Paul & Ancient Sports: Part 1 (5/1/09)

This is our first in a series on ancient sports.  And to start things off on the right foot, I made three mistakes on this video! First, the verses we will focus on are 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (I said 24-26 on the video). You would think I would get the verses right since I wrote my Masters thesis on this passage!

Next, a comment I made didn’t come out quite right…and then it was too late to fix. Well, I tried to fix it with a little message on the bottom, and I’ll certainly stress in the next videos. But Paul’s reference to “winning and losing” does indeed apply to both our lives on earth and the afterlife. I was trying to stress the former (which is often neglected in this passage), but in doing so, I suggested that eternal benefits don’t happen. Anyway, I hope I didn’t mislead or confuse anyone.

Finally, my last mistake was technical. I was having audio problems and ended up recording in only one channel, i.e., you’ll only hear my voice in one speaker. I think this happened because I was trying to fix another problem where I was getting a ton of humming noise. Anyway, hopefully I’ll have it corrected for the next video.

I hope you come back for the remaining videos in the series. I had a blast learning about ancient sports for my thesis, and I think sporting fans in particular will find these messages to be interesting.

Letters from Dad (4/20/09)

In the video, I shared some things I’ve done to preserve memories from my parents…and to do the same for my kids. I’d love to hear your stories as well. Also, has anyone written letters to their spouse? If so, was it worth it? You can respond on this blog or send an email to tom@faith360.org.

Finding Nemo (4/11/09)

This is a time when it would be really nice to include film clips in my videos. I’ve looked into this before and struck out. If you’re a church using film clips in a live worship service, you can easily get a license that allows you to legally show the clip. But if you’re showing the clips on the web, it’s a different story. As far as I know, it’s impossible to get permission to do this. I just thought I’d let you know this.

I don’t about you, but I alternate about which story is greater: Easter or Christmas. I usually came down on the side of Easter because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. But Christmas—the fact that God decided to come to earth, as a baby no less—is an equally remarkable story. So, yes, both holidays are incredibly special.

If you have any friends that are Disney fanatics (I’m sure you do), maybe this is a good video to tell them about. My goal is always to find new ways to explain and bring the Gospel to life for modern people. If the story of two pretend fish resonates with somebody, then I’m happy to use it!

Your Sacrifice Headquarters! (4/1/09)

I don’t know about you, but I find the ancient system of sacrifices to be somewhat interesting. It’s challenging to read about it in the Old Testament (check out Leviticus), but it’s still intriguing. When you gain a basic understanding of what the sacrifices represented, it helps you to better appreciate Jesus’ “sacrifice” for us.

That’s not the main point of the video, though. I just wish you could have attended my church on Good Friday 2008. As I mentioned, the fellowship hall was set up like the Temple with stations and actors in various places. You really got a sense of what it might have been like 2000 years ago. But what was particularly effective was how the Gentiles were treated. When the actual church service started, the Gentiles were not allowed in the fellowship hall. There were seats set up out in the narthex (lobby). I forgot to mention that everyone received a card when they came into the church informing who they would be (e.g., a Gentile, Jew, Nazarite, Leper, etc.).

Anyway, the Gentiles’ chairs were set up outside, and there were signs on the wall warning about entering the Temple. If Gentiles tried to enter, the punishment was death! Well, I think the Gentiles were pretty good sports until……When the service started, the church closed the doors into the fellowship hall and the Gentiles were truly shut out (I think the service could be seen on TV monitors, but the point was well made). Gentiles were not special like God’s chosen people.

We then had the service. Eventually, the big veil (curtain) was torn in the temple at the time of Jesus’ death. All of a sudden, the doors into the fellowship hall swung open and the Gentiles were invited to come in with the Jews. I’m not sure if you can picture this scene, but let me say it was very effective.  The death and resurrection of Jesus changed everything, and all people were clearly welcome into the family of God. While most of us accept this intellectually, I wonder if some people still think there are exclusions based on race, sexual preference, behavior or something else. For instance, we’ve all heard someone say, “That person is going to rot in hell!” after committing a horrible act.

Until next time…

You Never Picture It Like This (3/20/09)

This was a hard video to make. My mom and I were very close, and the pain of her loss is still very real. I had misplaced the video I took of her room and thought it was gone. But I found it a few weeks ago, and it was difficult to watch for the first time. She only lived in the room for 2 weeks (her final week was in a hospital), but watching the video brought back a lot of memories. I realize her little room was nicer than what a lot of people have when they die. But still, it’s a far cry from her old home that she loved so much.

Interestingly, I couldn’t seem to find any Bible verses that directly addressed God’s desire for us to help the elderly. Please let me know if I missed them! I found verses about helping the elderly in your own family, but not other older folks (except for references to widows). That said, I think a clear message in the Bible is that we’re to help disadvantaged, weak or defenseless people. Further, if we’re supposed to help and respect older people in our own families, then clearly we can make the case that we’re to do the same for others. Just like in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, our love isn’t only to be extended to family members or other people we love.

Where’s My Backpack? (3/10/09)

Yes, this is the actual backpack.

I think the Bible is clear that God does indeed care when we suffer or experience pain. I know some people get angry with God or don’t understand how he can allow a specific event to happen. But that’s just the way it is. I think the key is to lean on the Lord and realize that life here is temporary….very short in the scheme of things.  THERE WILL BE  A DAY when we see Jesus face to face (the words from Jeremy Camp’s song), and everything will be perfect. In the meantime, we live in an imperfect world. We just need to rely on the Lord and serve Him the best we can.

Pack Your Bags (3/1/09)

I hope I didn’t make this message too political. But the steps that our country our taking towards socialism/marxism are almost guaranteed to forever change our standard of living in a negative way. I’m sorry if that’s offensive to some people, but I hope those same people take the time to study history and basic economics before supporting any political candidate. Too many policians are all too happy to prey on people’s lack of knowledge about issues and history.

That said, I didn’t really intended for this to be a political message. Regardless of what you think about the leaders in our country (at any given time), our faith in Jesus Christ is always of utmost importance. It’s what we should strive to grow and develop regardless of who is in power. Because even if our nation is doing well, we’re still not immune from facing daunting challenges in our personal lives, whether it’s from health issues, relationship struggles, other tragedies, etc.

Conversely, our personal lives might be great. We might be healthy and prosperous and even famous. And that’s when we need a strong faith in Christ as well. It’s clear that money and power and fame can bring people down as much as anything else.

So, again, I’m sorry if I offended anybody on the political front. But that said, you need to get educated. LOL. 

Don’t get made at me. See you next time…

Another great Biblical passage to read in turblent times is Psalm 46.

Only the Good Die Young? (2/20/09)

This video address an age old question: Is it more or less fun to live the Christian life? Actually, I think most people assume it’s less fun regardless of what they think about God. I don’t have surveys to prove that, but it’s just my opinion. It’s certainly what Billy Joel advocated in his classic hit song, Only the Good Die Young.

Had you heard of Pascal’s Wager before? You probably have. Even under different names, it seems to keep resurfacing as the years go by. Apparently, C.S. Lewis promoted a version of it as well. Well, we talked about how some people criticize its simplicity. In Pascal’s defense, though, he absolutely knew this. In fact, he never intended the matrix to be a perfect exercise that answers and solves all questions. He just wanted to get people thinking.

And since his matrix is still discussed nearly 400 years later, I’d say he did a pretty good job!

David & Bathsheba: Part 2 (2/10/09)

One quick comment on “confronting” other people. As I mentioned, this can be a very delicate situation. How you say things is crucial….and when you say them….and how well you know the person….and what the specific topic is. There are a lot of variables to consider. So, yes, it’s important that we sometimes do this….but we need to pray for God’s help and wisdom when we do.

OK, I’m done writing because I want to make sure you read Psalm 51. I think it’s better if you pull out your own Bible and find a quiet place to read. But if you can’t wait, here’s a link:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2051&version=31

David & Bathsheba:Part 1 (2/1/09)

What a relevant story for today. While David’s sin involved sexual temptation, the fact is this story can apply to us in all kinds of ways.

There was another lesson that I didn’t have time to include. David had led the Israelites in battle many times in the past. But this time, he decided to remain at home and apparently wasn’t working too hard. In this story, it looks like he was enjoying an afternoon nap when this incident occurred. Which leads to the point…..if he had been busy or productive, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

Have you ever noticed this in your own life? You’re more likely to get into mischief when you’ve got time on your hands. I hear a lot of parents of teenagers say how important it is for their kids to stay busy. Perhaps this is a positive benefit of the busy lifestyles that many of us lead.

Anyway, here’s one more thing to ponder. What if David would have confessed his sin when Bathsheba found out she was pregant. In other words, don’t cover it up. In this case, a lot of pain would have been spared. As we tell kids, it usually just makes matters worse when we try to deceive and cover up our mistakes. It’s better to come clean and confess….to God and whoever we’ve wronged.

Hey, be sure to come back for Part 2 on February 10!