A great video featuring words from the brilliant theologian, Dr. R.C. Sproul.

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I read a story titled, “Jesus Made Me Puke” on RollingStone.com that disturbs me on so many levels.

The premise of the story is the reporter, Matt Taibbi, wanted to get an inside look at the “Christian right.” Rather than going to a mainline church, he decides to go to the fringe by attending a hyper-charismatic “weekend encounter” in Texas. This retreat was designed to “set people free” in some sort of tongues-a-thon where supposedly demons are cast out and people are healed from whatever is ailing them. The reporter masquerades as Matt Collins, a guy who’s dad was a drunken, abusive circus clown (chuckle) and plays the role all weekend. He then recounted his adventure in this Rolling Stone piece.

I will say that this “weekend encounter” sounds like a bunch of malarkey and it does not represent the majority of Christians. But to pass it off as representative is just cheap reporting. I’ve been known to poke fun at the yo-yo’s on TBN who slap foreheads, sit on thrones, and constantly ask for money. But Taiabbi clearly has an agenda and he found the right target to support it.

The story is not surprising. It is, however, embarrassing and reinforces the perceptions many people have about Christians. That we’re politically-driven, anti-everything, unintelligent nut jobs that barely resemble Christ. Regardless of whether it’s true for you and I- it’s a real perception that we need to acknowledge.

If we are truly following Jesus, then we should be known for love. And there are many great Christ Followers who bring a little bit of heaven on earth that never get reported in Rolling Stone. Which is too bad because that would be a great story and would, if nothing else, represent who we’re trying to be like- Jesus.

In the midst of this slanted piece, there was some humorous, outrageous, and some sad-but-true observations.

Here are a handful:

“The more you shout out praising the Lord, singing along to those awful acoustic tunes, telling people how blessed you feel and so on, the more a sort of mechanical Christian skin starts to grow all over your real self.”

“When most Americans think of the Christian right, they think of scenes from television — great halls full of perfectly groomed people in pale suits and light-colored dresses, smiling and happy and full of the Holy Spirit, robotically singing hymns at the behest of some squeaky-clean pastor with a baritone voice and impossible hair.”

“Fortenberry [the preacher] then started in on a rant against science and against scientific explanations for cycles of sin. ‘Take homosexuals,’ he said. ‘Every single homosexual is a sexual-abuse victim. They are not born. They are created — by pedophiles.’ The crowd swallowed that one whole. One thing about this world: Once a preacher says it, it’s true.”

“I told my nephew to look around the house,” Fortenberry continued. “I said, ‘Do you have a copy of Harry Potter?’ And he said yes. And I said, ‘That’s your problem.’ So I told him to go get that copy of that book, tear it in half and throw it out the window. So he does it, and guess what? Both of those kids stood up completely recovered, just like that.”

“In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, I cast out the demon of the intellect!” Fortenberry continued. “In the name of Jesus, I cast out the demon of anal fissures!”

“The whole thing — the demonic expulsions, the trading of miraculous wives’ tales, the crazy End Times theology based on dire predictions that come and go uneventfully once a year or so — it’s all a con that is done with the consent of the conned. Which is what gives it strength. If everybody agrees to believe, it is real.”

Read the story and let me know what you think.

I also recommend the book “unChristian” which deals with these perceptions and how we can go about changing them.

Filed under: Christianity, Current Events, Jesus, church | 2 Comments

Something is stirring within me.

At this point, I’m not even sure how to verbalize it.  But something is there.

I want so badly to press pause and and listen to what God is telling me- but I’m caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day.

To pause and hear.  To shut-up and listen. To see what’s stirring.

That’s what I’m longing for at this moment…

But for now, I’m off to work.

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Hilarious satire video from Vintage 21 illustrating the view many people have of Jesus.

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I was invited by to speak at the First Church of God in Rapid City by their pastor, Jacob Jurado. I really like his heart and am glad to have connected with him. They were gracious to me even though I went nearly an hour and probably said a few things that rocked the boat.

I spoke on how Christians are to be missionaries in our culture. I preached expositionally (verse-by-verse) through John 4:1-42 -where Jesus’ path crossed with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and how that changed everything. Here are some highlights:

• “Verse 1-2 tells us that the Pharisees kept score between who was baptizing more- John the Baptist or Jesus’ disciples. The Pharisees didn’t get that John and Jesus’ disciples were on the same team. Funny how religious people still do this today. “
• “I don’t want to go to Heaven because I’m afraid of hell. I want to go to Heaven because I love Jesus.”
• “Only God changes hearts.”
• “Too many of us think we’re the Holy Spirit because we seem to think it’s our job is to convict people of their sin.”
• “Scratch beneath the surface of Rapid City and you’ll see people hurting, marriages falling apart, people without direction, men addicted to porn. And that’s just the people in church.”
• “Samaritans had a mixed bag of religion including the a belief in the first 5 books of the Bible. But it was tangled in some other pagan religions. Not unlike today when many in America have some hybrid religious system where Jesus, Oprah, and Ghandi are all prophets.”
• “Jesus crossed barriers. What barriers should we cross to reach people?
• “Are we too good to sit in the smoking section?”
• “Don’t sell Jesus like you would Mary Kay.”
• “Being a missionary doesn’t mean handing out tracts, slapping on a bumper sticker, or wearing a Christian t-shirt. It means loving people no matter what. Even if it takes 5 months, 5 years, or 50 years before they come to Jesus.”
• “Jesus loves to use people who are screwed up like this Samaritan woman. It’s all over the Bible. That gives me hope because I’ve screwed up a lot.”
• “Jesus chose this moment to reveal that worship wasn’t about a time or a place; on a Saturday or Sunday; on a mountain or in a building. It was anywhere, anytime, 24/7.”
• “Our cause should be Christ and our reputation should be love.”
• “Who are you in this story? If you see yourself as someone other than the Samaritan woman, you may have a self-righteousness issue.”
• “You’ve never experienced grace unless you’ve been able to see and admit just how messy you really are.”
• “Who are the Samaritans in our city? Where do they hang out? Would Jesus be there with them? Are we?”
• “If your aim in life is to be comfortable- just know that’s not God’s aim for your life.”
• “Do we share the same heartbeat as Jesus? To seek and save those who are lost. Even in the mess?”
• “What’s at stake if we don’t? Do we even care?”
• “My passion is to hear other people say their version of verse 42- ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’”

I tried to be a good guest but I think I said, “sucks” a few times and “pull your pants up” another. Hopefully I wasn’t too offensive.

I believe the message was recorded- but I guess it may have been cut off at some point. If/when it’s available- I’ll post a link to it on my blog.

Thanks again Jacob for your invitation to speak and your kindness towards me. It was a different crowd than what I’m used to but overall a really good experience.

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• Lots of emails and comments about my post on the American Idol contestants singing, “Shout to the Lord.” I like how they sang the song again last night and inserted, “Jesus” in the song (which was omitted on Idol Gives Back).  Did they sing that song simply to appeal to the wallets of Christians? Probably. But regardless, I think it’s great anytime Jesus is lifted up.
• My little brother Josh inspires me.
• I get to play virtual golf tonight on a double date with some friends. I’ve never done it. I will probably suck, but it should be fun.
• I’m very curious to read the article in our local newspaper tomorrow featuring Project Church.
• Speaking of Project Church, I’m hoping to more people will be a part of our launch team. People who want to make an impact and be a part of something special and bigger than themselves.
• I’m meeting with the management of the facility I hope our church will meet in when we launch in September.  The vibe really matches us. I wish I could tell you where- but you know how these things go.
• I’m preaching at a local church this weekend and I’m looking forward to it.  I will be on my best behavior.  I think.
• One of my favorite blogs these days- WalktheRazor.com Check it out.

Filed under: Church Planting, Cool People, Jesus, Life, Rapid City, church, project church | 2 Comments

“Are you an emerging church?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions other Christians and pastors have about Project Church.

My response is usually, “Define emerging church.” Which is usually met with silence but sometimes a lengthy, incoherent explanation is provided which tells me they aren’t really sure themselves.

If by emerging church you mean doing whatever it takes (short of sinning) to connect people with the life-changing, unchanging truth of Jesus- then YES!

If by emerging church you mean questioning, or flat-out denying, essentials truths of Jesus just to connect with people- then NO!  In fact, any church that can’t even proclaim Jesus as God and Savior- is no church at all. Not even an emerging church.

Again, the difficulty with the emerging church is in it’s definition. It’s like an amoeba. The definition five years ago isn’t the same as it is today.

I’m not big on labels- but if people wanted to label Project Church I’d rather it be called a “missional church.” In fact, all Christians are missionaries- right where they are.  And as a church, we definitely want to relate the unchanging message into an everchanging culture. That’s what we mean by being relevant. But relevance doesn’t mean you change the message to relate to culture. Relevance means you reveal how the message relates to culture. Big difference.

So are we an emerging church?

Give me a clear definition and I’ll let you know.

Filed under: Church Planting, Jesus, Rapid City, church, project church | 2 Comments

I’ve always been a sucker for infomercials.

I can’t sleep, so I’m flipping through channels and came across an infomercial for Hercules Hooks -featuring Billy Mays. That dude that’s on every infomercial. I’m not sure what kind of secret spell he casts- but every time I hear his voice- I drop whatever I’m doing and check out whatever he’s pushing.

I’ve been thinking about why infomercials have such an appeal- at least to me. And then it hit me- Infomercials present a type of gospel.

Hear me out. When you watch it they always set it up with a question. The question reminds you that your current situation sucks. That something has gone terribly wrong.

“Don’t you wish you had an easy way to hang your 150 pound moose head?”

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Nope. A picture of heaven is painted for you.

“What if we told you that your dream of having a moose head on your wall -staring at your every move- could be a reality?”

Then voila! There’s a functional savior presented to rescue you from your dilemma.

“Hang that moose head easily with Hercules Hook. The hook that bearded, manly men like me, Billy Mays, use to hang our moose heads. It will change your life!”

So perhaps the reason I like infomercials is because deep down it reminds me of the ultimate gospel- that Jesus saves me.

Or perhaps I’m just tired and should get some sleep.

What’s your favorite infomercial? Ever purchased a product because of one?

I’ll go first. The last “As Seen on TV” product I bought was the Magic Bullet. I’ve had it for several years now and it still works like a charm. Awesome!

Your turn.

Filed under: Cool Stuff, Jesus | 1 Comment

Below are some notes from this week’s Launch Team Meeting. After last week’s discussion, we examined some common misperceptions about Jesus, Christianity, and Church. While we didn’t get into each one in depth, we did take a look at what the Bible says about these various misperceptions.

• Christians should shelter themselves from the world
  • “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” Psalm 24:1
  • “for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” Psalm 50:12b
  • “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:15-17

• Church is a building
  • Ekklesia- Gathering
  • Body- “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” 1 Cor 12:12
• Jesus was merely a great teacher
  • He was a great teacher. - Called Rabbi often
  • But he was killed because of his claim of being God.
  • I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

  
  

• God doesn’t want you to be poor, broke, or ugly
  • “Who would want to get in on something where you’re miserable, poor, broke and ugly and you just have to muddle through until you get to heaven?” - Joyce Meyer (FYI. I believe she’s a Christian but this mindset is all over Christian television.)
  • So…what About Jesus?
    • Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matt 8:20
    • He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.Isaiah 53:2b

    
    

• Good people go to heaven
  • For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
  • “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6

• You have to get your life together before you come to church- or even more- Jesus
  • “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

  
  

• Appearances matter to God
  • “…The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b
  • “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” Matthew 23:25-27
  • “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.” John 7:24

  
  

• Anything that’s abused must be avoided
  • What hasn’t been used to sin against God?
  • Common Question- What about alcohol?
    • Ecclesiastes 9:7: “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart.
    • Psalm 104:14-15: “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.”
    • Matthew 11:19: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” ‘ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
    • Drunkenness a sin: Ephesians 5:17

    
    

• We have to pray to (or through) someone other than Jesus to have your prayers answered
  • 1 Timothy 2:5 declares, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
  • Hebrews 4:16- “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
  • God does not answer prayers based on who is praying. God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will (1 John 5:14-15)

  
  

• Christianity is a Religion
  • Great explanation:
    • Religion is like this-. There was some god out there somewhere and we have to do a bunch of stuff to appease him/her/them/it. It’s like a giant ladder that went up into the clouds and disappeared into space. If we believe them, then I would have to start climbing the ladder to reach god, heaven, paradise nirvana, etc.
    • If you read the Bible and you will be struck by how different Christianity is. It is the one faith system that says we don’t have to climb some ladder. Instead, Jesus climbed down to us. There was nothing to do except believe in him. That distinction between Christianity and religion.

Filed under: Christianity, Church Planting, Jesus, church, project church | 1 Comment