Okay, this is a bit off topic, but you HAVE TO CHECK OUT the Lego Movie that Nathan and I did this week. It's on his blog: http://themagiccamera.blogspot.com/. It's a private blog, so if you're not already invited to it, you'll need to ask Lainie (my wife) for an invitation. Leave a comment and I'll send you her e-mail address.
There is nothing better for you to do right now than to get an invite and watch this movie. Hurry up already!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
I've Got Tiger Woods' Apple Core
TIGER WOODS APPLE CORE
http://tinyurl.com/5mldvg THIS LINKS TO MY EBAY AUCTION!!!
Tiger Woods was eating an apple on the fairway of the 5th hole during his playoff round on Monday. Now the apple core is in my freezer. YOU can own this apple core for yourself if you click on this link and bid on my eBay auction!
More details about how it all happened are on the auction and on Lainie's blog: http://afascinatingday.blogspot.com/.
I must say that I didn't grow up obsessing over famous people, but then I realized that life is much more fun when I do. Tiger Woods' apple core!!!
http://tinyurl.com/5mldvg THIS LINKS TO MY EBAY AUCTION!!!
Tiger Woods was eating an apple on the fairway of the 5th hole during his playoff round on Monday. Now the apple core is in my freezer. YOU can own this apple core for yourself if you click on this link and bid on my eBay auction!
More details about how it all happened are on the auction and on Lainie's blog: http://afascinatingday.blogspot.com/.
I must say that I didn't grow up obsessing over famous people, but then I realized that life is much more fun when I do. Tiger Woods' apple core!!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Studying the Bible: Ephesians #0
I'm going to be writing a series that will help people learn to study and understand the Bible. I'm starting with the book of Ephesians. This study is designed to introduce people to the Bible, to teach them how to study and understand it, and to strengthen the faith of those who are following Jesus. My hope is that this study might also be used by people who want to study the Bible with someone else, and would like to use something to explain what they are studying.
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Here is the Table of Contents and the Introduction:
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Understanding Spiritual Life
Contents and Introduction
Contents and Introduction
Table of Contents
1. Ephesians 1:3-14 “What it Means to Be Saved”
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 “Learning to Pray”
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 “New Life by God’s Power”
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 “Reconciling All People by God’s Power”
5. Ephesians 3:1-14 “The Authority of Scripture and the Work of Paul”
6. Ephesians 3:15-21 “Prayer and the Love of God”
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 “Walking Worthy of Your Calling”
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 “Finding Your Place in the Church”
9. Ephesians 4:17-24 “Extreme Makeover”
10. Ephesians 4:25-32 “Touring the new house, part 1”
11. Ephesians 5:1-14 “Touring the new house, Part 2”
12. Ephesians 5:15-21 “Being Filled with God’s Presence”
13. Ephesians 5:22—6:9 “Families Filled with God’s Presence”
14. Ephesians 6:10-18 “Spiritual Warfare and the Christian’s Battle Plan”
Introduction
Ephesians is a fantastic way to get to know the bible. It’s pretty short (6 chapters, 3000 words), but it is a wide overview of how to know God and to follow him as a Christian. 41 times in the 155 verses of this letter (almost once every three verses) Paul uses the phrases “in Christ” or “through Christ.” This shorthand is Paul’s way of emphasizing our need to believe in Jesus. Our faith connects us to Jesus, our Savior. The blessings that God gives come to us through Jesus. That is why it is so important to believe in the gospel! This letter will help you understand and treasure these blessings. These blessings are the source of strength we need to live the lives that God wants us to live.
The City of Ephesus
Ephesus was an important city in Paul’s day. It housed one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the great pagan temple of Artemis (who was also named Diana). Pagan temple worship was an unbelievably important part of the life and culture of the city. This kind of worship was associated with debauchery and sexual immorality. Some historians rank Ephesus as the most lascivious city of Asia Minor. The fifth-century B.C. Greek philosopher Heraclitus, himself a pagan, referred to Ephesus as “the darkness of vileness. The morals there were lower than animals and the inhabitants of Ephesus were fit only to be drowned.”
Paul spent over two years in Ephesus. His time there is recorded in Acts chapter 19, which shows how much idolatry and temple activities controlled the culture. Paul’s preaching was so powerful, so many people were being converted to believe in Jesus, it made a noticeable impact on the business of the people who made their livelihood selling idols. They even caused a riot to drive Paul out of the town! The power of the gospel changes peoples’ lives and can even change the city! Acts 19 also shows the kind of opposition that the church faced in the town. This opposition is not unlike what the church often faces from the culture today.
The Letter to the Ephesians
Into this church, into the lives of these saints, Paul’s letter comes as a message from God. As you read this letter, this same message from God comes to you, and it acts on you—showing you how the good news of Jesus changes everything about you.
So what does it say? When God opens the heavens to speak to his church, what does he say?
Put simply, this letter can be divided in half. Chapters 1-3 explain the blessings that come to people who follow Jesus. Chapters 4-6 explain the kind of life that people lead who have these blessings. Put in a different way, Paul first tells the Ephesians, “You have all of God’s blessings as his child.” Second, he says, “Live in manner that is worthy of your blessings.”
Paul’s Greeting: The First Two Verses
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is no ordinary greeting. This greeting reminds its readers of the entire message of the Bible. What is grace? Grace is God’s blessing and favor to people who don’t deserve it. What is peace? Peace is being in a right relationship with God. Together, having grace and peace from God means that you are his child. He loves you.
Paul also calls these Christians “saints.” “To the saints who are in Ephesus.” This is amazing! These are people who have lived their lives worshiping false gods, committing idolatry, and from a culture that was well known for its sinfulness. But Paul calls them saints. The word saint means “holy one.” Paul looks at these new Christians and he calls them “holy ones,” “saints.” How can he say this?
Paul saw them “in Christ.” “To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.” None of the Ephesians would have thought that they were “holy ones” on their own. They knew better. But Jesus was perfectly a “Holy One.” He was the one who was faithful to all God’s commands. “Christ” is the title for the Messiah from the Old Testament. For Paul, Messiah means representative. The Christ would come and save people by being their representative. Think about the story of David and Goliath. When David defeated Goliath, it wasn’t just his personal victory, but all of Israel (David’s country) was saved from the Philistines (Goliath’s country), and all of the Israelites enjoyed the benefits of David’s victory.
When you believe in Jesus, you take him as your representative, your Christ. Paul spends the rest of the letter unfolding what it means to be represented by Jesus. To summarize, it means that his death for sins pays for you, and his resurrection conquers the power of sin and death in your life. This is why you are called a saint, because you are represented by the saint. You are a “holy one” because you are “in Christ.”
This is how you are to think of yourself. Take your eyes off of yourself for a second, stop looking at your weaknesses and your failings. Instead, see yourself as Paul sees you, as God sees you. Look heavenward. If you are represented by Jesus, look at him.
Let this thought stay with you. Try reading through this whole letter and see what other things Paul says are true of those people who believe in Jesus.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Gospel Journey #2: Control
After I asked Jesus into my heart, I did start going to the church where my ex-girlfriend attended. Things were a little shaky (lots of her friends thought I had "converted" to win her back... sigh...) but there I was in the high school group of Rolling Hills Covenant Church.
A few weeks in, I arranged a meeting with the youth pastor (Dennis Wadley--an incredible man!). I wanted to ask him a bunch of questions that I was sure would stump him (like where did dinosaurs come from). I remember sitting with him on a Wednesday afternoon in his car in a parking lot overlooking a cemetery.
I had lots of questions, but Dennis asked me how things were going and how I was doing. I told him that I had asked Jesus into my heart. He replied by asking me if I had given control of my life to God. I said, "What do you mean? I was told all I needed to do was to ask Jesus into my heart!"
He said that to be a Christian means that you live your life for God, that you give him control of your life and you follow him. I told him that I dind't know that was part of the deal, that I hadn't done that, and that I didn't know if I was comfortable doing that.
I remember him then telling me about something he called "abundant life." He told me his own story about how he had come to know God and learned to give up control of his own life to God. He told me that a life lived for God is much greater and more fulfilling than any life we could live on our own. Sitting there listening to him I could tell that he really believed this, it wasn't just a line.
I remember saying, "So how does it work? You give God control of your life and does he call you and leave you a message about what you are supposed to do? Or does he write you a letter?"
Dennis said, "God has written you 66 letters. They are the books of the Bible."
When I heard him say that, I thought, "Oh THAT was a line!"
But Dennis did give me a bible and told me to read it and write down questions I had. I never had a bible before (well, I did have a Gideon's New Testament that was King James version--but I could never understand it whenever I tried to read it).
So I left that meeting with a bible, a clear sense now that I wasn't a Christian, and a decision that I needed to make--whether or not I was going to give control of my life to God. This was a big deal for me. I was very much into controlling (or trying to control) everything in my life. I didn't want to just let go of the steering wheel and let God take over. What would he do with my life? Where would he send me? It was too much uncertainty for me to agree to.
That following Saturday night, at the High School group meeting, Dennis talked about the importance of sharing our faith with others. They handed out these bracelets with 5 color beads on them: black (for our sins), red (for the blood of Jesus), white (for the clean slate we have because of forgiveness), green (for our growth in the Christian life), and gold (for the riches that we'll have in heaven). He told us to wear them and then use them to share the gospel with others.
Everybody got one, but Dennis also said, "Don't put this on if you are not a Christian, because this isn't your story." I remember thinking to myself that I knew I couldn't put it on. I also felt really bad because I also knew that my friends in the youth group were thinking I wasn't wearing the bracelet because I didn't think it was cool. I felt horrible! I wanted to tell them that I was trying to take this stuff seriously and wasn't ready yet, but I couldn't.
After the meeting that night, I went home and was sitting in my room on my bed. I was holding the bracelet in my hand and wondering whether or not I could give control of my life over to God. I still didn't know specifically what it would mean. But I thought to myself, "Well, who could do a better job controlling my life? Me or God? I haven't really done that good a job so far, and it seems that if God is going to promise abundant life, a life that he controls probably will be better than any life I might eek out on my own." (It's amazing to me that I can remember the specific details of my thoughts that night this many years later).
With that thought, I was convinced. Life controlled by God would HAVE to be better than a life with me at the helm.
What happened next was one of the most pivotal moments in my life. I put the bracelet on and as I did, I prayed, "God, I give you control of my life."
There was no magic, no rustling of the curtains, no flickering of the lights. But nothing in my life was the same.
I felt peace. I felt comfort. It was like something clicked inside me and more of me was now the way it was supposed to be. I felt freedom knowing that now God was in control.
A few weeks in, I arranged a meeting with the youth pastor (Dennis Wadley--an incredible man!). I wanted to ask him a bunch of questions that I was sure would stump him (like where did dinosaurs come from). I remember sitting with him on a Wednesday afternoon in his car in a parking lot overlooking a cemetery.
I had lots of questions, but Dennis asked me how things were going and how I was doing. I told him that I had asked Jesus into my heart. He replied by asking me if I had given control of my life to God. I said, "What do you mean? I was told all I needed to do was to ask Jesus into my heart!"
He said that to be a Christian means that you live your life for God, that you give him control of your life and you follow him. I told him that I dind't know that was part of the deal, that I hadn't done that, and that I didn't know if I was comfortable doing that.
I remember him then telling me about something he called "abundant life." He told me his own story about how he had come to know God and learned to give up control of his own life to God. He told me that a life lived for God is much greater and more fulfilling than any life we could live on our own. Sitting there listening to him I could tell that he really believed this, it wasn't just a line.
I remember saying, "So how does it work? You give God control of your life and does he call you and leave you a message about what you are supposed to do? Or does he write you a letter?"
Dennis said, "God has written you 66 letters. They are the books of the Bible."
When I heard him say that, I thought, "Oh THAT was a line!"
But Dennis did give me a bible and told me to read it and write down questions I had. I never had a bible before (well, I did have a Gideon's New Testament that was King James version--but I could never understand it whenever I tried to read it).
So I left that meeting with a bible, a clear sense now that I wasn't a Christian, and a decision that I needed to make--whether or not I was going to give control of my life to God. This was a big deal for me. I was very much into controlling (or trying to control) everything in my life. I didn't want to just let go of the steering wheel and let God take over. What would he do with my life? Where would he send me? It was too much uncertainty for me to agree to.
That following Saturday night, at the High School group meeting, Dennis talked about the importance of sharing our faith with others. They handed out these bracelets with 5 color beads on them: black (for our sins), red (for the blood of Jesus), white (for the clean slate we have because of forgiveness), green (for our growth in the Christian life), and gold (for the riches that we'll have in heaven). He told us to wear them and then use them to share the gospel with others.
Everybody got one, but Dennis also said, "Don't put this on if you are not a Christian, because this isn't your story." I remember thinking to myself that I knew I couldn't put it on. I also felt really bad because I also knew that my friends in the youth group were thinking I wasn't wearing the bracelet because I didn't think it was cool. I felt horrible! I wanted to tell them that I was trying to take this stuff seriously and wasn't ready yet, but I couldn't.
After the meeting that night, I went home and was sitting in my room on my bed. I was holding the bracelet in my hand and wondering whether or not I could give control of my life over to God. I still didn't know specifically what it would mean. But I thought to myself, "Well, who could do a better job controlling my life? Me or God? I haven't really done that good a job so far, and it seems that if God is going to promise abundant life, a life that he controls probably will be better than any life I might eek out on my own." (It's amazing to me that I can remember the specific details of my thoughts that night this many years later).
With that thought, I was convinced. Life controlled by God would HAVE to be better than a life with me at the helm.
What happened next was one of the most pivotal moments in my life. I put the bracelet on and as I did, I prayed, "God, I give you control of my life."
There was no magic, no rustling of the curtains, no flickering of the lights. But nothing in my life was the same.
I felt peace. I felt comfort. It was like something clicked inside me and more of me was now the way it was supposed to be. I felt freedom knowing that now God was in control.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
The Joy of Family Ministry in Downtown
What's it like doing ministry with four children in downtown?
Well, take today for instance. Sunday, just before noon we're leaving the Pacific Gaslamp Theatre, where Harbor Downtown meets for worship every week. It had been a good morning, and Lainie and the kids and I are leaving the theatre, heading for the car.
First, right on the corner where the theatre is we see 3 incredibly drunk women flirting and throwing themselves at a "For Lease Sign Spinner." They were laughing way too much, they were posing for pictures with him, and he was obviously frustrated that he couldn't leave his post to offer these ladies a ride home.
Maybe the kids won't notice? Wrong.
"Daddy, what are these girls doing?"
"Well, they're drunk. This is what happens to people when they drink too much alcohol. You lose control of yourself and end up doing things you wish you didn't."
"They're drunk? But it's the morning!"
(Thinking, "That's a good point,") saying "Yea, well, it looks like they have been drinking all night, and maybe now they're going home." (All the while, I'm thinking about Acts 2:15 with a renewed sense of understanding).
"Kids, this isn't the kind of attention you want to get from other people."
Amanda, age 5 1/2: "Yea, when I first saw them, I thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend."
But, wait, there's more.
When we arrived at the car, we were getting ready to pile in, and Ryan was carrying something in his hand. I had noticed a minute earlier that he had a quarter sheet of colored paper. I had assumed it was from his Sunday School class. Well, I got a closer look at the paper, there was a naked woman on the front! I didn't actually get a good look at it, but I said, "Uh... why does Ryan have porn in his hand?" Lainie grabbed it and it landed safely in the trash.
Reactions?
1. This is hilarious! If you can't laugh at life, you will lose your sanity.
2. Wow, lots to see in Downtown! Maybe this is how Solomon felt when he had to come up with his explanations for what his son saw in chapters 5 and 7.
3. Thank God Harbor Downtown is here!!
Well, take today for instance. Sunday, just before noon we're leaving the Pacific Gaslamp Theatre, where Harbor Downtown meets for worship every week. It had been a good morning, and Lainie and the kids and I are leaving the theatre, heading for the car.
First, right on the corner where the theatre is we see 3 incredibly drunk women flirting and throwing themselves at a "For Lease Sign Spinner." They were laughing way too much, they were posing for pictures with him, and he was obviously frustrated that he couldn't leave his post to offer these ladies a ride home.
Maybe the kids won't notice? Wrong.
"Daddy, what are these girls doing?"
"Well, they're drunk. This is what happens to people when they drink too much alcohol. You lose control of yourself and end up doing things you wish you didn't."
"They're drunk? But it's the morning!"
(Thinking, "That's a good point,") saying "Yea, well, it looks like they have been drinking all night, and maybe now they're going home." (All the while, I'm thinking about Acts 2:15 with a renewed sense of understanding).
"Kids, this isn't the kind of attention you want to get from other people."
Amanda, age 5 1/2: "Yea, when I first saw them, I thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend."
But, wait, there's more.
When we arrived at the car, we were getting ready to pile in, and Ryan was carrying something in his hand. I had noticed a minute earlier that he had a quarter sheet of colored paper. I had assumed it was from his Sunday School class. Well, I got a closer look at the paper, there was a naked woman on the front! I didn't actually get a good look at it, but I said, "Uh... why does Ryan have porn in his hand?" Lainie grabbed it and it landed safely in the trash.
Reactions?
1. This is hilarious! If you can't laugh at life, you will lose your sanity.
2. Wow, lots to see in Downtown! Maybe this is how Solomon felt when he had to come up with his explanations for what his son saw in chapters 5 and 7.
3. Thank God Harbor Downtown is here!!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Gospel Journey #1: Help
The gospel first made it's impact on me in 1991. I was 16 years old. I had grown up Roman Catholic--I believed in God and knew that Jesus had died for sinners, but what I believed about God had very little impact on the way I lived my life.
I had hit a very low point in my life. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was that the girl I was dating dumped me. As far as I was concerned, my life was over. I didn't know what else to do. I knew that I needed help, and I didn't know where to turn.
The girl I had been dating had shared the gospel with me (she was a Christian, although I wasn't helping her much with her being a good Christian). She told me that to have a relationship with God meant that you ask Jesus into your heart and he forgives your sins. I thought it was interesting that she actually liked going to church (she wouldn't go out with me on Wednesday or Saturday nights because she didn't want to miss youth group), but I told her she was trying to sell fire insurance to someone who lives underwater. I thought God was proud of me. I knew I wasn't perfect, but I thought that God was pretty pleased with who I was.
The night she broke up with me, I was wondering how life would look for me going forward... and then I started thinking about God. I was realizing that I needed help. I wasn't doing such a great job at running my life. So I prayed:
"God, I'm not exactly sure what kind of commitment I can make to you right now, but I will do my best. I would like to go to church where Jenny goes, but that might be a little wierd considering the circumstances. Jesus, please come into my heart and help me to live a life that would please you."
That was it. That was the beginning of the journey for me. Amazingly, I actually felt pretty good about things after I prayed. I thought, "Well, as bad as the break up is, at least I have God in my life now." I was looking forward to telling Jenny the next day that I was happy that through this I had become a Christian.
Thinking over this experience, what made the biggest impact on me was the thought that I had begun a relationship with God. That really made me feel secure. I felt like I had a real sense of peace. There wasn't some watershed feeling of being forgiven, but I was convinced that at least I had a relationship with God and I was aiming in the right direction.
I had hit a very low point in my life. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was that the girl I was dating dumped me. As far as I was concerned, my life was over. I didn't know what else to do. I knew that I needed help, and I didn't know where to turn.
The girl I had been dating had shared the gospel with me (she was a Christian, although I wasn't helping her much with her being a good Christian). She told me that to have a relationship with God meant that you ask Jesus into your heart and he forgives your sins. I thought it was interesting that she actually liked going to church (she wouldn't go out with me on Wednesday or Saturday nights because she didn't want to miss youth group), but I told her she was trying to sell fire insurance to someone who lives underwater. I thought God was proud of me. I knew I wasn't perfect, but I thought that God was pretty pleased with who I was.
The night she broke up with me, I was wondering how life would look for me going forward... and then I started thinking about God. I was realizing that I needed help. I wasn't doing such a great job at running my life. So I prayed:
"God, I'm not exactly sure what kind of commitment I can make to you right now, but I will do my best. I would like to go to church where Jenny goes, but that might be a little wierd considering the circumstances. Jesus, please come into my heart and help me to live a life that would please you."
That was it. That was the beginning of the journey for me. Amazingly, I actually felt pretty good about things after I prayed. I thought, "Well, as bad as the break up is, at least I have God in my life now." I was looking forward to telling Jenny the next day that I was happy that through this I had become a Christian.
Thinking over this experience, what made the biggest impact on me was the thought that I had begun a relationship with God. That really made me feel secure. I felt like I had a real sense of peace. There wasn't some watershed feeling of being forgiven, but I was convinced that at least I had a relationship with God and I was aiming in the right direction.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Is Our Good News Good News?
Strikes me as odd sometimes that what we have to share with people isn't really good news to them. Isn't that a problem? Maybe it's because people are so far from God that they wouldn't know REAL good news if it stared them in the face... maybe, but that seems like a cop-out to me. I think that we should be able to offer people good news that they would perceive as good news--even if they don't want it yet. But how? What is the good news? Here's one way to share it:
- There is a God who made everything, and he made you to know and experience incredible joy and happiness and lasting significance
- None of us live at the level of joy and bliss that God created us to experience
- The gap between where we live and where God intended us to live is because of sin. Your sin, because your faults and bad decisions bring misery and brokenness to life. Also the sins of others who bring pain and suffering into our lives.
- God's heart is to remove sin from the world, and to heal us from its effects
- We can’t fix the problem—we can’t fix ourselves or the world without help
- In light of our inability to fix things, God does what we can't do. He comes in Jesus to show us how to live, but also to deal with what's wrong with the world. He takes on the pain and misery of sin and suffers its penalty so that we can be forgiven and start again new.
- Jesus' life and death for us gives us a new start, but when we agree to follow him, we also receive his power and presence within our hearts, so that we are changed into new people from the inside out.
- Filled with his strengthening power, we are given a commission to actually begin to fix what's wrong with the world. We become God's tools to reduce the pain and suffering in the world caused by sin.
- A life that is lived to please God is infinitely better than a life we could live on our own. There is more happiness, more joy, more confidence of God's approval, more peace in our conscience, more sense of adventure, more feeling like we're part of something greater than ourselves.
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