Obama Trades Church for the Gym and the Top Ten Excuses For Avoiding Church

President-elect Barack Obama has yet to attend church services since winning the White House earlier this month, a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors.

On the three Sundays since his election, Obama has instead used his free time to get in workouts at a Chicago gym.

Asked about the president-elect's decision to not attend church, a transition aide noted that the Obamas valued their faith experience in Chicago but were concerned about the impact their large retinue may have on other parishioners.

That's a new one for me. Here's the ten more of the top excuses for avoiding church:

10. I was forced to as a child.

9. People who go to church are hypocrites; they don’t practice what they preach.

8. There are so many different kinds of churches, I can’t decide which one to attend.

7. I used to go, but I got bored and stopped.

6. I only go on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter.

5. None of my friends will go with me.

4. I’ll start attending when I get older.

3. I don’t really have time to go to church.

2. I don’t believe that church does anybody any good. It’s just a crutch.

and the # 1 excuse for not attending church …….

The church is just after your money.

HT: The Politico

Using the Twilight Series to Share Your Faith

I have to admit that I am completely out of the loop on this whole Twilight deal, but it seems to be everywhere right now (including interest among students in my church), so I looked into the gist of it and came across this article from Dare2Share Ministries about how to use this book series (and movies) to share your faith with your friends (or with the young people in your church).

From what I have read about the book series, I do not think this is appropriate for the teenage audience that it appears to be targeted toward. Many teens, if not most, are not spiritually mature enough to read this type of material without being both emotionally and morally impacted by the story. However, if they have already read it, then youth pastors and parents should definitely use it as a teaching tool and as a way to point them toward Biblical truth about God’s plan for our lives … the same goes for everything else in our culture (i.e., movies, music, art, etc.) that glamorizes sex.

Here’s a blurb from the article:

This unusual romance saga is pumped full of the push and pull of a desire for true love and … sexual tension. … there are some striking similarities to the real world teens find themselves confronted with every day, surrounded by a culture that is saturated with sexual connotations, innuendos, and a warped view of human sexuality, yet longing for true love and respect.

So as Christians, how do we handle the push and pull of sex that permeates our own lives, and our social networks? Well, God ’s … blueprint for sexuality (calls for us to):

God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God. Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful–as beautiful on the inside as the outside. (1 Thess. 4:2-7).

Every human, Christians and non-Christians alike, have struggled with lust in one form or another. But as God’s Word says, sexual lust destroys both our relationships and our self-esteem. Lust only devalues the person and objectifies them. Each of us has been created in His image and deserves to be treated in a respectful and honoring way. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to come along side us and be our strength in time of our weakness. We need His help in fleeing lustful temptations (2 Timothy 2:2).

Use the popular Twilight series as a springboard in conversation with your friends to talk about God’s plan for our lives! Here are some questions to help you get started:

• If your friends (or students) have read Twilight, ask them who in the books they think show true love. How? Why?
• Ask your friends how they would define lust. Listen, and then share what God’s perspective of lust is.
• If it seems appropriate, consider asking your friends how they deal with sexual temptation (lust, pornography, premarital sex, masturbation).
• Explain how our Heavenly Father wants to protect us from later harm by giving us His blue print for sexuality.

Share how Jesus came to this earth and died and then rose again so we can have His strength and power here on earth to overcome the struggles of this world.

Real and lasting self-control can only come from the Holy Spirit’s divine guidance. So, step out with His power and share with your friends how they too can step into God’s loving direction for dealing with the challenges of this dimension of life.

HT: Dare2Share

40 Reasons to Be Thankful

Be thankful because you are …

1. A Child of God (Romans 8:16)
2. Redeemed from the Hand of the Enemy (Psalm 107:2)
3. Forgiven (Colossians 1:13,14)
4. Saved by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8)
5. Justified (Romans 5:1)
6. Sanctified (I Corinthians 6:11)
7. A New Creature (II Corinthians 5:17)
8. Partaker of His Divine Nature (II Peter 1:4)
9. Redeemed from the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)
10. Delivered from the Powers of Darkness (Colossians 1:13)
11. Led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14)
12. A Son of God (Romans 8:74)
13. Kept in Safety Wherever I Go (Psalm 91:11)
14. Getting All My Needs Met by Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
15. Casting All My Cares on Jesus (I Peter 5:7)
16. Strong in the Lord and in the Power of His Might (Ephesians 6:10)
17. Doing All Things through Christ Who Strengthens Me (Philippians 4:13)
18. An Heir of God and a Joint Heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17)
19. Heir to the Blessings of Abraham (Galatians 3:13, 14)
20. Observing and Doing the Lord’s Commandments (Deuteronomy 28:I2)
21. Blessed Coming in and Blessed Going out (Deuteronomy 28:6)
22. An Heir of Eternal Life (I John 5:11, 12)
23. Blessed with All Spiritual Blessings (Ephesians 1:3)
24. Healed by His Stripes (I Peter 2:24)
25. Exercising My Authority over the Enemy (Luke 10:19)
26. Above Only and Not Beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13)
27. More than a Conqueror (Romans 8:37)
28. Establishing God’s Word Here on Earth (Matthew 16:19)
29. An Overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of My Testimony (Revelation 12:11)
30. Daily overcoming the Devil (I John 4:4)
31. Not Moved by What I See (II Corinthians 4:18)
32. Walking by Faith and Not by Sight (II Corinthians 5:7)
33. Casting Down Vain Imaginations (II Corinthians 10:4, 5)
34. Bringing Every Thought into Captivity (II Corinthians 10:5)
35. Being Transformed by Renewing My Mind (Romans 12:1, 2)
36. A Laborer Together with God (I Corinthians 5:21)
37. The Righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21)
38. An Imitator of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1)
39. The Light of the World (Matthew 5:14)
40. Blessing the Lord at All Times and Continually Praising the Lord with My Mouth (Psalm 34:1)

HT: Dare2Share

Advent Conspiracy

The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Check out the Advent Conspiracy … pastors, this website is full of helpful resources.

Constructive Use of Humor

We all like to laugh, but is humor always good? When is humor harmful and when is it helpful?

Healing Humor

Bonds us in understanding or accepting difficulty and responsibility

Laughs at itself

Illuminates solutions

Decreases tension

Builds confidence

Involves others in enjoyment

Harmful Humor

Divides us from one another and places blame on others

Laughs only at others

Obscures solutions

Increases tension

Destroys someone’s self-worth

Excludes others from enjoyment

What Does a Mature Christian Student Look Like?

For those of you serving in youth ministry in some capacity, how do you determine whether or not your students are growing spiritually? Dr. Wesley Black at Lifeway.com suggests the following marks of a mature Christian student:

A Mature Christian Student…

• Seeks spiritual growth - Alone and with others pursues questions, guidance, and commitment through conversation, study of faith, reading the Bible, prayer, small groups, retreats.
• Possesses a vital faith - Keenly aware of God present and active in one’s own life, the lives of others, and the life of the world.
• Practices faith - Actively practices faith in Jesus Christ privately and publicly through regular attendance at worship, participation in ministry, and leadership in a congregation.
• Makes the Christian faith a way of life - Recognizes God’s call and integrates one’s beliefs into the conversation, decisions, and actions of daily life.
• Lives a life of service - Involved in activities caring for others and addressing injustice and immorality.
• Reaches out to others - Reaches out to others who are different or in need through prayer, hospitality, conversation, and support.
• Exercises moral responsibility - Lives with integrity using faith in making considered moral decisions.
• Speaks publicly about faith - Speaks openly about Jesus Christ and God’s participation in one’s own life and the life of the world.
• Possesses a positive spirit - Reflects loving and hopeful attitudes toward others and life.

HT: Lifeway

Bible Across America

It was cool to be a part of this across America project, celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the NIV version of the Bible. My everyday bible is ESV, but I have an NIV as well and enjoy reading it as well. Zondervan is eventually going to publish this hand-written version of the NIV, to which I was given the opportunity to record Numbers 29:17, “On the second day prepare twelve young bulls, two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old, all without defect” (I’m sure that’s a common memory verse!). If the Bible Across America RV rolls into your hometown, I hope you’ll take a moment to be part of this project.

HT: Bible Across America

Should I be a Stay-At-Home Dad? By Mark Driscoll

I respect Mark Driscoll and value his teaching of the Word of God, but as a dad who takes my daughter to work with me each day (some days we work from home, some days we work from the church), I find this teaching difficult. I am not saying that it’s wrong or inconsistent with scripture, only that it’s difficult, and I don’t feel it’s an accurate assessment of what the majority of dads who care for their children do each and every day.

By caring for my daughter during the day, I feel that I am providing for my family. My wife and I both provide for our family financially, but because of the nature of my work, I am able to keep our daughter with me during the day, which prevents her from having to go to day care - something that I feel is a blessing.

Am I a traditional stay-at-home dad? I guess not. I do work, as a pastor and as a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in Education. Do I agree that my wife is better equipped to take care of our daughter? Yes, but as a dad I have an important role to play too, and I think I take good care of our daughter as well. Do I think it’s alright for my wife to have her own professional career? Yes. She’s a dentist in a community health clinic and she’s very good at what she does. And what about 1 Timothy 5:8, that “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” As I said, I feel that I do, together with my wife, provide for my family. I do provide for our family financially, I am the spiritual leader in my home, and my wife and I together make sure that our home is a Godly and healthy place for our daughter.

Maybe Mark Driscoll would disagree with my assessment, maybe you do too, but I do not see that the way my wife and I care for our daughter is unbiblical in any way. What do you think about this important issue? I would sure love to hear from you if you do disagree with me, or if you are a dad who cares for your children during during the day.

HT: The Resurgence