Two Are Better Than One
This Sunday at church I shared a message entitled Two Are Better Than One. The message focuses on the value of working together as a team to accomplish a common goal.
Click the following link to listen.
Starfield’s “I Will Go”
I’ve always loved Starfield’s music. Earlier this year they released an album, I Will Go [iTunes link]. I didn’t get a chance to actually listen to or purchase it at the time because I was globe-trotting.
I decided to purchase the album this month after listening to the 30-second clips on the iTunes Store. I have not been disappointed; Starfield has done an outstanding job yet again. I highly recomend the album to anyone who appreciates Christian music with a bit of an edge.
Why every church should have a web site
For some people this may be a point of contention. For me it seems like a no-brainer: Every church should have a web site.
Nay-sayers would contest that church web sites do little to reach unchurched individuals or those not following Christ. Those individuals are, after all, not looking for a church; so why would they look for a church’s web site or even care about what’s on it?
Good point.
Except that those individuals are not looking for a church, so why would they care to hear about our faith in person, either? Because it is not a question of people asking, nor is it about forcing the information on people, it’s about making it known.
The key is understanding the time in which we live. Today is a day of information. More and more people are turning to the Internet when they have questions. While I will certainly not disagree in the least that the Internet does little to foster deep relationships, it does have several advantages.
1. Increased communication.
The Internet sacrifices “connectivity” for communication. That may seem like a contradiction since we have to be connected to be online, but I mean it sacrifices the essence of people connecting with one another on a personal level for the sake of improving the ability to relay raw information from one person or source to another.
Businesses nowadays are virtually incapable of functioning or increasing productivity without e-mail or internal web sites. The same is true for people in the church and outside of it. There is a certain disarming quality about the Internet. Because we are less connected we are more apt to receive information and provide it without fear of reprisal.
2. Everything is optional.
Well, almost. Our faith and core doctrines are certainly not open for negotiation, but the advantage here is that people are not being force-fed information they don’t want. There is a saying in Christian circles, “Be a witness for Christ. If necessary use words.” It sounds nice, but in reality, not very Biblical. Christ called us to preach the Gospel as well as live it. There is a balance and believe me, it is a very fine line at times; yet something we must learn to walk.
All of us have probably lost count of how many people have been turned off of God because of over-zealous Christians who cared more about their personal tally of “saved” individuals than they did about changed lives. The Internet makes this balancing act significantly easier because the information is always there on an as-needed basis. A person genuinely seeking to learn more about a relationship with Christ can find a place where he or she can learn in doses that are manageable for him or her personally.
3. It’s practical.
Really. A church web site provides some really simple information that was once only available in the Yellow Pages.
4. A hammer is a hammer.
The Internet is a tool, just like a hammer. It can be used for purposes that benefit the Kingdom of God or for purposes that stand against it. History has shown that God moves in ways that are relevant to both the culture and generation of the day. Today that includes the Internet.
Whether a church decides to update the information on their web site daily or just once in a while, having a presence on the Internet takes advantage of another tool that can help further the plans and purposes of God.
I say this because it is important for church leaders to recognize that being current with the times makes them relevant to the generation of the times, and that is a pivotal first step to actually reaching people’s hearts and drawing them into a relationship with God through Christ.
If a young teenager is struggling he or she is likely to post their struggle on MySpace or Facebook. Because teens embrace increased communication (see Point #1 above) they have a tendency to be more open and forthright on blogs, social network sites and through instant messaging. Believe it or not, this is a very untapped resource for church leaders! In as much as open and forthrightness can be a negative element (teenage rivalry is a good example) it can also be a very positive element: Teens will open up to youth pastors and others who are willing to listen. This is a key point we must never forget. Youth will open up to others who are willing to listen; almost without regard to the listener’s beliefs, or intentions. In other words, if you don’t listen and speak into their lives, someone will–and that could be life-changing.
5. It’s relevant.
Teenagers, 20- and 30-somethings are more likely to rely on the Internet if they ever want to find a church. For that matter, they are more likely to rely on the Internet if they are even remotely curious about God, Jesus or a local church. Therefore, if God is moving in the heart of an individual in your city or community, you owe it to that person to make yourself as available as possible.
The reality is that people will visit your web site before they visit your church.
6. And more…
I could go on but I want to quickly establish a few points from a slightly different perspective. That being, church web sites are beneficial for people in your church. With a web site you can:
- Provide members and visitors a central place for communication.
- Post a calendar of events.
- Save money by e-mailing your church bulletin every week instead of printing it (and who doesn’t want to save money?).
- Have a form for people to submit prayer requests.
- Put your weekly sermons/messages online for people that either missed a service or are curious about your church’s style.
- Share your church’s vision and passion.
- Share your staffs’ functions, interests and hobbies.
The list goes on and my goal is not to be exhaustive but to stir up an interest in the possibilities and value behind having a church web site.
To wrap-up I want to add that it does not have to cost a lot of money nor take a lot of time to have a web site. Post in the comments if you have questions about getting started or want to share your thoughts.
z-Lightview WordPress plugin updated to 1.1.2
For those interested, my z-LightView plugin has been updated to version 1.1.2. The only real change is that it uses the latest LightView code (2.3.1, released August 20th).
You can get the update here.
LightView is a package that includes JavaScript code to enhance the way embedded content (such as images) is displayed on web pages.
“In a world” ringtone
Voiceover artist Beau Weaver–you’ve probably heard him in movie trailers that begin with, “In a world…”–has put together a fantastically hilarious ringtone in the same vein as the movie trailers.
You can get the ringtone right from his site here.
Life-giving
Having just wrapped up a series on fruitfulness, this Sunday I spoke about what it means to be life-giving as a follower of Christ.
My goal was to communicate that being a life-giver doesn’t have to be difficult and I presented some simple points that can help make it a natural and effective part of one’s life.
Click the link below to listen.
Hearing God’s voice, part 7
We have been discussing how to hear God’s voice and in the study we made some key points that can really help us hear God more easily, and know how to react when we’re not sure we are hearing Him at all. To summarize what we’ve discussed so far:
- God’s voice is familiar,
- God’s voice carries authority,
- God wants to talk to us,
- When we seek Him, He directs us even if we don’t hear Him,
- Hearing God is easier when our lifestyle focuses on Him,
- We must compare what we hear to what’s in the Bible,
- We must pray about what we hear.
To wrap up the series on hearing God’s voice, I want to look at one final element which is illustrated in a passage from Proverbs.
6for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.
–Proverbs 24:6 (NIV)
6Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel.
Proverbs 24:6 (MSG)
6So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.
–Proverbs 24:6 (NLT)
Sometimes hearing God for various things in our lives is difficult because the Bible doesn’t give a specific direction about everything and our emotions can interfere with our ability to separate God’s voice from our own. Some questions–who to marry? What house to buy? What school to go to?–simply cannot be answered by randomly opening a page in the Bible (for the most part).
The passage in Proverbs 6:24 communicates an interesting message. All three translations say the same thing in their own unique way; that is, we should solicit the advice of other Christians we know and trust when making key choices in our lives.
1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
–Psalm 1:1a (NIV)
After we’ve sought God, read the Bible and prayed, getting feedback from others can help confirm what we’ve heard or provide us with different perspectives that we had not yet considered.
Funny street sign
This week we traveled to Toronto to have dinner with family. This sign caught my attention and I had to snap a quick picture.
Nothing invites someone to learn the English language more than a sign written in English.
Hearing God’s voice, part 6
Last time we talked about hearing God’s voice we closed with a passage from the Gospel of John.
1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
–John 15:1-8 (NIV)
This passage illustrates that our relationship with Christ must be a lifestyle. In the same way a branch cannot continually remove and re-attach itself to a tree, we cannot include God in our lives one moment; then exclude Him the next. We’ve discussed that one of the key factors in our ability to recognize God’s voice is removing immoral and amoral things from our lifestyle. We cannot live a life that bounces back and forth between morality and immorality–and still expect to recognize God’s voice–any more than a branch could remove and re-attach itself to a tree–and still expect to grow and bear fruit. So how does one know what is immoral and what is amoral? The Bible.
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
–2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
This passage shows us that God’s Word is, first and foremost, inspired by Him. Secondly, it is useful for four things:
- Teaching. The information or learned material.
- Rebuking. Providing evidence that proves a point.
- Correcting. Straightening or making something correct.
- Training in righteousness. Tutoring (which could include disciplinary action to correct).
Hearing God is the first step. Whenever we believe we have heard God’s voice we need to compare what has been spoken to what the Bible tells us. The Bible is the tool that contains the information we need to prove whether what we have heard is indeed God’s voice or not. The Bible is the instrument that determines whether the instruction we have received is correct. When we know God’s heart and His Word, we become equipped to respond when He truly speaks to us (also read John 8:31-32).
The next step is to pray about what you’ve heard. For two reasons: Firstly, to solidify in your heart that you have indeed heard God.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
–James 1:5 (NIV)
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
–Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Approaching God with an open and honest heart about what we believe we have heard will enable God to speak to us with clarity and His Word reminds us that He has an open-door policy.
Secondly, we need to pray, depending on what has been spoken, to enable God’s Spirit to bring it into fruition.
James 5 talks about Elijah (a prophet in the Old Testament) and God spoke through him that it would not rain for a season and after that season that it would rain. Despite being told by God what would happen Elijah still prayed that God’s Word would come to pass. The principle here is that Elijah was just a person God chose–he was no different than you or I. Elijah recognized that God works through us and the element which empowers that movement is prayer.
It’s important that we understand that while God is all-powerful, He has made a choice to work through people. Our responsibility is to respond, and with that comes work.
Hearing God’s voice, part 5
We’ve been talking about hearing God’s voice and one of the elements we discussed was that God’s voice is a familiar voice. Knowing this certainly makes it easier to recognize when He is speaking to us; however, it also opens the door for potential confusion. It can be difficult to know whether we’re hearing a random thought of our own, or the actual voice of God.
When the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome he addressed a key element that relates to this very issue.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
–Romans 12:2 (NIV)
What Paul is saying is that by changing the way we think, we change the way we act. This one verse carries a lot of meaningful insight into how a believer can and should live his or her life. When we begin to adjust how we think, our actions begin to change and reflect that new way of thinking. The result is that we become able to “test and approve what God’s will is.”
By renewing our mind we position ourselves to better recognize God’s voice from other distractions in life. The old adage “garbage in; garbage out” carries a lot of weight in the light of this scripture. If we continually feed our minds with immoral or amoral things, we hinder our ability to recognize the different between God’s will and our own.
A similar thought is communicated in Hebrews.
11There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. 12You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
–Hebrews 5:11-14 (NLT)
This passage expands what Romans 12 tells us. In verse 14 we see that by “training” we develop the skill necessary to recognize the difference between right and wrong. The key here is that recognizing God’s voice from our own is not always going to be instantaneous–although sometimes it will be. For day-to-day life we need to develop the skill to recognize His voice from other stray thoughts. It’s a growth process.
The word translated “training” in Hebrews 5:14 is a Greek word that means exercise. More specifically, it refers to athletes who, in that time period, would run races and compete without any clothing (i.e. naked). They stripped off everything that would hinder their ability to perform at 100%. The Bible is telling us that if we want to recognize right from wrong, God’s will from our own, we need to remove the things that cling to us and hold us back.
Ultimately, hearing God’s voice becomes radically easier when our relationship with Him is a lifestyle–included in every facet of what we do and how we live–and not just another thing included in our already busy schedules.