Jesus T's

Do you have a drawer full of Jesus T-shirts? I've never been a fan. Seems kinda goofy. Just my opinion.

Listening

Hearing God requires us to stop talking. Quieting our hearts before God is one of those suggestions that Richard Foster offers in Spiritual Disciplines. When we keep "talking" and fail to "listen", a natural barrier is created between us and God. It could be defined as "occlusion". The word is used in various scenarios...

In medicine, occlusion is what happens when blood vessels are blocked. Obviously, blocked vessels can create some significant problems.

In dentistry, occlusion means that the patient's mouth is closed. It's tough to work on teeth when there is no access point.

In the computer graphics business occlusion happens when an object closer to the viewport masks an object further away.

In meteorology, when a cold front overtakes a warm front it's described as an occlusion.

In psychology, occlusion happens when you have a word that's on the “tip of your tongue”. For me, those words are usually recalled between 2 and 3am.

Jesus regularly practiced solitude as a way of opening the channels of communication between he and God. Jesus had this habit; it was His rhythm. He lived among the people, helping them, and then He periodically got alone with God and prayed. He slowed down.

Try it today.

Suggested steps

In the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, people who have walked down the recovery road are encouraged, when asked, to offer suggested next steps for those who may be a few steps behind in the process. This happens because the person who has been sober for, say, 6 years could have some knowledge for someone who is relatively new to the process. This isn't anything new. Dad warns his son not to touch the stove top because he knows the inherent dangers of skin coming into contact with hot surfaces. So, he suggests that his son avoids the potential hazard.

Years ago, Richard Foster wrote a landmark book, Spiritual Disciplines. In it, he describes a series of practices that can bring people into a closer relationship with God. These weren't designed to be a set of "rules". Instead, spiritual disciplines were created as suggested next steps for believers in their walk with Father. Dallas Willard, noted author and professor, offered these thoughts about spiritual disciplines:

A discipline for the spiritual life is, when the dust of history is blown away, nothing but an activity undertaken to bring us into more effective cooperation with Christ and his Kingdom. The disciplines are activities undertaken to make us capable of receiving more of his life and power... When through spiritual disciplines I become able heartily to bless those who curse me, pray without ceasing, to be at peace when not given credit for good deeds I’ve done, or to master the evil that comes my way, it is because my disciplinary activities have inwardly poised me for more and more interaction with the powers of the living God and his Kingdom. Such is the potential we tap into when we use the disciplines.

Another explanation from www.spirithome.com: Christians over the years have learned that certain disciplines and practices help them keep the spiritual channels open and help keep the heart turned toward God. These disciplines can't save you; they can't even make you a holy person. But they can heighten your desire, awareness, and love of God by stripping down the barriers that you put up within yourself and some that others put up for you. What makes something a 'spiritual discipline' is that it takes a specific part of your way of life and turns it toward God. A spiritual discipline is, when practiced faithfully and regularly, a habit or regular pattern in your life that repeatedly brings you back to God and opens you up to what God is saying to you.

Think about what gets you closer to God or, better yet, what brings you into a better understanding of how much He loves you.

Kids and the Internet

Some things parents should know about their kids and the Internet...

For American kids ages 6-11, the Internet is much more of an entertainment platform than it is a venue for communicating, with most of the entertainment occurring within the home.

Within that age group, 71.1% of kids accessed the Internet in the past 30 days, according to the most recent data from the "2008 American Kids Study" conducted by Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI).

Based on the results of the in-home survey of approximately 5,000 youths - along with an accompanying survey of primary adult caregivers - five characteristics emerge with regard to kids and their use of the Internet.

1. Home Is Where the Action Is

Of the 71.1% of kids who used the Internet in the last 30 days, 83.4% did their Web surfing at home. School was the second most popular location, at 29.6% of kids, followed by bookstore/library at 6.82%.

Within the household, a very small percentage of kids who used the Internet in the last 30 days (10.9%) had Internet access in their own room. Those respondents were virtually evenly split between boys (48.2%) and girls (51.8%). Only 17.0% of those with access in their room said their parents allow them to self-police their surfing activities.

2. Don't Instant Message Me, I'm Playing Games

Kids are far more likely to use the Internet for entertainment than for any other purpose. Among those who visited the Web in the past 30 days, 81.2% reported having done so to play online games. And it's not just the guys who are sharpening their hand-eye coordination in the digisphere. Of these gamers, 50.1% were boys and 49.9% were girls.

The incidence of game playing decreases along with age - 83.8% of kids ages 6-7, 81.5% of kids 8-9 and 79.1% in the 10-11 age bracket. Other popular activities among kids who used the Internet in the last 30 days were: watched videos (34.7%); "did stuff for homework" (32.4%); and listened to music (30.6%).

3. Style-Conscious Kids Also Among The Most Tech-Savvy

Nearly one in three U.S. kids ages 6-11 who used the Internet in the last 30 days agreed with the statement "being 'in style' is very important to me." These style-conscious youngsters also tend to be the more tech-savvy. The style-conscious set is 48% more likely than all kids online in the last 30 days to download music; 33% more likely to shop or look for things to buy online; 29% more likely to say their parents let them go anywhere they want on the Internet; 34% more likely to use the Internet to listen to music; and 19% more likely to watch videos online.

4. Television Web Sites Are The Most Popular

Of the nearly 50 Web sites measured by our study, three of the top five are TV sites (Disneychannel.com, Nick.com and Cartoonnetwork.com) among kids who used the Internet in the last 30 days. When kids aren't frequenting these entertainment sites, they're apparently looking for other sites to visit, as the fifth most popular destination was Yahoo.com.

5. Advertising Draws Kids To The Internet

More than half (57.0%) of kids who surfed the Web in the last 30 days did so because advertising drove them there. This group was fairly evenly divided by gender: 50.9% were girls and 49.1% were boys. While advertising motivated 50.4% of kids ages 6-7 to Web sites, it did so to 62.0% of youths in the 10-11 age set.

This Sunday

Last week at church, we had the third installment of our RECOVERY series. I'm really passionate about the subject matter since I've walked down a recovery path for quite some time. The series' main focus has been the importance of learning more about who God is and how He views us. In short, God doesn't look at us in our broken state and demand that we get better by inflicting guilt and shame - especially when it comes to addictions. Instead, God says that we have value and that He wants to walk with us through the recovery journey.

Last week, I talked about the difference between freedom and bondage. I used the analogy of the Cantrell family hamsters who spend 95% of their life in a cage. It's a nice cage but Lizzy and Libby are still locked up. Recovery is a form of "hamster cage bondage" and unless we understand the freedom offered by God (the abundant life Jesus talks about in John 10:10) we will stay locked up.

At our team meeting Monday night, a couple of people asked what people should "do" in order to get out of the cage. They suggested that I direct/instruct/ the congregation to read the Bible more, pray more, and/or attend church more in order to go from a bad place to a better place.

Two factions developed. On one side were those who came from a performance-driven church background. They went to church and learned to make lists of things they should do to become "better Christians". On the other side, there were some on our team who said that true freedom is found when we learn how much how much God loves us and when we do, we discover ways to grow in many different ways - not just by reading our Bible more or praying more.

This Sunday, all of our teaching pastors will be on stage to share our differing views on the issue. It should be fun.

We are blessed

In Matthew 5: 1-16, Jesus offers his first recorded sermon. In it, he offers a perspective on life that must have been met with confusion. How can we feel blessed in tough times. Below is a paraphrase that I found on the web this week...


“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being “care-full,” you find yourselves cared for.

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world– your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

“Not only that – count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even! – for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”


You are blessed and I am blessed in good times and bad times.

Criminal

An Oakland pastor could face jail time for expressing his pro-life views. His method was simple: He held a sign that read, "Jesus loves you. Can we help?"

The story of this dangerous criminal can be found here.

Too much grace

I've been criticized more than once that I spend too much time talking about grace and not enough time talking about sin. The implication is that I am condoning sin (even encouraging it) because of God's grace. In other words, "Sin all you want because God's grace means that we can be forgiven, no matter what."

Here is a quote from Martyn Lloyd Jones:

The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone always leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel.

For the record, I don't believe (or teach) that because of God's grace, we have permission to sin. I think the Bible is very clear on the subject of sin and how it affects our relationship with God. When we sin, God doesn't love us any less however it can make us feel like it. Sin fosters guilt and shame. Guilt and shame keep us in hiding. When we hide, we want to avoid a relationship with God. However, grace doesn't cause people to sin.

My fear isn't that we will go too far with grace. My fear is that we won't go far enough. In his letter to Titus, Paul said that the natural outgrowth of God's grace is living a righteous life. Those who think that more grace-teaching will lead to more sin-living simply don't understand what grace is all about. They believe that grace is only possible if we live righteously and the minute we veer off the path, grace becomes out of reach. In other words, clean up first and grace follows. Paul said that grace is given to everyone (even the worst of sinners) and His grace empowers us to live as Christ.

How chemical dependency starts..

He checked into rehab three days later...

A journey

"I think one of the reasons God doesn't tell me where we're going each day is because He loves to surprise me when we get there."
Fellow blogger Jonathan Christopher

No kidding.

On Monday night, our city's Planning Commission voted to approve a downtown project that has been months in the making. Crossroads on Main will be home to an early childhood enrichment center, an after-school program, mid-week events, a drop-and-shop child care center for kids, and a Christian bookstore. We had some challenging political battles along the way and we thought that the project had died a handful of times. Minutes before a time-out was called at the Planning Commission meeting, we thought that we would lose on a 3-2 vote. God stepped in and blessed us with a victory.

Thanks to all who have been praying for this project. The next step is to raise money so that construction can begin. We are $300,000 away and, just like the political journey, we know that God has more surprises in store for Crossroads.

A challenge

"Do one thing every day that scares you."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Pelosi

Is "contraception" another word for "abortion"? Just wondering.

Peanuts Perspective

Interesting

A few observations about our church based on a few recent emails...

Some people will visit Crossroads and love the fact that we are an "outreach focused" church but after they've been coming for a while, they don't like that we aren't "inward focused" enough.

Some people will love that our teachings are based on the grace of God but after a while, they say that we spend too much time talking about the grace of God.

Some people will really appreciate that we, as teaching pastors, are honest and "real" when we talk about our own spiritual journey but after a while, they don't like that we are so honest and "real" about our spiritual journey - especially when we talk about our struggles.

Some people will be intrigued (and excited) that we do some things different (like communion) but after they've been coming for a while, they don't like that we do things different.

In the beginning, they love that our music is innovative and contemporary but after a while, they arrive 20 minutes after the service starts because our music is too innovative and contemporary.

Interesting, huh?

Obama and religion

This story was published in the Christian Science Monitor last week. It gives voice to one of the greatest controversies facing our world. It also provides some insight into our President's perspective on freedom of choice, population control, or whatever you want to call abortion.

There was one quote that caused my heart to skip a beat. It was made by David Paxson, head of World Population Balance.

"If Obama wants to go down in history as a great president, he should help bring people to an awareness of this population problem," Paxson says.

If population growth is not restrained humanely, by birth control, "it will happen inhumanely," he warns. Crowding will lead to wars, disease, starvation, and other catastrophes that will shrink the population drastically. Population growth is one factor behind the troubles in Darfur, the Congo, Gaza, and even Pakistan.

Interesting times are ahead.

The Brown Bag Project

We've been feeding the hungry for 4 years at Crossroads. We've become somewhat of a home for the local homeless community. They come because they feel welcome, it's warm inside our facility, we are in the downtown district, and we provide free food and coffee. 2 weeks ago, we decided to ramp up our efforts to "...care for the least of these."

The Brown Bag Project is simple. People are being invited to pack a brown bag lunch and bring it to church for distribution. In a month, we will expand the project to involve hundreds of people who will distribute thousands of brown bags to people who are looking for hope and asking for help.

If you are part of our community and want to join the effort, email us at info@visaliacrossroads.com or call 627-8400. For those who support Crossroads across the country, you can make a financial contribution here. Or, send it to our mailing address:
Crossroads Community Church
PO Box 4181
Visalia, Ca 93278

Regardless of who you are, where you are, or whether or not you attend our church, please pray that God uses this ministry to share the love of Jesus to a hurting people.

The girls of Pennsylvania Avenue

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Wherever you are on the political spectrum, I think that you will be moved by this story.

Recession = Unity

The past couple of months have been a struggle for millions of people and organizations. As families tighten their economic belts, our church has been forced to sharpen our pencils and make painful decisions. Two weeks ago, we cut staff salaries drastically and our overall budget has been greatly affected. Today, we are paying for rent, salaries (most of which are part-time wages since all of us have second or third jobs), and necessary expenses like property insurance. If you are like most Americans, you are doing the same things. Kitchen table conversations run the gamut from frustration, anger, and sadness. Tears are shed. Fists are clenched. Solutions are few.

I think that the recession might actually produce some positive results. As the money crisis continues, people will be forced to rely on the two things that don't affect the pocketbook - faith and family. God said that He came to give life and life more abundant. That doesn't mean that riches will be bestowed on believers. It means that our lives will be full of the things that really matter. Families that may have been held together with things will discover that things don't make a family. Love and commitment can be the bond that holds families together in these tough times.

It's amazing to see how the economy has a direct impact on the Church. Our attendance has spiked even though monetary giving has slumped. People are looking for hope in their struggle. My prayer is that Crossroads (and every other church in our community) will point the way to Jesus Christ who is our healer, comforter, and Lord.

Honest dealings

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
Proverbs 24:26

Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.
Proverbs 16:13

I continue to surf the net finding helpful nuggets of information about success and what it means to succeed under a spiritual paradigm. This is from super-blogger Seth Godin...



I got a note yesterday that said, "I'll be curious to know if it's possible to succeed and to stay clean as I see a lot of dirty "crooks" out there. I am trying to work with good ethics, but I see a lot of successful people talking/teaching "black Hats" strategies that scare me."

Spiritual business is an interesting concept. Is what you do all day at work part of who you are? Is it possible to be a deceitful crook all week but a good person on the weekend?

Can you succeed financially by acting in an ethical way?

I think the Net has opened both ends of the curve. On one hand, black hat tactics, scams, deceit and misdirection are far easier than ever to imagine and to scale. There are certainly people quietly banking millions of dollars as they lie and cheat their way to traffic and clicks.

On the other hand, there's far bigger growth associated with transparency. When your Facebook profile shows years of real connections and outreach and help for your friends, it's a lot more likely you'll get that great job.

When your customer service policies delight rather than enrage, word of mouth more than pays your costs. When past investors blog about how successful and ethical you were, it's a lot easier to attract new investors.

The Net enlarges the public sphere and shrinks the private one. And black hats require the private sphere to exist and thrive. More light = more success for the ethical players.

In a competitive world, then, one with increasing light, the way to win is not to shave more corners or hide more behavior, because you're going against the grain, fighting the tide of increasing light. In fact, the opposite is true. Individuals and organizations that can compete on generosity and fairness repeatedly defeat those that only do it grudgingly.