Twenty Items of Interest (v.19)

1. Would you like to improve your reading ability?  Here are seven pleasurable ways.  HT: Jake Bouma

2.  Prodigal Jon explores why society tends to picture God as angry in his post “Painting God mad” at Stuff Christians Like.

3.  Flatulence is now considered bullying.  Jr. High boys of the world… beware!  (HT: Nuke)

4.  Evidently Obama’s uncle fought for the Soviet Army so he could liberate Auschwitz.  Velvet Hammer blogs on other Obama lies – numbering now 51 in this campaign.  Do we see a pattern here?

5.  Pistol Pete on what makes a great blog.  Caffeinated Thoughts has the honor of making his blogroll.

6.  A “Christian” T-Shirt concept that hasn’t quite caught on:

Source: Naked Pastor

7.  Straight Talk Express?  See below.  I don’t want it to be said that I give GOP politicians a free pass here.  There is much to criticize about John McCain as well.

HT: Stephanie

8.  Organic Faith shared some thoughts about Dr. Tim Keller’s message to last year’s Gospel Coalition regarding how pastors are losing focus in the pulpit.

Dr. Tim Keller said last year in a teaching to the Gospel Coalition that the difference between Gospel-centered preaching and lifeless pulpit talk is a focus on Jesus. He said that his wife told him that his best sermons are those that focus on the transforming power and example of Christ. He basically hit on an issue that I have been concerned about for a while. In the effort to be relevant, it has become all too common for preachers to deliver good messages on moral teachings instead of Jesus-focused calls to divine transformation and human repentance.

That is so true.  May that never be said of my ministry in the pulpit.

9.  Anne Jackson asks, “what is something you feel you can’t say in church, or around other Christians?”  She gets some humorous and serious responses. 

Some responses that caught my eye:

• Anne started things off – “I suck at reading my bible.”
• I can relate to Pete who said, “That sometimes when there is a dramatic pause in my message, and I look like I’m waiting on God to give me something really powerful to say, I’m not. In reality I’m just wondering if I zipped up my zipper before I went up on stage.” (I laughed out loud at that one.)
• “Most people I know who claim to follow God are really sucky people who don’t care about anything but themselves and their comfort. It makes me not want to follow their rules.”
• “When I’m leading worship, I sometimes think of all 31 flavors of ice cream at Baskin Robbins.” (Huh?  Ok then.)
• “How I feel more alone than ever, when someone gets up to the mic and talks about the deep friendships that can be found in church small/care groups . . . and that just has NOT been my experience.”
• “That law is easier than grace … just tell me what to do and not do and I’ll give it my best shot.  Grace is too big, to wide open and scary.”
• “I don’t like Beth Moore Studies.” (It seems like every women’s Bible study I hear of is doing one.)
• “Stop making Christianity a scapegoat for not developing a personality. Quit being judgement, flaky, egotistical, mean, rude, fake in the name of a God who was none of those things.”

HT: Rodney Olson

10.  An interesting way to get people to church.

And it is at a BAPTIST church!!!!  They reported their largest attendance ever (just kidding).

HT: Crummy Church Signs

11.  If you haven’t already found this gem, I highly recommend the Christian Classics Ethreal Library where you can read works by some great dead people.

12.  Here at Caffeinated Thoughts I am concerned about your health.  Nintendo is coming out with the Wii Fit.  Exercise for video game junkies.  Nice.

13.  You know you spend too much time blogging and commenting when…

HT: Smart Pastor

14.  I am all about networking.  It is in the name of the ministry I serve.  I have been a member of the National Network of Youth Ministries since 1998.  I have benefited from the youth ministry networks that I have been a part of or have led in my youth ministry career.  Since moving back to Des Moines six years ago I have been disappointed by the lack of a vibrant cross-denominational network for pastors in Des Moines.  Sam Rainer (a recent Southern Seminary grad – congratulations Sam!) blogs about the benefits of pastors who get together.

15.  No kudos for Indiana Jones…. just read over on Greg Stier’s blog some harsh, but likely well deserved, criticism of Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

I was tuned in from the opening scene through the final scene. But, and I hesitate to make this declaration, I hated Indiana Jones.

There I said it.

Don’t get me wrong, Harrison Ford did a great job in reprising his role as the combative and compelling archaeologist. Shia LaBeouf did a fine job as a whippersnapper whip snapper in the making. And the villain, Cate Blanchett, was very good at being vey bad. But the real villains in this movie were not the old school Communists of Russia but the lame writers of the movie screenplay. Indy should have hunted them down instead of the Crystal Skull and given them a good shalacking.

Please don’t misinterpret. I am a HUGE Indiana Jones fan. I really wanted this movie to be great. In the first thirty minutes of the movie I thought that it could be. The next thirty minutes made me start to doubt. Doubt turned into resignation over the next 1,800 seconds. The last cringe-inducing, please-don’t-go-there segment made me want to reach through the screen, grab Spielberg by the lapel and ask him, “Why? Why? Why?” The director of E.T. should go home, sit in front of his old school typewriter (the one he typed the screenplay of Jaws with) and bring back a plot worthy of his considerable talents.

I guess I’ll wait for the DVD, LOL.

16.  Are you frustrated with no signs of spiritual growth in teens?  Tim Schmoyer gives three reasons why youth pastors (and parents too) may feel this way.

• Unrealistic expectations
• Forgetting that growth is a process.
• We are watching the process close up.

17.  David Innes of King’s College suggests that John McCain should tap Bret Schundler, the three-term mayor of Jersey City, NJ as his running mate.  An interesting suggestion, I’m not so sure a Mayor would be a good choice, but I do like his credentials.

18.  Gay Marriage by Judicial Decree – Stuart Taylor, Jr. on the recent California Supreme Court decision.  (HT: Mere Orthodoxy)

19.  Rick Warren – It is your skill, not preaching and prayer that will grow your church.

Ugh.  I think I just vomited in my mouth a little.

HT: Irish Calvinist

20.  Quote: Abraham Piper at 22 Words

If unapplied theology is worthless, we shouldn’t claim to believe truth with arguments, until we’ve proven we believe it with our lives.

Technorati Tags: Reading,Views of God,flatulence,Barack Obama,blogging,John McCain,Gospel-centered preaching,Tim Keller,transperancy,Church,crummy church signs,Christian classics,fitness,Wii Fit,internet debates,ministry cooperation,Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,youth discipleship,Bret Schundler,gay marriage,California Supreme Court,Rick Warren,following Jesus,practical theology

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Twenty Items of Interest (v.6)

1.  Chaille Brindley recently traveled to Morocco and shared some random observations about the country, as well as  a significant problem they have with their youth.  Take time to pray for Morocco today.  Chaille requests:

Please take a few minutes to pray for all the young women in Morocco that face the difficult scenario described above (see post). Pray that young people will understand the risks and be smart. Pray that the Moroccan government will allow humanitarian and aide organizations to get the permits and support to help with this often ignored problem. Please lift up the families involved that they will see their responsibility to love and support their “wayward” teens and young women. Pray that Moroccan guys will realize that they have an obligation to woman if they sleep with them. Most importantly, please pray that thousands of Moroccan youth will come to know Jesus.

2.  Warner Todd Huston discusses the serious ramifications to not handling the illegal immigration problem now.

3.  Info on Iowa Marriage Amendment – http://www.letusvoteiowa.com

HT: Matt Riesetter

4.  With Rob Bell’s NOOMA videos being extremely popular it would be wise to read some reviews by Greg Gilbert that demonstrate humility and discernment.

HT: Justin Taylor

5.  In an earlier post I linked to James MacDonald’s (the senior pastor of Harvest Bible Church outside of Chicago) post on why he isn’t emerging – part 1.  He follows up with part 2 and then final thoughts on the emerging church.

6.  Break Point Commentary by Chuck Colson on Sex Trafficking:

Tonya was only 12 when she was approached by a man as she walked down a city street. Over the next few months, his gifts and compliments impressed her—and soon, she thought she was in love.

The minute he gained Tonya’s trust, the man—who was actually a pimp—took her to another city and forced her into a nightmare world of sexual slavery. She was forced to sell her body to countless men. To keep her in line, the pimp beat her violently. He kept all the money she made—which came to a great deal because, as Tonya put it, “I looked like a baby.”

Tonya lost her childhood to this pimp. He controlled her for five years, until he was finally arrested.

Why am I talking about Tonya on Valentine’s Day? Because her trouble all started with false love and false promises that exploited a little girl’s dreams of romance.

Tonya is not the only child who becomes a victim because she is desperate for affection. Shared Hope International, which rescues girls and women from prostitution worldwide, believes there are as many as 300,000 girls just like Tonya in the United States alone. (Read the rest)

7.  What makes the humble happy?  John Piper answers here.

8.  Listen to C. Michael Patton discuss the basic principles of interpretation here (HT: Reclaiming the Mind Ministries).

9.  Over at Nuke’s News and Views – the Senator Gravitas Spendometer… if you are wondering how much an Obama administration will cost taxpayers check it out.  Pretty scary… taxpayers beware!

10.  A couple of cartoons, complements of Jungle Hut.  Thanks!

11.  Pistol Pete posts on Inspiring Pastors in TV and Movies

There is an abundance of popular entertainment that portrays clergy as, at best, buffoons and, at worse, predators.  Now and then, however, a character emerges who captures the struggles of being human while also grappling with a divine calling.  I thought it might be fun to list a few of these that have made an impact on me.

I agree with that sentiment.  Seventh Heaven when it started looked like it was going to be promising went south in a hurry.  I remember watching it on occasion how his “ministry” seemed to be more about self-help than the Gospel.  The show was just ridiculous.  I don’t know of a single pastor whose ministry or family life was like that… at least none who stayed in ministry.

You can read his list of favorites here.

12.  A warning for parents who leave their children unattended in stores.

This made me laugh out loud.

HT: Jemila Kwon

13.  David Hayward posts on “What Holds Us Together“

It can only be love, mutual love, that holds a relationship or a community together. What I am trying to say is that we have to get to the place where we realize that we just can’t expect people to remain committed to each other because it is expected, or promises were made, or there is uniformity in whatever area, or that there is a common goal we’ve set for them. People, especially younger people, aren’t interested in uniformity, conformity, or forms of any kind. There must be genuine acceptance, honesty, authenticity, freedom, and love for community to work. This requires intense energy from each person, and nothing outside of themselves can be called upon to ensure the relationship will work… no authority, document, ruler, goal, vision, practice, or tradition.

14.  Of course it is vitally important to know how to become caffeinated properly.  Check out this user’s guide to getting optimally wired.  HT: Jeff at SmartPastor.com.

15.  Greg Stier shared an awesome story about a chance he had to share the love of Christ on Valentine’s Day to a young couple in a restaurant.

16.  For my fellow youth ministry colleagues who wonder how to have an effective ministry to the parents of the teenagers they serve.  At least I hope they desire that!  Tim Schmoyer presents a plan for helping parents reach their teenagers.  Worth a read.

17.  Would you support a ministry to strippers in your church?  How would you feel if your pastor presented that ministry as one of the church’s major outreach initiatives?

18.  Andrew Jackson asks Why do Pastors Preach “Relevant Messages”?

Pastors do not need to spend significant time in studying and meditating on God’s Word. Those who have specialized in “relevant” messages for numerous years, can write them with little time spent in the Bible.

Pastors often borrow (steal) a message from a fellow pastor or an internet pastor, including its title, all they have to do is polish it a little.

Pastors can talk and talk (many have the gift of gab, and hopefully get a few laughs), in the name of being relational, and say very little. Maybe quote a few Bible passages here and there. Often out of context. But what they say, once analyzed, contains little Biblical meat. Many congregations should all stand up in unison on a Sunday morning and yell, “where is the beef?”

Pastors can pick and choose topics that make many people feel good about themselves, and in so doing, simple dismiss significant portions of the Bible that might not be so positive in a Christian consumer crowd. In other words, many “relevant” messages are simply cut and paste jobs.

Pastors can simply take a popular book that is out on the Christian market (one by Bill Hybells or Rick Warren would do), and use it to provide them their title and 3 or 4 points they need for their message. Not to mention the use of the book’s stories and illustrations.

What do you think?

19.  John Samson at Reformation Theology on the Blessed Man of Psalm One.

1) He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly – he receives wiser counsel.

2) He does not stand in the path of sinners. His company is more select – he does not fellowship with evil (2 Cor. 6:14).

3) He does not sit in the seat of the scornful – he does not listen to the scoffing and mockery of others
Positively, his delight is in the law of the Lord. This is what he thinks about. His mind is focused on scripture, day and night.

Be sure to read the whole post!

20.  Car update – I’m now the proud (?) owner of a 1999 Ford Contour.  We’ll see if this turns out to be a praise report of a prayer request.  But having this car certianly beats the snot out of having no car.

Technorati Tags: Islam,Morocco,illegal immigration,gay marriage,Iowa Marriage Amendment,NOOMA,Rob Bell,James MacDonald,emerging church,sex trafficking,humilty,biblical interpretation,Barack Obama,Democrats,pastors and media,ill-behaved children,unity,caffiene,random acts of kindness,Greg Stier,ministry to parents of teenagers,ministry to strippers,relevancy from the pulpit,Psalm 1,life’s foundation,car update,Ford

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Twenty Items of Interest (v.1)

I thought I would pull together twenty links, videos, quotes, pictures that in my opinion are interesting (but not worth a separate post) and do a blog post every week.  I got this idea from Joe Carter who does something similar with 33 Things.

1.  Remember the GOP Debate moderated by the Des Moines Register almost a month ago?  Neither do I!  Mary Katherine Ham did a HamNation video for this non-event which will go down in infamy as the worst debate ever.

2. Iowa is going to be a battleground state for gay rights as the Iowa Supreme Court rules in favor of a gay woman adopting her partner’s children.  While on Tuesday hundreds rally at the Statehouse in support traditional marriage and demanding to be allowed to vote on the Iowa Marriage Amendment.

3. Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security says that waterboarding is torture, as does U.S. Intelligence Czar, Mike McConnell.

4. The first Indian-American Governor and the youngest Governor in the United States was sworn in on Monday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Thirty-six-year-old Governor Bobby Jindal is also the first nonwhite Governor since Reconstruction in Louisiana.

5. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen believes Guantanamo (the prison) should be shut down.  This is also a position taken by presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee.

6.  Granite Slab which some see Jesus on the Cross (on the right) is to be sold on eBay.  Man you can buy anything there!  I’m waiting for the Shroud of Turin to show up.

7.  Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have a MySpace profile – the mayor of Arlington, Oregon refuses to step down after posting pictures of herself posing in lingerie on a fire engine on MySpace.  I wonder if she was up for re-election?  It would be safe to say that someone demonstrating poor judgement like this would be better off not being mayor.

8. Researchers in Great Britain were given the green light to create human-animal embryos.

9.  Young Christian voters break from traditional right according to a recent survey done by Relevant Magazine.

“In general, we’re seeing that twentysomething Christians hold strongly to conservative moral values, but at the same time don’t feel that their personal moral beliefs need to be legislated to people who don’t agree with them,” Relevant founder and publisher Cameron Strang said in a statement. “It’s an interesting paradox, and is creating clear division between this generation and the religious right.”

10.  Hopegivers International is a ministry which helps to support orphanages, schools, medical facilities and various community projects in India announced that it plans to adopt 300 children of prostitutes.  They explain this new initiative here, and you can donate here.

11.  Things that you shouldn’t put on your sign in order to attract potential employees.

12.  CNN Rants Against Evangelicals

Just when I thought CNN was starting to treat Evangelicals fairly they let Jack Cafferty out of his cage. On Thursday he went on a tear accusing Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee of wanting to “put more God-like stuff in the Constitution.” The “God-like stuff” that he was referring to was amending the constitution to ensure the right to life and to prevent the courts from redefining marriage. Cafferty went on to say that Evangelicals are the reason George Bush was in office for eight years and, therefore, they are responsible for all of America’s troubles. Cafferty then said that Huckabee is “trying to bring out those Evangelical voters, to get them to the polls” by using the God-like stuff talk. Cafferty didn’t even try to cloak his disdain for Christians, leaving me to think he would much rather be reporting on bringing out the lions or staking Christians to the poles instead.

HT: Family Research Council Blog

13.  The new old cliches – HT: Gina Dalfonzo @ The Point

14.  John Mark Reynolds on Bull Moose versus Reagan Republicans: What is a conservative?

15.  My friend Jake Bouma is givng away a free copy of Dying Stars EP (his music) to the first 30 people who comment.

16. Scientists claim to have produced embryo clones of two men – HT: Matt Proctor

17.  Southern Baptists re-introduce Calvinism into their seminaries.  HT: Justin Taylor

18.  C. Michael Patton has a lighter theological discussion on ghosts.  Pretty interesting.  He is also a fan of Ghost Hunters on the Sci Fi channel like me.  I find the show entertaining, but also sad at times.

19.  Another funny picture

Made me laugh out loud – HT: Des Moines 360

20.  Sam Rainer on the Self-Indulgent Church.

Technorati Tags: awful debates,Iowa,marriage amendments,gay marriage,torture,waterboarding,political firsts,Guantanamo,religious icons,MySpace Mayor,bioethics,young Christian voters,evangelicals,Southern Baptists,Calvinism,CNN,social justice,McDonald’s,human cloning,global warming,ghosts,Mary Katherine Ham

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