Funny Dubya

President Bush was hilarious at the recent Radio/TV Correspondents Dinner

Rainy Tuesday

I'm blogging from Modoc's Market in downtown Wabash, Indiana (I'm here preaching in a Revival Meeting with the Church of Christ at Wabash). This place has an interesting history. The Market's location was once Bradley Brothers Drugstore and in 1942 a circus came to town. At some point an elephant escaped and made a beeline for downtown and the drugstore specifically. The elephant seemed to know what he was after because his destination was the store's peanut roaster. Modoc, the elephant, became an instant legend. The current market capitalizes on that legend with lots of pacaderm paraphernalia. The store has a espresso bar, a small grocery store, and offers free WiFi.



Yesterday I took a trip to nearby Peru, Indiana to visit Summit Theological Seminary. George Faull, one of my mentors in the faith, greeted me and gave me the grand tour of the place. Over the past 20 years, I have probably learned more about the Bible from this man than from anyone else. Thanks George for taking the time to teach and encourage me.

Revival Time

Tonight I'm headed to the Harlan Church of Christ to hear Evangelist Ed Bousman preach. Brother Bousman is a legend among the conservative churches of our Movement. 88 years old and still preaching! (Ed is the one on the left -- standing with Bob Stacy and Lloyd Pelfrey).

Tomorrow morning I'll leave for the Wabash Church of Christ in Wabash, Indiana. I will be preaching there through Wednesday night. I appreciate your prayers.

A Visit with the Church Doctor

This morning I joined about 18 other ministers for a visit with the Church Doctor. I first became familiar with Dr. Kent Hunter a number of years ago through John Maxwell's ministry. The session was very informal. It was called a "Roundtable Discussion" in which we could ask any question that was on or minds. There were several good questions asked about staffing, breaking through growth barriers, worship styles, and postmodernism.

The man knows his stuff (and does anybody agree with me that he looks a lot like a younger Ken Howard -- aka The White Shadow)?

Sweet Six?

Only six of my NCAA tournament teams remain. Good thing I'm not a betting man, eh? The good news is that three of my Final Four picks are still alive (Florida, Kansas, and Ohio State).

Probably will watch a lot of hoops this weekend (Tracy and the kids will be out-of-town). Then I will head to Wabash, Indiana on Sunday morning to preach in a Revival Meeting there.

Saturday

My NCAA bracket continues to get pummeled, so perhaps it's a good thing that I'll be distracted a bit on Saturday. The day begins with teaching at the 6:30am Men's Breakfast at Cedar Creek. Then I will head north to the Stroh Church of Christ. I will be speaking at its Men's Retreat (along with Gerald Moreland).

Brackets Busted

Why did I pick Texas Tech to make it to the Elite Eight? What was I thinking? It must have something to do with living in Indiana. Somehow it makes you think that Bobby Knight will always win. We're having a March Madness contest among the staff here. CBSsportsline makes it easy. Probably the person who will win is the one guy on our staff who knows nothing about sports.

March Madness

I've got my brackets filled out. Final Four of Florida, Kansas, Texas, and Ohio State, with Ohio State over Florida in the Championship Game.

How 'bout you?

24 -- Hour Two

I'm fired up about preaching this week.

It's week two of the 24 series: Witness -- Living My Faith

By the way, it’s not true that we’re going to pass out WWJD bracelets – What Would Jack Do? This is all about Jesus.

Christ’s
Tactical
Unit

That’s the church!

I love what Paul Coughlin writes in his book No More Christian Nice Guy, which has as its premise that being a Christian man doesn’t mean that you have to become a spineless, effeminate wimp: “The Gospel includes dirty feet, stinky hair, fish guts, bugs between its teeth, dirt under its nails – its entrenched in life’s day-to-day. Smell the adrenaline, feel your heart pound, taste the locust that lingers on your lips. God is on the loose. Hunting us down. Warring to liberate us from anything and everything that seeks to diminish who he made us to be.”

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

It has been around for a few years now, but I recently heard about a product called Spray-On-Mud. It's for SUV drivers who have never been off-road. It gives your vehicle a look that says, "Yeah buddy, I'm a real 4x4 person." But it's FAKE!

I heard Chris Seidman preach a message recently in which he said, "We have all had experience with people who have plenty of Christian products in their lives, but not much Christian produce hanging off the tree of their life."

I think that will fit into my 24 series. This week's message is: Witness: Living My Faith.

What's on you? Fake "spray-on" faith or the real deal?

Sunday's Service

I'm still pumped up about yesterday's worship services. It seemed like everything clicked. The people worshipped with energy and they responded very well to the new message series.


Closed the message with The Fellowhip of the Unashamed.
It never gets old.

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed.
I have the Holy Spirit Power.
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, myway is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes."

A Trial Run

This Sunday's message is about living a life of worship/devotion to God 24 hours a day rather than one hour a week.

Here's a snippet:

Paul Campos is a law professor at the University of Colorado. I don’t know if you happened to catch his editorial in Thursday’s Journal-Gazette. He was writing about how a person’s belief/religion plays into politics (voting for President):

I believe (that) genuine atheism, like genuine orthodox religious belief, is actually quite rare…How many people, at least among the social classes that produce presidential candidates, believe in the orthodox doctrines of Christianity with the same degree of confidence that they believe in, say, the existence of Antarctica?

It’s considered rude to press people on such matters, but in my experience, most supposedly orthodox religious belief, on closer examination, melts away into a vague sense of an ultimate moral order, supervised by an even more vaguely conceptualized divinity.

My initial response? “What a liberal nutburger!”
But upon further reflection, I realized that he’s right.
Why are American churches filled with nominal believers living tame lives, affecting virtually no impact upon a pagan culture that desperately needs God?

Because members of those churches, yes perhaps even some who are part of this church DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD.

They would object vehemently to that assertion, “What? Of course I believe in God”

But it’s a god created in their own image, not the God of the Bible!

For too long friends, the acceptable level of devotion and commitment to Christ has been so sub-normal, that normal seems abnormal.

Jack Facts

In doing some deeply spiritual research for my new 24 series, I came across the following:

• If everyone on "24" followed Jack Bauer's instructions, it would be called "12"


• When Jack Bauer goes to the airport and the metal detector doesn't go off, security gives him a gun


• Nobody says 'hit me' when Jack Bauer deals Blackjack


• If you wake up in the morning, it's because Jack Bauer spared your life


• Jack Bauer is the leading cause of death in Middle Eastern men


• Jack Bauer removed the "Escape" button from his keyboard. Jack Bauer never needs to escape
• If you're holding a gun to Jack Bauer's head, don't count to three before you shoot. Count to 10. That way, you get to live 7 seconds longer


• Jack Bauer doesn't miss. If he didn't hit you it's because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away


• Jack Bauer once arm wrestled Superman. The stipulations were the loser had to wear his underwear on the outside of his pants


• When President Palmer quit to start doing Allstate commercials, it took him 43 takes before he could stop saying, "You're in good hands with Jack Bauer"


• Jack Bauer is allowed to leave his phone on during a movie


• Jack Bauer can get McDonald's breakfast after 10:30


• Jack Bauer got Hellen Keller to talk


• If Jack Bauer was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Nina Meyers, and he had a gun with 2 bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.


• Upon hearing that he was played by Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer killed Sutherland. Jack Bauer gets played by no man.


• Jack Bauers calendar goes from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Jack Bauer.


• Jack Bauer played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.


• Jack Bauer once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.


• Jack Bauer was never addicted to heroin. Heroin was addicted to Jack Bauer.

Hope Springs Eternal

I was listening to Tony Kornheiser the other day and he mentioned that the Cubs are entering the 99th year of their rebuilding program. Ouch. But Tony and Mike Wilbon interviewed new skipper Lou Piniella, and Lou has high hopes for the Cubs this year. I fear that I'm being sucked into that Spring Training hope that, "this year might be, could be, THE year." Time will tell. Everybody is good in March, right?