Money, Money, Money, Money

Warning, this is a hot topic!

Guess what percentage of people who claim to be "committed Christians" give to their church? It's amazing!

Barna Research, the respected "Christian" research firm shows that statistically, less than 10% of Christians support their church financially?

Quote: Less than half of the people who describe themselves as Christian also described themselves as "absolutely committed to the Christian faith." Less than one out of every ten regular attenders of Christian churches give 10% or more of their income - a "tithe" - to their church.

Is that weird, wrong, backwards...or is it just me?

Here's another quote from Barna: "Barna suggested that many Americans may have fallen in love with faith rather than the object of their faith. "It's much less demanding to be devoted to the idea of faith than to invest yourself in a true relationship with the living God. The data raise the question of just what people have become infatuated with: the idea of being a person of faith or the reality of having an intimate, growing relationship with Jesus Christ."

Actions speak louder than words. That's something you can take to the bank....it is always true.....so.....What do you think is going on?

What The Easter Bunny Is Missing!

The Easter Bunny thinks he is living large.....actually EB is missing a lot!

If Easter is just about candy eggs, gift baskets and marshmallow peeps, we're in trouble.



His last words on the cross tell me that Easter is about so much more.

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." That statement tells me that Jesus understands that before I found out about his unconditional love and forgiveness that I was blind to my own sin....and He accepts me, even though I was "sin-stupid."

"Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise." This statement tells me that there is a wonderful life beyond my last breath. There is a life after this....and He will be there to welcome me.....forever!

"It is finished." Now it's up to me....I have a choice to make. I can choose to love God or to continue loving only myself.

I hope you will choose Jesus Christ this Easter. For more info: FWC

What Is SIN?

That is an interesting question to ask....right?

Herer are some great responses!



So what do you think "SIN" is????

Congo Highways!

Yeah, this is it....real Congo roads...always an adventure!

I grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Miles from nowhere, you depended on your vehicle, your wits and often...prayer!

This is some safari footage from Congo, Brazaville, just across the Congo River from DRC where I grew up.....but the road conditions are very similar!!!

Enjoy the video....

Is the BIBLE.....RELIABLE??????

To answer this question, we must ask another.

What the Bible IS NOT.

1. The Bible is not a systematic theology book. The Bible was not written to communicate a set of beliefs or a cognitive framework for understanding God.

Matthew 5:17 “Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures— either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 38, 43

Even theological statements fall under the context of the relationships in the story.

2. The Bible is not a science book. The Bible was not written to explain the dinosaurs, the lost day in Joshua, or whether a day is a thousand years or a thousand years is a day, or the fossil record.

Even in the mention of natural/scientific/cosmological events, the point is about the created world’s relationship to God, about our relationship to creation, and most importantly, our relationship to God.

By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. Romans 1:20

3. The Bible is not a history book.
The Bible was not written to give a chronological account of the development of Ancient Near Eastern civilizations from 6000BC-2000AD, including the reigns of Rameses, Melchizedek, or the modern-day Bush Dynasty.

Even in the explanation of historical events, the point is about God connecting with mankind throughout history; the Bible was written to intersect history, not to record it.

4. The Bible is not simply a handbook for living.
The Bible was not written to give us a formulaic system of earning God’s favor, or developing seven habits of highly effective people, or Rx.

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard. Galatians 5:22

Even the ethical/moral teachings are rooted in a personal, dynamic relationship with the Living God.

SO WHAT IS THE BIBLE?????

1. The Bible Is a Plumb Line.
Amos 7:7-8 God showed me this vision: My Master was standing beside a wall. In his hand he held a plumb line. 8 God said to me, "What do you see, Amos?" I said, "A plumb line." Then my Master said, "Look what I've done. I've hung a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I've spared them for the last time. This is it!

2 Timothy 3:15b-16 There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way.

My responsibility is to stay connected to God –to follow Him – and not to skip the relationship and go for the religion.

2. The Bible Is a Love Story of God’s revelation to humanity.
“I believe God’s Word is His love letter to the human race.” C. S. Lewis

Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. Romans 15:4

SO IS THE BIBLE RELIABLE???

Yes, it’s reliable for why it exists. The Bible exists to connect me to God through a relationship with Jesus, as I begin to believe.

For more information: fwcag.com

Tony Dungy Talks About His Faith

Superbowl 41: The Race-ial Issue!

The big news about Superbowl 41....the commentary in all the newspapers.... online, the buzz on all the sports blogs, ....what people are talking about ......is the race of the Superbowl coaches!

Why?

It is a big deal. It is big news. It is a "FIRST."

BUT.......

In my view, the day that the coaches race is not mentioned will be a bigger FIRST, because on that day we will have arrived.....America will have become a place where the color of someones skin does not matter.

What do you think?

Why We Love Jack Bauer.

Thirty-three million people watched the season opener of 24.

Wade Hodges commented on his blog that some of us are Jackaholics.

Here is why he thinks Jack Bauer is so compelling to us:

1. Jack Bauer is always on mission. He has a purpose. He knows what it is and he let’s NOTHING get in his way.

2. Every minute of Jack’s life matters. Everything he does connects to a larger story. Jack can’t afford to waste even a minute of his day. His time is too important.

3. Jack is willing to make and has repeatedly made sacrifices for the mission. Jack’s therapist should be a millionaire by now after having helped him work through what can only be described as PTSD on steroids. Such is the cost of saving the world.

4. Jack gets to say and do things that in the deepest part of hearts we wish we could say and do. Jack’s best line from the premiere: "The only reason you’re still conscious is because I don’t want to carry you." What leader or parent hasn’t wanted to say that to someone at one time or another?

Is this the way ministry is supposed to be? What if we cared for people with this much tenacity?

Was Jesus a “Jackaholic” in a spiritual kind of way? Hmmmm.

Bauerisms!

Finding Nemo would have been vastly more exciting had Jack Bauer been looking for him.

"You don't know Jack" is a blessing among terrorists.

If everyone on "24" followed Jack Bauer's instructions, it would be called "12".

In kindergarten, Jack Bauer took down a terrorist for Show and Tell.

Jack Bauer can get McDonald's breakfast after 10:30.

When Jack Bauer was a child, he made his mother finish his vegetables.

Nobody says 'hit me' when Jack Bauer deals Blackjack.

Some people see the glass as half full. Others see it as half empty. Jack Bauer sees the glass as a deadly weapon.

Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.

When bad things happen to good people, its probably fate. When bad things happen to bad people, it’s probably Jack Bauer.

When the boogie man goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Jack Bauer.

Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.

It's no use crying over spilt milk ... unless that was Jack Bauer's milk. Then, you are dead!

When Jack Bauer ran out of ammo, he caught 3 bullets in his chest and used them to reload.

In 96 hours, Jack Bauer has saved the world 4 times. What have you done with your life?

I Asked God.....BUT God said NO!

I asked God to grant me patience......God said NO!
Patience is a byproduct of troubles; it isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness.......God said NO!
I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.....God said NO!
Suffering draws you away from secondary cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.....God said NO!
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitfull.

I asked God to give me everything I needed to enjoy life......God said NO!
I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me love people, as much as God loves me.
God said, ....."Ahhhhh, finally you have the idea.

I sometimes run into an attitude of entitlement with some Christians who feel that because they are "saved" or "born again" that God is now somehow required to "make" them happy, fix their broken relationships, or perform other "feats of greatness" in their lives.

It's a stark contrast to the spiritual life Jesus lived. He expected very little from his Father, and concentrated his life on serving people, often at a great personal inconvenience.

I see a life that lives to give, rather than the demanding, customer service oriented Christian life lived by some.

I'm not here to be "served" by Christ......I'm here to be a servant, to serve the Lord and people.

Maybe I finally "have the idea."