Are Mormons Christians? Simply Put - No.

A nice FAQ on some key Mormon beliefs contrasted to orthodox Christian beliefs has been put together by Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition - and I've included it below.  So is Mitt Romney a Christian?  No.

I personally find the Mormon religion particularly insidious for their regular use of Christian terms and language that they then redefine.  So it sounds like you are talking about the same thing, but if you examine their theology closely it is clear you are not.  And make no mistake this is intentional on their part.

Theology matters.  This is important, especially in this political cycle where Mormonism will be getting a lot of press.  And once again, Joel Osteen has said something that is not helping clarify this issue.  Could people please stop asking questions of Joel Osteen and Pat Robertson already?

The FAQs: Are Mormons Christian?

"Are Mormons Christian?" Since the 1820s, when Joseph Smith founded the religious movement, evangelicals and other orthodox Christians have answered with a resounding "no." Over the past decade, though, many Americans have begun to provide a different response. In an interview with CNN, megachurch pastor Joel Osteen said that while the Mormon faith is "not traditional Christianity" he still views them as "brothers in Christ."
And earlier this month, the widely read evangelical blogger David French wrote,

I'd argue that our view of salvation --- whether Arminian or Reformed --- is of enormous consequence, going directly not only to the nature of God but also how we understand each moment of our lives, yet I rarely hear anyone seriously ask, "Are Methodists Christian?" Perhaps that's not so much because the theological differences aren't real and profound but because we've made our historical peace through shared understanding of our faith in Christ. Perhaps its time that we make that same peace with Mormons.

Are Mormons our fellow "brothers in Christ?" Are the theological distinctions between Mormonism and evangelicalism similar to the differences between Presbyterians and Methodists?
In order to examine these questions, I've compiled answers from various resources and subject-area experts and presented them in the form of a FAQ. This article is not intended to be an in-depth explanation of Mormon history or theology, but rather an examination of areas that are relevant to the question of whether Mormons should be considered by evangelicals to be Christians. For more information on Mormonism I recommend Andrew Jackson's Mormonism Explained: What Latter-day Saints Teach and Practice.
What do Mormons believe about God?
Mormons claim that God the Father was once a man and that he then progressed to godhood (that is, he is a now-exalted, immortal man with a flesh-and-bone body). (1 - ESV Study Bible article on religious cults)
According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Doctrine and Covenants, "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also;" but "The Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit."
As Kevin DeYoung says,

Whether God the Father is self-existent is unclear. There was a long procession of gods and fathers leading up to our Heavenly Father. Brigham Young once remarked, "How many Gods there are, I do not know. But there never was a time when there were not Gods and worlds."
What is clearer is that the Mormon God is not a higher order or a different species than man. God is a man with a body of flesh and bones like us. (2 - Kevin DeYoung, "Mormonism 101")

Do Mormons believe in the Godhead?
Yes, but Mormons mean something completely different by the term "Godhead" than it has been understood throughout Christian history. As Mormon leader Bruce D. Porter explains,

The Book of Mormon refers in several passages to God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost as "one God," but Latter-day Saints understand this to mean they are one in mind, purpose, will, and intention. Their unity is the same unity of which Christ spoke in his high-priestly prayer following the Last Supper: that his disciples may "be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (John 17:21). Hence, Latter-day Saints rarely use the term Trinity, but prefer the title Godhead to refer to the three divine beings who govern our universe in perfect oneness." [emphasis in original] (3 - Porter, "Is Mormonism Christian?")

Do Mormons believe in the Trinity?
No. As the religion scholar Gerald R. McDermott notes, "At the end of his life, in his King Follett funeral sermon (1844), Joseph Smith prophesied against the Trinity, saying that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate Gods." (3 - McDermott, "Is Mormonism Christian?)
What is the Mormon view of Jesus?
Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was the firstborn spirit-child of the heavenly Father and a heavenly Mother. Jesus then progressed to deity in the spirit world. He was later physically conceived in Mary's womb, as the literal "only begotten" Son of God the Father in the flesh (though many present-day Mormons remain somewhat vague as to how this occurred). (1)
Porter explains that,

A vital aspect of Latter-day Saint theology---and its most obvious difference from traditional Christianity---is the belief that Jesus Christ is an individual being, separate from God the Father in corporeality and substance. Mormons do not accept the phrase in the Nicene Creed that describes the Father and Son as being "of one substance," nor do we accept subsequent creeds by ecumenical councils that sought to clarify the nature of the Trinity in language describing them as one indivisible spiritual being. (2)

How many Gods do Mormons believe exist?
At least four separate gods. The Encyclopedia of Mormonism teaches that there is a "Mother in Heaven," who is like the Heavenly Father "in glory, perfection, compassion, wisdom, and holiness." God "is plural," it declares.
Is Mormonism polytheistic?
Mormons deny they are polytheistic. As McDermott explains,

The theologian Stephen Robinson denies that Mormonism is polytheistic, and strictly speaking he is right. Polytheism portrays a world in which competing gods either vie for ultimate authority or have delimited provinces over which they rule. The Mormon picture is closer to henotheism, which posits a supreme God over other lesser, subordinate gods. The Mormons say that the Father is at least functionally over the Son and the Holy Ghost, and they are the only Gods with which we have to do.

How do Mormons view orthodox Christians?
That we are apostates. Mormons claim that "total" apostasy overcame the church following apostolic times, and that the Mormon Church (founded in 1830) is the "restored church." (1)
Are Mormons Christian?
No. On many key points Mormon beliefs are antithetical to historic Christian orthodoxy. However noble the intentions for wanting to include them as "brothers and sisters in Christ," we do violence to the historical understanding of the term "Christian" by expanding it to mean those who have rejected orthodox Christian beliefs for a nineteenth-century heretical theology.
We can't love our neighbor and turn a blind eye to their eternal fate. We should therefore pray diligently that our friends and family who put their trust in this false religion might come to know and accept the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sources: 
1 - ESV Study Bible article on religious cults as quoted by Justin Taylor
2 - Kevin DeYoung, "Mormonism 101"
3, 4 - Bruce D. Porter / Gerald R. McDermott, "Is Mormonism Christian?"

Blocking and Tackling - Fundamentals

Some good words here from my friend Brenton on his blog Living in the Pace of Grace:

Focus First on Blocking and Tackling

A couple years ago I worked for a guy who would say, "We have to learn how to block and tackle before we worry about running trick plays."  It was a reference to making sure you master the basics of what you're doing before you try to do anything extra special or outside the regular scope of responsibility.

You see this tendency in high school sports.  In hockey it might mean trying too many fancy moves or passes instead of just putting the puck on goal.  In basketball it might mean slashing through the lane for a tough lay-up instead of running the coach's called play.  No matter what you want to compare it to, mastering the basics first is the most important thing.  If you're not executing the basics, all the additional stuff you're doing doesn't matter nearly as much, and won't be done as well.

One of the reasons people ignore the basics and go for the "trick plays" is because they are in search of recognition or fame.  It's the trick plays that make Sportscenter, but it is the blocking and tackling that wins games and championships.  There is a reason the Harlem Globetrotters are a side show and not an NBA team.

As a leader, make sure that you keep your focus on mastering the "blocking and tackling" in your field.  If you do this you will experience much more long term success.  Continue to reinforce this with your teams and they will build solid foundations for all the other things you want them to achieve.

Seven Common Traits of Breakout Churches - by Thom Rainer

I have been a student of American churches for thirty years. That statement really means two things: I’m old, and I’m a slow learner.

In those thirty years, one of my most fascinating learning ventures has been the discovery of breakout churches. Simply defined, a breakout church is a congregation that has experienced at least five years of decline followed by at least five years of growth. While numerical growth is not the inerrant barometer for church health, we researchers must use numerical gauges for much of our objective data.

The Common Factor
As my research team began sorting and analyzing the data of some 50,000 churches, we found a common factor in many of the breakout churches: the breakout took place when the church got a new pastor. While that finding is helpful from a research perspective, it’s not very helpful to many churches. And it’s certainly not helpful to the pastors of struggling churches.

So our research took a new twist. We only looked at churches that experienced breakouts without changing pastors. I was encouraged by our findings.

The Seven Traits
The breakout churches, almost without exception had seven common characteristics. Though I list them numerically here, for sequential purposes, I am not assigning priority by the rankings.

1. The pastor had a “wake-up” call. He stopped denying that his church had a challenge. He became determined, in God’s power, to lead the church to growth and greater health. He would no longer be satisfied with mediocrity in God’s church.
2. The church, under the pastor’s new leadership, developed clarity in its purpose. Most of the churches were previously activity focused. They were busy with the “what” without addressing the “why.”
3. The pastor began assembling the right team for a new era of leadership. That team would include either paid staff or unpaid laypersons.
4. The pastor developed a spirit of tenacity. He knew that the turnaround would not take place overnight. He followed a prayerful plan for the long haul.
5. One of the early moves in these churches was to focus more ministries outwardly. The wake-up call noted above included an awareness that most of the ministries of the church were for the comfort and desires of the members. The leaders began to change that reality.
6. The pastor and other leaders in the breakout churches had deep biblical faithfulness. They saw their mission emanating from God and written in His Word. That faithfulness was the push that moved them forward even in the midst of challenging times and potential discouragement.
7. The pastor invested more time in the preaching ministry. He realized the centrality of the preached Word, and gave it more time and emphasis than any point previously.

Pearl Jam - Breath

This song has been stuck in my head for a few days now.  Great song!

Breath

Oh, tonight began with anything.
Shaft of a light. A warm breath and a scream.
Ah, yeah.
Oh, tamper if you like between the doors.
Oh yeah. Huh. Huh.
Oh, can't expect to go out, to go out with anything, anything more.

Oh reach the door. A breath and a...
Oh reach the door. And a la la la la yeah.
Life ain't what it's worth.
A breath and a... Oh reach the door.

All these reaching hands out grabbing things. Grabbing me.
Day in day out accumulating. Ah yeah.
Whoa. I suggest you step out on your porch.
Oh yeah. Huh. huh. Huh huh, yeah.
Run away my son. See it all. Oh see the world.

Oh reach the door. A breath and a...
Oh reach the door. Oha and a la la la la yeah.
Life ain't what it's worth.
A breath and a... Oh reach the door.

Come. Here it comes. There it goes. When it comes.
Where it goes. Where it comes.
Can't see through the faith. Woah.
Ooh. Come. Here it comes. There it goes.
Grasp what you can.
Don't you know there's something inside your head, yeah.

Oh, if I knew where it was I would take you there but there's much more
than this.
Ooh. Whoa, much more than this. Woh see the world. Much more than...
Oh, much more than. Why?

"Must have's" for a church website

Trevin Wax shared the following on the Gospel Coalition site.  Some good stuff there for anyone looking to create a church web site.  Our church - http://WasecaChurch.org has hit this basic criteria for a few years now (you'd be surprised how many sites don't) with the exception being detailed information on our leadership team beyond myself as pastor.  I think in a larger church having that detailed info is useful.  With all my "staff" being volunteers I'd rather have the contact point be our church since people rotate in and out of leadership positions within the church.

5 Essentials for a Church Website

“If a church doesn’t have a website in this day and age, it’s as if the church doesn’t exist.”

I remember being jolted when I first heard a pastor make that statement a few years ago. He went on: “Not having a church website is like not having a front door to your church building. And it’s hard to welcome people to worship if you don’t have a way in.” The pastor was exaggerating a little, but not much. In the 21st century, people are more likely to visit a church’s website before they ever set foot in the door.
So what should a church website accomplish?

We need to remember that tools—no matter how efficient, cool, or helpful—are, in the end, only tools. Having a website and social media accounts does not replace the work of God, but they certainly can give insight to those outside as to how God is moving within His body.

Many churches already have a website at this stage of the online game. That’s true. But many of these websites are – to put it nicely – underutilized and underwhelming. Rather than just a series of links to news stories and announcements about upcoming events, the website should be a means of revealing your church.

Even with the advent of social media, websites are still a go-to place for information. As such, the church website should not be neglected in favor of the new social media toys in the room. With those few thoughts in mind, here are a few things that no church website should be without.

1. A clear, easy to find “Statement of Beliefs”
In our pluralistic society, people will be accessing your church’s site from every imaginable background. Whether they are well versed in doctrine or confused beyond description, they should know what your church believes. It might be best to have a simplified statement of faith (for unbelievers) as well as a link to a more robust statement of faith (for long-time Christians). You want to communicate what you believe in such a way that the gospel is clear and not obscured.

2. Basic boring information

• Contact: Make it easy for people to know how to contact you. I suggest having the church’s address, phone number, and generic e-mail in the footer of every page. That way it’s easy for visitors to figure out quickly how to get in touch with someone.
• Schedule: Let people know when and where you meet. Give them an entry point. I wouldn’t put every single church activity, program, or event on there. It’s best to keep it simple. (Just make sure you keep the schedule up-to-date.)
• Directions: Use Google to make it easy for someone to figure out where you are located. Most people won’t recognize where in the world your street address is until they copy/paste it into a maps feature online. Why not do this for them anyway?

3. Staff and leadership page

Before people get interested in the specifics of the programs offered by your church, they will be interested to see who is leading. I’ve seen some churches that list all their staff on one page, with their titles and an e-mail address to contact. A long list of names is not the best way to introduce people to your leadership, especially in a Facebook society where we are used to information and pictures. Instead, provide a picture of the staff member, a brief bio, and his or her role at the church. This will go a long way in helping people get a feel for your church.

4. Podcasts and/or sermon videos

Anyone seriously considering your church will be helped in the decision-making process by providing opportunities to hear the weekly teaching. Because of the sometimes extensive differences in church teaching styles and content presentation, it is helpful to make these available online to anyone researching your church. A number of churches use a video welcome from the pastor. That’s okay, but a simple welcome will not reveal as much as full-length sermons.

5. Social media buttons
A website is only part of communicating your church’s presence to your online community. With nearly a billion people worldwide on Facebook and 250M on Twitter, these tools ought not be overlooked. Decide how you will make announcements, share devotionals and Scripture verses, and then use them wisely.
If your pastors like to blog, link to their blogs from their individual staff pages. This is true even for—maybe especially for—children and student pastors. Many parents want to “get a feel” for the leaders to whom they will entrust their children. The more they know about a leader, the more confident they may be about that ministry.

Conclusion
Churches can do amazing things with websites nowadays. Sometimes, in the rush to be innovative, we wind up cluttering the site and making it difficult to give people basic information about our churches. It’s better to have a sharp website that accomplishes the essential purposes rather than a sprawling, detailed website where people can easily get lost.

What about you? When you first visit a church website, what do you look for?

Jeremy Lin giving his testimony of faith

Jeremy Lin of the NBA's New York Knicks giving his testimony at his home church in California.

Jimmy Fallon does Jeremy Lin parody to Pearl Jam's Jeremy

This is Jimmy Fallon at his very best in my opinion. I'm fairly indifferent to Fallon usually, but love Pearl Jam, and this mashup for Jeremy Lin of the NBA's New York Knicks is exceptionally well done!

Conflict resolution - crib sheet

1)  Is it worth it?
-Is this conflict worth it?  We fight over stupid things.  Are you trying to prove a point or make progress?

2)  Same team
-Spouse/family = same team. Nobody loves you more.  They're invested in you, they have skin in the game.

3)  Appropriate response
-Don't make mountains out of molehills.  Behave like an adult. 

4)  Grace
-Grace is unmerited.  Don't be the stopping point of grace.  Jesus gave it to you, pass it on.

5)  The problem isn't the problem
-Our anger leaks out sideways.  So we're angry about something and it manifests elsewhere.  Even towards people who weren't part of the initial problem.


This is just a collecting point for some of my thoughts that others might find useful.

I Am Second - Book Review

I am Second on Amazon.com

My first exposure to I Am Second came about a year ago – long before I got the book.  I saw a link to one of their videos, clicked through, and was immediately impressed with their work.  Earlier last Fall I used a series of their videos as conversation starters with the teens in our church.  Powerful real life testimonies from some of the people the students look up to really were great fuel for faith discussions.

So when the book came out, I knew that I was going to read it.  I entered in with high expectations, and the book met and even exceeded them in many places.  First, I was impressed by the number of interviews they used.  I had seen a handful of the videos for the people featured in the book, but that didn’t dissuade me in any way from reading about them all once again.

Another strength of the book is the diversity of those whose stories they are featuring.  It ranges from Korn band member Brian “Head” Welch, MLB player Josh Hamilton, MMA fighter Vitor Belfort, US Army Captain Chris Plenkenpol to Pastor Nate Larkin.  The stories are their stories (and many others) about real life and real struggle and the real healing that is needed in our world – healing that can only come from Jesus.

As a warning – I wouldn’t recommend the book for young readers.  There are places where the reality of the stories are graphic (not in a perverse way) and cover content that young eyes and minds don’t yet need to be exposed to.  But for everyone else it is gritty and real and inspiring and hope giving.  The stories are all well crafted while yet allowing the voice of each individual to come through loud and clear.  You can read the book a chapter at a time, and in any order, or cover to cover.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.  I did not pay for it, but was not paid for the review, nor was there an agreement (implicit or official) that I would give it a favorable review.


Josh Hamilton:


Brian "Head" Welch:


Colt McCoy:


Nate Larkin:


For more I Am Second videos click here.

Sam's Club - awesome customer service experience

From time to time I point out here on my blog some of the failures in customer service I experience.  I also like to point out when someone really gets it right, as is the case below.

Yesterday I bought a "dozen" red roses for my wife for Valentine's Day from the Sam's Club in Mankato, MN.  When I presented them and she started to cut stems and arrange them she quickly came to realize there were only 10 flower in the bundle.

Odd.  I'm pretty sure the signage said a dozen.  A dozen is the standard unit of measure for roses at this time of the year.  So I decided to contact Sam's Club today online about what happened.  Mistakes happen, and I guess they could've been selling groups of 10 to hit a price point (I doubted that, but was only 99% sure).  I said in the message online who I was, what my member number is (so they could look the transaction up) and what happened.  No complaint beyond that, just more of an FYI and to verify it was supposed to be a dozen and not ten.

Three hours later I had a personally typed message from the manager in charge of that department in the Mankato store.  I had contacted the company through the national web site, so I assume it had to go through a couple of levels of people before it made it back to the local store.  In that message the manager apologized, stated that he went out immediately and double checked their inventory to make sure there weren't others, and the assurance that they would send me a gift card for the price of the flowers "plus something extra for your time".

Wow.  That is over the top impressive customer service.  While I am obviously a member there, and would continue to do business there, that is still a difference maker in terms of how I have been treated.  I wasn't looking for nor expecting a refund honestly.  It was just 2 flowers, and my wife still knows I love her.  So needless to say - I'm impressed.

Good job Sam's Club!

Enemies of the Heart - by Andy Stanley

In typical Andy Stanley form, Enemies of the Heart: Breaking Free from the Four Emotions That Control You is a well focused book with lots of practical and applicable real world wisdom.  I have always enjoyed Andy Stanley’s ability to communicate difficult truths in simple ways, and that holds especially true for the four subjects he tackles in this book – namely guilt, anger, greed and jealousy.  He has the ability to be piercingly insightful from a biblical perspective, while maintaining a very disarming “aw shucks” kind of humor.

I have read a handful of Stanley’s other books, and for me at least this was the one that I least connected with on a personal level, but only because I feel I don’t have deep struggles in these areas (not that I don't struggle with them at times though).  But where I found it incredibly useful is that as a pastor it both gives me some insight into others, and equips nicely with some tools and ideas for helping people work through their struggles in life in these areas.  I see a sort of symbiotic relationship between this book and Pete Scazero’s books on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and Church.

The book is divided into four sections, with the first portion being focused on helping us understand that sin is a heart issue.  Of the four sections I found this to be the most “review” like portion, but interesting nonetheless.

The second section covers what Stanley calls the debts that we have as a result of our sins.  This is where the book really begins to hit its stride, and is the segment that is probably the most eye opening for most people.  He manages to clarify the bondage(s) we have in sin with great clarity, showing how we get stuck on our guilt/anger/greed/jealousy.  This portion alone is worth the price of the book just for the awareness of the state of sin in which we often live that accompanies our reading this segment.

Part three moves into the nuts and bolts practical application of confronting and combating these areas of sin in our lives.  While it isn’t quite on the level of simplicity and wisdom found in Proverbs, it isn’t all that far off, and is far more cohesive in overall thought since the scope is narrowed down to just four areas.

Part four was in a sense an unexpected (short) bonus.  Stanley could’ve stopped after the third section, but in section four he goes on to help us focus on the bigger picture issue of how our sin and the way we deal with them impacts the world around us – especially in our family relationships.

At the back of the book are some questions that go along with each chapter that would serve a small group discussion well.  From beginning to end a very good book, one that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to my family, friends or flock.

This book was given to me by Water Brook Multnomah Press for review.  I am not paid for the review in any way, nor must I give it a positive review.

Movement, monument, mausoleum

Movement, monument, mausoleum
by Ray Ortlund

Some years ago a friend of mine used these three simple categories to objectify the stages of a church’s rise and fall.

Movement

A healthy church is born as a burst of positive gospel energy. As in the preceding post, it’s a Pentecostal explosion of joy, a vital gospel movement. Such a church has a sense of mission, even a sense of destiny. It’s exciting to be in this church. Think of a steep upward trajectory.

Monument

Given human weakness, after a time, this movement becomes a monument. The spirit of the church changes from hunger to self-satisfaction, from eagerness to routine, from daring new steps of faith to maintaining the status quo, from outward to ingrown. It’s easy not to notice this shift. The self-image of the church might still be that of a vital movement. But deep within, everything has changed. Think of leveling off.

Mausoleum

If this trend is not arrested, the church will decline and become a mausoleum, a place of death. The church as an institution may have enough social momentum and financial resources to keep churning on. But as a force for newness of life, it no longer counts. Think of steep decline – indeed, a death spiral.

The responsibility of a church’s leaders is to discern when their movement is starting to level off as a monument. It is at this crucial point that they must face themselves honestly and go into repentance and return to the costly commitments that made them great to begin with. They may need to deconstruct much of what they have become, which is painful. But if the leaders will have the clarity and courage to do this, their church will go into renewal and re-launch as a movement once more. Jesus will become real again, people will be helped again, and those bold, humble leaders will never regret the price they paid.

“Remember from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” Revelation 2:5

NBA player Jeremy Lin is a Christian

While he might not (yet) be getting quite the attention that Tim Tebow did this past NFL season, NBA player Jeremy Lin is very open about his faith in Jesus Christ.  Patheos has a two part interview they did with him two years ago while he was still playing for Harvard.  Part 1 and Part 2.  It is fun to see Lin get the spotlight while leading the New York Knicks these past few games.

Sin is a universal human problem

God's grace through Jesus is indeed available and fully extended irrespective of your sexuality. But Jesus is not content to just let people live the way they were, He is in the business of life and eternity transformation. And that includes putting sin behind us. Sin is not a human rights issue, sin is a universal human problem. So we then have to choose after having encountered Jesus whether we will be like the rich young ruler who was unwilling to give up what was holding him back, or whether we will be as the woman at the well who puts her past behind her and goes and proclaims the name of Jesus as a transformed follower of Christ.

Better Marriage Part 3 - Marital Conferences

A collection of thoughts and ideas. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 as well.

Marital Conferences (like school, but not)

What are you concerned about?

What do you wish? (would happen, would be the result)

What are you willing to do?

-done on an as needed basis.

-done before major blow-ups.

-done as frequently as daily to begin, then tapering off as the conflict(s) are resolved.

Realize that in conflict, the other person isn’t always ready to say “sorry” when you are.

Admit that what you are doing isn’t working.  This probably means that you can’t fix it on your own.  Just because my car won’t run and I can’t fix it doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed and isn’t worth fixing.  It takes courage to admit you can’t fix it and seek help.

Keep in mind that you can only work on your side of the equation.  Take ownership of that. 

Be honest.  Admit what you have contributed to the conflict.

Be in control of your response.  When you lose control in anger, you give power to the other person.

Is your response appropriate?  There are A-level conflicts – Example:  the other person had an affair, physical abuse.  There are B-level conflicts – Ex:  the other person was intentionally hurtful verbally, spent $1000 clothes/tool shopping without consulting the other.  There are C-level conflicts – Ex:  forgot to take out the garbage, ate the last 4 cookies, left the toilet seat up.

-Don’t make a “C” a “B” or “B” an “A” in conflict (or the opposite direction to justify yourself).

-A-C is just an example, you might find A-D categorization better fits, but agree upon what goes where.

-Where things go might be different for different people.  That’s OK.  But if there is disagreement, the higher level should be accepted out of caution and courtesy. 

-Not everything is an A or a B.

-Persistent violation at one level can move it into the next level.

-You don’t have to spell out every single scenario.  A rough working framework is all that is needed so there can be healthy conversation.

Is the timing of your response appropriate?  In the heat of the moment is often not the right time to correct or respond to the other.  Even if it makes you feel better.  Especially if it makes you feel better.  This requires regular times where you both agree to talk things through.  After supper.  Before bed.  Every 2^nd Tuesday after the first full moon.  It is important to know the other person well enough to know when to let it rest until the next meeting.  Some things can be dealt with in the moment, they are generally those “C” level items.

The most important thing to do in blended families is to put your mate 1^st.  That is the case in any marriage, but ESPECIALLY in blended families.  This presupposes Jesus as the ultimate #1.

            -Allows for security in the relationship.

            -You have to be on the same page on vision, values and discipline.

                        -You may need to sit down and establish these things.

(much of this wisdom in one form or another I have learned from Chip Ingram)

Better Marriage Part 2 - Building oneness in a marriage

A collection of thoughts and ideas. Check out Part 1 and Part 3 as well.

Building oneness in a marriage

–There are some things your car – and marriage – can’t run without.

1.  Fuel of commitment

            -Commitment is a lifelong choice of unconditional love

            -Love = giving another person what they need the most when they deserve it the least at great

personal cost.

            -Jesus on the Cross

            -Hebrews 13:5 – God shows the kind of commitment we need.

            -Every time you do something for your mate when you don’t want to, the commitment grows and it

                        communicates that to them and fuels your marriage.

2.  Oil of communication

            -Keep communicating or it melts down.

3.  Tune-up of caring

            -Have fun, go on dates, enjoy one another, and goof off together.

            -Time alone as a couple to have fun together.

            -Where and how can you build in the fun and joy of friendship back into your relationship?

4.  Navigational system of commission

            -Where are you going as a couple?

            -Common mission pulls people together.

            -What do you do together as husband and wife that matters more than both of you individually?

                        -These would be the things you pray about.

                        -Things you work on together.

(much of this wisdom in one form or another I have learned from Chip Ingram)

Better Marriage Part 1 -Resolving Conflict In Marriage

A collection of thoughts and ideas. Check out Part 2 and Part 3 as well.

How do you DIFFUSE conflict?

D – Define the problem

            -Get alone.  When did this start?  How do I feel about this?

            -Pray to God, “Would you help me to see this from Your perspective.”

I – Initiate a time to talk

            -Chose a wise time when both are refreshed and not tired.

            -Get things on the table.

F – Focus on the perceived problem, not the person

            -Don’t use “you…ought/should/always/never” statements.

F – Feel their pain

            -As though it is your own pain.

            -Proverbs 17:17

            -Until you begin to feel what is going on, you will be judgmental of the other person.

U – Uncover the root problem

            -So often we argue over the symptoms and not the problem.

            -What is really going on?

            -Proverbs 20:5

            -Ex:  Money isn’t the problem, underlying values are.  Sex isn’t the problem, communications are.

Issues with others isn’t the problem, but rather loyalty is.

                                    -Do I come first before…?

S – Set things right between you

            -James 5:16 – confess our sins to one another to be healed.

            -Look in the eyes, say “I’m sorry”, own your part of it, ask for forgiveness.

            -Be willing to forgive.  Don’t be the stopping point of grace.

            -Let your “sorry’s” be your sorry’s, and your “forgiven’s” be your forgiven’s.

                        -Once you’ve made it right, set it free.  Don’t carry that baggage with you.

E – Establish a plan (specific)

            -James 1:22-24 – don’t look into the mirror and walk away, do it!

            -Make specific commitments.  By ____ day I will ___.  I commit to ____.

            -Make a plan that solves the issue you are dealing with.

Learn to do it with the little things and it will get easier with the bigger things.

Live intentionally, love biblically, so your marriage will last a lifetime.  Proverbs 16:3 + Philippians 4:13.

(much of this wisdom in one form or another I have learned from Chip Ingram)

Learn how to date your spouse

Some may think that dating is mainly a way to get to know the person that may become your spouse, but Greg Smalley, Executive Director of Marriage and Family Formation at Focus on the Family, wants married couples to remember that an emphasis on dating can bring renewed life to a Christian marriage. In an interview with the Christian Post, Smalley states that many couples “do date night wrong.” “When couples go out, many ‘administrate’ their marriage (deal with budget, kid problems, etc.) and end up fighting,” he commented. “Guys, especially start to wonder, ‘Why pay a babysitter to argue when you can do that for free in your own home?’ We need to administrate our marriage but do not call this a date, said Smalley. To read the full interview and find out about Date Night Challenge, go to Married Couples Don't Know How To Date The Right Way Ministry Says.

(from Thriving Pastor Connection)

Matt Chandler at Elevation Church - God is for God

The following message was preached by Matt Chandler at Elevation Church on January 12, 2012 as part of their Code Orange Revival series.  It appears that Elevation has pulled their uploaded version off the web initially, but is putting it back up again.  Since I don't know why, I'll refrain from speculating why.  But this message absolutely rocks.  Love me some Matt Chandler.  It gets pretty hot starting at about 34 minutes in.  I don't think that it is a targeted rebuke of anything (Elevation or Furtick) by Chandler, but rather the proclamation of Truth that I wouldn't be surprised Furtick asked him to address.

My favorite part starts at about the 39 minute mark where he talks about David and Saul.  Rock on.

Elephant Room 2012 - Discount Code

Last March I went to the Elephant Room Conference with Brenton Balvin and enjoyed it.  This year looks to be equally interesting, though I'm not planning on going this time.

Online registration for the Elephant Room ends Monday. Use code 20DOER2512 to get $20 off. Sign up now!  Grace Church in Eden Prairie is again the host here in Minnesota. (click through to see all the sites)

Gungor - (God Is Not A) White Man video

I do enjoy Michael Gungor and his band I must admit.



While God is indeed love, God is many other things as well. Unfortunately some forget/ignore various aspects of God. My son has both "Justice" and "Grace" in his name. That isn't a mistake. God is...and so much more.

White Man
Words and music by Michael Gungor and Lisa Gungor
God is not a man
God is not a white man
God is not a man sitting on a cloud

God cannot be bought
God will not be boxed in
God will not be owned by religion

But God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone
God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone

God is not a man
God is not an old man
God does not belong to Republicans
God is not a flag
Not even American
And God does not depend on a government

But God is good, God is good, and He loves everyone
God is good, God is good, and He loves everyone

Atheists and Charlatans and Communists and Lesbians
And even old Pat Robertson, oh God He loves us all
Catholic or Protestant, Terrorist or President
Everybody, everybody, love, love, love, love, love

Oh, la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Yeah, I say God is love, God is love, and He loves everyone
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Stop the hating, please just stop the hating now cause God is love
Oh, whoa, la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la

Free Porn? There's No Shuch Thing

by: Pastor Mark Driscoll on Jan 10, 2012 

How’d you find this blog post? 

Statistically, there’s a 25% chance you were looking for porn. And even if you weren’t searching for porn now, there’s a 40% chance you looked for and viewed porn at some point this week. If you’re a man between the ages of 18 and 34, the biggest demographic I speak to, that jumps to 70%. Pastors, you’re not off the hook either: 33% of you admit to visiting pornographic websites. 

And the problem isn’t just one for the guys either. According to a 2009 poll by Christianity Today, a full third of women admitted to intentionally accessing internet porn and one in six women admit to “struggling with an addiction to pornography.” 

These numbers are only growing for women, as many more are falling prey to pornography and sexual addiction. In a recent article entitled “Sexual Addiction Among Women Real and Growing,” psychologist and sex-addiction researcher, Dr. Patrick Carnes states, “We’re seeing women getting into pornography in a way we’ve never seen before...we are seeing the biggest change in human sexuality maybe in the history of our species.”

For the whole article click here.   Click through to learn more on the problem, as well as to see an invitation from Mark Driscoll to an event they are calling "Porn Again" that can be viewed streaming online.

Applebee's - horrible experience rant

Two weeks ago we ate at Applebee's in Owatonna, MN.  I had the riblette platter and it was great.  It's the only thing I order at Applebee's because I don't particularly like most of their menu.  But my wife really likes Applebee's, so I go from time to time.  Service was good, food was great, we left very satisfied.

I should also preface this by saying I have almost 15 years of experience in the food industry - 8 of which were serving and training servers and managers - plus lots of cooking, cleaning, and bar tending mixed in.

Last week Monday (day after Christmas) we went to the east side Sioux Falls, SD Applebee's - my parents had some gift cards they'd collected over time and wanted to use them up.  We arrived at 6:15PM, and there was a 20 minute wait.  Applebee's is apparently the place to be this particular Monday evening.  There were 5 of us, so we had to wait the full 20 minutes to get seated since there are fewer places we could sit than if there were two of us.  No problem, comes with the territory.  Once seated though, things started to go downhill.

The table was cleared and cleaned, but when I sat down, there was still a used toothpick about an inch from the wall sitting on the table.  And upon further inspection, while the table was still damp from being recently wiped, there were residues of the previous diners food stuck to the top and side of the table.  I pointed it out and the server seating us (not our server, and not one of the two hosts) reluctantly went and got a towel and wiped it down like it should've been the first time.

After being seated it was clear our server was busy.  Took nearly five minutes to be greeted, and another five minutes to get our first beverage.  Server was polite and answered all our questions - except she was unprepared to answer a bar coffee drink questions one of the ladies had - what drinks the bar could make etc.  This was complicated by the fact that there isn't a drink list containing any hot bar drinks.  We asked for a decaf drink with Kahlua plus something.  Never were told if or what the "plus something" in the drink was.  For what drinks cost, it'd be nice to know.  Especially since there apparently wasn't any other flavor in the drink (I never tried it, I hate coffee).

As we worked our way through the menu picking what we were going to eat we struggled to see much of anything because the lighting was down so low.  This restaurant was remodeled two weeks ago, so I suspect they might still be figuring that stuff out, but it was very dark in our booth.  When we were seated we weren't given a children's menu for our 2 year old, so it wasn't until the food order was taken that we actually got to look at the children's menu and then had to quick pick something to not slow down our server.

Food order was taken, then it was a pretty lengthy wait until the food arrived.  Probably reflective of how busy they were, but slow nonetheless.  Not slow enough to have asked the server on it, but certainly not the speed of any other Applebee's experience I've had previously.

Lessons from Churchill - via Gospel Coalition

In a recent article appearing in the Gospel Coalition, Collin Hansen shares five leadership principles for pastors that he gleaned from a 2009 publication, Winston’s War: Churchill 1940 – 1945. Speaking of the fourth lesson, “You lead by persuasion, not dictate,” Hansen writes that, “Ministry will at times require pastors to exercise their God-given authority, as in cases of church discipline. But most leadership will be exercised by persuading Christians to do what they might not initially want or believe they can do. Consider Paul: invoking his apostolic commission hardly thwarted opposition in places like Corinth and Galatia. Instead he sought to persuade them by the strength of his exegesis (Gal. 3) and his example as a humble follower of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).” To read the full article go to Lessons From Churchill.

Black & Decker 18V Firestorm Drill Charger revisited

A commenter asked about this in my post comments from two years ago, so I thought I'd update it for them and anyone else interested.

Back in September 2009 I wrote about my charger for my Black & Decker 18V Firestorm Drill dieing (mine was the older post style battery).  When I inquired about getting a new charger, I discovered that Black and Decker had changed battery styles for their 18V drill and no longer made or serviced the long post style battery that I had.  After doing some research I discovered that Dewalt still used that exact battery in their tools, and that they made a charger that would still work for those batteries.  I got on Amazon.com and ordered one and a few days later it arrived.

My experience:

This charger is the solution to your problems if you like me find yourself needing a new charger for the old style batteries (or a charger for your Dewalt 18V tools).  I popped my first battery in and it quickly conditioned and recharged that battery to full.  Popped the second one in, and again it worked its magic.  The first couple of charges on the batteries seemed to run short, but after a handful of charges I noticed a distinct improvement in run time, as well as time they'd sit between charges.  Two years later I am still using these two batteries, and in the interim I added an 18V Dewalt Impact Wrench that uses these same batteries.  While I'm not claiming the batteries were as good as new, they were and are a LOT better than they were toward the end of the previous charger's life.  I've had my drill and batteries for quite a long time - I think I got the drill in 2003 for Christmas.  So 9ish years later they're still working hard.  That's impressive if you ask me.  And the cost of the charger was so much less than replacing the drill that it was a risk worth taking.

Needless to say, I'm pleased with the charger.

Christmas Readings

Christmas is a great time to preach the gospel to your family–and to yourself! Reflecting on who Jesus is and why He had to come can keep Christmas from being only about presents and Black Fridays and baking more cookies than we could possibly eat (or more than we should eat!).

Here are 25 daily readings for December 1 through Christmas Day. The first three are introductory, explaining the original need for a Savior (the fall of Adam) and then the final result of Christ’s work (the people of God glorified). The Acts reading gives a great overview of Jesus’ life, ministry, and redeeming work. Some of the readings provide Old Testament prophecies and then their fulfillment in Jesus. Some of them give clear descriptions of Jesus and His work of redemption.

May these readings provoke fresh gratefulness and understanding of the good news we have in Jesus Christ.

1. Genesis 3:1-25 – Why was it necessary for Jesus to come? Because of the sin of Adam.
2. Revelation 21:1-8; 22:1-5 – What is the ultimate result of Jesus coming? The new heavens and the new earth.
3. Acts 2:22-36 – Jesus coming to earth as a man was about more than being born in a manger. It was about His teachings, His miracles, His death on the cross, His resurrection, and His ascension. This passage sums up His great story.
4. John 1:1-13
5. John 1:14-18
6. John 1:19-34
7. John 1:35-51
8. John 3:1-15
9. John 3:16-21
10. Mark 1:1-15
11. Genesis 22:15-18, 2 Samuel 7:12-15, and Matthew 1:1 – prophecies and their fulfillment in Jesus
12. Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:1-25
13. Micah 5:2, 2 Samuel 5:2, and Matthew 2:1-12
14. Hosea 11:1 and Matthew 2:13-15
15. Isaiah 53:1-3 and Matthew 2:16-23 (most commentators think that “he shall be called a Nazarene” (v. 23) relates to Jesus being from obscure and even scornful origins, something fulfilled by being from a small village like Nazareth and not a famed city like Jerusalem–or even Bethlehem)
16. Isaiah 61:1-3 and Matthew 3:13-17
17. Isaiah 9:1-7 and Matthew 4:12-16
18. Philippians 2:5-11
19. Luke 1:1-25
20. Luke 1:26-38
21. Luke 1:39-56
22. Luke 1:57-80
23. Luke 2:1-7
24. Luke 2:8-21
25. Luke 2:22-38

The above comes from Sovereign Grace Church.  Next year I'll post them earlier.

The “Gospel” of Consumerism

The fact that consumerism and materialism continue to overshadow the true meaning of Christmas is not news to any of us who attempt to share the real gospel with those God has asked us to lead. Financial advisor Dave Ramsey points out that “more than $70 billion, over half of what was charged last year, ended up as revolving debt and the interest on last year’s gifts is still being paid today.” In his recent blog “ $pending This Christmas or Spending It Well,” Michael Craven asks us to remember the obvious truths that more things will not make us happy, and Christmas is about God’s gracious gifts of life, family, peace, and the greatest gift of all: His Son, Jesus. To read his blog go to $pending This Christmas or Spending It Well.

Top 11 posts in 2011

Yes, this is a bit early, but I probably won't get to it later.  Plus, it's my blog so I can do it whenever I want to anyhow... :-)

These were the top 11 read posts of mine in 2011 with the year written in parenthesis:

1 )  A great article on the effects of porn (2008)

2)  Matt Chandler and Steven Furtick at Elephant Room (2011)

3)  Grace Driscoll on the role of women from the book of Ruth (2006)

4)  Elephant Room Conference March 2011 (2011)

5)  That's My King by Dr. S.M. Lockridge (2009)

6)  Black & Decker 18V Firestorm Drill Charger (2009)

7)  Leadership and Vision (2008)

8)  Mark and Grace Driscoll taking their kids to Australia (2008)

9)  Changing to ESV with Mark Driscoll (2007)

10)  Replaced the radiator in our 2001 Dodge Caravan today (2010) - featured on Car Lust blog as well.

11) Sermon - Acts 9:1-9 - Saul's conversion to Paul (2008)


A few other 2011 favorites:

The Gospel in five minutes by Propaganda

 Eagle Brook Church - Woodbury campus opening Fall 2011

 Marriage trends in blue-collar America

 Best Buy's Geek Squad - a review

 Fastest Growing and Largest Churches in America


Thanks for reading my blog!  In my top fifteen posts the longest average reading time is over 10 minutes on that page, and the lowest is a still solid 1:04 for Leadership and Vision.  That means people are actually reading the content!

Real Marriage - by Mark and Grace Driscoll

I recently was given a copy of Mark and Grace Driscoll's new book titled "Real Marriage".  I'm not paid for my review, though the book was free from BookSneeze on the condition that I write an unbiased review (like I'd write any other kind...).

First, it must be stated that I am a fan of Mars Hill Church and Mark Driscoll - having read most of his books and listened to most of his sermons the past 8 years.  I state that so you know that I have high expectations for his work at this point.


Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, And Life Together 
By: Mark and Grace Driscoll
Length (Hardcover): 272 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Whenever you're reading/listening/watching Mark Driscoll, you expect a lot of Jesus, Scripture, humor, and no beating around the bush.  He and Grace manage to allow his strong character to come through in the book while not drowning out the voice of Grace.  I'm inclined to say that while both men and women will benefit greatly from this book, it is still more of a guy's book with the strength of influence Mark has in the book.  Ladies, don't let that keep you away though, this is an outstanding book.

Weakness - there are places where I think Mark Driscoll pushes beyond the biblical text in his exegesis.  I think he's worked too hard to find scripture to support his ideas rather than working from the other way around on this one.  I think he'd have been better off in some places just being open & honest without trying to force scripture to match with what he was saying.  Additionally - there are a few places where the book is disjointed making reading not flow as you might like (mismatched headings, problems with footnotes & things like that).  I suspect they'll get cleaned up if/when a second printing happens.

Who is it best for?  I think this is probably best for people on the fringe of Christianity, who at some level would submit to the teaching of scripture, but who are deeply in the world.  Especially if they are having a rough go of it in their marriage and need someone to relate to.

Would I use this with a group of mixed college singles?  No.  Some of the specifics and explicitness is more than I think we should address in that context.

Could it be used as a discipleship tool?  I think it could.  The book has its flaws, but overall I think it is addressing some important things in ways few within Christianity are willing to talk about things.  I can see this being particularly relevant in ministry opportunities like those that are frequently presented to Mars Hill Church where Driscoll pastors. I my small town small church it is of less usefulness, though still a tool to have or at least be aware of.

The Driscoll's do a solid job of dealing with the question of "Can we ________?" within a marriage - with my above concerns still in play.  Speaking frankly about subjects many in the church, especially in older generations, are hesitant to tackle.  They don't shy away from talking about masturbation, oral sex or anal sex.  This isn't your grandpa's Biblical sex manual.  The discussion is frank, yet generally aims to be biblically balanced in my opinion.  In a culture that is so pornified, this is a voice that needs to be heard.  That said, if you go to a church that insists on the KJV only and most everyone is related to everyone else, I'm guessing this book - especially Chapter 10 - might be a "bit" over the top for you and offensive.

While their tackling of hot topics is greatly helpful, the best part of the book in my opinion is how married people need to relate to one another and build their relationship upon Christ.  The need for friendship within marriage and the idea that we have to continue to pursue our spouse in the marriage relationship is wisdom that bears continually being repeated.  The raw transparency that Mark and Grace Driscoll use to tell their own story within the context of teaching what to do/not to do makes for very interesting reading and really helps set some of the ideas home in a deep and personal way.

When Joy and Grief Clash

During this time of year when we are constantly reminded of joy and happiness and being merry, we must remember as pastors that there may be those in our churches who are grieving the loss of a spouse or maybe a child, and the Holiday season only reminds them of those who are gone. Nancy Guthrie, who along with her husband David, co-hosts the GriefShare video series, brings encouragement to those who are feeling anything but joyful. “So it is possible to have a happy Thanksgiving, a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year---even when that joy is mixed with sorrow. Hope and joy at Christmas come from knowing that Christ's life that began in a cradle ended on a cross. His death-conquering death was followed by resurrection, the first-fruits of all who will one day rise from their graves,” writes Guthrie. To read her article, “Joy to This Cursed World,” go to TheGospelCoalition.org.

Sometimes We Need to Forget

In a recent article, Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, reminds us that the focus of the Christian faith should not be on ourselves and our needs, but on Christ and what he has accomplished for us. “I’ve said this before but let me say it again: there is nothing in the gospel or about the gospel that encourages me to focus on me. Nothing! It’s never honoring to God when we take our eyes off of Christ ‘the author and finisher of our faith’ and center our eyes on ourselves. Never! In fact, the whole point of the gospel is to get us out of ourselves and to ‘fix our eyes on Christ,’” writes Tchividjian. To read, “The Gift of Self-Forgetfulness,” go to . Crosswalk.com

Atheists Want Religion For Their Children?

A recent study conducted by Rice University, found that 17 percent of scientists who describe themselves as atheists or agnostics – actually go to church, and not for themselves, but for their children. The research, which was based on “in-depth” interviews with 275 scientists from 21 research universities, discovered that many atheists want their children exposed to religion so they can make up their own minds on what to believe. For more information about the study go to ABCNews.com.

Mad at a Myth

Mark and Grace Driscoll - Real Marriage

Looking forward to getting a review copy of Mark and Grace Driscoll's new book Real Marriage. Below is a promo featuring Mark Driscoll (Pastor of Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA) giving a bit of background on the book and the tour they'll be doing related to the book.
Real Marriage & The Truth About Sex, Friendship and Life Together by Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife Grace will be an event that will encourage, enlighten, and equip you in your romantic relationship whether you are married or single. Learn how Pastor Mark and Grace have navigated their marital journey through biblical teaching and humor.

Marriage is a wonderful gift, but it takes work, growth in Christ and patience to love the other more than ourselves. Single individuals will be ahead of the curve after hearing these truths that will transform their dating life and shape their future marriage.

Pastor Mark will be addressing key issues like these:

• Tough and good lessons learned from Mark and Grace’s story.
• Dating – keys to success and failure.
• Married people, guess what, you are supposed to ‘date your spouse’.
• Friendship in marriage – it is a simple idea, but often difficult to maintain.
• Taking out the Trash – You will have to attend to learn how.
• Sex as god, gross or gift?
• Can We __________?

New Study Sheds Light on Church Dropouts

A new study released two weeks ago by the Barna Group shows that the loss of faith or rejection of church that many young people experience, is not taking place for the reasons that we often assume. The research, which coincides with the release of You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith, uncovered what the author describes as five myths and realities about today’s young dropouts. For example, the first myth that is highlighted is that “Most people lose their faith when they leave high school.” But according to the researchers, “there are three distinct patterns of loss: prodigals, nomads, and exiles.” They explain that:

One out of nine young people (prodigals) who grow up in Christian homes lose their faith in Christianity.

Four out of ten young Christians (nomads) wander away from the institutional church, but still call themselves Christians. They have become “lost” to church participation.

Two out of ten young Christians (exiles) feel lost between the "church culture" and the society they feel called to influence.

About three out of ten young people who grow up with a Christian background stay faithful to church and to faith throughout their transitions from the teen years through their twenties.

For the full report go to Barna.org.

The Gospel According to Peanuts

How A Charlie Brown Christmas almost didn’t happen

 Few headlines about network television make me giddy. Fewer still make me hopeful that all is good in the world. But back in August of 2010, I read the following headline from the media pages with great excitement: “Charlie Brown Is Here to Stay: ABC Picks Up ‘Peanuts’ Specials Through 2015.” The first of these to be made, the famous Christmas special, was an instant classic when it was created by Charles Schulz on a shoestring budget back in 1965, and thanks to some smart television executives, it will be around for at least another five years for all of us to see and enjoy.

What people don’t know is that the Christmas special almost didn’t happen, because some not-so-smart television executives almost didn’t let it air. You see, Charles Schulz had some ideas that challenged the way of thinking of those executives 46 years ago, and one of them had to do with the inclusion in his Christmas cartoon of a reading from the King James Bible’s version of the Gospel of Luke.

Click through for the full article.

Negative Effects of Porn - by BJ Stockman

 This was posted on The Resurgence blog today.  Originally created by BJ Stockman.

 This is a rather frank post on porn, so proceed, or not, with that in mind.

 

Porn is a problem. It's a personal problem for many and a cultural problem for all. You may think you have not been affected by porn, but you have because it's embedded in the surrounding culture. The staggering size of the pornography industry, its influence upon the media and the acceleration of technology, paired with the accessibility, anonymity, and affordability of porn all contribute to its increasing impact upon the culture.
Pornography affects you whether you’ve ever viewed it or not, and it is helpful to understand some of its negative effects, whether you are a man or woman, struggling with watching it, or simply a mom or dad with a son or daughter. There is a plethora of research on the detrimental effects of pornography (and I do not think that what follows are necessarily the worst of them), but here are seven negative effects of porn upon men and women:

1. Porn Contributes to Social and Psychological Problems Within Men 

Anti-pornography activist, Gail Dines, notes that young men who become addicted to porn, “neglect their schoolwork, spend huge amounts of money they don’t have, become isolated from others, and often suffer depression.” (Pornland, 93). Dr. William Struthers, who has a PhD in biopsychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, confirms some of these and adds more, finding that men who use porn become controlling, highly introverted, have high anxiety, narcissistic, curious, have low self-esteem, depressed, dissociative, distractible (Wired for Intimacy, 64-65). Ironically, while viewing porn creates momentary intensely pleasurable experiences, it ends up leading to several negative lingering psychological experiences.

2. Porn Rewires the Male Brain 

Great time at Chuch Planting Leaders Fellowship

One of the roles I serve is as a committee member for the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) Congregational Church Development (CCD) committee.  Our job is to help the local church, church planters, and new church core groups in the establishment of new Congregational Christian churches.  

With that as our charge, I get the opportunity to represent our association at the Church Planting Leaders Fellowship (CPLF).  CPLF is a pet project of Ed Stetzer's that is held in Nashville, TN at the Lifeway office where Ed works.  This is a gathering of like minded evangelical denominations and networks where we share and learn best practices and network for church planting to advance the Gospel.  The idea is we can learn from each other without collaborating or competing.  Ed is pretty big on the idea that churches aren't planted cross-denominationally, and I'm inclined to trust his expert opinion on this.


So early (3:45AM!) on Wednesday I got up made it to the airport and on to Nashville.  We spent the next two days learning from Bob Logan, Hugh Halter, Neil Cole, Alan Hirsch and Ed Stetzer.  Bob's focus was on leadership and Hugh and Alan were more focused on the future of church planting in incarnational and missional ways.  And Alan Hirsch touched on things from all over the map and was largely pushing us to re-think church planting in new and creative ways including but not limited to what Neil & Hugh were advocating.


Truly mentally stimulating, even if you didn't always agree with everything being said.


My flight into Nashville ran a bit late due to rain en route, so I was unable to eat at one of my all time favorite places - Monell's.  Probably for the best because it is a diet killer kind of meal, but oh-so-worth the calories.  We did make it to Jack's Bar-B-Que last night for supper at least.  I had pork shoulder (shredded), brisket, and smoked chicken.  The brisket was by far the best of the three, and the chicken and pork we quite good as well.  Mac & cheese wasn't all that good, corn was really good, and the corn bread was some of the worst I've had.  But I'd definitely go back for the brisket.  A couple other guys I was with got some St. Louis style ribs that looked outstanding and they said the ribs were the best of the meats they tried.  Next time. St. Louis style is my favorite, but I didn't want to tease my mouth with just a few bones.  Definitely next time.  And I must say I really like Jack's Kansas City Style BBQ sauce!

I will certainly sleep well tonight though.  It's been a long and busy week already! 


Update - Ed Stetzer's thoughts on the CPLF.

New Values Survey Released

The results of a survey released this week by the Public Religion Research Institute show that two-thirds of Americans believe it is important for a presidential candidate to have strong religious beliefs, even if those beliefs are different than their own. The research, based on interviews with 1,505 adults between September 22 and October 2 of this year, also reveals that only one in five Americans would object to a candidate whose beliefs were different to their own, and that 67 percent would be uncomfortable with an atheist as president. To read the full report go to the Public Religion Research Institute.

Penn St. vs. Nebraska pre-game prayer 2011

Nearness to God

I don't think we can measure our nearness to God by our feelings.  Honestly, our feelings are idiots sometimes!  And by that I mean that our feelings aren't always right because of many reasons.  With that in mind though, I think there are things we can do to feel closer to God.  I don't know what that is for you though, so you'll have to give it some thought.  For some people it can be music - God created music and gave us the ability to enjoy it, and some people really connect with God by listening to, singing or playing music.  Others it is nature - a walk in the woods or watching birds and thinking about the beauty of God's creation.  And there are many other things that we can do that make us feel closer to God. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, the truth is we aren't any closer to God at that point, we just feel that way.  One thing that I do personally when I feel distant from God is I spend extra time in prayer and reading my Bible - and while I do that I ask God to show Himself to me and to teach me in that time what I need to hear.  It often doesn't happen in a moment, but over time I start to draw back near to God.  The other thing I do is set aside time to pray - quiet time all by myself - and I just spend time thanking God.  I thank Him for everything that comes to mind.  Thanks for fingers and toes and snow and a lawn to mow and beautiful spiders and the chance to serve my son by changing his diapers.  Sounds weird, but I think we often times take a lot of our lives for granted, even the bad things in life, and they are all opportunities to praise God. 

A pastor I know got brain cancer, but used it to praise God.  Sounds strange, but when you see that kind of love for God in others, it draws you nearer to God as well. When I write my prayers down it is a huge blessing to me later.  I'll come back to those prayers months and years later and be amazed at how God responded to my prayers.  Sometimes they are answered, and other times I see God's wisdom in not giving me what I was praying for.  And of course, some of the prayers are unanswered as far as I know, but even those weren't wasted, God knows what's going on even if I don't.

Is God in your life?

Is God in your life?  First, you should know there are ebbs and flows to our feelings, but God is constantly there.  The changing thing is us not Him.  One way to feel closer to God is to spend more time in prayer - do this regularly for a while.  Do it just like you're having a conversation with a friend.  Some people (myself included) find it very helpful to write these prayers out in a prayer journal. 

Spending time reading the Bible is also helpful.  When I regularly read my Bible I always feel pulled toward God - even when He is pointing out my sins.  Read the book of John if you are looking for a place to start. 

Spending time with other Christians, especially those who are more spiritually mature than you are is another good way to feel God's presence in your life.  Keep in mind that often times our perspective is warped in our view of God, and we miss a LOT of places He is working in our lives and is close to us because we can't see it in the moment.  Years later we can look back and clearly see God's fingerprints all over our life, but in the moment while we are living it, it can often seem like we're not closely connecting with God at that time. 

Another place we need to look at is all the blessings in our lives and we'll clearly see that God is there.  While life can sometimes be tough and we can be frustrated, the reality is that God deeply loves us and provides for us in amazing ways.  We have food to eat where many in the world went to bed hungry.  We have clean and safe drinking water where many people died today because of diseases they picked up from drinking bad water.  While our relationships aren't perfect, there are people in our lives that God placed there who love us very much.  We have clothes to wear.  We have a roof over our head.  We have so many other wonderful and amazing things we take for granted - both big and small - that are clear evidences of God in our lives. 

Sometimes He isn't in our lives like we want or expect, but He is always there nonetheless.  And often times when God seems most distant is when He is actually closest to us.