Theological Paulisms

Echo Prayer Manager

2009-07-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

The Echo Prayer Manager is a free program I found of the Cornerstone Church website. This is a pretty neat program. It offers you a place to put prayers, a place to journal, and a calendar to remind you of your upcoming events. I hope this helps.

You Version

2009-07-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

YouVersion is a neat resource that I have been dabbling with since it launched.It’s unlike any online Bible reader out there in that it provides an opportunity for us to build community and engage a conversation about what we’re reading and studying together in God’s Word.

It has reading plans and a journaling feature. Maybe one of the coolest features is that you can get it on your Blackberry or IPhone. I hope you find it as helpful as it has been to me.

Sonicflood- Holiness

2009-07-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Sonicflood, based out of Nashville, TN is a wonderful praise and worship group. There first album came out in 1999 and had on it a moving song called Holiness. To watch the video click here.

Hope you enjoy!

Eugene Peterson on Holiness

2009-07-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

"In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness."

From: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Gospel-Driven Sanctification- Jerry Bridges

2009-07-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Jerry Bridges was one of the first authors I ever read when I became a Christian. Someone gave me "The Pursuit of Holiness" and it literally changed my life.

This article is a wonderful example of the power and wisdom Bridges writes with.

To read the article, click here.

What the New Testament Says about Trials

2009-06-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

As we live for Christ, we will experience troubles because we are trying to be God’s people in a perverse world. Some people say that troubles are the result of sin or lack of faith, but the Bible teaches that they may be a part of God’s plan for believers. Our problems can help us look upward and forward, instead of inward. They can build strong character, and they can provide us with opportunities to comfort others who are also struggling. Your troubles may be an indication that you are taking a stand for Christ. To Read More Click Here.

My Days Have No Meaning- Job 7:16

2009-06-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

By: John Mark Hicks

Was Job right?

He was, I have no doubt, right about his feelings. His losses seemed to have no meaning from his vantage point. Sitting on the trash pile, thinking about his children, his wife, his isolation, his “miserable comforters,” and his future prospects, it would be well-nigh impossible for him to find meaning in the tragic events of his life. To Read More Click Here.

Final Scene of Schindler's List

2009-06-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

Missions...it is a major topic in all Christian circles that I have been a part of. We teach about it, we preach about it, we pray about it, we even plan about it, but very few of us actually practice it with the zeal and passion the apostles had. What is lacking in our lives that hinders us to have the drive that the apostles had for the lost? As I pondered that question last night I thought of the final scene of Schindler's List. It is a moving example of ones man desire to save a human life.

Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist credited with saving 1200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. May God give us the same passion to save the lost as Schindler had for savings the Jewish people. To view the clip, click here.

Penn Says: A Gift of a Bible

2009-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Penn Jillette is a well known magician/comedian, and is one half of the famed group Penn and Teller. Penn is also a very outspoken atheist and one who refutes the Bible on a consistent basis. This video is of him talking about the night a fan met him after the show and handed him a Bible and the impact it had on him. To see video click here.

This is one of the best sermons I have heard on evangelism and it was made by an atheist. God is working in the lives of people whether they believe in Him or not.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

2009-06-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I watched "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas." It was one of the most moving pictures I have seen in years. There is nothing that moves a person more to action than to witness human suffering.

How did we ever get to the point where one group of people could deem another group of people as not human? How could anyone do to another human being what was done in the concentration camps during World War II?

This movie is a very clever look at the whole situation through the eyes of an 8 year old who is the son of a German soilder. His family moves from Berlin because his father has been put in charge of one of the concentration camps. The boy doesn't realize what the camp is, he thinks its a farm. Although the concentration camp is never identified we know it is Auschwitz because it is the only death camp with 4 crematoria. To find out more history on Auschwitz click here.

After I watched the movie I realized that this sort of thing is still happening in different parts of the world. Humans treated worse than animals, being enslaved, beaten and killed all because of their race, color, or creed. We must, in the name of Jesus, find a way to stop these horrible injustices from happening. That sort of treatment doesn't deserve to happen to anyone, we are all made in the image of God.

Whether it be in Germany, Rwanda, Darfur, or right in our own backyard we have an obligation to educate ourselves on these matters and not turn a deaf ear and to act.

Delirious? - Sanctify

2009-06-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

Delirious is one of my favorite Christian bands. With hits like, "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever," and "Shout To The North," they have established themselves as one of the top Christian artists of all time. After listening to Tim, our preacher's, lesson this morning I couldn't help but think of this song. Click Here To Listen To The Song.

The lyrics are given below to help you out. It is a very moving song.

Justified to be Sanctified

2009-06-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

“Religion claims that sanctification justifies me. Gospel claims that justification enables sanctification.” Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church

What a striking statement! So much of what we struggle with as Christians is staked in this simple truth. How many times are we doubtful of the hand of God in our lives? How often do we speculate God’s sanctifying work? And how many times do we run to “doing good” in order to “feel good”. To Read More Click Here.

Story of Stuff

2009-06-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a lot about consumerism in America and how it has infiltrated our homes, our lives, and even our churches. This video is a great introduction to what consumerism is doing to our lives and our planet. Click Here To View Video.

Do Not Be Conformed to This World- John Piper

2009-06-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Oh, how many questions this verse—Romans 12:2—raises that need thoughtful, biblical answers. For example, How does the command not to be conformed to this world relate to Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some”? How is becoming all things to all people not conforming to the world? To Read More Click Here.

The Voice of the Martyrs

2009-06-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide.

To learn more about this moving and eye-opening ministry go to www.persecution.com .

To view their June 2009 Media Newsletter click here.
To view a map of the current restricted nations to Christianity click here.

Also for a link to the classic "Foxes Book of Martyrs" in PDF version click here. To view on the web click here.
For more about the author and the book itself click here.

Persecution in the Early Church

2009-06-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

In its first three centuries, the Christian church endured regular (though not constant) persecution at the hands of Roman authorities. This experience, and its resulting martyrs and apologists, would have significant historical and theological consequences for the developing faith. To read more click here.

Emperor Worship and the Persecution of Christians

2009-06-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Lord of Lords

"...the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Rev. 17:14)

The Christian faith began with antagonism between the Jewish Temple authorities in Jerusalem and the believers (Acts 4:1-21; 5:17-42; 6:8-7:60). The Jewish king Herod Agrippa l, who was sympathetic with the Sadducean Temple leaders persecuted the new movement as well (Acts 12:1-19). Significantly the Roman authorities were often a refuge for the believers who attempted to live and speak for Jesus among the gentile pagans. Paul, the early Jewish missionary often uses his Roman citizenship as a shield against the opposition of his listeners (Acts 16:22-40; 19:23-41; 21:27-22:30; 23:20-35; 24:1-4; 25:10-11; 24-25; 26:32; 25:10-11; 28:19). In the name of peace and law, the Roman overlords defended the believers against unjust attack. Those followers of Jesus wrote letters to the church communities urging obedience to the God ordained authorities (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14) "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong." (Rom. 13:3)

But things would soon change. To read more click here.

A Land of Swedes- James E. White

2009-05-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

In this article "A Land of Swedes," James White quotes Peter Berger when he said, "If India is the most religious country on our planet, and Sweden is the least religious, America is a land of Indians ruled by Swedes.” The Western World looks more like the 1st century world than any other time in our history. We must be willing to change our methadology to communicate our theology more effectively. This article is a good reminder of that for me.

This Culture Is Overrated- William H. Willimon

2009-05-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

In this insightful article Willimon says, “In leaning over to speak to the modern world, I fear we may have fallen in.” This should be required reading for every minister, elder, and church leader. This article continues to be a great reminder to me that the Gospel transcends generations and in the face of culture can stand on its own two feet. To read the article click here.

The Divine Commodity- Skye Jethani

2009-05-21T20:08:00.001-07:00

The Divine Commodity by Skye Jethani has given me hope for the future of the Church. I feel change in the air in regards to the future of the Christian movement. We are moving away from the corporate metaphor for church and moving to more of an artistic metaphor. The changes that are taking place and that will take place will ensure the continuation and spread of the Christian message for another generation to hear about Christ. For a video introduction of the book, click here.

Francis Chan Keynote at Exponential

2009-05-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to be able to go to the Exponential Church Planting Conference this year in Orlando, Florida. I got to go with my good friend who is a missionary in New Zealand, Justin Cherry.

On the last night of the conference God used Francis Chan to give one of the most powerful sermons I think I have ever heard. I know the talk is almost an hour long but it is well worth your time.

To go to my video page and watch the sermon click here.

To get the MP3 click here.

A Mind for God- James E. White

2009-05-19T09:38:00.001-07:00

James E. White is the founding and senior pastor for the Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is also the originator for the website, "Serious Times."

I read A Mind for God a few months ago and was really impressed with this small but powerful book. I highly recommend this book, it will be well worth your time. Here are a list of quotes I got from the book, I hope you find them as insightful as I did.

Thoughts By: Eugene Peterson

2009-05-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Eugene frenquently visits the Laity Lodge in Kerrville, TX and during one of his visits they got him to sit down and comment on several different topics. I enjoyed them so I thought I would pass them on to you.

So without further ado here are some interviews with the author of the Message Bible, Eugene Peterson. (Click Here For Videos)

Technology, Culture, and Virtue- Patrick J. Dennen

2009-05-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

All of our dependance upon technology has greatly altered our identity and what it means to be truly human. In the article, "Technology, Culture, and Virtue," Patrick J. Deneen explores what he calls "the mark of modern life," which is technology and its impact upon who we are as humans.

Using insights from the ever-insightful Wendell Berry, this is a look at what influence technology has in shaping us as a person and society.

The Commodification of Self- Joseph E. Davis

2009-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Davis, a Sociology professor at the University of Virginia, explores the world of self. You hear words in today's world like: self-esteem, self-understanding, and self-definition.

There is enormus pressure by the marketing industry to buy their product and thus be liberated from the shackles of society so that one can find their true self and in doing so be completely unique.

As we fall into the marketing traps we, in the Western world, move from community to more of an individualized outlook on the world, hurting not only ourselves but the world in which we live.

So if you want to know more I encourage you to read this wonderful article, "The Commodification of Self."