DarienGabriel.com

How to re-abolish slavery worldwide...right now

2012-01-29T01:14:00.000-05:00

Read this aloud as a prayer to God for those who aren't free today.
http://www.freedomsunday.org/

FatherGod,

Youwho created all things out of the overflow of your boundless love, youwho defend the rights of the fatherless and the widow, the oppressed of everygeneration, youwho set the captive Israelites free from their bondage in Egypt, andeach of your children from our bondage to sin, gloryto your name!

Hearthe cries of our hearts for those enslaved in our world today, fortheir labor and for their bodies in sexual exploitation, thecountless unheard individual voices around the world and here in our own city.

Lord,hear their prayers and ours for their freedom! Stretchout your mighty hand to restore their dignity, to bring comfort and healing. Shelterthem and meet their material needs, and provide education, resources andopportunities foreach of your enslaved children to live a life of abundance and fulfillment.

Lord,you have called us according to this your purpose, tobe the hands that bring freedom and comfort and healing and opportunity tothe captive and the oppressed. Maywe be a rising tide of abolitionists, flooding the world as in the days ofNoah.

Lord,protect us from the attacks of the enemy--thevoices that tell us there is too much and we are too little, forwe are not the liberators, but you, Lord, andwe are walking in a victory that you have already won. Protectus from the feelings of despair and helplessness, exhaustion and burnout, andthe desire to insulate our hearts from the pain of the stories we hear, butlet us meet pain with fearless compassion and faith in your provision, givinggenerously of the talents and resources you have generously given, remainingin your joy and inexpressible peace, asthe followers of one whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.

Finally,we pray for the oppressors--thetraffickers, who supply the demand, and the consumers who create it: bothwe who demand ever-cheaper products, andespecially those who defile themselves by seeking sexual services without loveor freedom. Lord,the world sees battles between good people and bad people, butyou have taught us that there are only broken people who are created in yourperfect image. Wepray for those men and women who are captive to their own sin, whoare manipulated and corrupted by the evil one. Wepray also for their freedom, for their healing, and that they may findwhat they seek, whethermoney, pleasure or love, in ways that honor you and bless the world.

Lord,in all of these things, mayyour kingdom come and your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven, andmay your name be glorified, everywhere and always, now and forever. Amen.

Now go to http://www.freedomsunday.org/ to begin to be the answer to your own prayer.

Collaborate: The Church for the City

2012-01-27T10:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was privileged to be a part of a new network of local churches that is forming in the SC low country. While I don't know what the formal name will become, we refer to it as the Cypress Project based on Isaiah 55:13. It was started over a decade ago by church planter and equipper Neal McGlohon of Rock Hill, SC. The gist of it is that God wants to do something new and big to bless the people of God and those they live amongst.

The heart of the leaders gathered on Thursday is to see God bring peace and prosperity to our city. (based on Jeremiah 29:4-10) While most pastors and church leaders probably want this, the difference is in how it's being done. We're seeking to do it together. It's a desire to encourage, serve and equip one another to love our city as One church--The Church of Charleston. It's putting aside our local church names for the sake of The Name. We don't abandon our own identity. We just allow it to be overshadowed by the witness of the greater Church. We're all members of the Church (the Bride and Body of Christ). The thought is to start acting like it.

It's built around 9 months of training (day-long training once a month) that comes from the larger context found in the Bible about God's mission. From Creation on, God has been moving to rescue people far from Him. It is summarized by:

Movement->Kingdom->Harvest->Church->Disciple->Leadership->Multiplication->Scorecards

These make up the theme for each of the monthly training sessions and the homework that goes with them.

The lunch session was an informational time of sharing with church leaders what they could expect when going through the Cypress Project training. About 25-30 leaders were present.

However, before that, for about 2 hours, there was a gathering of Cypress alumni to discuss what it might look like for the alumni to start gathering monthly as well. This would be a time of encouragement for each other as well as a way for us to connect with those going through this round of the Cypress training.

Some of the thoughts shared during this time of conversation, connecting, brainstorming and prayer included:

"Part of our prayer for the Church at Charleston is Jesus' prayer in John 17"

"Premature actions can be harmful because our motivations aren't their yet"

"Success starts with relationship. Action/interaction follows (think marriage)"

"There's pleasure in being last"

"We want to build our church on the foundation of making disciples before we plant other churches"

"I would become last for them"

"It takes the Church of Charleston to reach the City of Charleston"

"Be intentional. Intentionally schedule time to be with lost people or you won't spend much time with lost people"

"Collaborate seems to be the emphasis of this network. I like it! City-Church-God's Heart"

I found yesterday incredibly encouraging, personally. To see non-denominational, Episcopal, and Baptist church leaders (to name a few) together dreaming and praying was moving. Will Browning and Clay Jernigan did a great job of leading the day. They were humble, gracious hosts.

If you are interested in learning more about the Cypress Project in general (it's all over SC) or in the low country, contact Clay Jernigan of Journey Church at claysjourney@gmail.com or 843-743-1798.

Cypress Project Facebook page

2002 Passport Expires Today

2012-01-22T15:08:00.001-05:00

Well my #passport expires today. 10 years. I got my passport 2 take#rrbc #youth grp 2 #Curacao n '02. Going back this summer.

Google+: 'via Blog this'

2002 Curacao w/ RRBC Youth
2003 China
2004 Curacao Pre-trip
2005 Curacao w/ RRBC Youth
2008 Curacao Pre-trip
2008 Curacao w/ GCF Youth
2010 Curacao w/ GCF Youth
2011 Curacao w/ GCF Youth

"LOL!" Best Medicine for the Church

2012-01-19T11:27:00.005-05:00

Last year we launched 6 Initiatives at our church. This was an effort to move from a broad, general vision "Love God. Love People." to a much more specific and measurable mission. Will Mancini's free ebook summary to Church Unique was a great help here, as well as, the Cypress Project. (thanks Neal!)

The top initiative flows from this idea that God calls us to multiply. He calls people to multiply (physically and spiritually) and He calls churches to multiply. Jesus movements are just that-movements where people "catch" and then "sneeze" something life-changing (like a virus but in a positive way). (Outbreak, Greg Stier) Growth doubles and then increases from there. And by growth, I'm thinking more than numerical growth. I'm also thinking growth in depth of faith and character.

Another initiative is to plant churches. I spent a lot of time last year with the Cypress Project learning about church planting and re-missioning the Church. In this process, I realized that, as a church, we knew we were to make disciples of all nations (at least we were nodding our heads) but we weren't really doing it...at least, not completely.

So, here was my conundrum: Do we really want to plant a church if we're not functioning as a healthy church? Now, like the churches in Revelation, we are doing many things right. And we are growing. But also like those churches, we have our gaps. One large gap is our ineffectiveness of making disciples who make disciples.

What do I mean when I say make disciples? I mean that we teach/learn (disciple = learner) the ways and commands of Jesus to others...who will teach others...who will teach others...who will teach others. (1 Tim 2:1-2) This is more than discipleship training classes. So much more. This is truth taught relationally.

I recently read, I think in Mike Breen's Building a Discipling Culture, that we learn in at least three ways: Classroom (information download), apprenticing, and immersion. All three are necessary. But his point was that in the Church we've over-emphasized the classroom method. As a result, we're not really making disciples who make disciples. We simply educating people.

So, we felt like we needed to move our church in the direction of building a culture of disciple-making before we planted any new churches. Otherwise, we'd just be reproducing more poor disciple-making churches. Said another way, we can build a church that doesn't make disciples, but if we make disciples, we WILL build the church. (Mike Breen, Building a Discipling Culture)

One simple way we're teaching our people how to become disciple-makers is using Wayne Cordeiro's S.O.A.P. method. In his book, Divine Mentor, Cordeiro makes the case that growth and leadership development are both fueled by a commitment to teaching your people how to hear the voice of God (through His "divine mentors"), put what those mentors teach us into practice, and then lead others to do the same. I've been doing this for eight months and it's not only transformed my time alone with God--it's transformed others. I'm seeing real fruit in our people!

So from this fruit and momentum, I'm teaching that each of us needs to "LOL!"

"LOL!" is common shorthand now for "Laugh out loud." This kind of slang is getting so common that teenagers are even speaking it. I heard a teen the other day say, "JK" instead of "Just kidding."

Acronyms are great mnemonic memory devices. I'd like to use this one to serve us here.

LOL = Listen. Obey. Lead.

Listen

We need more of God plain and simple. That's our solution to _______________. Either we believe God is fully sufficient for our every need or we don't.

So we need to listen...to God. We hear from God in several ways. But the key way (and most reliable) is through His word--the Bible.

We know this. But we don't live as if we really believe this. Otherwise, we'd feast on it instead of nibble at it. We need to listen and hear the voice of God spoken to our heart.

Cordeiro's S.O.A.P. method is one of many great ways to do this. I encourage you to pick a plan and roll with it for the next year. Here's the Bible plan I'm using this year: Divine Mentor Bible Reading Plan

Obey

This may seem obvious. But it's not easy. It moves our faith from the intellect to the will. We surrender our agenda and desires to God's. When God speaks, our only right response is to obey. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. Incomplete obedience is also disobedience. Read the Bible with a mindset of submission, humility, and a posture to obey it.

Lead

This is where the Church is really struggling, I believe. Many do the first two above. They read and study their Bible. Many of those actually obey what they read. But for some reason, we don't feel compelled to lead others to do this too. The few that do teach a class or small group. That's a good start but remember that's mostly information transfer. Where's the apprenticing? Where's the immersion into a relationship where the nuances of following Jesus can be caught? This is essential for any Jesus movement to occur. Multiplication will not happen unless we are willing to not only receive but give our time to disciple others. Start with your family and move our from there. Disciple Christians and not-yet Christians. Just start.

So LOL! Yes, laugh out loud! That just feels good! After all, "laughter IS the best medicine." But Listen, Obey and Lead too. Not only will you be effective at sharing your faith (Philemon 1:6) but your joy will grow. Hey, maybe these two LOLs have more in common than I thought!

P.S. I'm sure that my recent readings in Church 3.0 and Organic Leadership have shaped this post as well. Both are by Neil Cole. I'm also reading through Launching Missional Communities by Mike Breen & Alex Absalom right now.

Life Journal Bible Reading plan for 2012 (links)

2012-01-12T15:52:00.001-05:00

In case you have missed the links to finding the Life Journal Bible Reading plan we're all doing at Grace, here are the links again:

Life Journal Bible Reading Plan at YouVersion.com

Divine Mentor Bible Reading Plan

Both of these work with the S.O.A.P. journaling and discipling method we're highlighting this year.

http://divinementor.com/

My Top 10 Podcasts

2012-01-04T12:43:00.002-05:00

I love podcasts!

I love to learn--especially if I can learn while doing something else. This is why I favor audio over video podcasts. And unlike a book, which is very polished and more dense content-wise, a podcast is typically an interview or talk given in a more conversationally raw way. Material is less dense and therefore if your mind wanders you aren't lost when it returns.

So I thought I'd share a few podcasts that I listen to while running or riding in the car or working out. (I rarely just sit and listen; the efficiency nut in me can't do that).
Disclaimer: I'm a pastor and Christ-follower. That shapes this content considerably. So consider yourself warned.

Here is my top 10 right now...

10. Passion City Church (Louie Giglio) - It's hard to argue with Louie Giglio. He's passionate about God and communicates with raw energy and enthusiasm. A contagious Christ-follower every week!

9. Timothy Keller Podcast - Keller preaches in Manhattan and knows his stuff! And you have to to get New Yorkers to come back. He is extremely smart and knowledgable and yet can explain complex ideas in simple ways. Couple that with a genuine love for people and humble continence and you have a great weekly podcast.

8. The Village Church (Matt Chandler) - Matt is also raw and passionate about leading people to following Christ. He's challenges the status quo in church world with a touch of irreverence. He's also a brain cancer survivor that helps him speak with great humility each week.

7. Brook Hills (David Platt) - Ever since David Platt's book Radical, I've been a huge fan. He speaks like he writes: direct and with great humility every week.

6. Together for the Gospel (T4TG conference) - There are 4 guys who really make this bi-annual conference happen (Mark Dever, CJ Mahaney, Ligon Duncan, and Al Mohler). They bring their main session speakers from past conferences here for free. What I like most is the panel discussions that happen directly after each message. From these discussions you not only get more on that particular message but you get to know each of these men in a way that causes you to like and love them.

5. Stuff You Should Know - Josh and Chuck (HowStuffWorks.com) have great chemistry as they bring their individually researched "stuff you should know" together in a fun conversation. You feel like you're part of a coffee shop conversation as they discuss various and random topics (1 per episode) like How Alcatraz Works, How US Marshalls work, and 10 Scientists Who Were Their Own Guinea Pigs. They are a riot and you learn along the way. FYI: They aren't coming at things from a Christian world-view but they still do a very good job. They upload multiple episodes per week.

4. Exponential - This annual church planting conference is the largest in the world. They upload all of their content. From main sessions with thousands of people to breakouts of a dozen, you hear from big and upcoming names in the world of church planting, networking, and disciple-making. Great variety!

3. Neue - I almost always finish this podcast wanting more. They do 20 min. interviews with people in the world of cutting edge ministry and church life. This is an overflow of their work on Neue magazine. Authors, musicians, entrepreneurs and social justice advocates populate their episodes. Very well produced and the interviewers are terrific. More, more, more!

2. ESPN's Fantasy Focus (ESPN Pro Football) (Matthew Berry & Nate Ravitz) - I know, I know, get a life, right? But alas, I love fantasy football! And I am only decent because I listen to/read other experts. (I don't have time to figure out why you don't play Steven Jackson against the 49ers Defense)

Anyway, these guys are irreverent, lack good judgment, and immersed in the world of fantasy sports. But they know their stuff. Most importantly (for me) however, is not their analysis (which they say is only about half right anyway) but their banter. They are at times terrible and other times hilarious. I keep coming back because they make me laugh with their daily football podcast. Note: There have been times when I've simply stopped listening to them. They can get carried away!

I have never listened to their baseball show so can't speak to that. They are gifted at talking nonsense about something as nonsensical as fantasy football. Additional notes: They've won at least 3 podcast awards.

1. Catalyst Podcast (Brad Lomenick & Ken Coleman) - These 2 are clearly close friends who have a passion to change the world by being a catalyst of change in and through others. Unpolished but well-produced, this crew brings you top-shelf interviews every 2 weeks. I don't miss many of these and going back several years is worth the investment of time.

I'd love to hear what your favorites/recommendations are too! Please comment with a podcast you think I should check out (in any category).

Honorable mention:

Emergent - UK Resources Podcast July 2005 "Kingdom" series - Ok, so I only know about this particular series because it's taught by Dallas Willard. This professor of philosophy at the Univ. of Southern Cal is also a Christian. He has an amazing grasp on what it means to be a Christ-follower. He's dry in deliver but his content is worth the effort. Love his sense of humor too.

The Gospel Coalition - A conference like T4TG above, they also have lots of past content with panel discussions thrown in. They have a wider selection of speakers but they are less personal than T4TG. Great content!

A new one I just found and am checking out is called Movements that change the world (Steve Addison)

BTW, you can find all of these at the iTunes store through your iTunes app.

Great 2011 In Review by Google

2011-12-15T15:25:00.001-05:00

Angels vs. Super Heros

2011-12-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

Reading some of the Christmas passages in the Bible this season (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2) I was reminded how awesome angels are. God created these beautiful and powerful creatures to be his messengers (angel means messenger) among other things.

Thinking about how awesome angels are, I thought, "Hey, they're kind of like super heroes." My girls enjoy super hero movies and we often have conversations about what makes someone a super hero.

So, with this in mind, I decided to list many of the things angels can do and then note any super hero that can do that as well. This was just a fun little exercise to make the point: *Smack!* Angels are amazing, powerful and beautiful. Don't mess with them. *Bam!* They are holy super heroes who serve God. *Pow!*

So some of these attributes of angels don't match up with a super hero. Perhaps you can add some to the list as well. Let me hear from you!

Angels…

...Are super-intelligent (like Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic 4)

...Exercise moral judgment and therefore are able to sin

...Are warriors (like Thing, Hulk, & Captain America)

...Are worshippers

...Are spiritual beings and therefore able to be invisible (like Violet Incredible)

...Are created beings

...Can appear in bodily form

...Are protectors / guardians for people

...Can fly (like Superman)

...Are messengers

...Are extremely fast (like Flash, Dash)

...Serve God and people

...Are holy

...Fight for good over evil

...Have authority and rank

...Some are on fire (ex. Isaiah 6, Seraphs = burning ones) (like Human Torch)

...Stand in the presence of god

...Appear god-like to people who see them (Thor)

...Have evil enemies they fight

...Don't marry

Note: I got this list from Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology

"The Silent Years" Not Sinless Years (book review)

2011-12-03T21:26:00.001-05:00

The Silent Years, by Alan W. C. Green, is a novel where he imagines what the early years of Jesus Christ (called Yeshua in the book) were like. They are called the silent years because there is very little written in scripture about Jesus in these years. So he takes what there is and fills in the gaps with a story that gives some possible explanations for what we do read in the Bible.

Overall, I enjoyed this creative story. I felt like he stretched my perspective and increased my knowledge of the holy land and several characters in the New Testament during that time period.

I chose to review this book (it was given to me for this purpose) because I hoped it would help me see the Christmas story anew this December. As a pastor, I am always looking for new perspectives on the old story. Mission accomplished!

I have one reservation, however, and I'm afraid it is significant. I may have misunderstood the author's intent here but it seemed pretty clear to me that he had Yeshua sin in his story.

For example, on page 82 of 154 (ebook), Yeshua confesses his sin to his uncle of wanting to murder Roman soldiers raping a woman in front of him. Clearly, if you believe that Jesus was the sinless Son of God, this would be problematic. Therefore, I cannot recommend this book without a warning label regarding this. I don't suggest banning this book. However, this should be considered before recommending it to young readers (physically or spiritually) as it's heretical if I've read it correctly. I realize that this is a strong charge, but I do not know how else to respond.

So while I can tell you that I enjoyed most of the other parts of the book (there were what appeared to me other minor deviations from scripture), I strongly caution the reader to read with great discernment.

Embrace Christ-mess

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas is a big deal! Why? Because it's the beginning of God's earthly story of putting on flesh and rescuing us. No Good Friday--No Easter. No Easter--No Christmas. Simple as that. So how should that affect my Christmas season? It should make it messy.

Remember the first Christmas was a mess for Jesus. He didn't come in a squeaky clean palace nursery. Instead, he came in a dirty, smelly horse stable with no hospital staff--just Joseph. Far away from home, too. No family or friends to add support (that we know of). Oh, and by the way, now with a social sigma that basically makes you an outcast in your own home. Remember, Mary was claiming to be a virgin even though she was pregnant. Riiiiiight. No hanky-panky. Wink Wink. She made people talk like Lady Gaga had just worn her unrefrigerated beef outfit--again! Now that's messy!

Life is messy. Especially if you're living for Christ. Just try talking about Jesus at your next CHRISTmas party. Yeah, say the J-word out loud and the party-like atmosphere will go silent quicker than Cracker Barrell after you say "pregnant" a little too loudly. Want to keep things nice and neat? Talk about anyone else but Jesus.

Does that make disciples? Does that grow the kingdom? No. In fact, we shrink as we try to ride the fence. How ironic it is that we do this during the Christmas season.

Here's what I'm doing about it. I'm praying for boldness. I'm asking people to pray for me to be bold. I'm asking my Home Group to ask me who I've talked to about Christ the past week. I'm going public about my lack of boldness and stepping out in faith to do something about it. Will it be messy? Yep. But if messy food is some of the best tasting food, just imagine what a messy life will taste life. Dig in and Embrace Christ-mess.

Information About American's Chapter 11 Reorganization

2011-11-29T14:49:00.000-05:00

It's time to buy tickets to go to Curacao this summer. Prices will likely only go up from here.

Trip cost = Your Plane ticket + $200

In other news...

Information About American's Chapter 11 Reorganization:

'via Blog this'

Please Don't Call Me Pastor

2011-11-26T10:16:00.001-05:00

Matthew 23:10

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁰ And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah.

Please don't call me pastor (or preacher or reverend or bishop or elder etc.). This verse is why I prefer that you call me by my first name. I appreciate the sentiment. You want to show me respect. I really do get this. I taught my kids to call their pastor "Pastor Eddie" years ago. (no, that wasn't me;-))

Now that I'm a pastor, I see it differently in light of this verse.Here's the thing: We're all on level ground at the foot of the cross. Yes, show elders and pastors double-honor (1Timothy 5:17) but remember that we aren't superior to you in any way in God's eyes. So let's not create a pecking order that God didn't create. In fact, He speaks against that.

Prayercast - Activating world changing prayer

2011-11-19T17:17:00.000-05:00

What a great way to pray for unfamiliar nations. Watch and pray along with person from that country while watching video of that country's people. < 5 min and you've impacted the world. #radicalexperiment #prayer #missions #untilHecomesagain

Prayercast - Activating world changing prayer:

'via Blog this'

Compassion that Works

2011-11-17T06:58:00.000-05:00

As I wrote earlier, I'm leading our church family to take the radical experiment. I've also started already myself. In fact, I've been doing some of these for quite a while now. So I know the potential they have for personal impact. I'm who I am today because I practice many of these as a Christ-follower. It's why I encourage you to do so as well...

Last week I spoke about the importance of praying for the "Harvest." (Matt 9:35-38) A compassion that works does more than jump in impulsively. It leverages our greatest source of power (God, the Lord of the Harvest) to show the greatest compassion possible.

Jesus looked over the crowds and had compassion on them. But what he didn't do is just roll up his sleeves and dive in. Nor did he send his disciples in. He told them to ask the Father to send workers into the great harvest. That's maximum compassion!

What's interesting is that Jesus didn't stop there. In the very next verse (Matt 10:1) Jesus sends the disciples out in twos to as the answer to that prayer. Not to the exact same people but to people in many towns throughout the region.

We must move past impulsive serving to remove our guilt and past paralyzing apathy to thoughtful and prayerful compassion that truly makes a lasting difference (physically and spiritually).

A Radical Experiment

2011-11-16T09:38:00.001-05:00

I've been leading our church to read David Platt's book Radical the past two months. It's a great critique of the church and our culture from a pastor who's trying to turn his ship, so to speak, in a more Jesus-like direction. It's a fantastic read.

Fortunately, it's not just a critique. He offers great suggestions and examples for us to consider as Christ-followers.

As we near the end of this series I am challenging each person to engage the Radical Experiment for the next year. It includes the following (from the website):

The Radical Experiment is a year-long commitment to five specific challenges:

To pray for the entire world
To read through the entire Word
To commit our lives to multiplying community
To sacrifice our money for a specific purpose
To give our time in another context

I believe, along with Platt, that engaging these five parts of the experiment will change lives--both ours and others. So I've already begun every one.

I want to encourage you to read David's book and then begin the experiment too. Or maybe just begin. After all, all he does in his book is point you to the teachings and commands of Jesus. So if you read your Bible, you already know what you should do and why.

While I've already started, I encourage you to make plans to begin sometime between now and the end of the year.

Kazakhstan | Operation World

2011-11-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

We're praying toward a summer trip in 2013. Join us in praying for people of central asia (especially the unreached people groups there).

A great place to quickly learn a lot about this country:

Kazakhstan | Operation World:

'via Blog this'

What's In A Name? by Randy Bohlender

2011-11-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

If you get a chance to read anything about Shackleton, I highly recommend it. It's an incredible story of perseverance, leadership, and faith. I read the biography by Lansing. DG

What’s In A Name? by Randy Bohlender

History does not tell us if Earnest Shackleton was a particularly religious man, but surely he was prophesying when he christened his ship The Endurance. Even though he understood the overwhelming challenge he face in attempting the first march across Antartica, so much happened that he could not possibly have anticipated.

How would he have known…

That the ice would be early in the fall of 1914, leaving them trapped in the ice, far from their goal by January of 1915?
That the spring melt of 1915 would not free their ship, but that it would remain fast until October?
That once the ice did begin to shift, rather than breaking free, his ship would be crushed, leaving his men to abandon the craft, only to stand on the ice staring down through the hole where the ship used to be?

How would he have known…

That he and his men would spend 497 days either on the ship or on ice floes before they set foot on land once again?
That once they found their way to land, it would be Elephant Island, one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
That he would be forced to split the party, and a portion of them would have to once again take to their open boats for a fifteen day sail through a storm that sunk a 500 ton steamer?
That his portion of the party would include McNish, a carpenter that he threatened to shoot for insubordination, but recognized that he would need his skills later.

How would he have known…

That on their second landing, they would put ashore on an island that was inhabited, but find themselves on the opposite side of the whaling camp, separated by a glacier never before crossed by man?
That after climbing the glacier with little or no climbing equipment, they would need to slide down the other side through thick fog, sitting in shovels for sleds? When his men objected, Shackleton is credited with saying “Well, we very well can’t go back…”.

In the end, Shackleton worked to collect each of his men and returned to England having not lost a life in the journey. How could he possibly have known that when he named his ship The Endurance?

As leaders, we chart the course for our initiatives early with a hundred finite decisions that work together to establish the culture for our ministry.

Do you cancel an outreach because it rains? You’ll cancel it for other reasons.
Do you boldly approach strangers or hang back, waiting for them to make the first move? You’ll hang back your entire life.
Do you lead by example, knowing it’s going to be harder – and more rewarding – than you expected?

Ministry – as much as Shackleton’s odyssey – requires an uncommon endurance. The same goes for those of you on the adoption journey. Going in, you know there’s a lot to it.

You can’t pre-imagine every struggle that will materialize. At the end of the journey, you innately know it was worth it all, even if it required every bit of your endurance.

You might as well get used to the idea and call it what it is.

FaceTime: Do you have it?

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

This past Christmas, my brother and his wife decided to head back home instead of coming to our house to open presents due to weather concerns. As a result, we had a stack of presents from them (and them from us) but not them to enjoy opening them together with.

So we decided to try something we've never done before. We video chatted them into our den where we opened their presents "in front of them" via computer. I think we actually used Skype that day. It was pretty amazing.

Apple created an app for it's computers, phones and tablets called FaceTime. FaceTime allows you to have a video telephone conversation or chat.

In a day when texting seems to be the mode of the future, FaceTime really shines. While personal, face-to-face conversation is usually the best way to go, it isn't always feasible.FaceTime allows us to see the person's facial expressions along with hearing their voice giving us some body language.

Studies show that 90% of communication happens through body language as opposed to only 10% through just verbal. There is some debate about these actual numbers but even if it's close, it makes my point. Our communication is much more effective when we can see the person in part or full.As a result, our conversation is more honest.

God wants to spend 'face time' with us each day. Moses did this serving as a great example. (Exodus 33) Jesus' example is found in Mark 1:35

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (NIV)

God wants to communicate with us effectively and honestly.

Find a good place. Set a time and guard it tenaciously. Go in with a plan but hold it loosely. Meet with God face-to-face. You'll end up with a more effective and honest conversation with the One who created you to know and be known by Him.

Living Bread

2011-11-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

"Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." - Jesus

John 6:35, NIV84

Jesus is speaking to a crowd that included people from the feeding of the 5,000 men the day before. They'd pursued Christ around the lake to Capernaum to find Jesus.

Jesus understands why most of them are pursuing him. And it's not because they want him--they want what he can give them. And even that is pretty base. They want his food and miracles more than they want him. He gets this. And he addresses it.

What we hunger and thirst for are food and drink. That's not all but that's a pretty base desire we all have. It's why we eat and drink. Because God has hard-wired us to need this and graciously made it potentially pleasurable in the process. But it's also instructive. And Jesus uses it here to teach about himself.

Jesus uses their hungering and thirsting to illustrate a greater truth. Just like their hunger and thirst shows that they were made to consume tangible food to sustain their lives, their spiritual hunger and thirst shows that they were made to consume a spiritual food that sustains their lives--The Bread of Life aka. Jesus.

Our desire for significance, acceptance, unconditional love, joy, peace, etc. are ultimately and eternally met in a faith-relationship with Jesus Christ. However, we tend to pursue these desires in inferior ways. And we're left unsatisfied. That's why we should pursue him above all else in life. Nothing else truly satisfies.

So what do I do?

I pursue Jesus Christ.

I "seek first His kingdom and his righteousness". I "abide in him", the True Vine. I "keep in step" with his Holy Spirit.

How?

By practicing the spiritual disciplines that help me most consistently abide in Christ. And I do these believing that God will sustain me as a result.

Fasting
Prayer
Feasting on the Word (Bible)
Journaling
Giving
Practicing silence and solitude
Resting
Worshiping
Serve out of my spiritual gifts
Sing/create/write for His glory

Lord, I truly need you more than food and drink. Without you I am forever lost and dead. Cleanse me from my self-sufficiency and fill me with your Spirit that I will live out of your infinite provision and sustaining life--abundant and eternal. I'm alive because of you!

Nationwide Emergency Alert System Nov 9

2011-11-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

I share this to alert you that we all need to be alert and prepared for national scale emergencies and disasters so that we can be part of the solution instead of making things worse. Please scan this article and make any necessary preparations you think you need to at home and at your church. Darien

Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test Scheduled

Phoenix, AZ – On November 9, 2011 FEMA along with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will be conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. This system is most commonly known for its weekly or monthly “test of the emergency broadcasting system.” There has, however, never been a nationwide test of this communication system. That will change on November 9, 2011 at 2:00 PM EST.

The test will reach all fifty states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa. The test will be conducted across all radio and tv broadcasts. The test will allow FEMA, the FCC and NOAA to determine a baseline of the emergency alert system that will enable better communication during times of disaster and potential areas for improved communications.

In the instance of a national emergency, such as large regional earthquakes, tsunamis, etc., this system will be used to communicate important next steps to best respond to the situation.

As Christians, the most important response to any given situation or crisis is to be ready. Ready to respond and ready to share the hope of Christ within us. You can get more information about what it means to be a ReadyChristian and how to begin the process by visiting our website.

About the drill

Here are some important things to know about the drill:

The nationwide test will begin at 2:00 PM (1:00 Central, 12:00 Mountain and 11:00 Pacific) and will last up to 3 minutes
Some local areas will also use the drill to test sirens and other communication avenues depending on the scenario. For instance, Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant will test their warning sirens in a 10 mile radius of the plant.
Because this is a national drill and varying communication codes are being used, the alert may not be identified as a drill.
Visit the FEMA blog for more information

In case of actual event

Here are some things to do to prepare in case of an actual event:

Take the FREE ReadyChristian training that will walk you through how to be prepared
Put together a "grab and go" kit
Discuss emergency plans with each member of your family
Set up meeting places outside of your home in case you are at work/school when an incident occurs
Research potential threats in your area and find out what to do
Sign up for local notification systems through your local emergency management department

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Copyright © 2011 Christian Emergency Network, All rights reserved.
CEN is a network of Christian volunteers, community leaders and emergency professionals uniting to equip the church to be aware, ready and there to respond to crisis and disaster. For interviews with CEN please contact Misti McHatton at (800) 260-5637 or misti.mchatton@christianemergencynetwork.org
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What's Your Faith In?

2011-11-07T10:07:00.000-05:00

"It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you."

-Tim Keller aka @DailyKeller on Twitter.com

...the object of my faith is a person. He's Jesus Christ. DG

iTunes - Podcasts - Grace Christian Fellowship, Summerville by Darien Gabriel

2011-11-03T19:42:00.000-04:00

iTunes - Podcasts - Grace Christian Fellowship, Summerville by Darien Gabriel:

'via Blog this'

Compassionate Bread

2011-10-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

"Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." Mark 6:34 NLT
Jesus and his disciples were exhausted and needed some serious "R & R". They needed to getaway and debrief together.

The disciples had just returned from a short missionary stint. Jesus sent them to teach, heal and cast out demons. He sent them out in pairs and without him. As a result, they had stories share and they had questions to ask. Lots to talk about!

The disciples were indeed exhausted. Not just physically but emotionally. They'd experienced the highs and lows of miraculous ministry in Jesus' name. This is both exhilarating and draining.

Jesus was extremely tired as well. Not just from healings and exorcisms but from ministering to so many people he'd eaten nothing in who knows how long. (v. 31)

In addition to this, Jesus was grieving. He was grieving because he had just learned that his dear cousin and friend, John the Baptist, had just been beheaded by Herod. As a result, Jesus is trying to get his disciples away from the crowds to rest, debrief and grieve. Good shepherd.

But it didn't work out quite that way.

The crowds, of course, didn't realize their situation. They just knew that this may be their best opportunity to hear, touch and be blessed by Jesus. So they pursued Jesus.

...pursued Jesus...

Hmmm...that's good. But I digress...

It's at this point that most of us would be at our breaking point with people. I'd probably be so irritable at this point that I'd be blowing up with any and everyone around me--friend and stranger.

And yet, while Jesus may have been tempted as we are, he did not sin. In fact, the verse says, "He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things."

"He had compassion on them..." That blows me away.

Instead of thinking about himself (and even his disciples) he decides to step into yet another opportunity to display the Kingdom of God.

He begins giving them himself--the Bread of Life! But he doesn't stop there.

He and the disciples--way out in the wilderness and grieving--serve over 10,000 men, women and children fish nuggets and rolls like waiters in an un-airconditioned warehouse soup kitchen. Makes me hot and tired just thinking about it.

So What?

I have a couple of take-aways here...

First, Jesus responded compassionately to the masses of people pursuing him. He could easily have justified pulling away. Easily. He didn't.

Am I willing to serve when I'm tired and hungry and have a choice?

Second, when Jesus did serve them, he gave them both the Bread of Life as well as physical bread.

Notice, too, that he gave them himself first (bread of life)-then he fed them. We usually do it the other way around (if we give them the Word at all).

Do I see the Word of God as truly more valuable than physical food? (Test: What do you spend more time consuming each day?)

25 Books Everyone Should Read

2011-10-26T09:34:00.000-04:00

I'm a reader. I love to read. But I'll admit that I'm an undisciplined reader. I read what I feel like reading a lot.

I heard or read a CEO of a major publisher say once that the "dirty little secret of publishing" is that not every good book is worth reading. His rationale sheds wisdom on selecting what we should read. There are just too many good and better books out there. Perhaps we should focus on reading the best and get better value out of our time spent reading.

I've heard others talk about the importance of reading both contemporaries as well as dead authors. Dead authors usually aren't read unless what they wrote continues to be valued. But living authors often haven't lived enough of life yet for us to conclude whether or not they are worth reading or their works will stand the test of time.

In addition, always reading fiction (or non-fiction) isn't wise either. There is great value in reading a great work of fiction as it can illustrate great truths and move us emotionally in a way that a theological treatise struggles to do.

All that to say, read but read purposefully. Here are some suggestions:

* Consider reading more biographies. Someone said that 25% of what we read should be biographies.

* Consider reading at least a fourth of your books by dead authors.

* Consider reading at least 2 novels a year. Choose fiction that has a reputation for being well-written perhaps with historic accuracy (ex. Francine Rivers, A Voice in the Wind). Stay away from more sensual for the sake of sensual type books. Consider classics such as Pilgrim's Progress as well.

* Consider reading the paper and blogs less. I like to keep up, but our time is precious. How much of what we read to keep up is really helpful? I'd argue at times it's unhelpful. When reading news perhaps you should steer toward more thoughtful articles on current events (such as is found in World Magazine) versus USA Today.

* Don't skip the classics. This is easy to do. They are often harder to read and not as cool. But they are often free or very cheap on ebook websites like Amazon and Google books. Start downloading today!

My purpose in posting this today was to include this good article below by James Emery White. However, I apparently had the above in me screaming to get out. At the end of the day, I hope you will read and think more and with more discernment and purpose than you have been. Why? Here's one more reason:

"Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." -King Solomon, Proverbs 4:23

What you read and take into your mind matters. (Phil 4:8)

25 Books Every Christian Should Read (by James Emery White)

Whole article here

HarperOne has recently published 25 Books Every Christian Should Read: A Guide to the Essential Spiritual Classics, selected by...

...Having compiled a few reading lists myself, most notably in A Mind for God(InterVarsity Press), I found the list interesting:

On the Incarnation - St. Athanasius

Confessions - St. Augustine

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers - Various

The Rule of St. Benedict - St. Benedict

The Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri

The Cloud of Unknowing - Anonymous

Revelations of Divine Love (Showings) - Julian of Norwich

The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis

The Philokalia - Various

Institutes of the Christian Religion - John Calvin

The Interior Castle - St. Teresa of Avila

Dark Night of the Soul - St. John of the Cross

Pensees - Blaise Pascal

The Pilgrim’s Progress - John Bunyan

The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence

A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life - William Law

The Way of a Pilgrim - Unknown Author

The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesterton

The Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins

The Cost of Discipleship - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A Testament of Devotion - Thomas R. Kelly

The Seven Storey Mountain - Thomas Merton

Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis

The Return of the Prodigal Son - Henri J.M. Nouwen

The list is obviously tilted toward devotional and spiritual classics, as opposed to theological works, and is a weakness...

...But I welcome any and all such listings, if for no other reason than the ensuing conversation about which books deserve to be on the list.

For a sampling, would any of the following deserve inclusion?

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

Martin Luther, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church; The Small Catechism

John Milton, Paradise Lost

William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience

John Henry Newman, Apologia pro vita sua

Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling

T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets; Murder in the Cathedral

Simone Weil, Waiting for God

Dorothy Sayers, The Mind of the Maker

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Flannery O’Connor, A Good Man is Hard to Find

Martin Luther King, Jr., Why We Can’t Wait

Solzhenitsyn, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich; The Gulag Archipelago

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Of course they would. And more. But then again, it wouldn’t be a list of 25.

And perhaps that’s the problem.

Twenty-five books could never begin to reflect what every Christian should read.

But giving credit where credit is due, you could have worse starts.

James Emery White

Sources

25 Books Every Christian Should Read: A Guide to the Essential Spiritual Classics, edited by Julia L. Roller (HarperOne).

James Emery White, A Mind for God (InterVarsity Press).

Editor’s Note

To enjoy a free subscription to the Church and Culture blog, log-on to www.churchandculture.org, where you can post your comments on this blog, view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world. Follow Dr. White on twitter @JamesEmeryWhite.

6 Initiatives We Feel Led to Pursue as a Church

2011-10-25T16:20:00.000-04:00

I'm learning a lot these days.

I've been a pastor at Grace now for over 5 years. There is nothing like learning "on-the-job."

My pastor/elders and I have been wrestling the past 5 years over what we're really supposed to be doing. You know what I mean. After reading the Bible, what's the bottom line fundamental things we should be doing and doing well. I feel good about where we've landed. And, fortunately, it wasn't a big surprise.

So I wanted to share with you '6 initiatives' we are moving forward on...together. So far, the church is unified over this. Time will tell how unified as things start requiring money, time and sacrifice. But I feel like we've done this pretty well. So here's our rough plan. I believe God will send people our way to join us in these efforts. Some will join our church. And some will partner with us from the outside. I can't wait to see it unfold!

6 Initiatives We Feel Led to Pursue as a Church

The assumption is that all of this is to be within a context that our purpose in all eternity is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever and that the best way we can do that as a church while still here is to join God in his disciple-making mission.

1. Create a disciple-making culture in our church. That is make disciples that make disciples. Everyone is called to do this.

a. More learning opportunities on Sun. mornings

b. Launching Disciple-Making Groups church-wide (2-5 people)

c. Launching Missional Communities church-wide (30-50 people) (future churches?)

d. Launch experimental worship serve group.

2. Put more feet on the ground internationally. This means that sending money to missionaries oversees is no longer enough. We need to be more hands on in how we support our missionaries.

a. Curacao would continue and expand

b. Add Kazakhstan (Palms)

c. Add China (Warrens)

d. Add Egypt (Pastor Georggi)

3. Develop our process of helping people in crisis become disciple-makers.

a. Make sure process leads people to make disciples at home.

b. Explore buying apartment building to transition ppl from Palmetto House to more stable housing situation.

c. End result is people breaking cycle of poverty and attitude of entitlement and becoming disciple-makers and contributors in life.

4. Begin planting new churches in the low country (first).

a. Start small churches that are flexible, missional, and less dependent on church buildings.

b. High emphasis on disciple making DNA and engaging ppl who do not see institutional church as a solution to their spiritual questions. (80%+ of ppl today under 30 years old)

5. Hire a pastor-elder as soon as possible. Would work toward strengthening families and disciple-making, missions and administration.

6. Begin developing a physical campus.

a. Create a multiple-purpose building that is able to withstand natural disasters and become a resource to our community when basic necessities become scarce.

b. HQ to our church planting movement.

c. Place to gather for worship, equipping and encouragement.

d. Built with little to no debt.

e. Doesn’t have to be on our property.

* Pastor-Elders

Can I say that here?

2011-10-21T09:09:00.000-04:00

I recently did a funeral at Beaufort National Cemetery. I remember the thought running through my head, "Is there anything I can't say here, I wonder..." I quickly got past that thought. But the fact that it was even there says a lot.

I'm thankful for ministries like AFA who help us slow the erosion of common sense freedoms our founding fathers intended for all religions and expressions of faith. I wanted to share the following to encourage you to be thankful for what we have and vigilant for religious freedom in America.

VA backs down: no more religious discrimination

Houston National Cemetery agrees to allow prayer and religious speech at funerals for our veterans

October 18, 2011Several veterans groups who had sued the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over claims of religious discrimination by Houston VA officials have agreed to settle their lawsuit, according to attorneys at Liberty Institute representing the groups. See earlier AFA Action Alert.

According to Associated Press, the settlement agreement lists 50 provisions that VA officials agree to adhere to. The VA said in the decree that certain of these provisions "are already the policy or practice of the department."
Some of these actions include no banning or interfering with prayers or recitations at committal services; agreeing to not edit or control the content of private religious speech and expression by speakers at special ceremonies or events at the cemetery; and agreeing not to ban religious speech or words such as "God" or "Jesus" in condolence cards or similar documents given by some of the groups that filed the suit.

The VA also agreed to pay the veterans groups' legal fees, which total $215,000. It is not known if Director Ocasio has been or will be removed from her position.
Because of your support of the AFA Action Alert, we were able to deliver over 375,000 emails to the Veteran's Administration, clearly contributing to the VA's decision to stop its religious discrimination. Because of your action, and God's help, we are making a difference.

Sincerely,

Tim Wildmon, President
American Family Association

Good Questions

2011-10-18T07:59:00.002-04:00

2 questions we need to asking in coaching, debriefing, disciple-making and leadership (not to mention in our personal walk):

1. What is Jesus saying to you lately?

2. What are you doing in response to that?

I'm learning a lot reading Mike Breen's book Launching Missional Communities. They ask these 2 questions in their regularly leadership huddles.

What questions do you like to ask in your disciple-making conversations?

Free lunch, legal advice (personal & church) RSVP

2011-10-12T11:13:00.000-04:00

Hey Guys and Gals in Ministry in the Summerville and Charleston, SC area:

My good friend Jimmy Reeves is hosting a free lunch to discuss legal issues that are relevant to 99% of us both personally and professionally. One of his areas of expertise is helping churches with legal issues as well. Anyway, I'm sending you this for two reasons.

First, to ask you to come. You are a leader and leaders are learners. This not only is free but so is the lunch!

Second, to ask you to forward this to folks you feel would benefit from this. Remember, the content is focused on pastors and church leaders so focus on those folks.

Finally, Jimmy is more than a great attorney and personal friend. He is a church planter, church pastor and fellow elder in our church. He doesn't just go to church. He actively leads people to follow Christ daily both in his practice and in his church. It is a pleasure and honor to serve alongside of him at Grace Christian Fellowship.

Obviously, I highly recommend him for your personal and ministry legal needs. I also think it would be time well-spent to learn what he has to teach us, network with other like-minded people in ministry and share a free meal together. RSVP today and I'll see you soon! (Details below)

Thanks,

Darien Gabriel, Pastor

Grace Christian Fellowship

Dear Church Leader:

You are invited to a free information luncheon hosted by James E. Reeves, P.A. on Monday, October 17, 2011 starting at 12:00 p. m. at Belles Restaurant located at 975 Bacons Bridge Road, #156, Summerville, SC 29483 in the Summerville Galleria Shopping Center. We are inviting various church leaders to this luncheon to discuss Wills, Powers of Attorney and Living Wills. We have found in our practice that many people are unprepared for death and various disabilities that place their family members in difficult situations. These issues can be resolved with some advanced planning.

We are trying to reach out to church leaders, as you are also the ones who end up trying to help families that have either lost loved ones or who are dealing with disabled loved ones. We are in the hopes that this information may assist you in facing those situations and also in guiding your congregations to avoid some of these situations. Again, the luncheon is free, so we hope you can attend.

To insure we have sufficient space available, we would appreciate if you would respond as soon as possible by calling our office at 832-7337 or emailing Jan Reeves at JanReeves@jreeves-law.com. If there are others in your church that you would also like to attend, please simply let us know that as well, as they are certainly welcome. We hope you can attend and look forward to seeing you.

Sincerely,

James E. Reeves

Fully Radiate to the Nations

2011-10-12T09:08:00.003-04:00

Luke 2:32

New Living Translation (NLT)

³² He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

This verse includes something familiar and something surprising to me.

I observe that Jesus is light (in fact, He calls himself the "light of the world" in John 8:12). As a man, he shined brightly and revealed God to the nations. He discipled others to do the same. ("You are the light of the world") He (as God) is the source of light according to John (1 John 1:5) that shines into our dark world revealing truth and exposing evil. He reveals God by shining to and for the nations. That's why Jesus came--to reveal God!

I also notice that Jesus is surprisingly called "the glory of Your people Israel." I expected it to say "the glory of God" for that is what He is. He's the radiance of God!

In addition to being the glory of God, Jesus is the glory of God's people Israel. He fully represents and illustrates humanity as God intended us to be. He is both the exact representation of God and the perfect example of a human child of that same God. No wonder He reveals God so well!

So what? Are there any take aways from this? At least one.
If we're following Jesus, we do what He does. What is that? We shine. We shine in full humanity that has been created anew in Christ Jesus. We shine or radiate as a human filled with God's glory. We fully radiate God's glory as the glory of His people.

And where do we radiate this light? "To the nations." To all people...around the corner and around the world.

Prayer

Lord, help me shine and radiate Your glory in full humanity to exalt You and extend Your glory for the good of all people. In Jesus' name I pray, amen!

Bible Reading Plan

2011-10-03T09:48:00.002-04:00

Our church is going to read through the Bible together in 2012. We're encouraging people to use the same Bible reading plan to help conversations around His word happen more naturally.

It's based on the reading plan from Divine Mentor, by Wayne Cordeiro (a fabulous book I heartily recommend). I wanted to share the link to this reading plan for you to consider as well.

Because of the way the plan is done, you can start today and get a feel for it. If you complete it, you will read the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in one year.

Here's the thing though--the goal isn't to read the whole Bible in one year. The goal is to read the Bible regularly and obey what it says. So, if you miss a day, just move on to the appropriate day. Don't feel like you have to go back and catch up. Dig in!

Here's the link: Divine Mentor Bible Reading Plan

Are You Ready?

2011-09-19T16:50:00.002-04:00

I got a 52 on this Biblical Readiness Quiz. I have some serious work to do to get my family and my church ready. How'd you do?

This comes from the Christian Emergency Network:

Christians Model Biblical Preparedness

"A Time to Remember"

September 11, 2001 - "My Own 9/11"

On September 11, 2001, I had an appointment with a client and stopped at a sandwich shop for lunch. The TV was on, and everyone was glued to the latest news coverage. A lady standing in front of me said, “This is just awful, awful, any of us could die at any minute!” I responded: “That’s why you need to be ready to meet the Lord with or without notice.” She replied, “What do you mean?”

Since I was biblically ready to take her fear and mental confusion head on, I was able to go through the steps to finding peace with God. I explained how she could have a personal relationship with Christ. She listened, took my small booklet, and allowed God to minister His peace during her own personal 9/11.

Take the Biblical Readiness Test to discover your level of readiness.

Don’t Worry About Inviting Me

2011-09-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

I love James Emery White. I just do.

Lord, may I please get over myself and love people enough to invite them to meet You and Your people. Thanks for being so patient with me. Darien

By James Emery White:

Don’t worry about inviting me to church this weekend.

Really. I’ve been thinking about it.

I know we’re friends, and you go to church, but I know talking about your faith makes you uncomfortable. At least, that’s the sense I get. We talk about a lot of stuff, but whenever church or God comes up, you get – I don’t know, tense. I’ve never understood why – it doesn’t weird me out as much as it does you – but I’m happy to relieve you of what is obviously something that makes you awkward.

Besides, what would I be missing?

It’s not like I’m an atheist – I’m not. I believe in God. I’m spiritual. And I want to do better; I’d like to understand the Bible, be a better parent, have a closer marriage, maybe even volunteer for something that would help others. But last time I went to church, that isn’t exactly what was offered.

Besides, we both know I’m not exactly a poster-child for Christianity. I’ve got baggage. I’ve got questions. I don’t think church is exactly the kind of place for someone like me.

And I don’t want to have to dress up.

I don’t want to be hit on for money.

I don’t like organ music.

And on top of all that, I don’t really believe in hell, so I’m not even that worried about what happens after I die. I’m sure that whatever life there is after death, it will turn out fine.

As far as my kids go, I think I want to just give them the freedom to choose whatever religion they want, if any religion at all. Church was boring for me when I had to go as a kid, so the last thing I want to do is drag them to one every week. It turned me off to church, and I’m sure it would just do the same for them. So it’s probably better if they just don’t go at all.

So don’t worry about trying to invite me to church.

It makes you awkward;

It won’t have anything to offer my life;

I couldn’t exactly come as I am;

I like wearing shorts;

I gave at the office;

I listen to Coldplay;

Hell is kind of a joke these days;

And my kids won’t like it.

Right?

But if, by chance, you think I have this all wrong,

then for God’s sake,

INVITE ME!

James Emery White

Editor’s Note

Are You Making Disciples?

2011-09-12T06:30:00.000-04:00

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20 NIV)

¹⁶ "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

...so, are you making disciples?

9/11 10 Years Later

2011-09-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

New WTC is now tallest building in Lower Manhatten

Luke 13:1-5 NIV

I'll share now what I shared with our youth group at Raleigh Road Baptist Church 10 years ago after 9/11. There was a tower tragedy in Jesus' day too...

Actually, there were two tragedies. One involved the government murdering some of it's citizens and the other involved a tower that fell and killed 18 people.

In that day, when people died tragic deaths it was often believed that they had sinned and this was God's way of judging them. While that may have been true at times, it's not God's pattern and, as Jesus indicates, misses the point.

So what is the point when God allows tragedies to occur? The point is that He allows it to, among other things, cause the guilty to repent and turn back to Him.

What about you? Will it take another tragedy for you to repent. Join me in praying a prayer of repentance right now.

"Lord, I confess _____________ right now. I am not just sorry I've done (or not done) this. I want to turn away from repeating this offensive behavior. I want to live purely for you. Help me 'Seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness' today. Cleanse me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may walk in purity and power. In Jesus' fully sufficient name I pray, amen."

Now pray for those around you that live, work and play inside your personal "circle of responsibility."

Fight Slavery in US Sep 8th

2011-09-06T13:45:00.003-04:00

I love what God is doing through this ministry/mission in Washington, DC. Make your voice heard and fight slavery in America and around the world Sep. 8th. DG

If you have trouble viewing this email, please click here.

Dear Darien,

Just last week, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) was introduced in the House of Representatives. This bi-partisan bill renews and strengthens the legislation that established U.S. programs to fight slavery at home and abroad.

Many of you joined us in asking the Senate to pass the TVPRA. Now we have an opportunity to urge the House to do the same - and we need your help.

Please take one minute NOW to urge your Representative to co-sponsor the TVPRA.

Current legislation governing U.S. anti-trafficking programs expires in a few short weeks. Let’s remind Congress that they have an opportunity to impact the lives of children, women and men living in slavery today. Will you join us in urging Congress to pass the TVPRA?

Thank you for your continued support!

Gratefully,

Eileen Campbell
International Justice Mission

P.S. Don’t forget to join the National Call-in Day to Pass the TVPRA - watch our short how-to video and commit to call your Senator on September 8!


www.ijm.org \| PO Box 58147, Washington, DC 20037 All text and images © 2011 International Justice Mission.

For the City

2011-09-01T09:36:00.001-04:00

⁴ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: ⁵ “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. ⁶ Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! ⁷And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
Jeremiah 29:4-7 NLT

I'm still soaking in this passage, so I'm still teasing out the implications and learning how to live it out. Here are some things I see here today...

The Lord is sending a message to His new exiles in Babylon. They've been exiled by Him (through Babylon's King) as punishment for their unfaithfulness to Him. Another consequence is that they were not being a blessing to the nations of the world (the very reason He was blessing them)--not to mention each other.

In addition, the Jew's first reflex in this new (and religiously unclean) culture was to come out of it and stay separate. They wanted to set up camp outside the city walls and ignore the city and it's wicked citizens.

But God has other ideas.

God surprises them with a letter. He tells the prophet Jeremiah to write a letter that begins as quoted above.

The verse I'd like to park on today is v. 7. God tells His (unfaithful) people to not pull away but engage their new city--their arch enemies, Babylon. Live amongst them. Do business with them. Raise your family alongside of them and start more. Don't compromise, but love your neighbor as yourself. "Work for the peace and prosperity of this city" and "pray to the LORD for it."

This had to throw the Jews for a loop. I mean they lost loved ones in that siege. They lost their temple and were transplanted hundreds of miles away from home. They were no longer free but citizens of a foreign power. They had no reason to bless this nation. They had every reason to rebel and oppose it.

But the LORD had other plans. And so He tells them to live for the good of the city while they are there. And He told them that would be 70 years.

70 years...

That's about how long we live these days. Hmmm...

As Christ-followers, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Our national citizenship here on earth is a temporary thing. It doesn't take many controversial decisions by our government to remind us that this isn't our true home or kingdom.

Our King never makes a bad decision. He protects and leads His people with justice, righteousness and wisdom. He shepherds His people and cares for them. No, we're not home. And we need to be careful to resist the same temptations the Jews had when they arrived in Babylon.

We must resist the temptation to circle the wagons. It's easy to say they're evil out there and we're God's holy people. Therefore, we need to pull back and be separate. Because in a sense, we are to do this. We are to be in the world but not of the world. But we need to be careful to not live this verse as if it said, "Don't be in or of the world." We can't transform the world if we isolate ourselves from it and it's people.

We must see our lives here as a blip in eternity and live in light of that eternity. God calls us to live our 70 years for His glory. We do this when we work for the peace and prosperity of the city. We do this when we pray for the people around us that are far from God. We do this because it affects our welfare and their eternity. (1 Cor. 11:1)

So what do we do?

We start where we are. If I'm a student, I pray for and work for the peace and prosperity of my fellow students, teachers and school staff. If I'm a nurse, I pray and work for the peace and prosperity of patients, doctors and hospital staff. If I'm an accountant, I work for the peace and prosperity of my clients. We all pray and work for the peace and prosperity of our neighbors.

What's the best way to pray and work for the peace and prosperity of the city? Pray for God to use you to lead them to Jesus. Work at your job as if you were a missionary in that context. Then, when they see Christ in you and verbalize that, be ready to give a defense for the hope you have in Christ Jesus. (1 Peter 3:15-16) Be bold. Be gentle. Be Holy Spirit-led. And trust that God will use you to bless them profoundly.

Father, help us to pray and work for the peace and prosperity of the city in which we live today. Help us see our city as You see it. Help us see the people who live and work around us as You do. Give us Your heart of compassion for the people of our city. Empower us to love them as Your word directs and Your Spirit prompts. In the name of the One who is our Peace and Prosperity forever, amen!

From Followers to Leaders (book review)

2011-08-23T19:47:00.000-04:00

From Followers to Leaders by Robert Logan and Tara Miller is a thorough treatment of basic Christian discipleship wrapped in leadership terms. It is written to help churches get future leaders into their leadership pipeline to move their churches forward.

The subtitle: The Path of Leadership Development in the Local Church is literally what they deliver. The authors do a good job of communicating (through a hiking trip) how to move people from on the sidelines to leading in the game.

The stages begin in the "parking lot" where people can just hear about what you're inviting them to. They can collect information without making a commitment. But it's a very important stop. And it's where many hear enough and take the next step...

...which is to the "trailhead." This is where the trail guide tells the hikers what to expect. He gives them a realistic view of what's coming. He encourages them by reminding them that they won't be alone.

The next stage of the hike is at the "beginning of the trail." They are eager and enthusiastic but it's still very early. Soon thereafter "along the trail" reality starts to set in. All along the authors are making parallels to how we in the church bring along potential and future leaders in reasonable, attainable and simple steps.

"Campfires" happen along the way where people are able to share stories that encourage and instruct. Leaders as well as followers learn a lot during these debriefing sessions. Again, the authors are showing how to practically accomplish this in the local church.

Finally you're at the "end of the trail" where everyone celebrates!

While at times I found this book to be a bit wordy, the authors do illustrate their points with real-life stories and helpful graphics. At the end of the day, if you're looking for a good process to help you get leaders into your leadership pipeline, pick this book up and get started!

I Can Do ALL THINGS (Isaiah 40:31)

2011-08-13T11:08:00.002-04:00

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

Observations

This verse is written by Isaiah to the people of Israel. He is writing specifically about those who "Trust in the LORD" telling them what they will gain but placing their personal confidence in Him. They will find "New strength". No matter how young and energetic they are and no matter how seasoned and conditioned they are, they will all eventually grow weary and faint and weak. But those who are weary, faint and weak but trust in the Lord will find a strength beyond themselves in the One in whom they trust.

They will also "Soar high on wings like eagles." That is they will find themselves able to see things from a better perspective (high), they will cover much territory with minimal effort (soaring requires little flapping of wings), and they will enjoy it! (Oh, I can't wait to fly in the new heaven and new earth!)

They will also, "Run and not grow weary...walk and not faint." They will have what they need to do what God calls them to do even when everyone else is flat on the ground from exhaustion. The Lord who created us can do this in and through His people.

Application

No doubt this is for Israel. And even though most of them do not know and trust the Lord right now--they will. God in His amazing grace will wake them up and draw them back. They will continue to be the centerpiece to His redemptive plan. But it's not just them who will receive His grace...

We will also receive this. We being those who also trust and follow the Lord Jesus. As a result, there will be times when we are exhausted and we'll need to totally rely on the Lord for strength we don't have. And He will meet us in that place of need.

Usually, when I'm exhausted, I just collapse and feel very justified in doing so. However, the Lord may want me to then, in my exhaustion, to get back up and trust Him to provide supernatural strength and energy to go beyond what we can do alone. And not just survive..."fly...run...walk".

So what am I to do? Well, what comes to mind to me is that when I am weary and there is more to be done for Him, perhaps I need to tap into that supernatural strength and get back to it. I need to allow Him to be my strength. For I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength!

"Father, remind me that though I am weak, You are strong. When I am exhausted and weary, You are ready to be my strength if I'll but trust You. Help me believe that You are with me and that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! And that 'The joy of the Lord is my strength.' May I trust You more than ever today. In Jesus' name I pray, amen."

Dire Circumstances Demand Desperate Prayer

2011-08-10T09:01:00.005-04:00

20 "Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to God in heaven." 2 Chronicles 32:20

Observations

This verse comes in the middle of an incredible story of desparation and deliverance by the city of Jerusalem by the LORD.

The most powerful nation on the planet is on Jerusalem's doorstep ready to lay siege and take it down. King Hezekiah knows they have no chance against this undefeated and gigantic army of King Sennacherib of Assyria. There is little that he can do.

But he does act. And his actions are very instructive to us--especially when we find ourselves in overwhelming circumstances (can you say bankruptcy or cancer?).

This verse is what King Hezekiah does. He goes to the prophet Isaiah (who has quite a track record at this point in his ministry in the kingdom) and together they pray to the Lord. So many times when someone is lying in the hospital with a terminal or devestating disease we find ourselves saying to the patient or family something like, "I wish there was something (more) I could do..." And while we are powerless to really change anything that's not the same as not being able to do anything. No doubt Hezekiah felt powerless in this situation. I mean there were over 185,000 troops outside his city. They had a fraction of that in the city.
But while Hezekiah was powerless, he wasn't without help. He and Isaiah turned to almighty God and "cried out in prayer." Notice three things.

First, they prayed to God. That isn't the last place we should turn--it's the first. Too often we try to fix things first only to see failure quickly. Then, as a last straw, we turn to God (sometimes) when it seems we have no other choice. I wonder how things would turn out if we would turn to him sooner...

Second, he prays with someone else. He doesn't just pray--he goes to someone he knows has great faith and together they pray. We really are better together!

Third, notice how they prayed. It says they, "Cried out in prayer". This is desperate, shelve-all-kingly-dignity, no pretense, I don't care who sees my blotchy red face petitioning of God. This is humbling and few of us are willing to go here. But I think this posture and attitude affect the answers to our prayers. How we pray DOES matter.

The results were quick and dramatic. First, God responds and tells Hezekiah through Isaiah how he'll answer their prayers. Notice that God answers specific prayers specifically. General prayers are as powerful as a flashlight beam. Specific prayers are like laser beams.

The answer is that God kills 185,000 soldiers in the night causing the rest of this undefeated army to retreat and go home. Then God kills the King of Assyria through his own sons to make the point that He will not be mocked--even by his chosen instrument of discipline against his own people. God doesn't miss a thing, does He?

Application

When we face desperate circumstances, the first thing we should do is turn to God with other Christ-followers who have a track record of faith and faithful service and cry out in prayer together humbly, specifically and fervently.

"Father, we're not naturally good at this. We are a proud people. Yet you say that you "Oppose the proud but give grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5) Teach us to reflexively turn to You when we find ourselves in need anytime. For how we respond to the smaller trials of life will be how we turn to the larger trials of life. In Jesus' name we pray, amen."

A Power far greater is on our side!

2011-08-09T09:55:00.000-04:00

“Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side!" 2 Chronicles 32:7

Observations

Jerusalem is about to be laid under siege by the devastating army of Assyria around 701 BC. There is no reason why Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem should believe that they have a chance of surviving this siege apart from God's divine intervention. It is belief in this that leads Hezekiah to encourage his people to not be afraid but to be strong and courageous in the face of overwhelming circumstances.

Hezekiah exhorts them to be strong and courageous. They no doubt were tempted to be afraid and weak. Hezekiah knew that if God was with them they could trust him and therefore they did not need to be afraid.

Hezekiah points out that God is stronger than the king of Assyria. He encourages them to focus not on the strength of the king of Assyria but the strength of almighty God.

Application

So what, you say? Well, are you ever afraid? What are you afraid of? Probably, if you are ever afraid, you are afraid of things like suffering or discomfort. You may be afraid of what other people think of you. You may fear being out of control of your circumstances or the future. Whatever it is you are afraid of, nothing is more powerful than God. Remember, God spoke you into existence from nothing. Nothing! I think he can handle your boss or neighbor or mother-in-law or professor.

Because He is more powerful than anything.

Do you believe that? Good. Then pray with me...

"Father, thank you for creating me. For speaking me into existence from nothing. Thank you for being for me! I confess my fears and insecurities in life. Thank you for reminding me that you are with me and you're more powerful than anyone or anything. Therefore, I do not need to be afraid. You are so good, God! In Jesus' name I pray, amen."

Live to Give (Isaiah 32:8)

2011-08-08T08:00:00.002-04:00

Isaiah 32:8 NLT

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.

Isaiah is proclaiming (and then writing) God's words to Israel and Judah who continue to live in rebellion to him despite his faithfulness and generosity to them. His patience is about to run out. He will send Israel into exile soon and Judah will follow in about 150 years.

In Isaiah 32, God speaks about Israel & Judah's ultimate deliverance that will come despite their adulterous ways. One verse that stuck out to me was v. 8 (see above).

Observations

What stood out to me was that generous people plan to do what is generous. It's not just spontaneous acts of generosity that characterize generous people (though that follows naturally). It is premeditated, thoughtful wisdom coupled with sacrificial, generous giving that characterize people who 'live to give'.

I want to be that kind of person.

But I digress...this statement is quickly followed by the statement that those who plan to be generous "stand firm in their generosity." This is significant. It's one thing to decide to be generous. It's one thing to plan to give. It's another to stand firm in that. Because it's just when we decide to live generously that the enemy brings financial difficulties. He does this to tempt us to not believe that God will provide. He brings the fear of discomfort, failure, and shame tempting us to move from giving to hoarding; from faith to self-preservation.

Application

We should be spontaneous givers. Absolutely. But I think our spontaneity is actually greater when we plan to live generously. It's making the decision in advance to be a generous person. It's walking by faith in the truth that God owns it all and that we are his privileged stewards.

Planning to give is simple taking the time to decide how you (together with your spouse, if applicable) will steward the money and wealth God has given you above and beyond your needed money and wealth. Really, it's starting there first and then letting the rest fall into place.

We start with giving back to God (tithing as a principle, not as law, then offerings and other gifts follow) what is really his. Giving to those in need (directly or indirectly) is also in view here. From a co-worker going through medical issues with no insurance to supporting your local crisis pregnancy center.

Remember, as Randy Alcorn says, "You can't take it with you, but you can send it ahead." (Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn) If you do any kind of budget (highly recommended) then you simply start here before you move to taxes and other expenses. (Dave Ramsey as well as Crown Financial Ministries have terrific resources on this)

It's a decision we make in advance to live generously. A spiritual decision. Jesus said, "For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also." He also said, "It's more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

"Father, help me to be a generous giver as a steward of all that you have entrusted to me. Help me live with the attitude that you have permission to take anything that I "own" and use it for someone else's benefit. Help me live with my hands wide open instead of clinched holding on to "my" stuff for dear life. Help me get to the place where if you audibly told me to sell everything and give the money to the poor that I would do that. I repent of my greedy attitudes and ask you to transform me into a generous giver who plans to be generous. Transform your Church to be known for her generosity as well--especially in America. In Jesus' name I pray, amen."

Change my duty to delight

2011-08-07T07:24:00.000-04:00

"And so the Lord says, 'These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.'" Isaiah 29:13 NLT

Observations

The Lord is talking through Isaiah to Israel and Judah about 600 BC. In this section, the Lord is speaking specifically about Jerusalem and her people.

Jerusalem is the center of the nation of Judah and the location of her temple and the ark (representing the presence of God) where the nation (both Judah and Israel) are to worship and offer sacrifices per the law.

Specifically, the Lord is calling his people out. He says they are "worshiping" him through religious rituals and traditions. And while these things can be helpful, they aren't when they become mindless, external rites and acts. When the people believe that it's the act and not the heart behind it that matters, the Lord objects.

You see, they were saying the right things--doing the outward signs of someone who loved the Lord. But their hearts weren't in it. They were like the husband who brings home flowers for his wife. He stands at the door with a fist full of roses. She answers the door and he says, "Here are roses for you for our 10th anniversary. This is my husbandly thing to do so here you go." I doubt that would illicit a warm response! She wants to hear, "These expensive roses are but a token of my rich and unfailing love for you the love of my life!" And yet, even this act and these words done without a sincere heart is just playacting. The Bible has a word for that--hypocrisy.

Application

So what? Well, I don't think the Lord's words are limited to Israel and the people of Jerusalem. I think we all struggle with our faith becoming a dead religion of pious words and acts. Our heart naturally drifts away from that which is unseen to this world. But the most real things in life are not visible to us. The most beautiful things in creation are often unseen.

So what do we do? We repent. We believe. We turn back to God and admit (if appropriate) that while we are faithful to say the right things and do the right things (sing praise songs at church; read out Bibles) we are not always faithful to focus our thoughts and affections on Him. Then we share our struggles in this area with other brothers and sisters in Christ asking them to pray for us and encourage us and hold us accountable to be sincere and genuine in our worship--both public and private. Perhaps better private worship would lead us to better public worship. After all, who really spends time faking worship when no one is watching? (I know it happens, but it's not near as common)

"Father, I confess my tendency to go through the motions and say the right things. It comes so easily. I confess that I sing familiar songs to you while thinking of other things like what other people think about me or how out of tune things sound or what might be for lunch. I confess that my private worship could be much better. Lord, I repent of such a shallow and dishonoring attitude toward you. I confess my insincerity and hypocrisy. I confess my faith that is more duty than delight. Change my heart! Transform me into someone new! Make me, mold me, fill me, use me for your glory! I love you and there is no other like you! In Jesus' wonderful name I pray, amen!"

The Lord is for ALL People

2011-08-06T09:59:00.000-04:00

S - "The Lord will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them." NLT

Using Wayne Cordeiro's SOAP method: http://www.enewhope.org/firststeps/journaling/

S cripture - Write out the entire verse you are going to journal on. (see above)

O bservations - The Lord is doing everything to Egypt in this verse. First he strikes them and then he heals them. The Egyptians will turn to the Lord (in Isaiah's day apparently). The Lord responds with healing to them because they believe and cry to him for help and healing.

A pplications - The application here is that the Lord will turn to anyone who turns to him.

When I think of the Egyptians, I think of Moses and the exodus. I think of the 10 plagues and how God pounded Egypt. My impression from reading about this over the years is that Egypt would never recover from their pride and stubbornness against the Lord. And yet here I see the Lord promising that when they turn to him, he will hear their cry and heal them and that there will be 5 cities of people who turn and follow him. (18) Truly the Lord is merciful to all people.

P rayer - Lord, thank you for reminding me that you are for all people! That you are a God of mercy and grace! Thank you for pouring out your mercy and grace on me! Now may I fully and faithfully pour out your mercy and grace on others around the corner and around the world. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Be the story you want to read

2011-07-20T11:05:00.000-04:00

I love Francine Rivers' book A Voice in the Wind. (Part of the Mark of the Lion series) An incredible story in it's own right. But it's also historical fiction meaning that all the characters and settings are historically accurate. Only the main characters were created.

Even more, the message of the book is life-changing. There's really no better way to describe it. This novel affected me profoundly.

So with vacation approaching I decided to purchase the sequel (An Echo in the Darkness) and read it over vacation. So it landed on my nightstand eager to be read...calling to me...so I began reading it (just a little, mind you).

As my eye caught it before our 9-day trip to Curacao I thought, "That would be nice to have on the plane..." Next thing I knew, it had jumped into my backpack ready for the trip.

Now it seems that God had more on his mind than me enjoying this epic series. He wanted to teach me a profound lesson. On the plane on the way down to Curacao, I felt God clearly impress on me the following message:

"Be the story you so want to read."

In other words, instead of always reading great stories about others (true and fictional), seek Me with all your heart and be a part of The Story!

This was a great reminder and challenge of what I already knew but often fail to practice.

We hunger because we're made to eat good food. We thirst because we're made to drink refreshing drink. We crave significance because we are made to be profoundly significant. (see part 2 of this video interview by John Piper of Louie Giglio. Louie speaks to this very thing there) And we crave good stories because we were made to be in that story. His story.

So as I planned what I would talk about on the youth retreat and in the Sunday services in Curacao, the love of God kept coming back. The theme for both were missions and evangelism which point to this "Love God, love people" thrust we so often emphasize. But God reminded me that His love precedes all of that. For some reason that took me to Hosea.

So I preached about Hosea's love for an unfaithful, wife and prostitute, God's love for an unfaithful nation (Israel), and God's love for us even when we're unfaithful.

As I watched the response during both invitations that Sunday morning, tears filled my eyes. The reality that lives had been profoundly touched because of God working through me and others was humbling.

At least 4 had trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Others were repentant and broken over pride and sin. Others rededicated their lives. It was a day where God's story was unfolding visibly and dramatically.

And I wasn't reading about it - I was a (small) part of that story.

So by the end of our trip, I finished the book. And it did not disappoint! The story vividly displays God's amazing love, grace and mercy. It does this in the context of first century Rome and Ephesus and challenges us of faith to the core of our beliefs.

And while I finished reading the story, I had more importantly been a part of the bigger story the novel points to. The Story of God.

So I encourage you today - Be the story you want to read.

7 days in 5 min

2011-07-15T06:24:00.001-04:00

Next Christians article in USA Today

2011-06-27T15:14:00.000-04:00

This is a follow up to my book review of The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons. Great article in USA Today!

From Gabe Lyons via Email:

Friends,

This morning's USA Today features a story describing us--Christians who want to work for cultural reforms and the common good. It captured that our motivation is in the power of Jesus and his work on the cross, not our own strength.

In many ways, this article could be a watershed moment in the way journalist and everyday Americans start understanding what a new generation of Christians are all about. The world is finding your faith compelling--its cause to celebrate!

Gabe

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-06-26-can-social-justice-effort-tame-culture-wars_n.htm

CONCLUSION OF THE USA TODAY ARTICLE:

"Lyons [you have] helped lead the effort to rethink how to bring the faith forward in what sociologists and commentators will tell you is an increasingly post-Christian culture. It is not a power play, Lyons stresses, but the activation of a network of 'restorers who will work with anyone to see goodness go forward in the world and evil pressed back.' These 'next Christians,' as Lyons calls them in the title of his 2010 book, 'are socially conscious, grounded in their gospel commitment, and optimistic that when their faith is practiced according to the ways of Jesus, it is complementary to cultural reforms that value all human beings, all human flourishing, and all spiritual traditions.'

Christians ready to go shoulder to shoulder with anyone to advance the greater good? Not exactly the form of religion we've been arguing about these past few decades.

Let's see who's ready to work with them. There's a lot to be done."

Church Planter isn't just about Church Planting

2011-06-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

I was pleasantly surprised at what I found in Darrin Patrick's book Church Planter: The Man, The Message, The Mission. What I didn't find was a typical church planting book.

What I did find was a book comprehensive in scope going beyond the practical to include the theological. At the same time it wasn't overwhelming, overly academic or too long.

Patrick breaks the book down into 3 basic sections:

The Man. Here Patrick deals with the church planter himself. (Patrick is a leader in the Reformed Acts 29 Church Planting Network influenced by Mark Driscoll) He deals with things that ought to be a no-brainer but aren't: Character and walking with Christ; the basics of faith. Nothing is assumed here.

The next section is The Message. Patrick tackles the Gospel message itself. He examines historically and theologically.

The part I most appreciated was the section on "Source idols." He identifies (with some help) 4 source idols that seem to cover about every potential temptation there is. They are the idols of 1. Power, 2. Control, 3. Approval and 4. Comfort. Sadly, these resonate with me and have already moved me to serious soul-searching.

The final section is The Mission. Here Patrick deals with how the Church engages the world. He discusses compassion, The Church, contextualization, care and city transformation. He helps us understand that it's a kingdom mission and what that means.

I found this book easy to read, engaging and rich. I found myself forgetting that I was reading a church planting book and learned so much more.

I highly recommend this book to any Christian leader who cares about the Church and her mission. 4 out of 5 stars.

Download a pdf of the excerpt

Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission | Books | Crossway http://ht.ly/59Vh0

Buying A Used Cow

2011-06-03T11:13:00.003-04:00

I love this one. Got it from Mikeysfunnies.com DRG

A farmer had been swindled many times by the local car dealer. One day, the car dealer informed the farmer that he was coming over to purchase a cow.

The farmer priced the unit as follows:

- Basic Cow $999.95
- Shipping and Handling $35.75
- Extra Stomach $79.25
- Two-tone Exterior $142.10
- Produce Storage Compartment $128.50
- Heavy Duty Straw Chopper $189.60
- 4-Spigot/High Output Drain System $149.20
- Automatic Fly Swatter $88.50
- Genuine Cowhide Upholstery $170.80
- Deluxe Dual Horns $59.25
- Automatic Fertilizer Attachment $339.40
- 4 X 4 Traction Drive Assembly $884.16
- Pre-Delivery Wash and Comb $69.80

Farmer Suggested List Price $3336.26
Additional Dealer Adjustment $300.00

Total list price (including options) $3636.26
Tax and Ear Tags $418.00

TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE $4054.26

[forwarded by JR Whitby]

today'sTHOT============================

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

Enjoy the Fruit

2011-06-02T17:12:00.000-04:00

A great interview by two men who have influenced me tremendously. What I've learned from these two men is hard to appreciate. I thank God for them.

Remember reading a book and listening to men speak is like eating a watermelon. You have to spit out a few seeds. But don't let those seeds keep you from the great fruit they come through. DRG

Improving your sleep

2011-05-30T18:25:00.002-04:00

Great article. My comments follow. DG

MAY 26, 2011 Tim Elmore

What Our Screens Are Doing to Our Sleep Habits

Americans just are not getting enough sleep and technology may be the villain. I am one of them. I sleep less than I did ten years ago, when I likely need more sleep today. Here’s why I think technology may be part of my problem.

The National Sleep Foundation did a 2011 Poll that found 95% of the 1,508 people surveyed reported using some type of electronic device (TV, computer, video game or cell phone) within an hour of bedtime, at least a few nights per week.

One of the researchers, professor Lauren Hale, reports: “Communication technologies are often light-emitting, which can suppress the sleep promoting hormone melatonin and make it harder to go to sleep at night.” Both the light and alert sounds from such devices can interfere with falling asleep and staying asleep.

Cardiologist Virend Somers, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN., says a lack of sleep may have serious health consequences for students and young people. Somers says that youth are not only experiencing a chronic lack of sleep but are also trading sleep time for sedentary activities, rather than exercise. This may not affect them this week, but it will eventually take its toll as they get older and their body may be less able to compensate for lack of sleep.

So what can we do for ourselves and our kids? Here are three ideas:

Turn the computer, TV or cell phone off at least an hour before bedtime.
Do something active (instead of sedentary) every day.
Read before bedtime, guiding your thoughts away from the day’s troubles.
Though its too early to say one causes the other, it is clear that younger populations are using more interactive technology at bedtime, and they are the same group reporting worse sleep than anyone. Our goal should be to build healthy young people who can take their turn leading our world when the time comes. Let’s just hope they’re not tired or sleepy when that time comes.

Tim Elmore

With 3 teens plus me a technology junkie too, let me build on what Tim suggests above. Reading a book is a very relaxing diversion. Reading Scripture goes even further. Also, historical fiction from Bible times ( Francine Rivers does this very well)is another option. Then count your blessings instead of sheep...

Become a 'Next Christian'

2011-05-27T23:08:00.000-04:00

The NEXT Christians, by Gabe Lyons, does more than observe Christianity in our current culture: It encourages us to act with great expectation.

After writing a book (UnChristian) where statistics seem to drive a stake in the heart of the church in America, Lyons comes back with a startling (at first) assessment: That is that the bad news is actually good news.

He then outlines how the world is changing. He summarizes our current cultural climate as it relates to the church and Christianity in America.

He next major section takes 6 chapters to outline what "Next Christians" look like. They are provoked, but not offended.

They are creators, not critics.
They are called, not employed.
They are grounded, not distracted.
They are in community, not alone.
They are countercultural, not 'relevant'.

With these descriptions it's difficult to be a Christian and not be extremely motivated by this picture of what could and should be. It's a glorious vision for this Christ-follower.

It's a timely book written by the generation that is best positioned to make it happen. I applaud Lyons and highly recommend his book. Become a Next Christian.

Note of disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for purposes of reading and reviewing.

Disciple-Making & Movement Makers

2011-05-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

Neil Cole is teaching me a lot lately about the church. I still have yet to read a book of his (maybe if he'd send me a free one...) but that day is coming. Check this out...

Neil Cole on Disciple-Making and Movement Makers

Neil Cole is the founder and executive director of Church Multiplication Associates, an organization that has helped catalyze the start of more than a thousand churches around the world. He is seen by many to be one of the key founders of what is known as the organic or simple-church movement. Cole is the author or coauthor of several books, including Organic Church, Search & Rescue, and Cultivating a Life for God. He lives in Long Beach, California. Neil dropped by COMMUNITY's Yellow Box to talk about planting seeds, planting churches, making disciples and becoming movement makers. The following are some of the highlights of our time with Neil Cole:

Begin by asking "What does the Bible say about church planting?"
We make the mistake of trying to plant churches instead of planting "seeds".
Don't plant churches, plant Jesus.
If we go about making disciples then churches will be planted.
Must reproduce disciples, leaders, churches and then a movement and it must be in that order.
We have churches that are productive, but not reproductive.
Every follower of Jesus has the DNA of a movement within them.
Baptism is the first action of a Christ follower; stop baptizing and we weaken the imprint of Jesus on the new disciple.
The Bible commands us to be "baptizers"; if we do not baptize we can not fulfill the great commission.
God has a mission and He is letting us join him on the mission.
It's all about trusting "seed-planting"; it's not about a model.
If the leadership has the need to control it will not work.
The greatest sin of the American church is self-preservation.
A church that is willing to risk and fail is the church that is the healthiest and most alive.
Don't operate from positional authority; it's the weakest expression of power; always defer to relational authority.
When it comes to leadership don't invest in potential, invest in proven-faithfulness.

Check mail only twice a day?!

2011-05-08T15:13:00.000-04:00

Great article on ways to become more productive. Collide Magazine did this article. I love their stuff!

This Tim Ferris guy is great at getting his ideas out and has some thought-provoking ideas. I want to learn how to become more productive so I'm reading about this kind of thing regularly. Perhaps this will help you too. -Darien

Check mail only twice a day, at set times. Tim Ferris, the guy who wrote The 4-hour Work Week, encourages setting times during the day that you check and respond to emails. This allows you to tackle the messages all at once as opposed to being interrupted all day with various emails that may or may not be important. Set a schedule and abide by it — this creates efficiency and margin in your work day.

Put the TV out of sight. Skye Jethani once told me his family philosophy on television is to, “have it outside the life-flow of the house.” This is a practical and useful strategy, as it’s no longer a peripheral distraction as you walk from your kitchen through the living room to the bedroom. Personally, my TV is in the basement “entertainment room,” and it’s true — out of sight is out of mind. This can be especially useful when kids come in the picture, as the TV can become a binky for the brain.

Phone fast. Go outside once in a while without your phone, I know this seems unreasonable, but I believe it is important to find time free from the possibility of distraction, as I have found possibility always means inevitability when it comes to technology.

Intentional time with God. My pastor was telling me about Eugene Peterson, the author and pastor, who every week takes a 3-hour walk with his wife in complete silence! Afterward, they sit and discuss their thoughts and what (if anything) they heard from God. This is an unconfirmed report on Eugene Peterson’s life, but true or not seems to be a great way to be intentional with your life partner and God.

Begin your day social media-free. Don’t check your email, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media outlets until after breakfast. This one is difficult for me, but seems to be the most beneficial, as it gives me time to sit, eat, and read the Bible before jumping in the furious interaction found within the Internets.

The fact of the matter is, finding margin in your life is ultimately up to you and it is rooted in discipline and intentionality.

I want to hear from you — what other ways can we unplug and create margin?

Soul Surfer Movie changing lives

2011-05-06T12:05:00.010-04:00

My family and I loved this movie! But more than entertaining, it had multiple messages that encourages all kinds of people. Check out this blurb...DRG

Aloha

by Allen Weed on May 04, 2011

Soul Surfer is holding strong in 2000 theaters (even a few drive-in theaters). Already 3.5 million have seen it in theaters. The spiritual impact is dramatic – already well over 100,000 have visited the evangelistic site soulsurfer.com and more than 11,000 have indicated decisions to receive Christ. Continue...

When War is Just

2011-05-05T11:41:00.000-04:00

I remember learning in seminary that there is a Just War theory defended in Scripture that George H W Bush consulted before the first Gulf War. I'd never heard that before. All I could think of was "love your enemies" and "Turn the other cheek." Well, this view of Scripture is compelling and I encourage you to read this summary of it.

James Emery White writes a succinct summary of what makes war just (according to traditional Christian understandings of the Bible) and how Osama Bin Laden's death fits into that. I encourage you to read the whole post but here's his summary of the conditions for the "Just War" Theory. DRG

Vol. 7, No. 36

When War Is Just

The news spread around the world at the speed of a tweet. Actually, 4,000 tweets per second, according to the site.

Osama bin Laden had been killed.

The response has been interesting: initial jubilation, and then, for many, sobriety. Some were sober because they knew the war on terror would continue, and perhaps for a season, intensify due to retaliations. Others were sober as they wondered whether the entire operation was ethical...

...As a result, the idea of a just war has been with Christian thinking from the beginning. But it has been very carefully spelled out.

Here are the conditions for a war to be just:

*There must be an urgent and imminent threat;

*It must be an act of defense against aggression – never simply for conquest or as an act of aggression – only a defensive war is defensible;

*It must be ordered by one who is in authority to do so;

*It must be for a just cause;

*It must have the right intention – it should not be based on revenge, but as an act of neighbor love and protection, with peace as its goal;

*It should be the last resort; peace and resolution should have been attempted;

*The force used must be proportionate to the desired ends – meaning that the evils caused by the war are less than the evils to be righted;

*It must seek to minimize non-combatant (civilian) casualties;

*It must have a reasonable chance of success.

Tornado Update as of April 26, 2011

2011-04-28T18:35:00.001-04:00

I want to keep this in front of you to remember to pray and give. But I have another reason...I want you to be open to going.

It's always too late to train when disaster strikes. Christ-followers should be among the first to go to help those in crisis. We must prepare to do that. So what am I asking you to do?

* Pray for those responding in the name of Christ. Pray God would give you a heart that is willing to go should he call you to.

* Give as God leads you through your church or directly through a Christ-centered ministry.

* Get trained. Go through whatever ministry or non-profit you want to. But get trained. The time will come when you will want to go. You can't get the credentials and training you need then. It's too late.

Tornado Update as of April 26, 2011
NCBM Disaster Relief men and women continue to work out of more than 10 different locations across North Carolina. So far, more than 6890 volunteer days have been provided by our teams. These teams have completed more than 906 jobs and have provided over 61,000 meals. There are still approximately 250 job requests remaining. For more information go tohttp://www.baptistsonmission.org/Projects/North-Carolina/Tornado

Striking a Nerve in Church Leaders

2011-04-28T09:36:00.006-04:00

If you know me, you know I'm built nothing like a wrestler. I'm tall and very thin. People used to say I had legs Colonel Sanders wouldn't want. Okay, I'm still smarting a bit from that one...

But I spend a lot of time wrestling, none the less.

I wrestle with how we "Do church" in America today. I think about it first from my perspective as pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship. But I think beyond that to the American Evangelical church and then the church in general. My heart is burdened for Jesus' bride, the Church, to shine brightly.

I keep coming back to the discovery that Willow Creek CC made several years ago. They concluded (loose paraphrase) that they were doing a diservice to their people and the Great Commission by emphasizing church programs over personal responsibility for one's spiritual growth. In other words, they were helping people grow-to a point. But ultimately, they realized that we are each responsible for our spiritual growth and that the job of church leadership is equip the people to grow and mature.

They took a lot of undeserved heat for this courageous admission. I think they were spot-on. And I think they hit a nerve heard across the evangelical world. Because most churches (if they were honest and informed) would admit that we were under-emphasizing this biblical priority and over-emphasizing programs that were reliant more on paid leadership.

Combining this with my personal experience where I was part of a church headed in the same direction and it was like God was trying to get my attention and say, "Darien, wake up! This is my best."

So, ever since, I've been wrestling with what that looks like and how to make that happen.

There are several churches doing a good job in this area. I'm still learning how they are doing it but it seems that they have gotten this message and are acting on it. They include National Community Church, Cornerstone Church Simi Valley, and Seacoast Church. These certainly aren't the only ones and you might be surprised that they are all mega-churches. But this is why they are getting my attention: 1. They are more visible as mega-churches (especially through their pastor-authors) and 2. They are normally criticized for being too shallow when it comes to making disciples.

While I don't know Community Christian Church as well, their church planting network (New Thing) and their making much of leaders like Neil Cole tell me that they are more interested in making disciples than just building big churches. (they are a multi-campus mega-church) And Neil Cole seems to be striking a nerve in church leaders. He sure is in this one.

So I've included a post from Dave Ferguson's blog (Pastor of CCC) from something Neil shared at CCC recently. These strike a chord in my spirit as I read them. So I plan to blog about these over the next several weeks (or longer). I guess I want to wrestle with them "out loud" and maybe even get some comments and feedback along the way. I have a lot to learn and you can help me, I believe.

My Thoughts on Planet Wisdom Conference

2011-04-25T03:51:00.000-04:00

This is from January after I took our youth to FL for the Planet Wisdom conference. I wrote my thoughts but then never posted them. Here they are in pretty raw form. I hope they help others as they consider youth conferences. -Darien

Worship music

A solid, little know band outside of FL called Dutton, made up of young guys who lead worship in their own churches, did a sound job. They played some Crowder and Tomlin but also some of their own stuff. Their own stuff was fine but not what I'm used to. Still, our teens seemed to like them.

Speaker

Mark Matlock did all of the sessions and apparently always does. He's the passion and force behind PlanetWisdom and his passion shows.

He speaks kind of like I do now. My older daughter agreed when I made that observation later. How's that, you say? He gives you a lot of information, speaks long, not enough illustrations but good content. Could be more to the point and more visual but effective. Is not as polished as you'd expect at, say, a Student Life conference. (note: I've taken youth groups to 8 SL Tours so that's my point of reference for better or worse)

Drama

More like Skit time. The Skit Guys were hilarious! They also did some skits that were powerful and penetrating. At times they might even have been borderline for some but very good. They do all the drama for PW and you can see why they are a favorite.

Overall Production

Basic but sound. They had a giant screen behind the speaker (down low) for more general effects which I really liked. Then 2 other screens flanking that up high for words, vids, etc. Basic but effective. Crew seemed to be on track and this was only their 2nd of this tour.

Incidentally, we helped them do take-down as they gave groups a chance to serve like Student Life did/does. It was fun to be able to incorporate service as a part of our weekend. They could have been more organized but it wasn't chaotic.

Missions

They did a great job of incorporating missions as a natural part of the weekend. They had a 19-yr old who started Loose Change for Loosing Chains or something like that to free slaves. He shared several times over the weekend and really connected. They gave the kids a chance to sponsor a compassion child too--but without the guilt trip.

They made international missions accessible to the teens in a sensitive way without the guilt trip. This impacted my older daughter the most. She is giving up her $20/month texting plan (which she pays for herself) to help pay to sponsor her first compassion child (now $38/mon) for example.

Theme

"A God You Can Know" was one of telling the overall story of God from Genesis thru Revelation. They gave students a notebook to use, as well, that had the scriptures, places to take notes, questions to answer, etc. Good theme and idea as far as the power of Story.

At times I felt like the book was more important than the Bible because he always spoke from his book instead of his Bible. That probably came from having to cover so much that he couldn't really teach a passage like I like to. Next year his theme will be teaching students how to use and understand their Bible. That could be very good.

Cost

Cost was higher than Student Life has been in the past. But then SL isn't doing conferences anymore (bring Tour back, SL!. Overall, still a decent price.

Overall Impact

While I would rate it lower than any SL Conf I've ever been to, God used it to impact my older daughter deeply. As a pastor of a church with few bells and whistles and a youth group with even less, I continue to grow more and more confident in a God who needs nothing to anything. So while I would rate this conference lower by conference standards, I rate it high as effective.

If I could choose today, I'd still go to SL in a heartbeat. But I am less concerned about the visual now. I felt led to take our group to a conference and that was the closest one that fit in our time frame. I have always wanted to try a different one so here was my chance. I'm glad we went.

Hope this helps,

Darien

Want to make a difference in the long run? Consider this...

2011-04-20T06:19:00.000-04:00

"You will almost always overestimate what God will do through you in the short run, but you will almost always underestimate what God wants to do through you in the long run." -Craig Groeschel, Pastor, lifechurch.tv

The Next Christians

2011-04-18T21:30:00.000-04:00

The Next Christians

A link to the enhanced website that goes with Gabe Lyon's book.

You Don't Have to be Afraid of Anything

2011-04-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

"For I am with you." -God

Acts 18:9-11
1 Sam 18:12-14; 28
Acts 2:25-28

Characteristics of "Next Christians"

2011-04-15T21:28:00.000-04:00

From The Next Christians:

Next Christians are...

"Provoked, not offended..."

"Creators, not critics..."

"Called, not employed..."

"Grounded, not distracted..."

"In community, not alone..."

"Counter-cultural, not 'relevant'"

Read this book! -Darien

Understanding Engineers #8

2011-04-06T14:36:00.000-04:00

An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn back into a beautiful princess and stay with you for one week." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket. The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want." Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog - now that's cool."

Understanding Engineers #6

2011-04-04T14:34:00.000-04:00

Possibly my favorite since it's so accurate. (yes, I'm a civil engineer) DG

"Three engineering students were gathered together discussing who must have designed the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints." Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections." The last one said, "No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"

Understanding Engineers #5

2011-03-30T14:33:00.001-04:00

"The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?" The graduate with an engineering degree asks, "How does it work?" The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?" The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"

Understanding Engineers #3

2011-03-29T12:31:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I'm a recovering civil engineer so maybe I'm still warped and laugh at jokes like this one. DG

"A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with those guys? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!" The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!" The priest said, "Here comes the greens-keeper. Let's have a word with him." He said, "Hello George, What's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?" The greens-keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firemen. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The group fell silent for a moment. The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything she can do for them." The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?"

Dead Sea | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2011-03-22T18:24:00.001-04:00

See it much larger here:
Dead Sea | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

A beautiful photo of the Dead Sea from space. Yes, dead things can look beautiful.

Send Magazine - 1st Quarter 2011 - Front Cover

2011-03-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Send Magazine - 1st Quarter 2011 - Front Cover

Send Magazine - 1st Quarter 2011 http://ht.ly/48Er0 You can read this terrific missions magazine online 4 free. #missions #tc

Church & Culture Blog | Church and Culture

2011-02-24T11:26:00.002-05:00

Are you a passive parent? Read this short but insightful article. Add your thoughts to the comment section. It's worth the 5 min. Link:

Church & Culture Blog | Church and Culture

Thinking Biblically

2011-02-18T10:55:00.000-05:00

Thinking biblically sure affects what we see as weird, doesn't it?

So how are we doing?

2011-01-27T18:01:00.002-05:00

Nobody wants to be a significant part of something that is irrelevant. We want to believe that what we're a part of is making a real difference in our world on some level.

I ask you: Do you think we (GCF) are relevant in our community? More importantly, do our neighbors think we are relevant? Does anyone outside of the US think we are relevant?

I ask the question because I believe we are irrelevant if we're not doing all that Jesus told us to do. That means we're emphasizing what he emphasized. We're prioritizing what he prioritized. We love what he loved. We are passionate about what he was passionate about.

So how are we doing? (What would our friends say?)

I'll tell you what I fear. I fear being irrelevant. Because Jesus left us here to do something that was the most relevant thing on the planet. Nothing is more relevant than passing on Jesus. Making disciples. Relevant.

So how are we doing? (What would our co-workers say?)

Here's a statement I want you and I to consider. It may be wrong or poorly worded but help me think this through...

Until we make the Gospel the priority of our church (by our actions, not just words), we will be irrelevant to our "neighbor" both here and abroad.

The Gospel meaning more than "Admit, Believe, Commit" and more than even doing the Great Commission. It's realizing that the overflow of my faith in Christ results in the Gospel being shared through me. In other words, it's not just something I do. It's who I am. The Gospel is who I am in Christ. And that will be obvious and relevant to our hurting world.

It's like God is love. God loves because He is love. We share the Gospel because we've been transformed by the Gospel. It's in us!

So how are we doing? (What would our neighbor say?)

If we use other churches as our standard, we'll be tempted to believe we're doing better than most. But that's not our standard by a long-shot. Our standard is found in the New Testament. "This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." -Jesus, John 15:8

So how are we doing? (What would the unreached peoples of Kazakhstan say?)

1 Peter 5:6 & start with me, Lord,

Darien

Knowing Christ can be a Pain

2011-01-19T10:18:00.000-05:00

Whenever we suffer, it's real easy to get tunnel vision where feeling better physically (or otherwise) can become our all-consuming agenda. Scripture tells us that there is a better way.

The apostle Paul had a "Ph D" in suffering. And He knew Christ intimately beginning with his up-close and personal encounter on the Road to Damascus.

So it should be of no surprise that he has some instructive words for us to live by as we consider the relationship between knowing Christ intimately and suffering. Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-15a (emphasis mine):

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.

In a generation and culture that believes there's never a good reason to suffer, Paul says that while suffering is not pleasant, it can be life-changing. It can lead to knowing God better than ever.

Because it is so hard, we must pray for and encourage one another regularly as we all suffer to varying degrees in life. And we must view our suffering through God's eyes as well. Yes, knowing Christ can be a real pain. That's why we must learn to suffer well...together.