Tales From The Yellow Brick Road

Monday was January 28th. On January 28th something terrible happened. It was the culmination of many human errors, lack of judgment for those in leadership and a day that took my breath away. It was a day that an explosion rocked my world. I was just going about my normal routine when I saw something and got a sick cold feeling in my stomach.

On January 28th I experienced something that I never experienced before. It was a deep sense of loss. A profound shift in my way of viewing life here on this earth. A bone chilling realization that I was not in control. I was helpless to stop it and yet so desperate to do so. People that I didn’t know had conversations that I would never hear that determined my fate and the fate of others.

On January 28th I stood in unity with my friends as well all experienced the shock and horror of the situation. The loss of words, the dryness of the mouth, the lump in our throats and the pain in our chest as we saw something explode. It was something we couldn’t prepare for, and yet, it was something we all knew could one day happen. Should it really have caught us by surprise?

On January 28th, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded… and I’ve never been the same since. January 28th, has always been a solemn, somber day for me and this year was no different. It was a hard day remembering what it was like to be a little 6 year-old kid and see people explode right there on television. This was no cartoon it was REAL… I had watched them wave goodbye and get on the shuttle. And I knew the instant it exploded, that they were all gone forever. Later I would watch as the President comforted me and the entire nation. I felt comforted as he spoke about them touching the face of God. I believed in God and knew He loved people. I hoped that He had taken care of them when they died. And then I began to wonder what would happen when I died…

*This is a series of posts leading up to how I became a Christian.

Well it has been a long first week here at school. There hasn’t been as much syllabus shock for me… I knew I was in for a tough ride this semester. It’s all boiling down to this:

-18 Units

-School Play

-Announcing For Baseball

-Communications Department Newsletter

I’ll go into more details about some of those as the weeks go on but for now all you need to know is that I am going to be a busy guy…

Follow Me: Session 5
Dr. David Wells
“The Character Of Authentic Discipleship”
Titus 2:11-14

Dr. David Wells is an amazing theologian. He is way smarter then I will ever be… ever! Tonight’s message was one that was defiantly on another level of thinking way above mine. Sorry for the vague intro but here is what I could get down for notes.

Notes:

4 Consequences Of Moving Out Of A Moral World

1. We have moved from thinking about virtues to thinking about values.
2. We have moved from thiking about character to thiking about personality.
3. We have moved from thiking about human nature to self.
4. We have moved from guilt to shame.

Why Should We Do What Is Right?

Because of the two comings of Christ:
1. The Grace of God that has appeared
2. The Glory of God that will appear

This concludes the Truth And Life Conference Recap 

Follow Me: Session 4
Dr. James MacDonald
“The Compassionate Nature Of Discipleship”
Hebrews 12:5-17

My friend and I developed a saying about certain chapel messages that left us feeling like we had been taken out behind the woodshed by God. Today we both agreed this was one of those messages… especially for me

Notes:

“The Downward Spiral Of Refusing The Lord’s Discipline”

Introduction (Hebrews 12:5-11)

1. The Lord’s discipline can lead to discouragement (Hebrews 12:12-13a)
-Our response to God’s discipline should be, “I want to learn what God is trying to teach me.”
-Our response to God’s discipline should not be denial or finger-pointing

2. Discouragement leads to dislocation (Hebrews 12:13b-14)

3. Dislocation leads to bitterness (Hebrews 12:15; cf: Deuteronomy 29:18-19)
You can’t just white-knuckle it or lay down

4. Bitterness leads to profane living (Hebrews 12:16)

5. Profane living leads to disqualification (Hebrews 12:17)

The ultimate goal of discipline is holiness.

-Dr. James MacDonald

Follow Me: Session 3
Dr. James MacDonald
“The Cross-cultural Value Of Discipleship”
Acts 18:24-19:41

Dr. James MacDonald is a great speaker. He speaks passionately and is very easy to understand. He also was very opinionated. I can honestly say things that boiled down to his opion I didn’t always agree with, but the way he taught the scriptures was rock solid.

Notes:

“The Power Of Living For A Mission: Confronting Culture”

1. Jesus conquers sincere religiosity (Acts 18:24-19:6)

2. Jesus conquers stubborn unbelief (Acts 19:7-10)

3. Jesus conquers satanic strongholds (Acts 19:11-20)
Examples of satanic strongholds:
-Repeated Sin
-Unforgiveness
-Fleshly Entertainment

4. Jesus conquers shallow secularism (Acts 19:21-41)

The messenger is nothing… the message is everything.

-Dr. James MacDonald

Follow Me: Seminar Session
Professor Grant Horner
“Living As A Disciple In A Fallen Creative Culture”
This was more of an open forum Q&A with one of my favorite professors. Here are a few of the questions asked and a brief summary of his answers.

Notes:

Q: Should we imitate or copy pop-culture as art in the chruch or should we be original?
A: The goal should always be to honor God. Sometimes original art is impossible because you have artists in the church that are not capable of being original.

Q: What is your position on Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)?
A: The Bible does not speak directly about style but it does speak against legalism. The problem is when Christians get together to force their opinion and conscience on others. The rule is to charity: give up your right to use CCM if it will offend others.

Q: How much of human nature is appropriate to show in a screenplay or film?
A: A narrative story must always turn on conflict otherwise it’s boring. You will always have something like good vs. evil; right vs. wrong; justice vs. injustice. As a result human nature will show itself in those conflicts. There is no set rule except that it should honor God and not profane the work of Christ.

Q: Are Christians free to colaborate with non-believers in a creative endeavor?
A: Yes, in fact we are suppose to be doing those types of things. We can’t sit in a safe little bubble with a megaphone and say, “Hey have you heard about Jesus?!” But the trouble comes when the project goes in a direction that dishonors God and if you can’t resolve things then you have to walk away. There is a cost sometimes.

Follow Me: Session 2
Dr. David Wells
“The Cross-cultural Impact Of Discipleship”
John 20:19-23

Dr. David Wells brought a highly intellectual message that reminded made me admire guys that have poured decades of their lives into theology not just for themselves but to teach others. His speaking style may have been dry for some but I’m kind of nerdy and was able to keep up most of the time.

Notes:

1. An Abiding Truth: The Holy Spirit plays a unique role in revealing God

2. An Abiding Challenge: We are sent as Jesus is sent
-He took our humanity
-He passed through our experiences
-He struggled with temptation

A friend of mine once said, “It’s easy to make converts but it’s hard to make disciples.” I say you can’t be a convert unless you are a disciple.

-Dr. David Wells

Follow Me: Session 1
Dr. John MacArthur
“The Costly Nature Of Discipleship”
John 15:14-15

It was nice to have our President John MacArthur at the helm for this opening message. It was certainly one of the best I’ve heard him preach. What was unique about this sermon was that it only had two points. But in those two points he defined the terms he was using as well as the Greek historcial significance to the words he was using.

Notes:

1. Jesus Is Lord
Lord in Greek: Kurios
Synonymn: Master. Master in Greek: Despotes

2. Christians Are Slaves
Slave in Greek: Doulas
Most Bibles do not correctly translate the word Doulas. When it refers a Christian’s status with God it should always be translated slave. If you lessen the meaning of slave you lessen the meaning of Lord.

The Gospel is not a “feel-good” message… it’s an invitation to slavery.

-John MacArthur

The Truth And Life Conference at TMC has begun. My next few posts will be some brief recaps from the various sessions and seminars that I will be attending.

Truth And Life Conference
January 16th-18th, 2008

Speakers
Dr. John MacArthur
Dr. David Wells
Dr. James MacDonald

Musical Worship
Keith And Kristyn Getty

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to visit RockHarbor Church in Costa Mesa, CA. This wasn’t my first visit but RockHarbor has developed quite a bit since 2003. Back in the day RockHarbor was doing something that other churches couldn’t do… they were appealing to the young adults. Back in the day a new generation called GenX was coming of age of course that became the beginning of what is known now as the Postmodern movement. RockHarbor was able to attract this crowd because they understood the fundamental differences between the old way of doing church and the new way of doing church. Perhaps what made RockHarbor most effective was that they were not afraid to change the method but they were not ashamed of the message.

With that brief history out of the way my experience at RockHarbor was pretty good. They have a great parking system set up in their little neck of the industrial complex and the cones and traffic directors make it easy to find your way to a spot. I got there about 10 minutes before the service (later then I wanted) so I had to walk about a block and seating inside their facility was packed. I didn’t mind walking or sitting in the back because walking is good for me and because sitting someplace you don’t usually sit can sometimes give you a different perspective.

The musical worship was energetic and the announcements were brief but relevant. The message was preached by a young guy named Jared Herd. His style of teaching is very casual but the content was anything but shallow. He covered Ephesians 4:17-5:4 pretty well for the time he used. I know some preachers like to preach a lot and some realize that no matter how interesting your topic is 2 hours is just toooo long! The service concluded with communion and a great closing set of worship songs, some of which were new to me.

If I was living in that area RockHarbor would easily be a church I could call home. They are supportive of art in the church, being relevant with culture and unashamed in preaching the true gospel.

I wanted to share an excerpt from a speech I heard recently:

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we’ve been told that we’re not ready, or that we shouldn’t try, or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

Yes we can.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

And so tomorrow, as we take this campaign South and West; as we learn that the struggles of the textile worker in Spartanburg are not so different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America’s story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea

Yes…

We…

Can…

-Barack Obama January 8th, 2008, New Hampshire.

I don’t care what your political affiliation is or what person you think should be the next president. That speech is the kind of speech that brings tears to my eyes. That is the kind of speech that gives me hope that things can change. That is the kind of speech I want to write for someone someday.

And any time I’m tempted to give in, or quit or turn away from the path that I know is right… I’m going to remember this speech. I’m going to remember this speech and add to it the original thought from the scriptures that I love so much…

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

-Hebrews 12:1-3 (Emphasis Added)

I’m sure the author here was familiar with Isaiah 40

28Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

-Isaiah 40:28-31 (Emphasis Added)

These past few months have been very difficult for many reasons. God has seen fit to allow The Accuser to persecute me in unbelievable ways. I must admit I have had a hard time standing up under these trials. For many years I’ve had James Chapter 1 memorized where James writes concerning trials and wisdom. I have been overwhelmed by one and lacking the other.

I hope that those of you who read my blog (whether it be friend or foe) will take a minute to remember that I am only a human. I am an imperfect human struggling to be free of sin. Over the next few months I know that my life will be radically changing and I know that as a result I will be less Christ-like than I should be. I know that I will not be able to treat all of you in a manner that best honors our friendship, nor in a manner that best honors Christ. I know that the stress and the strain will get to me on some days and I will be tempted and fall.

But can we get through it?

Yes we can… with God’s help…

What will you say when I ask you to stand beside me even though you’ve heard terrible things about me that are not true?

Yes I can… with God’s help…

What will you believe when you’re ready to give up on me?

Yes he can… with God’s help…

And someday when I’m gone and you are asked if I glorified God in the face of persecution I hope you will say:

Yes he did… with God’s help…

Sorry for the harsh language but I am finally rid of a group of people that have made my life miserable. Who are these people you might ask? They are the (sarcastic) “friendly helpful staff” of Network Solutions. Last year you may remember when my blog went down I reformatted the whole look and had a major disaster getting back up and running and having all of my files from 2007 lost because of a mistake on Network Solution’s Part.

Well now I have switched over to a new company and have basically got a year free of hosting from them. Who are these people you might ask? They are the (honestly) friendly helpful staff of Netfirms. They have offered me a much bigger hosting package at half of what I was paying with those reprobates at NS. So far I am very impressed with their customer service and I am equally impressed with their features and control panel. I can now breath a sigh of relief and I go about my day worry free that my web site will be deleted.