How to Use God’s Laws Properly: Part 1 (2/5/10)

Do you have the right attitude about God’s laws? This doesn’t mean that you perfectly follow them (nobody does); but do you have the right attitude? Do you think they are important? Do you think they are valuable? Do you seek to learn and better understand them?

I think this is one of the reasons why David was called a man “after God’s own heart.” We all know he wasn’t perfect. But he truly loved and depended on God and seemed sincere in trying to follow His ways.

Well, like I said in the video, if you don’t feel passionate about God’s laws and ways, don’t give up! Maybe through the course of this video series, you’ll grow to better appreciate the instructions for life contained in the Bible.

Breesus (1/21/10)

Who Dat!

As of this moment, the Saints are still in the hunt for their first Super Bowl appearance and victory in franchise history. Hopefully, we can handle the Vikings this weekend. You have to admit……this is the most likeable team in football. First, there is the whole Katrina subplot. And then Drew Brees really is a likeable guy. And there are so many humble, nonshowboats, like Marcus Colston and Pierre Thomas. OK, I digress…..lol

Is “Breesus” a harmless name, a funny comparison? I’m sure some of you will say it is. And if you’re a committed Christian who loves God, then I have no intentions of trying to convince you otherwise. But I do think there are a lot of Christians these days that aren’t particularly serious about their faith. They use the Lord’s name in vain all the time. And although they may recite “hallowed be thy name” in church on a regular basis, they don’t really practice that in the real world. And it’s probably a sign of a deeper problem. Not taking God Almighty seriously.

Listen, I’m not trying to prohibit a bunch of atheists or Christian-haters from saying Breesus. They can say whatever they want—it’s called freedom of speech. But I’m also going to exercise my right of free speech. And that’s why I raise the topic.

What do you think?

By the way, it’s un-American to root against the Saints. 

In the News: January 2010 (1/8/10)

Well, I probably ruffled a few feathers with this video. I’m referring to the comments about big government and the march in Washington, D.C. Regarding the latter, I want to make sure my position is clear. I wasn’t commenting on the claim for equal rights. I’m not up-to-date on what the debate is even about, so I can’t opine on it. I was really just addressing Fujita’s remarks about Jesus and the Bible.  With regards to this specific issue, one can certainly make the case that the Bible is clear about the sinfulness of homosexuality. Like I said, I’m happy to dialogue if someone wants to challenge me on this. But assuming that homosexuality is wrong, I want to be clear about a few things. I think heterosexuals are often guilty of sexual sins…so we’re all in this together. We’re all sinners.  Without question, men and women and kids have desires that aren’t healthy or wholesome. Many of us would love to act on these desires. But they are wrong, and so we can’t. So even if one argues that a gay person is indeed born that way (and that it’s not really an intentional choice), it doesn’t change anything. We’re all born with sexual desires that we can’t pursue. That’s just part of being human.

Now that said, do gay people have a tougher road to travel? I think so. But you just can’t say it’s “not a sin” because you have certain desires. Most people are born with desires, and as is clearly evident, they don’t necessarily go away just because you’re married.

Well, enough on this. Can you believe this sexting stuff? It’s sure a different world than I grew up in.

Overwhelming Guilt (12/22/09)

Martin Luther was a fascinating person. I have a few Catholic friends who don’t think too highly of him, but I suspect it’s because they don’t understand what really happened back in the 1500’s. He was a devoted member of the church, but the church leaders had become terribly corrupt and would not change.  So reluctantly, he started what would become the Reformation. And quite frankly, I think the Christian Church is stronger for it today. Too much power in too few hands (regardless of the type of organization) is always a recipe for disaster with human beings.

Anyway, I don’t have much to add to the video, except to say that I think there will always be people who believe we’re saved by being a good person. If we do certain good works and act in a certain way, then we’ll go to heaven. Billy Graham once commented that no matter how many times he preached about faith, people would still resort to this view that being a good person is the key to getting into heaven. I guess it’s just human nature to think this way. We simply don’t understand or appreciate God’s amazing grace.

Knock, Knock (12/8/09)

Had you ever wondered about the verses we discussed? The whole idea of knocking versus opening. I don’t know, I just found it kind of interesting….thinking about the contrast.

The thing that I really noticed in the Luke 11 passage was the comment about the Holy Spirit in verse 13. A lot of people refer to this story in Luke and think it means you can ask for whatever you want. But it seems that verse 13 makes it pretty clear that we’re talking about asking for the Holy Spirit in our lives….not a request to be rich or whatever.

As discussed, Jesus is also knocking. He wants in our lives and hearts. This week, think about an aspect of your life where you have been reluctant to let Christ in.

Islam and Christianity (11/24/09)

I want to be clear. I’m not an expert on Islamic studies. I just wanted to share the results of my research during one class I took. So, if anyone wants to correct or dispute anything that I said, please feel free to comment here. My goal—and your goal too, I’m sure—-is to learn the truth.

Hey, did you like my black eye? Actually, it looked a lot better by the time I finally shot this video. Perhaps you didn’t even notice it. But the way I got it was pretty embarrassing. I ran into a pole in my basement. Yep.

See you next time…..

In the News: November 09 (11/10/09)

OK, I can’t upload the image for some reason. So we’ll move on…..

It’s good to be back. My family went to Disney World during the last week of October, and we had a great time on Halloween night at the Magic Kingdom. On the next day, I got sick…..later to find out I had contracted the H1N1 flu virus. I was sick for 8 days, but it wasn’t too bad. Actually, I think the worst symptons were caused by the Tamiflu.

Anyway, does anyone besides me feel manipulated when you’re constantly bombarded on TV shows, movies, radio, magazines, web sites, etc. with sexual  images and topics? All these people care about is making money, it seems.

Regarding the new form of American Christianity, it simply proves that most people are Biblically-illiterate. Even though a lot of people still go to church (although I guess the numbers are declining, particularly in certain age groups), this is no guarantee that the attendees are receiving (or paying attention) to strong Biblical teaching. We seem to clearly be a nation that is moving farther from God and our founding ideals. In a nation where we get to choose how we want everything, religion seems to be no different.

I Love You Just the Way You Are (10/23/09)

I think God’s love towards humanity is crystal clear in the Bible. There are countless passages that confirm this truth, and it’s really the main storyline of the entire Bible. At the same time, it’s clear that God wants us to live more holy lives and that we should strive to become more like Jesus. Again, I won’ t cite passages because there are so many. But if anybody is doubtful, let me know and I will provide the Scriptural references.

So, I really do believe this video makes an important point. God indeed loves us just the way we are (and always will). But that doesn’t mean God wants us to stay just the way we are. He wants us to grow and transform and become more like Jesus because, that’s right, He loves us so much!

Addictions (10/11/09)

I started thinking about this topic after reading the Spring 2009 issue of Leadership magazine. It’s a publication geared for pastors and others in ministry, but the issue of addictions is obviously universal. I just found out the magazine does have a website, www.leadershipjournal.net, and it looks like you can access the articles on this topic (it was a major theme in this particular issue).

In the News: October 2009 (10/01/09)

This has been our first edition of In the News in a long time. I think it’s a nice change of pace from the typical video at FAITH360, so hopefully you find it to be interesting. I’m planning to do another one next month as well.

A few updates. I just read some “letters to the editor” about the article on early marriage. Apparently, a lot of people didn’t like some of the author’s points. Well, let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. Of course, sex isn’t inevitable before marriage for those who choose to marry later in life. But I still think the article is thought provoking and had some good points.

The other big update concerns Tim Tebow. He apparently received a major concussion over the weekend after being brutally sacked in a football game against, well, I can’t remember who they were playing. Anyway, he went to the hospital after vomiting on the field. I think I saw on the ESPN news ticker that he is going to play next week…so hopefully he will be fine.  But pray for this young man who seems to be a committed Christian.