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Numbers
Dec 21, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
This has been an exciting year at Riverview as we expanded the capacity of our Holt Venue, launched a new Church Planting Residency with our MSU Venue, and began preparations for another church plant within the next year. We are also gearing up to send over 200 people to Mazatlan, Mexico on short term mission trips in 2012, including all six of our pastors.
While numbers aren’t everything, they do matter a great deal (there’s even a book of the Bible called “Numbers”). Here are a few numbers from this past year that I am humbled and floored by:
- 12,877: Number of online views of our message videos (not including downloads)
- 104: People went on a mission trip to Mexico
- 1,329: Children were involved in RivKids
- 150: Students were involved in our middle and high school ministries (Chaos and Element)
- 3,863: People attended services at our Holt Venue on Easter weekend (51% higher than 2010)
- 2,762: Average attendance at our Holt Venue (20% higher than 2010)
- 168: Average attendance at our MSU Venue (18% higher than 2010)
- 2: Riverview Church Planting Residents
- 86: People were baptized (that we know about)
- 101: Number of Life Groups (includes 913 people)
What do all these numbers have in common? They each represent specific individuals learning to become sacrificial followers of Jesus through the ministry at Riverview. By faith, we are making even bigger plans for spreading the message of Jesus in 2012. We know we can’t do this under our own strength, but we want to follow the lead of the Apostle Paul who wrote: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:2-5)
Would you prayerfully consider a year-end gift to help us spread the Gospel throughout the Lansing area and beyond in 2012?
Just click this link to give online.
Tags: baptism, church planting, Jesus, Mexico, money, riverview
4 Minutes on Xmas
Dec 19, 2011 4 Minutes On...
People ask me a lot of questions. Some are personal in nature, some are theological, some are related to whatever I am teaching on at Riv. Many of these questions are “repeats.” They are questions I get again and again. Because of this, I try to dedicate time on my blog to answering these questions but find I prefer to answer them verbally, rather than in written form.
Because of this, I am going to start posting videos that answer these common questions and (for your sake and mine) I am going to limit my answers to 4 minutes. For today’s debut, I answer this question:
Is it OK to say “Xmas” instead of “Christmas?”
Friday Random Linkness
Dec 16, 2011 Friday Random Linkness
How not to apologize
Now THIS is art
Best used car ad ever
Top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians
Looking for that last minute Christmas present for your lady friend? How about bacon perfume?
Starting your car with Siri
Man Up
Dec 12, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
One of the most encouraging things around Riv over the last year have been the number of young men who have asked for help in “manning up.” They are fed up with the extended adolescence of our culture and they want to grow to be godly men who can lead in their families and churches.
Here are some of the suggestions and resources I have recommended to these men:
A great leader is a great follower first. - The greatest leader of all time, Jesus Christ, said he “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) The #1 thing you need to do to become the man God intends you to become is to follow the godman you are meant to follow: Jesus. Serve like he did, study his book, follow his lead, love like he loved, fight like he fought, give your life for his church like he did.
Read biographies of great men. – Other than Jesus, no man is perfect. Read the stories of great men in history and try to not only emulate their strengths but learn from their weaknesses. John Wesley was a great evangelist and a terrible husband. John Calvin was a great theologian with an unpleasant disposition (he was a jerk). C.S. Lewis was a great thinker with some unorthodox views.
Fight sin in your life. – One of the scariest passages in the Bible is 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8: “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” Many men want to do great things for Jesus, but they refuse to deal with their own patterns of ongoing sin (especially sexual sin). When we disregard God’s call to holiness in our lives, we are rejecting the Holy Spirit’s influence in our lives.
Surround yourself with godly men. – Many young men surround themselves with dispassionate, lustful, lazy, drunk morons and wonder why they can never seem to inspire themselves off of the couch. As the Apostle Paul warned, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” (1 Corinthians 15:33) Find a couple godly men and team up to do something big for Jesus.
Tags: manhood, manliness, masculinity
Friday Random Linkness
Dec 9, 2011 Friday Random Linkness
Why it’s important to study Church History
Teenage Mutant Ninja Noses
Two Words: Human Slingshot
Tebowing is my new favorite thing
I can’t stop watching this
Ready to have your mind blown?
The Big 4-0
Dec 8, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Today is my 40th birthday.
40.
The big 4-0.
There is absolutely no definition of the word “young” that applies to me anymore. Because of my newfound old age, I figured I would offer you 40 little nuggets of wisdom I have accumulated over the past 40 years. These appear in no order whatsoever because I am too old to attempt that sort of mental task.
1) No matter how old you are, you feel younger that you really are.
2) Spend time getting better at your strengths rather than getting better at your weaknesses (unless your weaknesses are sins).
3) Never say “never.”
4) Never say “always.”
5) God is faithful, even when you are not.
6) You will always remember what it felt like to drive your first car (this was mine).
7) I am rich – “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” (Proverbs 31:10)
8) You can’t talk about Jesus enough.
9) Take time to read everyday.
10) Complexity is good thing in cigars, coffee, beer, Scotch, and a wife.
11) This may be a midlife crisis thing, but my next car will be one I really enjoy driving.
12) When you are tempted to think, “I’ll become a better parent/spouse/whatever tomorrow,” you are wrong. Start today instead.
13) Your only hope in becoming a better parent/spouse/whatever is Jesus – focus more on him today.
14) The longer you are married to the same person, the better the sex is.
15) The longer you are married to the same person, the more you see your own sin.
16) The longer you are married to the same person, the more you are tempted to focus on your spouse’s sin instead of your own.
17) Play catch with your boys today. You still “won’t have time” tomorrow.
18) Hold your daughter’s hand as long as she will let you get away with it.
19) Kiss your kids on the head no matter how old they are.
20) Spend the extra money for comfortable shoes…or insoles.
21) Be yourself in preaching, dressing, and all other style related stuff. Copycats are really only fakes.
22) Exercise even if you hate it.
23) Eat healthy even if you hate it.
24) Drink good beer. Bad beer is at best empty calories, at worst a sin.
25) Run like a kid sometimes, preferably with kids.
26) Read at least one Bible verse a day.
27) Travel.
28) Smile at strangers.
29) Hold doors for people, most of them will be shocked.
30) Really remember Jesus when you take communion.
31) Ask “why?”
32) Treat your wife like a daughter of the King.
33) Treat your daughter like a Princess.
34) Treat your sons like men.
35) Discipline your children because you love them.
36) Discipline your children like you love them.
37) Check your fly before you preach.
38) When possible, try not to offend nor be offended.
39) Even when trying to eat healthy, have some bacon now and then.
40) Beards are epic, but they make you look older. Mine makes me look like I’m in my 40′s. Oh snap.
Review of “Real Marriage,” by Mark and Grace Driscoll
Dec 7, 2011 1 Corinthians, Book Reviews
Two weeks ago at Riv, I quoted from three fantastic books on the topic of marriage. I have already reviewed two of the books (Sheet Music by Kevin Leman and The Meaning of Marriage: by Timothy and Kathy Keller) and today I am reviewing the final book, Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll.
Overview
If you Google my name, one of the top responses will be an interview I gave the late Michael Spencer about Mark Driscoll back in 2007.* In this interview, we talked about Driscoll’s confession of exhaustion, health problems, and how his growing church was affecting him personally. At the time, I was encouraged that he appeared to be taking steps to make sure his ministry had longevity. In Real Marriage, Driscoll gives a behind the scenes look at his life during that season and the impact it had on his marriage. Further, he details the steps he and his wife took to make sure their marriage and ministry didn’t go down the tubes. As a public figure, he lays his life honestly on the table (likely facing unfair scrutiny) in order to help anyone who is willing to pick up the book.
Real Marriage is the perfect second punch to the Kellers’ first we looked at last week. In fact, I would recommend that couples consider reading these books back to back. The Kellers really help us understand why we have marriage in the first place and what a Christian marriage should look like. The Driscolls pick up at this point and give biblical advice on how to develop that type of marriage.
The similarities between these books are striking, even as their styles are world’s apart. Each emphasizes the need for both an emotional / spiritual relationship (being best friends) and a intimate physical relationship (being lovers). They both tackle selfishness head on and expose it as the #1 enemy of marriage. Driscoll’s chapter on “Selfish Lovers and Servant Lovers” is the best chapter on marriage I have ever read. Most struggling couples I have counseled merely need to read these pages again and again and repent of their selfish ways.
What did I like most about the book?
This book is unabashedly Biblical. Mark and Grace present the unvarnished truths of Scripture in language that is very accessible to both men and women. They challenge married couples to up their game without piling on the guilt. The fact that they are willing to lay their own marriage on the altar of public criticism makes their message all the more palatable for even those who would criticize them. I suspect that even those who don’t follow Jesus would find their challenges compelling. A short section on fighting as friends is worth the price of the book alone.
The Driscolls spill a good amount of ink on the topic of sex in Real Marriage. These sections are very frank, but not crass (which is a delicate balance often missed this days). The chapter on porn is the single best chapter on that issue I have ever read and I recommend it to any man (or woman for that matter) who struggles in this area.
Would I recommend the book?
Absolutely. Pre-order it today since it doesn’t come out until January. Read the Kellers’ book first, then dive into this one after the holidays.
Key Quotes (These are from an Advance Reader’s Copy. When the final copy of the book comes out, I will edit this section with any changes.)
“It is common to hear married people speak of ‘falling out of love’ with their spouses, and ‘falling in love’ with someone else in adultery. In using the language of ‘falling’ they are cleverly avoiding any responsibility, as if they were simply required to follow their hearts.”
“…the husband gets to decide when he feels disrespected, and the wife needs to honor that. And the wife gets to decide when she feels unloved, and the husband needs to honor that.”
“You will sin against your spouse, and your spouse will sin against you. Couples who claim to never fight are either lying or living completely passionless, independent, parallel lives, so emotionally distant that hurting each other is virtually impossible. You will fight. The question is, will you fight well to the glory of God and the good of your marriage?”
“Much like a sexual predator who grooms the young and naive, pop culture with its increasing pornification is grooming young people for sexual sin and sexual assault.”
* – In the years since the Michael Spencer interview, I have had the privilege of getting to know Mark and Grace personally and ironically Mark’s advice has helped me to fine tune (and even change) some of the opinions on church ministry I expressed in that interview.
Resources
Buy this book on Amazon.com
Thanks from LAAN
Dec 5, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
One of the great honors we have as a church is to work with the Lansing Area AIDS Network. They are doing an invaluable service for those suffering with HIV/AIDS in our community. The woman who coordinates our efforts with them wrote a great thank you note to those who helped this year and I wanted to share it with all of you.
Dear Friends,
You are part of a very special team – a team that provided celebration feasts for 130 LAAN families this Thanksgiving! Whether you donated groceries, organized a portion of the drive process, boxed up groceries in the Riv lobby, drove grocery-laden clients home from LAAN, made lunch for volunteers on distribution day, loaded boxes into a truck at 7:30 am, or did something else equally important – we needed you to make this happen! You all sacrificed money, time and energy, which God used to impact hundreds of people during this special holiday season!
In amazement, we watched the outpouring of love shown by our Riv family for this event. Not only did we meet our goals – we exceeded them! I met so many shining examples of cheerful givers in our body, who were a spiritual encouragement to me personally. And I know the LAAN staff and clients felt the same. Here’s a clip from a recent thank-you from LAAN:
“There are not many people or organizations that always go the extra mile to provide what you need, but that is exactly what the people at Riverview Church do for LAAN every day… (because of Riverview) LAAN has been able to provide turkeys and boxes of food for clients at Thanksgiving, backpacks full of school supplies for LAAN school children, warm coats, scarves and hats for our clients at wintertime, and many, many other types of supplies that are desperately needed. The love and caring behind every donated item is very evident to all of us at LAAN. Thank you so much…. everyone at Riverview for your compassion, your caring and the amazing generosity that you continue to give to LAAN every day.”
We are building bridges between the body of Christ and people who desperately need to experience the transforming power of His goodness. Praise God!
I pray He blesses you and your family with a beautiful Christmas season,
Ann Duchene
For more information on how you or your Life Group can serve at the Lansing Area Aids Network email Ann....@RivChurch.com
Tags: AIDS, compassion, HIV, Lansing
Friday Random Linkness
Dec 2, 2011 Friday Random Linkness
Leadership lessons from the Lions’ loss
Googling Truth
This is one of the cutest and coolest things I have ever seen. Good dad!
The world’s heaviest limo
Someone stole the president’s teleprompter
15 Facts about McDonald’s that will Blow Your Mind
I love this video at so many levels
Review of “The Meaning of Marriage,” by Timothy and Kathy Keller
Nov 30, 2011 1 Corinthians, Book Reviews
Last weekend at Riv, I quoted from three fantastic books on the topic of marriage. I have already reviewed one of the books (Sheet Music by Kevin Leman) and I will review another (Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll) next Wednesday. Today’s review is of The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God
The Meaning of Marriage Trailer from Redeemer City to City on Vimeo.
Overview
There’s nothing in the Bible about how schools should be run, even though they are crucial to a flourishing society. There’s nothing there about business corporations or museums or hospitals. In fact, there are all sorts of great institutions and human enterprises that the Bible doesn’t address or regulate. And so we are free to invent them and operate them in line with the general principles for human life that the Bible gives us. But marriage is different…At the climax of the Genesis account of creation we see God bringing a woman and a man together to unite them in marriage. The Bible begins with a wedding (of Adam and Eve) and ends in the book of Revelation with a wedding (of Christ and the church). Marriage is God’s idea.
With these words, the Kellers dive into a book rich with historical perspective, Biblical fidelity, and a practical understanding of our culture’s view of marriage. If I were to hand this book to a couple to read, it would be with the words, “this is why we have marriage.” The Kellers mince no words when they discuss God’s high view and standards for marriage. But their words don’t come across as naive; instead, they are full of the recognition that “marriage is glorious but hard. It’s a burning joy and strength, and yet it is also blood, sweat, and tears, humbling defeats and exhausting victories.”
What did I like most about the book?
Would I recommend the book?
Unreservedly and passionately.
Key Quotes
I’ve heard them say over and over, “Love shouldn’t be this hard; it should come naturally.” In response, I always say something like, “Why believe that? Would someone who wants to play professional baseball say, ‘It shouldn’t be so hard to hit a fastball?’ Would someone who wants to write the greatest American novel of her generation say, ‘It shouldn’t be hard to create believable characters and compelling narrative?’”
“Whether we are husband or wife, we are not to live for ourselves but for the other. And that is the hardest yet single most important function of being a husband or a wife in marriage.”
“If two spouses each say, ‘I’m going to treat my self-centeredness as the main problem in the marriage,’ you have the prospect of a truly great marriage.”
