True Identity

"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity."

~ Dr. Neil Anderson

I must learn - and you must learn, as well - that we each are, to use Brennan Manning's phrase, "Abba's Child." God loves us. Believe that. Help me believe that. Let's be who we were truly meant to be, together.

AMEN.

Dr. Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture"

This lecture could/should change your life. That's a bold statement, I know. Just watch.

Re: Jesus Loves You

Okay - this clip is likely going to make some of you mad. That's not the point, so step back and see the big picture. Take a deep breath. Cool?

I'd love to hear your take on this "email exchange" - as I watched, I found myself very much in "Jim and Casper Go To Church" mode. Are we really thinking about how our message is heard? Are we seeking to understand before being understood? And is our theology solid? These questions and more sprang to mind after watching this clip. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

And don't be mad. :)

Mind Your Rivets

At Catalyst last fall, we were given free copies of a great book called Deadly Viper Character Assassins. The authors, Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, have produced a DVD series based on the book that will be great for Small Groups.

In the clip below, Jud Wilhite talks about our character and how it can be "assassinated." In particular, allow Jud's final question to really challenge you, as you consider how to live - fully live - for Christ.

Coffee That Makes a Difference

I love coffee. I've drank it since I was probably 3 or 4 years old; black, if my grandpa was around, but if it was just me and my grandma, definitely cream and (lots of) sugar. One of my favorite things to share with my daughter, Michaela, is an early Saturday morning cup of coffee, just me and her. Good stuff.

Since Catalyst last year, I've been thinking more and more about our environment and how we can affect change - Kingdom change, I believe. The folks from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee provided free samples of their wonderful bean beverage for the conference, and their mission is a great one. You can read about it here. Their story got me thinking, but I hadn't acted yet.

But strolling through Wal Mart last Saturday night (ya, I know - a hot date, I am. Not.), I came across Yuban coffee. Since we were out, I put the can in the cart. But not because I've had their coffee and liked it, but because of what was on their can. There was a symbol for the Rainforest Alliance, where Yuban claimed to be the world's largest supporter of Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffee beans. In joining the Rainforest Alliance, Yuban helps to protect the environment and support the people and wildlife in coffee-growing regions. So, like their slogan says, I believe that the coffee I make can make a difference.

If you're a coffee drinker, give Yuban a try. Because sometimes small changes, begun in simple ways, can really add up.

FlowerDust in Africa

Anne Jackson writes a tremendous blog called FlowerDust. It's always worth a read, but in the last several days, Anne has allowed her readers to "join her" on a trip to Uganda, Africa. I want to take just a second and encourage you to read her posts from the trip. Read about why she made the trip. And listen as God whispers to your heart about the ways that you can help.

Give her blog a visit; I think you'll be glad you did.

A Rant About Baseball

We all saw the coverage yesterday of Roger Clemens and his did he/didn't he use performance enhancing drugs testimony - who could miss it, as the Congressional appearance was on CNN, HNN, MSNBC, ESPN, and more.

But as I sat there watching, I couldn't help but wonder how much taxpayer money was being spent to police A GAME, when there were people in our country who, last night, went hungry, were cold, or maybe even died, and taxpayer money could have saved a life. People, elected to represent the interests of our country, were being tied up hearing "testimonies" (I put that in quotes, because both Clemens and McNamee are suspected of lying) related to A GAME instead of devoting their energies to matters that really affect the lives of the people they were elected to represent.

Before you throw any stones, know this: I love baseball. Both of my kids play either baseball or softball, I played both, we watch it together, we take trips to ballparks - but at the end of the day, it is A GAME. Money has made it more than that. Would the players use those drugs if HUGE contracts weren't on the line? Hmmmm.

Baseball is the greatest game, but it's just a game. Let's give our time, our energy, and our money to Kingdom pursuits, because life is more than a game.

Become What You Believe

From earlier posts, you all know that I really dig the movie "Stranger Than Fiction" - it's just excellent, and to me, is the best movie that Will Farrell has done. God just saturates that movie.

Anywho -

As I was reading recently in Matthew 9 in The Message version, I heard Jesus say this to the blind men: "Become what you believe." In the movie, Farrell's character is told "Live the life you've always wanted." I just want to encourage you all today to open yourselves up to the Abundant Life in Christ, and to not settle. (I'm preaching this mainly to myself, trust me!). I continue to be amazed at how God is orchestrating the timing of the material that we're studying in the Small Group that I'm a part of, the Elders of TSCC being led to ask hard questions about our church and discipleship, and what God is saying to us through His living Word. Let's be open to what God has for us, and become what we believe.

Peace Out.

Mike

(Matthew 9) 27-28 As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, "Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!" When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, "Do you really believe I can do this?" They said, "Why, yes, Master!"

29-31 He touched their eyes and said, "Become what you believe." It happened. They saw.

Thoughts from CALLED

Mark Waltz has one of the better blogs that I spend time with, at least in my journeys across the web anyway. Mark recently posted some thoughts from Kary Oberbruner and his new book. For those of you who call TSCC home, this should really resonate with what our Lead Pastor, Greg McBride, has been teaching us concerning the Kingdom. And for my homies in our Small Group, I hope you can hear Ray Vander Laan saying almost these exact things! Very cool stuff!

Hopefully, Mark won't be offended that I am cutting/pasting his post below:

In his book CALLED: Becoming Who You Were Born to Be, Kary Oberbruner lays out a fundamental paradigm shift in discipleship. He observes that a common understanding of discipleship includes things like:

* Accept Jesus and ask him into your heart.
* Don't do bad things now.
* Withdraw from culture.
* Hang out with Christians.
* Go to church.
* Read your Bible and pray.
* Be happy that you are saved and not going to hell.
* Tell other people about how happy they can be if they follow those seven steps.

He challenges that depiction of a passionless life, suggesting that Jesus actually calls us in this way:

* I want your whole life - everything - including your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
* I want to form myself in you.
* I want to transform you and then have you transform culture.
* I want you to be in the world as I was.
* I want you to be the church, the incarnation of me.
* I want you to embody the Word to others.
* I am giving you abundant life now and will do so throughout eternity.
* Be my hands and feet in this world and see people as people, not projects to convert.

I'm enjoying Kary's careful approach in both his books (see his first - The Journey Towards Relevance - here as well). Kary has a third book due in October: The Fine-line: How to Live in the World and not of It.

Perfect

When I was a kid growing up, it was just me and mom, and we didn't have a lot of cash. But thanks to a Sears charge card, she was able to get me a Larry Csonka jersey from the 1972 Dolphins. I remember watching them play, and even as a 7 year old, enjoying the quality of that great team.

It was with no small amount of joy that I watched the NY Giants beat Belichick's illegal filming, arrogant, soon-to-be 18-1 Patriots.

In salute of the NFL's ONLY team to post a perfect season, capped by a Super Bowl win, I give you this Reebok video - enjoy!

Ash Wednesday

"In many cultures there is an ancient custom of giving a tenth of each year's income to some holy use. For Christians, to observe the forty days of Lent is to do the same thing with roughly a tenth of each year's days. After being baptized by John in the river Jordan, Jesus went off alone into the wilderness where he spent forty days asking himself the question what it meant to be Jesus. During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves.

If you had to bet everything you have on whether there is a God or whether there isn't, which side would get your money and why?

When you look at your face in the mirror, what do you see in it that you most like and what do you see in it that you most deplore?

If you had only one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be in twenty-five words or less?

Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo? Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember?

Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that, if circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?

If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it?

To hear yourself try to answer questions like these is to begin to hear something not only of who you are but of both what you are becoming and what you are failing to become. It can be a pretty depressing business all in all, but if sackcloth and ashes are at the start of it, something like Easter may be at the end."

~ Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized

Wild February Weather

Yesterday in the Mitchell area, it rained over 4 inches. It's raining today too. What makes it crazy is to consider that yesterday was February 5. And we had Severe Thunderstorm warnings all across Southern Indiana, with many counties (mine included) going through Tornado Warnings. At 10:30 pm last night, the Collins' were listening to the storm from our basement, under the staircase.

Thunder, lightnening, 60+ mph winds. Here's a shot from folks in Tennessee who I betcha believe that the Global Climate Crisis is a real deal. We've GOT to get our act together. Seriously.

A man inspects his damaged house after tornadoes hit Lafayette, Tennessee, February 6, 2008. Tornadoes and thunderstorms ravaged parts of U.S. South on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 47 people, injuring more than 150 and causing widespread damage. Tennessee was hit hardest with 24 dead.