Don't Fit In?

Apparently some people feel that they wouldn't fit in at church, so this video should help.

Kurt Warner

This is a really awesome to a question asked to Kurt Warner: (I noticed this from Tim Challies.)

Today, at the Marketplace One Leadership Institute, our class had the interesting opportunity to do about 40 minutes of Q&A with Kurt Warner, quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.

The story of Kurt's life is fascinating (get the real scoop here). His career highlights are well-known. His foundation, First Things First, does lots of good.

Oh, and today was his birthday (he turned 38).

Kurt seems like the real-deal. Gracious, humble, articulate--a super nice guy. I enjoyed the privilege of hearing him answer questions. The questions ranged from the generic, "How do you define Leadership?", to the specific, "As a believer, how do you deal with salary negotiation?"

Then, it was my turn to ask him a question:

"Kurt, as a professional football player, what aspect of your vocational calling gives you the most joy in life? What is it about the 'job of football' that you love the most?"

His answered came instantly and unequivocally:

"Without question, the greatest joy about my calling as a professional football player is seeing the barriers it breaks-down in giving me the opportunity to talk about Jesus."

He elaborated on this by noting how all the privilege and all the status and all the fame simply serves to give him access to people and places to talk about the Lord that he otherwise would not have had. In essence he made it clear that, to him, the job is an amazing platform from which he gets to steward his main joy in life--telling people about the Jesus.

How very encouraging and refreshing to hear that that is what Kurt Warner likes best about being a professional football player.

1000 Awesome Things

Averil pointed this blog out to me last week. It is counting down 1000 Awesome Things, and is currently on #737. Check it out!

So far a random selection of things that have made the list are:

• #953 When cashiers open up new check-out lanes at the grocery store
• #921 Snow days
• #867 Snow falling on Christmas eve
• #780 Squeezing through a door as it’s shutting without touching it
• #759 Dropping a glass and then sticking your foot out so it hits your foot and doesn’t break on the ground

De-Churched

Check out the full message here.

Jaw Droppingly Marvelous

Petra

Godpleaser

That's Power Evangelism!

After giving birth, Hasita suddenly lost feeling throughout her body, but she could still tell she was shaking uncontrollably. Her family members took her to sorcerers and doctors, but no one could give her the healing she needed and desired.

Hasita suffered like this for 11 long years, and she became very discouraged as time dragged on.

Then her family took her to Paran, a native missionary, for prayer. Paran gladly prayed for Hasita, and the Lord completely healed her. When they saw this miracle, Hasita's whole family chose to follow Christ as their Saviour.

(from the latest Gospel for Asia Send Magazine)

New Birth

I'm interested in the doctrine of regeneration. Paul Washer says it is something we have to recover and I think he is correct.

Here's some good teaching on Regeneration.....

8. Regeneration Changes Our Basic Nature.

When we are regenerated, we do not become angels. We remain humans. But our nature as humans changes. Sin still dwells in us, but now so does grace. The point is that we now have spiritual life. We become a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). It is a spiritual resurrection. It is a radical transformation. Sin affected us totally in every part; now grace affects and changes us in every part. Our new nature is basically regenerate, good, Christlike, spiritual. We have remnants of the old, like a swimmer has seaweed clinging to him as he emerges from the sea. It is not a sinner with some good attached, nor equally good and bad, but primarily regenerate and new with remnants of sin in us till we die.

9. Regeneration is an Instantaneous Miracle.

It is a miracle of God, not an act of self-reformation or resolution by Man. God prepares the heart for it by conviction and other things, but regeneration itself occurs in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It is not gradual or progressive, but instantaneous and sudden. Nobody is half-regenerate, nor more regenerate than someone else. If one dies before regeneration, he goes to Hell; if after, Heaven. In physical birth, there is a gestation period of 9 months following conception. This might be paralleled in the spiritual realm by the process by which God gradually prepares one for regeneration in a moment.

10. Only Born-Again People are Real Christians.

All Christians are born-again and all born-again people are Christians. There are no born-again Moslems. Nor are there any Christians who are not born again. "Born-again Christian" could be a misnomer, if it is taken to mean that some Christians are not born-again. One becomes a Christian by being born again; there is no other way. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). But, of course, not everyone who says he is a Christian really is a Christian. This is sad and tragic. Most Americans say they are Christians, but it is highly unlikely that more than 1 or 2% really are. Saying that you are doesn't make it so. It is not whether we say it, but whether we are in fact. And likewise, not everyone who says he is born again really is regenerate (Catholics and other heretics claim to be). It is vital to discern if we really are.