Lincoln Brewster

My buddy Joe introduced me to Lincoln Brewster's music. I picked up his new album tonight. It's good.

Fireproof

Or small group went to see Fireproof on Sunday night. It lived up to the hype. Every married couple should go see this movie. Only one or two real actors were in it, but the storyline more than made up for that. This is a must-see!

Wait 'Til Next Year

I awakened to find that the Cubs had lost. D'oh! Couldn't they at least have made a series of it? Swept two years in a row. And that's what makes them the Cubs.

Why Do I Ever Get My Hopes Up?

I have been a Cubs fan since I was eight years old. That means they have been breaking my heart for 35 years. Yes, they can still pull it off. But they looked like the Bad News Bears last night.

Better Luck Tonight?

This Kicked My Butt

David Foster had a great blog post today:

Seven Things I'd Like to Say to the Men of America

I have a bone to pick, a frustration to voice and here it is. Where have all the men gone? I’m not talking about Neanderthals who drag their knuckles along the ground and beat up women and small children. I’m talking about good men, strong men, godly men; men who stand tall in the saddle.

I’m seeing way too many wimps and whiners; men who cop out and walk away at the first sign of trouble. So here is what I want to say to the men in America based upon what I see in them.

1. Do everything in moderation. Whether it’s drinking, sports, work, or exercise; the watchword is moderation. Everything is good in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with a glass of wine, everything wrong with a bottle. There’s nothing wrong with attending a football game, everything wrong with turning your car into a helmet. Exaggeration and going overboard are what gets us in trouble.

2. Sweat the small stuff. You hear people say glibly, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” I say you do sweat the small stuff. That’s where integrity is won. That’s where trust is kept over time.

3. Fight for your marriage. I’m absolutely amazed at how many tough guys run away at the first sign of a marriage getting hard. Your wife nags you or something doesn’t go your way. You get frustrated and tired and you give it up. If you’re not going to fight for your marriage, what in God’s name will you fight for? And I might add, that’s worth fighting for. You fight for your job, you fight for your team, and you fight for your parking spot. You need to fight for your wife and your kids; to love them and take care of them, to be their hero, and to be there for them.

4. Stop whining. Yes, times could be better but this is a business cycle and if you’ve lived more than 20 years, you know that this has happened before and it will happen again. Things come and they go. Markets correct themselves. That’s the wonder of democracy in an open market. It’s called capitalism. It’s a good thing. You might even say, it’s a God thing. It’s the way life works. So stop whining about how bad things are. You’ve never seen them that bad. Well, you’re 25 years old. Look around at some guys who have a few scars and they’re still swinging. Stop whining and start working. Work hard. Work hard at something you’re good at. Work hard at something you’re good at and that matters.

5. Man up. This simply means be a man. Live up to your responsibilities. Be tough and strong, and most of all, smart. Real men don’t walk away or run away when the going gets tough. Man up.

6. You’re always one bad decision away from wrecking your life. We are people who get up after they’ve wrecked their lives and say, “I made some mistakes.” No, you made bad choices. Every decision has an effect on your future. The smallest thing can open you up for ethical, or moral failure from which you may never recover.

7. Your wife is not your mommy. You didn’t marry a maid or a housekeeper. You married a woman, a good woman, with strengths and talents and abilities who, in many ways, is far superior than you are. You don’t need a mama. You need a lover, a leader, and a good companion. Stop expecting your wife to do for you what your mama did and do it for yourself. Here’s a novel idea: start serving her and loving her. If you want a good example of that, go watch the new movie “Fireproof.” It illustrates it well.

Art Bush

My friend Art Bush sang at Cedar Creek today. He was in town to sing at the Annual Meeting for the Wooburn Christian Children's Home. I have known Art since I was a teenager when he did a concert at my home church in Three Oaks, MI. I have had him come to all the churches I have served. I always appreciate his humble spirit and his servant's heart.

Presidential Debate

I watched the debate last night and thought is was rather boring. Although Obama did much better than expected when he had to speak off the top of his head, without a teleprompter. Both candidates were clearly well-prepared. McCain seems like he has to force a smile when he probably would rather blow his stack. I was waiting for him to go-off on Obama, like Jack Nicholson at the end of A Few Good Men.

Auburn Fair

My family and I went to the Dekalb Free Fair tonight. It was a lot of fun. And the weather was absolutely perfect. A gorgeous autumn evening. Enjoyed some Homemade Apple Dumpling with ice cream. We also caught most of Lady Antebellum's concert.

Podcasts

I got an iPod a couple of years ago and I love it. I do have lots of music on it, but I have several podcasts on it as well. Mostly sermons and stuff dealing with church leadership. I thought I would share some of my faves:


Regularly Listen
The Relevant Podcast
Internet Monk
Catalyst Podcast
ESPN Daily Podcast
Napkin Scribbles (Len Sweet)

Frequently Listen
Jeff Walling
Rick Atchley
Mark Driscoll
Grammar Girl
Savannah Christian (Cam Huxford)
Rochester Church of Christ (Patrick Mead)
John Piper
Andy Stanley
Brian Houston

Occasionally Listen
Jon Weece
John Ortberg
Rob Bell

Recently someone told me about the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast. It's new (only one episode posted so far). If you are a church leader, you MUST listen to that podcast about assumptions. Good stuff.

So who are you listening to these days?

Yearbook Yourself

Fun with yearbookyourself.com

Cubs Clinch Division

Go, Cubs, Go

Have great weekend everybody!

Cleaning House at Cedar Creek

We have several interns and high school students doing community service at the building today. So we are using the manpower to clean out closets, back rooms, and the attic. Wow, the collection of “Jesus Junk” in this place is incredible. A huge lace depiction of the Last Supper, an antique lighted picture of Jesus (only his neck glows), choral music from the 60’s, the “latest” evangelism techniques from the early 70’s, several generations of hymnals, and more. Typewriters, slide projectors, filmstrips, and of course, flannelgraph. When coming across this stuff, I have to wonder what was going through the mind of the person who stored it: “Hey, maybe we’ll have a use for this again someday. I’d better put it in the closet just in case.” And yes, I have authorized the pitching of several old Bibles (yellowed paperback copies of NIV’s from the 80’s and several copies of “Good News for Modern Man”) – pray for my soul.

Another Dorky Video

Wow.

Dorky Video of the Week

I love how the guitar player is really into it. And the bald guy in the back looks like he wants to be anywhere but there.

Big Z Pitches No Hitter

Awesome Baby!

Sunday at Cedar Creek

We had a great day at The Creek today. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm as we worshipped together. Our friend Tonja Rose sang a few songs and we announced that we are calling one of our elders to join the full-time ministry staff.

Sarah Palin Facts

Many of you are familiar with the Chuck Norris Facts (e.g. When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down). Someone has come up with a similar thing regarding John McCain's running mate: Palin Facts
Pretty funny stuff. Here are a few of my faves:

- Global Warming doesn’t kill polar bears. Sarah Palin does - usually with her bare hands.
- Three of Sarah Palin’s five kids came out sideways - she never flinched.
- Sarah Palin once carved a perfect likeness of the Mona Lisa in a block of ice using only her teeth.
- Sarah Palin doesn’t need a gun to hunt, because she can throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.
- Sarah Palin is courageous and tough enough to shave Chuck Norris’s beard — and face off against his third fist disguised as a chin.
- Sarah Palin’s hotness is the largest single contributor to melting polar ice caps.
- The Northern Lights are really just the reflection from Sarah Palin’s eyes.
- The raw energy of Sarah Palin melts the Alaskan ice roads every spring.
- Sarah Palin once bagged a caribou by staring it down until it died.
- Sarah Palin once guided Santa’s sleigh through an Alaskan blizzard with the light from her smile.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Lake James Men & Boys Rally

My friend Jeff Faull preached tonight at the Men & Boys Rally at Lake James Christian Assembly. The camp cooks put on quite a feast and the Cedar Creek praise band did a great job leading us in worship. And Jeff knocked it out of the park, as usual.

There was a good crowd of men and boys. We always look forward to this time of fellowship and learning.

A Home Run

Gov. Palin knocked it out of the park last night (momentarily taking my mind off the fact that the Cubs lost their fifth game in a row).

It Must Be September

Dropped four in a row. Nice going guys. Tell me you're not going to break my heart again.

Vice President What's-Her-Name

I think a lot of bets were lost today. McCain's Veep Candidate.

He must be trying to get in the good graces of the Alaskans before he drills all over their state (for oil that is. Black gold. Texas tea.).

Feeling Old

I was listening to ESPN Radio this morning, as usual. When the guys subbing for Mike & Mike mentioned that Michael Jackson is turning 50 today. Fifty! Then they went on a hilarious riff about his greatest songs, which led into a discussion of the Thriller album (and video -- how scary & cool it was, etc. And how Vincent Price was rapping on that album and how his haunting laugh can still freak us out). Memories of High School and College days. I'm feeling nostalgic. And old.

Back-to-School Bash

Starbucks

I really enjoy Starbucks coffee. A store opened several months ago located just a few miles down the road. It's a great place to connect with people who have been visiting The Creek. And also to meet other preachers for fellowship.

Okay, so this wasn't the most exciting post I've ever written. Maybe I need more caffeine.

Where Are Y'all From?

I have a sitemeter (located on the bottom of this blog) that tells me how many hits I get per day/week. It also gives the location of the people reading this blog. So I know where you are from, but I don't know who a lot of you are. (I do get a chuckle when I see that someone, obviously accidentally, finds this blog from Germany or Turkey or Italy. Especially when they stay on the page for less than three seconds. "Hey! Come back! What's not to love?").

Anyway, I know who is in Lincoln, IL (a dearly missed favorite intern -- see, Spence you finally got a shout-out on the blog) and Mt. Pleasant, MI and Newport News, VA, but who are the regular readers in Benson, NC and Saginaw and Grand Rapids and Livonia, MI and South Bend, IN? I have a few regular commenters, but I would love to hear from you lurkers. Let me know who you are. Leave a comment or email me.

Mighty to Save

Tracy and Lindsey will be singing this at The Creek on Sunday. It is one of my current faves.

Cubs Win!

They keep winning. It's late August. I'm starting to believe.

Do You Love What You Do?

I read this article on David Foster's blog. I sent to my staff and many of my fellow preachers. It made me reflect once again on the fact that I love what I do. This Sunday marks five years of ministry with Cedar Creek. I get to spend my life leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus. How great is that?

Summer Olympics

Have you been watching the Games? Ya gotta love the Olympics. Once every four years we find ourselves enthusiastically wrapped-up in sports that we don't even think about otherwise. Synchronized diving? Very cool. Gymnastics? They are amazing athletes. And Michael Phelps? Dude is super-human. Wow.

P.S. What's with Bob Costas's hair? A little heavy on the Just for Men maybe?

Sunday at The Creek

Sunday at Cedar Creek rocked. I don’t know what was different today, but the spirit was palpable. There was an electricity in the air. I was really fired up about my message (Jesus is the only way to Heaven — Christianity is the most exclusive of all religions, but at the same time it is the most inclusive — whosoever will may come).

Day Two

Craig Groeschel knocked it out of the park. And Catherine Rohr is doing an incredible work.

Leadership Summit

My friend Kelly Byrd invited my staff and me to attend the Leadership Summit.We have attended in the past, but did not have it scheduled his year. But Kelly made it possible for us to attend. It is always a great time to learn some truths about leadership and to be challenged to think about fresh ways to do ministry. More later.

Third Day -- Revelation

Mrs. Soren picked up Third Day's new album for me yesterday. It rocks!

Sunday at The Creek

We had a wonderful Sunday at Cedar Creek today. I was on vacation last Sunday, so it had been two weeks since I preached. It was good to be back home. The spirit of worship was tremendous and I heard several positive comments about the message, which was longer and a little meatier than usual. I preached about how we should live in this worldly culture and how we should make decisions about questionable issues. Afterwards we had lunch at Steak & Shake. Yummy!

Old Movies

Last night Luke and I watched the movie WarGames. I remember watching it was I was in High School. The computers and graphics seem cheesy now, but it was still pretty cool. And Luke enjoyed it. Next on our list? Red Dawn. "Wolverines!"

Holding Hands in Prayer

Stuff Christians Like is becoming one of my favorite blogs. Being raised in the church, I can relate to so much of what he writes about. And the dude is hilarious.

A good example is this post about prayer postures, hand placement, etc.:

A week before every retreat my men's group goes on, our leader asks us to pray for certain people. Usually it's the worship leaders because we know that they will need to rock like they have never rocked before during the retreat. Sometimes it is the small group leaders. But regardless of who it is, we always pray with our hands on them.

I'm cool with that. I mean it seems like Jesus was big on the intimacy of physical touch when He healed folks and I think it's a nice way to visibly show your support for someone. But, there are five people you meet in situations like this. And if you're a new Christian, perhaps converting after reading my insightful "Booty, God, Booty," I think you need to read this.

The five people you meet in a "hands on" prayer circle:

1. The Tickler
This is the person that seems to have some sort of tickle radar, accidentally finding a way to place their hand in your most ticklish spot. While the minister leads a heart wrenching prayer about someone losing their beet crop to the winter storms, you try not to burst out laughing and wet your pants from the tickler's hand.

2. The Kung Fu Gripper
Are we in a fight dude? Seriously, do you need to clench your hand on the nerve in my shoulder that Spock used on Star Trek to knock folks out? I get it, you're strong. You bought those little spinny push up devices they sell on television and you're taking creatine now and working on your gluts. Awesome, but you are destroying my neck right now. We're going to street fight when this prayer is over, aren't we?

3. The Lingerer
I mentioned this guy briefly in my holding hands post. And the same things are true in this case as well. This is the guy that continues to keep his hand on you long after the prayer has officially ended. We're done. They're clearing the chairs. I just want to go home but for some reason, my egress is blocked by this guy's hand. I've said it before and I will say it again. Think of letting go as a race. I want us to win. I want you and me to set a new land speed record in letting go. Come on, we can do it. Eye of the tiger. Eye of the freakin' tiger.

4. Sir Sweaty McSweaterton
Did you run here? Did you carry your car on your back like some sort of world's strongest man competition? Are you wearing wool underwear in Georgia in July? These are honestly the only reasons I can think for how sweaty you are. I'm sweaty too, don't get me wrong, but I feel like the ocean itself has its hand on my back right now. You are salty and wet and this prayer feels really long right now.

5. The Awkwarder
I'm not sure if you know this, I mean it might look different from where you are sitting, but that's my inner thigh you have your hand on. I'm just saying. I hate that two people beat you to the "prayer money spots," my shoulders, but just because all my good prayer spots were taken doesn't mean you need to put your hand in my armpit. Put your hand on my head, but wait, don't intertwine your fingers in my hair. We've talked about that. For like half an hour. That's not cool.

I am sure you can add your own, like Iron Hand, the guy that puts all his weight on you when he puts his hand down. But I have to clear something up. When I wrote my post about holding hands, someone accused me of not liking to touch the homeless. That felt like a fairly logical takeaway from my post and was exactly what I had intended. So let me be upfront, I don't mind touching the homeless. (What a delightfully weird sentence to end with, but there it is. That's how I roll, weird.)

WCCH

I've had the privilege of leading a Bible study a couple of times this month at the Woodburn Christian Children's Home. The kids and houseparents all attend church at Cedar Creek, and I serve on the board of directors of the home, so we had some great fellowship. WCCH is a terrific ministry and I'm glad to be associated with it.

Becoming a Ditto-Head

It was the summer of 1991 and I had just moved to Virginia. I had become a fan of talk radio, so I wanted to see what the local stations offered. I remember scanning the dial and coming across a voice I hadn't heard before. The more I listened, I thought, "Who is this guy?" He was funny and informed and conservative. It was my introduction to Rush Limbaugh. The time spent listening to him has waned over the years, but I still tune in occasionally. Does anyone remember his t.v. show? How 'bout the updates? (Animal Rights update -- the sound of machine guns firing while Andy Williams sang "born free"; or his other updates and spoof songs).

Human Events is celebrating 20 years of Rush. Check it out.

Vacation Bible School

VBS begins tonight. This year's songs, lessons, games, etc. have all been created by Cedar Creek folks. The theme is a take-off from High School Musical. It looks to be a busy, but fun week!

Mackinaw Get-Away

We're heading up north today. (Yes Frank, I'm going out-of town -- AGAIN). I'm taking Mrs. Soren to Mackinaw Island to celebrate the fourth anniversary of her 39th birthday. We stay in Mackinaw City at a little Mom & Pop place . Mackinaw has become one of our favorite places.

Back from Delmarva Family Camp

Delmarva was great. We had a lot of fun. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends Tony Washburn, John Mitchell, and David Willis. I heard some powerful sermons. Mark Fugate never fails to deliver. I also appreciated Daniel Davenport and Paul Ponchot. It was a long trip, but a fun one. It is good to be home though (even if only for a few days).

Cletus Take the Reel

Delmarva Family Camp

I'll leave early tomorrow morning for Laurel, Delaware to preach at the Delmarva Family Camp. My friend Ray Bennett is in charge of this campmeeting. It was the place where I had my first "outside" preaching gig when I was a rookie preacher nearly 20 years ago. My son Luke and my father-in-law Ray will be going with me (we usually go to The Northmen, but will be heading east this year instead). When I lived in Virginia I drove up to Delmarva for at least a day nearly every year (and most years I had the opportunity to preach), but I haven't been there since we moved to Indiana. I'm looking to getting reacquainted with the folks from the Eastern Shore (for those of you who might not know, the Delmarva Peninsula is a sliver of land on the east coast, containing Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia -- DEL-MAR-VA).

Next Time I'll Swerve

Yesterday I travelled back to my hometown for a family funeral. I was a couple of miles from my parents' house, driving down a country road, when I saw what looked like a dead bird in the road. I couldn't tell for sure what it was, but it looked fairly small. I thought I would simply straddle it, and drive right over it. Nope. It made a huge bang and I looked in my rear-view mirror to see it bounce up and tumble down the road. It was a piece of metal or rock or something. Dang! When I got to my folks' place I checked under the car and transmission fluid was pouring out all over the driveway. The thing punched a hole in the transmission pan. D'oh! So I had to call a wrecker to come get it and tow it into town. Mr. Mechanic had to special order the part from Chicago. It won't be ready until Monday. Not only am I out $350 (towing and repair), I have to drive back (270 miles round-trip) and retrieve the car (I'm borrowing Dad's for the weekend -- just like old times). I hope you had a better start to your weekend.

Blogging

I stumbled upon this guy's blog the other night. I think he is hilarious.

In other news, it seems like everyone is blogging these days (Thanks Trey)!

Driscoll's New Book

Last night I read Mark Driscoll's new book On Church Leadership. He will be writing several books in this series, designed to be read in about an hour. The book was pretty good. He outlined some basic biblical principles about elders, deacons, and church members. He also briefly stated his complementarian view of gender roles (a bit more progressive than I had been led to believe).

July 4th in Leo, Indiana

We had a wonderful July 4th celebration in “Mayberry.” It seemed like the entire community came out to enjoy the festivities. We arrived around 6:00pm and set up our lawn chairs. The Cedar Creek youth were selling pop and water, and there were several church family members gathered at the park. There was plenty of food, games, and fun events. Despite having lived here only five years, I still saw several people I recognized from the community . I enjoyed walking around and talking to people (something about the preacher gene – I can’t help myself). The weather was perfect and the fireworks show was spectacular.

I hope your holiday was a good one.

Happy Independence Day!

NACC Thursday

Last night's worship service was powerful. Dr. Ajai Lall preached about Dangerous Faith, and he talked about the persecution of Christians that is taking place around the world. He is a remarkable man (I had the privilege of meeting him a number of times when I served at Northampton).

I have been enjoying the fellowship with a number of old college friends and many others. Dr. Thom Ranier will be speaking this afternoon, then I will head back to Fort Wayne. It has been a great experience.

NACC Update

Day One was fun. I got to town about 3:00, so I had time to explore a little. I decided to go for a run. Less than a half-mile from the hotel is the Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds. I ran down there (the park is next to the Bengals Stadium too) by the Ohio River and found a great running path through a park.

The evening session of the Convention was good. I wandered through the display area and saw several friends. Then the service began. Worship was great and Cam Huxford preached a terrific message.

More tomorrow.

North American Christian Convention

I'm leaving today for the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati. The NACC is an annual get-together of people from the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. There will be excellent preaching, some great workshops, and wonderful fellowship. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I'm also excited about getting to meet one of my favorite bloggers, Patrick Mead.