There is a good chance that over the next several weeks God will give you an opportunity, an open door to enter into a spiritual conversation with somebody who is far from Him.
As a Christ follower and a member of Venice I want you to be able to take advantage of the situation to help somebody move toward faith in Christ. In the passage below, Paul provides some pivotal clues that will allow us to be successful in this endeavor that God will call you to.
Colossians 4:2-6
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. [3] Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan—that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That is why I am here in chains. [4] Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. [5] Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. [6] Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.
Paul says several very simple things. He asks the people at the church in Colossae to pray for these things in his life and to embrace them for their own lives. Allow me to simplify.
Be devoted to prayer.
Be alert and thankful.
Pray for opportunities to share Christ.
Live wisely with unbelievers.
Make the most of every opportunity.
Be gracious and effective in your conversations.
God will open the door. Walk through it and engage in a gracious and effective conversation that will point that person to Christ. You can do it. I will be praying for you. Please, pray for me and my opportunities.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Thank You Very Much
I have begun my annual Thanksgiving list.
Every year I list several things that I am thankful for.
As I am doing my little self-survey I find myself thinking a lot about our country.
It is an interesting time, these times that we live in.
One of the things that I am thankful for this year is that the election is over and I don’t have to see any more poorly produced and lame campaign ads. Can I get an amen?
As I was thinking about our country and giving thanks for our country and praying for our country I had this thought. What if we really gave thanks to God this year? What would that look like? Then…I came across this Psalm.
Psalm 67:1-7 (NLT)
May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face shine with favor upon us.
Interlude
[2] May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.
[3] May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
[4] How glad the nations will be, singing for joy,
because you govern them with justice
and direct the actions of the whole world.
Interlude
[5] May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
[6] Then the earth will yield its harvests,
and God, our God, will richly bless us.
[7] Yes, God will bless us,
and people all over the world will fear him.
This type of prayer is the type of prayer that I believe our forefathers were praying at Thanksgiving. Perhaps you would like to adopt it as your prayer this year. There has never been a time when we needed God’s mercy more than we do right now. There has never been a time when we needed God’s face to shine on us more than we do right now. May our nation praise Him. May He richly bless us this Thanksgiving season.
Every year I list several things that I am thankful for.
As I am doing my little self-survey I find myself thinking a lot about our country.
It is an interesting time, these times that we live in.
One of the things that I am thankful for this year is that the election is over and I don’t have to see any more poorly produced and lame campaign ads. Can I get an amen?
As I was thinking about our country and giving thanks for our country and praying for our country I had this thought. What if we really gave thanks to God this year? What would that look like? Then…I came across this Psalm.
Psalm 67:1-7 (NLT)
May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face shine with favor upon us.
Interlude
[2] May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.
[3] May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
[4] How glad the nations will be, singing for joy,
because you govern them with justice
and direct the actions of the whole world.
Interlude
[5] May the nations praise you, O God.
Yes, may all the nations praise you.
[6] Then the earth will yield its harvests,
and God, our God, will richly bless us.
[7] Yes, God will bless us,
and people all over the world will fear him.
This type of prayer is the type of prayer that I believe our forefathers were praying at Thanksgiving. Perhaps you would like to adopt it as your prayer this year. There has never been a time when we needed God’s mercy more than we do right now. There has never been a time when we needed God’s face to shine on us more than we do right now. May our nation praise Him. May He richly bless us this Thanksgiving season.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
10 Things I Think I Think
1. I think that it is almost Halloween and I think that because I saw Al Gore on TV last night. Very scary.
2. I think that the feel of autumn in the air, even in Southern California, feels good.
3. I think that most everybody is really enjoying our new building, especially our coffee bar.
4. I think that the USC Trojans have the best college football team in the city, but the UCLA Bruins have the prettiest uniforms, not just in the city, but also in all of college football.
5. I think that you will love our new church logo and our new website, even though the website is in its infant stages. Check it out at http://www.venicechurch.com/.
6. I think that it is fun to watch grown men dragged behind a ski boat at 40 miles an hour on an inner tube.
7. I think that venicechurch is becoming ?Baby Central? and that is very cool. Congratulations on all the new babies and the ones on the way.
8. I think that I am glad that the Dodgers and the Padres did not meet in the National League Championship Series. It may have tested the Christian love between some of my brothers in Christ and me.
9. I think that North Korea is just crazy enough to mean it.
10. I think that marking things off of a to-do-list is really quite fun.
2. I think that the feel of autumn in the air, even in Southern California, feels good.
3. I think that most everybody is really enjoying our new building, especially our coffee bar.
4. I think that the USC Trojans have the best college football team in the city, but the UCLA Bruins have the prettiest uniforms, not just in the city, but also in all of college football.
5. I think that you will love our new church logo and our new website, even though the website is in its infant stages. Check it out at http://www.venicechurch.com/.
6. I think that it is fun to watch grown men dragged behind a ski boat at 40 miles an hour on an inner tube.
7. I think that venicechurch is becoming ?Baby Central? and that is very cool. Congratulations on all the new babies and the ones on the way.
8. I think that I am glad that the Dodgers and the Padres did not meet in the National League Championship Series. It may have tested the Christian love between some of my brothers in Christ and me.
9. I think that North Korea is just crazy enough to mean it.
10. I think that marking things off of a to-do-list is really quite fun.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Sexually explicit lyrics move teens toward sex...duh?
Wow! This story is amazing. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060807/ap_on_re_us/sex_lyrics_teens
A recent study says that sexually explicit lyrics in music arw moving to teens toward sexual encounters at an earlier age. Well...duh? Parents, pay attention to what your kids see and hear. As Rayfield Wright said in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech on Saturday, "Parents are the windows through which children see the world." That is why parents are so important. Be the filter for them...please.
A recent study says that sexually explicit lyrics in music arw moving to teens toward sexual encounters at an earlier age. Well...duh? Parents, pay attention to what your kids see and hear. As Rayfield Wright said in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech on Saturday, "Parents are the windows through which children see the world." That is why parents are so important. Be the filter for them...please.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Thoughts On a Notepad
My thoughts today…in no particular order.
Isn’t it funny that during this heat wave we cannot remember how cool our spring was? We were begging for some warm weather about three months ago.
It was great to see Bonnie Martin and her little girl Brianna on Sunday. Jarrod (USAF) and Bonnie got married and moved to Germany four years ago. Now they are headed to Washington D.C. for four years.
It has been 25 years since Amy and I graduated from High School. I have never been to a reunion and we don’t know anybody that we went to High School with.
The Pro Football season begins in 43 days.
I knew that our new building was going to be great, but it will be better than even I expected.
My first draught of this was handwritten. My penmanship stinks. I can’t write at all anymore.
Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer who has ever lived, yet I still sense an immense emptiness and loneliness in him. At the end of the day he is just like everybody else. He is a sinner who needs to come to know the Savior.
The biggest mistake that most Christians make is reading and studying the Bible for information and knowledge instead of for life-change.
My mom turned 66 years old on Monday. Everybody should have a mom who loves God, is down to earth, and likes to watch football. (It doesn’t hurt if they bake good cookies too!)
I don’t know how we ever survived without cell phones, computers, ipods, and TIVO. I don’t think that I could survive without them now.
Most Christ followers need more obedience and less counsel in their lives.
Popular music can be extremely “nasty” these days. Even country music has “booty” songs now.
I didn’t see the movie Click with Adam Sandler, but I love the concept. Sometimes you need TIVO for life for those “did you see that” moments. This morning we almost saw a guy kill his buddy with a poorly struck golf shot. Wayne said, “Eight second that. I want to see it again.”
I know a lot of people who feel like they need to get a job delivering pizza at night just to pay for their gasoline. But wait…that would be counterproductive wouldn’t it?
My wife Amy is amazing. She has been putting up with my junk for 26 and ½ years. We have been married for 22 of those. I wouldn’t trade her for anything. She is truly a blessing and gift from God.
Last one…I believe that every member of Venice Church should be in a small group, serve in a ministry, and have good worship music in their car. Here is a music suggestion for you. Get All To You Live by Lincoln Brewster. We already sing several of his songs and we are going to learn more.
Isn’t it funny that during this heat wave we cannot remember how cool our spring was? We were begging for some warm weather about three months ago.
It was great to see Bonnie Martin and her little girl Brianna on Sunday. Jarrod (USAF) and Bonnie got married and moved to Germany four years ago. Now they are headed to Washington D.C. for four years.
It has been 25 years since Amy and I graduated from High School. I have never been to a reunion and we don’t know anybody that we went to High School with.
The Pro Football season begins in 43 days.
I knew that our new building was going to be great, but it will be better than even I expected.
My first draught of this was handwritten. My penmanship stinks. I can’t write at all anymore.
Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer who has ever lived, yet I still sense an immense emptiness and loneliness in him. At the end of the day he is just like everybody else. He is a sinner who needs to come to know the Savior.
The biggest mistake that most Christians make is reading and studying the Bible for information and knowledge instead of for life-change.
My mom turned 66 years old on Monday. Everybody should have a mom who loves God, is down to earth, and likes to watch football. (It doesn’t hurt if they bake good cookies too!)
I don’t know how we ever survived without cell phones, computers, ipods, and TIVO. I don’t think that I could survive without them now.
Most Christ followers need more obedience and less counsel in their lives.
Popular music can be extremely “nasty” these days. Even country music has “booty” songs now.
I didn’t see the movie Click with Adam Sandler, but I love the concept. Sometimes you need TIVO for life for those “did you see that” moments. This morning we almost saw a guy kill his buddy with a poorly struck golf shot. Wayne said, “Eight second that. I want to see it again.”
I know a lot of people who feel like they need to get a job delivering pizza at night just to pay for their gasoline. But wait…that would be counterproductive wouldn’t it?
My wife Amy is amazing. She has been putting up with my junk for 26 and ½ years. We have been married for 22 of those. I wouldn’t trade her for anything. She is truly a blessing and gift from God.
Last one…I believe that every member of Venice Church should be in a small group, serve in a ministry, and have good worship music in their car. Here is a music suggestion for you. Get All To You Live by Lincoln Brewster. We already sing several of his songs and we are going to learn more.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
It's Hot!
This just in...it's hot. Okay, it's not that hot. We are just spoiled little westsiders who are appalled if we perspire. It gets to 80 degrees with a little humidity and you would think the end of the world is on the horizon. But wait...maybe it is. The literal heat that we have been feeling pales in comparison to the "hot spots" around the world these days. The conflict in the Middle East has led many to speculate on the possibility of World War III. Isn't it amazing that after all of these years and all of these decades and all of these centuries Israel is still right there in the middle of all of it? The promises that God made to Abraham and the land that God promised to Abraham is what the fight is all about. You would think that people would pause and consider that maybe there is something to Israel’s claim that they are God's people and that is the dwelling place that God promised to them. Well, they are and it is. That is exactly what they are and that is where they are supposed to be. That is precisely what the Bible says!
I don't want to get on a rant about Israel and about the current conflict, but this much I do know. Jesus Christ is going to reign from the throne in Jerusalem. I do not know exactly how it all is going to come about and I certainly would not pretend to know where we are on God's timeline, but I do know this. When I read Jesus' description of the end of the world in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21 it sounds an awful lot like today. I do not know what role our nation plays in the big scheme of things, but I know what our role as a church is. We must redeem the time. We must share the gospel at every opportunity. Souls, lives, and families are at stake.
Here is what Jesus says toward the end of Luke 21.
Luke 21:28
So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up, for your salvation is near!
I cannot help but think that our salvation is near. These are exciting times. Let’s make the most of our opportunity to make a difference in our neighborhood.
I don't want to get on a rant about Israel and about the current conflict, but this much I do know. Jesus Christ is going to reign from the throne in Jerusalem. I do not know exactly how it all is going to come about and I certainly would not pretend to know where we are on God's timeline, but I do know this. When I read Jesus' description of the end of the world in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21 it sounds an awful lot like today. I do not know what role our nation plays in the big scheme of things, but I know what our role as a church is. We must redeem the time. We must share the gospel at every opportunity. Souls, lives, and families are at stake.
Here is what Jesus says toward the end of Luke 21.
Luke 21:28
So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up, for your salvation is near!
I cannot help but think that our salvation is near. These are exciting times. Let’s make the most of our opportunity to make a difference in our neighborhood.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Conspiracy Theory
I could not help but notice that Brokeback Mountain received eight Oscar nominations this morning. I am almost 100% certain that it will take home the Oscar for Best Picture. I have not seen it. I will not see it. There are many reasons, but one of the reasons is that I like my Cowboys playing football in Dallas with stars on their helmets, not lying under the stars together on the prairie.
Now, I am not one to blast Hollywood too much. We have many people in our church family who work in the industry and I think that is great. We need godly men and women in the industry. When it comes to Hollywood, they are what they are. If you do not realize what they are allow me to share my thoughts. I believe that Hollywood has two basic bottom lines. The first and most obvious one is money. Movies, television, radio, and the music industry exist primarily to make money. That is why the weekly box office ratings are measured in dollars. That is why there are like 47 entertainment shows on each night. They are there to promote Hollywood not necessarily to inform us. So we have money and, now some of you will bristle at this because there is an “art” factor in a lot of what Hollywood produces, we have their second bottom line, which is their agenda. Hollywood has an agenda.
I am not much on conspiracy theories, however there are times when they are exposed or in some cases they expose themselves. Ang Lee, the director of Brokeback Mountain, exposed Hollywood’s agenda in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes earlier this month. In his tribute to the other directors that were nominated he said, “I just want to give my first thanks to my fellow filmmakers for strengthening my faith in the power of movies to change the way we’re thinking,” And there you have it. The confession. The admission. They have an agenda. They want to change the way that we are thinking! When the pressure was on, when the hot lights of award show interrogation went on Ang Lee buckled under the intense pressure and he spilled the beans. He inadvertently ratted out Hollywood. They want to change the way that we think.Don’t get me wrong. I believe in America. I believe in Larry McMurtry’s (and his typewriter), Diana Ossana’s and Ang Lee’s right to express themselves. I believe that Ang Lee had every right to expose Hollywood’s agenda through his free (acceptance) speech. I believe that as Christ followers we have every right to reject what Hollywood is subtly trying to feed us. I am not preaching against movies. I am preaching for godly thinking. I am just saying that when you go the movies this weekend…pay attention. They might be trying to tell you something.
Now, I am not one to blast Hollywood too much. We have many people in our church family who work in the industry and I think that is great. We need godly men and women in the industry. When it comes to Hollywood, they are what they are. If you do not realize what they are allow me to share my thoughts. I believe that Hollywood has two basic bottom lines. The first and most obvious one is money. Movies, television, radio, and the music industry exist primarily to make money. That is why the weekly box office ratings are measured in dollars. That is why there are like 47 entertainment shows on each night. They are there to promote Hollywood not necessarily to inform us. So we have money and, now some of you will bristle at this because there is an “art” factor in a lot of what Hollywood produces, we have their second bottom line, which is their agenda. Hollywood has an agenda.
I am not much on conspiracy theories, however there are times when they are exposed or in some cases they expose themselves. Ang Lee, the director of Brokeback Mountain, exposed Hollywood’s agenda in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes earlier this month. In his tribute to the other directors that were nominated he said, “I just want to give my first thanks to my fellow filmmakers for strengthening my faith in the power of movies to change the way we’re thinking,” And there you have it. The confession. The admission. They have an agenda. They want to change the way that we are thinking! When the pressure was on, when the hot lights of award show interrogation went on Ang Lee buckled under the intense pressure and he spilled the beans. He inadvertently ratted out Hollywood. They want to change the way that we think.Don’t get me wrong. I believe in America. I believe in Larry McMurtry’s (and his typewriter), Diana Ossana’s and Ang Lee’s right to express themselves. I believe that Ang Lee had every right to expose Hollywood’s agenda through his free (acceptance) speech. I believe that as Christ followers we have every right to reject what Hollywood is subtly trying to feed us. I am not preaching against movies. I am preaching for godly thinking. I am just saying that when you go the movies this weekend…pay attention. They might be trying to tell you something.
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