Quote of the Day
May 30, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Arrested
.:itunes:. Natasha by Rufus Wainwright
(via BWC : Interview with Tony Hale)
“Christian culture is not my role model, and in some ways, neither is the church.”
-Tony Hale
The Gospel and The Law
May 30, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Great
.:itunes:. Get A Room by The Psychedelic Furs
The series we are going through right now at Riverview has been great. It’s cool to have conversations with people who are beginning to really grasp their faith in Jesus deeper through understanding the Law.
I ran into this cartoon and it reminded me of the series:
( via nakedpastor)
Also, my friend Michael (internetmonk.com) was inspired to rant about the Gospel after listening to my message. Please take time to read his entire post, but if you’re too lazy to click on a link you can just read this excerpt (emphasis mine):
The Gospel tells you to repent and believe, but it doesn’t tell you everything to do, or everything to think. It doesn’t give you the responsibility to make the other guy into a better person or to make the world safe for democracy. The Gospel doesn’t make salvation a matter of saving the culture or even your kids. The Gospel isn’t a new law, and it’s not a new agenda. Jesus saves. That’s the Gospel. You can apply it. You can take it and follow Jesus, but don’t get too far from the Gospel or you’ll wind up just another annoying legalist…
The Gospel isn’t a ball of playdough waiting to be shaped into whatever happens to be of interest to me. It doesn’t serve political parties. It doesn’t sell books. It doesn’t make megachurches really cool. It purchases a people, saves them and changes their hearts to belong to God, not to the world.
The Gospel is simple. It’s free. It overturns us and our little party. It says things we don’t want religion to say, but that’s ok, because it’s not religion. The Gospel upsets people who are startled by its power and universal application. The Gospel can get you crucified, and then it’s even more powerful.
The Gospel breaks your heart over your own sin, and shuts you up about the other guy’s sin…
Quote of the Day
May 30, 2007 Quotes
.:mood:. Goodish
.:itunes:. Everybody Knows A Little Bit Of Something by King’s X
(Bill Gates via Wired.com
Microsoft Surface
May 30, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Inspired
.:itunes:. She’s the one by Robbie Williams
To show that I am not a complete and total Apple snob, I have to point out a cool new Microsoft product called Surface. This looks really cool and it is what I have been wanting every since I watched Minority Report. When the iPhone was announced, I was hoping it was the first step toward this kind of product.
Can’t wait to see what technology looks like in 10 years.
Chuck Swindoll Dropped from Radio Network for “Crude, Vulgar, From the Gutter” Language
May 29, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Great
.:itunes:. She will be loved by Maroon 5
OK, this is hilarious. (via MondayMorningInsight.com). If I owned a radio network, I would hire Swindoll just because of this.
Chuck Swindoll Dropped from Radio Network for “Crude, Vulgar, From the Gutter” Language
Huh, Chuck Swindoll? Yes that’s not a typo. It seems even Chuck Swindoll has been not been able to pass the Christian censors at the VCY Radio Network. Last week, VCY released a statement telling why they have dropped Swindoll from their stations. Among the bad words Chuck has used since 2000 (yes, they’ve been keeping a tally for 7 years now): buns, heck, crap, balls, and also for mentioning (and encouraging the viewing of) the Lion King.
Great Thoughts
May 28, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Inspired
.:itunes:. I Will Return by Daniel Amos
This weekend, during my message, I mentioned how I don’t think we should force the Ten Commandments into public buildings, etc. One of the biggest reasons is the first commandment itself:
“I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.”
If we force that onto the American public, we are negating freedom of religion. Freedom of religion is essential, because people need to choose Jesus of their own freewill not have it forced down their throat. At the same time, I believe that God is the one who calls us. Yes, this paradox makes me a good “Calminian.”
Anyhoo…I just got a great email from someone at Riverview that I wanted to share. The emphasis is mine. You can see she’s a good Calminian, as well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…
I have struggled so much (in my head) with whether my feelings about separation of church and state are hypocritical as a Christian. I needed to hear the validation from someone else. I feel so strongly that everything I believe as a Christian is what I came to believe through a process that I needed to go through. And I think the process that gets you there is the most important part of becoming a Christian. It’s what makes you remember why you made the right choice. And people have to remember – we didn’t choose this life. God chose for us to have the choice. If we force our choice on others, isn’t that like going above God’s head? He could have done it that way, but he didn’t. We have the choice to sin on every level. If you take away the chance to choose wrong, how will you see any benefit to choosing right?…I just wanted to thank you for making me feel like I’m not a terrible person for feeling this way.
Pray for North Korea
May 28, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Optimistic
.:mashup:. Emijean by Eminem vs Michael Jackson
(From Digital Chosunilbo)
Pray for North Korea. If Kim Jong Il’s health is really going downhill, this could be an opportunity for the Gospel.
South Korean intelligence officials are investigating information that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s health has deteriorated recently, a source said.
“The National Intelligence Service has obtained information that the reclusive leader Kim’s diabetes and heart disease have been worsening. This information is more reliable than former rumors,” a government official said…
Many experts say Kim’s worsening health will ignite a fierce power struggle between his sons, Kim Jong-nam, who was born to the late Sung Hae-rim, and Kim Jong-chul and Kim Jong-woon, both born to the late Ko Young-hee.
America
May 28, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Good
.:itunes:. Carnival by Natalie Merchant
Happy Memorial Day, everyone. For you Americans who read my blog, don’t forget to take a few minutes to thank God for the one million plus men and women who have given their lives in wars and conflicts for the sake of our country.
We are a screwed up country in many ways, but we are also a great country as well.
Today, take time to thank God that we live in a country that allows freedom of religion. I am so thankful for the separation of church and state. Here are the words of Patrick Henry that I shared this weekend at Riverview:
“It can not be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religious people, but by Christians. Not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is for this very reason that people of other faiths have been offered asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”
On a related note, Michael the internetmonk shares his experience singing “America the Beautiful” at church this weekend. He has some great thoughts. Here’s a blip:
Perhaps the reason a song like “America the Beautiful” persists in worship among evangelicals is a simple, but deeply rooted problem: We- the church- don’t know who we are. We have lost our identity, and in the world in which we live, it is always easier to take hold of national identity than to live out the identity of God’s people.
Blog of the Week: Monday Morning Insight
May 26, 2007 Uncategorized
.:mood:. Great
.:itunes:. World Come Crashing Down by Undercover
People often ask me what blogs I read on a regular basis and why. To this end, I am going to attempt to review a different blog each week. When I decided to do this, there was no question which blog would be first.
Blog Name
Monday Morning Insight
Blog Author
Todd Rhoades, who wears a great many hats. He works with Leadership Network, he developed ChurchStaffing.com, and he is an elder at New Hope Community Church in Bryan, Ohio. (His church has a series going on right now that makes we want to cry it is so beautiful. You can check out the video promo here.)
I have emailed a little bit with Todd and had the opportunity to meet him last year in San Diego. He is one of the most unassuming guys out there, who seems very passionate about resourcing the church body.
What is this blog about?
According to MMI’s “about” page:
Well, so you want to know more about MondayMorningInsight.com. MMI, as most people affectionately refer to us, is merely a compilation of internet stories and resources that would be of interest to pastors and church leaders across the United States and the world. We discusse everything from serious theological issues to humorous stories and satire about church ministries.
You’ll find that we really don’t take our selves all that seriously, but we do take the work of ministry very seriously. And that’s what we discuss and communicate about here at MMI: ministry, innovation, leadership, current events… you know, the things we passionate about.
Why do I read it?
I read MMI because it is hands down the best single source of resources for church leaders out there. Todd must spend hours online every day, weeding through all the crap on the net, finding the right pieces to throw onto his site. His bits are short and concise and always thought provoking. He adds a few questions for you to think about at the end of each article.
I have paid good money before for magazines that claim to do what Todd does every day for free. If you are a pastor or Christian leader, bookmark MMI. Do it now or else.
OK…I have to get to work
May 26, 2007 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
.:mood:. Getting there still
.:itunes:. In The Car by Barenaked Ladies
Alright. I have finished tweaking my site for the time being. Here are the changes:
1. I have updated the blogroll as I mentioned yesterday. The sidebar has a limited list. You can still check out all the blogs I read here.
2. I added the recent comments and frequent commenter lists on the sidebar.
3. I added a new archive section. Click here to check it out. You can look through old posts by date or category. It’s pretty sweet and would be way cooler if I hadn’t accidentally whacked all my categories when I switched to WordPress.
