a church from scratch

I recently posted a reply to a quesiton someone asked in their blog about starting a church. They asked "If you design a church from scratch what would it look like?"

Here is my response:

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If I started a church from scratch, I'd try to base it as much as possible on the teachings and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Worship services would be worship services, not seminar presentations set to music. I would want as many as possible to connect with the heart of God in a way that is not always comfortable, but real.

Teaching would come from someone living out his/her teachings. A strong focus on application and a love to wrestle and cherish the word of God (turn those facets baby!).

A community of others that are at a similar place in their spiritual journeys, as well as others who are a few steps further to guide the way.

A strong emphasis on social action...Jesus talked about this (and practiced what he preached) a lot. A church that is actively involved in the service of and redemption of their surrounding community.

A church with a global perspective. This community would realize that America is not the center of the universe and would seek to live out the Great Commission globally as well as locally.

As for dress, hair, worship music style...varied with no emphasis on anything in particular. Come as you are, no need to dress up and impress God (He's not easily impressed).

Home Bible study on whatever the group wants to go through. Emphasis on neighborhood/area Bible study - house churches that seek to meet needs and reach those in their immediate neighborhoods.

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States/Countries I've visited

Here are the states I've visited. Boy, I need to get to work and travel ;)



create your own visited states map

And the countries I've visited



create your own visited countries map

1 continent (nearly) down, working on one, and 5 left to go!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Some things I am thankful for:

I am thankful for family, friends, my salvation, the students of my youth ministry, my health, my talents, my dreams, my life. Lets focus this week not on what we want, but what we are thankful for. I think it's funny that the biggest most evil shopping day of the year is the day after Thanksgiving - a day where we are suppose to put our needs and desires aside to thank the Giver of our blessings. It's like saying "Thanks God" and right after that saying "BUT, I need to get a great deal of stuff that I NEED to get my family for Christmas." Ah materialism...

I'm thankful God for my stuff, now lets go out and get some more.

Oh, and for you who forgot - yesterday was my birthday! I'm now a quarter of a century old. If you are feeling extra giving, check out my Amazon wish list (on the right panel ------------>)

It's going to be a busy rest of the week. I'm traveling today, going to a local band show Friday, having a halo tournament at our church Saturday, and preaching Sunday (please pray for me!).

Have a great Thanksgiving all :)

only because I like anime

I don't ever take these quizes, but I did this one only because I like anime


You're~Sweet and Kind~Himora kenshin. You're the
most sweetest and kindness person ever. You
bring peace to everyone, dosen't matter what
they look like,act or what their personality is
and you bring a smile to everyone you meet.
You're sweet heart is Ms.Kaoru. She hasn't
showed her feelinds, but you know.


what anime guy are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

an update

Hello all, hope you're weekend has been a good one. Thought I'd update the 'ol blog.

Today was the big Alabama vs. Auburn game. Auburn won, yea (not that I'm a fan, but just 'yea' for them). In more important news OSU beat Michigan (go Buckeye's!).

I've been heard at work (or is that hardly working?) on memorizing my lines for our upcoming Christmas musical at church. I get to be a grandfather. I don't know why I got cast as a grandpa, I guess I was the only one with enough time to do it. I have a TON of lines to memorize, and I'm really thinking of getting some sort of CIA in ear devise (you know, like what the politicians wear in their ears when they have debates?). I guess I know why movie stars get paid so much money, this is hard work - it's not even worth a million dollars (wink).

I'm looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with yet another new family this year (last year, I spent it with my friends Heather and Brooke). I'm looking forward to some good eats =)

Alliance Pastor Involved in Anti-Pornography Campaign

I just want to state that I love the fact that my Denomination is comfortable posting an article about Porn Sunday and including a link to http://xxxchurch.com
Read about it here: http://www.cmalliance.org/news/news.jsp

Also, to those curious, here's the picture that is getting published that I talked about in my last post.

lots of goodies

It's been a few days, and some very interesting things to report.

First up, my friend Jonathan Herron whom I worked with at my first church is now planting a church in Kent Ohio. Knowing him, I'm not very surprised. He has a huge burden for the lost and specifically for young adults and teens. Kent State University will make for fertile ground for sharing the gospel of Christ. Read more about it on his blog.

Second, I got an email today from the photo director of inTune magazine. Seems that he found a picture I took in NY this summer on sxc.hu - a royalty free website for sharing photographs. I'm going to be published (well, my Times Square photo at least).

That's it for now, make sure to check out some new stuff on my youth ministry's website, www.bracyouth.org

Worlds Apart

"I look beyond the empty cross
Forgetting what my life has cost
And wipe away the crimson stains
And dull the nails that still remain
More and more I need You now
I owe You more each passing hour
Battles between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago
So steal my heart and take the pain
And wash the feet and cleanse my pride
Take the selfish, take the weak
And all the things I cannot hide
Take the beauty, take my tears
My sin-soaked heart, make it Yours
Take my world all apart
Take it now, take it now
And serve the ones that I despise
Speak the words I can't deny
Watch the world I used to love
Fall to dust and thrown away
I look beyond the empty cross
Forgetting what my life has cost
Wipe away the crimson stains
And dull the nails that still remain
Steal my heart, take the pain
Take the selfish, take the weak
And all the things I cannot hide
Take the beauty, take my tears
Take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray, I pray, I pray
Take my world apart"

nothing profound here

check out this link http://www.vsg.edu.au/grafndx/weird.htm

I almost fell out of my chair on the seccond one. (the first one didn't work on me)

breaking up is hard to do?

Are you having trouble breaking up with that deadbeat?
Want to let her down gently?

Try the "It's Not You, It's Me" Letter!

I'm lending my Viper to the Birmingham Car Show this weekend ;)

Marko and Jamie pretend they are cool

A face only a mother could love? This was an on-table advertisement I found at A&W Rootbeer.

A:

Some good comments. From time to time I will post questions like this one. Not that I believe it, I just want to discuss it. I took this question partially from a book on marriage that said "what if God created marriage not to make us happy, but to make us holy?"

I believe that our true happiness comes from living the lives God intended us to live. So as we seek holiness, we will find God's happiness.

I just think that way too many Christians (especially in the USA) are so focused on their happiness that they forget (or ignore the fact) that the Bible uses language (I'm reading Job right now) that suggests that we will not always be happy as Christians- that life will not always be a cakewalk.

I believe that the most fulfilling happiness that comes from God is not through His blessings, but through knowing and discovering Him. Blessings are like the icing on the cake.

If we make knowing God our aim instead of His blessings, we may do a better job of avoiding the emotional-spiritual rollercoaster many Christians deal with.

Q:

What if God's goal for our lives is not to make us happy, but to make us holy?

Discuss...

INCOMING RANT!

No offence to any of you who use Myspace...

So I have to say, I HATE MYSPACE WITH A PASSION

I went to check out one of my teen's blogs tonight and everywhere I went were nasty, intrusive sexually-charged banner adds. I think they should rename Myspace to: "Softcore Porn Space" or "Myspace: the Gateway to Porn" or "We Like Distasteful Banner Adds."

Sheesh, I am so glad I use Blogger and that when people visit my page, they don't get morally perverse junk piped into their computers (other than what I write, lol).

Anger subsiding...breathing returning to normal...calmness restored