The Barbarian Way

I have started a new book called "The Barbarian Way" by Erwin McManus... I got the audio version of this from itunes and am enjoying listening to instead of reading this book...Im a few chapters in and here are some thoughts I have so far...If you've read it please leave your thoughts...Peace

- People who are fully alive look out of their minds to those who simply exist.
- The more your identity is rooted in God’s value for you, the less you are controlled and limited by what others think of you.
- Barbarians move with God wherever He chooses to go. The civilized Christian has a routine; the barbarian disciple has a
mission.
- Civilized Christians love tradition. The barbarian spirit loves challenges
- The civilized are satisfied with ritual, Barbarians live and thrive in the mystical.
- For civilized people, religion provides stability and certainty; for the barbarian, a life in God is one of risk and mystery.
- If you are a follower of Christ and you have allowed yourself to be domesticated, you have lost the power of who you are and who God intends for you to be.
- Many have grown up in church and have been effectively Christianized but have never genuinely met Christ.
- To be filled with the Spirit of God is to be filled with dreams and visions that are too compelling to ignore.
- What we fear is what we’re subject to; our fears define our master

Driscoll has me cloudy!

I came across this quote from Mark Driscoll today.. He is the pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle.. The below quote has me a little confused..I mean while I totally agree with it, I also believe there has to be a balance of outreach and in house evangelism ...Even Jesus went to where his disciples were and they followed. Feel free to share your thoughts.

"As long as Christians fail to repent of self-righteousness, we will continue to speak of evangelism in terms such as outreach, which implies we will not embrace lost people but will keep them at least an arm's length away." "... the transformed lives of people in the church are both the greatest argument for, and the greatest explanation of, the gospel. Therefore, it welcomes non-Christians into the church, not so much through evangelistic programs as through informal relationships like Jesus developed with his first disciples ... (this evangelism) considers it vital that lost people be brought close enough to witness the natural and practical outworking of the gospel in people's lives."

- Mark Driscoll

Let's Go Fishing

In preparation to starting the launch of a2 in a few weeks, I have recently been thinking a lot about "The Game Plan" to reach the lost...To reach the hurting and lost in Bham...We are fishers of men!

Fishing as a kid, we always had to GO OUT and find the fish...Get to where they hang out like under logs, or in coves away from the main lake. You didnt have all the fancy attraction baits, fish scanners, etc... You just went to where they were, presented a simple worm or minnow and usually you hooked one.

Fish are like anything else in that they change with their enviroment(culture). They aren't in the places you are used to looking, (sitting in church waiting to be caught). They have moved into other places like next door, the workplace, etc....The problem is that we stay in the same place fishing and when we don't catch anything, we use gadgets(events) and bait enhancing spray(bounce houses) to help us draw the fish out of their enviroment to one they are not accustomed to.

There is nothing wrong with events to draw people or to enhance fellowship and discipleship. But I'm talking evangelism! Don't you think we should GO and find them where THEY are?

I was reading an excerpt from Brennan Mannings book "The Signature of Jesus" and he made a statement that kicked my tail when it comes to evangelism and the things that should attract the unbeliever..Let me know what you think!

Brennan Manning

" If indeed we lived a life in imitation of Jesus, our witness would be irresistible! If we dared to live beyond our self-concern; if we refused to shrink from being vulnerable; if we took nothing but a compassionate attitude toward the world; if we were a counter- culture to our nations lunatic lust for pride of place, power, and possessions; if we preferred to be faithful rather than successful, the walls of indifference to Jesus Christ would crumble.

A handful of us could be ignored by society; but hundreds, thousands, and millions of such servants would overwhelm the world. Christians filled with the authenticity, commitment, and generosity of Jesus would be the most spectacular sign in the histroy of the human race. The Call of Jesus is revolutionary! If we implemented it, we would change the world in a few months."

Finding the Funny in all things!

If you know me well at all, you will know that I am always trying to find things to add pun to. Seeing a certain billboard or hearing a song and totally thinking, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? DO THEY REALLY WANNA GET MADE FUN OF? Well I was looking through some childrens book titles the other day and came across one that owned me, and left my kiddos screaming GROOOOSSSS! As you can see in the picture the book was called "Cooking With Pooh!" I'm sure you could get some good corn dishes going.. I hope you get a kick out of it as much as I did...Sounds Yummy!

Prodigal John Has Done It Again!

Ok...Prodigal John made a post today that made me cry laughing... He always says stuff we all have thought about.. But today he was on the money.. So sit back, relax, and enjoy reading. Camp Guy with a Guitar!


Camp Guy with a Guitar!

Put it down dude. Seriously, you know who you are. I went to camp with you. I went on a lot of church retreats with you. And some how, you even ended up living on the same floor as me freshman year of college.

I get it, you own an acoustic guitar. You put stickers of bands I have never heard on the outside of your guitar case. You have an interesting guitar strap. You are moody and introspective and somehow when you combine that guitar with the three songs you know and a campfire, every girl on the planet wants to sit near you. Are you kidding me?

Back when I was in high school you knew the simple chords to Poison's song, "Every rose has it's thorn," and Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses." But I have to believe the newer version of you has updated the material. What are you singing now, Coldplay's "Yellow" or maybe Dashboard Confessional's "Screaming Infidelities?" Maybe you are doing something by the Jonas Brothers now or Maroon 5? What, you're actually singing U2's song, "One?" You are killing me.
I know what you are doing. You have brilliantly found a way to carry around the thing you are best at. (And I use the word "best" loosely.) I am very jealous. What if painting was the thing I was best at? Would it be OK if I just started carrying around a canvas and an easel and then when girls said, "Do you know how to paint?" I could casually reply, "Oh, this thing? I guess I forgot I had it with me." Or maybe I was really good at pottery and could carry around a kiln and a wheel like in the movie Ghost. Because that's what you do. You pretend that you just happened to have the guitar with you. Like the whole thing was just accidental. I know it's not though. I know.

Your instrument isn't even in tune but that doesn't matter does it dude with the guitar? Because it's more about the image, not the music. And what really gets me is that you're going to play a song at youth Sunday this year and people are going to tell you that you should be a worship leader. Hearing that is going to make you start wearing product in your hair and rocking a white belt and when I walk to class at college you'll be sitting on the steps of our dorm with a girl that is way too pretty to talk to me singing, "How great is our God." And when she asks you, "Where did you learn to play like that?" You'll respond by saying, "I just listen to my heart." You are my archenemy dude with the guitar at camp.

I am going to steal your guitar and replace it with those big hand bells and the white gloves that handbellers (or is it just 'bellers') wear. Let's see how easy it is to get girls to go on dates to Outback Steakhouse when all you have to play is a gigantic bell.

What's Your Mission?

I wanted to post a blog from a guy named Traver Dougherty, who is part of Church Multiplication Associates. Very interesting! Please feel free to comment.
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Recently I attended the Sunday service of a church looking to be “missional.” Knowing my research interests, a key staff person spoke with me about a whip-bang event they’re planning, complete with free food and bounce houses for the kids. “We’re trying to reach out to the neighborhood,” she told me.

Although I didn’t mean to, I think my heart went numb. My simple question is this one: When will we come to understand that “missional” isn’t the next event, but the next breath, all that we are, used of God, led by the Spirit to usher in the Kingdom to any and all “dark” places? “You [not free food or bounce houses] are the light of the world” [Mt 5:14]. I tell you the truth, as long as we think in terms of events we’re sunk in the water.Does this mean bounce houses and hot dogs are off limits? Absolutely not. For example, my friend Scott Wilson makes use of his Big Red Bus appropriately; that is, he doesn’t see “Big Red” as a tool, but as a blessing. There’s a difference. Scott puts it this way, “We want to love people whether they ever love our God or not.” When we use tools, we manipulate. When we bless, we’re a blessing.In the end, motives will always find us out. And too often, when we “do” events, we’re looking for a “return,” thereby “objectifying” people. Instead, let’s be faithful to embody the gospel, sow the Word (often by sharing verbally), let God bring a harvest, and reap when the time is right.When it comes to missional, think nets, not hooks. Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of people” (Mt 4:19). Notice the imagery. Hooks are baited, attractional. Nets of relationships, however, are all-encompassing and those in the process of being “caught” are swept away in a torrent of love.
Now, with Jesus at the helm, let’s go throw our nets on the other side of the boat.

Create In Me A Clean Heart!

One of my friends from TX was just talking about Keith Green and it made me go to Youtube and watch the Keith Green story..Living in Tyler TX for 8 years, I often made the 10 minute trip north of the city to Garden Valley, to see the ministry sites of YWAM, Teen Mania, and Last Days Ministries, which I believe is Mercy Ships now. People like Leonard Ravenhill, Dave Wilkerson, Dallas Holm, and Keith Green all had ministry sites there.

After watching the Keith Green story I am reminded of his rawness and incredible ministry.. I say rawness because he presented the gospel as is... No bells or whistles... No sales pitch... Just Jesus! I was inspired because of where I am in ministry...Starting a new journey is exciting but I want it to be raw...Just Jesus! So my prayer is Lord, strip away everything that is not running torwards you..Let me think in terms of eternity and not time and to realize that No Compromise sometimes means No Compensation!

I posted segment 1 of the video from YouTube...You can watch the others from this page...