Well - we're finally back from dropping off our youngest at North Central University in Minneapolis. The return trip home was just the two of us -- well, and now the dog. Three of us at the house. Everyone else gone. Strange.
Olivia packed our truck to the gills -- and on top as well. Once she got to the University, she had this epiphany that she probably had more stuff than all her suitemates (combined)? No. Not quite.
In the end, she got everything arranged, and realized she may have brought too much stuff. So she decided to send some of it back with us. And she won't miss it. Undoubtedly not. Not for a second.
This is our first battle in church life. Packing. And unpacking. We have to pick what to take with us and pick what to leave behind. We have to decide what is absolutely necessary and lay by the roadside even some things we may have deemed 'important.' What used to give us comfort might now only take up important space or even be a hindrance to getting us where we want to go.
There's no way to avoid this vital dilemma. It's good to wrestle it to the ground. Just face it. God packs light. He loves trimming off things that slow us down or make the journey more difficult.
Witness Gideon and his army. Less is more. Sometimes that trimming down includes assets and possessions (Jesus told His disciples to head out without tunic or purse). At other times, He strips us of things that have brought us internal security and pride.
The ancient communities were lean. When you don't have all the 'stuff' to keep you company, you're left to spend the time with people.
And be blessed.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
1970's
We're going thru the whole process of dropping off our youngest daughter at North Central University in Minneapolis and getting her room all set up -- buying all the little last minute items she needs -- refrigerator stuff, cleaning supplies, make-up, odds-and-ends, more make-up, etc ...
And sitting here in the Commons area watching the new students come in and out with their parents ... goodness, they just look so young. They're the future -- the church of tomorrow -- who we're going to eventually pass this big baton to -- but goodness, they just look young.
It kind of took me back to 1977 when I hit the college campus for the first time. I'm sure I looked young, too. Wish I still did. I'm a child of the late '50's, but really a product of my teen years, the 1970's. So much has changed, of course, as it should. But it is cause for reminiscing today.
A PORTRAIT OF THE 1970's:
Average annual income - $7,564
Prime Interest rate - 7.7%
National Debt - $382 billion
Eggs - 61 cents per dozen
Milk - 31 cents per gallon
Bread - 24 cents per loaf
In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18.
In 1973, Nixon admitted his role in Watergate and resigned as U.S. President.
In 1975, the speed limit on the nation's highways was lowered to 55 mph (and later raised).
In 1976, the nation's bicentennial -- and Vietnam is reunited.
In 1977, Elvis Presley dies.
In 1978, 100,000 march on Washington, D.C. in support of the Equal Rights Amendment -- and 900 die in Jonestown, Guyana, drinking Kook-Aid following cult leader Jim Jones.
In 1979, the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, Pennyslvania occured -- and 62 Americans are taken hostage in Iran.
FADS AND TRENDS:
The Jesus Movement & Jesus Freaks
Pinball machines & Smiley faces
CB radios, mood rings, pet rocks
Disco music & the hustle
Farrah Fawcett-Majors posters
College toga parties
Hacky sacks & Rubik's cubes
Atari video games
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INVENTIONS:
Floppy disks
Pocket calculators
Betamax videocassette recorders
Manned SKYLAB
Just a personal trip down 'memory lane' today with you.
And be blessed.
Friday, August 28, 2009
EMOTION
This week was full of emotions - but it's a tribute to God's help in the whole of life.
1) We got to see our little grandson, Elias, again this week - so soon after the first time when he was born, so that was terrific. Such a handsome little guy with great features and dark hair. I've hardly heard him make a peep -- so content. I'm sure the volume will come later on, but for now, he's one quiet little guy.
2) My grandmother's funeral was yesterday in Kansas City. Ninety-six years of a great life. We weren't overly sad about it all, but it's tough knowing she's not going to be around anymore. It's one of those days I really never thought would come.
3) We're dropping off Olivia at North Central University tomorrow in Minneapolis --- and for the first time --- will be 'HOME ALONE,' like that weird kid in the movie. We've always said we're looking forward to that time in our lives. We'll see how that goes. Some adjustments emotionally, I'm sure.
And be blessed.
1) We got to see our little grandson, Elias, again this week - so soon after the first time when he was born, so that was terrific. Such a handsome little guy with great features and dark hair. I've hardly heard him make a peep -- so content. I'm sure the volume will come later on, but for now, he's one quiet little guy.
2) My grandmother's funeral was yesterday in Kansas City. Ninety-six years of a great life. We weren't overly sad about it all, but it's tough knowing she's not going to be around anymore. It's one of those days I really never thought would come.
3) We're dropping off Olivia at North Central University tomorrow in Minneapolis --- and for the first time --- will be 'HOME ALONE,' like that weird kid in the movie. We've always said we're looking forward to that time in our lives. We'll see how that goes. Some adjustments emotionally, I'm sure.
And be blessed.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
KINDLE
I was ordering some freshman University books for our youngest daughter via Amazon.com this week. I'd forgotten how expensive they were. You can get used ones at a fraction of the cost once you've convinced your daughter that 'used' is not 'uncool.'
So I conquered that mountain and put them in the 'Amazon cart' and checked out. Joelene wasn't home so I decided to leave the screen up for her so when she came home, she could see what we'd ordered.
The next day she arrived home and so we sat down to check it out together. I refreshed the screen and then starting reading to her what we had gotten for Olivia. I read the first title we'd ordered - then the second - the third - the fourth - the fifth - the sixth. That should have been it. Six books. But I noticed a seventh item on the 'recently purchased' page and I didn't recognize it. I looked puzzled and started to read the title to Joelene out loud ... 'KINDLE DX: 9.7" READING DEVICE.' I said: "What's THAT? A book called 'KINDLE DX?' I didn't order any title like that for Olivia!"
Then I looked over at her and she had the reddest face alive. Turns out she had gone online the day before while in Minneapolis and used the same Amazon.com account to order a 50th birthday gift for me - end of next month. So it appeared at the bottom of the 'recently purchased list' once I refreshed the screen to view my orders. GOTCHA!
So -- though she was frustrated, she agreed to let me have my birthday KINDLE DX a month early and I'm already using it. It is wireless no matter where you are and you can download thousands of books onto it. I love it. If you're not sure what a KINDLE DX is, it's pictured here and at www.amazon.com/kindle-dx.
Just another 'day in the life.'
And be blessed.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
MST
Five men from our church (including me) are taking an exciting trip to Pattaya and Bangkok, Thailand next spring. We began our team meetings this afternoon.
We are joining with Chris Lenty and the MST PROJECT (www.mstproject.com) to reach out to men who visit these places for the purposes of buying girls to have sex with them. "MST" stands for "Male Sex Tourism."
This is going to be an amazing trip where we have entry into people's lives we would almost never ordinarily encounter, particularly in these settings.
I'm proud of the men who have signed up to be part of a ground-breaking missions trip such as this. At the same time, ten of our ladies (including Joelene) will be travelling to Bangkok to minister to girls and women caught in the sex slave trade by having 'bar parties' and then buying the girls and taking them somewhere to minister to them.
These are amazing days.
Below is a video called "HOPE," sponsored by the MST PROJECT.
And be blessed.
We are joining with Chris Lenty and the MST PROJECT (www.mstproject.com) to reach out to men who visit these places for the purposes of buying girls to have sex with them. "MST" stands for "Male Sex Tourism."
This is going to be an amazing trip where we have entry into people's lives we would almost never ordinarily encounter, particularly in these settings.
I'm proud of the men who have signed up to be part of a ground-breaking missions trip such as this. At the same time, ten of our ladies (including Joelene) will be travelling to Bangkok to minister to girls and women caught in the sex slave trade by having 'bar parties' and then buying the girls and taking them somewhere to minister to them.
These are amazing days.
Below is a video called "HOPE," sponsored by the MST PROJECT.
And be blessed.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
BACKPACK
Today was awesome. Our church gave 750 backpacks to children at Lincoln Park in Kenosha. Over 1,900 hot dogs were given away. We ran out of buns. Don't ask me why we bought less buns than hot dogs, but in any case, it was fantastic. Puppets, music, bands, face painting, food, balloon animals - and the backpack give-away.
Thanks to a park full of volunteers who gave their day to bless people.
You guys rock.
I even rode the motorcycle to-and-from, even though it was only 60 degrees out today. You gotta do it when you can.
And be blessed.
Friday, August 21, 2009
CONVINCED
This blog has been advertised as comments about life, randomness, theology, pondering, vision, fun, etc. It's about whatever pops into my brain on a given day, which could be dangerous.
Some days it seems like rambling, I'm sure, but it's rarely that. Sometimes it is processing things out loud - not to elicit a particular response or test any particular waters.
Other than talking about my new grandson - ELIAS KEVIN THULIN (see August 13-14 blogs) - of late it has been more about open-wide thinking and vision and direction - like today.
We've driven some evangelical and theological stakes into the ground down thru the years - often we've tied our success as churches to these.
For instance, I am convinced that people need Christ's atonement for their sin and that they need to personally deal with God --- but I am not convinced that 'praying the prayer' is the main focus of every weekend in church. What would happen if we would focus more on providing a pathway conducive for the Holy Spirit to convert the person and let it happen on that timetable, whether or not they actually ever 'prayed the official prayer' or not?
I am not convinced we need to focus on who is going to heaven and who isn't, but how to help people find heaven.
I am not convinced that sermons or programs transform people. Maybe a good, strategic talk at the pub or the office lunch break room would do more to influence the heart of a person.
I am not convinced that we should be so concerned with people sinning. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about holiness, but I'm talking about not focusing so much on behavior and focusing on winning some hearts instead. Behavior will follow.
Any thoughts?
And be blessed.
Some days it seems like rambling, I'm sure, but it's rarely that. Sometimes it is processing things out loud - not to elicit a particular response or test any particular waters.
Other than talking about my new grandson - ELIAS KEVIN THULIN (see August 13-14 blogs) - of late it has been more about open-wide thinking and vision and direction - like today.
We've driven some evangelical and theological stakes into the ground down thru the years - often we've tied our success as churches to these.
For instance, I am convinced that people need Christ's atonement for their sin and that they need to personally deal with God --- but I am not convinced that 'praying the prayer' is the main focus of every weekend in church. What would happen if we would focus more on providing a pathway conducive for the Holy Spirit to convert the person and let it happen on that timetable, whether or not they actually ever 'prayed the official prayer' or not?
I am not convinced we need to focus on who is going to heaven and who isn't, but how to help people find heaven.
I am not convinced that sermons or programs transform people. Maybe a good, strategic talk at the pub or the office lunch break room would do more to influence the heart of a person.
I am not convinced that we should be so concerned with people sinning. Don't get me wrong. I'm all about holiness, but I'm talking about not focusing so much on behavior and focusing on winning some hearts instead. Behavior will follow.
Any thoughts?
And be blessed.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
EMBODY
I believe we should pay attention to the longings of lost people because we care for them (mercy) and desire to make the Truth known to them as clearly as possible (mission). Knowing the people we hope to reach allows us to better address their concerns, articulate the Truth and apply the Gospel.
Our churches should be embodying:
* Authentic Community
* A life of depth
* A responsibility to serve others, and
* A desire to connect with other generations.
And be blessed.
Our churches should be embodying:
* Authentic Community
* A life of depth
* A responsibility to serve others, and
* A desire to connect with other generations.
And be blessed.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
INTERCESSOR
Maybe this is a crazy thing to post on a blog, but here goes ...
Invariably, God has placed in congregations, regardless of their size or location, people with a burden for prayer. In many instances, leaders (like me) have not realized who these passionate people are or what an incredible contribution they might make.
Intercessors do not have to be chosen from the high-profile group of leaders in a church. Sometimes we have incorrectly underestimated or blindly failed to notice the unique giftings of these individuals ... or made false assumptions ... or let fear get in the way ... or expected perfection.
Of late, I have realized my own personal need, selfish as it is, to have real intercessors praying for me and our church. So I am asking - right here on the blog - if you're an intercessor and you can pray for me -- and our church -- I'd be thankful if you would do that -- and I'd love to know that you are.
I don't need you tell me you will pray if you won't - or just to make both of us feel better - but if you are truly an INTERCESSOR and God leads you to pray for us here at KFA, please let me know about it.
And pray.
And be blessed.
Invariably, God has placed in congregations, regardless of their size or location, people with a burden for prayer. In many instances, leaders (like me) have not realized who these passionate people are or what an incredible contribution they might make.
Intercessors do not have to be chosen from the high-profile group of leaders in a church. Sometimes we have incorrectly underestimated or blindly failed to notice the unique giftings of these individuals ... or made false assumptions ... or let fear get in the way ... or expected perfection.
Of late, I have realized my own personal need, selfish as it is, to have real intercessors praying for me and our church. So I am asking - right here on the blog - if you're an intercessor and you can pray for me -- and our church -- I'd be thankful if you would do that -- and I'd love to know that you are.
I don't need you tell me you will pray if you won't - or just to make both of us feel better - but if you are truly an INTERCESSOR and God leads you to pray for us here at KFA, please let me know about it.
And pray.
And be blessed.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
NEW
Think about all the NEW things that have happened recently to change the face of ... well ... everything.
* New Audiences -- Whole generations are now being reared on MTV, video games, the internet and iphones. There is instant access to everyone and everything. Technological tools have integrated themselves seamlessly into society. We can't even reference a popular TV show today - like "ALIAS" - and expect everyone to have heard of it. (Have YOU heard of it?) That would not have been true 25 years ago. If I'd said, "M*A*S*H*, 95% of the readers would know what I was talking about.
* New Geographics -- The shift is happening away from suburbia and toward both big city and small town life. People are developing a craving for community that small towns and urban neighborhoods provide. The big mall is increasingly frowned upon; the strip mall is packed.
* New Identities and Affiliations -- To many people, being 'purpose driven,' for instance, is more important than denominational affiliation. New churches cut across denominational lines without losing their distinctive that makes them who they are.
* New Communication -- Stationary pulpits, 3-point sermons, and one 'star' speaker are OUT. DVD communication, multi-person teaching teams, narratives and visuals are IN.
* New Methods -- There is a shift from programmed events to grassroots movements and networks. People choose churches on the basis of relationships, not denominational ties.
* New Structures -- Old structures are 'top-down' organizational charts where tasks are delegated downward and authority is tightly managed. New structures are inverted triangles where jobs are constructed with an emphasis on supporting the accomplishments rather than monitoring and controlling them.
* New Fears -- Nothing is the same after September 11th.
What an exciting era to do church in. Wow.
And be blessed.
* New Audiences -- Whole generations are now being reared on MTV, video games, the internet and iphones. There is instant access to everyone and everything. Technological tools have integrated themselves seamlessly into society. We can't even reference a popular TV show today - like "ALIAS" - and expect everyone to have heard of it. (Have YOU heard of it?) That would not have been true 25 years ago. If I'd said, "M*A*S*H*, 95% of the readers would know what I was talking about.
* New Geographics -- The shift is happening away from suburbia and toward both big city and small town life. People are developing a craving for community that small towns and urban neighborhoods provide. The big mall is increasingly frowned upon; the strip mall is packed.
* New Identities and Affiliations -- To many people, being 'purpose driven,' for instance, is more important than denominational affiliation. New churches cut across denominational lines without losing their distinctive that makes them who they are.
* New Communication -- Stationary pulpits, 3-point sermons, and one 'star' speaker are OUT. DVD communication, multi-person teaching teams, narratives and visuals are IN.
* New Methods -- There is a shift from programmed events to grassroots movements and networks. People choose churches on the basis of relationships, not denominational ties.
* New Structures -- Old structures are 'top-down' organizational charts where tasks are delegated downward and authority is tightly managed. New structures are inverted triangles where jobs are constructed with an emphasis on supporting the accomplishments rather than monitoring and controlling them.
* New Fears -- Nothing is the same after September 11th.
What an exciting era to do church in. Wow.
And be blessed.
Monday, August 17, 2009
IN AMERICA
George Barna reveals:
* 34% of the adult population has not attended any type of church service or activity other than a special event like a funeral or wedding in the past six months.
* 33% classify themselves as 'unchurched.' That comes to an estimated 73 million adults nationwide.
* Since 1991, the adult population in the United States has grown by 15%. During the same period, the number of adults who do not attend church has seen a 92% increase.
* Roughly half of all churches in America did not add one new person thru conversion growth last year.
* In America, it takes the combined efforts of 85 Christians working over an entire year to produce one convert.
The book, "Lost in America," says: 'The inescapable conclusion is that we must concede Christianity has lost its place at the center of American life. Christians must now learn to live the Gospel as a distinct people who no longer occupy the center of society. That means we must learn to build relational bridges that win a hearing.'
The world around us is growing increasingly disinterested in our Christian story. They seem to respect us less and less every year. What is worse, our own children, for the first time in American history, aren't following us in the faith.
So we have to do something --- differently. We have to start doing some things we haven't been doing and stop doing some things we have been doing.
What do you think?
And be blessed.
* 34% of the adult population has not attended any type of church service or activity other than a special event like a funeral or wedding in the past six months.
* 33% classify themselves as 'unchurched.' That comes to an estimated 73 million adults nationwide.
* Since 1991, the adult population in the United States has grown by 15%. During the same period, the number of adults who do not attend church has seen a 92% increase.
* Roughly half of all churches in America did not add one new person thru conversion growth last year.
* In America, it takes the combined efforts of 85 Christians working over an entire year to produce one convert.
The book, "Lost in America," says: 'The inescapable conclusion is that we must concede Christianity has lost its place at the center of American life. Christians must now learn to live the Gospel as a distinct people who no longer occupy the center of society. That means we must learn to build relational bridges that win a hearing.'
The world around us is growing increasingly disinterested in our Christian story. They seem to respect us less and less every year. What is worse, our own children, for the first time in American history, aren't following us in the faith.
So we have to do something --- differently. We have to start doing some things we haven't been doing and stop doing some things we have been doing.
What do you think?
And be blessed.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
VIDEO VENUE
Today was a day of 'ups and downs.' A DAY IN THE LIFE, right? My life should, some days, be defined by Murphy's Laws.
I left my house on a motorcycle this morning, in preparation for our after-church IRONMEN MOTORCYCLE RIDE. My computer didn't fit in the side bags all the way, so I had to shove it in with 1/4 of it hanging out the top of the bag. Just to 'hide' it, I brought an extra shirt in case I wanted to change for the bike ride and I used the shirt to cover the exposed PC. As I headed up the street, I didn't realize the RecPlex Marathon was going on today, so I had to turn around and go two miles out of my way to avoid all the road blockages in order to get to church (Murphy's Law).
On the way, I stopped at Walgreen's, to pick up shots of my new grandson to show absolutely EVERYONE once I got to church. They had been sent in via internet last night and, of course, Walgreen's didn't know anything about them (Murphy's Law).
So I hopped back on the bike and finished the route to church. Once I got there, I realized the shirt I had used to cover the exposed PC had - somewhere between Walgreen's and church - blown away (Murphy's Law).
The day picked up once I got to KFA though. I managed to print some pics right off my blog here and show them to -- ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE who was breathing.
The VIDEO VENUE preview service in the H2O Auditorium (pictured below) was today. Lisa Kurman and I were the host
pastors this morning. Things went pretty smoothly - we learned a few things to improve it already - about 20 volunteers showed up - and the atmosphere was very positive. Live worship and message on video. Straight, plain and simple - great. I'm looking forward to how God is going to use this new VENUE in our city.
Afterwards, a bunch of guys headed out for the motorcycle ride. It rained on us (Murphy's Law), but we still had a great time and didn't get too wet.
Overall -- I'd still give this day a '9,' Murphy and all.
And be blessed.
I left my house on a motorcycle this morning, in preparation for our after-church IRONMEN MOTORCYCLE RIDE. My computer didn't fit in the side bags all the way, so I had to shove it in with 1/4 of it hanging out the top of the bag. Just to 'hide' it, I brought an extra shirt in case I wanted to change for the bike ride and I used the shirt to cover the exposed PC. As I headed up the street, I didn't realize the RecPlex Marathon was going on today, so I had to turn around and go two miles out of my way to avoid all the road blockages in order to get to church (Murphy's Law).
On the way, I stopped at Walgreen's, to pick up shots of my new grandson to show absolutely EVERYONE once I got to church. They had been sent in via internet last night and, of course, Walgreen's didn't know anything about them (Murphy's Law).
So I hopped back on the bike and finished the route to church. Once I got there, I realized the shirt I had used to cover the exposed PC had - somewhere between Walgreen's and church - blown away (Murphy's Law).
The day picked up once I got to KFA though. I managed to print some pics right off my blog here and show them to -- ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE who was breathing.
The VIDEO VENUE preview service in the H2O Auditorium (pictured below) was today. Lisa Kurman and I were the host
pastors this morning. Things went pretty smoothly - we learned a few things to improve it already - about 20 volunteers showed up - and the atmosphere was very positive. Live worship and message on video. Straight, plain and simple - great. I'm looking forward to how God is going to use this new VENUE in our city.Afterwards, a bunch of guys headed out for the motorcycle ride. It rained on us (Murphy's Law), but we still had a great time and didn't get too wet.
Overall -- I'd still give this day a '9,' Murphy and all.
And be blessed.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
ELIAS KEVIN THULIN - 2
OK - just indulge me. A second day's blog about our new grandson, ELIAS KEVIN THULIN.
Just pics today. They pretty much say it all. Perfection.
Just pics today. They pretty much say it all. Perfection.
That one at bottom right is ELIAS' MOM when she was born. See any similarities?
And be blessed.
Friday, August 14, 2009
ELIAS KEVIN THULIN
Well -- the EAGLE HAS LANDED.
ELIAS KEVIN THULIN, our grandson, was born last night, August 13th, at 10:14 p.m. in Woodbury, Minnesota.
Whitney & Sam (mom and dad) are doing awesome and little Elias is perfect and beautiful. He was 20" long, 8 lbs. 3 oz., with impossibly long fingers and nice large feet and loads of curly black hair.
Life begins.
And be blessed.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
GRANDSON
My grandson is being born today -- in a Minneapolis hospital. Our eldest, Whitney, and her husband Sam, are the proud parents. As a bonus, today happens to be my father-in-law's birthday as well.
I'm updating this page 'as it happens,' blow-by-blow ---
Yesterday, August 12th -- DOCTOR: "The baby is getting kind of big ... better get in here tomorrow and let us induce." (I won't say "HOW" big he is getting - until the official weight can be announced. But they say he has impossibly long legs. Hmmm - wonder how that happened.)
Today, August 13th:
7:00 a.m. - scheduled to go to the hospital. They call and say they're too busy to take her right now. 'You have to wait,' they say.
9:00 a.m. - Doc calls to figure out why she's not at the hospital yet. Explanations given. DOCTOR: "I'm sending you to another hospital. We need to get this done today."
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. --- WAITING - WAITING - WAITING - not much happening- at least from our point of view.
5:00 p.m. - Labor begins to significantly increase.
8:00 p.m. - Labor backs off - still waiting ...
9:30 p.m. - Pushing begins in earnest. All the family made friendly 'wagers' earlier in the day. If baby comes anytime between 10:16 and 10:44 p.m., I win.
10:14 p.m. -- Baby is born. ELIAS KEVIN THULIN. OK, I didn't win the 'wager,' but I really WON big time. Didn't I? :)
And be blessed.
I'm updating this page 'as it happens,' blow-by-blow ---
Yesterday, August 12th -- DOCTOR: "The baby is getting kind of big ... better get in here tomorrow and let us induce." (I won't say "HOW" big he is getting - until the official weight can be announced. But they say he has impossibly long legs. Hmmm - wonder how that happened.)
Today, August 13th:
7:00 a.m. - scheduled to go to the hospital. They call and say they're too busy to take her right now. 'You have to wait,' they say.
9:00 a.m. - Doc calls to figure out why she's not at the hospital yet. Explanations given. DOCTOR: "I'm sending you to another hospital. We need to get this done today."
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. --- WAITING - WAITING - WAITING - not much happening- at least from our point of view.
5:00 p.m. - Labor begins to significantly increase.
8:00 p.m. - Labor backs off - still waiting ...
9:30 p.m. - Pushing begins in earnest. All the family made friendly 'wagers' earlier in the day. If baby comes anytime between 10:16 and 10:44 p.m., I win.
10:14 p.m. -- Baby is born. ELIAS KEVIN THULIN. OK, I didn't win the 'wager,' but I really WON big time. Didn't I? :)
And be blessed.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
KFA EXCITE - 4
Upcoming things at KFA (http://www.kenoshafirst.com/) that I'm excited about in the next month:
* IRONMEN MOTORCYCLE RIDE - this Sunday afternoon
* Backpack Outreach at Lincoln Park - giving away 750 backpacks to children who need them - 8/22
* Pastor's Panel for the "QUESTIONS" series - 8/22
* Miller Park baseball game with some guys - 8/25
* All-church water baptism and picnic - 9/6
* Helping with the CITY SCHOOL DRIVE - being missional with our church - 9/12
* Kickoff of MEN'S FRATERNITY 24-week study with a bunch of men -9/12-13
* Video Venue service kicking off - 9/13
* The birth of my new grandson - 4 days till the due date (that's not about KFA, but it's what I'm MOST excited about really)
ROCK ON!
And be blessed.
* IRONMEN MOTORCYCLE RIDE - this Sunday afternoon
* Backpack Outreach at Lincoln Park - giving away 750 backpacks to children who need them - 8/22
* Pastor's Panel for the "QUESTIONS" series - 8/22
* Miller Park baseball game with some guys - 8/25
* All-church water baptism and picnic - 9/6
* Helping with the CITY SCHOOL DRIVE - being missional with our church - 9/12
* Kickoff of MEN'S FRATERNITY 24-week study with a bunch of men -9/12-13
* Video Venue service kicking off - 9/13
* The birth of my new grandson - 4 days till the due date (that's not about KFA, but it's what I'm MOST excited about really)
ROCK ON!
And be blessed.
Monday, August 10, 2009
LESSON - 5
I'm progressing with guitar lessons this summer - courtesy of my friend, Greg Simmons. I've learned about 8 chords so far and it's starting to get easier. I can do a whole hour lesson without my fingertips screaming, "STOP ALREADY!"
I still can't get the hang of changing chord positions fast enough to keep up just yet, but it's getting there. I'm hoping to smoke both of my guitar-strumming sons-in-law before I'm done.
Everybody needs a hard-to-reach goal, don't you agree? Here's mine. It's to be like TRACE BUNDY. Here he is playing "DUELING NINJAS."
And here he is using 5 capos:
And be blessed.
I still can't get the hang of changing chord positions fast enough to keep up just yet, but it's getting there. I'm hoping to smoke both of my guitar-strumming sons-in-law before I'm done.
Everybody needs a hard-to-reach goal, don't you agree? Here's mine. It's to be like TRACE BUNDY. Here he is playing "DUELING NINJAS."
And here he is using 5 capos:
And be blessed.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
SECURITY - 6
Today's message was about 'eternal security,' 'predestination' and 'election,' 'Calvinism' vs. 'Arminianism' - in response to questions sent in by the congregation. Weighty stuff.
Frankly, I don’t know any serious, orthodox theology that claims God ‘takes back’ the gift of salvation. God has done everything possible to save us and He is not in the business of withdrawing His gift. But that begs the question as to whether or not WE can do anything to reject His gift and thereby lose it. The issue is NOT the reliability of God. We know God cannot deny Himself – but what can we say about our denying Him?
If we must exercise faith to get IN Christ – and we DO – then we can exercise that same faith to get OUT of Christ. It would seem, if we couldn’t, we would no longer truly be free to make the choice to worship and serve God or not.
Having said that - so we don't get too far over to one side - there is a danger. We do not believe our standing with Christ is so fragile that it can be shaken by the slightest mistake … that a temporary lapse into some kind of sin immediately cancels all God has done for us up to that moment. We do NOT believe that. The loss of salvation has more to do with prolonged and profound sin that is consciously held without repentance and continued with no regret. In fact, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that God is going to judge Pharaseeism much more harshly than He does the meth addict who hangs on to the forgiveness of Christ while still struggling with his addiction.
Still, there is great security in knowing Christ. The opposite of security is anxiety. I think, as humans, we all value security. We spend huge chunks of time thinking about and planning our FUTURES, our RETIREMENTS, our LIVES – even our DEATHS in some cases. We think about those things a lot. And God has given us tremendous security in knowing Him. In John 14, Jesus said: “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s House are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again … that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
He’s talking about HIS future and OUR future. That gives me a tremendous sense of peace. God is not some arbitrary, unjust Being who chooses some and rejects the rest. Our free will forces each of us to face the problem of our own destiny squarely and without excuse. And you can have assurance and great peace with God because He has revealed in His Word the conditions that must be met and every single person can know whether or not they have met them … because they’re all written down.
I fully believe John Calvin, Jacobus Arminius, John Wesley – the Baptists, the Nazarenes, the Reformed, the Pentecostals and Charles Stanley will all be in heaven if they have all placed their faith in CHRIST. Ours is a conversation among people of faith, not an angry war between opponents.
The fact is, all of us have much more in common than we do in disagreement. We all agree God is the sovereign of the universe.
We all agree that whatever freedom we have comes as a result of God’s amazing grace.
We all agree that nothing more is needed or required for us to be saved besides Jesus.
We all preach Christ and Him crucified.
And actually, we all admit to some form of ‘perseverance of the saints’ and ‘security.’ No believer stands for salvation that is here today and suddenly vanished tomorrow. We do not have a ‘hope so-think so-maybe so’ faith. We are secure in Christ, even if we differ on the scope and nature of that security.
There is a famous saying that originated with Augustine over 1,500 years ago that we would all do well to memorize. Augustine said: ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love.’
We are not at the point in our thinking where we believe our position on every single text is the only legitimate way to read each passage. No single system gets it 100% correct. Here's another sneaking suspicion of mine: When we get to heaven, we’ll probably all be attending “Theology 101” and Jesus will be our Teacher. In the meantime, we do our best to prayerfully interpret and understand Scripture and work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
You can listen to the whole thing starting Monday - at http://www.kenoshafirst.com/
And be blessed.
Frankly, I don’t know any serious, orthodox theology that claims God ‘takes back’ the gift of salvation. God has done everything possible to save us and He is not in the business of withdrawing His gift. But that begs the question as to whether or not WE can do anything to reject His gift and thereby lose it. The issue is NOT the reliability of God. We know God cannot deny Himself – but what can we say about our denying Him?
If we must exercise faith to get IN Christ – and we DO – then we can exercise that same faith to get OUT of Christ. It would seem, if we couldn’t, we would no longer truly be free to make the choice to worship and serve God or not.
Having said that - so we don't get too far over to one side - there is a danger. We do not believe our standing with Christ is so fragile that it can be shaken by the slightest mistake … that a temporary lapse into some kind of sin immediately cancels all God has done for us up to that moment. We do NOT believe that. The loss of salvation has more to do with prolonged and profound sin that is consciously held without repentance and continued with no regret. In fact, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that God is going to judge Pharaseeism much more harshly than He does the meth addict who hangs on to the forgiveness of Christ while still struggling with his addiction.
Still, there is great security in knowing Christ. The opposite of security is anxiety. I think, as humans, we all value security. We spend huge chunks of time thinking about and planning our FUTURES, our RETIREMENTS, our LIVES – even our DEATHS in some cases. We think about those things a lot. And God has given us tremendous security in knowing Him. In John 14, Jesus said: “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s House are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again … that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
He’s talking about HIS future and OUR future. That gives me a tremendous sense of peace. God is not some arbitrary, unjust Being who chooses some and rejects the rest. Our free will forces each of us to face the problem of our own destiny squarely and without excuse. And you can have assurance and great peace with God because He has revealed in His Word the conditions that must be met and every single person can know whether or not they have met them … because they’re all written down.
I fully believe John Calvin, Jacobus Arminius, John Wesley – the Baptists, the Nazarenes, the Reformed, the Pentecostals and Charles Stanley will all be in heaven if they have all placed their faith in CHRIST. Ours is a conversation among people of faith, not an angry war between opponents.
The fact is, all of us have much more in common than we do in disagreement. We all agree God is the sovereign of the universe.
We all agree that whatever freedom we have comes as a result of God’s amazing grace.
We all agree that nothing more is needed or required for us to be saved besides Jesus.
We all preach Christ and Him crucified.
And actually, we all admit to some form of ‘perseverance of the saints’ and ‘security.’ No believer stands for salvation that is here today and suddenly vanished tomorrow. We do not have a ‘hope so-think so-maybe so’ faith. We are secure in Christ, even if we differ on the scope and nature of that security.
There is a famous saying that originated with Augustine over 1,500 years ago that we would all do well to memorize. Augustine said: ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love.’
We are not at the point in our thinking where we believe our position on every single text is the only legitimate way to read each passage. No single system gets it 100% correct. Here's another sneaking suspicion of mine: When we get to heaven, we’ll probably all be attending “Theology 101” and Jesus will be our Teacher. In the meantime, we do our best to prayerfully interpret and understand Scripture and work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
You can listen to the whole thing starting Monday - at http://www.kenoshafirst.com/
And be blessed.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
UPGRADE - 7
Over the next few days, I'll be downloading some of the things I heard while at our biennial GENERAL COUNCIL of the ASSEMBLIES OF GOD in Orlando, Florida.REGGIE JOINER:
'You can't build something that lasts unless you're willing to change what you've built. That is CRITICAL if you plan on being a person or organization of continuing influence.'
Think about that big, hulking, giant mega-computer that used to be on the desk of the big companies when computers first came out. Remember them? They had a few 'megabytes' on them - they cost upwards of $2,000, and the dimension of them was something like 3' x 2.' Monsters. Do you think the guys who built that first computer ever thought to themselves ... "Once we build this thing, we never have to change it. It's good to go now forever."
We have a tendency in life to want to avoid upgrading. But the upgrades are critical; the upgrades need to be constant.There were 55 upgrades between that first 1980 dinosaur computer and the one known today as a 'slim-Mac.' The cost of NOT upgrading our ministries and the way we do things in the church will cause us to wake up one day and be so far behind the curve that we'll never catch up.
The best way to keep a team going forward is to frequently upgrade the vision and 'how-to' of the mission.'
I'd like to think we'd change ANYTHING for the sake of the mission. It is the MISSION that drives us.
* Only 7 days till the scheduled birth of our new grandson (that's what the '7' in the blog title stands for - the COUNTDOWN.)
And be blessed.Tuesday, August 4, 2009
LEGACY - 11
I'm at General Council, the biennial gathering of Assemblies of God ministers. It travels around the country every two years and is in Orlando, Florida this week - poor me.
It's an opportunity to hear about what is going on in our denomination globally as well as hear some really great speakers. For instance, today we had the chance to hear Mark Batterson, Reggie Joiner, Beth Moore, Keith Craft and Ed Young, Jr. - that's a great line-up.
It also gives a chance to connect with many friends who pastor in churches all over America - some we haven't seen since college days. In fact, today I ran into one of the 'kids' from the youth group at my first church when I was a youth pastor 25 years ago (yes, I was a youth pastor at one time). I say 'kid,' but that 'kid' is 42 years old now and pastoring his own great church in Akron, Ohio. Way to go. Proud of you.
The General Superintendant, Dr. George O. Wood, spoke this evening at the big service. He focused on LEAH, Jacob's wife - and it kind of reminded me of that 'kid' I'd youth pastored so many years ago, not knowing what would ever become of him. As it turns out, he ended up in the ministry - like me -- and I like to think -- no, I KNOW -- it had something to do with me. That's not boasting, it's just God using people in the lives of other people.
And that was the message from Dr. Wood tonight -- you never know what impact you're going to have. Leah didn't know. All she knew was that she was the ugly sister between her and Rachel - she was the less-loved wife between her and Rachel - she bore 6 sons to Jacob when Rachel couldn't bear any, yet Jacob still loved Rachel more. And yet, without her, there would be no David, no Solomon, no Jesus, no Paul, no kings of Israel, no books of Psalms or Proverbs, no prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah or Ezekiel. ALL of them came thru Leah's lineage from her sons. And six of the twelve gates in heaven are named for each of her sons, each one made from one single huge pearl. Now THAT'S a legacy. Too bad she didn't know it, but she didn't.
And YOU won't know what your full legacy is until you get to heaven either. Just be faithful and let God do the rest.
And be blessed.
It's an opportunity to hear about what is going on in our denomination globally as well as hear some really great speakers. For instance, today we had the chance to hear Mark Batterson, Reggie Joiner, Beth Moore, Keith Craft and Ed Young, Jr. - that's a great line-up.
It also gives a chance to connect with many friends who pastor in churches all over America - some we haven't seen since college days. In fact, today I ran into one of the 'kids' from the youth group at my first church when I was a youth pastor 25 years ago (yes, I was a youth pastor at one time). I say 'kid,' but that 'kid' is 42 years old now and pastoring his own great church in Akron, Ohio. Way to go. Proud of you.
The General Superintendant, Dr. George O. Wood, spoke this evening at the big service. He focused on LEAH, Jacob's wife - and it kind of reminded me of that 'kid' I'd youth pastored so many years ago, not knowing what would ever become of him. As it turns out, he ended up in the ministry - like me -- and I like to think -- no, I KNOW -- it had something to do with me. That's not boasting, it's just God using people in the lives of other people.
And that was the message from Dr. Wood tonight -- you never know what impact you're going to have. Leah didn't know. All she knew was that she was the ugly sister between her and Rachel - she was the less-loved wife between her and Rachel - she bore 6 sons to Jacob when Rachel couldn't bear any, yet Jacob still loved Rachel more. And yet, without her, there would be no David, no Solomon, no Jesus, no Paul, no kings of Israel, no books of Psalms or Proverbs, no prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah or Ezekiel. ALL of them came thru Leah's lineage from her sons. And six of the twelve gates in heaven are named for each of her sons, each one made from one single huge pearl. Now THAT'S a legacy. Too bad she didn't know it, but she didn't.
And YOU won't know what your full legacy is until you get to heaven either. Just be faithful and let God do the rest.
And be blessed.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
9-1-1 --- 14
We called "9-1-1" yesterday. I don't know if we've ever done that before for anything, but we did yesterday. We were pulling off the interstate onto a big 3-lane off ramp and came up behind a white GMC pickup, waiting in line for the light ahead to turn green. I pulled up pretty close to his bumper, as is my normal practice.
Once the light turned green, the cars in both the other lanes started moving. We just sat there. I thought at first it was just some slow-mover up ahead but after a time I realized there must be a problem up there. Somebody stalled or maybe a little fender-bender. The problem was, I couldn't see anything but the back end of the white GMC pickup because I had pulled up pretty close to his bumper, as is my normal practice.
The cars behind me began to get impatient and one-by-one they pulled around us into one of the free lanes. Once they had all cleared out behind me, it was my turn to pull around - and then the white GMC pickup could also after me. When we maneuvered into the left lane to get around, I saw that the problem actually WAS the white GMC pickup. There were no other vehicles in front of him. I might have known that had I not pulled up so close to his bumper, as is my normal practice.
As we passed, we looked to our right to see what the problem might be. It turned out that the driver, the GMC's sole occupant, had his eyes closed, leaning back against the head rest, mouth wide open. We figured he was either sound asleep, had suffered a heart attack or stroke, passed out ......... or possibly dead?
We would have got out right there to rap on his window and see if we could help, but the traffic was so heavy and there was no shoulder on the off ramp and cars were continuing to pile off the interstate that it wasn't safe to do so. In fact, a brand new row of 'unsuspectings' had already lined up behind the white GMC pickup. We continued our journey, but not before diailing 9-1-1 to let them know about a potentially dangerous situation and a possible medical emergency.
I hope the guy was OK. Just another 'day in the life.'
And be blessed.
Once the light turned green, the cars in both the other lanes started moving. We just sat there. I thought at first it was just some slow-mover up ahead but after a time I realized there must be a problem up there. Somebody stalled or maybe a little fender-bender. The problem was, I couldn't see anything but the back end of the white GMC pickup because I had pulled up pretty close to his bumper, as is my normal practice.
The cars behind me began to get impatient and one-by-one they pulled around us into one of the free lanes. Once they had all cleared out behind me, it was my turn to pull around - and then the white GMC pickup could also after me. When we maneuvered into the left lane to get around, I saw that the problem actually WAS the white GMC pickup. There were no other vehicles in front of him. I might have known that had I not pulled up so close to his bumper, as is my normal practice.
As we passed, we looked to our right to see what the problem might be. It turned out that the driver, the GMC's sole occupant, had his eyes closed, leaning back against the head rest, mouth wide open. We figured he was either sound asleep, had suffered a heart attack or stroke, passed out ......... or possibly dead?
We would have got out right there to rap on his window and see if we could help, but the traffic was so heavy and there was no shoulder on the off ramp and cars were continuing to pile off the interstate that it wasn't safe to do so. In fact, a brand new row of 'unsuspectings' had already lined up behind the white GMC pickup. We continued our journey, but not before diailing 9-1-1 to let them know about a potentially dangerous situation and a possible medical emergency.
I hope the guy was OK. Just another 'day in the life.'
And be blessed.
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