its time to think about things in a new way. given my vantage point on many things i’m not sure our current systems and processes in the church and outside are taking in the realities of just where we are in the Story. One of my favorite authors and contemporary thinkers is seth godin he has an interesting project happening today and i’m doing my small part to push it out to my friends. it’s an interesting concept and one that draws on the value of a larger community. so enjoy…and pass this along to your network. there is much to be done…what matters to you? here’s 70+ voices in just-long-enough essays to get your mind to thinking.
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marriage: love and war.
together, my bride melinda and i have been talking alot about marriage. not ours directly, but we have reflected on it, but on the state of marriage in our spiritual community. whether we look at those she and i walk with, students, or even the adults in our small group, it is amazing to us the ongoing assaults that continue to roll towards this blessed state. it seems almost paradoxical that in the midst of a teaching series…40 days of love, that the destruction of love is in every camp in which we walk and live.
it seems very timely that my pal john eldredge and his bride stasi have written a book that takes the message of freedom and offers to the most challenged institution in the world.
together they offer a reminder that marriage is an amazing tension… rich & good and hard . so grateful for them to have taken on this task. the book is due out on december 15th.
click on the image to go to the web page and learn more. there’s a very good podcast on itunes here.
story09
spent a few days in the land of lincoln as a participant at story09. it was an amazing couple of days…just to spend some time with our ashland campus pastor kevin rush, jimmy warner the ashland campus worship leader, and a new friend, clint beiri. and then there were many amazing moments over the 48 hours, all of which helped to shape some new understandings of how to communicate more effectively the truths of “the Story.” the event was directed by Ben Arment who is amazingly creative and has an amazing heart. so grateful that he followed his passions and brought together an amazing array of thinkers, writers, artists and poets. the venue itself was the historical paramount theater in downtown aurora, il (on the trip out and back we watched waynes world just to commemorate our travels…party on!).
i was able to connect for the first time with some good “twitter” friends and reconnect with others like lv hanson from catalyst. lv posted some helpful links to the various speakers and their presentations.
the workshops that followed on day two were hosted by pastor scott hodge and his amazing team of volunteers at orchard valley community church. both days were worth the trip in themselves. i’m still processing the two days. more information than i’ve pondered in awhile. one of the most amazing elements was the combination of so many different “artists” of sorts focusing on how to better communicate the Story. plans are already underway for story2010 this is a conference you’ll want to definitely put on your calendar for next year.
@deadlyviper has a new book…
had some fun today doing our part to create some buzz about the guys @deadly viper putting out a new book. our emmie was pretty excited as she was the 200th follower on twitter and got some nice “swag”. she was pretty excited to say the least. looks like a great book. check out the new video to promo it…
The official trailer for Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A kung fu survival guide for life and leadership. By Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite
A revolution of radical integrity and radical grace. Also includes a DVD sereis and small group studies.
Available wherever books are sold. www.DeadlyViper.org www.Zondervan.com
fearless by max lucado
fearless, like much of what max lucado writes is very good. the book is filled with many good stories that help to paint clearly how we tend to deal with fear, but he also helps the reader to see that there exists a perspective that we need to work towards if we are going to live lives of wholeness.
Lucado reminds us in his story-telling voice that there are many agreements we make about our selves that is very far from the truth. So many people believe that they are abandoned to their plight and just have to work through it. early on lucado unpacks a key understanding of how God deals with our fears. Helping us to debunk what is a false understanding of our place in the Story. A key observation about fear…”if it is mismanaged,(fear)leads to sin. Sin leads to hiding. Since we’ve all sinned, we all hide, not in the bushes (as our first parents) but in eighty-hour work weeks, temper tantrums and religious busyness. We avoid contact with God.”
Lucado walks through many concepts of fear…God is ticked of at us, we’re not doing enough to protect our kids, our economic uncertianties, and the final idea…what do we do if things get worse? all very real and all ideas that many have or even now wrestling through.
the good thing is that Lucado helps us see that those ideas can be looked at from a radically new way if we simply grow in our love of Jesus. I love the quote he pulls a story from Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis…
Lucy sees Aslan, the lion, for the first time in many years. He has changed since their last encounter. His size surprsies her, and she tells him as much.
‘Aslan’ said Lucy ‘you’re bigger.’
‘That is because you are older, little one,’ answered he.
‘not because you are?’
‘I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
And so it is with Christ. The longer we live in him, the greater he becomes in us. It’s not that he changes butw that we do.; we see more of him. We see dimensions, apsects, and characteristics we never saw before, increasing and astonishing increments of his purity, power, and uniqueness.
Lucado’s book is written with useful discussion questions for each chapter at the back of the book and would be an excellent small group study. The good folks at thomas nelson have also put together a few useful webtools to impact the message. You’ll want to check them out.
I was encouraged as i finished the book. My take away was when we see our God as a big God then our strength can overcome fear. I need to leave my small views behind and watch how God will use those elements of fear…those things we fear to help us trust Him more so that like little Lucy our view of God will grow and our fears disappear…because we grow.
Great Read! Get it.
Review Grade: A
No Fear Year Devotional Website http://nofearyear.com/fearless/
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