Back in January, I gave my first Sunday sermon at Hope Chapel. Many of you came out to hear my “first real sermon” and I really appreciate your support. Even though that was the Sunday all the church leaders were out on a retreat, the sanctuary was full. Thank you.

The sermon was about the most mysterious woman in the old testament. We don’t even know her name but she wrote one of the most famous passages in the Bible. Curious? You will have to listen to the sermon to find out who she was. Or read Jim Davis’ notes below.

The first service I completely fell on my face technologically. I forgot my VGA adapter and even when someone in the congregation had one the projector completely failed to work. I have never in my life had a technical failure so catastrophic in front of so many people. The sound guy gracefully cut the first few frantic minutes of the sermon from the recording.

Listen/Watch

• Listen to the recording of the first service (right click and then click save as).
• Watch the video from the second service (right click and then click save as).

Here are the notes put together by Jim Davis. He created the notes for small group discussion.

Lesson

Satan intends to kill the current generation of God’s people and destroy the mission God has given them, but God heals and protects His children.

Text(s)/Resources

• Proverbs 31:1-9, Matthew 28:19-20, and Psalms 139
• AlmightyMusicVideo.com

Ice-Breaker:

1. Have you experienced an interest/hobby consuming large amounts of your time? Dominating your interests and thinking?
2. Have you felt an “adventure-shaped” hole in your heart, your thinking? Do you long for a more interesting/exciting life?

Background:

Proverbs 31 is famous for its description of a competent woman, but the first 9 verses are the words of a mysterious (unnamed) woman, the mother of King Lemuel. She speaks to her son, who is (or will be) a king. Notice that she has advice, feedback for him, but she speaks from the perspective of her listener. She speaks to his identify, before she speaks about what she thinks he should do. Rather than admonishing him to avoid a failure she anticipates, she speaks to his identify and encourages him to live up to the level of who he is.

Satan is the opposite. He would have his hearers forget who they are: children of God Almighty. Rather than encourage, Satan seeks to steal, kill and destroy.

Point 1 of 3: Steal. Thomas shared that as a child he loved computer games. They consumed his interests and time. Near the time he was finishing high school, an older brother (Lester Haines) spoke a word to him: “It is time for you to be about your Father’s business.” Thomas knew (though perhaps Lester did not) that his life was oriented in large degree around gaming, to near-addictive levels. The addition to activities can be very similar to drug and other addictions. So Thomas understood God to be telling him to  give up gaming.

Thomas further understood that he wanted adventure and that gaming attempted to fill the “adventure-shaped” hole in his heart. Soon after this word was given him, Thomas began to experience the adventure of evangelism. Sharing the gospel with others was scary. But riding a roller coaster is scary. That is why one rides them. The scariness is an adventure, the ride is exhilarating. The enemy would steal true adventure from us. Don’t let him.

Point 2 of 3: Kill. The mysterious woman of Proverbs 31:1-9 told her son to avoid drinking, a metaphor for forgetting one’s role. She told him to live up to the levels required/expected of a king and to protect and speak for those who are helpless. Today, the mute and helpless are the unborn. 1 in 3 Christian woman have an abortion. These women are much more likely to suffer psychological disorders later and experience shame, guilt, and brokenness because they are unable to seek forgiveness and healing.  Babies are killed and mother’s souls are grievously wounded.

Point 3 of 3: Destroy our mission. God intends this generation to make a difference, to carry out His purposes. To take actions and/or speak out. Failure to do so results from apathy. Apathy means “hard heart.” In this generation there is a word “meh.” Meh can be defined as a verbal shrugging of the shoulders and it is growing more widespread. At a time when we should be embracing the mission of going into the entire earth to share good news, the enemy promotes the response of meh — because he wants to destroy this generation’s mission.

Digging Deeper:

• What has been stolen from you? What are you now missing that you believe you previously possessed and used?
• What is your current identity? Who are you?
• What adventure calls to you? What stops you from pursuing it?
• What can others you trust do for you to help you recover your identify and mission?

Wrap-Up:

• Pray for each other to encourage recovery of identify in Christ
• Pray for each other for forgiveness and healing of secret shames and guilt.
• Prayerfully remind each other that all need saving and as we are able to give Jesus our guilt and shame, He is faithful to give us joy and life, healing and wholeness.

Outreach/Mission:

• We are not all called to be involved in every area of outreach. Some may seek to help the homeless, some others seek to help the unborn. What jazzes you? Think of a person whom you really hope will recover what has been stolen from them. What could you say to, or do for, that person this week?
• Do you want more information, or training, in the area of sharing good news? Who can you ask to teach you, or partner with you? Plan to speak with that person.

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This year the Umstattd Family has changed the way we do Christmas. It is changing everything.

The Old Way

With seven people in the Umstattd Family Christmas got a bit out of hand. We would spend all December shopping to fill up the whole living room floor with heaps of gifts.

With the notable exception of my father, we had become materialistic. The gifts not the Giver had become the focus of our Christmas day.

The Advent Conspiracy

Geno Hildebrandt, the pastor of our church, started talking about the advent conspiracy and that got us thinking.  Could we do Christmas differently this year?

If you are unaware of The Advent Conspiracy you need to read this post right now.

In short, with the money Americans spend on Christmas we could solve the clean water epidemic and probably world hunger as well.

The Umstattd Family Meeting

So, we held a meeting. In typical Umstattd fashion this meeting was done according to Roberts Rules of Order.  We submitted and voted on bills, seconded amendments and tried to keep the talking to no more than three people at a time.

I was surprised that the younger members of our family were fine with getting fewer gifts this year. We all agreed that Christmas for our family had become too much about stuff and not enough about people.

Random Christmas photo from 1999

My dad felt it important for the children to buy into the changes. So, we voted on and passed the following “Family Bills.”

• Family Bill 1 Each child is to give a gift to only one other child. (We drew names out of a hat) This passed unanimously 7/0
• Family Bill 2 Mom & Dad will only give one gift per child. Gift is defined by one wrapped gift. This does not apply to candy and other very small stocking stuffers. This passed 7/0
• Family Bill 3 Gift decisions are to be made through subversive investigation and not direct interrogation whenever possible. This passed 5/2
• Family Bill 4 Family members are encouraged to thoughtfully reduce materialism by making gifts and giving perviously owned gifts in many cases. (My mom is doing most of her shopping on Craig’s List this year)  This passed 7/0
• Family Bill 5 Each family member is encouraged to go on a fun December outing with each other family member. These outings are in addition to group outings. This passed  7/0

Believe it or not these changes were the hardest on my mom. Gifts are one of her love languages and while shopping is a stress she enjoys it as a labor of love.  One thing we did not address in the family meeting was what to do with the money we were saving on gifts. One idea is to donate it to the Austin Coalition for Life but we have not yet decided.

The Results

Christmas hasn’t happened yet but here are the results so far.

• Less stress. Many of us are already done with our shopping because we have less to do.
• More time. We’ve made more Christmas cookies this year and my mom was able to clean out the ornaments which she has wanted to do for years. Also we are in the process of making a music video and finishing an audiobook (more on this later).
• More outings. David is still out of town but we are already doing more fun activities as a family that we wouldn’t have had time to do if we had been shopping.

Perhaps I will update this post and let you know how Christmas day went.

We Like Gifts

I don’t want to sound like a grinch who hates gifts. We just think it has gotten out of hand. Christmas is not about gifts. That is the lesson the Grinch learned, come to think about it.

The Ninja does not like holiday greed.

I had to share this video. Its about Ninjas and black Friday.

What do you think? How are you doing Christmas this year? Are you changing anything?

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Epic quests require epic reminders. As you build your organization here is some encouragement and advice.

You don’t have to do everything.

The Parato Phenomenon shows that 80% of the results come from only 20% of the effort. This means you can say “no” to a lot of things without suffering much loss. Saying “no” to 80% of opportunities could lead to only a 20% loss in outcome. Imagine a world with 80% less stress.

The key is to say “no” to the right things.

A clear goal and predetermined priorities will help you focus. Don’t forget to reevaluate those priorities. Don’t be afraid to kill the sacred cows if they get in the way of the goal.

YOU don’t have to do everything.

God has called you to be a leader. That means he has surrounded you with followers. These folks believe in your cause. Let them hold up your hands by delegating and empowering them to work on your behalf.

When you do a task that could be done by someone else you rob them of the eternal reward they could have earned. You also rob them the experience they could have gained. You think you are here to change the world. I think you are here to help create a team that will continue changing the world after you are gone. Do only what only you can do. Then, train others to do what only you can do. By doing this you will grow your team into a mighty force.

You don’t have to be at every meeting. In fact you should not be at every meeting. This will burn you out and limit grow. A sign of a healthy team is that the leader doesn’t have to be apart of everything for it to succeed.

Stay within your strengths. Delegate your weaknesses.

The more time you spend operating in your weaknesses the more you rob your organization of your strengths.  If you don’t know much about web design find someone else to build the website.

Delegation will be hard at first. In the early days of your organization you did do everything yourself. You did things your way. The right way. Delegation means allowing others to do things differently than you would have done them. This is hard. But doing everything yourself will burn you out and limit growth. Delegation is the only way to avoid failure in the long run.

Here are two keys for successful delegation.

• Key #1 Budget time for training. Your team will need training and time to learn. Don’t hang them out to dry by giving them a task and then letting them flounder.
• Key #2 Set specific goals. Even a low capacity person can produce high capacity results when driven by a clear goal. The goals you give should be clear, specific and time oriented.

As you delegate try to keep your people in their areas of strength. Nothing will burn your team out faster than working in areas of weakness. This requires hiring people who are different than you are.

Don’t Forget the Sabbath

God did not create us to work seven days a week. When He called you to this epic quest, He did not give you so much work that you must forget the Sabbath. This is not His way. If you find yourself working on Sunday find another day to rest.

It is morally wrong to work so many hours when so many are out of work.

Rest brings with it several great benefits:

• Rested ears listen better.
• Rested minds make better decisions.
• Rested hearts handle the emotional strain of leadership better.
• Rested bodies work faster.
• Rested eyes can see opportunities.

Practice the discipline of to do list keeping

Having a unknown amount of work hanging over your head is stressful and exhausting.

Keeping a daily todo list allows you to do two things:

1. Prioritize Actions. It is easier to stay within the critical 20% when we prioritize in the calm of the morning before the rush of the day sets upon us.
2. Delegate. When everything is on paper it is easier to see what can be delegated. Do only what only you can do.

Read Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by Dave Allen if you have not already.

Don’t forget how far you have already come.

As a young leader it is easy to get discouraged with the enormity of the task. You can look at the endless road before and despair. The giants seem unbeatable. The obstacles to great. Yet, God is doing amazing things! From the times of Christ to now God has been moving in the affairs of men. He has been moving in your life too.

The Gospel started 2,000 years ago and 7,000 miles away. And yet here you are standing on the shoulders of the saints who’ve gone before. Before you give up look back, take courage and get back into the action.

Don’t forget who’s got your back.

You don’t work for an impersonal general in the sky. You work for your Heavenly Father and co-labor with Christ. God has given you everything you need to do everything He has called you to do.

It can be scary to sit on your horse and watch the advance of the enemy. But don’t forget the nights who ride with you. Behind them stand a host of archers with powerful long bows of prayer. As the enemy advances he must pass through them to get to you.

You can do this. Christ is with you.

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Power confuses and concerns me.

Here is the paradox:

• It is hard to do good without it.
• The more power a man attains, the more evil he commits.

In politics we often think: “If only we could get more power we could do more good.” But is this the case?

Three Stories -> One Questions

Can you fix a broken system by taking power from bad men and giving it to good men?

Here are three stories to explore this question.

Lelouch Vi Britannia

Lelouch saw his mother killed and his sister blinded and crippled. He dedicated his life to making the world a just and kind place. He denied himself earthly pleasures and refused to drink the perks of leadership. He received the power to bend others to his will. He went out to destroy evil.

But evil is not a person you can kill. It is an infection that infects even its attackers. Despite his selfless motives, his desire to do good brought a harvest of evil.

The more Lelush fought evil the more evil he became. His goal of justice allowed him to justify unjust acts. The more power he attained the more destruction came to those around him. He is redeemed only through his death.

What can save such a man?

Boromir son of Denethor

Boromir grew up fighting evil. He could see it out his window. He could hear it in his sleep. He was a powerful man, but not strong enough to save his people. He knew they would die unless someone acted.

If not him then who?
If not now then when?

Then he had the opportunity for true power. The One Ring was within his grasp.

The ring used his good intentions to do evil. He lost his relationships with those close to him. As he reached for ultimate power, it destroyed him.

His redemption came only through death.

Absalom son of David

Absalom had everything it took to be a good leader. He had favor, good looks and brilliance. When someone tried to bow to him he would pick them up and give them a hug. But unlike his father, he did not know God.

His father David walked a path of brokenness and suffering that instilled godly character. Absalom walked the easy path of a wealthy prince. He lacked the character needed to temper his ambition.

His lust for power destroyed his relationships and everyone around him. Ultimately he lost his life unredeemed.

The fruit of ambition.

In each of these three stories ambition led to betrayal.

Here is the progression:

1. Longing to do good for others leads to ambition.
2. Ambition leads to a lust for power.
3. Lust for power leads to a love of power.
4. Love for power grows to surpass love for others.
5. Others are betrayed to gain more power.
6. Betrayal breaks relationships.
7. Death

Ambition hurts those closest to you. Can you name a powerful man who’s family is healthy? The difficulty of finding such a man breaks my heart.

The cost of avoiding power.

So should we forsake ambition? What happens when just men avoid power? According to Socrates, they are punished. They are ruled by men lest just than themselves.

Or put another way, evil flourishes when good men avoid power.

The villains of history wanted to make the world a better place.

• Oliver Cromwell wanted to make the world more peaceful & holy by removing Catholicism from Ireland.
  • Millions died through starvation and war.
• Margarete Sanger wanted to create a world where every child was healthy and wanted.
  • Millions died through abortion.
• Adolph Hitler wanted to remove war and disease by eliminating “imperfect” races.
  • Millions died through holocaust and war.
• Joseph Stalin wanted a Utopian paradise by eliminating the class and wealth.
  • Millions died frozen to death in Siberia.
• Pol Pot wanted to create an agrarian paradise where everyone worked the collective land in peace.
  • Millions died from starvation and murder.

A Paradox

• Peace is the justification for war.
• Saving life is the justification to take life.
• Pleasure is the justification for rape.
• Safety is the justification of slavery.
• Equality is the justification of theft.

America has killed perhaps more foreign civilians than any other nation. Our excuse? Saving lives. Why is it right when we do it but wrong when Japan does it?

Does good justify evil before God? Does He judge our actions or our intentions?

Power does not corrupt.

In the book Whist by David Umstattd, Whist asks his mentor Skylock if power corrupts. “Heavens no” Skylock responds “Power only reveals your inner corruption.”

Perhaps Skylock has it right. What if power only magnifies corruption. One of the oldest sayings in the world says, “From evil people come evil deeds.”

Power x Corruption = Evil Committed

An evil man with no power often does less evil than a good man with power.

The only cure for evil.

When God rebooted the world after the flood he only changed one thing: how long people lived. God limited man’s life to 120 years to limit the amount of wickedness man could perform. This heavenly term limit kept the world from going bad as quickly the second time.

We are born innocent, with only the seeds of evil in our hearts. As we grow older these seeds bring forth greater wickedness. Our knowledge, experience and reputation give us power to do evil which makes us evil.

Few ever see this process reverse. Old age may take away our ability to do bad, but who becomes more just? History shows us that even Christian leaders fail to finish well. Is the same is true for us? Do we just lack the spotlight of power to reveal our inner corruption? There will come a day when the light will shine on the strong and weak alike.

I am convinced that this is why people die. Only death can purge us from sin.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

One Last Story

In the movie Blind Side, Leigh Anne Tuohy has power to bend people to her will. But something is different about her, instead of doing evil, she does good.

The difference?

• Motivation: Her motivation is love.
• Safe Power: Her power is inferential. Instead of forcing people to comply she convinces them to choose themselves. I think this is an important difference.

Instead of trying to get more power she does what she can with what she has.

What do you think?

• Do you agree with my analysis?
• Do you think that power corrupts or reveals corruption?
• What should our response be to the problem of power?

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Praying aloud can be scary particularly in a group setting where others can agree or disagree.

Fear in Prayer

Praying out loud can hit the root of our insecurities. We fear man. We fear our own pride. But it is as we pray anyway that we begin to find true healing. What better way to find freedom from the fear of man than in prayer to God.

Remember, if you have turned from your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ you have become a child of God (Romans 8:16, 1 John 3:1-3). This makes talking to God aloud no more strange than talking to a human father. Praying aloud forces us to view God as our Father for how else could we even approach Him?

Viewing God as our Father by no way diminishes his grandeur. Jesus knew the perfect balance when he prayed in this way “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Mathew 6:9b-10

Pride in Prayer

Sometimes people refrain from praying out loud because they don’t want others to think they are proud. This is a poisonous blend of pride and fear. The antidote for this toxin is faith and action.

We don’t want to be the pharisee who prays on the street corner just to be heard by men. But the solution is not to hide in fear. That is the Devil’s solution. The Kingdom path is the path of faith and action.

You won’t overcome this challenge until you start praying out loud. Ask God for humility. Fear God. Focus on Jesus. This takes a mental discipline that you only learn through practice.

What do you think?

• Are you afraid to pray out loud? Why do you think that is?
• For those of you who overcame this fear how did you do it?

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Authority to Pray in Jesus Name

Have you ever been in a group of people trying to make a decision and one person persuaded the group? What probably happened was that person spoke with authority. This is how Jesus spoke and it caused even his enemies to marvel (Mark 1:22).

If you can write company checks in the boss’ name it means you have his authority to spend company money.

In that same way Jesus allows us to act in his name.

As a follower of Christ you can pray in Jesus’ name. That means you have the ability to use heavenly power.

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:17-18

This is both exciting and troubling. Remember, you must give an account for how you use Christ’s authority just as you must account for your use of company money.

Authority Over Darkness

Jesus has also given his followers the authority over the forces of darkness.

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Luke 10:19

We can get into trouble when we don’t walk in Jesus’ authority. I find I get beat up by spiritual bullies when I don’t walk in the authority. Being a Christian and not walking in authority is like having a concealed handgun license but leaving your gun at home.

When we pray we must take authority over our flesh as well as demonic influences who try to disrupt our time with the King. A great way to do this is to pray aloud. Our authority comes from Jesus and what He did on the cross. When we put our faith in Him we may approach the throne in boldness knowing our prayers will be heard.

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:13-15

What Authority Sounds Like

How do people with authority speak?

Do they mumble and mutter to themselves? Of course not! They speak loudly and with confidence.

How can we pray in authority if we wont even pray aloud?

We also pray with confidence for we know God will answer. Remember we pray in His Son’s name. He promises to answer.

Shouting in Prayer

I can think of several times when it is even appropriate and indeed needed to shout in prayer. The first is when we are praising God, rejoicing over a spiritual triumph or expressing joy.

“We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.” Psalm 20:5

Another time when it is appropriate to shout is when interacting with unclean spirits. Shouting can help convince them that you are convinced of the power you have in Christ Jesus. Christ already won the victory on the cross and so we can shout in victory!

“Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” Psalm 60:8

Moab, Edom and Philistia were the primary enemies of Israel. As Christians our primary enemies are the world the flesh and the devil. Through Jesus we can shout for triumph and take authority over them. Our entire body engages when we shout and it is any easy way to engage in spiritual warfare.

Must we shout?

Do you need to shout to take authority? No, but it doesn’t hurt.

The more convinced of your authority you become the more a mere whisper can move mountains.

This is not a mumble but an intense whisper. I don’t know many people able to pray with this sort of authority but those who do can move mountains. Praying aloud will help develop your confidence and help you pray with authority.

What do you think?

• Do you ever shout when you pray? Why or why not?
• When you shout does it help?
• Are you timid when you pray? Why or why not?

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Power of the Tongue

We live in a world spoken into existence. The power of God’s tongue created the world.

He made us in His image and our tongues have power as well. In fact, of all of the faculties imparted to mankind the tongue may be the most powerful.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
- King Solomon

“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”
- King Solomon

The Sword of the Spirit

The Bible often compares the tongue to a sword Psalm 57:4, Psalm 64:3, Proverbs 12:18. Swords were the primary weapon in the ancient world and the tongue is our primary weapon in the spiritual war.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” Hebrews 4:12.

Praying aloud allows you to brandish the sword of the Spirit. The unspoken word of God is about as deadly as a sword still in it’s scabbard. As you put His words in your mouth you will see the world change around you. When you pray in your mind only God hears you. But, when you pray aloud the unseen spiritual hears you, and trembles.

A Dangerous Weapon

Like a rudder on a ship the tongue can change the course of history. It can build up and tare down. Of the many uses of our tongue, prayer is the least likely to do harm and the most likely to do good.

But still we must be careful for as Saint James asks, “Who can tame the tongue?”

Jesus has given His followers the authority to influence the unseen spiritual realm in His name. We must be careful not to take his name in vain by doing something he wouldn’t do. If I have the authority to sign company checks I must buy only what my boss would buy.

If you are unaccustomed to praying aloud, praying the scriptures is a great place to start. Start by praying the Psalms. Then move into other books. For example, after you read about Jesus exhorting his disciples to preach the Gospel, pray aloud that God would give you boldness to obey.

A great book I would recommend on prayer is From Duty to Delight: Finding Greater Joy in Daily Prayer.

Walking in Victory

God has given you a mighty weapon. Will you achieve victory without using it?

Are you

• Struggling in your spiritual walk?
• Going through a tough season?
• Feeling defeated?

If so, brandish your tongue and pray out loud in boldness. You will see the world around you change. You will see yourself change. You may move the heart of God.

What do you think?

• Do you think that prayer effects the unseen world?
• When you fight spiritual warfare does it help to pray out loud?
• What keeps you from paying out loud?

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Someone recently asked me what the point was to all these pro-life marches. We have marched a lot in recent weeks so the question is valid. I would like to submit the following 5 reasons why we should march and rumble for life.

Marching Encourages our Leaders

One of the challenges of leadership is that the higher you rise the more out of touch you become. Leaders rely on the media to clue them in on what the people think. The media makes it look like no one cares about life but a handful of cooks.

When we march we remind our leaders we stand behind them when they stand for life. We give them the courage to push for change.

Marching Changes Hearts

You should have seen the faces of those who watch pro-life marches and rumbles. 40 Days for Life has seen hearts changed and lives saved all over the world through marches and vigils.

Marching Inspires Prayer

There is something powerful that happens to your heart when you put life tape on. Somehow it makes prayer easier and it breaks your heart. I am a big advocate for praying out loud but sometimes silent prayer is powerful too.

The more we march, the more we will pray.

Marching Inspires Action

Inviting friends to a march is a great way to move them from apathy to action. From doing nothing to to doing something. Without a march it would be harder to get people to care enough about life to do something other than harden their hearts.

Marching Earns Attention

The media loves to cover events like marches and rumbles. The more we focus the attention of the nation on this atrocity the more they will be forced to take action. Martin Luther King Jr. knew this.

We must march if we want to see a change. You can’t change the world from your couch.

What do you think?

• Do you come to Pro-life marches? Why or why not?
• What would need to happen to get you to show up?
• Are you afraid to take a stand for life?
• What have the pro-life events that you have attended been like? Would they encourage you to come again?

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Someone once asked me. “Why should we bother to voice our prayers when God already knows our thoughts?” In response I have come up with four benefits to praying aloud. This is an adaptation from a series I did on my old blog.

Silent Prayer is Fine

Using our tongue to pray is by no means the only way to pray. In fact, it is possible to pray aloud for the wrong motives Matthew 6:5-8.

We must be careful how we pray but I am convinced that voiced prayer offers at least four benefits over silent prayer.

Team Prayer

Praying aloud allows those with you to agree with you in prayer. For some reason there is great power when people agree in prayer.

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 16:19-20

Perhaps, part of the power comes from numbers. We see this in nature. A pack of wolves are more powerful than a lone wolf. But there is a spiritual component as well.

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12.

Think of it this way, when people agree with you it is like they amplify your prayers. When you pray silently no one can agree with you because they do not know what you are saying. You might as well be praying in tongues or in a foreign tongue.

When you send a delegation to the king wouldn’t you want more than one person? God wants His body to work together. God calls us to pray in the closet but he also calls us to pray in agreement with each other.

What do you think?

• Do you find it easier or harder to pray with others? Why?
• What keeps you from agreeing with others in prayer?
• Do you feel your prayers are more effective when you pray with others?

Related posts:

1. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Power (Part 2) We live in a world spoken into existence. The power...
2. Spoken Prayer and Our Insecurities (Praying Aloud Part 4) Praying aloud can be scary particularly in a group setting...
3. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Authority (Part 3) If you can write company checks in the boss’ name...

I have started a new website Practical Courtship! The goal of the website is to help make courtship work. So in a way it is a critique of courtship but it is also a guide. So far, it has received a fair bit of traffic and a ton of great comments. I encourage you to come by and check it out. Leave a comment and join the conversation.

Also, let me know if you are interested in writing an article for the site.

Here are some of the recent courtship posts:

• Does Courtship Work?
• Courtship & Predestination
• Courtship Definitions
• 7 Reasons Men Wait to Get Married
• Leaving is Hard to Do

There are a lot more to come.

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Some explanation is in order. No, I did not go on a date last night. No, I did not have yet another awkward encounter with a woman. But there is a story here and an interesting conclusion.

The tweet was the result of three completely unrelated things blending in my mind.

Thing 1: Barrack Obama

There has been a lot of chatter online about this photo of Obama at the G8 summit.

In light of the chatter, I have been thinking about how men ought to look at women. And, how they ought not look at women. The base forces of nature seem to war with the moral law. The specific social rules seem to vary by community. What is appropriate?

Thing 2: Girl in Parking Garage

As I left the apple store yesterday, I walked to my car in the parking garage. A young woman drove past me and as we made eye contact she unconsciously whisked her hair behind her ear. I wondered why she would do that, at that moment.

Thing 3: James Bond

Yesterday my family watched Quantum of Solice. So, as I walked through the parking garage, the movie swam through my mind.

In the movie, James Bond’s credit card gets denied at an airport. He looks deeply into the eyes of the lady at the counter who denied him the charge… and she melts. He asks “in a few moments you will get a call. Tell them I’m going to Cairo.” She smiles at him and he walks away.

Why would she melt? Why is this scene believable? Why can’t I do that?

I started adding up all the differences between me and James Bond. It was a depressing 30 minutes. Then I started eliminating the things James didn’t have to help him at the counter.

He had no gadgets, no money and no bad guys to beat up. But he still had one thing: His striking good looks and crystal blue eyes. If he had been ugly and peered into her eyes she would have looked away disgusted. I know. But James didn’t get disgust. He got permission. The woman gave him permission to look into her eyes because she wanted to look back into his.

The only difference between Bozo and Bond is permission.

So What?

You girls who are probably saying. “I could have told you that!” I know. Several of you already have on Twitter and Facebook. But to me this is a profound truth and I feel it applies to much more than just guy/girl relationships.

Gospel Permission

There is a Gospel application here. Before we can talk to someone about their soul we need their permission. Otherwise they won’t listen. Permission does not need to take long. Permission just takes tact. I find that tracts and humor can help break the ice.

But how did Jesus get permission? He healed people, raised the dead and offered hope. But, he had also something more. He could look into a man’s eyes, say “follow me” and the man would. Permission is power. Jesus’ power is supernatural. If we want permission that goes beyond gimmicks like tracts and treasure lists we need supernatural power too.

Business Permission

I have given Amazon permission to email me book recommendations. The emails are relevant because Amazon knows about the books I buy. If Barns & Noble were to send me an email recommending the same books I would spam it. Why? Because, Barns & Noble doesn’t have my permission to talk to me. They haven’t earned it.

If you want to grow your business you need to stop thinking of ways to spam people and start thinking of ways to earn their permission. Twitter is a good way to learn this skill. It doesn’t take much permission to send 140 characters once every other day.

Political Permission

The more I get around the more a realize that most people actually do care about politics. They just don’t care to hear about my politics. This is an important distinction. It is easy to write people off as complacent when I really just lack permission. Are people apathetic or do they just distrust both parties? A political party needs permission before it can have discourse. It must have discourse before it can sway opinion. It must sway opinion before it can win elections.

How do you get permission to influence someone’s political views?

I’m not sure. Striking good looks don’t hurt. Why else would Hollywood celebrates and Ann Coulter get such power? Humor seems to work too. I’m not sure what the answers are here. I know I often get into a political conversations on Facebook after sharing a link to a political YouTube video. What do you think?

Take Aways

• Permission is more valuable than money.
• Money can’t buy love, but permission is an ingredient to love.
• Money can buy spam, but spam can’t build a relationship between you and your customer.
• Money can’t buy votes, but permission can get attention and attention can change minds.

No related posts.

You may not know Charity Chambers but she is an up an coming poet. Unfortunately, she has no blog so it is hard to read her work. The good news is that she gave me permission to publish this poem. I think you will like it even if you’re not into poetry.

A Woman at a Well
By Charity Chambers

I was almost there,
I needed one more day.
I was following a vision,
and I was on my way.

Chasing after this dream,
I joined a mighty throng,
“If only…” was our anthem,
to this world did we belong.

Our thirst for happy living
kept us coming to this well.
But the waters left us thirsty;
that we’d drunk, we could not tell.

If only we drink faster!
If only we drink more!
We must get a bigger bucket!

And soon joy became a chore.

In the waters we no longer found
the satisfaction that we sought.
Still we drank, and deeply,
trusting joy these waters brought.

Then one day as I was drinking
of the water of the well,
a man sat down beside me.
The things that he could tell!

He first spoke to me of water,
his was living, so he said.
I couldn’t understand him,
Did he mean that mine was dead?

He seemed to fully know me;
he’d been watching all the time.
He showed me what I looked like,
that I now lived in crime.

I perceived that he was wise,
but still he didn’t understand.
I may not quite be worthy,
but I do the best I can.

“I worship on this mountain,
I give to God his due.
Because I’ve never seen his temple,
is there more that I must do?”

I trusted that I’d shown him,
there was nothing he could say.
But if only I had known him,
on my lips my hand would lay.

He said the moment hastened
when I would not be simple.
I’d not worship on my mountain,
nor yet in Jerusalem’s temple.

He said my worship was vanity,
for salvation was of the Jews.
My face grew hot in shame
as I thought “this is not news.”

A child of illegitimacy,
how did I even think
that of life containing water
I could ever drink?

At once I was in confusion,
I stammered, then sat still.
My gaze fell on my waters
and I thought I’d drunk my fill.

He didn’t seem to notice,
for uninterrupted still he spoke.
And when he’d finally finished,
My heart I knew he’d broke.

For he said the time had come
when false worship was at an end.
I knew with painful conviction
that this rule I could not bend.

He said that God, who is a Spirit,
seeks for worship of one sort:
spirit and truth must meet
and fall adoring in His court.

At last, gathering my courage,
I spoke loudly, to be heard.
“I know Christ, Messiah’s coming
and Truth will be his Word.”

Oh! How I should have known it!
I suspected it must be.
The man for whom we waited said,
“I that speak to thee am He!”

The pitcher I’d been holding
slipped unheeded to the ground,
and tumbled, spilling the water.
At last, true joy I’d found!

I rushed back to my village
with marvelous news to tell!
I found my friends still drinking
the dead water of the well.

Excitedly I told them
to hurry up and see!
Jesus Christ had come,
and the things he said to me!

The whole village turned out,
their parched throats drove them on.
Christ spoke to all who’d listen,
And for some, all doubt was gone.

Others wouldn’t listen.
Still others laughed and mocked.
They went back to their water,
and to us no longer talked.

But we no longer cared
for their water or their well.
We found the living spring,
and now in joy would dwell.

Related posts:

1. Set Me Aflame (Psalm) Lord, set me aflame for You. let not my fire...
2. Silence (Psalm) in the stillness of a quiet moment when conscience finds...
3. The pain of being broken (Psalm) Oh Lord, there is a sadness deep within my heart,...

In part one we talked about Spiritual Cancer and how to see if you are a cancer cell in the body of Christ. So now what do we do about the other cancer cells in the Body of Christ?

Here is what Jesus has to say about it:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn. ’” Matt 13:24-30

Spiritual radiation treatment is not an option because it will kill good cells as well as bad cells. We often can’t tell between a true and false convert.

So this is what we should not do. So, What do we do?

Well, Saint Paul has some advice on this regard.

“When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.

I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin , or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-11

So if someone is in open sin and calls themselves a Christian don’t have anything to do with them. You can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want to do . But you can pray for them.

Sometimes the clearest way to send a message is to avoid them all together.

One Last Note
Our value is based on who Christ is not on what we do. God has blessed the church with special people who are unable to give much because of an injury or physical or mental impediment. I belive that God has blessed the church with these people so that we can learn to be like Christ in how we treat them. There is a big difference between can’t and won’t .

Related posts:

1. Does Jesus Have Cancer? – Part 1 The problem with cancer is not that it causes harm...
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The problem with cancer is not that it causes harm (like a virus). The problem is that cancer cells do nothing.

Cancer cells take resources from the body and give nothing back in return. They just grow and take the place of functioning cells. Soon there are so many cancer cells doing nothing that an entire organ can die causing death in the whole body.

Unlike normal cells, cancer cells lack purpose. They don’t do anything and what they do do doesn’t help the body. Its not that they can’t do anything. They choose not to. Recent research indicates that cancer cells are actually stem cells gone bad . They are Stem cells that have denied their function to heal.

Sound familiar? Every cell in the body fulfills its function except for a cancer cell.

The Body of Christ has this same problem – at least in Texas. Many of us have no purpose. We just receive and receive but we give little or nothing back. Just as cancer can kill a human body, our spiritual cancer is killing the Church here in America.

Are you a cancer cell? Do you give (disciple others, serve, share the Gospel etc.) or do you just take? Does your whole spiritual walk revolve around partnering with God to help others? Or does it revolve around your own holiness and knowledge of God? If so you need to die, because you are killing the body.

There is only one thing you can do to fix a cancer cell. You must kill it.

“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, [Jesus] said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul ?” Mark 8:34-37

The Apostle Paul gave a spiritual cancer test to help us examine our hearts. He laid out the fruit of wrath (signs of cancer) and the fruit of the spirit (signs of health).

So what do you do if you have cancer? Well, Jesus gave us some great advice.

“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life . Otherwise, you cannot be even your own life . Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. ” Luke 14:26-27

Let’s try that verse again with some ellipses:

“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate … by comparison … your own life. “

To be apart of the body you must love Jesus more than you love yourself. Normal cells have a self destruct mechanism called apoptosis . If they see they are doing harm to the body they will self terminate. It is when this self destruct mechanism stops to function that cancer begins to spread. Healthy cells must continually die and so do healthy Christians.

Now there is a difference between a cell that won’t help the body and a cell that can’t hurt the body. There are some in the body of Christ who we could call God’s special people. These people have disabilities that limit their ability to contribute. There is a huge difference between “can’t” and “won’t.” We have a lot to learn from God’s special people.

Related posts:

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2. The Failure of Jesus Christ (and why we need to fail to be like Him) "Success is a poor teacher." My dad must have repeated...
3. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Agreement (Part 1) Someone once asked me. "Why should we bother to voice...

False prophets don’t speak heresy. Not at first anyway. They build trust before leading unsuspecting people into error.

Rob Bell has used his Nooma videos to become a household name and to get access to evangelical churches that would normally shield the flock from liberal humanistic theology.

Last night Peter, Jonathen and I listened to God Wants to Save Christians Part III which you can listen to from his website (Week 400). That is, Peter and I listed to it. Jonathan left in disgust after about 15 minutes.

In his sermon Rob Bell describes how hell doesn’t exist as a place of eternal torment. He makes his case by cunningly playing with Greek words in ways I will specifically address in a later post.

Rob Bell insinuates that:

• Hell is here on earth and for those who suffer social injustice and loneliness.
• Hell doesn’t exist as a place of eternal torment.
• Jesus went into a drunken rant about the Pharisees.
• We are not to warn the lost about eternity.

Both Jonathan and Peter after hearing the sermon separately asked if Bell’s conclusions meant that there was no heaven either. I don’t think Bell believes this but does it matter? If you don’t tell people to repent from their sins how can they hope to enter heaven? Oh wait, Bell doesn’t believe you should use words like “repent.”

Throughout his sermon Rob Bell condemns hypocrisy and implies that we are not to judge. But, does this not make him an intellectual hypocrite because saying that it is wrong to judge is itself a judgment!

If he said, “You should only judge bible believing evangelical Christians” at least he would be intellectually honest.

I played a Nooma video in Lifegroup last semester. I liked Bell back then. I am not saying everything Bell says is false or that we can’t learn from him. After all, I am trying to copy his cool hair. That said,

I advise extreme caution regarding his teachings !

Overall, there is nothing new about Rob Bell. He has just repackaged mainline liberal humanism into a post modern bite sized format. Don’t become overly concerned but don’t think he is an evangelical either.

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Watch the CEBC promo on GodTube.

This outreach will help you face your fears as you serve with other Christians who desire to “preach the gospel to all creation”.  If your commitment to Christ compels you to grow as a witness who serves effectively, inoffensively, and biblically then register today.

For more info about the Christmas Evangelism Boot Camp please visit AustinEvangelism.com .

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We bombard our brains with noise. As a young person I am now able to go through an entire day and never leave time for silence. But at what cost? It is in the quiet place that God speaks, where the conscience can be heard and secret things revealed. Silence allows us to think through difficult issues, sort out conflicting emotions and get right with God. Gaming, or media in general for that matter, can cause a fear of silence. In the noise, difficult issues become muddled and God can be hard to hear. We often hate to be left alone with our thoughts, emotions and God.

A good way to test your ability to handle silence is to experience it. Go off alone to a quiet place and don’t speak or make noise for an hour. How are you able to handle it? Silence stands in stark contrast to gaming which can captivate even the most ADD mind.

Several years ago some friends and I stopped speaking so that we could learn to listen. We meditated on the Scriptures, listened for God’s voice and to those around us. After that day of total awkward silence all three of us were bursting with new insights, new revelations and a new energy to take on life’s challenge.

Scripture passages which before had been shrouded to our distracted minds came alive. We each had the feeling that we had just spent valuable time with the Living God. We realized that to hear God’s still small voice we must be still enough to listen.

Jesus went out to the wilderness away from everyone. I am sure He spent vast amounts of that time silently meditating on the scriptures and listening for God’s voice. When we bombard our minds with images and noise we miss out on the serenity that flows from that quiet place.

The most tragic thing about silence is that we don’t notice when it is gone.

What do you think?

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Some are gifted at intercession, but we are all called to pray.

Some are gifted at understanding the scriptures, but we are all called study the Word.

Some are gifted at mercy, but we are all called to act with compassion.

And some are gifted at evangelism, but we are all called to fulfill the great commission.

Sharing the Gospel is just as essential as prayer and Bible study to the Christian walk. If we truly love our neighbors like ourselves we will do everything in our power to warn them about eternity. Not having a gift is no excuse for disobedience.

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Tap Tap Tap. A weak hand resounds against the shabby door as a feeble voice pleads. “Grant me justice from my enemies!” Pound Pound Pound. A strong hand thunders against the dark door in the dead of night. “Please, I must have bread for my friend, he has come from a long distance and is faint for want of food.”

Ambition. It is the difference between those who are content to be smart and those who are great. It is the dust from which mighty nations are born and the wind that blows movements from generation to generation.

Like the unrighteous judge, the world does not often give us what we are due. If we, unlike the widow, allow the judge to tell us “no” our condition will never improve.

Think Different

If Martin Luther has conformed to the world, he would have never nailed those 31 points to the gate of the chapel. He would have continued to be a humble monk who never changed the world. But the movement he started shakes the world to this day.

Thomas Edison believed that there was a better way to light homes than oil burning lamps. No one thought there could be a better way. When Edison tried he only met with failure upon failure. One persistent man forever changed the color of the night sky.

Like his namesake, Martin Luther King also refused to take the world at face value. He saw things as they could be, not as they were. He had the drive to make a difference and the passion to see it through to completion.

Not Easy

Everyone who wants to see change has their share of obstacles. After nailing his theses on the door Martin Luther was hated, loathed and hunted by his peers. Martin Luther King was assassinated. Edison failed, but after each failure he tried again. When the world knocks a man down, he falls. But an ambitious man gets right back up and keeps striving, knocking, pounding. He won’t give up without justice, without bread, without change.

What makes great men different? What is it that helps them change the course of the future? Are they lucky? Are they rich? What gives them the ability to shake the world? Not only do they have skill and ability but they have an unrelenting ambition to see something change. They do not give up banging on the door until they have justice. They do not stop shouting on the street till they get bread. They do not stop striving until they see change.

Not Safe
Ambition is powerful and volatile, but it is dangerous alone. Ambition is the means by which strong ideals are driven into the fabric of the world, but it does not discriminate between good and bad. Ambition fills the lungs both of those who would improve the world and those who would control it. Many ambitious men have changed the world for the worse.

Hitler saw a world in which a certain type of human was superior to the rest. He went from delivering fiery bar room speeches to starting the largest and bloodiest war in history . What made this man different from Martin Luther or Martin Luther King? His ambition was the same but his heart was not.

Keeping ambition from poisoning the future takes more than “good” intentions. Hitler thought he was making the world a better place without retarted people and Jews. He was wrong but did not know it.

Ambition Tests

Here are three tests to see if ambition is good or bad:

1. Means Test - One test to see the quality of your ambition is to test your means. Do you think the ends justify the means? Unjust means unjustify the end. Hitler was not afraid to use unjust means. Martin Luther was not.
2. Source Test - One way to see where your ambition is going is to see where it comes from. Godly ambition will lead to a godly end. Ungodly ambition will not.
3. Fruit Test - Is your ambition bringing you closer to God or away from Him? If you find yourself farther from God it is a sign you are on a dark road. Get off that road.

I am sure there are other tests. Can you think of what they are?

One Last Warning

In your ambition be careful not to belive in yourself. The world’s lie of self esteem can lead to a poisoning of your future.

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What has happened?

We hear echos or war, the clash of resounding arms and we long to be a part of something greater than ourselves.  The drumbeat for battle echoes the beating of our hearts. But, we can’t see the battle because it is fought not with guns but with words and deeds. The war is not in trenches but in the arena of ideas. Our enemy twists the truth to steal, kill, and destroy.

Will we stand to fight him?

Throughout the centuries men of God have stood up against this unseen foe. They carried the torch of truth and now hold it for us to take. But, for many of us, the only battle we fight is against an enemy that doesn’t exist. Why invest hours trying to beat level thirty when a spiritual war wages all around you? If we, the generation of today, fail to take up the torch of truth, who will pass it on to the generation of tomorrow? Will history remember us as those who let it die?

All my life, adults told me that my generation would be the one that God would use to usher in revival. Yet, when I look around I see Christian youth sitting idle, getting entertained by their TVs, computers and youth groups. Where are the warriors training? Where are the strongmen who long to run into battle? Where are the warrior poets holding the torch of truth for all to see?  Most of them haven’t even signed up for boot camp. Encouraged by their mothers to value safety over obedience they are still boys. Boys living in men’s bodies. 

This is your invitation.

For you, boot camp can start today if you are willing. The only cost of admission is total commitment. There is no room for double mindedness among the soldiers of light. Those who sign up and then look back have no place in the Kingdom we fight for. Our General shares our allegiance with no one. We are either all His or not His at all. God has no grandchildren, step children, or part time warriors. We must follow him alone and with our whole hearts or admit we follow a different king.

But our journey does not end with bootcamp. Some of you reading this are already trained beyond your obedience to God.  If that is you, the next step is to do something with the hundreds of hours of sermons you have heard. Take the Gospel out of the church and share it with the lost. Feed the poor. Care for widows and orphans.

God has not called us to play defense against evil. We can’t win if the game ends with the score 0-0.  We won’t win by attending weekly Sunday training and then seldom showing up for the battle. God is calling boys to become men of God .

Will you be one of them?

Are you ready to put away childish things and get about your Father’s business? If so, there is a place for you. This book isn’t about helping you quit gaming. It’s an invitation to an adventure that is better than gaming.  This book will change your life, if you will let it.

You have been reading an excerpt from a chapter in my book Digital Cancer. What do you think?

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