The BEST book I’ve read this year so far
Every year I set some whisper goal* in regards to how many book and what types of books I will read. These books will span different genre’s from leadership, comics, theology, fiction/non-fiction, etc. but sometimes, a book grabs you, shakes you to your core, and sets you up for what lies ahead. This has been that book for me. It is one that I’ve recommended the most & will most likely give the most this year – why? because life is not one blessing to another, rather a winding road in which God will see us through – that’s what this book biblically teaches.
Watch the trailer which will give you a good idea of it’s purpose.
You can purchase the book HERE.
*a whisper goal is something I say to myself, and it’s nobody’s business as to what it is. 
John Piper on Small Groups [VIDEO]
Below is a short video of Dr. John Piper sharing his vision of small groups. I found it a great short word.
Most Popular Posts for January 2010
Can you believe that it’s February?! January has been just a crazy pace. It really flew by. So, I’ll let you catch up on the top posts for the month of January:
- Why I’ll be less critical of church signs: If God can redeem me… He can redeem church signs.
- 5 Things I Learned at Birthing Classes: I ran into “the placenta” at this class.
- 5 signs you’re talking to a kook after church: Yes, this is a true encounter.
- More unfortunate news from our friends at Preemptive Love: We not only lost Soma this year, but also Teeba. It was quite sad. BUT – there is HOPE… once we hear from PLC, we’ll let you know who will be going to surgery!
- I’m very happy (at this point) where we’re headed for our ‘baby-moon’: In a little under two weeks, Abigail and I will be getting away for a little pause before the madness of “baby” comes. We’ll let everyone (all 3 of you who actually care) know where we’re headed.
which ones were your favorite?
Why I’ll be less critical of annoying church signs
Upon reading the title, many of you automatically know what I mean by “those church signs” – you know, like the ones above. Typically, these signs are made fun of, seen as ridiculous, and in my mind, do more harm for the cause of Jesus than benefit. But as I was getting a hair-cut, the barber-lady began to speak about her life story and the troubles she’s had. I did my best to speak the gospel into her life, and she made the mention of her appreciation for me sharing with her where I find hope in times of distress.
And then the story took a twist. She mentioned her great appreciation to the messages on church signs. She shared that in many instances, those signs brought her closer to God/got her back on track from where she was to where she needed to be in her relationship with God. Pretty crazy huh?
So, maybe I’ll still laugh and scoff at those crazy signs on churches – but I’ll remember that to some, it’s a benefit.
5 signs you’re talking to a kook after church
This past weekend, I was given the opportunity to speak at First Baptist Cuero’s Disciple Now. I’ll be honest and say that it was actually a really good weekend as the kids responded to the difficult message to stay pure in these lust-filled times. One big break-through for students was to understand that purity is NOT just about whether you have sex with your boyfriend/girlfriend, RATHER, it’s about your heart. This was huge.
After the Sunday morning worship service – is when things got interesting. An older man (retirement age) approached me and within seconds I knew he was a bona-fide kook. While this man was NOT part of the local fellowship in Cuero, he most definitely was crazy. I find it interesting that in our church (which is a large church) we don’t really see this kind of thing take place, but in smaller churches, the wolves come out of the wood-works. These are REAL things this man said to me after the service.
5 signs you’re talking to a kook in your church:
- They ask you what “other books” you read or tell you what books you should read outside the Bible. (I think books outside of the Bible are good… but I knew he had an agenda so I defaulted and said, “You obviously have some books on your mind, why don’t you share them with me.”)
- They tell you Jesus was a “divine gift” but not fully human. (I told him that most heresies tend to begin with denying something about Jesus & he was emphatically denying Jesus being human while also denying the fact that Jesus and the Father were one, but not the same aka: Trinity.)
- They tell you that God is a “Cosmic Energy” – like “The Force” from Star Trek Wars. (I told him that his theology is based more on Hinduism than Christianity… and he needs to understand that God has revealed himself to man in the form of Jesus and therefore is not some “force” or “energy” rather relational and thus knowable.)
- They smell like baby powder… lots of baby powder. (Haven’t showered? Definitely a sure sign.)
- They live in an RV. (He admitted that he lives in an RV and that he travels all over the place attending different churches. I shared with him that maybe he should settle down - start attending a church like the one and come to Jesus. At this point I began to look around and he promptly excused himself.)
enjoy.
