So here goes…

MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED!

After what seems like a million years my sister and her boyfriend are now engaged to be married! This guy called to ask my permission and before he even had the words out of his mouth I said yes and gave my enthusiastic blessing! God has done amazing things in their relationship and it is so evident that He is the center of their lives both as individuals and as a couple. I am so excited for the both of them and can’t wait to help make their wedding an amazing day!

I AM GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!

After what also seems like a million years I will now be back on the path to finish my BA Degree in Communications. I have enrolled at Regent University in Virginia via their Online Campus. As many of you know I made a promise to my Mom before she was ushered into the Loving Arms of Jesus that no matter what happened with her that I would finish my degree. One of my core requirements for this to happen was not to go into any additional debt. Through my current employer I will likely qualify for full tuition reimbursement for almost all of my classes. I am so grateful for the Lord’s provision to make that promise to my Mom a reality!

DNR MUSIC HAS BEEN “REVIVED”!

Some of you may not know but back in 2004 I and a few friends got together for the purposes of creating, playing and producing music. We called ourselves “DNR” standing for “Do Not Revive” tying into the idea that this earth is not our home and that ultimately that if faced with the decision to be “revived” into our frail earthly body or to be with Jesus forever the choice would be “Do Not Revive”. That being said, over the past few months I have been rearranging and reproducing our songs to finally put together a record to be release sometime at the beginning of next year. In the midst of that I have also teamed up the Rachel Hayes to help her produce a demo record to be release in October. Not only is she blessed with mountains of talent but she is like minded in being a light and missionary in the mainstream music industry.

I AM OFFICIALLY PART OF ANOTHER CHURCH PLANT!

In September of 2008 I started meeting with a guy named Mike Mixon. At the time he was the leader of a small group from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. After meeting with him for a while for Biblical Council and Discipleship, he invited me to be a part of his small group. On Wednesday nights we’d get together with about 10 other people in his cramped one bedroom apartment that he and his VERY pregnant wife were renting and on Sunday’s we’d trek out to Simi Valley to worship with the rest of Cornerstone. Around this same time Cornerstone was rethinking the difference between “going to church” and “being the church”. It took a while but eventually Mike and the Elders at Cornerstone realized that our group could better serve and worship Jesus and serve and love our community if we met as a church where we all lived and worked. To make a long story short we went from that small group of 10 people in a living room to a larger group of 50-60 people meeting in a small drama theater in the heart of Burbank each Sunday to raise the volume of praise in our city and in the world. And so a few weeks ago we officially became City Life Church Burbank. Right now I have the privilege of serving each and every Sunday on the Audio/Video Team and occasionally on the Musical Worship Team. When I first talked with Mike almost 3 years ago I never imagined that I would be doing either of those things much less be part of something as exciting as a church plant.

Well that about wraps up the updates thus far. There are a few more things on the horizon that may be update worthy but until they are here and finalized I’ll leave you all with this passage that has been crushing my fears and raising my hopes.

“10And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. 12And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. 17And Job died, an old man, and full of days.” Job 42:10-17 (ESV)

Grief has has paid an unwelcome and unexpected visit…

These past few years May, June and July have been tough months but going forward it seems they will be tougher. The grief that has now visited the lives of others in close proximity to me is the same grief that I thought I had won over and my heart is heavy.

My heart is heavy because grief steals and shakes your confidence. My heart is heavy because grief is long lasting and ironically never truly dies. My heart is heavy because it doesn’t take much to remember the grief that stopped my life for a time and now it has stopped the lives of others whom I love and care about. The stabbing sensation just above your stomach and below your chest that produces sobs of anguish and emotional upheaval has now made it’s entrance into the hearts of dear friends and I hurt for them.

Thankfully God has constantly reminded me that Jesus wasn’t immune from grief and sorrow. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (ESV emphasis mine). When Lazarus died Jesus wept. The Garden of Gethsemane was no picnic either. Jesus literally bled with grief and sorrow that night. I take comfort in the fact that our Saviour and the one who set the example for us in this race that we call life, did not ignore His grief, condemn His grief or live for His grief.

What a loving and gracious God to send us His Son to set the example that grief is okay and is a part of life here on this broken, messy and jacked up earth. God could have said grief was a sin and then where would be? Instead, He allowed Lazarus to die in order to bring glory to Himself through His Son Jesus’s grief.

I can rest in Jesus, trust Jesus, love Jesus and serve Jesus during my grief knowing that “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV) and knowing that The Father and the Son both grieved over that event.

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You Are The Light
Tom Fettke

You are the Light we see.
You are the Truth we know.
You are the Life we live.
You are the Hope,
You are the Joy,
You are the Song we sing.

Living God
Loving God we glorify your name
High and Holy One come down
We lift our hearts in praise
Prince of Peace, Emmanuel
Jesus Lord of love

Within our hearts Your light.
Within our minds Your truth.
Within our lives Your love.
Living Your hope,
Spreading Your joy,
Singing Your beautiful song.

———————————–

You Are The Light – MP3 Recording

For a full description of the plan, as well as guide to get started you can visit the following links:

Prof. Horner’s Bible-Reading System Facebook Group
Prof. Horner’s Bible-Reading System PDF Download

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Day 1 Reading Plan

Old Testament
Genesis 1
Joshua 1
Job 1
Psalms 1
Proverbs 1
Isaiah 1

New Testament
Matthew 1
Acts 1
Romans 1
1 Thessalonians 1

Notes:

• “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2 ESV) – It doesn’t get any clearer then that… God created it all and was around from the beginning of the beginning.
• “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31 ESV) – God did in in six days… period!
• “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.” (Joshua 1:5-6 ESV) – Wow! God is promising a lot here! The best part is He will fulfill it all!
• “And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses!” (Joshua 1:16-17 ESV) – Wow! The PEOPLE are promising a lot too… too bad they don’t fulfill it… yet God is faithful!
• Job 1:1-5 – Gee whiz! Sounds like a great life!
• “And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”” (Job 1:8 ESV) – This verse is troubling… God is the one who suggests Job as an example. It’s not as if Satan said, “Hey what about that guy?” I don’t think I realized that before.
• Job 1:13-19 – Job faces several types of calamity: Man-Made Disasters, Natural Disasters and Man-Made Evil.
• “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”” (Job 1:20-21 ESV) – I still don’t understand these verses. What was it inside of Job that allowed him to worship, even after he lost so much? After the evil, the accidents and the loss of family he still worships God?
• “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” (Psalms 1:1 ESV) – The word for “wicked” in Hebrew is most often used in Psalms (92 times), Proverbs (85 times) and ironically Job (40 times). It’ll be interesting to see how wickedness plays such a big role in these books.
• Proverbs 1:1-7 – So it’s obvious that wisdom is an important attribute and characteristic to pursue and to even pray for (cf. James 1:5).
• “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” (Proverbs 1:8-9 ESV) – What an interesting description of the relationship between parents and children. Does this mean I look good when I do when I listen to their teaching?
• Proverbs 1:23-32 – It’s not only stupid not to listen to wisdom but it’s downright hazardous to your health! The consequences for ignoring wisdom are pretty steep and pretty heavy.
• “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”” (Isaiah 1:3 ESV) – Is God saying that His people are dumber than oxen and donkeys? How sad is that?
• ““What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.” (Isaiah 1:11 ESV) – God is saying, “It’s over!” God still loves them, but their sacrifices are worthless because their hearts are far from Him.
• Isaiah 1:12-15 – The system that God has set up is no longer valid because of Israel’s sin!
• “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:16-17 ESV) – God provides the solution to the problem and tell Israel EXACTLY what their sins are. Verse 17 is especially significant in light of Micah 6:8.
• Isaiah 1:21-23 – God explains that the city has become like an unfaithful wife… a whore. (Strong language!)
• Isaiah 1:24-31 – God explains how He will wreck the city as well as restore the city. God is specific and resolute. It will be done!
• Matthew 1:1-16 – For list of what all these names mean download This PDF of the Matthew Genealogy Name List (COMING SOON!)
• “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19 ESV) – This verse perhaps gives us the best glimpse of the quality of Joseph’s character. A “just man” that didn’t want to publically shame Mary. Most men these days are NOT this gracious. In fact, it seems that this could have been the big scandal that sold dozens of newspaprysus.
• Matthew 1:22-23 – Prophecy was a big deal to the Jews that were reading this. It should still be a big deal to us today!
• Acts 1:1-11 – These opening moments in Acts are really dependant on the end of the Gospels. I think my favorite verse in this section is verse 11 “… “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:11 ESV)
• “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:14 ESV) – The phrases “with one accord” and “devoting themselves” appear together many times in the book of Acts. What a picture of unity, perseverance (stole that from the Greek word for devotion: proskarterountes) and sticking together no matter what the situation. The fact that the early believers were also devoted to prayer should be a big deal to the chruch today as well. In fact, it should be a bigger deal for me.
• Acts 1:15-26 – Choosing a replacement for Judas Iscariot seemed like a pretty orderly process. The Bible doesn’t mention a fight between the nominating committee, the pulpit committee and ladies luncheon committee that all had different ideas of the who the replacement should be. Instead they all came together and did the right thing by praying and allow the Lord to run the process. What a great example!
• “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” (Romans 1:1 ESV) – I will never forget the Truth And Life Conference from 2007 where Dr. John MacArthur made an astonishing assertion that when we saw the word “servant” in the Bible it really meant “slave” (Greek word doulas).
• Romans 1:8-14 – Paul expresses just how much the Roman church means to him. His words are filled with both love and admiration for them.
• “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV) – Paul, who was beaten and eventually killed for the Gospel, was a shining example of what it means to not be ashamed of the Gospel. The Gospel contains the power to save and also reveals God’s righteousness. There is so much that is very important in these few verses!
• “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thessalonians 1:2-3 ESV) – These are kind words considering the reception and the controversy their visit to Thessalonica caused (cf. Acts 17:1-9). I have to be honest and say that it is incredibly hard to continually give thanks and constantly pray. But the Gospel is stronger and produces a “steadfast hope” that is transforming.
• “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” (1Thessalonians 1:6-7 ESV) – The contagiousness and the attractiveness of the Gospel here is very evident. Paul and his crew were changed by the Gospel and became witnesses for the Gospel. As a result, The Thessalonians saw how Paul and his crew reacted under pressure and when persecuted and realized that they were the real deal. So the Thessalonians are changed by the Gospel and then turn around and modle the Gospel for others. I think the church should learn a little something from this!

Truth And Life Conference 2009
Living In A Broken World: Suffering In The Life Of A Believer
The Master’s College

Session 1: Seeing The Sovereignty Of God In Our Suffering
Dr. John MacArthur

Four Thoughts On Evil

1. Evil Exists
   • Natural Evil – Disasters
   • Moral Evil – Personal
   • Supernatural Evil – Demonic
   • Eternal Evil – Hell
2. God Exists
   • God Is Sovereign
   • God Rules Over Everything
   • God Is Responsible For Everything
3. God Wills Evil To Exist
   • Process Theology
   • Openness Theology
   • Metaphysical Argument
   • Autonomous Argument
4. God Wills Evil For His Own Glory
   • Romans 3:5
   • Romans 5:8
   • Romans 9:19-23
   • Job 38-40

Best Rhetorical Question
Would you rather have a God that is trying to get a hold of evil or is already in control of evil?

Best Thoughts
1.    The greats evil of all was perpetrated on Christ for the purpose of glorifying God.
2.    When God came to earth in human form He could have chosen many ways to reveal His glory. Of all the methods He could have chosen, He chose compassion. He opened people’s ears to hear, He resorted people’s sight and He even raised them from the dead. God’s miracles were by nature compassionate.

Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I finished my last final this morning around 8:30am. Instead of celebrating with my friends, I packed most of my stuff in my car and drove 50 miles south to Green Hills Cemetery to be with the friends and family of my dear friend Alese Coco. Today marks one year since she passed away from complications due to Hodgkin’s Disease.

I am still bothered by the fact that she was so young, had so much that she could have done, and yet people tell me that “God chose” to take her home to be with Him instead. Right now, I think that was pretty selfish of Him.

I wanted to have more time with Alese. I wanted to sit in front of the TV with Alese and imitate our favorite characters. I wanted to go to a restaurant and instead of waiting 2 hours like everyone else, waiting 2 minutes while Alese sweet talked her way to the best seat in the house. I wanted to have another laugh-so-hard-you-cry moment with Alese as we both made disparaging comments about each other’s style of clothing at almost the exact same time. There were many more moments that I wanted to have with this girl who made me feel like I was her big brother and she was my little sister.

Which is something that haunts me all the time. You see Alese and my sister were born the same year just a few weeks apart. It’s hard to think about Alese because I realize that it was only by “God’s sovereignty” that it is Alese instead of my sister in the grave. That could have been me and my family out there today, marking one year since we lost someone we love. In fact, with the way things are going with my Mom’s condition, it may be us standing by the grave of a loved one sooner then we’d like. It may be us, listening as a Pastor preaches on the “storms of life” and insists that there is a moment when “the sun bursts through the clouds” and there is a happy ending. It may be us listening to the sound of worship songs being sung through tears of sorrow and pain. It may be us that look toward heaven and ask, why couldn’t we have had one more day, one more month, one more year… one more lifetime.

Today has been another hard day, and right now, I’m not sure why I’m gonna get up tomorrow.

But I will get up tomorrow. And I’ll hug and kiss my Mom. And I will will do everything in my power to stand beside her and help her Fight2Win. From here on out, it may be the only thing that keeps me going.

Links:

AleseCoco.org (Alese’s homepage and journal)

Fight2Win.org (launched today in order to fund a cure to fight and win the battle against Hodgkin’s Disease)

DeborahAmes.org (my Mom’s homepage and journal)

Dravn Training

Click here to view the embedded video.

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A Day On The Lake

Click here to view the embedded video.

Just to let you know, the semester recap won’t be for a while. I have some work that I’ll be finishing the next few weeks even though finals are next week. Obviously because of the extenuating circumstances it has been impossible for me to complete all my work this semseter. For two of my classes I will be turning in work after finals are over, which will adjust my grades accordingly. All of my professors this year have been very gracious and very supportive as I have wrestled through some tough times.

I have two finals next week. I have plenty of time to study for both and should be able to do pretty well on one, and do well enough on the other. I will not be putting off making the necessary flash cards and study guides. This weekend I will be very dilligent and dedicated to allowing these finals to be a good experience.

Here is a link to a recording* that was done for the TV Show “Life” on NBC. It only has the first and last verse but it’s a great version and a very pretty voice.

“Sweet Hour Of Prayer”
Words: William Walford

Music: William B. Bradbury

-

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father’s throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

-

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

-

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I’ll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

*LINK FIXED

Wow this year has gone by quick! There are about 20 days left until this semester is officially over. Of course, this time of year the weather is nicer and folks are anxious to be free from the burden of reading, papers and projects. For me personally this semester has had its ups and downs, highs and lows, triumphs and trials. But overall, my classes have been great, and once again I have proved to myself that this school thing isn’t just about getting good grades. That it’s about growing and learning how to keep growing for the rest of your life.

Registration for next year has already been going on for a few weeks and I’m still putting the finishing touches on what classes I’ll be conquering next semester. A few of the faculty here are trying to rope me into their classes and although it would be fun to take them, I can only be in so many places at once. Among the potential classes I will be taking next year are Poetry, US Church History and Christianity And Film. If my schedule allows, and I don’t have to take more than 18 units, then I’ll give them a whirl.

Also, next year holds many changes for the campus as a whole, as well as for me personally. In campus-wide news the two off-campus dorms for guys are closing down, which means those guys will be living on campus next year. I know it is a big change for them, and most of them are a little disappointed that they are loosing some of their freedoms. For those of us on campus, things are going to be quite cozy around here since we’ll need to make way for 60+ guys.

For me personally I have accepted a position on Servant Leadership Staff as the Media Production Assistant for Chapel Media. For those of you who don’t know, Chapel Media is not only responsible for all the media shown in Chapel, but they are a team of Master Story Tellers. From weeks before the first new students arrives right up through finals week these guys keep busy taking videos and pictures to record God’s work in and through this campus. They are at almost every event doing their best to leave their digital mark on future generations. And now they have added one more weapon to the team!

Okay so I don’t think being at TMC is a rat race, but I do think that there is a certain feeling you get when, after a break, like Spring Break, which was las week, you realize that you are going back to the same dorm, the same room, the same friends, the same classes and the same daily routine and it all makes you feel like your just getting back on a spinning wheel.

I suppose that one of the major differences between us and rats is that our race is going somewhere. We have a goal in mind and prize to work for. Oh sure the guys in white coats dangle food in front of a rat to get going but God is no scientist conducting some experiment (any homeschooler here will tell you that God and science are incompatible ). God has laid out a race for us to run with patience.

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 (ESV)

I recently re-listened to a message I heard at the Truth And Life Conference a little over a year ago. It was entitled, “Fixing Our Eyes On The Cross” and it was preached by Dr. Art Azurdia from Western Seminary. It was encouraging after a long week of working through some tough family issues, to be reminded of three things I must do in order run the race well.

1. Listen to the testimony of those that have already run the race.

In order to do this I have to read my Bible and listen to the testimony of those who ran the race. Abraham, Joseph, Phinehas, Rahab and Ruth or some of my favorites in the Old Testament.

2. Divest yourself of everything that hinders you from running the race.

In order to this I must be mindful of the things that are holding me back and weighing me down from running the race most effectively. There is a long list of things that can hinder me and weigh me down, and not all of them are overtly sinful.

3. Focus on Jesus Christ who ran his race perfectly.

I cannot spend my time focusing or fixing my gaze on anything except The One who ran His race in complete perfection. He stands at the finish line, calling me to endure, to run well and most importantly… to finish. The sidelines are filled with those that have stopped running and have failed to complete the race and my focus must not be on them.

Today I’m on set all day doing green-screen work. I’m the DP for this project which is super cool and a whole lot of fun. This project is a product of our Video Production 2 class however I am not the director. Last semester we each were the director for our own project. This semester we all have to work as a team, each of us with our own responsibilities. We have a great crew in this class which is a relief. Last semester the class had a lot of first-timers and so I had to make sure I grabbed the more experienced people first. This semester the pressure is different but it’s still there. This time, if I screw up, someone else is screwed up too.

I have a huge test today, a huge quiz Wednesday and all for the same class! I’ve been studying non-stop for 2 days after the teacher put the fear of the Lord in us on Friday with his warning.

I also have a paper I’m working on that is past due and I just can’t seem to get the silly thing done. Spring Break is next week and there is a lot to be done before I go home to spend some much needed time with the family.

Anyways, I’m sitting here in the gym waiting for chapel to start so I guess I’ll look at me flash cards one more time.

—–

2:34pm – Here is a picture of the crowd. (I need to clean my iPhone!)

Our director told us we are half full which is pretty good for a matinee.

—–

3:06pm – OH MY GOSH! Our understudy for Algernon is OUT OF CONTROL! He is HILARIOUS! He is ad-libbing so much that if he keeps it up we may have to change the end of the play! I hope I can keep up with him! This crowd is picking up a lot of the subtle jokes as well. They’re laughing at parts that no other audience has laughed at before.

—–

3:39pm – My matinée curse is still strong… I had a bit of a melt down with my lines but fortunately the other person on stage covered for me. I hate it when that happens cause it zaps the energy and gets ya scared instead of relaxed and having fun. I think what happened was I looked at the audience and lost my concentration. Looking at the audience is about the same as looking down from a tall building if you are scared of heights. It disorients you and reminds you of what’s at stake if you screw up even a little.
—–

4:43pm – The matinée is over and I made it through the rest of the show without anymore line flubs. Glad those got worked out now instead of tonight.

—–

7:25pm – Well I had a wonderful birthday dinner with my Mom and Dad at Claim Jumper. The only problem was our waitress was… S L O W… She took forever to bring us our meal. I was suppose to be back by 6:45pm but didn’t make it back until 7:00pm. Oh well. I’m back, we’re pumped and ready to get this show on the road! We are sold out and there are still people trying to pay at the door for tickets we don’t have!!!

—–

8:48pm – Act 1 is over and so far so good! The energy was great the crowd is very responsive. It took them a while but they’re warmed up now.

—–

9:14pm – YES!!!! That was by far the biggest laugh I have gotten so far! Of course I was waaaay over the top but still, the crowd was roaring! I can’t believe this is the last time I get to do this…

—–

10:47pm – Well it’s all over… what a run of performances for this team. Everyone from the stage crew to the cast was so fun to work with. What a breath of fresh air from my High School days. I am so thankful to God that I had the opportunity to be a part of this.

—–

8:30pm – First Act is almost over! Here is a picture of Lady Bracknell giving Mr. Worthing the third degree…

—–

9:06pm – THAT WAS AWESOME! I got a big laugh and slight applause on my first entrance! They are never ready for my ridiculousness! It so cool to hear people laughing and enjoying themselves. I have some down time before my next section so I’ll see if I can get some research done for a project.

—–

9:53pm – Another great night! This crowd was the best ever! They laughed at parts that the last night’s audience missed! I found out we had about 15 seats left which is still almost a sold out crowd. Well I am going to get some much needed sleep… got two shows tomorrow and I gotta keep the energy up!

Well gotta go… time for company call… I’m going to be sharing a verse tonight.

36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
-Romans 11:36

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8:09pm – It’s On! Professor Horner is doing the intro!

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8:42pm – Intermission! The crowd was eating it up. I’m not in the first act and I can’t wait to get out there!

—–

9:11pm – My first section went well! I have a long break and then my ridiculous part begins!

—–

9:24pm – Getting ready to go on for the second part. The audience is NOT ready for this!!! I’m on for the rest of the play so I’ll give you the wrap up once it’s all over.

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10:30pm – Wow! What a great first night! I found out that we only had six seats left at the end of the night! What a great way to start this series of performances. Our Director was so happy and so proud of us. A lot of the guys on my wing came tonight. It was great to feel so supported. Several of my professors came up to me afterwards to let me know that they had a great time seeing me make a complete fool out of myself… even more of a fool than usual that is!

After a 10 year absence from the theater I am once again in a play.

The Importance Of Being Earnest was written by Oscar Wilde and has been made into several movie versions. It is a pretty funny play and I am lucky enough to have a minor role. I am playing Dr. Canon Chasuble, a priest who’s interests lie not just in studying the Good Book but in the fair haired Miss Laetitia Prism.

I have had so much fun preparing for this role and working alongside some very talented actors. Our Director, Tricia Hulet, is (to use one of her words) fabulous! Not only have I had the opportunity to play a part, but I’ve also been helping out with the graphic design as well. I made the above poster and will be helping out with the program as well.

If you’re in the Santa Clarita area, and would like to see the play, call the number on the poster above and order your tickets soon!

-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 historical significance to the words he was using.

Notes:

1. Jesus Is Lord
Lord in Greek: Kurios
Synonym: 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

Well it’s finally time for the Semester Recap! What follows is a list of each class that I took as well as my grade and my experience in the class. I will also brag about how awesome my teachers were. Here goes…

-

B201 – New Testament Survey 1
Dr. Daniel Wong
Tuesday 6:30pm-9:30pm
Grade: A

When I first met Dr. Wong I thought he was the most Christ-like man I had ever met! He was so loving and kind to our rather large class. I know he didn’t always have time to give each and every student one-on-one time but I know he did his best on our behalf. He constantly reminded us how much he loved us as students as well as how much God loved us as well. This class consisted of reading Matthew through Acts and writing synthesis on groups of chapters in each. We also outlined Matthew Chapter 1-7. I had the privilege of leading musical worship each week after the break. It was a blessing and a privilege to do so.

-

BMS383 – Religions Of America
Dr. Brian Morley
Monday/Wednesday 3:30pm-4:55pm
Grade: A-

This was a class on cults that had their start in America such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Scientists and more. We also briefly looked at the spread of Islam in America as well. Since this class was an elective the format was very informal and I enjoyed that a lot. Dr. Morley is very knowledgeable on many subjects and I hope to have him for future classes. I had the opportunity of writing a rather significant term paper on Mormons and Media which Dr. Morley thought was worth looking into publishing.

-

C211 – Intro To Mass Communications
Professor Dave Tuck
Wednesday 6:30pm-9:30pm
Grade: A

This class was a broad overview of the development and progression of various types of media from the beginning of recorded history. We looked at print, radio, television, film and internet and did various projects that related to each. I think my favorite project was the radio project. I got 3 minutes to create and perform an original radio broadcast including a commercial! It was an awesome experience and I hope to come into contact with radio more often in the future.

-

C311 – Video Production 1
Professor Jesse Negron
Monday 6:30pm-9:30pm
Grade: A

This class was a lot of fun to do. I got to use a Hummer H2 for free for a day, got to work with and awesome crew and had the privilege of helping other students in the class that had no experience in producing videos. I got to be the Director of Photography for four different projects and trust me, it was a lot of fun. I think what I most appreciated about this class was our teacher. Jesse is a pro and has a lot of Hollywood experience. He’s got all kinds of experience and connection in “the biz” and knows what it takes to make it there.

-

C351 – Creative Writing
Dr. Jack Simons
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 10:40am-11:35am
Grade: A

This was probably the funnest class I had all semester. I got to write two short stories that Dr. Simons liked and had a fun time in the class learning what it takes to write creatively. This was not an easy class and Dr. Simons expected a lot out of his students. But despite the workload, I couldn’t help but look forward to a boisterous discussion each class period as well as amazing insight into life in general.

-

Okay so you may be wondering, “Gee 4 “A’s” and 1 “A-” why is the GPA only 3.283? That is because I also have another class on my transcript that is counting for this semester. That class is World History 1 and I signed up to take the class as a Directed Study, meaning I was suppose to do it on my own time during the Summer however, this summer was filled with tons of work, a triple internship that just about killed me plus dealing with my Mom’s illness. Needless to say I didn’t get the class done and right now it is an “F” on my transcript. However my teacher may be able to change my grade and give me some credit if I turn the work into him sometime soon. The only downside is that it has put my overall GPA down lower and put my scholarships in jepordy. Fortunatly the grades I received have kept me afloat for now and hopefully before next semester starts, I’ll be able to get the work turned in.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted an update on school but you know things have been very busy since I returned from Oklahoma. (Day Two Video Coming Soon!) At any rate there are exactly two weeks of the regular semester left and then it is finals week. It’s pretty scary because there is still a lot that has to get done in a very short amount of time.

On top of all that I was crazy enough to volunteer to help out with Come Christmas Sing this year. Every year TMC has a huge Christmas Concert blow out featuring each and every musical group that calls TMC home. The performances are all this week and tickets are going fast for the shows that haven’t sold out yet! I went to the concert last year and had a great time, but I have a feeling I won’t have much time to enjoy the show much as paying attention to what’ s in my viewfinder. One of my favorite performing groups, the Women’s Chamber Choir, will be singing “O Holy Night” this year. It may just be the highlight of the evening for me!

On another note, I’ve already registered for the classes I’m gonna be taking next semester. It’s going to be a pretty fun semester but I also anticipate it being busy one as well. One exciting development is that I will be the official announcer for all the home baseball games next semester! Last year my good friend Marcus was doing the announcing, but this year was just going to be too hectic for him so he put my name in as a recommendation. First of all, I love baseball as a sport (which may shock some of you knowing that I make fun of sports every chance I get). Second, I think they guys that are on our Baseball team are not your typical jocks. I’ve had classes with these guys and they are the real deal. On and off the field they are great guys to hang out with and do not think of themselves as something special.

This will probably be my last TMC Journal for this semester before I do the wrap up when I get all my grade back. This semester has been filled with many challenges both on and off campus so it won’t be any surprise to me that this semester’s GPA is going to suffer quite a bit. At least this semester none of these classes were impossible to do well in, unlike two classes I had last semester.

So here is Day 1!

Click here to view the embedded video.

My friend, and fellow Slight-mate, Micah Lugg has posted some thoughts on the I-5 tunnel accident that happened not far from here. It’s been all over the news and has snarled traffic around TMC and has affected our commute times since the Freeway detour runs down the main road that is by our school. All in all it’s been weird to think that a tragedy would affect you. It reminds me of the Minnesota disaster that happened recently and how people there are affected by that tragdey. No one ever thinks it will happen to them.

Anyways, HERE IS THE LINK to his post… it’s much better then anything I had to say.

 http://gallery.mac.com/dnrmusic/100056

The video journals will be release over the next month or so.

Check back often for those updates!

I spent most of my afternoon working on editing the documentary videos which I hope to post soon, but I keep running into obstacles on the best way to post them here on the blog. I tried inserting YouTube clips but they don’t seem to be formatting correctly and are messing up the template. I think I may have found a solution but until then I think I’m just going to have to wait until I get back to get them all up. Part of the problem is I can’t test things once they have been exported from FinalCutPro. Since my time at the coffee shop is limited I can’t just keep exporting and re-exporting cause that not only slows down my computer, but it also takes a long time.

The other part of my afternoon was spent filming Joe Blankenship’s interview for the website video as well as filming his website opening. When we finished I was able to make some mental storyboards of the shots that I needed to get that afternoon and Thursday in order to get this video to happen and rock. In case I wasn’t able to explain it, Joe and the folks at Springs Of Grace are trying to build a facility called the One Hope Center. I have the privilege of helping get the website up and running as well as putting together a promotional video that will highlight what the One Hope Center is as well as how people can get involved. I’ll keep y’all posted on how that project is going.

Finally, when evening came, I hopped into the van and went with Joe Day and Becky Friesen into the projects with Iron Eagle. I was a little trepidatious at first but once we got there I went into videographer mode. I got a little bit of footage of the housing projects as well as some shots of the kids as they got into the van. I didn’t need to get much so it was pretty simple to do. Once we got back to the church, and before the van stopped, I jumped out and shot almost non-stop for the next 2 hours. It was a lot of work but it was worth it.

After Kids Fest it was time for Homework Help and Mission Memorization. Both events were also filmed and will be used in the video as well. I think over all one thing I’d like to work on for the future is getting better at switching between indoor and outdoor settings on Iron Eagle. I was going back and forth all day long and sometimes had to waste time fiddling with knobs and buttons instead of getting what I needed.

Today was a lot different for me. Yesterday I was just one of the workers participating in the story and today I was on the outside trying to tell the story. I’d like to try and explain it more to you but I just don’t have the time yet. Maybe in a future post I’ll get more into the nitty gritty. But for now it’s time to get to bed

*Sorry about the lack of pictures! 

About 3:00pm the vehicles took off for the housing projects and began collecting the kids. Slowly but surely, the quiet little church turned into a hub of activity with kids and adult running around and having loads of fun playing games, learning theology and hearing stories from the Bible.

One of the things that was most gratifying was that I got to take off my media had and just have fun with the kids. I didn’t film, I didn’t take pictures I just played the games and loved the kids. I even got to lead an activity called catechism. The name is a little misleading though. It’s more about teaching the kids basic theology and answering questions like, “Who made you?” and “What is sin?” I think it went well, although the game I chose to play didn’t really reinforce what they were learning so much as inspire them to compete for a piece of candy.

After Kids Fest was over we enjoyed an amazing home-cooked meal at Joe Blankenship’s house. Joe is the Lead Pastor here and is really the human heart and soul behind what they are trying to accomplish in the inner city. We got to sit around for a while and talk about our experiences as well as pray for specific kids that were on our heart.

One little girl in particular really made me soften up. When we were learning the memory verse she did her best to follow along with the words on the little slip of paper. But I could tell she was having a lot of trouble. She was between 6 and 7 and when we got to the end of the slip of paper I could see that she was embarrassed. I looked at her and told her that it was okay to ask for help. She got a great big smile on her face and she went back to work. The best part was when she said the verse back to me from memory.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!”
-Philippians 4:4

To hear that little girl say those words from memory was enough to make me cry but when she gave me a great big hug and asked me if I was coming back tomorrow, I almost became a blubbering idiot right there.

One last little thought, when I had decided to come on this trip it really was so that I could tell the story of kids just like that little girl. Kids that need someone to be patient with them, rather then write them off as insignificant. Kids that need a kind and reassuring voice, rather then a yelling, lying voice. Kids that need someone to love them, when no one else will. Now I realize that I can be part of their story, not just tell it.

I can’t wait until tomorrow.

Later that afternoon we went to the Apache and Comanche. Apache and Comanche are the names of the two government housing projects that Springs Of Grace ministers to here in Tulsa. The families that live there are diverse in family size, in race but not in economic status. These folks live in poverty and family dysfunction that comes as a result.

It was hard to realize that I only have a few short days here and that my time here having an impact on this situation is very short. I think a lot of our team members realized that our time here is limited.

After we finished canvassing we headed back to the church, where the church was hosting a local chapter of the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes. I got to man the grill for a little while. It was hot and smoky!

We wrapped up the day with 9 people on our team studying for a History Exam and the rest of us just kind of relaxing and blowing off excess steam. Joe Day, one of the interns here, is working on the web stuff here so he and I went out to get some coffee at a little place called Shades Of Brown to talk over some things that need to be done as well as to get started on some of the planning for the new website I’m going to be helping with.

Tomorrow Kids Fest starts and we are hoping that the kids that show up will hear the message of Jesus and be changed as a result.

The girls are staying at a house of one of the local ladies in the church that has moved and has her house on the market. Us guys are staying at Springs Of Grace Baptist Church, the church that we are ministering at while we are here.

We were able to get to bed around Midnight but we had to get up and be presentable by 9AM since that is the time that folks start showing up for church!

First up was Sunday school where our team split up into different classrooms and sat in on the different lessons for all ages.

Next up was the service, which was pretty cool. There are quite a few large families with lots of kids. Some of the kids have special needs so it makes for an interesting time during the service. It was pretty noisey. However these folks have learned, unlike most people I know in California, how to ignore distractions during the service. For me it was really difficult to get through the service not becuase of the noise but because of the kids with special needs. My heart is very soft for those with disabilities and it is very hard for me to be around them for any exteneded period of time and still function normally.

Second was a family style potluck lunch. College students + Home cooked meal = HAPPY!

Third was canvassing the neighborhood and passing out flyers for the activities this week. Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday is the kids Vacation Bible School. It all culminates on Thursday with a community wide block party where the church will have a chance to reach out to the community that is immediately around them.

Our final task for the evening was to help run the youth group that meets on Sunday nights. We played lots of crazy games and had a blast fellowshipping with the kids.

Tomorrow is going to be a planning day as well as more canvassing except this time we are going to the projects. I have a feeling that our team us up to the challenge but will be pretty shocked by what they see tomorrow.

More tommorrow…

Well it’s the night before the big trip and I am doing laundry. The Pelican Case for Iron Eagle arrived and I had fun plucking out the foam. I took a little road trip with my RA to “West Hollyweird” to pickup the tape I needed for the camera. The batteries are charged. My digital camera is charging now and the memory card has been cleared and is ready for whatever comes our way. This trip will be well documented digitally and I am very excited about that. I will definitely be posting as often as I can. The limits of my iPhone will be highly tested on this trip I can already tell. It’s starting to feel more like a tool every day.

I can already see the spiritual battle starting, so please be praying that we will stand firm in all we do. Getting there and back again is half the battle so be praying for the long road trip as well.

I am really excited to be going outside my safe little comfort zone. Don’t get me wrong… THIS IS SCARY! But it’s a good kind of scary. God has placed great leadership in place for the team and has provided our team the opportunity to go where there is a real need right now. To borrow the expression, time is short, hell is hot and so we are charging forward with nothing but a water pistol.

*Please note that this special series of blogs will include guest posts from other team members as well as short audio and video clips so check back often! We may be posting more than once a day!

Two words…

FIRE DRILL!

Whew! What a day! My day started off in chapel today. It was quite possibly the best musical worship that I have ever experienced in chapel before! A team of international students did a tremendous job leading us in musical worship this morning. It was very emotional for me to realize just how much God has blessed me this past year. About a year ago we got some terrible news about my Mom that left us wondering just how much time we had left to spend with her. Today we had lunch in the cafe at school. Something that I thought a year ago would never happen. That just goes to show how little I know about God, His will, His plans and His way.

After I said good-bye to Mom I went to meeting for Outreach Week. Here at TMC in the fall classes are canceled for a week and the students are sent to different churches for Outreach Week. Last year because of my Mom’s illness I ended up serving at my Home Church and sticking close to Mom at the hospital. This year, because Mom has been healed, I am going waaay outside my comfort zone and traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma to minster at a church there. I will be making a documentary about our team as well as helping put together a media campaign for an inner city community center the church would like to raise funds for and build.

Later in the evening I went to a party at one of my Professors house. He decided to have a party to welcome all the new Communication students since he is the head of the communication department. I really enjoy his parties not only because of the food but because I get to sit and have conversations about intellectual things and not be looked at like I’m crazy. As communication students we all have a lot in common because we’re all suffering through the same classes and we’re all subject to the wishes of the head of the department. He is very demanding and the students in the Communications department are expected to be intellectual, readers and writers at the very least. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t discuss O’Henry and Faulkner the whole time; we did digress to feeding each other grapes and discussing the finer points of male female relationships.

After the party I headed off to the off-campus dorm of Cornerstone to visit with one of my buddies. We had a great time going out to coffee and hanging out. As we were sitting there rain began pouring from the sky. I had to walk back to my car in the rain without a jacket or umbrella and ended up getting pretty wet! It was awesome! It is the first rain that I’ve experienced in a long time. Even though I was uncomfortable at first I finally felt that rush of getting into a car, being soaked to the bone and enjoying a good laugh with a friend.

Needless to say, it has been a long day but a good day. Things have been very busy here and I am sort of behind on some of my work. Today was encouraging because I felt the joy of the Lord through-out all that I was doing. Tomorrow will be nose to the grindstone again, but today was important for many reasons. Among those is that I have had the opportunity to learn about enjoying today and not worrying about the next day.

“31′Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ”What shall we eat?” or ”What shall we drink?” or ”What shall we wear?” 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34″Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’”

-Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV)

Tonight in my Intro To Mass Communications we watch a video of John MacArthur explaining some interesting facts about the Geneva Bible. From what I could gather it is a bloody Bible, sometimes literally. Protestants and those that sought to translate the Scripture into English were burned at the stake. In this video John MacArthur described a Bible he once saw that had been dipped in the blood of a martyr. It led me to think about how carelessly I treat my Bible and the Scriptures. I don’t read near as much as I should and I own at least 5 different Bibles that are in a sad state of disrepair, and not because they have been read. But because I casually discarded them somewhere in my room only to be stepped on or shoved to the side for some new electronic gadget. There are men who shed their blood so that I could freely read the word of God in a language that I understand.

I can also think of someone else that shed His blood so that I could freely be a part of God’s Kingdom and experience Amazing Grace.

“21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

Something else I was thinking of was the fact that in Genesis 2 God does something amazing with mankind.

“7Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

- Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

But He does the same thing with His word as well.

“16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work”

- 2 Timothy 2:16-17 (ESV)

The same breath of life he breathed into man is similar to the breath of life He breaths into scripture. An eternal breath. A living breath. A unique breath that is only given by God. So why is it I treat scripture with such disregard on a regular basis? Why is it so hard for me to have that desire to constantly be in the word? Why am I more excited about reading the latest press release from a computer company then I am about reading the Words of the Living God that He has breathed life into?

So one of the things we get to do here as students is participate in 2 church services a week. In the morning I am at Copperhill Community Church doing work study and in the evenings I like to go to Grace Community Church where the illustrious John MacArthur is the Senior Pastor. There are things I like about both churches and there are things about each that bug me.

What bugs me about Copperhill is the people are just so darn friendly. I can’t find a mean person in the bunch. Not a one. It’s funny. Ever since I started going there a year ago I’ve been trying to find something wrong with this church. They teach from God’s word, the worship Jesus, they treat communion with respect and they baptize people. I suppose you could say I, knowing that churches are made up of broken messy people, am waiting for the honeymoon to be over. I don’t think it will be any time soon.

Grace Community on the other hand is everything that Copperhill is not. They are a large mega-church that has been around for a long time and are steeped in tradition. You can’t walk into Grace Community and not know that you are in a conservative church. The ushers wear suits and ties. Even the band looks very professional. They take everything that they do there seriously. Sometimes too seriously. So here is my one complaint about Grace Community. At their Sunday night service this past week they started with a song called “Holy Is The Lord” by Chris Tomlin. The opening words to the original song are “We stand and lift up our hands.” However at Grace Community, someone lifting up their hands in worship is a very foreign concept. I understand that there are those that would probably be distracted by the raising of hands in their church, but Grace Community has gone so far as to change the lyrics of the song, so as not to encourage such an outburst. “We stand and offer our praise” is the new lyric that they abide by and frankly I think that’s a mistake. If a church thinks that a lyric in a song isn’t fitting with their style of worship then don’t sing the song! Why go through the hassle of changing a lyric and throwing off others who know the true and original lyric? What does that say about what you think about an artist that created that lyric for God’s glory? Drop the song from your repertoire but don’t change it. Even more distressing is the fact that the lyric wasn’t even theologically questionable. For a place that places so much authority in Scripture for everything they do I know they’d be hard pressed to find a verse or a passage that commands Christians to not raise their hands in worship!

All this is to say, Sundays are very interesting for me. In the morning I go to a church that has no tradition except that there is no tradition. And in the evening I go to a church that has tradition for the sake of tradition.

Don’t even get me started on my home church!;-)*

*Just so there is no misunderstanding, I love my home church and have been going there for 16+ years and will continue to go there and be a part of that family for as long as God wills.