Friday, September 10, 2010

Joshua touchdown

Okay, I'll brag for just a moment. Here's a video clip of Joshua's first 7th grade touchdown.



Click on the title Joshua touchdown to view the video

Out Live Your Life

I always enjoy picking up Max Lucado books. There are stories after stories about people who have made a difference or who have lived through difficult times and as a result of their faith, they saw life in a more positive light. In his newest book, Out Live Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference, Lucado takes us on a journey through the book of Acts in order to encourage all people to be difference makers.

This is a very easy to read book, with short chapters filled with stories about people who were and are difference makers. The basic premise of the book is how will people remember you after you are no longer present in this world? That’s a sobering question and Max exhorts the reader to be a person of action so that they do make a difference in this lifetime. His stories are gripping and add strength to the points he is trying to make.

Max provides questions at the back of the book to help the reader muse upon his writings. Overall this is not a deep, deep book, but it is one that should cause Christ followers to pause and consider if they will outlive their lives.

You can purchase this book at Thomas Nelson Publishers.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

I review for BookSneeze

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Quran Burning on 9/11

Folks this is what gives Christians a bad name. This guy and this church are idiots. You can read about this church in Florida where they are going to burn Qurans. Do I believe in the Quran? No! But I also don't believe in Mormon writings, Jehovah Witness Bibles, the philosophy which moves our country from writer Ayn Rand; but I'm not burning their books.

Sadly, incidents like this do more to hurt the movement and spirit of Christ followers, than ten good deeds.

Here is the link . . . http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/quran_burning

The Story Devotion Questions

As we move through The Story, there are discussion and reflection questions for all 31 weeks. My goal is to send them out on a weekly basis so that you can use them to help you go deeper in scripture and deeper in your life with Christ. These don't necessarily represent where the message or Sunday School lessons will be heading, but are ways to help you move through scripture. Hopefully these are helpful.

As a reminder, this week's reading is from Genesis 1-4; 6-9.

PERSONAL DEVOTION QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 1 - Genesis 1-4:6-9
The Beginning of Life as We Know It

Day 1
  1. God created Eve because he felt that it was not good for Adam to be alone (p. 3). When have you felt most alone? How would your life be different if you were experiencing deep community? What might you do help someone else who is alone and isolated?
  2. Adam and Eve hid from God because they felt shame and guilt. Both failed to accept responsibility for their sins and failures. Often, the first step to the healing and the restoring of relationships is to accept responsibility for our mistakes. What, if anything, do you need to own this week?
  3. Adam and Eve’s disastrous decisions demonstrate our own inability to choose well between right and wrong. Describe a wrong choice you made, and how it affected your life. How has God helped you heal from that choice?
Day 2
  1. Cain’s feelings of jealousy and hurt feelings led to Abel’s murder. Is there anyone in your family who you have hurt, or who has hurt you? What might you do to reconcile with this person? Identify a family relationship in your own life that is loving and secure. Share your thankfulness for that person with a note or phone call.
  2. When God looked at the earth and saw that it was only evil all the time, He “regretted that he had made human beings, and His heart was deeply troubled.” Our hearts are often deeply troubled when we observe the horrors of this world. How might you respond to someone who asks how a good God could allow so much evil to take place?
Day 3
  1. God pursued Adam and Eve after they had sinned. God pursued Cain even as Cain was steeped in anger. Describe a time in your own life that God sought you out. What happened? How did it deepen your relationship with God?
  2. Noah is noted for being “righteous” and “blameless.” Are there any areas of your life that could be described this way? What areas of your life are most difficult to act righteously or blamelessly? Who do you know that could hold you accountable for these things?

Monday, September 06, 2010

The STORY

It's finally here!!! Next Sunday we officially dive into The Story. If you're not familiar with what we're doing, we are moving through a condensed version of the Bible over the next 31 weeks, except for advent.

Sunday School classes for adults, teens and children will be going over the same scripture each week; and it will be the same scripture for the message.

We have sold so many copies of The Story Bible, which is a condensed version of the Bible. These Bibles are available at the church at 1/2 price for $7.50. I will try to send out weekly thoughts about what I'm reading and thinking about.

The beauty and power of what we will be doing is seeing how God is at work in our lives and how He sent Christ into the world for us is part of the overall story from the beginning. Stay tuned, and be ready for a dynamic series of messages.

We're in our final countdown until we blast off!!

Fun Kids Devotional

God Gave Us the Bible: 45 Favorite Stories for Little Ones is a very well done, hardcover introductory Bible for parents to read with thei...