Life time Learner, Youth Pastor, Evangelist and Motivational Speaker.

Really cool slide show...kinda 2012 Middle School Ministry North Mason Bible Church 2012........

 

Why Studying the Bible Won't Change Your Life by Trevin Wax - ChurchLeaders.com - Christian Leadership Blogs, Articles, Videos, How To's, and Free Resources - Page 3

It’s possible to amass great amounts of biblical knowledge, to impress people with your mastery of Bible trivia, to creatively apply the Bible in ways that seem so down to Earth and practical, to dot your theological i’s and cross your exegetical t’s – and still miss Jesus. Scary, isn’t it?

That’s why it’s not enough to be “Bible-believing” or “Word-centered,” because, after all, the Bible we believe and the Word we proclaim is itself Christ-centered.

The purpose of our Bible study is to know God and make Him known.

The Bible unveils Jesus Christ as the focal point of human history. All creation exists by Him, through Him, to Him, and for Him. Our Bible study should exist for Him, too. That’s the only kind of Bible study that will change your life.

via www.churchleaders.com

Stetzer: The next 10 years | ToddRhoades.com

What will the church need to deal with in the next 10 years?

Ed Stetzer gives some thoughts:

1.  Churches that used to been ‘seeker targeted’ will find that many people just aren’t seeking that much anymore.  They have no ‘religious memory’ as Ed calls it.  That will force churches to come up with a new model to engage people like this.

2.  Churches will need to concentrate on the gospel.  That’s accomplished by a church thinking through what the gospel is and actually living it out.  It’s time to reassess and reorganize since we may find ourselves a little off track.

3.  Christians will rethink discipleship.  Stetzer argues that discipleship doesn’t need to be re-invented, but rather re-defined.

4.  Churches will need to be innovative and implement new ways of doing church.  Some churches are already doing that through things like multi-site and global initiatives.  But these things are still new to myriads of ch

via www.toddrhoades.com

Small Youth Groups: Consumerism - smallyouthgroup.com

I think there are some spiritual issues, and, however counter-cultural it is, I don’t think we are doing our job if we don’t address those issues. Let’s consider the two most obvious ones.

First, millennials are not growing up with a biblical understanding of stewardship. We are not helping them to understand that they are not given wealth simply to consume it on themselves. Most millennials have no sense of responsibility to help anyone else. They see themselves as not having the resources to help others even if they wanted to … and they can show you their low bank balance in seconds from their new iPhone. While I don’t want to miss that one of the ways God blesses people is materially, I also don’t want to miss the strong warnings of Jesus about those who are wealthy, particularly when they consume the wealth on themselves (Luke 16:19-31).

Second, millennials are tending to define themselves by the products they buy. They have witnessed a steady stream of commercials since they were old enough to hold up their heads that have told them that their lives would be warm, happy, and … um, sexy if they would only buy … you fill in the blank: everything from shampoo to sports cars. They tend to see their stuff as extensions of who they are, ways that they define themselves. Not a problem … except that Jesus expects for our identity to be defined by HIM.

So, what do we do? How do we address this cultural trend toward consumerism that is like the air our students breath?

1. We point out the push toward consumerism. Watch commercials with students and ask them to talk about the claims made by them. When they talk about needing a new phone, or new shoes, or a new car, ask, Why? Ask students what they think drives us to always want more stuff.
2. Make the case for stewardship. I don’t mean just to get them to give a tenth to the church. I mean, ask them to think about why God has blessed them with so much…and what they think is required of them since He did.
3. Give students real experiences to invest in people from poor cultures. It is amazing how much students are willing to give away when they see the need in front of them.
4. Teach students to practice contentment. Every ad they see is designed to get them to be discontent, to want something. Teach them to say, “You know, I have everything I need. There is nothing I need and nothing I really want.” OK, maybe that’s a stretch, but we should at least help students to question their own constant desire for more.

via www.smallyouthgroup.com

learning my lines. . .: Crossing The Line With Ellen Degeneres. . . .

To be honest, you feel like a killjoy when you start to question stuff like this. But we still need to stand back and ask the hard questions. Did Ellen cross a line? Did the parents cross a line? Do we cross a line when we ignore what's really going on to enjoy the cuteness of a couple of little kids, justifying it all by saying, "Come on, they're only little kids"? Do we allow our emotions to trump responsible thinking and critique? I'm afraid we're losing our ability to think critically and Christianly about all of life, a reality which requires us to recapture and relearn skills that evidence discipleship of the mind.

I took some time to think more intentionally about this whole thing. I wrote up a 2-page 3(D) review of these videos of Sophia Grace with Nicki Minaj for our latest edition of ENGAGE. You can download the pdf of my review here. Use it to provoke your own thought. If you're a parent, talk about it with your kids. If you're a youth worker, spend an entire evening looking at, talking about, and thinking through the video clips.

After you read it, I want to know. . . Am I over-reacting? Should we be concerned? Is this evidence of deeper issues in our culture? If so, what are those issues? What do you think?

via learningmylines.blogspot.com

http://www.epicparent.tv/10-things-your-father-never-said/

http://www.epicparent.tv/10-things-your-father-never-said/

used him to impact me and Team Sprad.

So John has written a book called “Wild At Heart”, and in this book he uses the term “Father Wound.”

This is a wound that so many fathers inflict upon their kids.  This wound can come from neglect, absence, abuse, control, lack of blessing and lack of affirmation.

As your reading this, some of you are standing up on the chair screaming…yeah, that’s me!  My dad was never around, he loved worked more than me, he never told me he loved me and my dad abused me!!

We all have our father wounds because of what our dad’s did to us or said, but I also believe that we have father wounds because of what our dad’s never said.

10 Things Our Dad’s Never Said…

• “I really blew it!  Will you forgive me for beating/disciplining you out of anger”
• “I want you to know that you are a gift from God and I am so blessed to be your father”
• “Here’s how you budget your money, balance a checkbook and save for retirement”
• “That girl your about to take out on a date…remember that she is God’s daughter”
• “Here is what God’s word says about how to be a man of character and integrity”
• “God has a plan for your life and he has given you gifts that He will use to change the world”
• “While you are at school today I want you to know that I will be praying for you”
  
• “When your fighting with your mom…just remember that I am on her side”
• ” I give you permission to let me know when I am scaring you”
• “I trust you to make the right decision”

 

Sunday School problems are not Sunday School Problems

People who are not doubling their groups sincerely think they are happy. They think that because they don't know what happiness is. There is a whole other level. People who are doubling their groups are some of the happiest people I know. They have often said to me, "My group is that most exciting thing in my life." They have engaging careers and good marriages and take trips to exciting destinations but they have said to me, "Watching my group double is the most exciting thing in my life."

By comparison, groups that are not doubling are half a sleep. They are happy, but happy in a drowsy kind of way. Groups that are doubling every two years or less are happy in an exhilaration kind of way.

It is an important point because people often say to me, "OK, I am convinced. But, how do I convince my class to embrace the vision of doubling groups?" At the end of the day, you have to convince them it is a better life, and it is.

The problem with Sunday School is we don't believe this. We don't believe that life is better on the playing field than it is in the bleachers.

But again, this is not a Sunday School problem.

To fix the problems of Sunday School, we can't look to Sunday School answers. We have to fix the people. We have to fix us. I wish it were simpler. We have to exchange our values with a value that suggests that people matter to God and that reaching them is more important than my comfort. We have to willingly, eagerly, joyfully surrender our will to His and become willing to do whatever he asks. We must embrace the great adventure of joining God in seeking to double groups every two years or less.

via www.joshhunt.com

20 Ways Satan May Seek to Destroy You this Week | Counseling One Another

20 Ways Satan May Seek to Destroy You this Week

February 13, 2012 by Paul Tautges | 0 comments

He is the serpent, the Great Dragon, Beelzebul, the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, the evil one, and the adversary. He is Satan. And—if you are a follower of Jesus Christ—he hates your guts with a passion. Like a roaring lion he is prowling about seeking to destroy you. How can you stand firm and resist the devil so that he will flee from you? First, do not be naive; you must consider his ways.

1. He may slander God to you in order to cast doubt on God’s goodness and shipwreck your faith (Gen 3:4-5).
2. He may tempt you to deceive others in order to create, or maintain, the impression of being more spiritual (Acts 5:3; Jn 8:44).
3. He may corrupt your mind and steer you away from the simplicity of Christ and His gospel (2 Cor 11:3).
4. He may hinder [cut in on, as in a race] your gospel proclamation (1 Thess 2:18).
5. He may wrestle against you, fighting against your progress in Christ (Eph 6:12).
6. He may tempt you to commit sexual immorality against your spouse as a result of neglecting the intimacy 0f the marriage bed (1 Cor 7:5).
7. He may harass you with some form of  fleshly affliction (2 Cor 12:7).
8. He may blind the spiritual eyes of your unsaved family, friends, and neighbors so that they may not see the glory of Jesus in the gospel (2 Cor 4:4).
9. He may keep your unsaved acquaintances in bondage to sins that hinder them from coming to God (Gal 4:8).
10. He may smite you with physical disease (Luke 13:16).
11. He may murder you (Ps 106:37; Jn 8:44).
12. He may sow tares [counterfeit Christians, sons of the evil one] within your assembly of believers in order to deceive and create disunity (Mt 13:38-39;

via counselingoneanother.com

Ten Life Lessons From Business

Ten Life Lessons From Managing and Consulting

1. You can be in charge, but you're never in control.

2. If you have a Powerpoint slide with a graph whose curve always points upward, you're lying. Delete it.

3. If you look at people through your own eyes, you'll judge them for who you think they are. If you look at them through God's eyes, you'll see them for who they can become.

4. You can't be good at who you are until you stop trying to be all the things you are not.

5. Charge what you are worth. If you don't, you'll begin to resent your employer or client, even thoughyou decided to take the assignment.

6. You can't control circumstances. You can control your response to them. Those who learn to respond thoughtfully and peacefully are the ones who are accorded trust and power.

7. Overt displays of position power show weakness.  Genuine humility shows power.

8. All groups aren't "teams". Often they are just collections of people who work really, really well together. Leave them alone.

9. No one can know how to be an effective leader until they've toiled as a dedicated follower.

10. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied with discernment.

via www.allthingsworkplace.com

Intimacy With God - Tony Evans

Dr. Tony Evans, Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, TX, encourages us to pursue spiritual intimacy with God as we're led to expanded spiritual capacity and, in turn, increased spiritual authority. For more information on Dr. Tony Evans please visit tonyevans.org

http://www.dts.edu/media/play/intimacy-with-god-evans-tony/# 

via www.dts.edu

Toure: Is 'The Help' The Most Loathsome Movie in America? | TIME Ideas | TIME.com

I don’t see any of The Help‘s journey as pleasurable for either side: Black women are oppressed and fight back passive-aggressively. (Black men are all but invisible in this world.) Whites are mostly evil or sheep: soulless or brainless. It’s a Lifetime-y simplistic movie, a Disneyfication of segregation, with a gross and unintentionally comical stereotype parade marching through it. There’s the ditzy blonde who can’t manage to do anything but get dressed. There’s the callous ice queen who thinks blacks have special diseases that can be transmitted by sharing a toilet. There’s the undeterable do-gooder. And then there are the blacks who are the latest iteration of that Hollywood staple: the magical negro. They are blacks who arrive in the lives of whites with more knowledge and more soul and go on to teach whites about life, thus making white lives better.

Magical negroes are there to use the knowledge and spirit that comes from blackness to enlighten or redeem whites who are lost or broken. Think of Will Smith in the Legend of Bagger Vance, Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile, Anthony Mackie in The Adjustment Bureau and Sir Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus in The Matrix. In The Help, Spencer’s Minnie actually teaches a white woman, “Frying chicken just makes you feel better about life.” I must be doing it wrong. Once the ditzy blonde learns to use Crisco properly she does indeed feel better about life. Even though she’s just learned she’s probably infertile. Minnie helps turn her boss lady into a regular Martha Stewart and what does she get out of it? The promise of lifetime employment as the family maid. Thank yuh, ma’am. Davis’s Aibilene teaches the white kids she’s raising, “You is important,” while being constantly reminded that she is not.

The magical negro role is offensive because despite wisdom and, often, supernatural power, the black character is subordinate to weakened whites. They are there only to help whites. This relates to screenwriter James McBride’s recent assertion that in cinematic terms we’re often what he calls “cultural maids.” He means we’re there to service white characters — not always literally serving them but functioning as a vehicle for them to show or prove their morality and/or heroism. We appear as mere props in white lives. McBride says, “Only when the boss decides your story intersects with his or her life is your story valid. Because you’re a kind cultural maid. You serve up the music, the life, the pain, the spirituality. You clean house.”

Outside of films produced by the small number of black filmmakers and the rare George Lucas or Quentin Tarantino, black characters and stories are almost always relevant only in terms of what they do for or bring out of white characters. Our lives are valuable solely because of how white characters respond to them. I never imagined white supremacy would rest when the theater lights went down but isn’t anyone else tired of seeing whites save blacks and blacks magically improving white lives?

I wouldn’t have gone to see The Help but for the Oscar race raising a conundrum. A movie that is loathsome to many blacks has given people we respect — Davis and Octavia Spencer — a serious shot to win Oscars. But their progress comes as two steps forward and one step back: Davis and Spencer have acquired the talent and access to be players in Hollywood but are reduced to updating Hattie McDaniels. I can’t blame them, large roles don’t come along every month, sometimes an actor has to take what’s available. I once (politely) asked George Clooney why he does bad movies. You’d think he has access to every great script he wants. He said you’d be surprised. There aren’t many great ones, and he has to work every so often to keep his name aloft and because there’s many people in Hollywood relying on him working. Davis and Spencer aren’t in a position to reject work like this or th

via ideas.time.com