Dear cousin Jimmy,
You died about ten years ago. When I met you, you were screaming in pain but you didn’t know why. You were born almost completely brain-dead; you could only eat, drink, breathe, scream, laugh, smile, and cry. I had the privilege of making you laugh once by making a funny face. Or maybe you just laughed at my face.
Continue Reading at my main blog
If you walk by a kid who’s punching a wall, very rarely will you hear:
“I’m so angry about the poverty in Thailand!”
Instead it’s:
I didn’t get an iPhone for Christmas. Someone stepped on my new Nikes. My parents won’t let me go to Jenny’s drug party. Am I the only one who can’t go to the concert?
God made us with a righteous fiery anger to do justice in the world, but we’ve curved it inward into a selfishly suicidal sin-monster for our own ridiculous “needs.” Our emotions are broken.
But our anger turned Godward — just as He designed — could ignite a war for peace.
Where is our anger now?
Continue Reading at my main blog
Don’t ever say this.
He’s got a crazy testimony. He was doing meth and punching babies and racing cops and kicking animals but then he hid in a church from the Feds and a monk popped up from the floor and — I just grew up in church and got saved.
Yes, you got saved.
You were brought from death to life.
It’s not a competition.
Continue Reading at my main blog
The more they explained this cruise, the more I felt puke-sick to my stomach.
“You just eat and play all day. You get food any time you want. Live shows, or lay out on the dock. We stop by the Bahamas and you get ten hours to shop.”
Eat. Watch. Tan. Shop.
I tasted vomit in my mouth.
Continue reading at my main blog
Anonymous asked:
If God predestines everything, does He predestine sin? Can one of His elect fall into binding sin and still be elect? Would God cause one of His children to be bound by sin for His greater glory?
I already know that by answering doctrinal questions about predestination and election, I’m bound to make at least a few people angry, confused, despondent, or all the above. So as I like to do with these sorts of things, let’s ask a series of questions.
Does God predestine everything? Yes.
Do we still have free will? Yes.
Does God “cause” us to sin? Never.
Does He “author” our sin? Yes.
Is there a difference? Yes.
Do we still choose to sin? Yes.
Can an elect become a non-elect? No, or the elect was never elect.
Can a non-elect become an elect? No, or the non-elect was never non-elect.
Does God destine people to Hell? Not sure. I’ll humble myself and say God does whatever He wants, and it would be righteous.
Can we with our limited finite three lb. brains determine who is elect or not? No.
So I can’t sneak out of evangelizing if I think this dude is non-elect? No.
Can God cause someone to be bound by sin for His glory? Again, God can do whatever He wants, righteously.
Does the person still choose to be bound? Yes.
Now let’s allow the Bible to speak for itself (which it will do anyway).
Continue Reading at my main blog
I love you bros, but real men don’t make fun of girls to flirt with them.
If you’re that dude: God help us.
You’ve seen it: The guy making fun of her weight, her voice, her arms, her hair; finding the girl in a crowd and almost yelling for attention; pulling her purse, poking her stomach, pinching her sides; and anything goes online.
That trashy, low-class, pseudo-funny brand of comedy is only exposing what’s really inside. I’ve been there, so I know.
Say it with me: Lust. Breathe out now. You’re free.
Really now, why else would you dress a girl down with your words? To build them up? Encourage their life goals? Make a woman feel like a woman?
No. Because those words are a way to get into her pants.
Continue Reading at my main blog
Since the resurrection of Jesus Christ really happened, then
1) there’s a heaven, and a hell.
2) we do have victory over sin, now.
3) what we do matters in eternity.
4) we have forgiveness before an all-holy, fearsome, awesome, all-consuming God.
5) we will also be resurrected.
6) every word in the Bible is true.
7) Jesus is everything he said he was, and is.
Continue Reading at my main blog
Forgive the crude language, but you youth pastors freaking suck at this.
At the Youth Pastor’s Summit in Orlando — a free conference — I sat behind a row of young dudes while Doug Fields was preaching. Pastor Doug is like the Godfather of youth group. I was excited to hear him, notebook and pen in hand, and he gave an encouraging message for the gut-wrenching trenches of ministry.
But these fools in front of me were dozing off, playing games on their phone, and whispering as loud as lawnmowers. At least two of these guys were texting girls the whole time, and these texts were not exactly appropriate. Let’s say, creepy-perverted and downright old-man-nasty.
I was angry, sure. But I also grieved for these people. I couldn’t imagine sending my future kids to a youth group led by these morons. I doubt these guys would send their own kids to them, either. It took every fiber of my flesh plus half a helping of Holy Spirit not to kick these dudes in the spine.
So this is it then? Our next generation given up to filthy, fornicating creepers?
You are freaking shaping the future of our world. Hear that? This isn’t a damn game.
Today’s blog post is a nine minute podcast: About how the church has withdrawn into a place of moral “be-good” teaching instead of a Spirit-empowered, danger-filled, risk-taking missional people with a heart for the lost and hurting.
Not a new problem here: That we can be a super-spiritual transformed church at the expense of God’s Dirty Discipling Mission. There’s an obvious disconnect between Internal Prayer-Praise-Scripture and External Going-Making-Giving.
Is it any wonder that we are more discouraged, lukewarm, and stagnant than ever before?
How I’m giving away half my income.
To directly download podcast audio, click here.
For the podcast:
An ongoing discussion about victory over sexual addiction.
The introduction here.
Part Two, the science, here.
Part Three, the soul, here.
Part Three and a half, the soul, here.
Part Four: I’m Ready To Cut It Off. Here.
–
I call myself a recovering porn addict, but I’m much more than that.
When we identify ourselves by what we are not, we hardly know where we are going. When you finally quit porn and you’re cheering your new journey and sharing with people who are rooting for you, then when you fall again it can be even more devastating than before.
I thought I had this, you might say. And it’s back to binging, self-loathing, and might-as-well resignation to your addiction.
What happens to so many Christians is not a spiritual downfall to lukewarmness, but an incomplete picture of God’s Epic Story.
We are saved by His Grace — but that’s not the end. We are saved from something towards something better.
And if you want even half a chance of defeating porn — of sin and Satan and the grave itself — you’ll need to know not only what you’re called from, but what you’re called to.
So then, three things you must know in destroying your porn addiction once and for all.
No one let’s you forget who you are, even when who you are is no longer who you were.
Someone, somewhere, at any moment, remembers the Old You. And in that unfair prejudice of your old self, you will experience a whole different sort of identity theft. It’s you hijacking you: the past coming to rob your present.
Just when you thought you had outran yourself: your record was hiding like a remnant infection in the throat of your soul.
Old friends remind you of your lazy, reckless, impatient, self-absorbed, drug-dealing, baby-punching, cop-racing ways. The criminal charges aren’t so bad; it’s the haunting hurt inside that keeps you up at night.
Unfair, but such are the consequences of what we’ve done.
Can’t we ever prove ourselves? Can’t we have a chance? Can’t we convince our old friends and new ones that we are finally changed without sounding desperate? Can’t it be different now?
Or maybe that’s not the point.
Everyone loves the plot twist in a movie — but most plot twists don’t work because they don’t make sense, they break the rules, and we see it coming a mile away.
The script follows a familiar template, and even the twist feels familiar.
Thousands of screenplays sound like real life statistics. Abused children become drug addicts, molested girls become murderers, man mourning his wife spirals into alcoholism, married man destroys his family for a younger woman.
These horrible things should disturb us, but most of us see it coming a mile away. The twists are predictable.
It’s simply following the devil’s script. All the statistics, as skewed as they might be, point to a deafening reality of Pavlovian-like people conditioned to react poorly in poor circumstances. You’d think that a child with an alcoholic father would be less likely to drink alcohol, but statistics show otherwise. About three out of four prison inmates come from broken homes. Abused children are more likely to become abusive parents.
On and on, the script plays out. The human drama unfolds — no surprises.
The devil has practically written out your life. And God is trying to get you on this new chapter.
If you’re repenting from sin, that’s all you’re doing: running from it.
Suddenly you have a lot of idle free time and you’re not sure what to do.
How about run back to that sin?
Because that’s what most people do. They don’t know what else to do.
Continue Reading at my main blog
An article and video from The Gospel Coalition about a backwards “Perpetual Youth” seeping into ministry.
I absolutely agree here. Every facet of American culture is choked by this need to be young and fresh and new. We can’t teach the youth if we’re trying to be just like the youth. Old dude leading worship with gauge earrings and frosted hair and fake orange tan — stop it. You’re creepy.
That’s why so much of the youth have become egotistical narcissists — because the culture worships them. Every ad features young people partying, megachurches tout young demographics (megachurches are only 1% of the total churches in America), all the rich old men are divorcing their wives and going for a younger wife, and every movie and novel and song is about what the young people are doing.
Youth is not forever. Enjoy it, sure, but in the end everyone will be a broken down bag of skin. That’s if God lets you live long enough. Part of growing up is growing up.
If I sound old-fashioned, I’ll freely admit that as a young-ish person, I’m still mostly a moron living by the grace of God. When older pastors look at how “young” I am with those coveting eyes, I feel pretty gross inside. I prefer the wisdom of older experienced people, and definitely not some older person obsessed with youth.
Only God makes all things new in such a way that it’s not a perverse celebration of immaturity, but rather real growth in mature renewal.
I love you young people, but you need to get over yourselves. And us older people need to help with that.
Also check out Tim Elmore’s sermon on Artificial Maturity.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
– 1 Corinthians 13:11
Article from:
The seven part series on the Book of Genesis is now completely posted on the podcast!
God Is In Your Face: The Metanarrative Story of God and His creation Man.
An expository series through the Book of Genesis. Featuring God, Adam and Eve, Noah, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, and Jesus.
Genesis Part 1 – You Are God’s Idea
Genesis 1:26-27. Series: God Is In Your Face. You are His image. Part 1. “The Epic Beginning of Human History, the Burden to Love God’s Ideas, trying to imagine your teacher having a private life, waking up from the bad dream of life, and our True Selves.” 1-8-12
Genesis Part 2 – God Designed Design
Genesis 2:15. Series: God Is In Your Face. We are on mission for Christ. Part 2. “The boring Pre-Life before your (so-called) exciting Real Life, our specifically designed framework, the Gospel Package, and old school Nintendo games.” 1-15-12
Genesis Part 3 – The Day The Earth Fell Down
Genesis 3. Series: God Is In Your Face. How it really is. Part 3. “Epic road rage dancing, being caught on YouTube in your worst moment, Trying Hard To Be Good versus Just-Good-Enough, and having the ear of God.” 1-22-12
Genesis Part 4 – The Most Ridiculous Mission Ever
Genesis 6-9. Series: God Is In Your Face. His grace is His wrath. Part 4. “The nicer older brother who snaps and loses it, the Doomsday Clock, what’s more scary than following God, growing up off the boat, and your Life Sentence.” 1-29-12
Genesis Part 5 – Stop Running For Your Life
Genesis 32-33. Series: God Is In Your Face. God never stops pursuing you. Part 5. “The amazing baby who can do no wrong, the awkward joke-killer, the Embarrassing Meltdown, and how celery and an Angry Birds doll shows us God’s painful grace.” 2-12-12
Genesis Part 6 – The Hard Part Is The Whole Thing (1 of 2)
Gen. 37-41. Series: God Is In Your Face. Rising above it. Part 6. “How my friend broke someone’s arm on the street, the size of the dog in the fight, the trials of Jeremy Lin, the passive Asian, the Cost of Compassion, and How To Donate $10,000.” 2-19-12
Genesis Part 7 – The Hard Part Is The Whole Thing (2 of 2)
Genesis 42-50. Series: God Is In Your Face. He’s got this. Part 7. “Almost driving into a cop and the guy he’s chasing, taking things Out Of Context, preaching the whole Bible, the War Cry of Our Generation, and the EKG heart monitor of our lives.” 2-26-12
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