Category: faith

Fit or fat?

I thought this was a great look at the Christian life and a telling sign of where I am and you may be in your journey:
From Lifechurch.tv

Fat or Fit?

Recently I’ve lost around 60 pounds. With a loss of this magnitude it’s inevitable that one gains a new way of thinking. Since dropping the weight, I’ve become less inwardly-focused, and less concerned about what others think, because I am no longer insecure with the way I look. It’s freed me to be who I am, freed me to focus on others, freed me to engage in activities I would never have considered before.
During this time of transformation, I realized a parallel to ministry. Before LifeChurch.tv came into my life, I had a consumerist mindset. I would have called myself a “fat” Christian. I thought the church was here for me, looked to ministries to fill my needs, complained if the worship didn’t move me, or if the message wasn’t deep enough. Since becoming a part of LifeChurch.tv, I’ve learned the difference between being a “fat” Christian and a “fit” Christian.

Fat Christians say…
“Why don’t you have this ministry at your church?”

Fit Christians say…
“Can I start a group that does this kind of ministry? Maybe there are other people who would like to join…”

Fat Christians…
…sit in the same pew each week, and rarely venture out of their circle of friends.

Fit Christians…
…find opportunities to change things up, and try to involve those on the outskirts.

Fat Christians focus…
…on how to better themselves.

Fit Christians focus…
…on those who don’t know Jesus.

Fat Christians do…
…what’s easy and safe.

Fit Christians do…
…what’s difficult and counterintuitive.

Fat Christians think…
…it’s all about them.

Fit Christians know…
…it’s all about HIM.

I’m working every day to be a fit Christian, and to inspire those around me to this way of thinking.

It’s good to step on the spiritual scale from time to time and really examine where we stand. I’m glad to see some of the fat Christianity of the past has fallen off. But I’m still hoping to see much more of it fall to the wayside as I continue my journey.
There’s always a lot more that can be improved.

From Amy Grant’s Age to Age album:

Fat Little Baby

I know a man,
Maybe you know him, too.
You never can tell,
He might even be you.
He knelt at the altar
And that was the end.
He’s saved and that’s all
That matters to him.
His spiritual tummy,
It can’t take too much.
One day a week,
He gets his spiritual lunch.
On Sunday he puts on
His spiritual best
And gives his language
A spiritual rest.

(He’s just a fat)
He’s just a fat little baby.
He wants his bottle
And he don’t mean maybe.
He’s sampled solid food
Once or twice.
But he says doctrine
Leaves him cold as ice.

He’s been baptized, sanctified,
Redeemed by the blood.
But his daily devotions
Are stuck in the mud.
He knows the books of the Bible,
And John 3:16
He’s got the biggest King James
you’ve ever seen.
I’ve always wondered
If he’ll grow up someday.
He’s mamma’s boy,
And he likes it that way.
if you happen to see him,
Tell him I said
He’ll never grow,
If he never gets fed.

He’s just a fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat
A fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat,
A fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, little baby.

Did I just quote Amy Grant on my blog? Boy I tell you what, you never know what you’re going to find here.

baptisms at encounter

We had nine baptisms this morning at encounter. Amazing!
There are pictures posted on the encounter Flickr group.
Be sure and check the photos out and keep each of these folks in your prayers.
Oh and huge props to my life Laurie for taking the photos. Hopefully we’ll get some video edited in the next week or so as well with all the baptisms.

A glass ceiling at 15,000

Ed Young, pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Dallas, Plano, Miami, FL. and maybe elsewhere says, that churches tend to hit a glass ceiling when their church rolls reach 15,000-17,000.

As I’ve talked to pastors of other large churches, we’re finding that the 15,000-17,000 mark is somewhat of a glass ceiling.
When you reach those numbers, ongoing challenges like traffic and crowd congestion move to new heights. That’s the point when you need to make critical decisions about satellites, building a bigger worship center and expanding other areas like children’s ministries, parking and more.
There’s not one right answer for every church, and we’re excited that God has led us, at this point in time, to expand through our other campuses. We’re finding that multiple locations allow us to reach diverse groups with the same great end result—a vibrant, healthy local church passionately committed to the Great Commission.


I personally feel that if a church is over 500 you should be hitting a glass ceiling. Can you as a pastor or church leadership truly be a shepherd to a flock over 500? I know there are many that say you can and that’s why you bring on new staff, bring on new pastors and initiate all sorts of ministries but I really think you’re no longer a church body at that point.
It reminds me of those cousins or second cousins you never ever see accept maybe at a wedding or a funeral. We have trouble getting to know all the new faces at encounter and we’re only averaging 200-250 a week.
I’ve been told that Dr. Criswell was once asked when First Baptist Dallas would build a new sanctuary. He said he never would. If his church was more than 2,000 in membership, they’d simply build another church in another area.
I personally think 2,000 is probably too high – but I agree with the sentiment.
Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

Abolish modern day slavery

From FreetheSlaves.net:

Free the Slaves logoMany of our supporters have told us that they would really like to help out when there is something specific they can do. This week is one of those times. A 3-minute phone call from you today can make an incredible difference for the anti-slavery movement. This week the US Congress is considering groundbreaking legislation, and I’m writing to ask for your assistance. Would you join us in phoning our Representatives to request their support?
Free the Slaves and others have helped write legislation that would form a year-long Commission on the Abolition of Modern Slavery. The Commission would take a close look at how the US government can enhance its anti-slavery efforts, be a global leader in the fight against slavery and make clear recommendations for improvement. It is a non-controversial project that will yield concrete results for very little money.
The bill has both Republican and Democratic support. Both parties recognize this as an historic opportunity to focus the US government on ending slavery for good.
But if Members of Congress do not hear from voters—their constituents—they will not act.
Now is the time to show your commitment to fighting slavery. Call your Congressional Representative and challenge them to show a similar commitment by co-sponsoring the Commission bill, HR 2522. When people like you from across the country are calling with the same message, Congress will pay attention.
These three minutes on the phone will make an actual difference in the fight to end slavery. We know your time is valuable and appreciate you taking the time to make this call.
Calling your Representative’s office is quick and easy, even if you’ve never done it before (see below)!
Sincerely,
Jolene Smith
Executive Director
Free the Slaves

You can find your Representative and their phone number on the House website. (There you’ll select your state, type in your zip code and the correct info will appear.)

Sample script for your phone call to your Representative, for you to personalize as you wish:

“I am a constituent calling about the bill to create a congressional Commission on the Abolition of Modern Slavery. I would like Representative to co-sponsor this bill, HR 2522. There are more people in slavery today than at any other time in human history—27 million by conservative estimate. I believe that the US should take a firm stand against slavery and that our government should fight it in the most effective way possible. This Commission would be an important first step. Ending slavery is a non-partisan issue. We can all agree that slavery must end. I would like to see Representative take a leadership position by co-sponsoring this bill.”

If the staff at your Representative’s office have further questions about the bill, you can tell them that they are welcome to call:
Meg Roggensack at Free the Slaves, 202-638-1865
Edan Lichtenstein at Rep. John Lewis’ office, 202-225-3801

As Free the Slaves’ supporters are phoning their Representatives, our Policy Director Meg Roggensack and I will be following up with in-person meetings on Capitol Hill, so we would love to hear about how your phone calls go. It helps us strategize. You can reach Meg at 1-866-324-FREE or roggensack@freetheslaves.net.

To read the text of the bill, see our website. Please let us know if you have any questions!

New Man Magazine: Huckabee best man for the job

According to New Man Magazine, Mike Huckabee is the best man for the job.

One Of Our Own
Mike Huckabee is pro-life, pro-family and the happily married father of three who is a former pastor. After being governor of Arkansas for 10 years, he may be the best qualified candidate to become U.S. president in 2008.

By Thomas J. Harrington and Anthony Bonna

His name might not be familiar yet. You haven’t seen him on Oprah or spotted his face on the cover of Time magazine. Yet when it comes to character, experience and the qualities of a great leader, Mike Huckabee has them.
Don’t be misled by the news coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign. Based on the media’s whim and the ever-changing mood of a drama-hungry public, an artificial top tier of presidential candidates is being presented.
These “frontrunners” often have more style than substance and better marketability than morality. Catapulted to prominence, they steal the spotlight from more worthy candidates, who suffer the silent death of media neglect.
This image-making affects even Christian voters. Rather than supporting someone who represents our core values, we compromise, opting for a candidate simply because we are told that he or she can win.
Let’s stop this trend. As Christian men we have a duty to help shape the future of our country. In the articles that follow, New Man lays out the case for Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas who on January 29 entered the 2008 presidential race by officially launching an exploratory committee.
We aren’t telling you how to vote. You should vote your conscience.
But because Huckabee isn’t as well-known to many Americans as some of the other candidates, we’re taking this opportunity to introduce him to you.
New Man thinks he’s the right man for the job.

Read the full article