Connecting
man to man to God
For
week of February 7, 2010
Issue 290
The
Men’s Ministry newsletter of Path Of Life Ministries.
Our
mission is to lead men to Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for
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“Then
Job answered the Lord: ‘I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted ... I have uttered
what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I
did not know ... I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but
now my eyes see you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in
dust and ashes.’"
Job 42:1-6
CONSIDER
“This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process
of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but
becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be,
but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is
actively going on. This is not the goal but it is the right road.
At present, everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything
is being cleansed.”
Martin Luther
CHURCHES COMPETE
WITH SPORTS BARS AND INTERNET FOR TOP PLACES TO MEET NEW FRIENDS
Americans believe they make more new friends in sports bars
and restaurants rather than in churches. A survey of nearly 800
respondents, of whom more than three-quarters identified
themselves as Christians, reveals that only 16% believe their
church is "their favorite place to meet new friends."
"Our churches are losing ground to other venues for
people-to-people connections," says Jon Vaughan, corporate
marketing director of Group Publishing, the Colorado-based firm
specializing in church resources, which commissioned the poll.
"Since the Internet has become an integral element of our
daily lives, pastors and church leaders must be more creative in
facilitating social networking -- both face-to- face and through
the Web."
Vaughan also believes there may be an
underlying economic factor in the survey results. "Many
people are struggling to make ends meet financially," says
Vaughan. "If I'm working two jobs just to pay the bills, I
want to maximize what little free time I have, and connect with
people I can have fun with."
Vaughan notes the survey
found several key factors that constitute friendly -- or
unfriendly -- social settings:
- Making me feel like I
belong (21%);
- Making me feel comfortable (16%);
- Making
me feel at ease (15%);
- Conversation (14%);
- Smiles
(11%); and
- Non-judgmental (6%)
Vaughan recognizes
that some religious leaders will contend the church's primary
purpose is to serve as a house of worship. However, he believes
that to attract new members, churches must create "an
inviting atmosphere with pastors and members welcoming newcomers."
With more than 300,000 Christian churches in the United
States, people are able to "church shop" in their
communities more than ever, Vaughan says.
"I meet
frequently with pastors who wonder why visitors are reluctant to
become members of their congregations," he says. "It may
simply have to do with the perceived friendliness of the
congregation."
Or the pastor. Respondents ranked
ministers below several others as the friendliest people,
including: close friends, family members, neighbors, and
co-workers.
"While these rankings are not surprising,
it is interesting to note that the 'friendly index' of pastors was
not much higher than hairstylists and store clerks," says
Vaughan. "This survey clearly indicates the church in America
must look for new and innovative ways to engage with its
congregations."
Vaughan notes the survey found some
good news for pastors: Respondents said churches were the second
friendliest places in their communities behind their homes –
17% to 35%, respectively. Sports bars and restaurants placed third
with 9 percent, followed by the grocery store (7%) and a coffee
shop (5%). So while people may meet more new friends in a sports
bar, the church is still seen as the friendlier place in general.
"We are committed to helping churches grow and become
salt and light in their communities," says Vaughan, noting
that Group Publishing has created a free six-week web-based series
on "Becoming the Friendliest Place in Town." In
addition, Group Publishing recently introduced Lifetree Café,
"a weekly, hour-long online exchange of stories and
conversations to feed the soul."
The online survey,
conducted by Authentic Response, has a plus or minus error rate of
4 percentage points. For the complete survey results, visit
www.group.com/church2010
TONY DUNGY'S
HIGHER CALLING
Tony Dungy, himself a deeply religious man, navigates a world
in which sport was once viewed as vital to building character but
now is dominated by the dollar, with all other considerations
rendered secondary.
He speaks deliberately and
enthusiastically over hot tea and orange juice. Tony Dungy
maintains an unhurried demeanor, but his mind nevertheless is
split between the past and the future: The self-recriminations of
opportunity lost are balanced against the regenerative power of
what is possible. He speaks with his hands, the large, nimble
hands of a former athlete. His back is to the expanse of the
dining room of The London, a boutique midtown hotel, and thus he
is oblivious to the star-struck patrons gawking at him, pointing
surreptitiously in recognition of little more than the back of
Dungy's head.... Read this in full at
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100128/TonyDungy
COLTS CHAPLAIN
MAINTAINS CONTINUITY
Beyond their Super Bowl trophy, the Indianapolis Colts have
had multiple coaches, players and playoff appearances the last
eight years. But they've only had one chaplain, Ken Johnson, who
first came to the Colts in 2002 at the request of then-head coach
Tony Dungy. Johnson has remained the team's spiritual leader since
Dungy's good friend and fellow believer Jim Caldwell took over as
head coach.
"The goal is the same -- what is the
moral compass of each player and how does that help them set a
good foundation," Johnson says. Johnson came to Indianapolis
to work with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in their Urban
Outreach unit. He has since launched a speaking ministry in
schools and churches and written a book about his experiences,
"Journey to Excellence," in which he recounts growing up
in a drug-filled and dysfunctional household.... Read this in full
at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32191
FRED LUTER SEES
SAINTS' SPIRITUAL SIDE
Fred Luter Jr. has had a full plate during his decades-long
calling as a pastor, including the last 23 years at Franklin
Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans.
He survived
Hurricane Katrina, which flooded the church building and scattered
the congregation. He has been a second vice president of the
Southern Baptist Convention and a popular speaker at an array of
Baptist gatherings. Now, add weekly chaplain to the New Orleans
Saints.... Read this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32190
KURT WARNER:
JESUS BROUGHT ME HERE
Outspoken Christian Quarterback Kurt Warner announced his
retirement from the National Football League Jan. 29, thanking God
for the opportunities he received both on and off the field.
“As
always, as it started in 1999 when I was up on the podium holding
up a trophy, the first thing I want to do is give thanks to God,”
Warner said during a press conference in Tempe, Ariz., referring
to his widely-heard shout out to the Almighty following his Super
Bowl win with the St. Louis Rams.
“My Lord Jesus
brought me here. I know he brought me here for a purpose. And it’s
been an amazing ride,” he added.
Though Hall of
Fame-bound Warner stands out as one of the top quarterbacks in NFL
history -– with an impressive list of achievements that
includes three MVP awards, a Super Bowl win, and the
second-highest completion percentage in NFL history –-
Warner is most noted for his King David-esque rise to stardom,
which was twice witnessed.
Not only did Warner go from
stocking shelves at a grocery store in 1994 to winning a Super
Bowl in 2000, he also returned to the spotlight after his time
appeared to be up, leading the Arizona Cardinals to the
franchises’ first-ever Super Bowl in 2009.... Read this in
full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100130/kurt-warner-jesus-brought-me-here/index.html
'REDEFINED' NFL
QUARTERBACK MICHAEL VICK TO STAR IN REALITY TV SERIES
For those who have been unconvinced by the hailed turnaround
of professional football player Michael Vick and his
self-professed return to Christ since his involvement in an
illegal dogfighting operation was brought to light, the new BET
reality series that he’ll be starring in should lay doubts
to rest. Or it might fuel them.
“Life is about
choices, making good judgments, good decisions,” says Vick
in the promo for the documentary series. “I was top pick in
the NFL. I had all types of endorsement deals. But along the way,
I let everything come crashing down,” he continues.... Read
this in full at
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100201/michael-vick-gets-new-reality-tv-series-on-bet/index.html
SPORTS FANATICS
Americans are consuming sports on an unprecedented scale. In
2006, Americans spent over $17 billion on tickets to sports
contests and $90 billion on sporting goods, over double what they
spent on books ($42 billion). Sports magazines take up prime space
on bookstore shelves; the granddaddy of them all, Sports
Illustrated, sells as many copies in a month (13.2 million) as To
Kill a Mockingbird has sold since its publication in 1960. A tenth
of The World Almanac is devoted to sports, more than is allocated
for business, science, and politics combined.
None of this
has been lost on evangelicals, who have been quick to harness
sports to personal and institutional agendas. Less than a century
ago, major segments of the evangelical community considered sports
a cancer on the spiritual life; today their denominational progeny
lead the parade to stadiums.
The cozy coupling of sports
and evangelicalism shows itself not only in the outsized athletic
complexes that are common features of church architecture, but
also in the ease with which sport and its symbols show up in the
sanctuary. Pastors incorporate pithy sports metaphors into their
sermons. Famous athletes are invited to pulpits to tell how their
faith helps them compete. Some churches celebrate Super Bowl
Sunday by canceling the evening service and assembling in the
sanctuary to watch the game on large-screen TVs. "Faith
nights" sponsored by local baseball teams draw entire
congregations to the ballpark. Evangelistic organizations that
center on the public's fascination with sports flourish.... Read
this in full at
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/february/3.20.html
GOD AND THE
GRIDIRON? SOME ARE CRYING FOUL
Religion and sports haven’t always been on the same
team; just ask any pastor who’s found members of his flock
out on the links on a Sunday morning instead of in the pews. At
the same time, sport evangelism ministries are more than half a
century old, and even St. Paul turned to sports metaphors in
talking about running “with endurance the race that is set
before us.”
But Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback
Tim Tebow’s public expressions of faith -- from Bible verses
painted on his face during games to the $2.5 million Super Bowl ad
sponsored by Focus on the Family -- have sparked a range of
questions about what’s appropriate when God meets the
gridiron.
Some observers say Tebow has every right to
appear in a Super Bowl commercial, even though they might question
whether it’s the best way to share his views.
“It
could very well be a great message, but is it a good venue?”
asked Paul Louis Metzger, who teaches theology and culture at
Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Ore. “Is it helpful
to the discussion, or does it up the volume, so to speak, on the
culture war rhetoric?”
Some sports columnists have
given Tebow a foul, saying the ad about a hot-button social issue
is, well, out of bounds.... Read this in full at
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/god_and_the_gridiron_some_are_calling_foul/
MORE CHURCHES
PROMOTE MARTIAL ARTS TO REACH YOUNG MEN
Evangelical churches are embracing mixed martial arts -- a
sport with a reputation for violence and blood that combines
kickboxing, wrestling and other fighting styles -- to reach and
convert young men, whose church attendance has been persistently
low. Mixed martial arts events have drawn millions of television
viewers, and one was the top pay-per-view event in 2009.
Recruitment efforts at the churches, which are
predominantly white, involve fight night television viewing
parties and lecture series that use ultimate fighting to explain
how Christ fought for what he believed in. Other ministers go
further, hosting or participating in live events.
The
goal, these pastors say, is to inject some machismo into their
ministries -- and into the image of Jesus -- in the hope of making
Christianity more appealing. “Compassion and love -- we
agree with all that stuff, too,” said Brandon Beals, 37, the
lead pastor at Canyon Creek Church outside of Seattle. “But
what led me to find Christ was that Jesus was a fighter.”
The outreach is part of a larger and more longstanding
effort on the part of some ministers who fear that their churches
have become too feminized, promoting kindness and compassion at
the expense of strength and responsibility.
“The man
should be the overall leader of the household,” said Ryan
Dobson, 39, a pastor and fan of mixed martial arts who is the son
of James C. Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, a
prominent evangelical group. “We’ve raised a
generation of little boys.” .... Read this in full at
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/us/02fight.html
BE A SUCCESS
“I learned early in life that if you want to get ahead,
you have to work. Success, no matter how you define it, doesn't
come easily. Most of us developed a solid work ethic in college.
We worked long hours on summer jobs to save up for the coming
school year. Many of us not only went to class and stayed up late
doing our homework but held down part-time jobs as well. Sure, it
wasn't easy, but it was what we did, what it took to become
successful.
“Along the way, we met the love of our
lives. Do you remember that instant when you fell head over heels
and knew you had found the person you wanted to be with for the
rest of your life? If you're like me, you would have done anything
for them. Even though you were on a Steak and Shake budget, you'd
work extra hours to be able to take them to a five-star restaurant
(and that should have been a clue). Nothing was too good for them
when it came to gifts, and no matter what it took, you would show
up with something special you bought to show how much they meant
to you.
“Your sweetheart most likely would have
preferred spending those overtime hours with you, just sitting
under a tree in the park. Ditto for your kids -- all those long
days to buy the bigger house and the nicer car and what they
really wanted was to wrestle with you on the living room floor
when you came home for dinner.”
Louis Upkins Jr., Treat
Me Like a Customer
AMERICA'S
EVANGELICALS EXILED RICHARD CIZIK FOR INSUFFICIENT ORTHODOXY. NOW
HE'S BACK, AND HE'S UNREPENTANT.
Richard Cizik remembers it this way: he had just come home
from a week in Australia and was about to jet off to Paris when he
sat down on Dec. 2, 2008 for his post-election interview with
NPR’s Terry Gross. She opened by asking him who he voted
for, and though he demurred, he offered a big hint. "In the
Virginia primary, I voted for Barack Obama," he said.
A
few minutes later, she asked the question that would cost Cizik
his job: "Have you changed on gay marriage?"
"I'm
shifting," Cizik answered, truthfully, "I have to admit.
In other words, I would willingly say I believe in civil unions."
As the Washington lobbyist for the National Association of
Evangelicals for nearly 30 years, Cizik should have known better.
Even as polls continued to show a younger generation of Christians
who were more accepting than their parents of homosexuality and
gay marriage, the men who were running the old-school religious
right remained completely and unequivocally opposed—and the
NAE, an association of tens of thousands of churches, had always
been positioned squarely within that flank. But for some time
Cizik had been distancing himself from the old-timers, promoting
global warming and environmentalism as Christian causes and
supporting government-funded contraception as a way to reduce teen
pregnancy. Religious-right stalwarts had long been calling out
Cizik as insufficiently orthodox, but until now the NAE had his
back.... Read this in full at
http://www.newsweek.com/id/232669
OBAMA FINDS WAYS
TO KEEP THE FAITH DURING FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE
If church attendance is one measure of a man's faith, then
President Obama may appear to have lost some of his. The first
family, once regular churchgoers, have publicly attended services
in Washington just three times in the past year, by ABC News'
count, even bypassing the pews on Christmas Day.
Obama
quit Chicago's embattled Trinity United Church of Christ months
before taking office in 2008 and has not formally joined a new one
in his new hometown.
But sources familiar with the
president's personal life say Obama remains a faithful Christian
while in the White House, practicing his beliefs regularly in
private with family and the aid of his BlackBerry.
"Barack
Obama is a Christian. He's always been clear and unapologetic
about that, and he's comfortable with his own faith," Rev.
Jim Wallis, an Obama friend and spiritual adviser, said. "But
I think the president, particularly a president, needs the kind of
pastoral care or spiritual counsel with people who don't have a
political agenda. And it's hard for a president to get that."
Obama told ABC Nightline's Terry Moran that his personal
BlackBerry, which he famously fought with the Secret Service to
keep, has actually become a tool of keeping the faith during his
first year in office.... Read this in full at
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obamas-year-keeping-faith-white-house/story?id=9689272
AT NATIONAL
PRAYER BREAKFAST, OBAMA CALLS FOR A 'SPIRIT OF CIVILITY'
President Obama, making a pointed appeal for “a spirit
of civility" at the annual National Prayer Breakfast Feb. 4,
called on Americans to debate the most important issues without
demonizing opponents. Civility, the president suggested, is not a
sign of weakness.
“Surely you can question my
policies without questioning my faith -– or, for that
matter, my citizenship,"’ he said to laughter for his
allusion to the persisting claims of some critics that the
Hawaiian-born president is not a natural-born American, as the
Constitution requires.
The president said “God’s
grace" is expressed through the efforts of American military
relief efforts in Haiti, through the military at large and through
the actions of the government.
That grace is carried out
“by Americans of every faith, and no faith, uniting around a
common purpose -– a higher purpose," Obama said. “It’s
inspiring. This is what we do as Americans in times of trouble. We
unite, recognizing that such crises call on all of us to act,
recognizing that there but for the grace of God go I."
Yet
in everyday life, the president said, people become “numbed"
by the slow pace of daily crises such as poverty.... Read this in
full at
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dcnow/2010/02/at-national-prayer-breakfast-obama-calls-for-a-spirit-of-civility.html
STUDY SHOWS
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN AMERICAN FAMILIES GOING HUNGRY
Food-assistance agencies nationwide serve 1 million more
people each week than they did four years ago, according to a new
national study
The nation’s network of food banks
and related agencies provide emergency food to 37 million people
-- one American in eight -- including 14 million children and
about 3 million senior adults, the study revealed. That’s a
46 percent increase over the number reported four years ago.
The
Hunger in America 2010 report, a comprehensive four-year study
conducted by Mathematic Policy Research for the Feeding America
network, provides the first empirical data demonstrating “an
undeniable connection between the recent economic recession and
hunger,” said Jan Pruitt, president of the North Texas Food
Bank in Dallas. “Hunger across our nation is growing by
leaps and bounds,” she said.
More than one household
in three served by charitable agencies nationwide experiences
“very low food security” -- a 54 percent increase in
the number of households classified that way compared to 2006....
Read this in full at
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/4797/53/
ON REPENTANCE
“Repentance is the doorway to the spiritual life, the
only way to begin. It is also the path itself, the only way to
continue. Anything else is foolishness and self-delusion. Only
repentance is both brute-honest enough, and joyous enough, to
bring us all the way home.”
Frederica Mathewes-Green,
from her essay, "Both Door and Path"
EVANGELICALS
STAKE LEWIS' CLAIM ON LIBERAL MASS. TURF
At the point where Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts
come together, and about a mile from a forest called Satans
Kingdom, Northfield, Mass., isn't exactly what you'd call a hotbed
of either conservatives or evangelicals.
Yet when a new
evangelical college opens there in 2012, founders hope to help end
acrimonious culture wars and usher in a new era of cultural
engagement marked by Christian charity.
Named for a
celebrated Christian author who counted atheists and skeptics
among his closest friends, C.S. Lewis College will intentionally
seek to prepare believers to engage and understand those who see
the world differently.
The school's location near five
secular and famously liberal colleges will allow students to
follow Lewis' example and learn from their non-Christian
neighbors, according to C.S. Lewis Foundation President Stan
Mattson, who unveiled plans for the school in December.
"The
problem for so much of our relationship with the secular community
is we set up these debates (where) neither side is listening to
the opposition, and both are waiting to see who scores points,"
said Mattson, who will be the school's first president.
"We
need to go in a very different direction. We will be much more
inclined to set up forums where people can engage each other
openly, out of genuine interest to discover more of what the other
party is talking about.".... Read this in full at
http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=19525
POLL: GRAHAM MOST
INFLUENTIAL PREACHER
He has preached the gospel to more than 200 million people in
185 lands and, at 91, still maintains that his one purpose in life
is "to help people find a personal relationship with God,
which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ."
Billy
Graham, whose crusade in Los Angeles in 1949 vaulted him into the
public square, is far and away the top living preacher that has
most influenced Protestant pastors, according to a survey released
Feb. 2 by LifeWay Research.
In telephone interviews
conducted in November 2009, Protestant pastors were asked to "name
the top three living Christian preachers that most influence you."
Twenty-one percent of pastors surveyed said Graham -- nearly three
times the number who named Charles R. Swindoll, prominent pastor,
author, and host of the radio Bible-teaching ministry Insight for
Living.
Rounding out the top 10, after Graham and
Swindoll, are:
-- Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First
Baptist Church, Atlanta, and founder of In Touch Ministries.
--
Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest,
Calif., and author of the best-selling book, "The
Purpose-Driven Life."
-- John MacArthur,
pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif.,
and president and featured teacher of the Grace to You ministry.
-- Barbara Brown Taylor, religion teacher at Piedmont
College in northeast Georgia and author of 12 books including "An
Altar in the World."
-- David Jeremiah, founder of
Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of
Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego County, Calif.
--
Max Lucado, minister of writing and preaching at the Oak Hills
Church in San Antonio, Texas, and the recipient of three Christian
Book of the Year awards.
-- John Piper, pastor for
preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and author of
more than 30 books, including "Desiring God."
--
Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Community Church,
Buckhead Church, and Browns Bridge Community Church -- all in the
Atlanta area -- and founder of North Point Ministries.... Read
this in full at
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32197
The
film “Billy: The Early Years” releases on DVD March
16, 2010
http://www.billytheearlyyears.com/
GOD'S REDEMPTIVE
PROJECT
“Your
flourishing is never just about you. It is a "so that"
kind of condition. God designed you to flourish "so that"
you could be part of his redemptive project in ways that you
otherwise could not. He wants you to flourish "so that"
people can be encouraged, gardens can be planted, music can be
written, sick people can be helped, or companies can thrive in
ways they otherwise would not. When you fail to become the person
God designed, all the rest of us miss out on the gift you were
made to give.
“Jesus once said that with God, all
things are possible, and the great thing about life with God is
that your next step is always possible. That step toward God is
always waiting, no matter what you have done or how you have
messed up your life. Jesus was hanging on a cross with a thief
hanging next to him, and Jesus turned to him and said, ‘Today
you will be with me in paradise.’"
John Ortberg,
The Me I Want to Be
KEN
HAM DELIVERS 'STATE OF THE NATION' FEB. 16, OFFERS BIBLICAL
PERSPECTIVE
Following President Obama's annual "State of the Union"
address, biblical apologist Ken Ham will soon offer his "State
of the Nation" speech, highlighting how far the US has
wandered from its moral foundations, and calling Christians back
to their biblical roots.
Ham, president of Answers in
Genesis (AiG), the biblical apologetics ministry responsible for
the Creation Museum near Cincinnati, will present his speech from
inside the Creation Museum and via webcast live at 8 pm EST,
Tuesday, Feb. 16. Those wishing to tune in may do so at
http://www.answerslive.org
VERSE TO PONDER
“Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set
your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is
revealed."
1 Peter 1:13
CONSIDER
“Never let a problem to be solved become more important
than a person to be loved.”
Barbara Johnson
SENATE CHAPLAIN:
RELIGIOUS LEADER FOR SECULAR FLOCK
Most mornings, after the gavel is struck in the Senate chamber
on Capitol Hill, a prayer is offered in that most secular body --
a practice that goes back to the founding fathers at the
Continental Congress in 1774.
Chaplain Barry C. Black
delivers the prayer, offering up some of the first words heard
each day in the chamber.
Black works from an office in the
Capitol building, a well-appointed room with high, arched ceilings
and wall-to-wall mahogany bookcases. Compared with the number of
people working for senators, the chaplain's staff is downright
humble. He has an executive assistant, a director of
communications and a chief of staff.
But from this
third-floor perch in the Capitol building, Black enjoys one of the
best views of the National Mall's mosaic of cherry trees, museums
and monuments.... Read this in full at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122872399
CHILDREN'S BIBLE
NAMED A NOTABLE CHILDREN'S RECORDING BY ALA
The children's division of the American Library Association
(ALA) has selected The Jesus Storybook Bible Deluxe Edition from
Zondervan for this year's list of Notable Children's Recordings.
The recordings, written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and read by
award-winning British actor David Suchet, are geared for children
14 years old or younger. The audio version of the best-selling
Jesus Storybook Bible was released as part of The Jesus Storybook
Bible Deluxe Edition last October and was among more than 130
recordings up for consideration by the ALSC. Lloyd-Jones credited
much of the recording's success to Suchet's work. "And he
didn't just read it. It was as if he was telling a story to a
child he loved very much, he acted it, he poured his Christian
faith, his heart and soul, and his incredible talent into the
story." The recording features 44 stories from the storybook
Bible.
http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/
AIR FORCE BUILDS
WORSHIP SPACE FOR WICCANS
The US Air Force Academy in Colorado will set aside a worship
space for followers of "Earth-centered" religions such
as Wicca and Druidism. A stone circle atop a hill on the base in
Colorado Springs will likely be dedicated in a ceremony March 10.
The site will be available to cadets and other service members who
live in the area. The base already has worship spaces for
Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, and Buddhist.
The Air
Force has been accused of allowing evangelical officers to openly
proselytize and pressure cadets of other faiths. In 2005, the Air
Force issued new guidelines pledging to "accommodate free
exercise of religion and other personal beliefs." Tech. Sgt.
Brandon Longcrier, who worked with academy officials to create the
space, said, "There really haven't been any obstacles for the
new circle. The chaplain's office has been 100 percent
supportive.".... Read this in full at
http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2010/01/air-force-builds-worship-space.php
THE MASCULINE
MANDATE: GOD'S CALLING TO MEN
There is a crying need in the church today for men to be men.
But competing visions for what a man is to be -- some growing out
of popular culture and others arising from flawed teaching in the
church -- are exacerbating the problem.
In the foreword,
Jerry Bridges says Richard D. Phillips "gives us an accurate
picture of what it means to be God's man. The reader will come
away reassured that even though he may possess none of the
attributes that the world deems essential for a 'man's man,'
nevertheless he can be one of God's men."
The Bible
alone has the answer to what men are to be in the eyes of their
Creator. In his newest book from Reformation Trust Publishing,
Rev. Richard D. Phillips avoids the stereotypes and legalistic
rules while unfolding with clarity and practical simplicity the
biblical vision of men. Here is sound biblical exposition of the
most practical sort -- teaching that reveals not only what men are
to think but what they are to be. Read the first chapter at
http://www.ligonier.org/store/the-masculine-mandate-gods-calling-to-men-hardcover/
AUTHOR WORRIES
ONLINE COMMUNITIES ARE HURTING REAL ONES
When it comes to Facebook, Jesse Rice sees an immensely
popular social networking site that's great for sharing photos and
keeping in touch with friends.
He also sees something that
encourages attitudes and behaviors that don't work as well in real
life.
Rice, 37, is the author of "The Church of
Facebook: How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community." A
former worship leader an evangelical megachurch in California, he
has degrees in organizational communication and
counseling/psychology and -- just as important to his readers -- a
sense of humor.
On a video he uploaded to YouTube, he
explains his credentials for writing the book. "I can look at
various parts of an organization, at the flow of communication
back and forth within the independent structure, and I can
identify all the ways that it's your parents' fault," he
quips.
And "I have an actual Facebook account with
well over 100 friends."
Yes, he acknowledges that some
people have 6 million fans on a Facebook fan page. "But, back
off, Vin Diesel," he snarls. "It is possible to be too
fast and too furious."
Actually, being too fast to
judge others and too furious to write a well-considered post are
two ways Facebook thwarts meaningful community, according to Rice,
who argues that Facebook redefines the term altogether.... Read
this in full at
http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=19588
CONSIDER
“This is a cheerful world as I see it from my garden
under the shadows of my vines. But if I were to ascend some high
mountain and look out over the wide lands, you know very well what
I would see: brigands on the highways, pirates on the sea, armies
fighting, cities burning; in the amphitheaters men murdered to
please applauding crowds; selfishness and cruelty and misery and
despair under all roofs. It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly
bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and
holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy
which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful
life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not.
They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world.
These people, Donatus ,are the Christians- and I am one of
them.” Cyprian
VERSE
TO PONDER
“God
is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and
though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”
Psalm 46:1-2 (KJV)
THIS
WEEK'S HYMN: MORE LOVE TO THEE, O CHRIST
Words: Elizabeth P. Prentiss, 1856
Music: W. Howard Doane,
1870
More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!
Hear
Thou the prayer I make on bended knee.
This is my earnest
plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee;
More love to Thee, more
love to Thee!
Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and
rest;
Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best.
This all
my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee;
More love to
Thee, more love to Thee!
Let sorrow do its work, come
grief or pain;
Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!
Then shall my
latest breath whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry my
heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be: More love,
O Christ to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!
>from NetHymnal at
http://nethymnal.org/htm/m/o/morelove.htm
ON PRAYER
God,
there is so much war, so much violence, so much conflict -- too
much. And it is the poorest and most vulnerable who suffer even
more as a result: in displacement, in victimization, in loss of
life. We lift up our brothers and sisters whose lives are most
impacted by such circumstances. Bring peace to their lives, to
their societies, to their worlds, Lord. And as we commit to
walking with the poor, give us opportunities to stand with them
and to stand for them. We pray all this in the name and power of
the Prince of Peace, amen.
PRAY FOR PERSECUTED
CHRISTIANS TODAY
http://christiansincrisis.net/
DAILY BLESSING
PACT
Use
the following list as your daily prayer guide. Think of a brother
or situation that applies and lift them up in prayer.
I am
agreeing in prayer with you for God’s blessings to overtake
you!
PERSONAL
Marital harmony
Family unity
Children
saved
Faithful pastor
Spirit-filled church
Real
friendships
Relatives redeemed
Educational
benefits
Recreational time
Fulfilling career
Favor with
God and man
Be in God’s will
FINANCIAL
Better
Jobs
Raises or bonuses
Benefits
Sales &
commissions
Business Growth
Settlements
Estates &
inheritances
Investment increase
Rebates &
returns
Checks in the mail
Gifts & surprises
Money to
be found
Bills decrease while blessings increase
"And
all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God" (Deut.
28:2).
[As you travel on business or vacation, let me know
if you'd like the church guys to pray for your safety and
spiritual effectiveness. I'll add your name to the list for the
time you'll be away.]
CLASSIFIEDS
Are
you looking for something or do you have something to sell? Let me
know and I'll put it in this newsletter.
Book your next
vacation with us!
Http://www.ChristianConnectionTravel.com
Books,
Music & More!
http://www.ChristianConnectionBooks.com
Get
your domain name here!
http://www.GoGlobalDomains.com
Let
me show you how to earn money as you
travel!
http://www.earnGlobalVacations.com/
It's
as easy as 1-2-3!
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE
WEBSITES
Tell
us what sites you find enjoyable and why.
Match
the country names with their map locations
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/just_fun/games/mapgame.html
Flags
by their colors
http://shaheeilyas.com/flags/
10
Strangest Trees on Earth
http://zuzutop.com/2010/01/10-strangest-trees-on-earth/
All
links to websites are provided as a service, and do not imply
endorsement by this ministry.
(BTW: whenever the URLs in
this newsletter are too long to turn into links on your e-mail
program, just copy the entire URL (two lines or more) and paste it
into a temporary email message. Then delete the return in the
middle of it and copy it again. Then paste it into your web
browser and hit enter.)
Tomorrow
is just a future yesterday.
Min.
Frank Coleman, Editor
Rev.frank@gmail.com
Thanks
for welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
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CONNECTIONS is a periodic newsletter of
announcements, news, recommendations, articles, and other
information helpful to men in our spiritual growth. Thanks for
welcoming CONNECTIONS into your in-box!
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The
CONNECTIONS Team offers a variety of activities for men to
interact with other men on our journey of faith in Christ
together. Large group, small group, and one-to-one events
encourage relationship building and spiritual strengthening that
result in maximizing the potential we all have in Christ.
Contact
Min. Frank Coleman, 773-410-1483, frank@frankcoleman.com
if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
Path Of Life Ministries is located in Chicago, IL.
Visit
our website at: http://www.pathoflifeministries.net/
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