Sunday was a great day in my life. You probably know that I'm a HUGE fan of the Denver Broncos football team... actually, I have been since the old Orange Crush days of Craig Morton and the like. You see, I grew up in a Dallas Cowboys household... so, being the rebel that I am, I HATED the Cowboys and still do, except for the few years when they were smart enough to hire Barry Switzer to be the head coach.
Anyway, it DUMPED snow on us in Denver last Sunday... all the season ticket holders were trying to find anyone to take their seats... so I got to go with three of my buddies. We lost, but it was an incredible experience. Here's a story from the game here, but after you click on it, scroll to the bottom and click on the Raiders-Broncos photo gallery. CRAZY STUFF!
It's amazing to see nearly 70,000 people go completely nuts over grown men playing a game. I certainly admire the athletic abilities of the guys who CAN do that, but I have to wonder about those of us in the stands. What is it about sports that makes us mortgage our homes, time with our families and jobs to get hold of a season ticket? Why do we cheer until we lose our voices for a game? Why do we go to so much trouble to do something that ultimately doesn't really matter?
Every Sunday, our churches are filled with droves of "fans" in church who would no more applaud and cheer in church than they would sit and be silent at a Broncos game. Friends, God has done WAY more for us than John Elway, Barry Switzer or any other athlete or coach could ever do. He saved us from our sins, from hell and most importantly, He has saved us from ourselves. is there anything more worthy of a huge cheer and "the wave" than that? I think not.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Monday, November 22, 2004
Hangover
The word "hangover" is defined by the Heritage Dictionary as:
Not from massive (or even slight) alcohol consumption, but more along the lines of definitions number 2 and 3 above. We just returned from our annual fall youth group retreat at the Deer Creek Christian Camp in Bailey, CO yesterday. We had over 80 teens and adults yesterday that heard phenomenal messages from John Ricketts, the youth minister from the Del City Church of Christ in Del City, OK and worship led by Seth McDowell, the Worship & Family Life Minister at the Mayfair Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, OK. The theme of the event was "got mission 5:16?" which refers to Matthew 5:16. Numerous kids shared the desire to change their lives, whether by wanting to study about becoming a Christian, or to reorder their lives to give their God-given mission top priority. On top of all that, we had nearly a foot of the most beautiful, champagne powder snow I have ever seen. It was simply beautiful watching it sparkle and fall among literally thousands of aspen trees at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet. WOW, how can people be atheists when surrounded by this? I don't know.
Of course, like I do every retreat... I've lost my voice. Sometimes when that happens, I wonder if that's God's way of telling me to SHUT UP and start using a different "sense"... my hearing. When this happens to me, I think of Psalm 46, which tells us to be still and know that He is God. Not only that, but I certainly need to just listen more to what other people have to say... my wife, my own kids and my youth group kids. Let he who has ears, hear! HA!
Pray for Cameron, one of our high school guys. He broke his arm last night and is likely gonna have surgery today. Also, pray for Matt and Jeff Mastalka's cousin and grandad... they were in a serious car accident last Saturday night... their cousin is in a coma.
Write a comment if ya want to. It'd be nice to know you read this stuff.... but not necessary. I can get my self-esteem from other sources, if I have to! HA!
- Unpleasant physical effects following the heavy use of alcohol.
- A letdown, as after a period of excitement.
- A vestige; a holdover: hangovers from prewar legislation.
Not from massive (or even slight) alcohol consumption, but more along the lines of definitions number 2 and 3 above. We just returned from our annual fall youth group retreat at the Deer Creek Christian Camp in Bailey, CO yesterday. We had over 80 teens and adults yesterday that heard phenomenal messages from John Ricketts, the youth minister from the Del City Church of Christ in Del City, OK and worship led by Seth McDowell, the Worship & Family Life Minister at the Mayfair Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, OK. The theme of the event was "got mission 5:16?" which refers to Matthew 5:16. Numerous kids shared the desire to change their lives, whether by wanting to study about becoming a Christian, or to reorder their lives to give their God-given mission top priority. On top of all that, we had nearly a foot of the most beautiful, champagne powder snow I have ever seen. It was simply beautiful watching it sparkle and fall among literally thousands of aspen trees at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet. WOW, how can people be atheists when surrounded by this? I don't know.
Of course, like I do every retreat... I've lost my voice. Sometimes when that happens, I wonder if that's God's way of telling me to SHUT UP and start using a different "sense"... my hearing. When this happens to me, I think of Psalm 46, which tells us to be still and know that He is God. Not only that, but I certainly need to just listen more to what other people have to say... my wife, my own kids and my youth group kids. Let he who has ears, hear! HA!
Pray for Cameron, one of our high school guys. He broke his arm last night and is likely gonna have surgery today. Also, pray for Matt and Jeff Mastalka's cousin and grandad... they were in a serious car accident last Saturday night... their cousin is in a coma.
Write a comment if ya want to. It'd be nice to know you read this stuff.... but not necessary. I can get my self-esteem from other sources, if I have to! HA!
Monday, November 15, 2004
It's Retreat Week!
I love youth group retreats. Truly, they are one of my favorite activities we ever do. And it usually marks the end of my manic depression for the fall... you see as a youth minister, you get PSYCHED because of all the amazing stuff that happens in the summer. You really do live on a constant spiritual high. Then school starts... the youth group kids start forgetting all they've committed to do and be for God and with God. They get involved in football, fall baseball, cheerleading, band or go get a part-time job. They shift their priorities from having God be number one, to Him being, say, third or fourth.
There used to be an old country song called, "One Step Forward & Two Steps Back"... seems applicable in this situation. Many times teens (and even us youth workers) will rededicate our lives to God at a camp or on a mission trip, but then later make our own interests above what God wants for us. They'll quickly forget the incredible experience they've had, that was able to break through their hardened exteriors to get to where it can make a difference... a decision to change their lives.
I continue to pray for every kid that I work with to make a decision to truly live their life for Jesus. God will bless our retreat this weekend.
There used to be an old country song called, "One Step Forward & Two Steps Back"... seems applicable in this situation. Many times teens (and even us youth workers) will rededicate our lives to God at a camp or on a mission trip, but then later make our own interests above what God wants for us. They'll quickly forget the incredible experience they've had, that was able to break through their hardened exteriors to get to where it can make a difference... a decision to change their lives.
I continue to pray for every kid that I work with to make a decision to truly live their life for Jesus. God will bless our retreat this weekend.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
The Election
This has been an incredibly interesting week. George W. Bush was re-elected this Tuesday to be our President for the next four years. I'm amazed at how crazed people get by this political stuff.
Frankly, I'm more concerned with how people at church equate being a Christian with being a "good, patriotic American". Or better yet, equate being a GOOD Christian with being a Republican. Now, understand that I am a registered Republican and I did vote for Bush. It does bother me a lot that many of "us" church folk tend to look down at Democrats, Independents or anyone with a differing opinion. In fact, our church had an insert in our bulletin a couple of weeks ago that said something about it being our Christian duty to vote! We even sang a verse of "God Bless America" last Sunday at the end of services. Are you kidding me?
Now, I'm proud to live in the USA and the freedoms we have in this country. But I don't think it's right or wise to try and "bind" being a Republican or being a voting American on people to prove their mettle as being a good Christian or not. I just finished reading a book for grad school by Robert Nash entitled, "An 8 Track Church in a CD World". He makes a statement that I've decided is my new mantra... "The church operates better in the margin than in the center of a society".
Are we stupid enough to think that if we ally ourselves enough with the government that God will EXTRA-bless our nation? Didn't the Catholic church and the Romans already figure out that doesn't work? Why do we think we, as the USA, are God's newly chosen people? What are we, Mormons?
I guess I've just begun to realize how much more effective the church can be now that I've moved outside the Bible Belt. I mean, do we really need more churches in Dallas, Texas? And how many of them actually reach people that don't know Jesus? In fact, how many people in Dallas, TX don't already have some relationship with Jesus? In Denver, Colorad, there is a HUGE majority of folks that really don't know anything about Christ. Why are we "planting" more churches in the south when there is mission work to do just a few hundred miles north?
In closing, my family went to a Bush victory party at someone's home last Tuesday night. I observed mostly... watched the election results roll in and watched the adults and kids at the party. The kids (about 20 of them below age 10) made up chants full of ugly comments about Kerry. I pulled my son aside (he's 8) and said, "Bud, what those kids are doing isn't nice and I don't want you to participate in it. I may not agree with John Kerry, but he's a human being and deserve respect as such." I think my son got it.
Are we more concerned with who is President (Republican OR Democrat) than we are who has decided to follow Jesus? Seems to me like we ought to leave it at this... 1 Peter 2:13-25 talks about the fact that we are to "respect everyone", to "honor the king". I think that's regardless of who the king is... God is in control. Who am I?
Write your responses to that one...
Frankly, I'm more concerned with how people at church equate being a Christian with being a "good, patriotic American". Or better yet, equate being a GOOD Christian with being a Republican. Now, understand that I am a registered Republican and I did vote for Bush. It does bother me a lot that many of "us" church folk tend to look down at Democrats, Independents or anyone with a differing opinion. In fact, our church had an insert in our bulletin a couple of weeks ago that said something about it being our Christian duty to vote! We even sang a verse of "God Bless America" last Sunday at the end of services. Are you kidding me?
Now, I'm proud to live in the USA and the freedoms we have in this country. But I don't think it's right or wise to try and "bind" being a Republican or being a voting American on people to prove their mettle as being a good Christian or not. I just finished reading a book for grad school by Robert Nash entitled, "An 8 Track Church in a CD World". He makes a statement that I've decided is my new mantra... "The church operates better in the margin than in the center of a society".
Are we stupid enough to think that if we ally ourselves enough with the government that God will EXTRA-bless our nation? Didn't the Catholic church and the Romans already figure out that doesn't work? Why do we think we, as the USA, are God's newly chosen people? What are we, Mormons?
I guess I've just begun to realize how much more effective the church can be now that I've moved outside the Bible Belt. I mean, do we really need more churches in Dallas, Texas? And how many of them actually reach people that don't know Jesus? In fact, how many people in Dallas, TX don't already have some relationship with Jesus? In Denver, Colorad, there is a HUGE majority of folks that really don't know anything about Christ. Why are we "planting" more churches in the south when there is mission work to do just a few hundred miles north?
In closing, my family went to a Bush victory party at someone's home last Tuesday night. I observed mostly... watched the election results roll in and watched the adults and kids at the party. The kids (about 20 of them below age 10) made up chants full of ugly comments about Kerry. I pulled my son aside (he's 8) and said, "Bud, what those kids are doing isn't nice and I don't want you to participate in it. I may not agree with John Kerry, but he's a human being and deserve respect as such." I think my son got it.
Are we more concerned with who is President (Republican OR Democrat) than we are who has decided to follow Jesus? Seems to me like we ought to leave it at this... 1 Peter 2:13-25 talks about the fact that we are to "respect everyone", to "honor the king". I think that's regardless of who the king is... God is in control. Who am I?
Write your responses to that one...
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