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Archive for November, 2009

26
Nov

Happy Thanksgiving – Most Popular Posts

Just in case you are bored over the next couple of days…

Here are the top five posts of the last year:

1. Have we made it too easy to be Christian? Here’s what I think.

2. How do you know you are?

3. There is a connection between our lives that refuses to let us separate the physical from the spiritual.

4. Who should be leading, well anything from the stage…including worship?

5. Why we’re now adopting three instead of one, which makes us eight.

25
Nov

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years Review

I don’t really know who reads anything that I write, but for the few of you who do I cannot more highly recommend that you go to my Highly Recommended Books, click on the first book, and buy it from Amazon. The last time I checked they were selling it for a ridiculous discount. A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller is worth every penny and minute you’ll spend consuming it. Seriously!

dmI was first introduced to Donald Miller six years ago through his book Blue Like Jazz, which is now being made into a movie. I can honestly say that, except for a few writers who have only written one book, he is the only author of which I own every book he’s written. I say that I own every book he’s written because I haven’t actually read Searching For God Knows What yet, but it is sitting on my “To Read” shelf. I, with great enthusiasm, skipped right to this book.

Somehow I stumbled upon a sneak preview where I got to read the first three or four chapters and I was hooked. As soon as the book released I bought it with a store credit I had at Barnes and Noble. I was so enthusiastic about reading this book that I added it to my already weekly 150-200 page reading requirement for the class I am taking at Hope International. Reading this book was motivation for getting ahead in that class each week

This book is not only worth that additional commitment, but I will most likely re-read the book in one sitting before the end of the year. I may even take the book with me as we travel to Uganda to finalize our adoption as a reminder of what it is I am really doing as I renew old friendships and make some new ones. It was such a good book that I am tempted to book a flight to Portland, OR just to get him to sign my copy…seriously, this book is a must read for every high school senior, college student or graduate, every Christian, every American. I CANNOT STRESS this enough. Read this freaking book, and if you feel like I was completely misleading then I’ll buy it back…maybe.

If you buy one book this Christmas as a gift, other than the Bible, this is the one.

We need to be telling better stories!

24
Nov

What kind of preacher are you? – Stacy Spencer @ Story 09

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Stacy referenced a contemporary of his in describing the five types of preachers.

1. The Comfort Dispenser – Gives Tylenol to cure all ills
2. The Pedantic Scholar – Waxes eloquently in order to impress
3. The Social Prophet – Sees the ills of society and cries
4. The Bible Repository – They know the book, but do they know the God of the book
5. Incorporates all four – Strive to be five

Always reflect on these things when preparing a message:

1. Why should I listen?
2. How are you introducing the text to the dilemma
3. Put people in the movie, help them become part of the text
4. Is there a common thread throughout the message? There should be no waste.
5. There MUST be redemption in your story.