We went and saw Fireproof this past weekend. I thought it was an awesome movie. The acting was better than it was in Facing the Giants and flywheel, but I dont know many people who would say Kirk Carmeron is a bad actor. The movie inspired me and also made me ask a few questions. The movie was very big on Jesus and a personal relationship with him, and how he can help you fix your marriages. But my question is how many non-christians attended the movie and how did they like it.
I enjoyed the movie, but I like a lot of aspect of our christian-culture. I like music made for christians by christians, I enjoy movies made by christians for christians. I wonder though, are these movies being noticed and changing lives of Non-christians. I would like to say yes, but would someone who is not a christian, maybe someone who doesn't believe in God going to a movie that is very God driven, or listen to preaching on the radio. I would love to know how many people a day "give their life to christ" because of the alter call at the end of every radio broadcast. And does just saying you believe in Jesus and "accepting him into your heart" really save you????
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
New Music
Ray Lamontagne has a new album coming out october 14,2008. I do not think I have ever been as excited for some music as I am for this album. So far almost everything i have heard by Ray I absolutely love. The 2 cuts I have heard off the new album see to continue his legacy of making great music.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
A cage of Failure by Mark Batterson
Thought this was a good post and wanted to pass it on.
here is Mr. Batterson's site http://www.evotional.com/
In 1809, he was born into poverty—a one-room log cabin 16 x 18 feet. In 1816, his family was evicted from their home and he had to work to support them. In 1818, his mother died. In 1831, he failed in business. In 1832, he ran for the state legislature and lost. In 1832, he also lost his job & wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in. In 1833, he borrowed money to start a business and was bankrupt by the end of the year. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off the debt. In 1835, he was engaged to be married but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken. In 1836, he had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months. In 1843, he ran for congress and lost. In 1849, he sought the job of land officer in his home state and was rejected. In 1854. he ran for the Senate and lost. In 1856, he sought the vice-presidential nomination at his party’s national convention and got less than 100 votes. In 1858, he ran for the U.S. Senate again and lost again. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States of America.Abraham Lincoln’s life was filled with incredible suffering and setbacks, but that is what enabled him to endure the most difficult Presidency in history as America was divided by a Civil War. Failure prepared him for success. So what kept Lincoln going? How did he endure the setbacks? He never lost his sense of destiny. And I think it's captured in his own words. Before leaving friends and family for his first term as President, Lincoln said: "I now leave, not knowing when or whether ever I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail."
here is Mr. Batterson's site http://www.evotional.com/
In 1809, he was born into poverty—a one-room log cabin 16 x 18 feet. In 1816, his family was evicted from their home and he had to work to support them. In 1818, his mother died. In 1831, he failed in business. In 1832, he ran for the state legislature and lost. In 1832, he also lost his job & wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in. In 1833, he borrowed money to start a business and was bankrupt by the end of the year. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off the debt. In 1835, he was engaged to be married but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken. In 1836, he had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months. In 1843, he ran for congress and lost. In 1849, he sought the job of land officer in his home state and was rejected. In 1854. he ran for the Senate and lost. In 1856, he sought the vice-presidential nomination at his party’s national convention and got less than 100 votes. In 1858, he ran for the U.S. Senate again and lost again. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States of America.Abraham Lincoln’s life was filled with incredible suffering and setbacks, but that is what enabled him to endure the most difficult Presidency in history as America was divided by a Civil War. Failure prepared him for success. So what kept Lincoln going? How did he endure the setbacks? He never lost his sense of destiny. And I think it's captured in his own words. Before leaving friends and family for his first term as President, Lincoln said: "I now leave, not knowing when or whether ever I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail."
Stubborn (PART 2)
I was listening to Derwin Gray (the evangelism Linebacker) the other day, he said something along these lines
"for some reason because we have invited Jesus into OUR hearts we feel he is to do exactly what we want him to. "
This is so true. I often want Jesus to do what I think I need him to. But am a listening to what he needs me to do. I guess this is kind of a continuation of the stubborn blog. I want things my way on my terms. I have to find someway to SUBMIT. it is something I struggle with. I bet my life would be much more enjoyable if I would only learn to submit.........
"for some reason because we have invited Jesus into OUR hearts we feel he is to do exactly what we want him to. "
This is so true. I often want Jesus to do what I think I need him to. But am a listening to what he needs me to do. I guess this is kind of a continuation of the stubborn blog. I want things my way on my terms. I have to find someway to SUBMIT. it is something I struggle with. I bet my life would be much more enjoyable if I would only learn to submit.........
Monday, September 22, 2008
O' So Stubborn
Why are we such stubborn creatures. You always hear about the old stubborn mule, but what about us. Are we not difficult to handle. I bet God looks at us and thinks we are the most stubborn of all the animals. I think we become all the more difficult when we need to CHANGE.
Changing is not something we take easy to. Unless it is a familiar change, like changing shirts or changing underwear. But what about changing shoes, not like Mr. Rogers; but out with the old shoes and in with the new pair. This to me is a difficult transition, I wear shoes until they fit my feet so perfectly and then when I get a pair I immediately do not like them because they are not formed to my feet.
But what about our LIFE CHANGE; it is very difficult when we are trying to change into good christiains. When our life is so easily formed around our desires and our WANTS. What happens when we become followers of Christ. Boy does he mess our nice fitting lifestyle all up. Now its not only about me, but about >OTHERS<. This is a hard transition. Now its not does this make me feel good, but does this make Jesus proud.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Am I truly a new creation, or do I just have a re-built engine. I sometimes still feel like the piece of run down junk I was before I started believing in Christ. Sometimes I feel the engine is running much better than before and then i feel I need a complete tune-up.
So how do we change? How do we let Christ change us? Are we intentionally and purposefully looking for ways that Christ is letting us know something isn't right, that we need to somehow change. Or are we going through the motions of " I am new, but I just feel and drive the same way as I did when I was a old rundown beater".
I am going to leave it with this thought
If Jesus is living in us, how can other around us tell?
Changing is not something we take easy to. Unless it is a familiar change, like changing shirts or changing underwear. But what about changing shoes, not like Mr. Rogers; but out with the old shoes and in with the new pair. This to me is a difficult transition, I wear shoes until they fit my feet so perfectly and then when I get a pair I immediately do not like them because they are not formed to my feet.
But what about our LIFE CHANGE; it is very difficult when we are trying to change into good christiains. When our life is so easily formed around our desires and our WANTS. What happens when we become followers of Christ. Boy does he mess our nice fitting lifestyle all up. Now its not only about me, but about >OTHERS<. This is a hard transition. Now its not does this make me feel good, but does this make Jesus proud.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Am I truly a new creation, or do I just have a re-built engine. I sometimes still feel like the piece of run down junk I was before I started believing in Christ. Sometimes I feel the engine is running much better than before and then i feel I need a complete tune-up.
So how do we change? How do we let Christ change us? Are we intentionally and purposefully looking for ways that Christ is letting us know something isn't right, that we need to somehow change. Or are we going through the motions of " I am new, but I just feel and drive the same way as I did when I was a old rundown beater".
I am going to leave it with this thought
If Jesus is living in us, how can other around us tell?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Blog by Steven Furtick that I enjoyed
Placing your pitch
September 16th, 2008
I was a horrible pitcher in my Little League days. I had a bad habit of trying to place my pitch. I tried so hard to place the ball precisely in the strike zone that I achieved the opposite result: I rarely ever threw a strike.
My coach (my dad) tried to teach me: Son, you can’t place the pitch. You’ve just got to practice your form until it’s second nature, and then wind up, release the ball, and let it sail into the strike zone.
My tendency to place the pitch didn’t end with Little League baseball. It still shows up today.It shows up when I try so hard to achieve perfection that I miss the opportunity to be excellent.It shows up when I squeeze the life out of a sermon because instead of just letting it flow I try to force too many points across the plate.It shows up in leadership meetings when I diffuse tension too early instead of allowing it to run its course so a solution can surface.Maybe more than anywhere else, it shows up in my relationship with God.When I panic and take matters into my own hands if it looks like a promise that He made me or a goal that I’ve set isn’t going to come to pass.Or when I try to squeeze my walk with Him into a prefabricated box instead of letting His presence permeate every part of my life.
Are you in the habit of placing your pitches? As a parent? A preacher? A leader? In your relationship with God?The great ones learn to trust their form and release the ball until throwing a strike becomes almost automatic.
September 16th, 2008
I was a horrible pitcher in my Little League days. I had a bad habit of trying to place my pitch. I tried so hard to place the ball precisely in the strike zone that I achieved the opposite result: I rarely ever threw a strike.
My coach (my dad) tried to teach me: Son, you can’t place the pitch. You’ve just got to practice your form until it’s second nature, and then wind up, release the ball, and let it sail into the strike zone.
My tendency to place the pitch didn’t end with Little League baseball. It still shows up today.It shows up when I try so hard to achieve perfection that I miss the opportunity to be excellent.It shows up when I squeeze the life out of a sermon because instead of just letting it flow I try to force too many points across the plate.It shows up in leadership meetings when I diffuse tension too early instead of allowing it to run its course so a solution can surface.Maybe more than anywhere else, it shows up in my relationship with God.When I panic and take matters into my own hands if it looks like a promise that He made me or a goal that I’ve set isn’t going to come to pass.Or when I try to squeeze my walk with Him into a prefabricated box instead of letting His presence permeate every part of my life.
Are you in the habit of placing your pitches? As a parent? A preacher? A leader? In your relationship with God?The great ones learn to trust their form and release the ball until throwing a strike becomes almost automatic.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Some one loan me a dime
Lately I've been running on Faith. What else can a poor boy do?
Of course those are stolen Clapton lyrics
I read somewhere (i believe it was in one of Philip Yancey's books, I think "Prayer") that when you are running low on faith and can't come up with prayers of your own to use other peoples. People who have prayed while they were full of faith. It was said that it would help increase your faith and keep you going while you were having a low time.
So does "Borrowing" someone else faith work? Does using someone else's prayer facilitate your need? Think about it in Jesus' greatest time of need, while hanging on the cross he quoted Psalms. I mean do you not think he had plenty of his own words to use. But maybe using scripture was a better way of expressing himself.
As Ecclesiastes says there is nothing new under the sun, so if you have a need I am sure someone else has had the same need before. So if you can't find the exact words, use someone else's words that express what you are feeling. I found this website that is dedicated only to prayers http://www.worldprayers.org/
Of course those are stolen Clapton lyrics
I read somewhere (i believe it was in one of Philip Yancey's books, I think "Prayer") that when you are running low on faith and can't come up with prayers of your own to use other peoples. People who have prayed while they were full of faith. It was said that it would help increase your faith and keep you going while you were having a low time.
So does "Borrowing" someone else faith work? Does using someone else's prayer facilitate your need? Think about it in Jesus' greatest time of need, while hanging on the cross he quoted Psalms. I mean do you not think he had plenty of his own words to use. But maybe using scripture was a better way of expressing himself.
As Ecclesiastes says there is nothing new under the sun, so if you have a need I am sure someone else has had the same need before. So if you can't find the exact words, use someone else's words that express what you are feeling. I found this website that is dedicated only to prayers http://www.worldprayers.org/
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