Everyday Heroes

So tonight we are talking about everyday heroes – serving the least of these.  And the point is that Jesus commanded us to serve people and how do we do that.  This is huge for the church because people want to see us change the world.  They have seen how the church votes politically, how we protest the things that we are against and what they want to see is how we actually care about people.

Somewhere the church (universal) lost sight of this and it’s time that we bring it back.  so we are going to start with our students tonight and we are going to start purposefully providing opportunities to serve and places where they can love Jesus by loving others.  I honestly think that’s what the world is looking for.

this is just a bit ranty but I think it’s important.  I think this is the way that the church can change the world.  I read about how the early church during the plague in Rome actually stayed in the city and cared for the sick while everyone else fled.  That’s the kind of thing that the church needs to be known for.

Thoughts on Self-Preservation from Rev. Furtick

Hey I just read this post from Steven Furtick.  Interesting thoughts and I think it’s a good reminder that Jesus actually called us to die to ourselves.  hmm.

The limitation of self-preservation

A focus on self-preservation
is the greatest limitation
on the momentum of a movement.

Holly and I were watching an episode of 24 a few months ago, and I realized what makes terrorists so powerful and so dangerous.
They have absolutely no regard for self-preservation.
Their only obsession is the cause.
And they are committed to the cause regardless of the personal cost.

Thus, this possibility haunts and inspires me:
How powerful-
Even dangerous–
would the Church be if our only obsession was the cause of Christ?
If concern for self-preservation gave way to radical commitment to the Gospel?
We might just make a splash in our cities for the glory of God through aggressive love and generosity.
The momentum of the movement would reach a tipping point, and the effects would be undeniable.

Obligatory Disclaimer:
(I’m not advocating Christian terrorism.  I’m advocating radical love for people, and contrasting that to the radical hatred of terrorists.  You might think a disclaimer like this would be unnecessary, but you’d be surprised.)

The Way I See It #267

A lot of the starbucks cups have been lame lately but when there is one that I like I feel compelled to share it.  Today i received one such cup

“Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears – it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear.  But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more – it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life.  For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.”

-Oliver Sacks, Neurologist, Author.

New Series and stuff

Hey Everybody,

last thursday we started a new series called Everyday Heroes.  We looked at 1 Timothy 4.12 (one of my life verses) and we talked about setting the example as the first step to being an everyday hero.  You can download it here.  It was good times.

Hey while you are downloading stuff check out the creekside cast.  And download some great sermons from our church’s sunday morning gatherings.   We have been going through the Gospel of Matthew and it has been a blast so check it out.

Also I promised I would share this video on here, we played this before the sermon on Thursday.  Enjoy!

Happy All Hallows Eve (or Dia De Los Muertos)

Or Happy Reformation Day to all the super-duper Luther and Calvin Fans out there.

Tomorrow is the day that i wish the Protestant Church did more to celebrate, All Saints Day. I am not saying we need to pray to saints but it would be cool to have a day where we purposefully honor the heroes of the faith.  And if we go with the true Pauline definition of saint that would basically include everyone who serves Jesus.

everyday heroes series

I am really excited about the everyday heroes series.  We are starting this thursday at >>beyond>>

We are starting with one of my life verses.  I’m always excited when I get to Talk about 1 Timothy 4.12.  So that’s where we are going to be this week.  I am really praying that we can start off with a big score for this series.  The truth is that Jesus is calling all of us to be heroes of the faith.  And so how do we live that out?  That’s really what this series is going to be focusing on.

So if you are an attender be praying that Jesus will challenge you.  If you are one of my friends from around the world who just happened to stumble upon this blog than please pray with me that this will be a powerful series for us.  I am really, really jazzed about this.