mainly on expressing compassion and fails to understand the need for telling the truth about moral issues. There is the rebellious church that has openly gay members and celebrates their sexuality. While the permissive church tends to ignore Biblical teachings, the rebellious church openly defies Biblical commands.
On the other extreme is the judgmental church that tends to err on the side of truth and ignore Biblical compassion. There is also the uncommitted church that neither helps homosexuals out of their sin nor teaches a Biblical message that would convict them of their sin. And there is the ignorant church that simply does not know what God Word teaches regarding homosexuality.
The ideal goal is for a church to believe what God's Word says and thus understand the need to confront sin, and also be willing to reach out to those caught in sinful behavior. These churches will be committed to reaching out to homosexuals in grace, truth and love."
Bees 3 Doan's 0
The Bee war at our home claimed another victim
yesterday when our sweet, innocent 10 month old baby boy
Samuel was stung while sitting in his car seat being buckled into the car.
So for those of you now counting at home this means the bees
have stung 3 Doan's out of 4.
I am now moving our attack to the "shock and awe" stage.
More to come...
Results of Friday Night Lights
We had a good time passing out light bulbs to our church neighbors
on Friday night.
It was hilarious and kind of sad that a few houses would not accept the free
lightbulbs we were passing out.
I guess some people felt there must have been some kind of catch to the whole "free" thing.
But even with the homes that said no, I think it was a cool testimony just to see
us smile and say thanks and politely walk away.
The best story of the night came from Mark, Katie and Mike who gave out the free lightbulbs to a neighbor who commented with awe that they had just had 2 lightbulbs burn out that day.
I thought the timing of that was great.
One big lesson I learned about neighborhood outreach last night was a simple but important one:
Don't knock on people's doors after dark!
We had one guy come to the door in some pretty tight shorts and that was it.
We had one lady yell to us from a back room that she had "just taken her pants off"
so to just leave the lightbulbs on the living room table!
Basically people aren't expecting random visitors once it gets dark.
So next time we try Friday Night Lights I think we will do so with some daylight in our favor.
A few last observations about our night:
70 - The number of houses in our church neighborhood we passed out free lightbulbs to
80% of these homes were watching TV
50% of these homes had their front door wide open
3 to 4 - The average number of cars in the driveway of homes in our church neighborhood
0% - The amount of people in our church neighborhood who commented to us that they attend our church
Dogs barking through screen doors are scary
on Friday night.
It was hilarious and kind of sad that a few houses would not accept the free
lightbulbs we were passing out.
I guess some people felt there must have been some kind of catch to the whole "free" thing.
But even with the homes that said no, I think it was a cool testimony just to see
us smile and say thanks and politely walk away.
The best story of the night came from Mark, Katie and Mike who gave out the free lightbulbs to a neighbor who commented with awe that they had just had 2 lightbulbs burn out that day.
I thought the timing of that was great.
One big lesson I learned about neighborhood outreach last night was a simple but important one:
Don't knock on people's doors after dark!
We had one guy come to the door in some pretty tight shorts and that was it.
We had one lady yell to us from a back room that she had "just taken her pants off"
so to just leave the lightbulbs on the living room table!
Basically people aren't expecting random visitors once it gets dark.
So next time we try Friday Night Lights I think we will do so with some daylight in our favor.
A few last observations about our night:
70 - The number of houses in our church neighborhood we passed out free lightbulbs to
80% of these homes were watching TV
50% of these homes had their front door wide open
3 to 4 - The average number of cars in the driveway of homes in our church neighborhood
0% - The amount of people in our church neighborhood who commented to us that they attend our church
Dogs barking through screen doors are scary
Friday Night Lights
I am really excited about an event we are doing tonight
with our Young Adult group at Calvary Church.
We are calling it "Friday Night Lights" and it involves this:
1) Be the Light - We will go door to door in the residential neighborhood behind Calvary Church and pass out free packages of lightbulbs (the energy saving kind) to our neighbors as well as give them a flier for our "Lite the Nite"community event on October 31st.
2) See the Lights - Than at 9pm, we will head to Orange Hill Restaurant up in the Chapman Hills and enjoy incredible desserts and coffee while taking in one of the best views in Orange County.
I am excited about this event for a couple of reasons.
One, we get to meet some of our neighbors tonight who live within walking distance of our church. Our church is what I call a "commuter" church meaning many of our members drive more than 5 minutes from their homes to get to our church. The neighborhoods around our church have not connected to our church like I pray they would. So tonight, we get to simply hand out some free light bulbs, invite our neighbors to a free event in October and tell people we meet we are happy to be their neighbors.
I am also excited about tonight because it allows our Young Adult group at Calvary to serve together. My vision for this group is for it to lead the way in our church as a model of being a "missional" Christian. To be a follower of Jesus who naturally reaches out to their neighbors, to the least and the lost and really to everyone they come in contact with. Tonight is a first step in creating this vision.
So if you are in your 20's and live in Orange County, come join us tonight at 7pm at Calvary Church for Friday Night Lights!
Walking the Day Away
One of our family's favorite places to go
morning, day or night is Balboa Island.
Something about crossing over that small little bridge
just makes us take a deep breath and relax.
just makes us take a deep breath and relax.
(This is a photo of Lily, Samuel and I from about 6 months ago, taken in front of our favorite street on the Island, Garnett St.)
Tonight, Marie, the kids and I walked around the Island
talking about our day, looking at the beachfront houses
and enjoying the smell of the offshore breeze.
It was a great way to end a busy day.
Wow, I sound old.
Repetition Works, Repetition Works
I have been thinking this week about the idea
that in order for me to learn something,
I need to hear it over and over.
Why is this?
Am I slightly ADD? (perhaps)
Am I a forgetful person? (yes)
Is life too Busy? (definently)
One of the best ways for any of us to remember something is through repetition.
There is no better example of this than one of the summer's most popular songs,
John's Mayer's "say."
Did you know he repeats the words,
"Say What I Need To Say"
41 times in this song? (I counted while hearing the song played over the PA at Big Lots Superstore last week)
But you know what?
By the end of the song you get it.
Say what you need to say John!
I think this is one of the reasons God's word, the Bible is so amazing.
The themes of the Bible (God's love, God's forgiveness, God's holiness)
are repeated over and over again.
Why did God repeat these themes throughout the Bible?
Because he knew we would not get it right away,
we would forget, we would become distracted.
So God tells us over and over and over again who He is
and what we can expect from Him.
God is so great at giving us just what we need.
War is Declared at Our House
Bees 2 Doan Family 0
A few years ago, we had a huge bee hive sprout up overnight in our backyard.
I ignored it for several weeks until one evening as I mowed the lawn
a honey bee stung me above my eye.
My eye and forehead swelled up the size of a basketball (I am serious!)
and I spent the evening in the ER.
Soon after we we called the "Bee Man" who safely removed the hive from our house.
Did you know that in Orange County it is against the law to kill a honeybee?
Therefore, no area store carries bee spray or bee traps.
I bring all this up to say that the bees have struck again.
This past Saturday, our precious 3 year old was stung by a bee as she played outside.
Exhibit A: The Enemy
I immediately went to the hardware store and bought "yellow jacket" traps
thinking this was the store's clever way of really selling honey bee death certificates.
But I was sadly disappointed when gleefully like a schoolgirl on the first day of cheer tryouts
I skipped out to the backyard Sunday morning only to find my yellow jacket trap completely empty and honey bees circling the backyard with a renewed sense of confidence.
So here is what I need blog friends.
Does anyone have a home recipe for sending honey bees to their maker?
Football vs. Church
Today UCLA plays BYU in Utah.
It should be a tough matchup for the Bruins
but I am hoping they can find enough offense to pull the upset.
This game lurks in the shadows of the game everyone here
in Southern California is talking about...
USC vs. Ohio State
For some reason, I just can't get into USC football.
Part of it has to do with the fact that everyone here in Orange County
has jumped on the SC bandwagon in the Pete Carrol era.
Part of it has to do with the fact, that SC fans are just so annoying.
But I think the main reason I prefer UCLA football to USC football
is because I like rooting for the underdog.
I have this strange idea in my brain that rooting for the team
no one else likes or is behind
somehow makes it that much sweeter if that team wins.
So today, me and about 17 other people will be rooting for UCLA
while the rest of Orange County applies their Trojan facepaint.
On a spiritual note: What is it about football that speaks so clearly to the heart of a man?
Why can't the church seem to compete with football for the attention
of men? Jesus is the ultimate hero, so why do so many men settle
to spend their Saturdays and Sundays worshipping man-made heroes
skipping the opportunity to worship THE Hero?
This is a question that keeps me up at night.
Reunion at Our House Tonight
Today is a special day for our family as we host 2 dear friends
of ours the McNabb's and the Bridston's.
Justin and Ali McNabb are lifelong friends of mine
who I grew up with in Santa Cruz.
They live overseas now, so we never get to see them.
They are in town just for this weekend.
They have 3 girls all under the age of 5,
so Lily is pumped to have them over.
Josh Bridston has been my best friend since the 8th grade!
He also grew up with me in Santa Cruz.
He and his wife Rose live in SoCal now and have a little girl.
It has been over 2 years since the 3 families have gotten together
so today is a great day!
We are going to BBQ, jump in the pool
and play some serious rounds of the best board game in the history of the world, Yatzhee.
of ours the McNabb's and the Bridston's.
Justin and Ali McNabb are lifelong friends of mine
who I grew up with in Santa Cruz.
They live overseas now, so we never get to see them.
They are in town just for this weekend.
They have 3 girls all under the age of 5,
so Lily is pumped to have them over.
Josh Bridston has been my best friend since the 8th grade!
He also grew up with me in Santa Cruz.
He and his wife Rose live in SoCal now and have a little girl.
It has been over 2 years since the 3 families have gotten together
so today is a great day!
We are going to BBQ, jump in the pool
and play some serious rounds of the best board game in the history of the world, Yatzhee.
Where Were You on September 11, 2001?
I was living at Matt Davis house (a fellow Pastor at Calvary)
in Orange, California.
I remember just barely waking up, and having Matt tell me to come on out to the living room
and "see what happened to the World Trade Center."
I remember calling Marie whom I was dating at the time
and nervously praying together as it felt like the world was coming to an end.
What were you doing the morning of Sept 11th?
How has 9/11 affected you?
The Nerds Have Their Day
Have you heard of the Large Hadron Collider?
In Europe, near the Swiss-Frech border
a massive science experiment 20 years in the making
set-up by an organization called CERN has been fully activated.
It is called the Large Hadron Collider
and it is basically a 17 mile tunnel full of large magnets
huge digital camera's, tubes the size of fire hoses, vacuum's colder than outer space and the capability to fire beams of protons
in opposite directions at the speed of light.
Sounds like something Dr. Evil would use in Austin Powers!
Scientists are hoping this massive science experiment will reveal just how the world started. Yahoo news quoted CERN director Robert Aymar,
"What you have just seen is the result of 20 years of effort. It all went like clockwork. Now it's for the physicists to show us what they can do.
They are ready to go for discoveries," Aymar said.
"Man has always shown he wants to know where he comes from and where he will go, where the universe comes from and where it will go. So here we're looking at essential questions for mankind."
There is actually some fear from fringe scientists and lay people that this experiment could cause actual black holes and potentially the end of the world as we know it!
But CERN assures the general public that there is no threat to the safety of our planet.
This "rap" video about the project has become a hit on You Tube...
Watch:
As a Christian, I am excited that Science is looking into the origins of the universe because ultimately I know that the evidence will point to a personal creator.
Read what Jeremiah 31:35 says,
"This is what the LORD says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name."
Or what Psalm 8:3-4 states,
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
In Europe, near the Swiss-Frech border
a massive science experiment 20 years in the making
set-up by an organization called CERN has been fully activated.
It is called the Large Hadron Collider
and it is basically a 17 mile tunnel full of large magnets
huge digital camera's, tubes the size of fire hoses, vacuum's colder than outer space and the capability to fire beams of protons
in opposite directions at the speed of light.
Sounds like something Dr. Evil would use in Austin Powers!
Scientists are hoping this massive science experiment will reveal just how the world started. Yahoo news quoted CERN director Robert Aymar,
"What you have just seen is the result of 20 years of effort. It all went like clockwork. Now it's for the physicists to show us what they can do.
They are ready to go for discoveries," Aymar said.
"Man has always shown he wants to know where he comes from and where he will go, where the universe comes from and where it will go. So here we're looking at essential questions for mankind."
There is actually some fear from fringe scientists and lay people that this experiment could cause actual black holes and potentially the end of the world as we know it!
But CERN assures the general public that there is no threat to the safety of our planet.
This "rap" video about the project has become a hit on You Tube...
Watch:
As a Christian, I am excited that Science is looking into the origins of the universe because ultimately I know that the evidence will point to a personal creator.
Read what Jeremiah 31:35 says,
"This is what the LORD says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name."
Or what Psalm 8:3-4 states,
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
The Text has to Consume Me
Last night, I had the honor of speaking at our Young Adults Gathering at Calvary.
We are in a six week series based on Dan Kimball's book,
"They Like Jesus, But Not the Church."
We had some great discussions as a group about the need we have to break out of the bubble of only having Christian friends. Our calling is to build authentic relationships with people who don't believe in Jesus as God.
The Bible calls followers of Jesus to be "salt" and "light" to the world (Matthew 5:13-16)meaning we should be people who influence and encourage those around us to believe in Jesus.
In John 4, we see Jesus using an everyday experience (drawing water from a well)
and reaching past culturally acceptable barriers (Jews/Samaritans, man/woman)
to engage the Samaritan woman with the truth of who He was.
We than asked ourselves...
What everyday experiences can we use and what culturally acceptable barriers can we reach past to engage non-Christians with the love and truth of Jesus Christ?
Some suggested joining community sports teams,
hanging out at coffee shops or simply stopping and listening to people.
Others told stories of befriending co-workers and classmates
and sharing life together through meals and studying.
Overall it was a great night of really thinking through what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus who encourages others to follow Jesus.
Overall it was a great night of really thinking through what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus who encourages others to follow Jesus.
But I have a confession to make.
I was more excited last night about finding and buying snow globes to put at each table to represent the Christian bubble than I was the Biblical text we studied for the evening (Matthew 5:13-16, John 4).
I was more excited last night about the video clip that set up our teaching time than I was about the Biblical text we studied.
What a Shame!!!!
As a teacher of the Bible, As a Christian, the Biblical text is the most important thing we have to share. The Bible is God's words to us. It is God breathed, God inspired...In short, it reveals who God is to us in a way that no story or video clip or cutesy illustration can.
And last night, I kind of forgot that.
I am sure not every one noticed.
That is the tricky part about having the Biblical text be the most important thing you share.
It can sometimes be more of an internal working than a externally noticeable thing.
But as a Pastor, a teacher of God's word, the Bible, the passages I preach on need to consume me, wreck me, cause me to lay awake at night thinking about them.
This week, due to busyness, I just didn't allow the text to do that to me.
My Prayer for Today
"Lord forgive me,
And thank you for your abundant grace
when I fall short of being the leader you have called me to be.
Renew me today.
Cause me to love your word and cause it to change me from the inside out
before I ever suggest to anyone else that it change them."
Here is great video clip by a Pastor I really admire by the name of Matt Chandler >talking about what must happen in a Pastor/Bible Teachers life for them to be an effective communicator of God's word:
A Public Service Announcement to Coffee Lovers
"To celebrate its 45th anniversary, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is offering a series of specials over the next four Tuesdays. The best deal comes tomorrow when cafes will offer a 63-cent brew of drip coffee.
Why 63 cents? The number pays tribute to the year the chain was born: 1963."
-Written by Nancy Luna, Orange County Register, September 8th, 2008
Tell Us Your Coffee Bean Story if You Go Today...
Pastor Tim Keller Speaks at Google
Tim Keller is a Pastor I really look up to.
He pastors Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York.
He is an incredible thinker when it comes
to reaching out into the community as a church
and he is so passionate about presenting the Gospel
in every sermon he gives.
I love this guy.
This past Spring, Keller spoke at Google's headquarters
in Mountain View, California.
It is so cool to see Pastors influencing culture
like Tim Keller does.
Check out his message to the employees of Google
He pastors Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York.
He is an incredible thinker when it comes
to reaching out into the community as a church
and he is so passionate about presenting the Gospel
in every sermon he gives.
I love this guy.
This past Spring, Keller spoke at Google's headquarters
in Mountain View, California.
It is so cool to see Pastors influencing culture
like Tim Keller does.
Check out his message to the employees of Google
Fear Factor...Church Edition
My Dad (My Hero)
is a Pastor and as a kid it was always a treat
to get to go to early to church with my Dad
or stay late with him to help clean-up.
My sisters and brother and I would always compete to
be the one who got to go early or stay late.
(Before you judge us...just keep in mind...we didn't have cable or even a TV for chucks of our childhood... we had nothing better to do okay?)
Alright, so here is why I bring this up.
One of the eeriest moments of my life
happened one night while I was cleaning up with my Dad
at church late one weekend.
We went around the dark, empty church and locked all the doors of the church
around 10pm, before we headed home.
The next morning, we arrived for Sunday morning
only to discover a thief had robbed a bunch of microphones and sound equipment.
There weren't any obvious entry points for the break-in
leading us to the conclusion that the thief had been in the church, hiding out
as we walked around locking doors.
From that day on, empty churches have kind of freaked me out.
I guess you would say this is my fear factor situation.
This leads me to what happened to me last Sunday morning at my church.
I got to church early around 6:15am to set-up my tables and equipment.
There wasn't another soul on the church campus.
It was still dark out as I stumbled around putting tables up.
I needed a umbrella so I walked to our storage area behind the church
which we affectionely call the, "boneyard."
We have 2 large sheds in the boneyard where we store all kinds of stuff.
I decided to go the larger of the 2 sheds to see if I could find an umbrella.
I rolled up the door of the shed and all of the sudden, I see a human being!
My first thought was...I found a dead body.
Than the person sat up and started yelling in fear.
I uncontrollably yelled back at him.
Mind you, it is almost completely dark at this point in the morning.
We both came of our senses and I recognized the guy
as one of the local homeless guys who hangs out in our church neighborhood.
I told him, "You scared me man!"
He apologized and begged me to let him stay in there.
I somehow agreed and rolled the shed door back down.
It was a pretty funny situation,
but now my Fear Factor at being at a church all alone has doubled.
I think I am going to buy a whistle.
Worst Dad Moment, Take 2
When our daugther Lily was 3 months old,
I tried cutting her fingernails one afternoon.
She moved as I pressed down on a nail and I ended
up cutting her finger and drawing blood.
She started screaming, Marie came running out into the living room to see what was going on,
it was a scene.
I felt so horrible, I seriously wanted to cry.
Today, I visited that feeling again.
Marie, the Kids and I stopped by my church office (Fridays are my day off)
to fax something.
While we were in my office I got the bright idea
to put Lily and Samuel in my swivel office chair
and twirl them around.
Next thing I know Lily is flying through the air, off the chair
and onto the floor, landing on her left arm.
You know those cries that your kids do and you just know by the tone
that it is bad...
After 3 hours in the ER, we discovered Lily had dislocated her elbow.
2 different Doctor's tried resetting it to no avail.
So my sweet little 3 year old daughter has a disclocated elbow
that is supposed to go back in place on its own in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Here is what Lily has been saying tonight to me to comfort me:
"Don't worry Daddy that it is your fault."
Classic.
Times like this make me realize just how much I love my kids.
I tried cutting her fingernails one afternoon.
She moved as I pressed down on a nail and I ended
up cutting her finger and drawing blood.
She started screaming, Marie came running out into the living room to see what was going on,
it was a scene.
I felt so horrible, I seriously wanted to cry.
Today, I visited that feeling again.
Marie, the Kids and I stopped by my church office (Fridays are my day off)
to fax something.
While we were in my office I got the bright idea
to put Lily and Samuel in my swivel office chair
and twirl them around.
Next thing I know Lily is flying through the air, off the chair
and onto the floor, landing on her left arm.
You know those cries that your kids do and you just know by the tone
that it is bad...
After 3 hours in the ER, we discovered Lily had dislocated her elbow.
2 different Doctor's tried resetting it to no avail.
So my sweet little 3 year old daughter has a disclocated elbow
that is supposed to go back in place on its own in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Here is what Lily has been saying tonight to me to comfort me:
"Don't worry Daddy that it is your fault."
Classic.
Times like this make me realize just how much I love my kids.
Interesting Graph
This is a graph from Dan Kimball's book, "They Like Jesus, But Not the Church"
What are your thoughts?
Living to see 3am
At 3am last night, Marie and I were sitting in Samuel's room trying to comfort
our poor little 10 month old as he faced the perfect storm
of getting in 2 upper teeth mixed with a pretty intense cold.
He couldn't sleep for more than 15 minutes all night.It is so amazing to have a little human being who is totally
dependent on you.
When he cries out in pain at 3am, you can't push the snooze button or move to another room in the house or call a babysitter...we are all he has to help him. We are the ones God has designed to take care of him,comfort and calm him.
What an honor and what a responsibility!
It is Noon as I write this,
and I am on my 3rd cup of coffee...
This is what I need:
But you know what?
Hanging out with Samuel at 3am is pretty cool.
God's Love
Every Tuesday morning at Calvary Church
we have a chapel time for the 30 or so
full-time staff members of the church.
Today Randy Harris, one of the Pastors
talked about how God's love needs to be
the bedrock in our journey of growing in maturity as a Christian.
He mentioned 3 obstacles we face in embracing God's love
on a daily basis:
#1 - We think of God's love as a one time event
we have a chapel time for the 30 or so
full-time staff members of the church.
Today Randy Harris, one of the Pastors
talked about how God's love needs to be
the bedrock in our journey of growing in maturity as a Christian.
He mentioned 3 obstacles we face in embracing God's love
on a daily basis:
#1 - We think of God's love as a one time event
Something we experienced when we first became a Christian or something we felt at a particular time
#2 - We focus on our past or current failures
We feel unworthy to be loved by God because of our past
#3 - We have difficulty comprehending God's Love because no earthly example of love can explain or demonstrate the perfect love of God
Not even the love of a Mother-child or a newly married couple can match the love that God has for you and me.
Randy then referred to the Apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3,
17And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
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