Tag: book

The Wild Goose Chase

Received a preview copy of Mark Batterson’s latest book, “Wild Goose Chase” on Saturday. Loving it.

I’ll post an extended review once I finish the book (which should be before the book’s release date on Aug 19th).

But I thought I’d post some initial thoughts/quotes that really stood out to me – thus far.

The idea/title of the book comes from the name the Celtic Christians had for the Holy Spirit – An Geadh-Glas or “the Wild Goose.” It may seem strange calling the Holy Spirit the Wild Goose – especially when you consider what we typically mean when we say, “a wild goose chase.” But if you really think about following the Holy Spirit – that’s what it’s really like. You have no idea where you’re heading. It may seem pointless when you follow The Wild Goose. “But rest assured, God is working His plan.”

“I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do to animals.” We’re caged by so many things in our modern versions of “faith.” Batterson spends the rest of the book looking at six different cages we find ourselves in and comparing these cages to different people/stories we read about in Scripture. As I read about these cages I can see bits and pieces of me living in each of them. Some are stronger cages than others – but each of them keep me from the adventure The Wild Goose is calling me to follow Him on. “You cannot simultaneously live by faith and be bored.”

“We start dying when we have nothing worth living for. And we don’t really start living until we find something worth dying for.”

“When God puts a passion in your heart, whether it be relieving starvation in Africa or educating children in the inner city or making movies with redemptive messages, that God-ordained passion becomes your responsibility. And you have a choice to make. Are you going to be irresponsibly responsible or responsibly irresponsible?”

“Supernatural sadness and righteous indignation often reveal our God-ordained passions… if something causes you to weep and mourn and fast and pray for days on end, it is a good indication that God wants you to take personal responsibility and do something about it. Anything less or anything else is irresponsible responsibility… If you want to discover your God-ordained passions, then you need to identify what makes you sad, mad, or glad… God-ordained passions often break our hearts. And they can seem like an overwhelming burden to bear. But pushing our passions is the key to living a fruitful and fulfilling life.”

“One of the great mistakes we make is asking God to do for us what God wants us to do for Him. We confuse portfolios. For example, we try to convict people around us of sin. But that is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility, not ours. And when we play God, we not only do a poor job at it, but it is always counterproductive.”

“When Christianity turns into a noun, it becomes a turnoff. Christianity is always intended to be a verb. And more specifically an action verb.”

Batterson talks a lot about the cage of routine in chp 3. Excellent stuff.

“When God wants us to experience a change in perspective, He often does it via a change in scenery… where you are geographically affects where you are spiritually…

change of pace + change of pace = change of perspective

“We do things without thinking about them. And if we aren’t careful, we pray without thinking, take Communion without thinking, and worship without thinking… ‘These people say they are mine,’ God complained. ‘They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.’ … We need new words, new postures, new thoughts and new feelings.”

related ::
Mark Batterson’s blog
SSL :: quotes of the day
SSL :: more from batterson
SSL :: marketing or action
SSL :: goals for 2008
SSL :: church goals

10 Tips for writing your book

Brian Bailey from Fellowship Church in Dallas has several tips for writing your first, second or 100th book.
I keep meaning to sit down and work on my first attempt at fiction but I just haven’t been motivated. Maybe it will come later or maybe I’ll move in a completely different direction. Either way, here are his pointers. Anyone else have any ideas? What book would you write if you had all the time in the world?

Top 10 Steps to Writing a Better Book
10. Get more exercise
9. Allow time for editing and formatting
8. Have a regular place to work
7. Schedule rewards at each milestone
6. Disable wireless for long stretches
5. Write a small amount each day
4. Set aside time for book busywork
3. Develop one writing process and stick with it
2. Print it out
1. Schedule regular getaways to write

Read the full post

Mere Christianity

I started reading Mere Christianity again last night.

In just two chapters I’m again amazed at Lewis’ reasoning and thoughts.

I led a study on it several years back and really enjoyed it.

Some of the ideas/thoughts brought up in the first two chapters include morality and a natural moral law.

How do we know there’s a natural moral law? Who sets the standard? Is there a moral law? Are we born with it or do we just learn it? What do yall think?

I remember a guest we had on Lighthouse21 one night who believed there was no moral absolute. In fact he argued that there were no absolutes. We asked him if he absolutely believed that.

Sure enough – he said “yes.”

Hmmmm.

Another lazy Sunday

Well it’s been another lazy Sunday at Casa de Blundell Museum. We’ve had no visitors today, that we know of and its been a nice cool 78-degrees inside.

The museum curator overslept this morning, because he forgot to reset his alarm after sleeping-in yesterday.

Wow – two days in a row. That’s wonderful! Does anyone want to supplement my income so I can do this on a more regular basis. With enough regular donations I could quit my job and update my blog and work on my book all day long.

And with a little more income, I could renew my membership in the Belton Lion’s club so I can remain a functioning member of society.

Could it get any better?

Anyways, on to the entry at hand.

I’ve been reading Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle.

I’m not sure where I got the book from. I know it was bought at Mardels, but don’t remember if I bought it or someone bought it for me. If you bought it for me. Thanks. It’s a great read.

While reading about prayer, which most of the book is about, a section struck me straight to the heart.

What does it say about our churches today that God birthed the church in a prayer meeting, and prayer meetings today are almost extinct?
Am I the only one who gets embarrassed when religious leaders in America talk about having prayer in public schools? We don’t have even that much prayer in many churches! Out of humility, you would think we would keep quiet on that particular subject until we practice what we preach in our own congregations.
I am sure the Roman emperors didn’t have prayer to God in their schools. But then, the early Christians didn’t seem to care what Caligula or Claudius or Nero did. How could any emperor stop God? How, in fact, could the demons of hell make headway when God’s people prayed and called upon his name? Impossible!
In the New Testament we don’t see Peter or John wringing their hands and saying, “Oh, what are we going to do? Caligula’s bisexual… he wants to appoint his horse to the Roman Senate… what a terrible model of leadership! How are we going to respond to this outrage?”
Let’s not play games with ourselves. Let’s not divert attention away from the weak prayer life of our own churches. In Acts 4, when the apostles were unjustly arrested, imprisoned, and threatened, they didn’t call for a protest; they didn’t reach for some political leverage. Instead, they headed to a prayer meeting. Soon the place was vibrating with the power of the Holy Spirit.
The apostles had this instinct: When in trouble, pray. When intimated, pray. When challenged, pray. When persecuted, pray.

The lesson continues, but I’ll let you get your own copy of the book and read it for yourselves.

I’ve never been a fan of prayer in schools, simply because America is home to freedom of religion and free speech. If Christians are allowed to have prayer in school, so are Islamics, Buddhists, and Wicans.

Personally I don’t want a Wican teacher telling my future children how to pray.

They will learn to pray at home, and it won’t be up to a principal or teacher to tell them when they can or can’t pray.

They’ll know, just like I did growing up, that when you feel the need to pray – do it.

Don’t wait on a teacher or principal to give you permission or set aside a time to do so.

Well, back to my reading and hopefully writing. I need to update my book online or everyone will just stop reading it – and that’s no good at all.