“For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was—a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability. For this she got herself abused roundly by the sons of this world. But of late she has become tired of the abuse and has given over the struggle. She appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his powers. So today we have the astonishing spectacle of millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job of providing earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven. Religious entertainment is in many places rapidly crowding out the serious things of God. Many churches these days have become little more than poor theaters where fifth-rate “producers” peddle their shoddy wares with the full approval of evangelical leaders who can even quote a holy text in defense of their delinquency.

And hardly a man dares raise his voice against it.”

A.W. Tozer
1897 – 1963

Another Question from Love Songs:

What, with your experience with couples, do you feel is the most important key to a long happy marriage?

Unconditional love.

Long marriages are not always happy. This is a reality because life is not always happy. Living life as partners means you love on the good days and you love on the not-so-good days. You love when you don’t “feel like” loving. You love when your love is not reciprocated. You love when the future looks good and you love when it looks like there is no future.

It’s no accident that the marriage vows are about promising unconditional love. For the last several years, Mark has been using marriage vows based on 1 Corinthians 13. He wrote these vows for a special ceremony at NewSpring that took place back in 2004. Over 30 couples were on the platform as we recited these vows to our spouses in chorus. Since that day, almost every couple Mark has married has requested these vows. If you read 1 Corinthians 13 in the New Living Translation, you’ll recognize these words.

By the grace of God’s Holy Spirit, I will be patient and kind to you. Because I love you, I won’t demand my own way, or hold past faults against you. I will be loyal to you, always faithful from my heart. I will always believe the best about you. I will always defend you. My love for you will never end.

One of the questions that came in during the Love Songs series:

You said we as women are called to respect! Your husband is a godly man following biblical values! But you as the women find it hard to show respect! How?

First of all, we women need to remember that our “nature” is not to respect, it is to control (see Genesis 3). One of the first strategies to gain control, is to assume a superior position. I believe that is why so many women systematically dismantle their husband’s self-esteem. She is quick to point out each of his faults and failures and trumpet her own successes. A woman may say — even to herself — that she is providing constructive criticism to make her husband and their marriage better, but in reality this behavior is very destructive to both.

Back to the question, “How do you respect?” My answer would be that you choose to respect. Make a decision to stop looking for faults, stop all criticism (contructive or not) and start building up each attribute or action you see in your husband that you admire. Look hard for every positive thing and express admiration and gratitude sincerely and often.

Mary Alice

If you’re a NewSpringer you know this already, but for those of you who may not get to attend, in the current series, Love Songs, people are texting me questions during the talk. At the end of each service I answer some of the most frequently asked, but unfortunately, I only get to a handful. For the next few days, Mary Alice and I are going to try to tackle some of the others.  Today, I’m going to take a crack at one of my favorites.

To set it up, in the first talk, I warned guys about making unfavorable comparisons of their wives to other women.  I guess that prompted this one…

 How do you handle the situation when the woman he constantly compares you to is his mother?

Bet your first inclination is to pack him up and drop him off at her door, but before it comes to that, try to help him see three things that he’s not getting.

1. I doubt he realizes how painful this is for you.  There’s nothing wrong with him remembering some positive quality his mother possesses, but when he uses that quality to show you up, he’s no longer honoring his mom, he’s inflicting damage on you.  Let him know, not in an accusative tone, but in an instructive way that his words hurt! 
2. Guys sometimes get the idea that the way to inspire their wives is to point out other women who are doing something better.  Most guys have no idea how much pressure women put on themselves to measure up favorably to other women, and when the man whom they look to for comfort makes them feel inadequate, it has a devastating effect.  Help him understand  that kind of unfavorable comparison doesn’t inspire you, it makes you feel like shutting down.
3. The obvious.  You’re not his mom. You’re his wife.  She may have strengths you don’t have, you have strengths she doesn’t, but that’s not the main point. The first thing the Bible says about marriage is in Genesis 2:24. God says a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife.  Remind him that you are his wife, and to the best of your power, and within reason,  you want to do the things that will please him, but at the end of the day, you are who you are, the woman God made you to be.  You’re not his mom, you’re not trying to be her, and although you honor who she is in his life, you’re his WIFE!

Mark

Remember the old Aretha Franklin song about a woman needing respect from the guy in her relationship?  Actually, the real history of the song is a little different.  Turns out it wasn’t written by Aretha;  Otis Redding wrote and released it first, as the plea of a man for respect from a woman. (Check out the Wikipedia article on the song.)

Last week in Love Songs, my talk was on a man’s need for respect from a woman, and in each of the services I read a list that I compiled from a meeting with twelve NewSpring guys.  The list was the responses from two questions I asked them. What makes you feel respected? What makes you feel disrespected?  I went through the answers so fast that a number of you asked if I would give them again, so here they are.

What makes you feel respected?

1. Appreciation
2. Pleasant tone of voice
3. Comments of praise (especially made about him to others)
4. The feeling that he can be himself around her
5. When she goes out of her way to please him
6. Physical touch
7. The words, “I’m proud of you.”

What makes you feel disrespected?

1. The feeling of not being needed
2. Being down on her priority list
3. Being talked down to
4. Being criticized by someone and she doesn’t defend
5. Trying hard to please her but nothing seems to
6. Dishonesty

This weekend we’re talking about The Climb, the challenge of making marriage work for a lifetime. I can’t wait to get started.

Mark

Newspring Columbia is set to open on September 27!  It will be located in Irmo, SC with service times on Sundays at 9:15am and 11:15am.

You can check out more information about the Columbia campus here

I can’t wait to see what happens when NewSpring opens in a city like Columbia! Get excited!

I’ll post sometime soon on a book I’m actually reading for a class. It is The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields. I have learned a great deal from this book and it has been a great read. Look for it soon.

This weekend was super busy…..Friday my family walked in the walk for life (Crisis Pregnancy center)  and then a group of us went to chill at books a million for some coffee and book reading time. My husband grabbed “Churched” by Matthew Paul Turner. I have read it and I was convinced that him and Richard were meant to be brothers. Their mind sets are almost exact…the kids grabbed their books and the rest of us (girls of course) sat and drank coffee and ate spicy trail mix and talked about all that God is doing around us. We sat in amazement and discussed it all.  One of the girls that were with us asked me several spiritual questions and I did my best to answer her. I loved on her and never focused on anything other than how much Jesus loved her.  Saturday we had our last BIG UNBOUND meeting before the event that is this next weekend. It started around 9 and we finished by about 4:30  I ran home to change and grab the girls’ clothes because Charles Billingsly was playing at our church this weekend for our 50th Anniv.  He really wasn’t there to perform. He worshiped and shared all that God had done in his life over this past year. It was a great evening…afterwards Dee/Gina and a few others came over to drink some coffee and talk a bit. The guys wanted to catch the football scores so it worked out perfect for us gals I wanted them to hear Johnny Diaz song “a more beautiful you” that song I believe was written for UNBOUND. It’s like our theme song!! That night my sweet Rachel who is 7 said “mom am I chubby and beautiful” my heart broke in a thousand pieces and I begin to share with her what beauty truly means.  I showed her what Ephesians 2:10 said and I hugged and kissed her sweet face! I don’t think that society has truly grasped how much it impacts even the younger girls! Rachel is not overweight (she is going through the growing/getting out of the kiddy stage) and yes she maybe over weight on some stupid chart but she is beautiful!! She cares deeply for others and she loves life (and high heels).  I told God in that moment…thank you! I am so thankful for UNBOUND and the mission we have! We are setting out to change this world! On Sunday evening we decided to go to Newspring because we didn’t have services that night. We took about 23 people with us. We left church and Richard and I had both brought the exact same t-shirt to wear…so we were dressed alike ha! Perry continued preaching on the 5 lies of the devil. I was overwhelmed and blown away by how God was just moving in that place. The passion there is unbelievable! He presented the gospel and two of the girls who were with us went forward (one was the girl I mentioned early about asking questions) and get this!! They went into this room and talked with vol and they provided everything for them (shirts/shorts/underwear EVERYTHING) They took away any excuse!.  They walked outside and among hundreds got inside a big pool and were baptized!!! Over 900 were baptized and over 250 were saved! That is amazing We yelled and screamed from the top of their youth center…some were crying and others were yelling with excitement!  After we stopped to eat we started back home (2 hour drive) and I was texting and talking and so on and Dee and Gina acted like they were driving with a maniac (no comments Gina I kept saying I am not a bad driver I can text and drive! …but they would say other wise.  The funny thing was I wasn’t offended because I knew I had control and I CAN drive (lol).  I was thinking about how God says to me at times..I will equip you, I have created you with a purpose, I have gone ahead of you! Just seek ME WITH ALL YOU HAVE and yet so many times in my past I have allowed others to steer me in the wrong direction or allow others opinions of what they thought God was telling me to do lead me away from what I was intended to do.   Jesus is exciting stuff and I am in love with Him. His power overwhelms me and His passion for people wasn’t something He second guessed himself about and He didn’t put in place 15000 programs He just loved people and as they SAW Him for who He was they dropped their pride, their lifestyles, and their doubts and followed Him. It’s not my job to clean people up and present them to God. I have to love people, show them how Jesus has totally rocked my world and God will take it from there

Holly

www.unboundministry.com booking now:)

Luke 19:1-10 The Message

Zacchaeus

 ^1-4Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.

 ^5-7When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”

 ⁸Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”

 ^9-10Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.”

I remember the day I discovered newsprings church through going to there annual unleashed convention with the rock church. It was awesome and can’t wait to go back again in 2010. Here is both videos from the event. It was cool seeing how a huge church operates. And how they still manage to love on every single person even those they have a gazillion members!

Unleash ‘09 | Hosted by NewSpring Church

Shared via AddThis

Hope you enjoy! And join us for Unleash Thurs March 4th 2010! Mark it on your calenders!

I’m currently listening to NewSpring’s “Five Lies of the Devil” series, and you should too.

“God will never put more on you than you can handle.”  Sounds nice, doesn’t it?  It’s a lie. We misquote the Bible, you know, like Satan does every time he uses the Word.  We take 1 Cor 10:13 exchange a word, and leave out the last half of it so we’re left with a lie.  How many times has that lie been passes to another as Truth?  It is contrary to the rest of scripture.  It is contrary to the very essence of Christianity.  We CANNOT do it on our own. 

If God never put more on us than we can handle (the scripture actually says that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear) then we would not need him.  Situations that are completely overwhelming to us, that are heavy, despairing, defeating, cause us to look to him for help.  The rest of that scripture says that he will provide a way to endure…God is that way. Those situations force us to put God on the throne where he belongs, and makes us realize how out of control we are which can make us angry at God.  It is frightening to not be in control.  The truth is we’ve never actually been in complete control, but we often have the illusion of control until something happens to tell us otherwise.  So, do we blame God and get angry at the other One who can pull us through? Or do we reach out to the only One who can pull us through? We do have control over our choices.

This whole series is reminder of how important it is that we actually know what the Bible says.  If we don’t know the Truth then we cannot recognize lies when they come.  Satan doesn’t come with his pitchfork, and pointed tail yelling sulfurous obscenities.  He comes disguised as an angel of light.  His lies are often so subtle that we don’t even know we’re being lied to, and often the lies are from within the church because we don’t accurately handle the Word of God.

Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Many times I am amazed at how some churches are rocking the Gospel with so much creativity. To name a few:

Lifechurch.tv

Elevationchurch.org

Northpoint.org

Newspring.cc

Its so cool to get inspiration from these guys. They are always pushing the limit on things. Especially on the graphics/visuals side.

Many times people lose sight of the fact that in order to capture a young graphically/media driven generation you have to do it with…well  graphics. And not those mom and pop graphics either. You know what I’m talking about.

Not to say that there is anything wrong with that. As a matter a fact, some of the coolest designs I’ve seen have a simple touch to them. The only thing is, it’s a cool simple touch. And I feel that with the way World Media is getting, we as the Church need to be up to par at least a little bit.

Here’s my suggestion to you if you want to reach this younger generation:

1. Get a graphics person.

2. Cast vision for them.

3. Show them other inspiring churches; i.e. the ones above.

4. Ask the above church’s designers questions. I’m sure they won’t mind spreading knowledge to your young graphics person.

5. Move out the way and let them go to town on the projects.

(There are more steps; this is only a start)

To be able to capture the imagination of people with the greatest Story ever is so cool. And to be able to do it with graphics/visuals is Awesome!

Glad I am able to do this at the BCM and for college students.

Hope you are able to do it where you are.

And if you know of more creative churches/people out there post them below. Whether you attend/know them or not.

Let’s spread the creative love!

Holla!

It’s hard to believe that summer has come to a close — but what a summer! We had some great times with family — especially Jared and Jessica’s wedding on July 31. Here’s a few photo highlights from that day. (Special thanks to Barbara Hotalen and Jessica’s cousin for the pics.)

In addition to Hoover family additions this year, we have celebrated NewSpring family additions with almost 300 people going public with their faith at Watermark 09.

Last weekend we had a great Starting Point Orientation with five new groups beginning Sept 12-13. By the way, there’s still time to sign up if you’re interested.

The new message series “Love Songs” also begins Sept 12-13.  Mark, Lance and the entire team have been preparing for this series for months and even though I get some previews, I can’t wait to see it all come together.

Speaking of “coming together,” I hope many more NewSpringers will consider making Saturday their preferred time to attend worship. I think there’s just a little more energy in the room on Saturdays and there’s definitely more music with XL. The main goal, of course, is to make more room for first time guests at 11 on Sundays. So give Saturday a try!

What do yall think?

**WARNING** This video contains graphic content.

The NewSpring Church medical missions team doing foot-washing and jigger removal in Depatus, Kenya.
I am speachless.
Lord, please remove every jigger from the face of this earth that causes this kind of pain!
Lord, move your church to go and do what this group did in your name!
Amen.

Wow, God is rocking our world.  We are so blessed to be able to take part in what God is doing in Anderson.  We had over 8700 people attend the Anderson Campus this past Sunday.  That is up 785 people from the week before.  Personal invitation works and college students are back.  As most of you know we have an addition two services during the AM times in the Fuse building for people to attend and we sat over 650 people in that building alone.  We will bring back the 4:15pm service this Sunday to accommodate for even more growth.  Check out Perry’s excitement about this at www.newspring.cc.  At 11:15am there were almost 3500 people in attendance.  That’s so incredibly awesome.  We all know that the AM services, especially the 11:15am is prime time for first time guests to attend.  So, we want to serve them and provide them a seat in every way possible.  We want to make sure they all have a chance to hear the message, see Jesus in the people who serve them and feel loved through the experience they receive as they arrive.  That’s where all of you amazing servants come in!  I know that all of you just like me want to do whatever, whenever in order for people to know Jesus.  Are you ready?  Here’s what your opportunities are to serve and possibly get out of your comfort zone over the next several weeks…

• Serve with us at 4:15pm service.  We would love to know if you are interested in switching to this service time so please reply to your direct coordinator or to this e-mail and we will get you assigned to that team.  For the next few weeks we do ask that if you can give us a little extra and serve at 4:15 in addition to your normal service time that would help us until we can build this team.  Again reply to this or contact your direct coordinator.
• Park in the Gravel lot on the hill when you attend.  Parking spaces are very limited as you all probably already know.  We are asking all staff and volunteers to park in the gravel lot that is behind the Fuse building.  This will allow all other spaces to be freed up for our other guests that we are serving.
• Starting this Sunday we will have a Volunteer Headquarters in the Fuse building in addition to upstairs.  This will allow volunteers who are assigned to serving at the Fuse building to be able to check in over there as well.
• I want to encourage all of you to give every person walking in the door special attention.  You guys can play a vital role in helping walk people where to go so that there is no frustration.  Your excitement as you walk is contagious.  Please know that if you see an opportunity to leave your spot to walk someone somewhere, take it.  We want to serve people over and beyond.  We want to be over staffed on every volunteer team so that we can get each other’s backs as we step out to serve someone.
• Attend the 4:15pm service if possible.  If you normally attend an AM service consider sitting in the Fuse building.  Or attend the 6pm.  Try to avoid attending the 11:15am.  Let’s all do all we can to give our seat in 11:15am up to someone that needs to hear about Jesus.

It is an honor to serve Jesus through this church alongside such amazing men and women.  I thank you for the blessing of having YOU on the team.  See you Sunday.

1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”

from Perry Noble dot com by perry

I remember FINALLY surrendering to Jesus and starting NewSpring Church. God had been working on me since 1996 that He wanted me to do it…but I kept putting Him off and saying things like…

* “I’m too young.”
* “Yes Lord, I’ll do it…later.”
* “No one will come!”
* “There are WAY more people that are WAY more qualified to do this other than me!”
* “I don’t have the money.”
* “I don’t have a huge group of people around me.”
* “I didn’t graduate from seminary!”
* “I don’t know HOW to do this.”

On and on I could go…but I think you get the point. I never told Him, “no,” but I did keep giving Him so many excuses that I thought He would eventually change His mind.

HE DIDN’T…HE DOESN’T…

And I am SO GLAD I obeyed.

SO…how about you? What is it that God has clearly called you to do (or to NOT do?) Are you trying to bargain with Him? Are you offering Him excuses? That approach ever works!

Is there anything He’s calling you to do that needs to be surrendered instead of negotiated? You will be SO GLAD you let go…trust me!

* He’s the SAME GOD who led the Israelites through the Red Sea.
* He’s the SAME GOD who allowed David to kick the crap out of Goliath.
* He’s the SAME GOD who sent Jesus to walk through the fire with Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego!
* He’s the SAME GOD who set John the Baptist on fire.
* He’s the SAME GOD who raised Jesus from the dead.
* He’s the SAME GOD who set the church on fire in Acts 2.
* He’s the SAME GOD who called and anointed the Apostle Paul.
* He’s the SAME GOD who lives in you, has gifted you, empowered you and desires for you to do great things for HIS NAME!

He has not changed…therefore, we have NO EXCUSE! (Hebrews 13:8)

SO…what’s holding you back?

The world needs more people who will refuse to excuse when they’ve heard from the Almighty!

So, let’s get on with it…eternity is too long and hell is too hot for us to make one more excuse!!!

—This blog post really meant a lot to me when I read it. To make a long story short I recently had my first opportunity to go into full time ministry. This is a place I never thought I would be at in my life. If someone would have told me two years ago that I’d be in ministry someday working at a Church I’m pretty sure my response would have been something along the lines of “That will never happen!”

To say that God has done a work in my life over the past two years is an understatement. I’m not saying that I’m the best person in the world because that’s TOTALLY not the case. I’m definitely still a work in progress and will be forever. But I’m not the same person I was in my past and that’s all because of the Grace of God.

When Pastor Ken Land of Christ Chapel in Cochran Ga first talked with me about the situation I literally thought “you have to be nuts to want to bring me on staff at your church”. I’ve never seen myself as a leader who could serve on staff at a church. I’m not the funniest, smartest nor do I have the most charisma; my past is about as horrible as it can get and I’m basically not as talented as the other leaders/speakers out there today.

But for some reason God has called me to go be the Student Life Pastor at Christ Chapel in Cochran, Ga. Even though I have to pray every day for courage to go, I know it’s something I have to do because I want to obey God and do what he’s called me to do. This move for me is totally uncomfortable because I’m leaving everything I’ve known for the past few years.

Pastor Perry Noble once said, “Fear makes a leader think more about what he has to loose rather than what the Kingdom has to gain.” That quote rocked my world!! It reminded me that it’s not about me. This life is ALL ABOUT JESUS and being obedient to him no matter how afraid or unprepared we feel. If God has called me to something then I need to go without hesitation and give it everything I’ve got. So on September 14 as I enter this new season in my life and join the family at Christ Chapel, I would like to ask that you would keep me and the people in the surrounding area in your prayers.

Thanks SO much guys!

Much love,

T

Unleash website has been Unleashed…make plans to be here…early bird registration only $39 – are you coming?

Unleash 2010 is a one-day conference designed to challenge, encourage and equip church leaders to fulfill the Great Commission in their communities.

The event runs from 8:30am-5:30pm on Thursday, March 4th and features two main sessions with NewSpring Church Senior Pastor Perry Noble, and two breakout session slots with various staff and leaders on a multitude of topics.

Happy one year anniversary to NewSpring, Greenville Campus.  God has done some truely amazing things over the past year in Greenville.  Here’s a little note from Howard, the campus pastor.

Today is July 13th, and one year ago today, we open our first multi-site campus in Greenville.

I just wanted to write a quick note to everyone to thank you all for all that you have done in making this first year a HUGE success! No matter what your role, you have played a key part in reaching people for Jesus in Greenville! In the past year, here are just a few areas of life change we have seen:

• almost 600 people ask Jesus into their lives!
• over 350 people go public in baptism!
• over 300 people attend a financial class!
• over 400 kids coming to church on more than one Sunday!
• over 145 students come to a Fuse event!
• countless relationships restored,
• the list could go on and on!!!

I want to thank all of you for praying for us as a campus, for coming and helping us, for giving to Gametime and most importantly for showing and teaching us how we do ministry!! There is NO WAY that this kind of life change could or would have happened without everyone’s involvement. I just want to let you know, that God is using all of you to accomplish more than you can ever ask or imagine!

gratefully,
Howard

Great post by Perry Noble
June 29, 2009

#1 – Has everyone in the room kept short accounts…or is there any unresolved personal tension that needs to be dealt with?

#2 – Is there anything that we are doing as a church that we would not be excited about if we were not on staff?

#3 – Would we even attend this church if we were not on staff?

#4 – Is our goal to really focus on what needs to be done…or to get the meeting over with as soon as possible so we can get on with our individual agenda?

#5– Are we resisting anything that God is leading us towards because it puts us in a very uncomfortable place?

#6 – Are we moving towards complexity or simplicity?

#7 – Is there anything that is obvious to everyone else but we are choosing to deny it because dealing with it would force us to change things up?

Hello everybody out there in the World Wide Web!

My mind is still kinda buzzing about all the different criticisms of my church, but I think I’ve come to the conclusion that it will always be like that no matter if NewSpring is doing it right or wrong. I mean imagine if we cared about what everyone thought. You would go insane. Different cultures have different traditions and subcultures. I would venture to say that there is absolutely no way to make every person on the planet happy. So, I say you just to try live life as best you can to please the Father and try to make the people most important to you happy with who you are(and sometimes that will even be a problem).

I have been following this generic Bible study thing on YouVersion. It’s in Ruth, Isaiah, and Revelation right now. Kind of an odd trio, but there were a number of ideas that hit me while reading them. None of which are in my thoughts after this one, but they were insightful.

What to do about Iran? It’s interesting to see a Middle Eastern nation rebelling against authority. What’s interesting in the U.S. is the use of Twitter to fight the power. It has been the top Trending Topic for a while now. People are changing their profile pictures to a shade of green in solidarity with the Iranian people and are changing there time zone to Iran. It is a unique phenomena/convergence of social networking and geo-political conflict. Best case scenario is that the Iranian leaders just kick Ahmadinejad to the curb and control the state in a different way. Well, that’s not the best case, but it is a solution to appease all sides. The very best would be kicking the nut to the curb and allowing Iran to become more moderate instead of hacking off all the Western world and allying with Venezuela/China/North Korea.

And how about North Korea? They are building long range missiles that could reach Honolulu, but the most likely target being Japan. As someone who has done advanced study into the Korean War, their aggression is not a surprise, but the game has changed in Korea. At the time of the Korean War, South Korea wanted to take over NK as much as North Korea wanted to invade South Korea. If not for the U.S. handicapping former President Rhee’s forces, they would have started the war instead of vice versa. The culture is different now and North Korea is the only one seeking an aggressive war. The wild card is the U.S. as it was 6o years ago. They are testing President Obama, but looking at history, him and Truman are really not far off in their foreign policy strategies. Replace the Cold War with geo-terrorism and you have basically the same guy. I think Obama would strongly consider helping South Korea in the event of a NK invasion, but China once again provides an interesting story. Both the U.S. and NK are dependent on China now. They very well could be calling the shots with any action in Asia.

Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought the economy was supposed to be boosted by now. You know, bailout, that big sinkhole we threw my generation and my kids and their kids’ money(and etc.)  into. It would kinda suck if that didn’t turn out to turn around the economy.

I am a Twitter nerd. I caught myself preaching the gospel of Twitter to a preacher I know at work. I use TweetDeck which is pretty sweet.

College football is way too long away.

School is coming to fast and I need an internship.

Ok, than you for reading and God bless America.

b. rink

I’m a student of the church.  I love to read about processes and systems that are working in other churches.  I try to keep up with the blogs of church leaders and follow many on Twitter.  Sometimes church leaders can try to emulate other churches that are growing because we want to grow like that.  “If we get fancy lights, people will come.” or  “If we have this ministry, it will bring people in”.  Just like I wrote about here, at times I struggle with what Perry Noble calls “inspiration but no revelation”.  What he means by that is we can go to conferences and bring up alot of notes of different programs and eye candy and try to put them all in place in our church without ever trying to find out what God wants for us to do.  In reading Luke 9 today I find that I’m not the only one who can think like that.

They started arguing over which of them would be most famous. When Jesus realized how much this mattered to them, he brought a child to his side. “Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me,” he said. “And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.” Luke 9:46-48 (The Message)

Jesus uses a child as his illustration.  Jesus was a creative teacher, so we like to use him as our model at CrossPoint to make the message come to life.  But that’s another blog post.

The disciples were becoming preoccupied with their fame instead of Jesus’.  Churches and church staff can do the same.  Who’s fame is it about? Mine or Jesus’?  The disciples wrestled with it and so can we.  The flesh is definately weak when it comes to pride.  Jesus reminds all his followers that it’s only by being fully devoted to Jesus, serving him and others that we can truly be successful in whatever we do.