Psalm 23

This week my plan is to blog my daily Bible reading reflections. Here is a previous blog post on our reading plan, as well as a link to our website where you can download the plan. Today we are reading Psalm 23-24. Before I begin to read, I ask God to reveal one thing to me. This morning the verse that seemed to be highlighted was Psalm 23:1.

Scripture
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Observation
If the Lord is my shepherd, what does that make me?
A sheep?
What would it be like to not be in want?
Is that God's desire for us?

Application
I typically don't think of myself as a sheep. I guess I prefer to think of myself a little more highly than that. But maybe that's the problem. In order to have all of my needs met by the Shepherd, I must be completely dependent upon Him. That means quite simply that I cannot be dependent on myself. This is another one of those "Upside-down Kingdom" issues. The world teaches me to be self-reliant. It doesn't teach me to be a dependent sheep. But in the Kingdom of God, this is the plan. If I'm being honest, sometimes I get it, but many times I rebel. But when I do "get it", it's good. It's right.

Prayer
God, thank you for being my shepherd. I know that Your desire is that I would place my trust completely in you. I ask that You would help me to do that today. Amen.

Easter Weekend

Another Easter has come and gone, and I feel in some ways that I missed it. The last few weeks have been such a blur that I have found it difficult to sit and be still. Friday night Jason and Barb hosted a Good Friday observance. They spent a lot of time preparing for it, and it was a very moving experience for me. Today was a little weird, though. I realized yesterday that the Tigers were set to tip off a little before our Easter Egg Hunt began. I think that caused me to do a little sulking today. I was very pessimistic about today's events.

Our group planned on getting to the Skinner Center at 3:30, and the Easter Egg Hunt was set to begin at 4:00. None of us were really that prepared, in part due to the fact that we didn't know if anyone would show up. I went outside to the park a few minutes after 4:00, and began telling people that we were getting ready to have an Easter Egg Hunt. I went back in. When I returned, there were quite a few people waiting.

I told the kids that the Easter Bunny, played with excellence by Josh, (I'm glad our kids can't read) was on his way, and that we would begin as soon as he got there. As you can imagine, there was much excitement at the notion that the Easter Bunny would there. When he got there, we released the kids to find their hidden eggs. We then invited anyone who wanted to have their picture taken with the bunny.

When it was all over, Mandy told me that there were at least 35 kids, plus their parents. I'm not sulking anymore. I am very happy that we had the opportunity to give kids a good time and meet some new neighbors in the process.

The Church's Role in God's Mission

Here's another quote from Craig Van Gelder's The Ministry of the Missional Church:

Spirit-gifted believers living out their lives in the world both collectively and individually bear witness to the redemptive reign of God in Christ as they exercise the gifts of the Spirit and live out of their new nature in expressing the fruit of the Spirit. They become a demonstration to the watching world that God intends that all of life might flourish, and they become God's agents in the world through the leading of the Spirit to help cultivate this reality (45).

NBA What If's?

If you're an NBA fan, this is a great article. Bill Simmons of ESPN lists the top 15 What If's of the past five years. And I'll give you a hint: the #1 What If has something to do with Memphis. Any guesses?

Read the article.

Southern Baptists and Creation Care

By Brian McLaren

As the nation's second largest denomination (after the Roman Catholic Church), Southern Baptists have been given much, so their potential to do good is considerable - as is the danger of missing opportunities to do good. Sadly, until now, constituents and leaders of the 16-million-member Convention have tended to lag behind other large Christian communities when it comes to addressing the issue of environmental stewardship in general and climate change in particular. But that may be changing.

In 2007, the Convention took the positive step of passing a statement affirming the need for Baptists to care for creation, but a new group of Southern Baptists - including many notable Baptist leaders - have said the statement was too timid: it could be interpreted by "the world," they said, as "uncaring, reckless and ill-informed." Through the new declaration, "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change," these leaders are calling Baptists to keep moving forward in care and healing for God's precious planet. Jonathan Merritt, a young leader who helped inspire the new declaration, expressed his motivation in language that resonates deeply with Southern Baptists: to trash this beautiful planet - which is God's handiwork and declares God's glory - is like tearing out pages from the Bible.

True, many SBC notables have not yet signed the new statement. But current Convention president Frank Page did, along with 43 other exemplary SBC leaders including Ed Stetzer, Larissa Arnault, David Clark, Timothy George, John Hammett, Darrin Patrick, Jonathan Merritt, and two previous Convention presidents, Jack Graham and James Merritt. Their website (www.baptistcreationcare.org) has room for additional signatories, so we may see the center of gravity shift further toward environmental responsibility in the coming days and weeks.

Read more.

What I'm Reading

Our church is going through Genesis right now, and I have the opportunity to speak about Abraham's life this Sunday night. The topic is faith. I've been reading a few books I thought I'd recommend:

Dangerous Wonder, by Mike Yaconelli
Seizing Your Divine Moment, by Erwin McManus
Don't Waste Your Life, by John Piper

New Job

I'm getting ready to start with a new mortgage brokerage this week. The name of the company is Midas Mortgage. It was difficult leaving the other company I had been working with, but I realized that this made sense in the long-term. They're based in Memphis and have been around for 6 years. This week I begin some training, which will be really great. I went through some initial training when I first started in the business a little over a year ago, but, like any other new venture, I really didn't have a framework of knowledge, and so most of what I learned just kind of spilled over. Now I've been working for a year, and am ready to gain some knowledge.

More on Education

My former pastor (no, he's not dead) wrote a great post last year on why they chose homeschooling over other options. It is very well written. As of today, homeschooling is our second option for Adam, for a lot of the same reasons that Mark has shared. There's one thing, though. I don't want to do that alone. This has in some ways become a community decision, though I don't think anyone would necessarily voice it that way. The momentum has come as the numbers of interested parents has increased. That is what has made this so exciting. So, if public school doesn't work out, I think it would be great if several of us do homeschooling together. I'll share more thoughts on this at a later time. For now, I invite you to read Mark's thoughts on the subject.

Public School Education

A few weeks ago Al Mohler's new book, Culture Shift, came out. One of the chapters is entitled "Needed: An Exit Strategy for Public Schools." I have not read the book, but have read a few articles and blog posts about this chapter (see below). This topic is very near to my heart. When we were first planning to move to Memphis, one of the first questions that came up was, "Where are you going to send Adam for school?" We were told that the public school system was in a mess, and we would most likely end up moving out of the city when Adam turned five. We knew that it was going to take longer than 4 or 5 years to see a church started, so we had to find other options.

In our first year in Cooper-Young, we started learning about Peabody Elementary School. Last April we held a forum at the school, and discovered that the question of where to send our children was near to a lot of people's hearts. We discovered that many of our friends desired to live holistic lives that revolved around their neighborhood. They didn't want to leave the city, and neither did they want their kids going to school outside of the city. Mandy is now on the leadership council at Peabody, even though she teaches at a different elementary school. We have been so encouraged by what we have seen there. In three weeks we are going to have a new playground. The CYCA, Peabody, Home Depot, and a nonprofit called Kaboom have teamed up to build a playground on March 20. This is going to be such an exciting time for our neighborhood and our school.

I am proud of our little church because everyone is behind this. And I'm definitely proud of my wife, because she has played such a large role in getting much of this off the ground.

When I hear someone say that we need an exit strategy from public school, I am saddened. On one hand, I want to be live with a lot of grace in this issue . My child is not in school yet, so who am I to judge someone for choosing one way or the other. This is not an easy decision. I would like to think that all of us will stay in this neighborhood and fully support the public school, but I want to be realistic. I'm sure that some of us will end up moving out of the city or sending our children to private school. That, however, is not going to stop me from working hard to try to get more and more people to consider public education.

As a follower of Jesus, I feel that this is one of my roles. I'm getting ready to preach from Genesis 12 in a few weeks. God's covenant with Abraham was that he and his descendants would be blessed...in order that they might be a blessing to the world. I desire to be a blessing to my neighborhood and my city. The only way that will happen is for me to be a part of my neighborhood and city. That's why incarnational ministry is so essential. The original incarnation featured Jesus (aka God) becoming flesh and blood like us and moving into our neighborhood. Praise God for that!

I'll leave you with one resource. This is a blog post from Scot McKnight's site. Read the comments as well. As of now there are 136 of them.

Baby Boy

Mandy corrected me that a baby boy is in fact not growing her stomach. It's growing in her uterus. Thank you, dear, for that correction.

Thoughts on Paul's Calling

We're now almost through the book of Acts in our church's daily Bible readings. I think it's taking everyone time to get in a routine, but I hope that everyone will continue on with it. I know that God wants to speak to us as a community.

I've been thinking a lot about Paul's conversion experience. Often, when we talk about our conversion, or when we talk to someone else about turning their life over to Christ, we talk about going to heaven, or having a more fulfilling life. Don't get me wrong; I totally believe that this is a major part of becoming a Christian, and I am truly grateful for both. However, I've been caught off guard when reading about Paul's encounter with Jesus.


When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he encountered glory. He was knocked off his horse, saw a light brighter than the sun, heard a voice, and then went blind. From Acts 9 we learn that this voice, whom He quickly learned belonged to the Lord Jesus, told him to go into the city of Damascus and "you will be told what to do" (9:6). In Acts 22:10, the wording is, "you will be told all that is appointed for you to do." Finally, in Acts 26:16-18, we get even more details:

" 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 16'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

What strikes me is the clarity of calling that Paul receives. What is happening is that allegiance is being shifted. Paul goes from persecuting Jesus one day, to becoming His servant the next. As you can see, he receives "'forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (eternity in heaven), but these are just a small part of Jesus' plan for Paul.

From the very beginning, Paul learns that he will suffer in this calling (Acts 9:16). By the time Paul is in Caesarea standing before Festus and Agrippa, it's safe to say that around 25 years have passed since his conversion on the road to Damascus. Paul has been faithful to his Master's calling. And during those 25 years, he has suffered a great deal. We learn through his writings that he wouldn't trade that suffering for anything, because it has led to the Gentiles becoming disciples of Jesus.

I am so encouraged by Paul's life. And as I continue to read the story of the early church, I am in awe of Jesus. His plans are so beyond my plans. His thoughts are so beyond my thoughts. I put Him in a box so often (or at least I think I do). I desire to see this type of transformation, but am I willing to go through all that Paul went through?

I guess that's the question we all have to ask ourselves every day.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mark 8:34

A Good Day

Yesterday we found out that there is a little baby boy growing inside of Mandy's stomach. We took Adam to the ultrasound. It was great to experience that together as a family. After the doctor's appointment we went to Chuck E Cheese, or, as Adam calls it, "Chuck E Jesus." We figured this would be the way a 2 1/2 year old boy would properly celebrate this news. He was very much in awe the whole time we were there. All in all a very good day!

Nearly a third of recent homebuyers have negative equity

I knew things were bad, but I didn't realize it was quite this bad.

According to a report released today by real estate portal Zillow, nearly a third of U.S. homebuyers who purchased a property in the last two years now owe more than the home is worth.A whopping 30.4 percent of those who purchased homes in 2006 and 2007 have negative equity, largely because single-family homes posted a year-over-year decline of 5.5 percent, while condos slid a record 7.4 percent.

To highlight the severity of the problem, only three percent of those who purchased a home in 2003 currently owe more than their homes are worth.

Homeowners were hit hardest in areas like California, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada, where home prices saw the worst declines and borrowers put little to nothing down.

Read more.

Free Wi-fi: Coming soon to a Starbucks near you

Is the end of paying for Wi-Fi near?

By Michal Lev-Ram

You know the feeling: You just ordered your carmel machiatto (extra foam), sat down at a table and opened up your laptop. You log on, hoping to quickly check your e-mail, when all of a sudden a screen pops up asking for your name and credit card information. That’s when you realize that hopping online won’t be as quick — or as cheap– as you’d hoped.

Say goodbye to all of that. On Monday Starbucks (SBUX) announced it was dropping T-Mobile’s (DT)’ s $6-an-hour Wi-Fi service for AT&T, which will provide coffee- house customers with two free hours of Internet access a day. With about 7,000 Starbucks locations in the United States, that’s a major boon for AT&T (T). Now the question is, how long will hotels, airports and other venues be able to continue charging sky-high fees for a service that many people see as essential as running water and electricity.

“This is something that people want,” says Morningstar analyst John Owens. “I think customers will embrace this move.”

Of course, Starbucks’ hopes free Wi-Fi will convince coffee drinkers to not only opt for Starbucks but also to stick around longer and buy more lattes. To log onto the company’s new Internet service, customers will need to have an active Starbucks card.

“This is what customers have been asking for,” says Starbucks spokeswoman Sonja Gould. She says a typical Starbucks Internet customer uses one hour of Wi-Fi a day. The company will begin rolling out the new service at select locations this spring. By end of 2008, it will be available at all Starbucks’ U.S. stores.

Read more

When I Don't Know What to Do

This morning over breakfast we were listening to Tommy Walker, and the song "When I Don't Know What to Do" came on. I thought back to my post from last night, and was reminded that this is an appropriate response to tragedy. It reminds me of something I read once by Jimmy Abegg (from Ragamuffin Prayers):

Sometimes the best prayers are something like this: "Oh my God, Help!"

The amazing thing is that God welcomes the "Oh my God, Help" as much as he welcomes the lifting of hands and singing praises. Here are the lyrics.

When I Don’t Know What To Do
Tommy Walker WeMobile Music ©2005

Lord I surrender all to
Your strong and faithful hand
In everything I will give thanks to You
I’ll just trust Your perfect plan

Chorus:
When I don’t know what to do
I’ll lift my hands
When I don’t know what to say
I’ll speak Your praise
When I don’t know where to go
I’ll run to Your throne
When I don’t know what to think
I’ll stand on Your truth
When I don’t know what to do

Lord I surrender all
Though I’ll never understand
All the mysteries around me
I’ll just trust your perfect plan

Bridge:
As I bow my knee
Send Your perfect peace
Send Your perfect peace, Lord
As I lift my hands
Let Your healing come
Let Your healing come to me

2008: So Far, So ???

We're less than six weeks into the new year, and I feel like it's becoming the year of tragedy. First there was the death of Amber Mathenia. Next was the death of our friend Linda Griffin. Bob is doing better but still has a long way to go. Updates can be found here. On Monday I heard that my friend Dieter Zander had had a stroke on Sunday night. Dieter was a mentor during my time in the Bay Area. The latest on Dieter is here. Finally, there were the tornadoes last night. I graduated from Union University in 1997. If you'd like to read updates, go here.

As I reflect on all of these tragedies, I am reminded that life is precious, and that it is a gift from God. I am also reminded that God works everything to the good of those He loves. I've seen this through Linda's death. I am so thankful that they were a part of a church like Hillside. It's also evident with what has happened at Union. Today on CNN I heard a student being interviewed. It was powerful. I know that God will share His grace and love with many people through these tragedies.

Super Game

What a game last night. We hosted a party, and had around 30 friends show up. Of those 30, one third of them were kids, all between the ages of 1 week and 3 years. There were only a few of us left by the end of the game, but it was a great time. Hopefully an annual tradition.

Neighborhood Church Bible Reading Plan

Here is our church's daily Bible reading plan. We believe that the Bible is God's primary way for speaking to His people, and we decided awhile back that we wanted to create a culture where Bible reading was normative for everyone. We read two chapters a day, and then reflect through journaling. If you'd like to get more details, go here.

Vote Chooser

Answer 10 questions, and this website will tell you who you should vote for. Pretty nifty!

Foreclosures up 75% in 2007

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of foreclosures soared in 2007, with 405,000 households losing their home, according to a report released Tuesday. That's up 51 percent from the 268,532 homes that were repossessed in 2006.

Total foreclosure filings soared 97% in December alone compared with December of 2006, according to RealtyTrac, an online seller of foreclosure properties. For the year, total filings - which include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions - grew 75%.

More than 1 percent of all U.S. households were in some stage of foreclosure during 2007, up from 0.58 percent the year before.

Read more

Watch a Show on the Wall

This morning I am at home with Adam for a few hours. My mom will be here a little before lunch, at which time I will go into the office. Until then, though, it's dad/son time. The projector from church is here, so I decided that we would do one of Adam's favorite things: watch a show on the wall. We rented Madagascar this weekend, so, as I write this, we are in bed, watching a show on the wall. Good times!

The Church@ Hickory Hollow

This past weekend marked the 10th anniversary of The Church@ Hickory Hollow's first worship service. Mark, my former pastor, wrote a great post here. I did most of my reflection a few months ago.

Tragedy

This afternoon I learned that a friend (Linda) from our church in California (Hillside Church) was killed yesterday in a car crash. A drunk driver was involved. Her husband, Bob, is in critical condition, and as I write is going into his second surgery. He does not know that Linda had died. They have two daughters (Basia, age 5, and Bo, age 3), both of which have only minor injuries.

What is the response when something like this happens? Right now my only response is to pray, first for Bob's physical healing, but then primarily for spiritual healing. I know that our Father draws near to the broken-hearted, and my prayer is that he would make himself so real to our friends.

A blog has been set up here for updates. Please join me in praying.

The Gospel

Yesterday I finished reading Mark, and today I started reading Galatians. The Gospel is a common theme throughout both of these books. I decided to look up verses that contained either "gospel" or "good news". Here is the list if you're interested.

Small Groups at National Community Church

Here is a list of NCC's 83 different small group opportunities offered this semester.

Here is an FAQ on their small groups.

How did the housing market get to where it is today?

If you've ever asked that question (and chances are that if you own a home you have), here's a possible answer.

It wasn't inevitable that Alan Greenspan would tout adjustable-rate mortgages in February 2004, when the average rate on a 30-year fixed was hovering just above 5.5 percent. Remember what Greenspan said back then? "American consumers might benefit if lenders provided greater mortgage product alternatives to the traditional fixed-rate mortgage."

I repeat: When Greenspan uttered those words, the average rate on a 30-year fixed was 5.6 percent in Bankrate's weekly survey. Five-point-six percent for a fixed-rate mortgage, and he was saying how adjustable-rate mortgages were a good deal!

It wasn't inevitable that lenders would take Greenspan's hint to provide greater mortgage product alternatives. They started marketing subprime ARMs to anyone with a pulse who was willing to exaggerate his or her income. It wasn't inevitable that lenders would underprice their risk (or, in other words, charge rates that were too low). It wasn't inevitable that so many borrowers would lie about income or occupancy status on their loan applications.

It wasn't inevitable that homebuyers would get swept up in the mania, taking advantage of cheap loans to bid up the prices of houses past the point of common sense. As a matter of mass psychology, the house mania was understandable. But it wasn't inevitable. Some people saw that they were in a housing bubble, and they didn't succumb to house fever. Two-and-a-half years ago I profiled four families who were what I dubbed bubble sitters -- they saw that house prices were inflated, so they chose to rent. They waited for the bubble to pop.

"I'm pretty sure the prices around here will plummet," economist Dean Baker said in the summer of 2005. A few months before I interviewed him, Baker and his wife had sold their two-bedroom condo in Washington, D.C., and rented a similar unit nearby. "We felt it would have been foolish to stay there," he said.

Prices fell later than Baker had expected. But the bubble did burst, and prices did fall. He and the other bubble sitters were right.

You didn't have to be an economist like Baker to see that a bubble was inflating. The Fed, legislators, the White House, regulators and lenders could have recognized the problem before it got too big. The bubble and the burst weren't inevitable.

For Paulson to say that the housing bust was inevitable would be like saying that Bill Clinton's heart bypass surgery in 2004 was inevitable. The guy clearly liked Big Macs and doughnuts. After he ate a train carload of them, a heart bypass was necessary. But it wasn't inevitable. He could have chosen to eat broccoli and falafel instead of burgers and fries.

Policy makers, lenders and borrowers made choices that caused the housing bubble to inflate and for it to pop. Nothing inevitable about it.

RATES: Bond prices have spiked since Friday's lousy employment report, and that means mortgage rates have plunged. In last week's Bankrate survey, the average rate on a 30-year fixed was 6.14 percent. This week, it's on track to be 5.9 percent. It hasn't been that low since September 2005.

Take that as a hint that this would be a good time to get a fixed-rate mortgage instead of an adjustable-rate loan.

2007 Top Ten List: Books for 2008

Here's my final Top 10 list. These are some books on my shelf that I'm hoping to read (or reread) this year...

1. Community and Growth, by Jean Vanier
2. The Radical Wesley & Patters for Church Renewal, by Howard Snyder
   
3. Renovation of the Heart, by Dallas Willard
4. Seeking the Face of God, by Gary Thomas
5. Breaking the Missional Code, by Ed Stetzer & David Putman
6. A Theology as Big as the City, by Ray Bakke
7. Ministries of Mercy, by Tim Keller
8. unChristian, by David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons
9. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, by Leslie Newbigin
10. The Externally Focused Church, by Rick Rusaw & Eric Swanson
11. The Confessions, by Saint Augustine
12. Confessions of a Pastor, by Craig Groeschel
13. Money, Possessions & Eternity, by Randy Alcorn
14. Extraordinary Leaders in Extraordinary Times, edited by H. Stanley Wood
15. The Bible, or at least most of it - here is our church's Bible reading plan for this year
    

Adam's Trip to the Hospital

Yesterday Adam fell while playing at the Children's Museum. The cut was right above his eyes. It was small, but Mandy said that it bled a lot. Mandy called me and I met them at the Children's Museum. About an hour later we ended up at Lebonheur. Five hours and $100 later, we were home with with some Neosporin and a Band Aid. I don't know about you, but that seems a little extreme to me. I don't know if it's just my sense of entitlement, or if the system is just this bad. I've heard stories about people in other parts of the world waiting all day to get basic medical care, so I'm grateful that it wasn't longer than five hours. I'm also grateful that he wasn't more seriously hurt. There were lots of other kids there who had much more serious issues.

I don't know if it's the same way with all other emergency rooms throughout Memphis, or if it's just this way here in the heart of the city. I think we'll do a little research before we have to do this again.

I do have to praise Adam, though. He was such a trooper. He was much more patient than Mandy and I were, and he's the one who was hurt. I was very proud of him.

Acts 18:24-19:10

Before beginning the story of Paul's third missionary journey, Luke introduces another character to us: Apollos. Apollos was a Jewish convert from Alexandria. He had been taught about Jesus, and now his passion compelled him to share what he knew. This eventually led him to Ephesus. He was apparently a great communicator, but he lacked one thing: thought he "taught accurately the things concerning Jesus...he knew only the baptism of John" (Acts 18:25). Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak, and sat down with him to explain things more accurately. His desire was to go to Corinth to share there. Apparently a new church was emerging in Ephesus, because the men of the church decided to write a letter of reference to the Corinthian church on Apollos' behalf. Luke says that when Apollos arrived in Corinth, "he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus" (Acts 18:28).

Paul arrived in Ephesus soon after Apollos left for Corinth. Ephesus was the third largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria. During Paul's day, the population probably numbered around 250,000. The city's most famous landmark was the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

When Paul entered Ephesus, he met "some disciples" (Acts 19:1). It is unclear who these people were. It is possible that they had been disciples of John, or at least followed the teaching of John, but this does not imply that they were Christians. Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit, and their reply was that they didn't know what the Holy Spirit was (Acts 19:2). They had received John's baptism, which dealt with repentance. It seems that they did not know that John's ministry was to point to Jesus as the Messiah. They were eager, though, and when Paul told them about Jesus, their desire was to be baptized into this new way of life. The Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to prophesy and speak in tongues. Luke points out that there were twelve men.

From there Paul went into the synagogue, most likely with these twelve men following him. For three months he had an audience there, and he "spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God" (Acts 19:8). Some of the Jews refused to believe, though, and began stirring up trouble. Paul took the disciples and went to the hall of Tyranus, where he spoke of Jesus every day from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The hall of Tyranus was a public meeting hall, and thus had to be rented. Paul therefore must have had a few wealthy converts in this young church. Paul lectured there every day for two years, and the end result, according to Luke, was that "all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks" (Acts 19:10).

Bankrate's 8 Smart Moves for 2008

Acts 18:18-23

After Paul's encounter with Gallio, he stayed in Corinth "many days longer" (v.18). After that, it was time for him to leave. It seems that this time, Paul was very deliberate in his leaving. It was time for him to go to a new city, and he knew exactly which city that would be. It also seems that this time, Paul was intentional in his strategy. He had a plan. He would go to Ephesus. First he asked Priscilla and Aquila to leave Corinth and move to Ephesus. He wanted them to go ahead of him, most likely to get settled and for Aquila to get his business going.

I've always been very fascinated by this story. The Corinthian church had been with Paul for over 18 months, and now he was leaving. Not only was he leaving, he was taking Timothy, Silas,Priscilla, and Aquila. What would they do? We have to remember, though, that they were not the only leaders of this church. If Paul could raise up leaders in just a couple of months, imagine the leadership that was in Corinth. The names we know are:

• Crispus - former ruler of the synagogue (Acts 18:8); baptized by Paul (1 Cor. 1:14)
• Stephanus - one of Paul's first converts in Corinth; baptized by Paul (1 Cor. 1:16)
• Gaius - baptized by Paul (1 Cor. 1:14); would later work with Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:29)

The lesson once again is that Paul trusted the Holy Spirit to grow the church and to raise up leaders.

Before boarding a ship bound for Ephesus, Paul cut off his hair. It is not completely clear why he did this. He most likely was coming to the end of a Nazarite vow that he had taken earlier. Part of the Nazarite vow forbid cutting one's hair (Numbers 6:2-5). At the end of the vow, the one taking the vow was called to shave their head, then dedicate it as an offering to the Lord...in Jerusalem (Numbers 6:13-21). That is why Paul needed to go to Jerusalem.

Their first stop was Ephesus. They stayed there for a few days, long enough for Paul to spend a Sabbath at the synagogue. He reasoned with them there about the Messiah, but when he was asked to return the following week, he told them of his vow. They understood that he must go to Jerusalem. He did tell them that he hoped to return to them soon.

After leaving Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus, Paul, Silas and Timothy boarded a ship headed for Caesarea. Many scholars believe that this voyage marked Paul's second shipwreck experience (2 Cor. 11:25). From there they walked the fifty miles to Jerusalem. After fulfilling his vow and spending some time with the church, Paul, Silas and Timothy journeyed north back to Antioch.

This marked the end of Paul's Second Missionary Journey. The year was AD 52.

2007 Top Ten List: Music

This is a hard one. I love music, and I love finding new music. This Top 10 list is a little random. It consists of artists, albums, and even songs. Enjoy! Oh yeah, I'm breaking another rule: there are a few bonus selections.

1. Dave Barnes - I actually first heard Dave Barnes at last year's Catalyst Conference (October 2006), but I didn't purchase his albums until this year. So good.
2. Andy McKee - I discovered Andy McKee from Steve McCoy's blog. I have one of his videos here. Listening to him is good. Watching what he does on a guitar is amazing.
3. Damien Rice - Mandy and I got to see him at the Orpheum this year. It was just him, his guitar, a bassist, and a drummer. They were super tight.
4. Bibo No Aozoro - This is from the movie Babel. After watching the movie I went straight to Itunes to buy this track.
5. Derek Webb - His last few albums (I See Things Upside Down, Mockingbird, & The Ringing Bell) have been great. Not a week goes by when I don't listen to something by him.
6. Hide and Seek - Imogene Heap is kind of weird, but this song is amazing. I also love the Frou Frou album Details.
7. Hillsong United - I purchased United We Stand and All of the Above this year. I missed a chance to see them live this year. That would have been an awesome experience. If you're not familiar with them, check out this and you might just find yourself wanting to.
8. Continuum (John Mayer) - I know that this album is a couple of years old, but I still have to include it for the number of times I've listened to it this year. When it first came out I didn't like it that much. Not sure why, but a few months ago I started listening to it nonstop.
   
9. O Magnum Mysterium - This is on my top 10 list every year. It's from a composer named Morten Lauridsen and from a recording by the LA Master Chorale. I bought the CD quite a few years ago, but I listen to it any time I just need to be still. Here's a great recording of it on YouTube.
   
10. Over the Rhine - OK, I know they've been around for awhile, and I'm not sure how I've missed them...but all is not lost...I'm making up for lost time! My dad had burned me a couple of their CD's (yes, I know that's not good but this too is ok for I am now buying their CD's). Anyway, a few months ago Mandy and I were painting our front room and I tuned into OTR on my Ipod. I was captured by their music on the spot. I'll stop writing now. Just watch this.
11. Give Yourself Away (Robbie Seay Band) - I haven't really gotten into their previous albums, but this one is awesome! My favorite songs on the album are "New Day", "Shine Your Light on Us", and "Song of Hope."
12. Jon Foreman - You might know him as the frontman for Switchfoot. I heard him to a solo performance at Q last April. He is an amazing guitarist. Let Your Love Be Strong is one of my favorite songs of the year.
    

2007 Top Ten List: Podcasts

I've really enjoyed listening to podcasts this year. Here are my favorites for the year (in alphabetical order).

1. Acts 29 Network
2. Catalyst Podcast
3. The Dave Ramsey Show
4. Fermi Project
5. Imago Dei (Portland)
   
6. The Journey (St. Louis)
7. Mars Hill Bible Church (Grand Rapids)
8. Mars Hill Church (Seattle)
9. The Official LOST Podcast
10. Resurgence
    

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

A recent research project has determined that the religion of teenagers in the US can best be described as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. If you have no idea what that means, here are a few of the beliefs...

1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

Jason showed me this article this morning, and we both agreed that this religion is pervasive
throughout our culture, and not just among teenagers.

The results of this research project were compiled into a book titled Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.

2007 Top Ten List: Books

Time for top 10 books I read this year, once again in no particular order...

1. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson - I read this one in a book group with Jason and Glen. It was a good first book for the men in our church.
2. The Ministry of the Missional Church, by Craig van Gelder - I actually just finished reading this book yesterday. Half of the book contains some of the best stuff I've read on the subject of the missional church, while the other half was simply ok. If you liked Missional Church by Guder, you will like this one (at least half of it).
3. New Testament History: A Narrative Account, by Ben Witherington - I mentioned Dr. Witherington in my Top 10 Blogs post. I have really enjoyed this book as I've gone through the book of Acts.
4. Mavericks at Work, by William Taylor & Polly LaBarre - This was the best leadership book I read this year.
   
5. Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch, by Nelson Searcy & Kerrick Thomas - Jason and I read this book this past Spring, as we were first beginning to plan our Fall Launch. It's the most practical book I've read on the subject of church planting.
6. Grace Based Parenting, by Tim Kimmel - I actually haven't finished this one yet, but what I've read is great. I especially like it because it encourages parents to teach a missional worldview to children, and not to try to shelter them from the world.
7. This Beautiful Mess, by Rick McKinley - This is probably my favorite for the year. It's one of the most helpful books I've read on understanding the Kingdom of God.
   
8. Cities of God, by Rodney Stark - The subtitle for this book is "The Real Story of how Christianity became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome." What more do I need to say?
9. The Pursuit of Happyness, by Chris Gardner - I've had Audible this past year, and this was one of the books I listened to. The movie centers on the second half of the book. There was quite a bit of bad language, but other than that, it was a good book. Great story!
10. The Collectors/Stone Cold, by David Baldacci - I'm putting these two together so that I keep my list to 10, but also because it's really one story, albeit a very long story. I read The Collectors on our trip to Gatlinburg, and then listened to Stone Cold a few weeks ago. Very good fiction.
    

Reflections on my Birthday

My birthday was Tuesday. I turned 33 years old. My dad said that the first birthday that seemed a little weird to him was when he turned 35, so we'll see if that happens for me. This one didn't seem any different than any other one before it. Of course Jason reminded me that this is the crucifixion year. Thanks Jason.

My step-dad's birthday is December 22, so we celebrated our birthdays together on Tuesday night by going to The Butcher Shop for some steaks. Joining us were Mandy, Adam, my Mom, and my step-grandparents. We noticed that Adam wasn't himself. He was acting tired and wanted Mandy to hold him. Towards the end of the dinner we learned what was wrong - he threw up! The poor guy didn't even get to sample the steak. Turned out that he was fine after that, and didn't get sick anymore. And he and I enjoyed the leftover steak last night.

The highlight of the day, though, was getting to see my baby for the first time. On Monday night Mandy shocked herself when she touched an exposed, and live, wire on her laptop cord. She was fine, but was worried about the baby. She called her doctor, who said that it was probably fine, but she should come in Tuesday for an ultrasound. Since we were both a little worried, I went with her. The baby is perfectly fine, and even posed for a picture. I'll post it soon. Mandy is 12 1/2 weeks, and the due date is June 29.

It was a good birthday!

Best Quotes of 2007

The 10 most memorable quotes of 2007, according to Fred Shapiro, editor of the Yale Book of Quotations:

1. "Don't tase me, bro." -- Andrew Meyer, a senior at the University of Florida, while being hauled away by campus police during a speech by Sen. John Kerry.

2. "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us." -- Lauren Upton, South Carolina contestant in the Miss Teen USA contest, when asked why one-fifth of Americans cannot find the U.S on a map.

3. "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country." -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at Columbia University in New York.

4. "That's some nappy-headed hos there." -- radio personality Don Imus, referring to the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

5. "I don't recall." -- former attorney general Alberto Gonzales' repeated response to congressional questions about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

6. "There's only three things he (Rudy Giuliani) mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11." -- Sen. Joseph Biden, speaking during a debate for Democratic presidential candidates.

7. "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating." -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, referring to Vice President Dick Cheney.

8. "(I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom." -- Sen. Larry Craig, explaining why his foot touched the foot of an undercover police officer in an airport men's room.

9. "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." -- Sen. Joseph Biden, referring to rival Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

10. "I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history." -- Former president Jimmy Carter, referring to the Bush administration.

2007 Top 10 List: Websites

Next up for my Top 10 of 2007...Websites. Once again, I use Bloglines for these sites. It's set as my home page, so every day I see which sites have new feeds. Very nice.

1. Catalyst Space - this is put on by the same people who put on the Catalyst Conference. There are some very good articles each month
2. Fast Company - for quite awhile I subscribed to this magazine. I no longer do that, but I still get to read all of the articles online.
   
3. Out of Ur - I've been reading these posts since it came out. It's from Christianity Today.
4. Church Relevance - I was on this site everyday this past summer as we prepared for our church's launch. They pointed me to great resources on marketing, design, leadership, etc.
5. Church Marketing Sucks - another great site on marketing, websites, technology, etc.
6. Bankrate - I go here for great mortgage articles and headlines.
   
7. ESPN - I hope everyone knows what ESPN is.
   
8. Yahoo Sports NBA Rumors - the title says it all
9. Hoopsworld - more NBA action
10. Techbargains - I can't tell you how much money I've saved using this site.
    

2007 Top 10 List: Blogs

I do a lot of my reading online. I'm thankful for blogs, and I'm thankful for Bloglines, the way I read my favorite blogs. Here are the blogs I read the most this year.

1. Scot McKnight - this guy is brilliant, and very well-read. He's also extremely balanced. I heard that his blog gets around 5000 hits a day.
2. Jason Elder - he's my co-pastor. He's a great writer, though I wish he would write a little more often (yes, you heard me, Jason).
3. Ed Stetzer - Ed is a missiologist/church planter/writer who just started blogging this year. He always has really great things to say.
4. Ben Witherington - I've just recently discovered him through reading one of his books. He's a professor at Asbury Seminary. Here's his personal site.
   
5. Joe Boyd - Joe is a friend that I met in Las Vegas. He then moved to Hollywood to be an actor, and now is a teaching pastor at the Vineyard in Cincinnati. I've learned a lot from him when it comes to story telling.
6. Steve McCoy - Steve is a pastor from Illinois who writes on all kinds of subjects. If I'm ever looking for something on Tim Keller, I go to his site.
7. Dan Kimball - he's another guy who writes on controversial subjects but does so with a lot of grace and balance.
8. Drew Goodmanson - he is a pastor at a church in San Diego. He is a great thinker and is very outside the box
9. Mark Batterson - he is a pastor in Washington DC. He's very creative and humble, and I love the fact that he wants to give away the ideas that have worked for his church.
10. Bob Hyatt "aka PastorHacks" - I've found more freebie (or cheap) software and resources on this site than anywhere else on the web.
    

Reveal

Today I've been reading a little on Willow Creek's "Reveal" study. A few years ago they decided to survey their congregation to see how well they were doing as far as their mission goes: turning irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Christ. They discovered that for people investigating Christ, and for new Christians, they were doing great. However, the results were not quite as favorable for those who had been Christians for a long time. Those people desired more teaching and opportunities for growth. Willow Creek's leadership realized that the mistake they have been making is not teaching new Christians how to self-feed (reading and studying the Bible, practicing spiritual disciplines, etc.). Since that time, they have studied other churches and are finding the same results.

I'm really thankful that Willow Creek has been so honest with their findings. We all struggle with how to measure success. Below are some links for further reading.

Out of Ur's blog post "Willow Creek Repents?"

Out of Ur's follow-up post by Greg Hawkins, executive pastor at Willow Creek

Reveal Website

Scot McKnight's blog post on the Reveal study

David Fitch's blog post on the Reveal study

A review by Bradley Wright

More Relational Gift Ideas

These are from Bankrate.

6 gifts that give beyond the holidays

For scores of Bankrate readers, it's the season to save money. We asked you to submit holiday money tips, and you sent a stocking full of great ideas for giving on a tight budget.

Following are some of our frugal favorites among your suggestions. We like these ideas because they show that simple, economical gifts can have an impact that lasts far beyond the holiday season.

College savings accounts
My husband and I have two nieces and two nephews, all ages 6 years and under. Several years ago, we opened college savings accounts for them rather than getting toys or clothes. We contribute $50 to each account and have no fuss with holiday shopping.
-- Joan and Randy Oscarson

Year of free meals
My 94-year-old mother-in-law doesn't need more "things." So, for Christmas last year, we made up a coupon booklet with one coupon per month (decorated with appropriate clip art) to be redeemed for dinner with us at a local restaurant. She is thrilled that we have committed to take her out for dinner once a month, in addition to the regular holiday meals we share during the year.
-- S. Lea Lowe

Health care for the homeless
Last year at the office, I sent an e-mail to my colleagues that in lieu of getting them gifts, I would make a pledge to a local charity in their honor. My company is in health care, so I pledged money to a local agency to provide medical care to a homeless person living here in the nation's capital. This gesture seemed very much appreciated when I did it last year -- so I plan to do it again.
-- Carol Sardinha

Picture bookmarks
This is a great one for grandparents -- I take pictures of my children and make bookmarks out of them. On my computer, I put several small pictures into a strip and print them out on photo paper. Then, I take them to a print shop to have them laminated. Grandma loves them! She can easily show off pictures to friends. Bookmarks are easy to mail with Christmas cards, too.
-- Phebe Wall

Memory in a frame
Take a photo of a loved one, choose an appropriate size and purchase a suitable frame. Give the framed photo to that person or someone else who would cherish the memory you have captured.
-- Jo-Ann Raines

Gift rotation
All six of our children are married with kids. To make the holidays affordable, gifts are given family to family on a rotating basis. Each year, each family gives to a different one of the sibling families and then gets from another one of the siblings. Everyone agrees what is fair and keeps to that budget. This has been going on for 10 years and all like it.
-- Anonymous

The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits

Here's another great article from Fast Company's annual issue on Social Capitalists. The article is taken from a book called Forces for Good, by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather Grant.

First, an excerpt...

The secret to success lies in how great organizations mobilize every sector of society -- government, business, nonprofits, and the public -- to be a force for good. In other words, greatness has more to do with how nonprofits work outside the boundaries of their organizations than how they manage their own internal operations. Textbook strategies like relentless fundraising, well-connected boards, and effective management are necessary, of course, but they are hardly sufficient. The high-impact nonprofits we studied are satisfied with building a "good enough" organization and then spending their time and energy focused externally on catalyzing large-scale systemic change. Great organizations work with and through others to create more impact than they could ever achieve alone.

I feel the same way about Neighborhood Church. Systemic change is the goal. So often we spend so much of our time trying to build an excellent organization, when sometimes a "good enough" organization is all that we need, so long as that "good enough" organization influences society.

Prison Entrepreneurship Program in Fast Company

Rising Star: Prison Entrepreneurship Program

From: FastCompany.com By: Fast Company staff

Catherine F. Rohr, CEO
Houston, Texas
pep.org

A large percentage of inmates come to prison as seasoned entrepreneurs, having run highly successful enterprises such as drug rings and gangs. What if these influential leaders were provided with the training and resources to establish and run legitimate companies?

The Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) links executives and inmates through entrepreneurial passion, education and mentoring. The program engages the nation's top business and academic talent to constructively redirect inmates' energies by equipping them with values-based entrepreneurial training--enabling them to productively re-enter society.

In three years since inception, PEP has dramatically reduced return-to-prison rates: its graduates' return-to-prison rates are 3.7%, compared to the national average of more than 50%. The program has a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 150%, and has assisted 40 participants in starting their businesses. PEP has recruited 800+ senior level executives and venture capital/private equity professionals who serve as inmates' mentors and business plan judges. Additionally, the program has established affiliations with 12 top-tier MBA programs, including Harvard and Stanford, whose 400+ students serve as weekly advisors for the inmates' business plans. The program's innovative work has won several awards, and has received coverage on NBC Nightly News and in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Entrepreneur Magazine.

PEP's five-year vision includes:

• Growing its budget from $2MM to $15MM
• Graduating 1,000 inmates per year
• Assisting 500 graduates in launching successful businesses
• xpanding staff from 17 to 125 employees

PEP is hiring successful, motivated entrepreneurial-types. Ready to jump ship? Email: recruiting@pep.org

Don't Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford

Jordan links to this SNL skit on the Grace Church Blog. Very funny!

Acts 18:1-17

Corinth had become Greece's most important city. It was both its economic as well as cultural center, and was also a major sponsor for the Isthmian games, a biannual set of games located not too far from Corinth. When Emperor Claudius forced the Jews to leave Rome in AD 49, many of them came to Corinth.

When Paul arrived at Corinth (a fifty mile walk from Athens), he headed to the marketplace to set up shop. Tentmaking was in high demand due to the Isthmian games, but also due to the fact that so many new people were moving into the city. He soon met a fellow Jew by the name of Aquila, one of those who had been forced to leave Rome. His wife's name was Priscilla. They made tents for a living and were both believers. Paul was delighted to meet them, and was even more delighted to learn that there had been a group of believers in Rome, a city he hoped to visit soon.

Paul went to the synagogue on his first Sabbath in Corinth and was again given the opportunity to speak. Once again, he shared about Jesus. Soon after this Silas and Timothy arrived in Corinth, bringing word on how the churches in Thessalonica and Berea were doing (see 1 Thess. 3:1-6 for Timothy's report on the church in Thessalonica).

On one Sabbath, the Jews opposed Paul, so he left and went to the Gentiles, specifically to the home of Titius Justus, whose home, coincidentally, happened to be located next door to the synagogue. The Jewish leaders must have hated this. However, tensions would grow even more when Crispus, the leader of the synagogue believed in Jesus. The word was spreading, transformation was taking place, and people were getting baptized. Paul, though, was growing weary, and discouragement and despair were setting in.

This may sound morbid, but it's kind of nice to see that Paul is actually human. He had faced so much pain and rejection up to this point but kept going. When thrown in prison wrongfully, he had responded with worship. When beaten and left for dead, and had gone back for more. Yet even for a man like Paul, he had his limits. Corinth was a complicated city. First, it was extremely overcrowded, especially since so many Jews had fled there. Second, because it was a port city, it was very busy. Goods were bought and sold 24 hours a day. Third, and this was due in part to the fact that it was a port city, Corinth was very diverse, both ethnically and socially. Fourth, Corinth was known for its perversion. The saying "Anything Goes" was an understatement in Corinth. It is said that Plato used the term "Corinthian girl" in reference to a prostitute. And the temple of Aphrodite had 1000 prostitutes. This had to have had an impact on Paul as well.

God knew Paul's limitations better than Paul knew them himself. At the time when Paul needed it most, God gave grace and affirmation. God spoke to Paul through a dream, telling him that he didn't need to be afraid and that he should continue doing what he had been doing, for God was going to protect him. He then let Paul in on a little secret: "For I have many in this city who are my people" (Acts 18:10). Whereas in the past, Paul never stayed in a city more than a couple of months, God allowed him to remain in Corinth for a year and a half. He used this time to strengthen this new church that was filled with gifts and talents, but who down the road would need the fatherly discipline of Paul.

After 18 months had passed, some of the Jews appealed to Gallio, the proconsul of Corinth, that Paul needed to be stopped. Gallio wanted nothing to do with squabbles between these Jews, so he dismissed them, before Paul could even give his defense. The Jews had made a mistake, though. They had stirred the crowd into such a frenzy that they had to let out their aggression on someone. That someone turned out to be Sosthenes, the man who had replaced Crispus as ruler of the synagogue. The mob seized him and beat him right in front of Gallio, who did nothing. It is very interesting to read 1 Corinthians 1:1 in light of this story:

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes...

How ironic is it that this man turned out to be Paul's co-author years later!

Adam's Christmas Video

Adam would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

More on Christmas Spending

Here's an excerpt from an article from Bankrate on tips to de-commercialize Christmas.

For many people, Christmas means a severe case of holiday dread, directly tied to a sense of obligation to spend money in order to have a meaningful celebration.

We all know the pain of those credit card bills in January and February. If we've been particularly festive, that pain might even stretch into the spring or summer, or -- yikes -- the next holiday season.

This year the average U.S. consumer plans to spend $817 on holiday-related shopping, plus an additional $107 on "non-gift" purchases of promoted or discounted items, according to the National Retail Federation -- up 3.7 percent from 2006.

At the same time, however, 70 percent of Americans say they would welcome less emphasis on gift giving and spending during the holiday season, according to the Center for a New American Dream.

If you're among those who feel holiday spending is out of control, remember: It doesn't have to be that way. You can start new family traditions or return to some abandoned long ago.

Reflections on 1 & 2 Thessalonians

I've never spent much time in 1 & 2 Thessalonians, but after reading the account of God moving in that city, I decided to remedy that this morning. I'm really encouraged by this church. Paul was not with them very long (a minimum of three week, a maximum of not that much longer). Then he was gone, off to a new city. He sent Timothy to be with them later, though we're not exactly sure when that took place nor for how long.

The first thing to look at is the state of the Thessalonians before Paul met them. In his letter to them, he reminds them that they "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (1 Thess. 1:9). They worshiped idols. They didn't know the Most High God, and they had never heard of Jesus. Contrast that with my culture. Most people have heard of Jesus. My question is, "What have they heard about Jesus?"

The amazing thing about these people is that they listened to Paul. The gospel came to them in word and in power (1 Thess. 1:5), and they received it, even though it meant that they would suffer for it (1 Thess. 1:6). It's almost as if Paul was surprised by their receptivity, especially after his time in Galatia. He praised God for this, though.

Why did Paul write to them? Many of his letters came as rebukes. In the letter to the Galatian churches, Paul rebuked them for replacing the true Gospel for one based on works. He was very harsh in this. Paul has less nice things to say to the Corinthian church later on. They completely forget who they are and start living like they used to live. They are filled with pride and allow sin to run rampant. But these people are different. Paul doesn't correct them. He loves them deeply. He compares himself (along with Silas and Timothy) as both a mother (1 Thess. 2:7) and a father (1 Thess. 11-12). He describes them as being torn away from one another (1 Thess. 2:17), though there was great joy in being able to send Timothy back to them later.

God had moved deeply and quickly through this new church. To go from idol worshipers to, as Paul said, "you have no need to have anything written to you" (1 Thess. 5:9) is amazing. Does God want to do this type of work here in Memphis? What would that look like? Paul led, taught, and poured himself out with such passion and intentionality. If I'm honest with myself, I don't know if I have that passion or intentionality...but I want to. I want to pour out my life for the gospel. I do want to see God do what only He can do. Do I have faith for this? Am I willing to suffer for it? Am I willing to do foolish things, and to call others to do foolish things? These are tough questions, but I'm drawn to wonder what our city could look like if we saw God move in this way.

If Paul had started a church here in Memphis, what would he have to say to us? Pause...where to begin! We have so many resources. We have a good foundation of faith. We have seen God move in our lives. Yet we are impotent. We are not affecting our culture. We are ashamed of the Gospel. We are often more a slave to our flesh than a slave to God. We don't really want God to do what only He can do, because that would mean that we would not be in control, and it might mean that we have to suffer. We have Bibles on our shelves, yet we have no idea what the Word says. That which we do know, has it spread from our head to our heart? Are we living obedient lives? Are we daily being shaped by the Gospel? Are we hearing from God daily, and if so, is it having an impact on how we live our lives?

We must repent!

Acts 17:16-34

Ben Witherington asks two questions in his preface to Paul's time in Athens:

1. How would Paul fare alone in a city that was the center of pagan philosophy and all things Greek?
2. How would he relate the gospel to pagans who were not part of a synagogue.

New Testament History, page 264

It seems that Athens was different from the other cities that Paul had visited. On one hand, it was more Jewish than Philippi in that there was a Jewish synagogue. On the other hand, we learn that Paul was deeply troubled when he saw all of of the idols throughout the city. William Barclay, in his commentary on Acts, writes, "It was said that there were more statues of the gods in Athens than in all the rest of Greece put together and that in Athens it was easier to meet a god than a man" (130).

Athens was not the great city that it had once been. It was about a third of the size that it had been during the days of Plato, and was now kind of like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite, longing for the glory days. However, as their importance and population shrunk, the number of gods in Athens continued to grow.

We're not sure how long Paul was in Athens, but we do know that each day he was there, he spent time both in the synagogue and in the marketplace. Luke did not have a very favorable view of the Athenians, believing that all who lived there "would spend their time in nothing new except telling or hearing something new" (Acts 17:21).

In the marketplace Paul encountered Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans believed that pleasure and the avoidance of pain were the goals for man. They weren't completely atheistic, though they believed that the gods stayed out of man's business. The Stoics believed that the goal for man was to learn to be indifferent to pain and pleasure. They were pantheists. It's easy to see that these two groups could argue for days at a time. Their reaction to Paul was to take him to the Areopagus (a court) and ask him to give an account of this new teaching. Apparently he had violated the law by introducing a foreign deity, although a foreign deity was not so much the problem. Instead, they had a big problem with the idea of resurrection.

Paul was a true missiologist. He had been studying their culture ever since arriving to Athens, and now he put this knowledge to good use. Standing before the Areopagus, he pointed out an idol to an unknown god that he had come across. He explained to them that this unknown god was in fact the Most High God, a personal, loving God who created and sustains the world. He then quoted from Epimenides, a philosopher from Crete who lived during the sixth century. The belief during Epimenides' day was that Zeus was mortal. Epimenides believed that Zeus was immortal, and wrote, "In him we live and move and have our being." At some point in his life, Paul must have come across this writing and recognized it as a bridge to the gospel. And that's exactly what he used it as.

Paul had their attention as he shared the gospel. That is, until he started talking about the resurrection. At this point, some in the crowd began laughing. This was foolishness to them, and they refused to hear any more. There was no persecution, no riots breaking out...just indifference. One lawyer, Dionysius, from the Areopagus council believed, along with a woman named Damaris. No church was birthed, though.

Soon after this Timothy (and perhaps Silas) came to Athens, and Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica. Paul then decided that it was time to go to Corinth.

Acts 17:1-15

From Philippi, Paul, Silas and Timothy traveled 100 miles to Thessalonica. Apparently Luke stayed in Philippi. Many believe that this was his hometown. Plus, Luke goes back to using "they" instead of "we." Thessalonica, unlike Philippi, had a Jewish synagogue. Therefore, Paul went there first. On three consecutive Sabbaths Paul had the opportunity to share the Scriptures with the Jews, "explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead" (Acts 17:3).

This is a good opportunity to look at what Paul did during the rest of his time in a city. For example, how did he support himself? We learn in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 that he and Silas practiced the tentmaking trade so as not to be a burden on the new church that was forming. We also learn in Philippians 4:16 that the new church in Philippi took up an offering for Paul and the others and sent it to them while they were in Thessalonica. Apparently they were the only church who did this for Paul.

This is the second city where Paul soon after wrote a letter to the church there. If you will remember, Paul wrote his letter to the churches in Galatia around a year after returning to Antioch. Paul wrote his letter to the church in Thessalonica while he was in Corinth. Not only do we get to read the narrative account of their time in Thessalonica (in Acts), but we also have two letters in which we see Paul's love for these people. We also get to see their problems and what Paul had to say to them.

As Paul taught in the synagogue, many Jews, as well as Greeks, "were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas" (Acts 17:4). As I read this today, I asked, "What does it mean that they joined?" What did this look like? We learn that just like in other cities, this new church met in homes. In this case, they met at Jason's house. During these times at Jason's house, Paul apparently did a lot of teaching. He was there for at least three weeks, and then it appears that he later sent Timothy back to be with them. In a short amount of time, the gospel truly transformed this young church. Before Paul had spoken to them, they knew nothing of Jesus. Now, just a year or so later, he encourages them, saying that "not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere" (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

During those three weeks in Thessalonica, many Jews and Greeks believed, but many Jews were also jealous. They had heard of what Paul had been doing in other cities. Now "these men who have turned the world upside down have come here also" (Acts 17:6)! They stirred up a mob and attacked Jason's house. Because of this, they ended up having to leave Thessalonica and traveled fifty miles southwest to Berea.

As before, they went first to the synagogue, but Luke makes a big distinction between the Jews here and the Jews in Thessalonica: "they were more noble; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so" (Acts 17:11). They didn't let their emotions get the best of them. They no doubt were just as confused as other Jews who were for the first time hearing that their fellow Jews in Jerusalem had murdered the Messiah, but they went to the Scriptures to see if Paul was speaking truth. When they learned for themselves that he was, many of them believed.

Soon, though, the Jews from Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred up the crowds. Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea, but they all thought it best that Paul should leave. Some of the brothers from Berea took Paul 200 miles away to Athens.

Clean Water

Acts 16:16-40

One day Paul and Co. were headed back to their place of prayer, when they were met by a slave girl who was possessed by a demon. She was owned by men who forced her to be a fortune teller. They were very wealthy because of her work. She followed Paul around, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." Ben Witherington points out that this may not have been a proclamation of true salvation, from the true "Most High God." The culture was very pluralistic, and could have meant many things. If that is the case, it makes sense that Paul would not want this demon-possessed slave girl proclaiming false truths.

Paul finally had had enough. He turned to her and commanded the demon to leave her. At once it left. When her owners learned what had happened, they realized that their little business was no more, and they were understandable upset. They took Paul and Silas into the middle of the city and called the cops (actually, the magistrates). Their accusation was that these men were Jews, and they were "disturbing" their city. The accusation that they were Jews is important because just two years earlier, Emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome. Outcasts are never looked upon very favorably, especially when they have made your city, as well as all of the surrounding cities, even more crowded than they already were. The second part of the accusation was equally condemning, since money seemed to be a major bottom line in that city.

The magistrates ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten with rods (according to 2 Corinthians 11:25, this happened to him two additional times). After they had been severely beaten, Paul and Silas were thrown into jail. Everything had happened so fast. They had not even been questioned by the magistrates, which would have revealed that both of them were Roman citizens. This was very important, for Roman citizens could not be punished without a proper hearing. Nonetheless, Paul and Silas now found themselves in prison with real criminals.

Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you were being punished for a crime you didn't commit, in a city that you were not familiar with, and you were simply trying to follow God? I know what I wouldn't be doing...Singing. But that's just what these two men were doing. It was midnight, and these two crazy men were singing their heads off to God. Luke points out that the prisoners were listening to them.

At that moment there was a earthquake, and the prison shook violently, so much so that the chains holding the men were loosened. The jailer, who had been sleeping, woke up and ran to the jail cell. When he saw that the prisoners were loose, he immediately drew his sword, not to fight them but to kill himself. He knew that the punishment for allowing prisoners to escape would be far worse than death. At that moment Paul cried out to him, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here" (16:28). The jailer turned the lights on, and, discovering that the prisoners were indeed still in the cell, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, and asked them what he must do to be saved. Their response: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (16:31).

It appears that the man must have lived above the jail, so therefore his entire household was there as well. Paul and Silas told them all about Jesus, and they all believed. Instant transformation takes place. Just a little while earlier he was about to kill himself because he feared his punishment for allowing prisoners to go free. Now he takes Paul and Silas upstairs and washes their wounds. He and his family are then baptized, and then share a meal together with Paul and Silas. Fear was replaced by rejoicing!

We don't hear anything else about the prisoners, but I can't help but think about them. All we are told is that they stayed in the jail cell, and they listened. That's pretty phenomenal!

The next morning, the magistrates discovered what had happened and ordered that Paul and Silas be released. Paul let it be known that he and Silas were Roman citizens, and their beating and imprisonment were unlawful. If they were going to leave Philippi, it wasn't going to be in secret. The magistrates came to them, apologized, and begged them to leave immediately. Paul and Silas obliged, but first went to Lydia and the new church that was emerging in the city.

AC in the CA

Here's the link to Wendi Thomas' article about the Advent Conspiracy. The article is great, and yesterday we had over 200 people look at the website.

MSCONFIG

I just found this site tonight. Most of us have a bunch of programs start up when we boot up our computers. You can go into MSCONFIG (Run --> MSCONFIG --> Startup) and select which programs you want running at bootup. More importantly, you can deselect those programs you don't want to always be running. The problem is that normally you don't really know what some of these programs are. That's where this site comes in. You can search for the name of the program and it will advise you as to whether or not you can get rid of it or not.

Sesame Street...For Adults Only!

What Would Jesus Buy?

Mandy just sent this to me.

Risky Business

I'm in a book group on Thursday nights with two other guys, and we've been reading In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by Mark Batterson. Last night we discussed chapter 6: "Playing It Safe is Risky." A few quotes...

The more you're willing to risk, the more God can use you. And if you're willing to risk everything, then there is nothing God can't do in you and through you (102).

Sometimes taking a calculated risk means giving up something that is good so you can experience something that is great. In a sense, sin is short-changing ourselves and short-changing God. It is settling for anything less than God's best. Faith is the exact opposite. Faith is renouncing lesser goods for something greater. and it always involves calculated risk (106).

Obedience is a willingness to do whatever, whenever, wherever God calls us (109).

Maybe righteousness has less to do with not doing anything wrong and more to do with doing things right (109).

If you were to always act in your greatest self-interest, you would always obey God (111).

(quoting Johann Wolfgang von Goethe): Hell begins the day God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do (114).

This chapter had a profound impact on me. It wasn't so much that I read anything new. It was more that I received a renewed permission to take risks for God. My heart beats for stuff like this. I've grown most in my life when I was completely dependent on God to do what only He could do. I feel like I'm in this place right now, especially with the church.

Yesterday our little church had a good day. One of our core group members had been emailing Wendi Thomas, a writer for the Commercial Appeal, about the Advent Conspiracy. Yesterday she received an email from Wendi saying that she was planning on writing about it in Sunday's paper. Shelley forwarded the email to Jason and I, and five minutes later I was being interviewed by Wendi on the phone.

Wendi is a great writer, and I'm very excited that she has decided to write about the Advent Conspiracy. The fact that it is going to be in Sunday's edition is icing on the cake. God is up to something here!

So what does that have to do with the book? Well, last night I was reminded of an incident that took place one year ago. That's when I first heard about the Q conference. I immediately wanted to go, but I knew that Jason and Barb were going to be having their baby around that same time, plus it was pretty expensive. I eventually decided that I probably shouldn't go.

A couple of days later, I felt that God was telling me that I should go, and that He would provide the funds. The trick, though, was that I was going to have to ask for the funds...not from Him, but from people. I'm like most people in that I do not like asking people for money, but I felt like God wanted me to do this. So I took a risk and asked two people. One gave and the other didn't. Then a couple of days later we received the rest of what was needed.

Here's what hit me last night. The Q conference was where I first heard about the Advent Conspiracy. That was my big takeaway. I knew when I first heard Rick McKinley talk about it that this was something that our church should take part in.

The step that God was asking me to take was pretty small compared to others' steps of obedience, but look at what it led to. I continue to be amazed by the creativity of God!

Santa has Arrived!

On Saturday morning we went to the Pink Palace to see Santa arrive by helicopter. I must say that it was very exciting, though I'm sure you can all guess that the one most pleased by this was Adam. Here are a few pics.

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Do you have a will?

This is one of those things that I've been procrastinating about for awhile. With another child on the way, it's even more crucial that we do this. I just read an article that said that only 33% of families with children under the age of 18 have wills.

So this is going to be something that we work on over the holidays. The goal will be to have it finished by the end of the year.

Dave Ramsey recommends US Legal Forms. I was going to use that, but then I found this software for free (though you have to sign up for something - I signed up for Blockbuster for a month). It looks good.

A new baby

If you haven't heard, Mandy is pregnant! We are expecting our second child at the end of June. Yea!