So, this recommendation is a little different from the previous two. It's not some website or newsletter. It's actually a movie. The movie is called To Save a Life.
A little history on how I came across it (for those who care). This movie had been recommended to me forever ago - in fact, I go to a youth/young adult group with one of the kids in the movie. I just never got around to actually watching it. But I really recommend it. It's not just a good movie; I'd argue that it's also a valuable resource. I know that for me, Christianity plays out very nicely in my head. By that I mean I'm really good dealing in the hypothetical. I will debate you for hours on any theological or moral issue - even if I myself don't know much about it to begin with. I also like to think I know how to live out Christianity (e.g. "if you came across <insert difficult situation here>, how would you respond?"). But when it comes to actually living it out (not just talking about living it out), I'm rather bad at it. I'll admit it.
For me, it's easy to get caught up in my life. My walk with God. My problems. My goals. My concerns. But at the end of the day, that's not really getting me anywhere. Jesus himself says that the second greatest commandment is to "love thy neighbor as thyself" (second only to "love thy God"). I need constant reminders of that. It's easy to forget that every person has a story and that my interaction with him/her is only catching a glimpse of that. And when I forget that, it's easy to get impatient or judgmental.
This movie is one of those wake-up calls I think we all need periodically - because I'd assert it's just human nature to get caught up in ourselves by default. Every once in a while, we each need a little reminder that there are people out there who are hurting and if we just make some simple efforts to be friendly, we can make a huge difference. And by "friendly", I don't mean preach to them. I don't mean try to fix their problems or pretend we have all the answers. But to listen. To sympathize with - empathize if we can. And to just be there for that person.
The movie raises some good question - I'd recommend this for maybe a youth group or Bible study night. What is the purpose of church (as in the building/gathering) - to form perfect people for the world to want to be like or to be a refuge for the hurting where it's okay to just be broken? What does it mean to be "religious"? Is it the same as being "Christian"? What more can each person do to show people they are not alone and not judged? Have we as the Church (big C this time) failed at that? Why do you go to church? And many more questions arise from this movie.
This movie is real, not as in a true story, but as in it doesn't try to put forward this fake, idealized idea of church or of life. It recognizes the shortcomings of society (and the Church) and doesn't attempt to make it more "Christian-afied," which makes it powerful. So I recommend this movie for everyone - especially those of middle school, high school, or college age for whom this is super relevant. This is probably the only time I'll recommend a movie in this blog, but this really has the possibility of impacting your life, if you choose to let it.
For more information go to: http://tosavealifemovie.com/
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Resource Recommendation: Unreached People of the Day
Unreached People of the Day Website [Click here]
I read a book once called The Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen, founder of the International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org). There are great injustices in the world. Girls not even in their teens are sold by the thousands as sex slaves every day. Children find themselves as bonded laborers for years - likely their whole lifetime - trying to pay off a family debt while their family is dependent on most of their wages just to survive. Men are held in prison for years with no idea what charge is placed against them (if their even is one). It's a powerful book; I recommend it as a "must-read" kind of book. In it, Haugen claims the fight against injustice if for everyone. One verse he points too often is Hebrews 13:3 (quoted above). Remember those in prison as if you were in prison. I've never been to prison. Remember those who are mistreated as if you were suffering. I've never been trafficked for sex or had to work for hours and hours in dangerous conditions that could leave me maimed or severely ill. I live in the U.S. I have no idea how to remember these people who have suffered like I couldn't even imagine as though I were in their situation. To be honest, I can easily go an entire day without even remembering they exist at all.
But still, that verse is there. I can pretend like it's not. I can move on and act like it doesn't apply to me. But it's there. And it does. I'm still working on that one. I still don't quite understand how I can apply it in my life, but I'm working toward it.
However, this recommendation isn't about injustice (per se). But I feel it's related. I think those of us who live in countries where we have freedom to believe in whatever we want have trouble remembering those who don't. I imagine those who hang around the church atmosphere have at least heard of the 10/40 window, even if you don't know what it is exactly. Basically, it's the regions of the eastern hemisphere that are between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. The reason this 10/40 window is important to ministry is that it represents the areas of the globe with the greatest poverty, lowest quality of life, and a greatest lack of available Christian resources. This makes it one of the most difficult regions on the earth to share the Gospel.
My iPod has this awesome app. It's called YouVersion. From this app I can download dozens of translations of the Bible in English as well as many other languages for free. A lot of them are even available in audiobook format, so if I want, I can have someone just read the Bible to me. If you go to Bible studies long enough or hang out with Christians who actually like talking about God long enough, you'll eventually run into a translation war conversation; it's practically inevitable. You have your people who refuse to read anything but the KJV (or maybe they'll concede to the positive points of the NKJV). Some will cling to the NIV. Others will say that NIV is a terrible translation, because they translate sentence by sentence. Therefore, a word for word translation like ESV is far superior. Then there is The Message.
Granted, I have my own opinions on which translations I like and don't like, but it's rather humbling when I back my thoughts up a little and realize that while I'm having this conversation, there are people out there clinging to the few books of the New Testament they have in their language - probably afraid someone will find out they have even that and have them killed for it. Then there are people who don't even have pieces of the Bible in their language and may die never even knowing who Jesus Christ is (or will only know him as "Isa," some prophet Muhammad mentions in the Koran).
But again, I live in America. I couldn't even begin to understand how someone in an Islam-dominated country would feel. Maybe they are the only Christian they know - or all that's left in their community. I couldn't imagine being afraid that my own family would turn me over to be killed if they found out I believed that Isa (Jesus) was God. I can walk around in my C28 t-shirts with my cross necklace on and a Bible (of a translation I selected) in my purse while listening to Casting Crowns on my iPod and not think twice of it. The idea of doing even one of those things would cause these people to shake in fear of the consequences. I'm sure the idea of actually having the freedom to do so would bring even the strongest of them to tears.
Remember those who are mistreated as if you yourself were suffering. I'd say that qualifies.
What about those who are held captive by the religion of their nation? For many nations, especially those that struggle with poverty and a low quality of life, religion is something that binds them all together. While Christianity is freeing ("Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." John 8:32; NIV), these religions are not. Many worship their dead ancestors and live in fear of displeasing them - which makes Christianity extremely unappealing, since they are afraid to disrupt the balance of their community. In most of these situations, if someone were to convert to a different religion, they would be made an outcast by their whole community (who they depend on to survive) if not just straight up killed for it.
Remember those in prison as if you yourself were in prison. That sounds like a prison to me.
Still, God promises that all nations will know His name before the end of the world (see the verse at the top) and sent us out to make disciples of every nation (Matthew 28:16-20). Now, not every person can go out and be a global missionary. However, as Gary Haugen suggests about the fight for injustice, I assert about this. In the spirit of Hebrew 13:3, if each one of us tries to place on our hearts a burden for these people - a burden that our Heavenly Father Himself carries - mountains can be moved. We all can't become missionaries and actually bring the Gospel to all the nations, but we sure can pray. And that is why I recommend this resource presented by the Joshua Project (http://www.joshuaproject.net/), an organization focused on understanding ethnic groups in order to spread the Gospel to some of the most unreached places on the globe.
On the Unreached People of the Day site (http://www.unreachedoftheday.org/index.php) you can have daily emails sent to your inbox. Each email gives basically what you see on the site: a description about the people group, the obstacles to ministry, requests for prayer, and a little box of statistics showing what resources these people do and do not have available. Reading these descriptions give a good image of who these people are and the struggles they face, making it easier to invest yourself in the prayer (you feel like you're actually praying for specific people - a family member or friend - rather than just a concept or idea - non-Christians). It has also taught me a lot about global ministry: what kind of obstacles are there, what kind of people are they, what troubles do they face, can Christians really survive in areas where literally no one believes the same as them, does that situation even exist, are there actually countries where no one believes in Jesus, etc.
It takes maybe 5 minutes (if you read slowly or really analytically) to read through the post and say a little prayer - they tell you what needs prayed for so you don't even have to be creative. Nonetheless, it has really helped me establish a sense of what Gary Haugen calls "compassion permanence" for the those that do not know Jesus and do not have the same resources I do for learning about him.
Resources:
http://www.unreachedoftheday.org/index.php
The Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24: 12-14; NIV)
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:3; NIV)I live in the United States of America. One of the hardest things for me to imagine is an environment where I could be killed for thinking differently from someone else. I don't mean KKK status where there is a radical group of people who want me dead for who I am or what I think. I mean, entire community/governmental suppression of what I believe.
I read a book once called The Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen, founder of the International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org). There are great injustices in the world. Girls not even in their teens are sold by the thousands as sex slaves every day. Children find themselves as bonded laborers for years - likely their whole lifetime - trying to pay off a family debt while their family is dependent on most of their wages just to survive. Men are held in prison for years with no idea what charge is placed against them (if their even is one). It's a powerful book; I recommend it as a "must-read" kind of book. In it, Haugen claims the fight against injustice if for everyone. One verse he points too often is Hebrews 13:3 (quoted above). Remember those in prison as if you were in prison. I've never been to prison. Remember those who are mistreated as if you were suffering. I've never been trafficked for sex or had to work for hours and hours in dangerous conditions that could leave me maimed or severely ill. I live in the U.S. I have no idea how to remember these people who have suffered like I couldn't even imagine as though I were in their situation. To be honest, I can easily go an entire day without even remembering they exist at all.
But still, that verse is there. I can pretend like it's not. I can move on and act like it doesn't apply to me. But it's there. And it does. I'm still working on that one. I still don't quite understand how I can apply it in my life, but I'm working toward it.
However, this recommendation isn't about injustice (per se). But I feel it's related. I think those of us who live in countries where we have freedom to believe in whatever we want have trouble remembering those who don't. I imagine those who hang around the church atmosphere have at least heard of the 10/40 window, even if you don't know what it is exactly. Basically, it's the regions of the eastern hemisphere that are between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. The reason this 10/40 window is important to ministry is that it represents the areas of the globe with the greatest poverty, lowest quality of life, and a greatest lack of available Christian resources. This makes it one of the most difficult regions on the earth to share the Gospel.
My iPod has this awesome app. It's called YouVersion. From this app I can download dozens of translations of the Bible in English as well as many other languages for free. A lot of them are even available in audiobook format, so if I want, I can have someone just read the Bible to me. If you go to Bible studies long enough or hang out with Christians who actually like talking about God long enough, you'll eventually run into a translation war conversation; it's practically inevitable. You have your people who refuse to read anything but the KJV (or maybe they'll concede to the positive points of the NKJV). Some will cling to the NIV. Others will say that NIV is a terrible translation, because they translate sentence by sentence. Therefore, a word for word translation like ESV is far superior. Then there is The Message.
Granted, I have my own opinions on which translations I like and don't like, but it's rather humbling when I back my thoughts up a little and realize that while I'm having this conversation, there are people out there clinging to the few books of the New Testament they have in their language - probably afraid someone will find out they have even that and have them killed for it. Then there are people who don't even have pieces of the Bible in their language and may die never even knowing who Jesus Christ is (or will only know him as "Isa," some prophet Muhammad mentions in the Koran).
But again, I live in America. I couldn't even begin to understand how someone in an Islam-dominated country would feel. Maybe they are the only Christian they know - or all that's left in their community. I couldn't imagine being afraid that my own family would turn me over to be killed if they found out I believed that Isa (Jesus) was God. I can walk around in my C28 t-shirts with my cross necklace on and a Bible (of a translation I selected) in my purse while listening to Casting Crowns on my iPod and not think twice of it. The idea of doing even one of those things would cause these people to shake in fear of the consequences. I'm sure the idea of actually having the freedom to do so would bring even the strongest of them to tears.
Remember those who are mistreated as if you yourself were suffering. I'd say that qualifies.
What about those who are held captive by the religion of their nation? For many nations, especially those that struggle with poverty and a low quality of life, religion is something that binds them all together. While Christianity is freeing ("Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." John 8:32; NIV), these religions are not. Many worship their dead ancestors and live in fear of displeasing them - which makes Christianity extremely unappealing, since they are afraid to disrupt the balance of their community. In most of these situations, if someone were to convert to a different religion, they would be made an outcast by their whole community (who they depend on to survive) if not just straight up killed for it.
Remember those in prison as if you yourself were in prison. That sounds like a prison to me.
Still, God promises that all nations will know His name before the end of the world (see the verse at the top) and sent us out to make disciples of every nation (Matthew 28:16-20). Now, not every person can go out and be a global missionary. However, as Gary Haugen suggests about the fight for injustice, I assert about this. In the spirit of Hebrew 13:3, if each one of us tries to place on our hearts a burden for these people - a burden that our Heavenly Father Himself carries - mountains can be moved. We all can't become missionaries and actually bring the Gospel to all the nations, but we sure can pray. And that is why I recommend this resource presented by the Joshua Project (http://www.joshuaproject.net/), an organization focused on understanding ethnic groups in order to spread the Gospel to some of the most unreached places on the globe.
On the Unreached People of the Day site (http://www.unreachedoftheday.org/index.php) you can have daily emails sent to your inbox. Each email gives basically what you see on the site: a description about the people group, the obstacles to ministry, requests for prayer, and a little box of statistics showing what resources these people do and do not have available. Reading these descriptions give a good image of who these people are and the struggles they face, making it easier to invest yourself in the prayer (you feel like you're actually praying for specific people - a family member or friend - rather than just a concept or idea - non-Christians). It has also taught me a lot about global ministry: what kind of obstacles are there, what kind of people are they, what troubles do they face, can Christians really survive in areas where literally no one believes the same as them, does that situation even exist, are there actually countries where no one believes in Jesus, etc.
It takes maybe 5 minutes (if you read slowly or really analytically) to read through the post and say a little prayer - they tell you what needs prayed for so you don't even have to be creative. Nonetheless, it has really helped me establish a sense of what Gary Haugen calls "compassion permanence" for the those that do not know Jesus and do not have the same resources I do for learning about him.
Resources:
http://www.unreachedoftheday.org/index.php
The Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Resource Recommendation: GodTube Today
One thing I want to do with this blog is pass on and review some of the resources I've found particularly helpful. There are so many "Christian sites" on the internet, but not all are created equal. One thing I like to do with my free time is sift through all the interweb clutter and find the ones that are particularly useful.
I'm actually surprising myself by starting with GodTube Today. I have a whole list of newsletters I subscribe to that I just love, but recently these GodTube Today devotionals have stuck out to me as accessible and helpful.
What is it?
Many of you have probably heard of the Christian version of YouTube - appropriately christened GodTube. Well, on the right side of the page there a box that says "Free Inspiration in Your Inbox." Mousing over that box causes it to expand, and a list with check-boxes appears. One of the options is "GodTube Today." Checking that box and typing in your email will sign you up for a daily devotional email from GodTube. In each email are three links: a GodTube video, a short devotional, and a short piece of Scripture.
What's so great about it?
Generally, the three links interconnect in some way (or at least the last two do). But really, all three are great resources on their own.
You could sift through hours of cheesy/dumb videos that fail to capture your interest in hopes of finding a really good one (much like regular YouTube), but some of us don't have the time (or patience) for that. These daily videos, at least in my couple weeks of experience in using this resource, are really quality ones worth watching. If you're someone that likes posting cool videos on Facebook, the variety in genre of these daily devotionals are bound to give you something to use (some are funny, some are music videos, some are deeply theological, some inspiring, etc.). If you're not a fan of reading things, there's an obvious appeal in these videos for you as well.
The devotional is, for those of you as time-crunched as I am, reasonably short, but still contains quality. I'm always disappointed when I find a convenient devotional site/app and then it turn out to be a series of "God loves you. You are awesome" messages (Sorry, if you're a fan of these. You should check out the Apple app store devotionals in that case). A lot of the messages have really got me thinking about them throughout the day - which is kind of the goal, in my opinion. A lot of them connect to the video in some way, but not always.
The Scripture is generally (well, actually, I've only ever seen this to be the case) whatever was highlighted in the devotional. But this is helpful if you want to link to it (I don't know why you might want to do that, but if you do then you would find that helpful) or for whatever reason would like quick access to the Scripture. It's hosted through BibleStudyTools.com (a site that is likely to show up in these recommendation blog posts in the future at some point).
While I think personal devotions (as in, just you and God with no outside person telling you what they think on the subject) are vital for developing your own relationship with God and being able to stand on your own in interpreting Scripture, I think it's important to have outside guidance as well. If you're someone who has trouble getting into devotions at all, this might be a good place to start. It takes 10-15 minutes of your time (Today's only took me 5), and it's real, quality stuff that I think would appeal to a widely diverse selection of people.
Also, if you're like me and don't have time for a half hour (or hour or two hour) devotional time in the morning or if you're frankly not a morning person and know you aren't going to be giving your best to God until about three in the afternoon but still want to get your day started on the right foot, I'd recommend signing yourself up for this. These emails will continue to come to your inbox, giving you some measure of accountability in the vague threat of filling up your inbox until it overwhelms your sense of guilt and you delete them all, so it's convenient, structured, and quality.
The other newsletters on the site are good too if you were wondering (though I didn't click the 30 Days of GodTube one), but GodTube Today takes the spotlight.
Links:
http://www.godtube.com/
I'm actually surprising myself by starting with GodTube Today. I have a whole list of newsletters I subscribe to that I just love, but recently these GodTube Today devotionals have stuck out to me as accessible and helpful.
What is it?
Many of you have probably heard of the Christian version of YouTube - appropriately christened GodTube. Well, on the right side of the page there a box that says "Free Inspiration in Your Inbox." Mousing over that box causes it to expand, and a list with check-boxes appears. One of the options is "GodTube Today." Checking that box and typing in your email will sign you up for a daily devotional email from GodTube. In each email are three links: a GodTube video, a short devotional, and a short piece of Scripture.
What's so great about it?
Generally, the three links interconnect in some way (or at least the last two do). But really, all three are great resources on their own.
You could sift through hours of cheesy/dumb videos that fail to capture your interest in hopes of finding a really good one (much like regular YouTube), but some of us don't have the time (or patience) for that. These daily videos, at least in my couple weeks of experience in using this resource, are really quality ones worth watching. If you're someone that likes posting cool videos on Facebook, the variety in genre of these daily devotionals are bound to give you something to use (some are funny, some are music videos, some are deeply theological, some inspiring, etc.). If you're not a fan of reading things, there's an obvious appeal in these videos for you as well.
The devotional is, for those of you as time-crunched as I am, reasonably short, but still contains quality. I'm always disappointed when I find a convenient devotional site/app and then it turn out to be a series of "God loves you. You are awesome" messages (Sorry, if you're a fan of these. You should check out the Apple app store devotionals in that case). A lot of the messages have really got me thinking about them throughout the day - which is kind of the goal, in my opinion. A lot of them connect to the video in some way, but not always.
The Scripture is generally (well, actually, I've only ever seen this to be the case) whatever was highlighted in the devotional. But this is helpful if you want to link to it (I don't know why you might want to do that, but if you do then you would find that helpful) or for whatever reason would like quick access to the Scripture. It's hosted through BibleStudyTools.com (a site that is likely to show up in these recommendation blog posts in the future at some point).
While I think personal devotions (as in, just you and God with no outside person telling you what they think on the subject) are vital for developing your own relationship with God and being able to stand on your own in interpreting Scripture, I think it's important to have outside guidance as well. If you're someone who has trouble getting into devotions at all, this might be a good place to start. It takes 10-15 minutes of your time (Today's only took me 5), and it's real, quality stuff that I think would appeal to a widely diverse selection of people.
Also, if you're like me and don't have time for a half hour (or hour or two hour) devotional time in the morning or if you're frankly not a morning person and know you aren't going to be giving your best to God until about three in the afternoon but still want to get your day started on the right foot, I'd recommend signing yourself up for this. These emails will continue to come to your inbox, giving you some measure of accountability in the vague threat of filling up your inbox until it overwhelms your sense of guilt and you delete them all, so it's convenient, structured, and quality.
The other newsletters on the site are good too if you were wondering (though I didn't click the 30 Days of GodTube one), but GodTube Today takes the spotlight.
Links:
http://www.godtube.com/
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Becoming Part 3 (Sunday, May 15, 2011)
The Becoming - Part 3 (Sky94 Service) Listen Here
This is the last "sermon" of the Becoming series. It has been a really series, so I encourage you to listen to the podcasts if you haven't had a chance to yet.
Pastor Jason talks about the idea of Christian individualism and how that is not the way God intended His followers to operate. Every person needs people in their life to walk out this journey with. When conferences come around and thousands or people are saved, why is it that so many of them fall away? Pastor Jason asserts that it's because there is no one their to help them when things get tough. In that, there are certain things every Christian needs in order to work out their salvation and live a Christ-filled life. First off, Pastor Jason discusses the importance of corporate worship (basically, going to church), small groups, and personal devotions. All three are necessary in sustaining your faith. You'll have to listen to the podcast for more on that.
On top of that, Pastor Jason advised everyone to have three "people" in their lives: Timothy, Barnabas, and Paul. A Timothy is someone to mentor; someone who you pour into without expecting anything from them. A Barnabas is someone who is walking the faith with you. Called an "accountability partner," this is someone you are completely honest with and who is completely honest with you. This person encourages you when you're down, rejoices when you've reached a high point or overcome a struggle, keeps you accountable, and pushes you to keep moving forward in your faith - and you do the same for them. Finally, a Paul is someone you mentors you. A Paul is someone who pours into you, but you don't pour into them.
The journey of becoming like Jesus Christ - salvation - was not meant to be taken alone.
On another note, the album that inspired this series (Go Project's The Becoming album) came out this Tuesday. A bunch of us gathered at the Epicentre in Mira Mesa for the release concert. It was a powerful night. The album is really legit. It's powerful and gives a very real view of the struggles faced by a large portion of our generation (for you Millennials out there) and portrays an excellent view of a relationship with God (and a journey of becoming like Christ). Plus, the songs themselves (just judging them as songs and not a mode of ministry) are awesome. I think I've decided my favorite is "The Breakup," but I do like "What Have I Become?" and "Like An Alien" a lot. Anyway, I encourage you to get a copy of the album (you can get it on iTunes). If you live in the San Diego/La Mesa area, you should come to Skyline (see link in the right sidebar) this Sunday (May 22nd) at 7pm. Go Project is having a concert for their new album. And if you live in California, Oregon, or Washington - or are for whatever reason going to be in any of those states in the next month's time - you should check out Go Project's Facebook page (linked in the sidebar) and see if their tour takes them near you.
Supplementary Recommendations:
Go Project album "The Becoming"
This is the last "sermon" of the Becoming series. It has been a really series, so I encourage you to listen to the podcasts if you haven't had a chance to yet.
Pastor Jason talks about the idea of Christian individualism and how that is not the way God intended His followers to operate. Every person needs people in their life to walk out this journey with. When conferences come around and thousands or people are saved, why is it that so many of them fall away? Pastor Jason asserts that it's because there is no one their to help them when things get tough. In that, there are certain things every Christian needs in order to work out their salvation and live a Christ-filled life. First off, Pastor Jason discusses the importance of corporate worship (basically, going to church), small groups, and personal devotions. All three are necessary in sustaining your faith. You'll have to listen to the podcast for more on that.
On top of that, Pastor Jason advised everyone to have three "people" in their lives: Timothy, Barnabas, and Paul. A Timothy is someone to mentor; someone who you pour into without expecting anything from them. A Barnabas is someone who is walking the faith with you. Called an "accountability partner," this is someone you are completely honest with and who is completely honest with you. This person encourages you when you're down, rejoices when you've reached a high point or overcome a struggle, keeps you accountable, and pushes you to keep moving forward in your faith - and you do the same for them. Finally, a Paul is someone you mentors you. A Paul is someone who pours into you, but you don't pour into them.
The journey of becoming like Jesus Christ - salvation - was not meant to be taken alone.
On another note, the album that inspired this series (Go Project's The Becoming album) came out this Tuesday. A bunch of us gathered at the Epicentre in Mira Mesa for the release concert. It was a powerful night. The album is really legit. It's powerful and gives a very real view of the struggles faced by a large portion of our generation (for you Millennials out there) and portrays an excellent view of a relationship with God (and a journey of becoming like Christ). Plus, the songs themselves (just judging them as songs and not a mode of ministry) are awesome. I think I've decided my favorite is "The Breakup," but I do like "What Have I Become?" and "Like An Alien" a lot. Anyway, I encourage you to get a copy of the album (you can get it on iTunes). If you live in the San Diego/La Mesa area, you should come to Skyline (see link in the right sidebar) this Sunday (May 22nd) at 7pm. Go Project is having a concert for their new album. And if you live in California, Oregon, or Washington - or are for whatever reason going to be in any of those states in the next month's time - you should check out Go Project's Facebook page (linked in the sidebar) and see if their tour takes them near you.
Supplementary Recommendations:
Go Project album "The Becoming"
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Becoming Part 2 (Sunday, May 8, 2011)
The Becoming - Part 2 (Sky94 Service) Listen Here
When you come face to face with the presence of God, it's not uncommon to walk away feeling very inspired. Those moments feel so real. Whether is be a powerful church service, camp, a conference, or whatever, that powerful moment generally fades quickly leaving us all with the same question: "Now what?"
Taking a step back, Pastor Jason asks the question: "What now?" As in, what now are you doing? Are you reading your Bible? Do you pray? Are you in a daily relationship with Jesus Christ?* These things are the foundation.
But let's say that you have that - or are working on that. Now what? Pointing to a fairly well know verse, Pastor Jason aims to answer that. In his letter to Corinth, Paul tells believers:
Supplementary Recommendations:
*If you're unfamiliar with this blog or with Pastor Jason's sermons, this is pretty much the core of most of his messages - as he mentions in the podcast itself. I recommend going back to the Five Love Languages blog post (here) and listening to this sermon.
When you come face to face with the presence of God, it's not uncommon to walk away feeling very inspired. Those moments feel so real. Whether is be a powerful church service, camp, a conference, or whatever, that powerful moment generally fades quickly leaving us all with the same question: "Now what?"
Taking a step back, Pastor Jason asks the question: "What now?" As in, what now are you doing? Are you reading your Bible? Do you pray? Are you in a daily relationship with Jesus Christ?* These things are the foundation.
But let's say that you have that - or are working on that. Now what? Pointing to a fairly well know verse, Pastor Jason aims to answer that. In his letter to Corinth, Paul tells believers:
"But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13; The Message)Pastor Jason walks through these three things - faith, hope, and love - to give a picture of the next steps in this journey of becoming.
Supplementary Recommendations:
*If you're unfamiliar with this blog or with Pastor Jason's sermons, this is pretty much the core of most of his messages - as he mentions in the podcast itself. I recommend going back to the Five Love Languages blog post (here) and listening to this sermon.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Becoming Part 1 (Sunday, May 1, 2011)
The Becoming - Part One (Sky94 Service): Listen Here
As I said in the previous post - which I posted just a few minutes earlier, so you might have missed it - I'm revising my new direction ever so slightly. Go here for more details.
On the note, I really encourage you to listen to this sermon. The story behind this series is pretty cool. Pastor Jason's band - Go Project - has a new album coming out on May 17th (you should all download it off iTunes, because it's going to be sweet) and, as he explains at the beginning of this sermon, his goal is to prepare the hearts of his congregation for this album, since music is an extension of his ministry. Anyway, I'm going to unabashedly promote their music in this post and recommend that everyone reading this go and check out their Facebook page (which is linked along the right-hand column of this blog) and listen to some of the music on their BandPage (I recommend "Like an Alien," which is a single for this upcoming album along with "Storms Don't Last Forever" and "Unidentified." I also recommend "Hatin' on Me," which is from a previous album.)
Back to the sermon itself, this was one that, for me, really hit home. The topic is salvation, which sounds really basic at first. However, it's one of those messages that I feel each person relates to a little differently and this makes it rather complex. This idea of salvation seems simple, but each person has come to Christ from a different path. Each person has had certain influences in their lives that shape how they view salvation, and with all this theological mumbo-jumbo floating around, at the end of the day it's difficult to say what salvation really is. That being said, Pastor Jason does a great job of describing salvation as a lifelong journey (of becoming like Christ), rather than a prayer at some point in your life when you felt you needed Jesus. It's a daily commitment and relationship, not a "one night stand" (Jason's words); it's a beginning, rather than an end.
Supplementary Recommendations:
I'd recommend the book Your Own Jesus: A God Insistent on Making It Personal by Mark Hall for more insight on this idea of "becoming like Christ." Mark Hall (another pastor who supplements his ministry with music. You might recognize him as the lead singer of Casting Crowns) does a great job of working through people's testimonies to show how God shapes your life continuously and how each person has to have "their own Jesus" rather than "their pastor's Jesus" or "their parent's Jesus" or simply "someone else's Jesus."
As I said in the previous post - which I posted just a few minutes earlier, so you might have missed it - I'm revising my new direction ever so slightly. Go here for more details.
On the note, I really encourage you to listen to this sermon. The story behind this series is pretty cool. Pastor Jason's band - Go Project - has a new album coming out on May 17th (you should all download it off iTunes, because it's going to be sweet) and, as he explains at the beginning of this sermon, his goal is to prepare the hearts of his congregation for this album, since music is an extension of his ministry. Anyway, I'm going to unabashedly promote their music in this post and recommend that everyone reading this go and check out their Facebook page (which is linked along the right-hand column of this blog) and listen to some of the music on their BandPage (I recommend "Like an Alien," which is a single for this upcoming album along with "Storms Don't Last Forever" and "Unidentified." I also recommend "Hatin' on Me," which is from a previous album.)
Back to the sermon itself, this was one that, for me, really hit home. The topic is salvation, which sounds really basic at first. However, it's one of those messages that I feel each person relates to a little differently and this makes it rather complex. This idea of salvation seems simple, but each person has come to Christ from a different path. Each person has had certain influences in their lives that shape how they view salvation, and with all this theological mumbo-jumbo floating around, at the end of the day it's difficult to say what salvation really is. That being said, Pastor Jason does a great job of describing salvation as a lifelong journey (of becoming like Christ), rather than a prayer at some point in your life when you felt you needed Jesus. It's a daily commitment and relationship, not a "one night stand" (Jason's words); it's a beginning, rather than an end.
Supplementary Recommendations:
I'd recommend the book Your Own Jesus: A God Insistent on Making It Personal by Mark Hall for more insight on this idea of "becoming like Christ." Mark Hall (another pastor who supplements his ministry with music. You might recognize him as the lead singer of Casting Crowns) does a great job of working through people's testimonies to show how God shapes your life continuously and how each person has to have "their own Jesus" rather than "their pastor's Jesus" or "their parent's Jesus" or simply "someone else's Jesus."
A New Direction Revised
As I was writing this next blog post (which I will finish and post in the next few minutes), I realized the new direction I was trying to take was still wrong. So I'm readjusting this blog's course once more (and probably not for the last time). Basically, I feel like my scope is too narrow. I have a real passion for studying and analyzing different aspects of the Christian worldview (especially in the area of apologetics) and just giving my thoughts on sermons doesn't quite cover this. Anyway, I have a few ideas I'd like to experiment with. If any seem particularly interesting, let me know in the comments of that post.
As for the sermons, there are some that certainly pique my interest - Sky94's current sermon series being one of them. I'll continue to link sermons that I find especially interesting, but I will only briefly give my thoughts on them - though I am certainly open to more in-depth discussions in the comments. If you'd like to hear more of them, I've linked Skyline's website on the right-hand column of this blog. All sermons (by both Pastor Garlow and Pastor Jason) can be found under the "Sermons" section of that site, and are usually up by the following Wednesday.
Anyway, I've got an idea for my first "experiment" in this blog that I'll be coming out with the first post for in the next couple of days.
As for the sermons, there are some that certainly pique my interest - Sky94's current sermon series being one of them. I'll continue to link sermons that I find especially interesting, but I will only briefly give my thoughts on them - though I am certainly open to more in-depth discussions in the comments. If you'd like to hear more of them, I've linked Skyline's website on the right-hand column of this blog. All sermons (by both Pastor Garlow and Pastor Jason) can be found under the "Sermons" section of that site, and are usually up by the following Wednesday.
Anyway, I've got an idea for my first "experiment" in this blog that I'll be coming out with the first post for in the next couple of days.
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