Things That Impressed Jesus (6/27/08)

I want to emphasize that Jesus talked about other topics in his encounters with people (e.g., Zaccheus, the woman at the well, etc.), but I think my point is true. Jesus was so often impressed with people who had strong, unwavering faith in him.

In my closing comments, I should have also made more clear that faith causes us to want to serve God and live obediently. You might be able to read that into my words, but I should have made it more clear.

OK, if you’d like to read the stories yourself, here are the verses (many of these stories appear more than once in the Bible, but I’m only including the passage that I quoted from):

The Leper (Matt 8:1-3)

The Centurion (Matt 8:5-13)

The Paralytic (Luke 5:17-20)

The Sick Woman (Mark 5:24-34)

Jairus (Mark 5:21-43)

Two Blind Men (Matt 9:27-29)

The Canaanite Woman (Matt 15:22-28

Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)

The Sinful Woman (Luke 7:50)

The Father (Mark 9:14-27)

The Royal Official (John 4:43-54)

Top Videos of the Past Year (6/24/08)

I’ve found that it’s helpful to take some time off each summer and recharge the batteries. I always thought it was wrong that so many churches curtail activities in the summer, but now I’m doing the same thing! I guess you just don’t know how many people watch or read this stuff in prime vacation season, and it seems like a better time to take off than at other points in the year.

Anyway, I won’t abandon you! I will be replaying the “Top Videos” of our first year. Every Monday in July and August, the countdown will continue. At the end of the summer, the most popular video of the year will be announced. Is this exciting?! LOL

Granted, you can watch these videos in the archives anytime you want. But the collection is growing, so I thought this would be a fun way to revisit some topics and let you know which videos were the most well-received over the year. What I really like is that a new video will be posted every week. That’s ultimately my goal for the site, and in the 2008-2009 season, I’m going to try really hard to make sure we have a new video every 10 days.

Oh yeah, how were the top videos determined? The countdown is based on emails and feedback that I’ve received. Some day, maybe millions of people will vote on these videos, but for now, it’s just an informal determination.

Perhaps you’ll remember some or all of these videos. And if you know some other people who might be interested, this summer is a good time to introduce them to the site. Just tell them to check every Monday and there will be a new video. The MidWeek Message will also be updated each week with “blasts from the past.”

Have a great summer!

On the Job Faith: Part 2 (6/17/08)

First, I need to thank our “silent movie” actors who I somehow forgot to acknowledge in the credits of the video. They were Rick Wormeli and Adam Dove, and I’m always thrilled when these talented guys are willing to participate in our videos.

Did you like the silent movie? I know it was a little hard to see what books Adam was bringing into Rick’s office….but if you must know, the first book was “Purpose-Driven Life.” The big stack was just a bunch of different religious books. The final book was the Bible.

I do think it’s important that we somehow share our faith in the workplace. During my 17-year business career, I did NOT do this. I don’t think anybody knew I was a Christian. It’s funny, though, after I left my career and moved into ministry (and told people about this), I couldn’t believe how many people I knew who were also Christians…and who also never gave any clue about it!

Of course, there are the people who wear it on their sleave…and who risk turning people off. But the key is to find the right balance for your personality and workplace.

 

Love and Hate (6/5/08)

First, I want to comment on some of the text that I read in Time Magazine. Did you notice the anti-religion bias in the words? Like “the planet produced” human beings. And “science taught us how…”

I’ve often noticed an unhealthy love of science in Time, and this author’s article was a prime example of it. Last time I checked, God created human beings…and human beings (created in God’s image) created the means to donate organs.

Anyway, at the end of the video, I encourage you to identify 2 persons to reconcile with. I think it goes without saying (although I’m gonna say it anyway!), that there are exceptions, e.g., abusive relationships. So use your judgment, of course, but also realize that our judgment often tells us not to restore a relationship which could indeed be restored.