A Church by Any Other Name

A couple of months ago I registered the domain www.thewaycommunity.com for our church plant. I felt that calling ourselves a church is going to bring too much baggage for today’s post modern spiritual seekers. A few weeks ago I ran across some research done by an associate pastor (probably not called a pastor by those inside his church), named Rod Chisholm. I thought it was truly insightful. Take a look at names/references of the church in the first century. This is amazing!

Biblical Names for the ChurchPrepared by Rod Chisholm
Summary:
1. God's household -1
2. God's elect -1
3. This sect (Nazarene) -2
4. The Way -6
5. The body (of Christ) -8
6. The believers -10
7. The saints -13
8. Disciples -18
9. The brothers -23
10. The church -101
a. Descriptors
• Whole
• Of God
• Of the Gentiles
• Of Christ
• Radiant
• Of the living God
• Of the Firstborn
b. Location
1. The home
2. City
• Jerusalem
• Damascus
• Antioch
• Corinth
• Galatia
• Laodicea
• Thessalonica
• Ephesus
• Smyrna
• Pergamum
• Thyatira
• Sardis
• Philadelphia

3. Region/Province
• Judea
• Galilee
• Samaria
• Macedonia
• Asia
Biblical References
Matthew
• 16:18 My church
• 18.17 the church
Acts
• 1.15 the believers
• 2.44 the believers
• 4.32 the believers
• 5.11 the whole church
• 5.12 the believers
• 6.7 disciples
• 6.7 the faith
• 8.1 the church at Jerusalem
• 8.2 the church
• 9.1 the Lord's disciples
• 9.2 the Way
• 9.13 your saints in Jerusalem
• 9.19 the disciples in Damascus
• 9.26 the disciples
• 9.30 the brothers
• 9.31 the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria
• 9.32 the saints in Lydda
• 9.38 the disciples
• 9.41 the believers
• 10.23 the brothers from Joppa
• 11.1 the brothers throughout Judea
• 11.22 the church at Jerusalem
• 11.26 the church
• 11.26 the disciples were called Christians
• 11.29 the disciples…the brothers living in Judea
• 12.1 the church
• 12.5 the church
• 12.17 the brothers
• 13.1 the church at Antioch
• 13.52 the disciples
• 14.2 the brothers
• 14.20 the disciples
• 14.22 the disciples
• 14.23 each church
• 14.27 the church
• 14.28 the disciples
• 15.1 the brothers
• 15.3 the church
• 15.3 the brothers
• 15.4 the church
• 15.10 the disciples
• 15.22 the whole church…the brothers
• 15.23 the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
• 15.30 the church
• 15.32 the brothers
• 15.33 the brothers
• 15.36 the brothers
• 15.40 the brothers
• 15.41 the churches
• 16.2 the brothers at Lystra and Iconium
• 16.5 the churches
• 17.10 the brothers
• 17.14 the brothers
• 18:18 the brothers
• 18.22 the church
• 18.23 the disciples
• 18.27 the disciples
• 19.9 the Way
• 19.23 the Way
• 20.1 the disciples
• 20.17 the church
• 20.28 the church of God
• 21.4 the disciples
• 21.5 the disciples
• 21.7 the brothers
• 21.16 the disciples from Caesarea
• 21.17 the brothers
• 22.4 followers of this Way
• 24.5 the Nazarene sect
• 24.14 the Way
• 24.22 the Way
• 28.14 some brothers
• 28.15 the brothers
• 28.22 this sect
Romans
• 15.26 the saints in Jerusalem
• 15.31 the saints
• 16.1 the church in Cenchrea
• 16.2 the saints
• 16.4 the churches of the Gentiles
• 16.5 the church
• 16.14 the brothers
• 16.15 the saints
• 16.16 the churches of Christ
• 16.23 the whole church
1 Corinthians
• 1.2 the church of God in Corinth
• 4.17 in every church
• 5.12 those outside the church
• 6.1 the saints
• 6.2 the saints
• 6.4 the church
• 7.17 the churches
• 10.32 the church of God
• 11.16 the churches of God
• 11.18 as a church
• 11.22 the church of God
• 11.27 the body...of the Lord
• 12.28 the church
• 14.4 the church
• 14.12 the church
• 14.19 the church
• 14.23 the whole church
• 14.26 the church
• 14.33 the congregations of the saints
• 14.34 the churches
• 15.9 the church of God
• 16.1 the Galatian churches
• 16.15 the saints
• 16.19 the churches in the province of Asia…the church.
2 Corinthians
• 1.1 the church of God in Corinth
• 1.1 all the saints throughout Achaia
• 8.1 the Macedonian churches
• 8.18 by all the churches
• 8.23 representatives of the churches
• 8.24 the churches
• 9.1 the saints
• 11.8 other churches
• 12.13 to the other churches
Galatians
• 1.2 to the churches in Galatia
• 1.22 the churches of Judea
• 6.10 the family of believers
Ephesians
• 1.1 to the saints in Ephesus
• 1.22 the church
• 3.10 the church
• 3.21 in the church
• 4.12 the body of Christ
• 4.16 the whole body
• 4.25 members of one body
• 5.23 the head of the church, his body
• 5.24 the church
• 5.25 the church
• 5.27 as a radiant church
• 5.29 the church
• 5.32 the church
Philippians
• 1.1 to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi
• 3.6 the church
• 4.15 not one church
Colossians
• 1.2 to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae
• 1.18 the head of the body, the church
• 1.24 of His body, which is the church
• 3.15 members of one body
• 4.15 the brothers at Laodicea...the church
• 4.16 the church of the Laodiceans
1 Thess.
• 1.1 to the church of the Thessalonians
• 1.7 of all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia
• 2.14 of God's churches in Judea...those churches
• 4.10 all the brothers throughout Macedonia
2 Thess.
• 1.1 to the church of the Thessalonians
• 1.4 God's churches
1 Timothy
• 3.5 God's church
• 3.15 in God's household, which is the church of the living God
• 5:16 the church…the church
• 5:17 the church
Philemon
• 1.2 to the church that meets in your home
Hebrews
• 12.23 to the church of the firstborn
1 Peter
• 1.1 to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia
• 2.17 the brotherhood of believers
• 5.2 the shepherd's of God's flock
3 John
• 1.9 to the church
• 1.10 of the church
Revelation
• 1.4 to the seven churches in the province of Asia
• 1.11 to the seven churches
• 1.20 of the seven churches
• 2.1 to the angel of the church in Ephesus
• 2.7 to the churches
• 2.8 to the angel of the church in Smyrna
• 2.11 to the churches
• 2.12 to the angel of the churches in Pergamum • 2.17 to the churches
• 2.18 to the angel of the church in Thyatira
• 2.23 all the churches
• 2.29 to the churches
• 3.1 to the angel of the church in Sardis
• 3.6 to the churches
• 3.7 to the angel of the church in Philadelphia
• 3.13 to the churches
• 3.14 to the angel of the church in Laodicea
• 3.22 to the churches
• 22.16 for the churches

Super-sized Love

I’ve been trying to clean up/organize the files on my laptop for the past couple of weeks. I ran across this sermon of mine called “Super-size Your Love” that I found encouraging (and I wrote it/ preached it?) and thought I would share it with you. Remember that this is just a cut and paste from my sermon notes, so don’t expect to flow perfectly grammatically. Hopefully, you will get something uplifting out of it.
To God be the glory!
We love the supersize don’t we? We want more and more and more. I promise you if they actually sold cokes this big people would buy them. Back in the early 1900’s cokes came in 8 ounce cans. In the late sixties 7 eleven introduced the big gulp. I don’t know if they ever came out with the gulp or if they went straight to the big gulp. If you think about it a gulp is only 16 ounces and a big gulp is 32 ounce then the 64 ounce is really 4 gulps and not a double gulp but rather a Quadra gulp. Some of you just looked at your watch and said to yourself, “well that is record time. Joel got off on tangent in less than two minutes.”

Today we are going to focus on the supersize concept but not as it relates to large quantities of sugar water. We’re not going to talk about French fries, or super cheeseburgers that come with a warning label that says, “Caution, eating this cheeseburger may result in instant blockage of all major arteries and result in instant heart attack. We are going to focus on the concept that bigger is better. No we are not going to talk about SUV’s, or 17 inch super notebook computers, or why big dogs are better than little dogs.

So what are we going to focus on today? I’m glad you asked.

Turn in your bibles to Luke chapter 7 verse 36.

Read 7:36-50

God has a supersize love for us. God’s love for us is so big that if the entire Pacific Ocean was drained it would not be a cup holder big enough to fit the cup of God’s love. And not only is the love that God has for us supersize he is asking us to have a love for him and for each other that is supersize.

Each Gospel has a story of an anointing of Jesus by a woman but this one in Luke is different from the ones in Matthew, Mark, and John. They refer to an incident in the last week of Jesus’ life. Luke’s account takes place much earlier. The other accounts deal with selling the perfume and giving to the poor – in Luke it is concerned with love and forgiveness.

So a Pharisee invites Jesus to a meal and a woman of the city described as a sinner, which most likely means prostitute hears about the meal and comes into the house. A meal such as this was not private and people could come in and watch what was going on. But a prostitute wouldn’t feel really welcomed so we are talking about some huge courage to come waltzing in there in the middle of a bunch of religious leaders. The alabaster jar was a flask with a goblet type bottom and a long neck. Some translations label the contents as ointment which is not a good translation. It was perfumed oil. Such oils were common at festive occasions. People reclined on low couches at festive meals, leaning on the left arm with the head towards the table and the body stretched away from it. The sandals were removed before reclining so the woman could approach Jesus’ feet without much difficulty.

She might have intended to anoint them or even his head which was usually the custom but got so overwhelmed with emotion that she just started soaking his feet with her own tears. She quickly wipes his feet with her tears which is another significant detail because Jewish ladies did not unbind their hair in public. This woman was completely oblivious of public opinion in the grip of her deep love for Jesus. This explains why she kisses his feet. There are other recordings in history of someone kissing the feet of a specially honored rabbi but it was far from usual. Finally she anoints Jesus’ feet with oil. This would normally be poured on the head. To use it on the feet was a mark of humility. To attend to the feet was a menial task, one for slaves.

Well, Jesus’ host sees this and he don’t like it. He engages in a little disapproving conversation with himself. Or at least he thought it was to himself. “If he was a prophet he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is – that she is a sinner.” His internal dialogue is in the form of a conditional sentence and implies a.) Jesus ain’t a prophet and b.) He has no clue that a whore is touching him.”

Jesus answers him. That is awesome. Simon hadn’t spoken out loud but Jesus knows his thoughts and says, “Simon my boy, let me tell you something.” What is it? Is the literal translation. It’s polite but not really encouraging.

Jesus tells this little story about two debtors who were forgiven of their debts. One five hundred denarii, the other fifty (which was about a days wages for a laborer) It didn’t take a great deal of insight to recognize which one would love the benefactor more. Yet Simon’s reply was somewhat grudging, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.”

Then comes the application. Jesus turns to the woman and asks Simon, Do you see this woman? Did he? It is an interesting point. You see, I believe that the reason Jesus asks this question is that Simon could not see the woman as she was because he was looking at her as she had been.” Jesus proceeds to contrast her attitude with that of his host.

It now comes out that, thought Simon had invited Jesus to his home, he had not given him the treatment due to a honored guests. The host was supposed to provide water for his guest’s feet. Jesus didn’t get this courtesy but he did have his feet washed with the woman’s tears. The guest was supposed to welcome him with a kiss – but no kiss from the host. He did get his feet kissed from the whore. And Jesus points out that Simon didn’t even anoint his head with the cheap stuff, the common olive oil which was so plentiful, but this woman, this “terrible” woman had anointed his feet with the perfume which was rare and costly.

Jesus then goes on to tell Simon that the woman’s sins are forgiven. He doesn’t gloss over the sins – he says many sins. Look at the words in verse 47 for she loved much. Jesus is not saying that the woman’s action had earned forgiveness, not even her love had earned it. Jump down to verse 50. Your faith has saved you. This is proof that she had already had an encounter with Jesus and had already been forgiven. The anointing was her response to God’s grace. Her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love.

I love what Jesus says to Simon and to (listen to me) to all of us, “He who has been forgiven little, loves little.” Jesus is saying that the reason we have such a hard time showing love to him and to the woman is because we have not been forgiven very much.

Of course the other guest apparently miss this point and start discussing whether Jesus can even forgive sins or not. Jesus, in classic fashion, totally ignores the “religious” ones and keeps his attention on the one who had her attention in the right place. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace. This is important because it shows us that our love for God and for others is the consequence, not the cause of our salvation.

Most translations say, “go in peace.” This is too bad. The Greek is literally, “go into peace’ Go in peace was something rabbi’s said when they were bidding farewell to the dead. To the living they would say, “go into peace.”

This woman had a brand new life of love ahead of her and Jesus told her to go get after it.

Usually, I make points in my sermons. Or at least I try to.

Today I don’t have any points. I do have some questions though. I believe that we cannot read this passage, dissect and dig into this passage like we’ve done without asking ourselves a few questions. And not just asking questions either. We must answer them. These questions demand an answer.

Let’s start with the last question and work back to the first question and then back to the last question. Sound confusing enough for you? Good.

How Big Is My Love?

Well before we can answer that we must ask another question. Just as Jesus pointed out in the story, you can’t talk about loving Jesus and loving others without talking about forgiveness. The size of our love is directly proportionate to the size of our forgiveness. Which begs the question:

How big was my forgiveness?

Now before we answer that we must answer another question. How big was my debt.

II. How Big Was My Debt?

You see just as the size of our love is directly proportionate to the size of our forgiveness, the size of our forgiveness is directly proportionate to the size of our debt.

So how much did you owe? How much did you owe the bank? Think about that for a minute. Better yet think about that every minute. Don’t ever forget your debt. For those of us who have accepted God’s grace and have been saved by it we must not ever forget that the debt that Jesus cancelled was not a small debt, not a medium debt, not a large debt, but rather a supersize debt. Just like there is no way I could ever drink this much liquid in a single setting there is not way I could, or you could, or anyone could ever repay God what was owed. The debt was too big.

We have Churches filled with people who think that they don’t have much to be forgiven for. We think that stand in front of the king too proud to bow. When the trumpet sounds our plan is to toot our own horn.

Some us might say well I don’t sin that much? I don’t need that much forgiveness. You and I sin all the time. Turn in your Bibles to Exodus 20:17. This is the 10th Commandment. You see you might not murder, or lie or steal, or commit adultery or disrespect your parents. Those are all external things. People can witness us murder or catch us in a lie. We can get caught stealing or having an affair. The first 9 commandments are internal. Not the tenth. That is a matter of the heart. And that is the one sin that all of us can’t hide. Just like Jesus knew Simon’s thoughts, He knows our thoughts. We covet all the time. A commercial comes on. The guy in front of us gets the green and we get the red light. Guys you see a woman walk by who is younger, hipper and doesn’t have a Capri sun punch drink squirted all over her blouse and sticky kids stuck to her sides and you covet. Ladies your in a restaurant and you watch a man pull the chair out for his wife your husband just pulled his cell phone out to accept a business call on “your” first date night in six months – you covet. Every commercial we see, every promotion we miss, every time we read about the guy who won 85 million in the lottery – we covet. Romans 7:8 says it best – “But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire.”

And if it is not coveting it is something else. The bible makes it crystal clear. Romans 3:23 states: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

When you are asking yourself “How Big Your Debt Was” I want you to think about the Grand Canyon. You see it’s like the Grand Canyon. Let’s say _________, and ___________, and __________, and I went to the Grand Canyon. We all took off running for the edge attempting to jump across the Grand Canyon. Well maybe ________ jumps farther than ____________ and _________ jumps twice as far as I do. It doesn’t matter. Because we all are going to fall short. And not just a little short. Impossible short.
You see, that shortfall is what we owed God. Without Grace we end up in the bottom of the canyon. Dead. We could try as hard as we wanted but it doesn’t matter. Our sins are too big and too many and too deadly. No matter how righteous we are we aren’t righteous enough.

We need to quit faking it. We need to quit forgetting that our debt was huge. We don’t need to become prostitutes and then ask for grace to realize the supersize of our sins. Whether we are the sinful lady or the snotty leader we can’t cover the check of sin. We all have insufficient funds.

And once we realize how big our debt was we can begin to appreciate the vastness of our forgiveness.

III. How Big Was My Forgiveness?

If thinking about the Grand Canyon will help us get our arms around our debt then thinking about Golgotha’s Cross will help us to begin to take in the amazing depth of the fathers love for us.

We just spent twelve weeks on the cross so I’m not going to going into great detail on the forgiveness that God so lavishly gave to us on the cross. I do want you to take a minute to listen to the words of a song and contemplate the question “How Big Was My Forgiveness? Now this might be a bit uncomfortable for some of us. We like to sit back and watch on Sunday’s. We’ve been working all week and we don’t want to think about such tough stuff. It might not be easy, but then again neither was the cross. We love to say, “When He was on the cross I was on his mind.” Well let’s not forget that while we were on his mind our sins were sins were on his back? Think about how much God forgave us on that cross as we listen to the words of this song.

Play the song How Deep the Father’s Love For Us.

His wounds paid my ransom. That is the depth of God’s love for us. Wounds that marred the chosen one bring many sons to glory. That is the completeness of his forgiveness.

When we realize how big our debt was we can begin to understand how much we have been forgiven. When we truly understand just how much we have been forgiven we can then and only then begin to love Jesus and others as we should.

The religious guy, Simon didn’t get it. The town whore did. One is full of conceit and one is full of contrition. The best the church going guy could muster up was a small cup of respect for the Son of God and a large cup of rejection for the sinful woman.

I wonder, do we ever do the same? You see we hate to do it, but we have to do it and that is ask the tough question.

IV. How Big Is My Love?

How big is my love for what? You might see it as a two part question? How big is my love for Jesus? How big is my love for others? It’s not a two part question. Look at this verse: “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Jesus with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’
Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When you spend time this week contemplating how big your love is I want you to think about the Great Commandment. That is the standard. That is the type of love that comes as a result of being connected to Jesus the vine.

I have some real fruit up here. And I have some fake fruit. Its plastic fruit. Now from a distance it might be hard to tell which is the real and which is fake. How could you tell which is real and which is fake? You could hold it. You could smell it. You could cut into it. You could put it into an oven. Baked apple – good. Baked plastic apple – bad. No not just bad. We’ve all smelled burnt plastic. It’s horrible.

Church when our love is not real but rather fake, when our love is small, when our love is not the supersize love that God created us to have it is a stench in his nose. God will not be pleased but rather disgusted. You see God created us to produce fruit. And the first fruit of the Spirit is a first fruit of the Spirit. A byproduct. When we realize how much we’ve been forgiven and how enormous our debt was we will produce the fruit of love. And we won’t be content with just any kind of love. We will ask God to develop in us an order of love and we will say, “make that supersize”

Lisa Laurent was having a discussion with two of our members and was describing life in the Bay Area from her point of view. She said, “we are all caught up in own stuff. We too busy with all the details of our lives to have deep relationships. Instead we just settle for superficial ones. We are so busy that we miss the fullness that loving relationships bring to our lives. She said, and I quote, “We are getting ripped off.” Lisa visited other Bay Area churches before coming to Redwood Church and she found that the culture in the church was not much different from outside of the church. In fact her experience at one church caused her coin a new term for superficial, fake love. She called it, “acquaintance contentment” I was so struck by that comment that I called the people she was talking to and then contacted her. In the course of the conversation she shared with me that prior to coming to Redwood Church she was “church hoping” in search of a church that loved each other and interacted on a deeper level. I asked her how we compared to the other churches she visited and I loved her reply, and I quote, “we were hugely better” Hugely better – I’ll take an order of love – Make that Huge!

V. Response
Most every week we invite people to respond. Today is going to be different. People will respond. I have set this microphone up here for anyone who wants to come forward and just simply tell someone else in the church that they love them. You don’t need to make a long, eloquent speech. You don’t need to go into details if you haven’t always felt that way but if you did that would be ok too. You see a lot of the time we are just like the “religious” leader and we miss an opportunity to express our love. Maybe we are embarrassed, maybe we don’t want be real. Maybe it’s pride. Maybe it is a hard heart. Maybe we are too self-centered to love on Jesus. Maybe we are content with being acquaintances with Jesus and one another but we don’t want to experience real love. Maybe we have forgotten the size of our forgiveness or the size of our debt.

When was the last time you told Claud Dunn that you love him. Maybe you’ve thought about it and just haven’t had the time. You do now. Worse yet, maybe you haven’t even thought about it because you’ve been so busy. You have the time now.

You see Jesus is calling us to open our hearts to him and express our love to him. How we do that best is by opening our hearts to others and by expressing our love to others.

So the microphone is up here. Come on up and tell someone you love them.


We just had church. I don’t know about you, but fake fruit doesn’t fill me up. That was real fruit. That was real love. That was not just acquaintance contentment. That was hugely better. That was some supersize love. Praise God.

Remember the words of Jesus, her many sins have been forgiven – for she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

In a moment we are going to stand and sing. Jesus is here with us. We have a choice. We can focus on the sins of others or we can focus on holiness of God. We can worry about what people are thinking about our worship, about our singing, and we can miss an opportunity to express our love. Or we can be just like that sinful, yet forgiven woman and we can bend down with hearts empty of pride and eyes filled with tears and we can pledge our love anew to Jesus.

He Had A Dream

The following is Rick Warren's Dream and Vision he had for Saddleback. As God is preparing me for a church plant I draw so much encouragement from this dream. Not even so much from the dream - but from his ability to allow God to use him and thousands of others to execute the daily details neccessary to turn it into a reality.

Check out this vision:

The Saddleback Vision
From Pastor Rick’s first sermon, March 30,1980



It is the dream of a place where the hurting, the drepressed, the frustrated, and the confused can find love, acceptance, help, hope, forgiveness, guidance, and encouragement.
It is the dream of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the hundreds of thousands of residents in south Orange County.
It is the dream of welcoming 20,000 members into the fellowship of our church family-loving, learning, laughing, and living in harmony together.
It is the dream of developing people to spiritual maturity through Bible studies, small groups, seminars, retreats, and a Bible school for our members.
It is the dream of equipping every believer for a significant ministry by helping them discover the gifts and talents God gave them.
It is the dream of sending out hundreds of career missionaries and church workers all around the world, and empowering every member for a personal life mission in the world. It is the dream of sending our members by the thousands on short-term mission projects to every continent. It is the dream of starting at least one new daughter church every year.
It is the dream of at least fifty acres of land, on which will be built a regional church for south Orange County-with beautiful, yet simple, facilities including a worship center seating thousands, a counseling and prayer center, classrooms for Bible studies and training lay ministers, and a recreation area. All of this will be designed to minister to the local person-spiritually, emotionally physically, and socially-and set in a peaceful, inspiring garden landscape.
I stand before you today and state in confident assurance that these dreams will become reality. Why? Because they are inspired by God.

Happy Birthday Laura!

Today is Laura's 14th Birthday. God is gracious . . . Laura's birthday fell on the one Sunday in the past 6 months when there is NO NFL football. Not that Laura was in need of some Mom & Dad time . . . she has been with her friends for the past 50+ hours . . . something about being a teenager?

So while she is doing the "teen" thing I will do the "parent" thing and brag on my princess.

Laura is a beautiful blend of lovely looks and perky personality. She is, as every 8th grade girl is, a roller coaster of emotion. She can be sweet and sour. (Can you tell I'm hungry for a little Chinese food?) Laura makes brilliant grades and makes you mad. She loves God and boys (sometimes not in that order) and knows that God and boys love her.


Laura brings our family so much joy and we praise God that she is a big part of our lives. That is when she is not on her cell phone, playing basketball, practicing for track, instant messaging, sleeping over at a friends, doing homework, sleeping, doing her makeup (not too much), or straightening her hair.

We cherish those 3.1 minutes a day.

Laura, you're my princess and I love you.
Happy Birthday!

PS, "Little boys are the devil!"

Saturdays: Painting, Nails

Laura, her two friends Kate and Shelbi, and Emily got their "nails" done today at the mall. Laura used most of her birthday money from family to pay for all four manicures. They were so excited. I went to visit them during this special time of painting but couldn't stay long. I don't know whether it was the fumes (so toxic they make Three Mile Island smell rosey), OR the sound of grinders, mini fans, and Oriental cross room conversation, OR the fact that dudes don't hang out at these places, that caused me to last about five minutes. Anyway, I went and did the "manly" thing and bought a sodering iron at Radio Shack.

I got to thinking today (insert your own "bout time" comment here) . . . you say "painting nails" to a guy and their minds drift to a Kelly Moore gallon paint can and a 3" common nail. You say "painting nails" to a girl and they think of french manicures and cutting cuticles.

Okay, it is official . . . My blogs are the most boring on the web!

Yo! What It Is?

What an eventful night tonight was. Amazing.

Okay, here is the deal:

Laura had her birthday party tonight at the Ambassador Suites (we got this from an school auction). There is a long story here that I will try to keep short (short is relative, remember that). So it is her, Kim, and two friends having a blast. Emily, John and I went out to eat. About 9:30pm I have to bring Kim stuff to spend the night. (She wasn't supposed to be staying but the other two chaperones couldn't stay - two words: projectile puking - I told you this was a long story) So Emily and I bring her a suitcase of essentials, Emily takes a free dip in the pool with Laura and her friends, and Laura invites Emily to stay the night (which was really cool of Laura) and then invites me to go to IHop with her and the girls (which was even cooler!).

So off we go to IHop for dessert. This is where the real fun begins!

We enjoy a gigle filled desset in the ashtray known as IHop. We make our way back out my car. We get in and make the quarter mile trip back to the hotel. I drop them off and as Kim gets out of the car she realizes her purse is missing.

Her purse is missing!

I make a b-line to IHop, scan the parking lot, talk to the savy staff of the fine eating extablishment known as IHop but to no avail. I return to the hotel and begin the joyous task of informing police, canceling cell phone service (remember that little detail) and credit cards. I, of course had tried to call Kim's phone which was, of course, in her purse earlier, but to no avial. We'll I'm on the phone with Sprint (a way longer story) and I ask Laura's friend, Shelbi to try Kim's phone one more time. She does it but better than I did. She uses call blocking on her phone (man these kids are smart!) and it is ringing so she hands it to me and, I can't believe this, some moron answers the phone and says, "Yo! What it is?" I immediately hand my cell phone to Kim to finish up with Sprint and begin to deal with the culprits. I tell them there is a reward, ask them where they are, arrange to meet them, run the girls down to the car and call the cops on the way (all in about 5 minutes). So anyway, (this story turned into a long one) we meet them, get the purse back, only a ring (Shelbi's - $9.00 value) was missing - everything else was there.

Needless to say, this was an eventful night to say the least.

And that . . . is what it is!

Foul Job Prowl

I had a job interview today. . .

At Chicken Express!

Is that awesome or what?

For those of you who don't know, Chicken Express is this fast food place that serves up some mean fried chicken. So . . .

So here is the punchline - In one day - the very same day - I was treated ($4.41) to free food and really made some forward progress on my job hunt.

And what a job hunt it has been.

I have felt like Keith trying to win American Idol the past four months as I've searched for employment.

But throughout this prolonged and painful path I've picked up a few "life lessons" that I want to share the millions who are reading this blog.

1. Humility is not something you're born with, but you needn't worry - you'll pick plenty up if you live long enough.

2. Specific prayers are fine, but it still comes down to "Father knows best" so if you are praying for such and such and God says, "you'll get the so and so instead" - guess what? Get ready for the so and so.

3. Having a family and friends who will pray for you (really pray and not just say flippantly, "Ill pray for you, blah, blah, blah...) is worth more than 99% of what we usually are asking our team of prayer warriors to be praying for in the first place.

4. You will not die if you don't eat out at least once a week. You might "whine to death" but the cause of death will be your pampered attitude and not the lack of steak.

5. Most men find a large portion of their self value in their job. I still don't have a job but I have a wife who loves me no matter what and that my friends is worth more than any job.

Don't Pass on the Passion

The following is the first of many thoughts I will post about the upcoming movie The Passion of Christ.

This movie will be the most amazing movie ever. Ever. I guarantee it. I have not seen it but I've talked with those who have and they are not the same because of it.

Check out what Paul Harvey is saying:

Paul Harvey Comments on "The Passion" by Mel Gibson

Paul Harvey's words:

I really did not know what to expect. I was thrilled to have been invited to a private viewing of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion," but I had also read all the cautious articles and spin. I grew up in a Jewish town and owe much of my own faith journey to the influence. I have a life long, deeply held aversion to anything that might even indirectly encourage any form of anti-Semitic thought, language or actions.

I arrived at the private viewing for "The Passion," held in Washington, DC and greeted some familiar faces. The environment was typically Washingtonian, with people greeting you with a smile but seeming to look beyond you, having an agenda beyond the words. The film was very briefly introduced, without fanfare, and then the room darkened. From the gripping opening scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the very human and tender portrayal of the earthly ministry of Jesus, through the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the way of the cross, the encounter with the thieves, the surrender on the Cross, until the final scene in the empty tomb, this was not simply a movie; it was an encounter, unlike anything I have ever experienced.

In addition to being a masterpiece of film-making and an artistic triumph, "The Passion" evoked more deep reflection, sorrow and emotional reaction within me than anything since my wedding, my ordination or the birth of my children. Frankly, I will never be the same. When the film concluded, this "invitation only" gathering of "movers and shakers" in Washington, DC were shaking indeed, but this time from sobbing. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the place. The crowd that had been glad-handing before the film was now eerily silent. No one could speak because words were woefully inadequate. We had experienced a kind of art that is a rarity in life, the kind that makes heaven touch earth.

One scene in the film has now been forever etched in my mind. A brutalized, wounded Jesus was soon to fall again under the weight of the cross. His mother had made her way along the Via Della Rosa. As she ran to him, she flashed back to a memory of Jesus as a child, falling in the dirt road outside of their home. Just as she reached to protect him from the fall, she was now reaching to touch his wounded adult face. Jesus looked at her with intensely probing and passionately loving eyes (and at all of us through the screen) and said "Behold I make all things new." These are words taken from the last Book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelations. Suddenly, the purpose of the pain was so clear and the wounds, that earlier in the film had been so difficult to see in His face, His back, indeed all over His body, became intensely beautiful. They had been borne voluntarily for love.

At the end of the film, after we had all had a chance to recover, a question and answer period ensued. The unanimous praise for the film, from a rather diverse crowd, was as astounding as the compliments were effusive. The questions included the one question that seems to follow this film, even though it has not yet even been released. "Why is this film considered by some to be 'anti-Semitic?" Frankly, having now experienced (you do not "view" this film) "the Passion" it is a question that is impossible to answer. A law professor whom I admire sat in front of me. He raised his hand and responded "After watching this film, I do not understand how anyone can insinuate that it even remotely presents that the Jews killed Jesus. It doesn't." He continued "It made me realize that my sins killed Jesus" I agree. There is not a scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in this powerful film. If there were, I would be among the first to decry it. It faithfully tells the Gospel story in a dramatically beautiful, sensitive and profoundly engaging way. Those who are alleging otherwise have either not seen the film or have another agenda behind their protestations. This is not a "Christian" film, in the sense that it will appeal only to those who identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a deeply human, beautiful story that will deeply touch all men and women. It is a profound work of art. Yes, its producer is a Catholic Christian and thankfully has remained faithful to the Gospel text; if that is no longer acceptable behavior than we are all in trouble. History demands that we remain faithful to the story and Christians have a right to tell it. After all, we believe that it is the greatest story ever told and that its message is for all men and women. The greatest right is the right to hear the truth.

We would all be well advised to remember that the Gospel narratives to which "The Passion" is so faithful were written by Jewish men who followed a Jewish Rabbi whose life and teaching have forever changed the history of the world. The problem is not the message but those who have distorted it and used it for hate rather than love. The solution is not to censor the message, but rather to promote the kind of gift of love that is Mel Gibson's filmmaking masterpiece, "The Passion." It should be seen by as many people as possible. I intend to do everything I can to make sure that is the case. I am passionate about "The Passion."

Please copy this and send it on to all your friends to let them know about this film so that all go see it when it comes out.


By the way - I just found this out: Mel Gilbson stated he did not appear in his own movie, by his choice, with one exception: It is Gibson's hands seen nailing Jesus to the cross. Gibson said he wanted to do that because it was indeed his own hands that nailed Jesus to the cross (along with all of ours.)

Religion or Revolution?

Check out this quote from Erwin McManus:

“His invitation is to join an uprising. If we choose to follow Him, there will be within us a revolution of the soul. He will do nothing less than translate us from a kingdom of emptiness into His kingdom where we will begin to live in a new reality." “...The way of God is the path of servanthood. It was all about service. The invitation was to be like the Son who only came to serve. This is not about religion; it is about revolution. Paul reminds us, ‘For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.’ (Gal. 5:6)” (Erwin Raphael McManus, Uprising, pp. 250-252)

Earaser Education

Today I hung out with people that Jesus hung out with while He walked this earth.

I am substitute teaching for AISD and today I worked in Special Ed.

The name of the class said it all.

I learned a lot and it was truly special.

Working with a 19 year old who can't tell the difference between the short hand and the long hand of the clock is not something I do everyday. Helping a 15 year old learn the alphabet is not part of my daily routine. Shooting hoops with a Down Syndrome girl who will never make a shot is not common for me. But this is how I spent my day.

It was amazing.

Jeff told me, "I'm coming home with you Mr. Q so we can play."

Lianna smiled at me everytime I told her to stop picking her lips.

Joseph said I was the biggest guy he'd ever seen.

Adam had me watch him eat his last French fry and then he celebrated the simple fact he'd finished all his fries.

Martin gave me his eraser.

I got paid money to do this. I was the educator. But it was the students who were both the reward and the teacher.

I hate to even admit this, but I have used the term "retarded" in the past. I've joked about riding the "short bus." I've even imitated the behavior of a special student.

Never again.

Thanks Martin for the eraser.

Idol Idolatry

American Idol is back! My life is now complete.

Seriously, I love this show. I don't exactly know why but it is the only show I watch on TV. Our family has a prize pool and we all pick whom we think will win. Last year, David won the prize by picking Ruben. John came in second for picking Clay but didn't win anything because second place is, well, second place.

You have to be wary of a minister whose favorite show on TV has the word "idol" in it. You can bet Moses wouldn't be a fan. But hey, I've never killed a slave either.

Master Mind?

I had my first day of full time Masters classes today. in a word: WOW!

For the next 16 weeks Mondays will mean Church Administration. My professor is Dr. David Wray and he is a great man (he is not going to read this so I can say it without sucking up) whom has the spiritual gift of administration.

Here is one of four books that we are reading for the course:

Advanced Strategic Planning - Aubrey Malphurs


I am anticipating gainging important insights from this book and the course in general. I'll keep you posted.

Tight Pants & Other Sins on the Flesh

I wore tight pants to church today.

Super tight. Disco tight. Airport Security workers tight.

I knew they were tight, but I wore them anyway. Did I think they would stretch and become less tight? No. Did I expect to lose 15 pounds during church? No.

Then why did I wear them? Because I thought it wouldn't bother me.

It did. I fidgeted with my pants more than most ballplayers do as they come to the plate. I looked like a 3rd base coach giving the signal to the batter - yanking on my belt and pulling down my legs. It was a disturbing scene. Suffice it to say. It really bothered me.

Isn't sin like my tight pants? (Or is it - wearing those tight pants a sin?)

Seriously. Do you ever do things that you know are wrong and yet you don't expect to feel that bad as a result of doing them and yet you do?

When I crack a joke at someone elses expense it disturbs me. I do it anyway.

When I procrastanate on a project it bothers me yet I still play the procrastination game.

I told myself that I'm never wearing those tight pants again . . . the same thing I told myself last time I wore those pants.

Do you have anything in your life that just doesn't fit? Don't do what I did today - hang them back in your closet - get rid of it.

Make a call to the "Salvation" Army and ask God to take it.

And be clothed with Christ.

Call Me "Pa"

I can't believe I just posted a "pro-house-chores" blog.

Man, I'm getting old.

Don't Be Hate'n

I did housework today. Didn't mind at all.

When I was a kid I did housework. Hated it with a passion.

Same chores, different attitudes. What's up with that?

Some would call it growing up. Some would call it pride of ownership. Some would call it the evolution of an attitude (ok, I don't know who would call it evolution of an attitude - and I just made up that term and have never heard it used before but I'm sure some would call it that nonetheless) but I'm calling it something different.

Stewardship from the perspective of a parent.

As a kid you have stuff that you "recieved" from someone else. You don't "give" a lot of stuff away.

When a parent gives something to a kid, especially if it is very valuable, they want to see the child take care of it. At least Kim and I do.

God feels the same way.

God gave us a house and today I took care of it. I know how good I feel when I see my kids take good care of the things we give them.

I'm confident that God feels the same way.

The Eighteen Year Plan

I graduated today. No, I'm not kidding. I finished something I began 18 years ago.

And it feels great.

It is ironic that I left before finishing to do youth ministry ('91) and then came back to finish ('95) but left again for youth ministry and finally came back to get a degree in youth ministry after I have decided that I'm not supposed to be doing youth ministry any more? It is ironic that I graduated 13 years after I should have and my favorite number is 13. It is ironic that for years I was looking for a wife at ACU and had about a 1.4 G.P.A. and since I've been married my G.P.A. is 3.89.

I returned to ACU in August of 2003 and if you had asked me a month before if I was coming to Texas I would have looked at you like you were crazy. The same scenario as in 87.

I made a 4.0 in my last four classes and if it sounds like I'm bragging I am. I was a terrible student and am living proof that people can and do change.

But I didn't do it alone.

The following have helped my more than I could ever say and more than they will ever know.

Bob Strader, Bob Gomez, Bill Ranikin, Steve Weathers, David Wray, the late Jim Mankin, and Bill Teague are just a few of the faculty who took a huge interest in me.

Mitch Wilburn, Grant Boone, Phil Schubert, Alan Ross, Paul Schulze, Ty Lovell, & Kyle Conway were true friends who I would fall on a sword for still today.

My mom and grandma were sour on the idea of me going to school at first but ended up being big fans of mine.

Bill and Virda Stevens gave in ways that they wouldn't want me talking about.

But it was my bride, my babe, Kim who believed in me the most. Thanks Kim for loving me every step of the way.

I'm beginning my Masters in a few days. I'm going to spend the weekend celebrating (read, doing odd jobs around the house and eating steak on Sunday) and then it is back to work on Monday. Hopefully this degree won't take 18 years.

Puke Warn?

I struggle with putting others first. I wound'nt call myself selffish but I wouldn't call myself sacrificial either. I guess you could say that I'm lukewarm. Which as I'm studing Revelation this week I found out why John used the term lukewarm to describe the church in Laodecia. Check this out:

An aqueduct brought some of their water 6 or 7 miles from Colossae. The water that came up in a spring in Colossae was icy cold. But by the time it had flowed down the 6 or 7 miles of the aqueduct it was lukewarm, and not nearly so refreshing to drink on a hot day.

The other source of water was from hot water springs in Hierapolis, water heated by volcanic activity. By the time this hot water was brought to Laodicea it had cooled off along the way and was lukewarm and no good for bathing in.

Now the same was spiritually true of the church. The Lord Jesus says of them "You are lukewarm". To be lukewarm means to be half and half. Half hot, half cold. Such a person is half-hearted towards Christ. A fence-straddler. One foot in the world, one foot in the church. Someone with no zeal, no fire, no passion and no heat.

Did you hear about the company that makes blank car stickers? They're for people who don't want to get involved. Well these would have gone down well in the church at Laodicea.

Someone with no zeal and enthusiasm is likely to be disappointed with their school report!

Well these LUKEWARM Laodicean Christians were about to get what they deserved.

So what does Jesus wish for these Christians?

"I wish you were one or the other"

Why does Christ say this? Because the negative effect of a lukewarm Christian upon unbelievers is devastating. A lukewarm Christian is the worst advertisement for Christianity. When a lost person sees a lukewarm Christian who is worldly he reasons "Why do I ever need to get saved? If this is what being a Christian is all about then I don’t need Christianity. He’s no different from me."

What is Jesus threatening to do?

So what does the risen Lord Jesus say about this respectable, nominal religiosity which is fairly widespread in Britain today. "You make me sick," says Jesus. I hate your lukewarmness. I want disciples who will go all the way with me. And he threatens to spit them out, to pull out their candlestick and close them down as a church, make them extinct.

You see God is not some boring accountant in heaven putting little ticks in a book when you do good things and crosses in a book when you do bad things. He’s not running this universe in some cold calculated way. He is someone with deep emotions; passionate zeal and a loving heart. The Lord wants to have a personal intimate relationship with us. But a lack of heart and enthusiasm for him by a so-called Christian is utterly repugnant to him.

We have seen many churches close down in this land in the last 50 years. Many have closed because the bulk of their members became lukewarm and lost their fire for God list the chief purpose of existence of their churches, so God has made them extinct.

What has caused this lukewarmness?

"You say I am rich, I have acquired wealth and don’t need a thing."

Remember this was the city that turned down offers of help after the earthquake of AD 60 almost destroyed the town. The Laodiceans were plagued with worldliness, materialism and a smug self-sufficiency. Here were people absorbed with climbing the social ladder, getting better and better homes, smart travelling gear, the 1st century equivalent to a zippy car. Advancing their career. Getting ahead in the world. The latest fashion styles, buying things.

But then Jesus goes on

"You do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."

This city and church that thought themselves rich and in need of nothing is – says Jesus – Wretched pitiful and poor. Materially rich, spiritually poor. What a contrast to the church at Smyrna, materially poor, spiritually rich.
The city that prided themselves on their medical school and eye salve, were, according to the all seeing one Jesus spiritually blind.
The church in the city that prided themselves on their highly fashionable black woollen garments was in fact spiritually naked.
They were living in a fool’s paradise, proud of a church that was about to be sicked up by Jesus.

I came across something on the internet by someone called Bo Dunford about how to know if you are lukewarm. He gave three tests:

1) WHEN SIN DOESN'T BOTHER YOU! When you first got saved, sin bothered you!
IF it doesn't bother you to miss church services, pray, study your Bible, tithe of your income,etc. it's because you're lukewarm!

2) WHEN SATAN DOESN'T BATTLE YOU!
When you're lukewarm, Satan doesn't battle you!

3)WHEN LOST SOULS DOESN'T BURDEN YOU!
There use to be a time you were concerned over people going to hell, now youre not! You've lost your burden for souls! You're lukewarm concerning the lostness of the lost.

For years Monterey in California was a wonderful place for Pelicans. The fishing grounds off California were rich with anchovita and other fish. The fishermen caught many and threw many away. Gradually the birds learned just to feed on the scraps the fishermen threw away. It was so much easier than fishing for themselves. But with the increasing effects of El Nino and the decline of the cold Humbolt current flowing northwards up the western coast of America the fish stocks became depleted and the canneries started shutting down. Then the Pelicans got into trouble and began to die off because they had forgotten how to work hard fishing for their food.

What could be done to rescue these Pelicans? Finally environmentalists figured out a way to keep them from becoming extinct. They imported pelicans from another area, ones that were used to hunting every day and mixed them with the local birds. It worked. The newcomers immediately started fishing for their own food and it wasn’t long before the starving pelicans followed their example and learned to fish for themselves.

4. Yet…

So what advice does Jesus have for the church that’s heading for extinction? Three things

1. Buy from me gold refined in the fire.

There is some irony in these words. You who are rich in things which will burned up on my day of judgement of your lives need to buy from me now things that will not be destroyed.

As William Shakespeare wrote

If thou art rich, thou art poor, for like an ass whose back with ingots bows, thou bearest thy heavy riches but a journey, and death unloads thee.

In 1 Peter 1:7 Peter describes the effect of trials on the Christian with these words

"These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed."

2. Buy from me white clothes to wear

The Laodiceans did not need the sleek black wool of the Jet set. Rather they needed to be clothed white clothes –the garments that would make them holy.

3. Buy from me eye salve so that you can see.

This church was spiritually blind; they could not see reality. They were living in a fool’s paradise, proud of a church that was about to be rejected. The Apostle Peter teaches that when a Christian believer is not growing in the Lord his vision is affected. This church was blind to the lost world all around them. They might have been enjoying the meetings, but it was having little impact on the remainder of their lives. They might have been enjoying the comfort and security of the building, nice seats, jolly worship times, interesting sermons and testimonies, but they really wern’t worried about those around them heading off to a lost eternity.

You think you are getting ahead in the world, but you’re spiritually broke.

You think you are well dressed, but you’re naked.

You think you’ve got 20/20 vision, but you’re wretchedly blind.

You think you’re happy, but behind your plastic smiles, you’re miserable.

A promise
"Those who I love I rebuke and discipline."

There are few more tender declarations of God’s love for wandering wayward humankind than this verse. They might have been drifting further and further from God, but still he loved them.

Proverbs 3:11, 12 says

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline

And do not resent his rebuke,

Because the Lord disciplines those he loves

As a father the son he delights in.

That verse is quoted in Hebrews 12 verse 6 where the greek verb for love is agape the verb for Christian love.

Here in Revelation 3: the verb used by Jesus for those who he disciplines is phileo. It is a softer, more tender more human than the verb used in the original proverb. It is only once used elsewhere in the New Testament in John 16:27 which says

"The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." This verse then is an unexpected declaration of love for those who least deserve such love. And it was because he loved them that he was going to rebuke and chasten them. Kindness and firmness were mingled. Repent. Turn round from lukewarmness to wholeheartedness. Repent of your preoccupation with your career, your house, your family your recreations or whatever else.

Get refocussed on Me, turn your life around, and get on fire for me again. Rekindle your heart toward me before I have to discipline you.
He who has ears, let him hear
To him who conquers I will…

I will give you the right to sit on my throne.

Wanna be a king? Wanna sit on the throne? Depend on Jesus. Serve like Jesus. Love like Jesus.

I am trying to put others first.

Father Knows Best

Ok, here is where I've applied and what I think is the status of my application:

Outback Steak House . . . . . . . . . . . . They've thrown it outback.
Lytle Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . They've fed it to the cattle.
Cypress Street restaurant . . . . . . . . . "Hit the street punk!"
Abilene School District . . . . . . . . . . . . "Go back to school!"
Enterprise Rent-a-car . . . . . . . . . . . . "We'll pick you up later"
UPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "See what brown ain't gonna do for you."
Betty Rose's BBQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Ain't no Californian gonna BBQ here."

And those are just a few.

It's tough but I will keep my head up.

I'm sure God is going to come through with the perfect job at the perfect time. To quote from my new favorite movie, Bruce Almighty:

"Since when does anyone have a clue about what they want anyways."

Father knows best.

Cold, Old & on Hold!

This morning it is a whopping 17 degrees outside. Being from California . . . I'm freezing!

Class was wonderful yesterday. My son John sits next to me. Two kids from Kim and my youth ministry sit next to us. Next door a kid who was in our ministry in Tomball is getting his masters. He is a preacher in Nebraska. Severval of our former interns are taking classes this short course as well. I say all this to say . . .

Man, I'm getting old.

Still no luck on the job search. It seems that God is content with keeping me completely dependant and humble. But what do I know? Since when have I been able to figure out what God is up to? I'm just the kid in the back seat on the road trip of life with the most wonderful Heavenly Father. He is turning around saying, "Trust me (I keep asking if He knows where He is going - or better yet, where He is taking me) and He just says, get along with your brothers and sisters and leave the driving to me."

I've spent a lifetime trying to tell others to "trust and obey". Today I wish there was "some other way. . ."

Victory!

This morning I start a one week class on Revelation. For a great Revelation website go to www.centerce.org. It is really amazing.

For a great site of Revelation illustrations check this out. www.revelationillustrated.com.

I'm excited about this class. It has a very special meaning for me. It is ironic that it is on the book of Revelation. For those who know me well you will get this if you just think about it.

Victory!

The Heat and the Kitchen

Going to Highland is like going to an all you can eat buffet. I come away every Sunday spiritually stuffed. Mike Cope prepares the gospel like a great chef grills a good steak. He doesn't cover the message up with a bunch of fancy stuff, doesn't go too long or too short; he serves it up with the right side dishes (humor and heart) and I gobble it up every Sunday.

This Sunday was a bit different than the usual Sunday. I don't leave the auditorium with chest pains every Sunday. I was blessed to have bumped into my doctor in the aisle on the way out to the aitrium so he checked me over and gave me the following prognoises:

Stress, fatigue, anxiety, but not a heart problem.

I disagree (tongue in cheek).

Stress, fatigue, and anxiety are all symptons of a heart that is not fulling trusting Jesus.

I came home from church determined to lean on God, relax, and trust him for a job. Within 5 minutes at home our stove caught on fire, yeah - the kind that you have to bust out the fire extinguisher for - that one. Praise God Laura saw it and Kim was there to talk me through it. I was a mess. In the heat of the moment (bad pun) I forgot to pull the little pin in the fire extinguisher. Kim keeps her cool in the big crisies of of life - it is when she sees a 1/8" spider that she loses her mind. Needless to say (then why am I saying it), the event didn't help my stress.

But here I am, relaxed and writing. God is good. Of course I don't know if I would still be singing his praises if this afternoon I was in the hospital after having a heart attack or at a friends house because mine burnt to the ground. I'd like to think I would.

No Napping

The Boones came over tonight for some football, fellowship, and food. Basically it was a conspiracy of Grant's and mine to get our families together so we could watch the playoffs.

Grant Boone is one of two people who had the biggest impact on me in college. Mitch Wilburn is the other. Grant single handedly helped me stop cussing. Which, as he would tell you, was no small feat.

Because I am a die hard 49er fan I love watching the Cowboys lose (Sorry Mitch) but I must admit I'm a huge Bill Parcells fan. I just finished listening to his post game interview during which he said the following, "I will not rest until we reach the Super Bowl" Is there a more locked in, laser focused, goal accomplishing machine than Parcells? OK, maybe Bill Callahan, formerly of the Raiders (Sorry Boone)

I want 2004 to be the year that I lock in with super singular focus following Jesus more closely than ever before. I want this year to be the year that my relationship can more accurately be described as disciple instead of believer. I don't want to rest until I accomplish the goal of "pressing forward to the prize which is Christ Jesus."

Crafty Veteran

Today is the day of reckoning for Kim's Craft Room. I have turned my anal, organizing, labeling, categorizing self into high gear and decided to help my wife finally "move in" to her craft room. I say "craft room" but it is more like "craft shed" as it is a portable building out in our back yard. But Kim loves it and that is all that counts. We are going to get cracking after we take a walk. I love walking with my wife but am not a big fan of walking in general. Walking reminds me that I'm officially old. When I was a kid, and even as a teen, I would run every where. The baseball game at the park a mile and a half away? I was running. The door bell rang? I ran to see who it was. I was like Forrest Gump when I was a kid? Now I'm like a slow motion replay. The house could be on fire and I'm walking out through the flames. Sad.

I am still trusting God for a job this year. Not where I wanted to be on Jan 2 but it is where I am at and I will rejoice inspite of the circumstances. If I was working I wouldn't have all this time to write the minutiae of my life for the free world to see.

New Year Buzz . . . No Not Like That.

Happy New Year! I began the year by shaving my head and my face. Yes, I'm serious. Emily had never seen me without a goatee and Laura was like three when I last shaved. We celebrated our first "normal" New Year's Eve (without staying up all night with about 90 of our closest friends) and it was subdued to say the least. We were so lost. Camp Chaos is in our veins. We did video tape our family screaming as the ball dropped and then me shaving my head. That is not the same as video taping Alan Bastyr jumping off a ladder and squishing a giant cardboard head.

This is going to be a good year. I know it. I can tell because I have been feeling so attacked by the enemy all day. I know he is trying to keep my eyes off of the prize which is Christ. My prayer for the year is simply to get a job, for my mother in law's cancer to go away, and to make positive progress on my Masters.

Can anyone remember the hype of Y2K? Isn't that just how life is? We get all worked up over nothing and let the important things slip right on by?

May your 2004 be filled with the important things.

We are headed to Houston tomorrow. Won't be blogging for a few, unless I can sneak away to a Starbucks. Man, I love Starbucks and high speed internet! Merry Christmas!

Joel

The following is a letter I've writen to my mother in law. She is a wonderful lady and is battleing cancer as I write this. I hate cancer. It is the most ruthless reminder that this world is not our home and we are just a passing through. If you can gain encouragment or inspiration from the letter, consider it my gift.

Christmas ‘03

Cathy,


Merry Christmas! They say that Christmas is not about the gifts but I beg to differ. I want to draw your attention to a few gifts that I am especially grateful for this Christmas.

I am glad God gave you to me as a mother-in-law. The saying goes that “the definition of “mixed emotions” is seeing your mother in law drive your Cadillac over the cliff.” I have never felt that way about you. My feelings for you have nothing to do with a law but with love. You have been kind to me and I have always appreciated it. You are a gift.

I am very thankful for the gift of Kim. Kim has your great traits and any bad traits she does have are a result of Ralph, her siblings, living in a trailer or just bad luck. But she doesn’t have any bad traits in my book. I can’t praise you enough for raising such a wonderful daughter. She is a pure joy to go through life with and I have you and God to thank.

I am full of gratitude for the successful surgery you underwent and for the treatment you are in the middle of now. Every day with you in our lives is a priceless gift from God and I thank Him for your health daily.

Most of all, I am appreciative for the gift of Jesus. I praise God that you are too. This Christmas is a bit tougher on all of us, especially on you, due to your battle with cancer. I want you to know that we are praying for you every day. You and I both know that the gift of health is one that can be taken away. But the gift of Jesus is eternal and cannot be taken away.

Christmas is about gifts. More importantly, it is about the gift.

Merry Christmas Cathy!


Love your favorite (just kidding Keith) son in law,


Joel

Wanna a great rendition of O-Come all ye Faithful? Click here:

http://www.can-you-hear-us.com/o-come.html

Beautiful.

Tis the season to seek the savior.

I ran across this article. Wow. Did this guy record some of my prayers and tap into my thoughts? Read and repent.

God & Google
Do you ever treat God like a search engine?
by Tracy Carbaugh

Have you googled today? If so, yours was one of the 150 million searches on the world's biggest search engine. Did you find what you were looking for? Google will always give you something. Sometimes the results are, "like, totally wacked." Sometimes they're "way tight." (I googled "modern slang.")

Do you ever approach God as if he were a giant search engine? You tell him what you want and expect instant results. What if God doesn't give you what you're really looking for? That's OK. There are lots of other "search engines" out there: parents, friends, the mall.

But God isn't the big search engine in the sky. And if he has something in mind for you, he won't substitute it for something that's second best—even if it's something you really want or think you need. Here are some things to remember about God:

God knows your deepest desires—and motives—before you ask: "O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. … You perceive my thoughts from afar. … Before a word is on my tongue you know it com-pletely" (Psalm 139:1-4).

Even though God already knows your thoughts, don't skip prayer: "How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him" (Matthew 7:11).

Didn't get what you asked for? Maybe it's not good for you: "Every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17).

Your ultimate search should always be for God himself: "Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always" (Psalm 105:4).

God isn't like Google. He won't give you something substandard just to satisfy your immediate desires. So keep asking, and seeking, and knocking—and know that he wants to give you the very best he has to offer.

Think about it:

What am I searching for?


Why should I pray?


How do I know God answers prayer?


What are three things I should pray about today?


This devotion was adapted from a writing that appears in the summer edition of Soul Journey, a daily devotional guide published by our friends at RBC Ministries. Go online each day for a new devotion from this faith-stretching guide: www.soul-journey.org. Or subscribe to the magazine version of Soul Journey at www.getsj.com

I heard a redneck disc jockey crack the following joke over the radio this morning at the gym. Forgive me if it offends you. I found it funny.

"Have you heard of that show, Queer eye for the straight guy? Man what kinda show is that? Who watches this crap? Boy, don't even think about putting me on that show. You'd have to change the name to "Black eye for the queer guy!"

You got to love Abilene.

Just ran across this one on the web. Great analogy. Worth the read.

Prayer of JaPEZ
by Steve Case

I'm not now, nor have I ever been an urban youth minister. I've spent my career in youth ministry working with basically happy, upper middle class, white kids. I've worked in suburban churches with mostly good budgets in mostly good neighborhoods. I don't think I have the right to offer comment (humorous or otherwise) on the state of urban ministry today.

So let's take this time to discuss one of the most underrated youth ministry tools of our time.

PEZ dispensers.

PEZ dispensers can bring us closer to God. Think about it for a moment. The simple design of a PEZ dispenser hasn't been improved upon since its invention nearly 50 years ago. A simple plastic toy with a plastic head that, when tilted back, gives you one small piece of sugar candy. Let's start with the obvious reference of Luke 11:9:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Now let's look deeper. In a world where robot dogs are being given away in fast food kid meals and teens are flipping out over the latest mega-bit graphic video game, the PEZ dispenser shows that simplicity in life is the greatest reward. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said, "Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

PEZ dispensers have also achieved their own private level of coolness. To own one is to stand out and say, "Hey, I'm not one of the crowd." "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2) Then you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

What happens when you pull a PEZ dispenser out of your book bag or your pocket during a youth meeting or on a long drive? A dozen hands come out asking for just one tablet. PEZ dispensers open up lines of communication between strangers on a bus and break down barriers in a board meeting. The simple act of sharing a PEZ candy can lead to sharing stories of childhood and eventually of faith.

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had." (Acts 4:32)

PEZ dispensers come in thousands of different styles. Each character on a PEZ allows us to express our own individuality to the world. Show the world you're a Charlie Brown, a Batman, or a Kermit the Frog. We're all different flavors and characters, but we're all still part of the body of Christ.

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Cor. 12:12-13)

I want to see Biblical PEZ dispensers. Great heroes of the Bible depicted in PEZ plastic. The Moses PEZ dispenser would have only two tablets. The John the Baptist PEZ would have a removable head. The Jesus PEZ dispenser would somehow never run out. Imagine a Nativity display comprised entirely of PEZ characters. The Adam and Eve dispensers would…well, never mind.

For those of you thinking, "He's getting a freebie," the answer is no. I'm not getting anything from the PEZ Company. (Although if they're reading this article and felt so obliged they could express their gratitude by sending it in care of this journal.)

We have a simply designed tool, uncomplicated and accessible. It allows us to express our individuality while at the same time opening the doors that remind us we're all connected.

Could there be a more perfect tool for youth ministry, urban or otherwise?

I don't think so.

Listen to these words:

"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised."

How cool was that? Did you check that?

Against all hope . . . he trusted God's power to keep his promise.

He faced the facts . . . without weakening his faith.

He knew that the though his body and her womb were dead . . . but God wasn't.

I am praying today for a faith like Abraham. How about you?

Got this from my friends at Youth Specialties. Definitely worth the read.

When people decide to look for Jesus, what's the best way to find him? Is faith primarily a matter of the head or the heart? No one has all the answers, but if you listen closely to the biblical Christmas stories this year, you'll find some good clues.

How did the Magi (wise men) find Jesus? They used their gray matter. They studied. They pondered. They discussed. They combined their knowledge and logic. And even though all they had to go on was a general direction, they acted.

The shepherds, on the other hand, weren't rocket scientists. They were simple guys working the night shift. They had gray matter, too, but it was caked on their sandals after tromping around in sheep by-products that smelled like--well, let's just say the stuff didn't smell like frankincense. But when a bevy of heavenly strangers showed up and told them the good news about Jesus, they acted.

Meanwhile, there were two senior citizens at the temple who were also included in the celebration of Jesus' birth. Simeon was "a righteous man and very devout" who had been promised by God that he wouldn't die until he had seen "the Lord's Messiah." Anna was an 84-year-old widow who "never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer." You don't see these two standing around the manger in the Christmas story in Luke 2, because Jesus went to them. When Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus to the temple to thank God with a sacrifice, Simeon and Anna both got to see him and rejoice.

If finding Jesus required smarts, the shepherds would still be sitting in the dark. If it took a choir of angels handing out personal invitations, the Magi would have stayed home. If it took lots of money, the right friends, a good reputation, or a prestigious job, then Mary and Joseph wouldn't have qualified in the first place.

These Christmas stories suggest that God uses many methods to call people to himself through his Son, and we ALL are invited. Whether we're trying to find out more about Jesus through spiritual, intellectual, or emotional pursuits, the key is not how much we know, but rather how we ACT on what we know.

The only person in all of these stories who didn't find Jesus was the one with the most resources at his disposal. King Herod was told exactly where to look for Jesus. But instead of going himself, he asked the Magi to check it out for him. Some people still lose out on the world's most wonderful discovery when they leave the searching up to parents, friends, or someone else.

The Bible promises that those who seek will find. And if you're seeking Jesus, what you find will change not only your life, but your eternity as well. So in the next few weeks, use your head AND your heart as you look for the real meaning of Christmas. Better yet, take a hint from Anna and Simeon. When you devote yourself to a righteous and devout life, you can't miss him.

Growing up in California, summer was my season. There are lots of reasons but the biggest is because it is really our only season. Things never really die so that wiped out fall and spring and try telling someone in any where else in the nation (other than Arizona) about "California Winters" and you will get laughed at mercilessly.

Things change.

Fall is my new favorite season. It is probably due to a combination of factors including the splendid fact that we are undergoing one of the most beautiful falls I have ever experienced here in Abilene. It could have something to due with baseball playoffs and football season, but I doubt it. There are the brisk walks, the falling leaves, and wearing really comfortable sweatshirts that are a bonus as well. But that is not why I am falling for fall.

Fall is about change. So is Spring but in a different way. Fall is the cause of change. Spring is the result of change. Fall is tougher, less pretty, and often unpleasant. Spring announces, "here comes Summer!" Fall windfully whispers, "get ready, Winter is on its way."

Change is good. I'm playing in it these days the way a kid rakes a big pile of leaves and jumps in them. I see more than just seasons changing these days too. I see the force of change. The Father over all nature. He is saying to me, things changes. Change is inevitable. Button up. Let go of every leaf. Let the wind of my Spirit and the brisk breath of Christ breath into you change.

Change.

Ok, here are the last three parts to my sermon thougths on "The Root of the Fruit"

3. It is Significant

The Bible talks a lot about fruit. In the Old Testament Israel was referred to as a vine in Psalam 80, Isaiah 5 and Jeremiah 2.

In Matthew 3, before Jesus even speaks a word we find John the Baptist saying, “produce fruit!” and later in Matthew 7:20 we find Jesus telling his disciples that it is by their fruit that people will recognize them and that they are to recognize others.

Romans 6 talks about reaping, Ephesians 5 tells us that the darkness is a fruitless state to live in. Philippians 1:11 calls us to be filled with the fruit of righteousness but the classic passage in the Bible on Fruit is found in Galatians 5 starting in verse 22. If you have your Bibles go ahead and turn to Galatians 5:22. Let’s read it again.

4. It is Seen

The fourth fact about fruit is that it is seen. If we see a tree – we don’t know what kind of tree it is until we see the fruit. Fruit is an outside thing that can be seen. Notice I didn’t say it had to be heard. You don’t walk up to a tree and have it go “hey check me out – I’m an apple tree, I’m an apple tree aren’t I cool? No an apple tree just sits there being cool making apples.

5. It is Squeezed

Now some of you are saying, well I’ve seen trees that looked like lemon trees but they were really oranges, or orange trees that looked like grapefruit. Do you know how you can tell? Squeeze it. That is number 5 on your outline under the facts of fruit. Fruit is squeezed.
You say what does that have to do with anything? Of course fruit is squeezed. Well life has a way of squeezing us to doesn’t it?

One way of telling what kind of fruit you posses is by seeing what comes out when life starts squeezing on you. Anyone can respond gentlely to a request or to a dilima when life is smooth sailing. It takes the spirit’s filling to help you to respond gentley when the storms of life crash against you.

Let take a look at some followers of Jesus as they are getting squeezed.
We will pick up the story in upper room. Jesus has just finished washing the disciples feet and the disciples are feeling pain.

Saw the movie Master & Commander last night. Great movie. If you like history - you'll like it. If you like sailing - you'll like it. If you like Russell Crowe - you'll like it. If you like action - you'll like it. But if you like leadership - you will love the movie. Crowe leads his ship with laser like focus and pure power. I loved it. Here are the traits of a great leader that I picked up in the movie. (it was the 10:45pm showing so I was bit tired - forgive me if I missed more - probably did)

1. Great Leaders believe in themselves.

2. Great Leaders inspire those around them.

3. Great Leaders mentor other younger leaders.

4. Great Leaders have compassion for people yet put the goals of the group first.

5. Great Leaders never give up.

6. Great Leaders rely on a mix of strategy and instinct.

7. Great leaders surround themselves with other competent leaders.

8. Great Leaders do what is needed (preach, assist in surgery, etc)

9. Great Leaders don't just wish, the work to make it happen.

10. Great Leaders don't take themselves too seriously.


Of course, there was a lot more than leadership lessons in the movie but I was most impressed with that one element.

Go see it, if you don't have a queasy stomach!

Here is part two from my Sermon called "The Root of the Fruit" about the fruit of the spirit. (See blog entry form Thurs, Dec 4th below)

2. It is Singular
No I’m not talking like the cell phone giant. I’m talking the opposite of plural. The fruit of the spirit is. Is not are. Now notice back up in verse 19. The acts of the sinful nature are. Those are plural.

I’ve heard people say botch it and call it the fruit fruits. I even heard someone the other day refer to this series as the fruits of the spirits. That was the first time I had ever heard of the Spirit being plural. It is important that we see the fruit as one thing. If we don’t then we think that we are spirit filled when we have only a part of the fruit. It is not a tree with multiple types of fruit or a bunch of grapes with 8 grapes. Think of the fruit of the spirit like an apple. The apple is made up of many parts but it is still just one apple. Without a stem an apple can’t be attached to the tree. Without skin the apple would rot faster. It has seeds and a core and vitamins and enzymes. You can’t say I have love, joy, peace (you just thought of a pizza didn’t you?), patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, but not gentleness or self-control right? Of course not. It is not like the spirit ran out of those. Sorry, fresh out of joy today – guess you’ll have to love others but be miserable while you’re doing it. No, make no mistake –the fruit is singular.

I ran across a sermon I preached about the fruit of the spirit (it is the fruit - singular - and not fruits - plural, by the way. . . )this past summer. I'll post a small part of it over the next few days. (or the next few weeks if my past posting is any indication)

The Facts of Fruit
1. It is Spiritual

This means you don’t have it. It does not come naturally. I wanted to clarify this because it is so foundational to the rest of our study in Galatians 5. When we talk about this fruit we must understand that it is something that must be developed. It does not flow naturally from us. It must be developed. You don’t have to teach a little kid to be inpatient do you. No parent ever sat down and said ok Billy now let’s lets see the foot tap, and how about the let the breath out. Ok good now repeat after me, “Are we there yet?” Good job, keep that up and you will be sitting in the car impatiently honking the horn like a caveman while your wife is trying to get three kids ready for church. No, this fruit must be developed. It is different from a spiritual gift too. A spiritual gift is given from God. Spiritual fruit is developed by God. And fruit is more important. Spiritual gifts is about talent. Spiritual fruit is about character. You might be able to sing like an angel but if your character is like that of a demon then your giftedness goes to waste.

For those of you who don't know who Mike Yaconelli was you can get a pretty good glimpse of the man just by taking a look at a sampling of his thoughts below:

WORDS FROM MIKE

I just want to be remembered as a person who loved God, who served others more than he served himself, who was trying to grow in maturity and stability.
- Mike Yaconelli

If I were to die today, I would be nervous about what people would say at my funeral. I would be happy if they said things like "He was a nice guy" or "He was occasionally decent" or "Mike wasn't as bad as a lot of people." Unfortunately, eulogies are delivered by people who know the deceased. I know what the consensus would be. "Mike was a mess."
- Mike Yaconelli

Jump first. Fear later.
- Mike Yaconelli

It's not about perfection; it's about our intimacy with God, or our connection, our relationship with God. Once we get through that, once we realize that we can be imperfect, flawed, broken; those kinds of things are the ingredients of spirituality.
- Mike Yaconelli

We'd like to have it all neat and orderly. We want to be able to measure it and control it, but the reality is that Jesus is a mystery. The Christian faith is a mystery. The disciples spent their entire time following him going, "Uhh, what the heck are you doing? We don't understand what you're doing and we don't know why you're doing it." And when he would explain why he was doing it, they still didn't get it.
- Mike Yaconelli

The truly holy people I've met in my life are really interesting people. They're a mix of the most incredible godliness and at the same time, the most unbelievable earthiness. I know a woman who curses like a sailor, but she's the most holy woman I know. She is! I'm not kidding. We've created this image of what holiness looks like that's just nonsense. Good holy people probably drink too much some times, and have colorful language, and there's plenty of room in the Bible to see people like that. We have to see life for what it is, entirely more complicated then simple. Spirituality is not simple; it's complicated. It gets messy sometimes.
- Mike Yaconelli

There are a whole lot of people who are so freakin' busy—they've so cluttered up their lives—they're at their wits' end. And if they'd only just stop for a minute, they could hear the God of the universe whisper to them, "I love you."
- Mike Yaconelli

I'm in awe of youth workers, and I think Jesus is, too. I just wish the Church felt the same.
- Mike Yaconelli

Christ never promised that Christianity would be exciting, adventurous, or radical. He simply said it was the truth.
- Mike Yaconelli

I am beginning to understand that faith is not the way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn't get rid of the opposition, it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn't give you the winning point at the last second, it ties the game and sends you into overtime. Faith doesn't give you the solution, it forces you to find it.
- Mike Yaconelli

The power of the Church is not a parade of flawless people, but of a flawless Christ who embraces our flaws. The Church is not made up of the whole people, rather of the broken people who find wholeness in a Christ who was broken for us.
- Mike Yaconelli


We have a room here full of rag-tag, foolish, unsophisticated, unfinished, work-in-progress, weak, disrespected, ragamuffins, who have been called to work with a group of rag-tag, foolish, unsophisticated, unfinished, work-in-progress, wondering young people. What an honor. What a calling.
- Mike Yaconelli

Youth group should be an adventure, a cauldron of fire and passion, an uncontainable terrifying presence of the Holy Spirit overflowing into the souls of students resulting in a volatile desire for Jesus regardless of the chaos caused by following Him!
- Mike Yaconelli

I'm beginning to believe that if those who are called into youth ministry follow the lead of the One who called them, getting fired is inevitable. Why? Because, in general, the institutional church doesn't get it. The institutional church has become hopelessly corporate, hopelessly tangled in a web of secularism. Instead of the church being the Church, it has opted instead to be a corporation.
- Mike Yaconelli

"Real Christians do not condone unbiblical living!!!" And they would be correct. Christians do not condone unbiblical living, we redeem it. Youth ministry, also, is about redeeming more than it is condemning.
- Mike Yaconelli

A youth worker in our town was recently fired because he was reaching the "wrong kind of kid." I thought the wrong kind of kid was the right kind of kid. The elders insisted that youth ministry was not about bringing in the "riff raff" off the streets but working with the kids that were already Christians. I thought we were all riff raff.
- Mike Yaconelli

If I were to have a heart attack right at this moment, I hope I would have just enough air in my lungs and just enough strength in me to utter one last sentence as I fell to the floor: "What a ride!" My life has been up and down, careening left then right, full of mistakes and bad decisions, and if I died right now, even though I would love to live longer, I could say from the depths of my soul, "What a ride!"
- Mike Yaconelli

I want a lifetime of holy moments. Every day I want to be in dangerous proximity to Jesus. I long for a life that explodes with meaning and is filled with adventure, wonder, risk, and danger. I long for a faith that is gloriously treacherous. I want to be with Jesus, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.
- Mike Yaconelli

I want to be "dangerous" to a dull and boring religion. I want a faith that is considered "dangerous" by our predictable and monotonous culture.
- Mike Yaconelli

The grace of God is dangerous. It's lavish, excessive, outrageous, and scandalous. God's grace is ridiculously inclusive. Apparently God doesn't care who He loves. He is not very careful about the people He calls His friends or the people He calls His church.
- Mike Yaconelli

Christians believe in life. We seek it, long for it, and weep when life is snuffed out. Our belief in life after death doesn't cancel our love of life before death. Death is never better than life. That's why Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb and defied death by bringing Lazarus back to life again. Although the Christian recognizes that death is not the end, that by no means justifies the belief that life doesn't matter.
- Mike Yaconelli

For the Christian, there is no distinction between the sacred and secular. Everything a Christian does is an expression of his faith. He does not make choices based on the religious significance of the alternative. As a Christian he makes the choice that is a logical extension of the values he has derived from his faith…
- Mike Yaconelli

Peace describes a condition rather than a demeanor. Peace is the result of salvation, which means that man and God are no longer at war. Peace describes the state of man after conversion. He is at peace with God.
- Mike Yaconelli

We're attempting to convince the world how good Jesus is by how great we are. This is precisely how Madison Avenue sells toothpaste, automobiles, and underwear. People don't need any more images of success, wealth, and power; they're surrounded already. What they need are their sins forgiven. What they need is healing. What they need is love.
- Mike Yaconelli

It is time for us to reclaim the glory of the common, the power of the plain, the authority of the unpretentious. It is time for us to reclaim the radical consequence of the Gospel—which is that the weak, the broken, the fragmented, the suffering, and the non-experts are the authorities of the Church.
- Mike Yaconelli

Conversion does not get rid of the secret self; instead, Jesus becomes a friend to it. We can live fully and honestly in the presence of the real tension between both selves.
- Mike Yaconelli

The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified. We aren't afraid of God, we aren't afraid of Jesus, we aren't afraid of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we have ended up with a need-centered gospel that attracts thousands...but transforms no one.
-Mike Yaconelli

We are afraid of unemployment, we are afraid of our cities, we are afraid of the collapse of our government, we are afraid of not being fulfilled, we are afraid of AIDS, but we are not afraid of God.
- Mike Yaconelli

When people look at the Church and see only impostors, they conclude that Jesus is an impostor. But when they see followers of Jesus who are real, they see a Jesus who is real.
- Mike Yaconelli

If you want to know more about Mike check this link out.



http://www.youthspecialties.com/yaconelli/