Souljourn

It's been a long time!

Emerson asked me to help him with his math.  This was what I came up with: (he told me it had something to do with 'stem & leaf')  He probably won't ask for my help again.

Get the point?

Here's a few pix of some pretty creative advertising.

The truth isn't sexy

This is the name of the new ad campaign the Salvation Army has launched to raise awareness about the sex trafficking that goes on right under our noses.  I applaud them for their boldness in presenting the situation accurately without the cultural 'sheen' that often gets applied to the sex trade.  You can find out more about their campaign here.

I think this is one of the ways we live out Proverbs 31:8 - "...speak up for those who can't speak for themselves...'

We will be talking about prayer this weekend.  This is certainly reason enough to increase our prayers. (not that all we do is pray but we must start there)

Here are some of their ads:

What a weekend!

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days.  It's not because nothing has been going on, it's because too much has been going on!  

We held an evangelism equipping seminar this weekend at the church this weekend that was really great.  I was talking to one of the participants after it was over and they said, '...this is the most equipped for evangelism that I have ever felt in my life...'  and I know that others shared this sentiment.

Instead of being given a method, or a tool, that we were to go out and use (as if every situation/person is identical), the presenter (Steve Holmstrom, who is an Evangelist) took the time to dissect evangelism and help us understand the different components of evangelism and then gave us practical advice on how to engage in each of the different components.

I think that everyone who left the seminar felt better equipped to compassionately engage with the world around us and share the heart of a loving Father.

I am really looking forward to seeing the fruit of this weekend lived out in our lives.

Looking forward to this weekend

I've been looking forward to this weekend for over 100 days!  

100 days ago yesterday we started going through the 'Vitamin E' devotional.  We wanted to be serious and intentional about developing our evangelistic passion and participation.  It is one thing to say we want to do this, and it is another thing to actually do something about it.

Well we did something.  We encouraged people in the church to purchase the devotional booklets and then spend a few brief minutes each day focusing on this area.

The book is very well written.  It is extremely practical and really quite enjoyable to read.

Well this weekend we have the author of the book, Steve Holmstrom, coming in to lead us in an evangelism seminar.  At our men's retreat earlier this year Steve was the speaker and he led us in one of the sessions.  It was great and I know the others will be that way as well.

Let me encourage you not to miss this very practical weekend.  In 2 Timothy 4:5 we are instructed to 'do the work of an evangelist'.  To help us do this we all need regular encouragement and equipping --- this weekend is going to be both.

Translation services now provided

On Sunday we were able to provide  simultaneous translation of our service into Korean for the very first time. I am really excited about this and I've already heard from a number of people who used the service on Sunday that it was incredibly appreciated.  We currently have 10 headsets that we can let people use and all of them went out on Sunday so we'll watch over the next couple of weeks and see if we don't need to purchase some more.

Our plan is to do this at every Sunday morning service and we are also looking at how we might be able to do it for our youth service on Wednesday.

I love the diversity in the body of Christ and despite different ethnicities and cultures we are all one in Jesus Christ.

Yeah God!

Devotional thoughts on a culture of honour

I spoke last week about the importance of developing a culture of honour and how a culture of honour enables the proper stewardship of God's purposes.  We live in a culture that doesn't understand honour and is actually based on dishonour but we must live counter-culturally to that, we must live with a Kingdom culture.  Honour is a really big deal to God but not because He is looking for affirmation, but because of what the giving of honour does in, and through, our lives.

We learn from Exodus 20:12 that the giving of honour releases life and longevity in God's purposes, hence its necessity in stewarding what God is doing, AND we also learn that it is the person who gives the honour that actually receives the greatest blessing (this one is hard for us to accept in a culture that esteems the person receiving honour and almost overlooks the ones giving the honour).  This Kingdom concept is backed up again in 1 Peter 3:7 when husbands are instructed to honour their wives so that THEIR PRAYERS will not be hindered.  Once again, it is the person giving the honour that benefits the most in this 'transaction'.

Certainly the person who receives honour is blessed and encouraged, but we would all do well to remember where the greatest blessing lies...in the giving of honour.

I'm reading through Acts in my devotions right now and I came across a verse that challenged, and enlarged, my understanding of what a culture of honour looks like.  It is easy to think it looks like constant encouragement, affirmation and appreciation of people, but that is actually only a small piece of the culture of honour.

In Acts 5:41 the apostles had just gotten flogged for preaching about Jesus and their reaction is incredible.  It says that they counted it an honour to suffer for the sake of Jesus. Now that is an aspect of the culture of honour that I was not expecting to see.   A culture of Kingdom honour can't be limited simply to the affirmation and encouragement we give one another, although it must contain these elements.  A culture of honour is also made up of people being overwhelming grateful to Jesus for His saving grace in their lives and His willingness to use us to demonstrate His love to the world, regardless of the worlds response to us.

As I was thinking about this passage another passage came to mind that fits nicely with this one.  In Proverbs 19:11 we are told that it is a persons honour to overlook an offense.  This is another aspect of a culture of honour that might easily be overlooked, but is absolutely necessary.  A culture of honour is a culture where people are not defensive or offended, and realize the greatest reward is found in releasing an offense instead of holding it.

So I'll leave it with this.  Based on Acts 5:41 and Proverbs 19:11 how are you doing at developing a culture of honour? ( I know I've got work to do.)

If God would have texted the 10 commandments

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.  2. dnt wrshp pix/idols 3. no omg's 4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)  5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool 6. dnt kill ppl  7. :-X only w/ m8 8. dnt steal 9. dnt lie re: bf 10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.  M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.  ttyl, JHWH.  ps. wwjd?

Is it a cheese or font? take 2

UPDATE: Okay, it looks like this site is up and running again so let's try this again...

How would you like to play the newest quiz sensation that's sweeping the Nation?  Well I don't know what that quiz is so why don't you try this time waster out.

Do you think you know the difference between a cheese or a font?

Click here to play, and then come back and tell us how you did.

Four things I'm looking for

Have you ever noticed that you don't see what you're not looking for?  

Or the flip side, once you start looking for something you tend to see it everywhere?

Well, as we begin a new season of ministry there are four things I am looking for.  I don't know if I can say they are the only four things I am looking for, but they will be primary in my gaze.

And what is really exciting for me is that not only am I going to be looking for these four, but I have a faith filled expectation that I will see them, in abundance.

I'm not anxiously peering at the horizon with some faint hope that they might appear.  It's more like a child waking on Christmas morning and rushing excitedly to the Christmas tree for the presents that they know will be there.  They are looking for them, and they are confident they will see them.

Well that is how I feel, only I'm not expecting presents, I'm expecting PRESENCE - the manifest presence of Jesus in increasing measure.  And towards that end - the manifest presence of Jesus in increasing measure - this is what I'm looking for.

A desperate cry - that the cry of our hearts would be for more of Jesus.  That our hunger for Him would only increase.

A passionate pursuit - that we would set aside any residue of passivity and seek Jesus with priority,intention, and determination.

A humble response - that there would be a swift and surrendered response to Jesus.

A holy call - that with lives of radiant righteousness we would live out the purposes of Jesus in our age.

So that's what I am looking for.  Will you join me in looking for (pursuing) the same?

Let's start by looking in the mirror.

BONUS: Here's a sneak peak at our banner graphic for the coming year.  Rich did a great job on it (tell him thanks when you see him).