Preaching Today...

This morning I am preaching on the Biggest Little Word in The Bible. There is one "tw-letter" word that changes everything. Do you know what it is?

"Boot Camp" - A Book Review

Imagine Man As God Envisioned. That is the admonition from gospel preacher and author Jason Hardin in his new book. In his I.M.A.G.E project Jason has set out to help men become what God always hoped that man would be. "Boot Camp" is the first book in a series of 5 that Jason is writing. Written from the perspective of a newly enlisted soldier, this book explains what integrity really is.

Jason begins by reminding us that we are engaged in a war. A spiritual war between God and Satan. This is a fact that many have forgotten. Was there a time when the knowledge of this conflict shaped and guided how men lived their lives? Perhaps. But we have tried to rid oursleves of this knowledge because of the great burden it carries with it. But we cannot do that. As the author says so well in his introduction; "You cannot escape this war, because you are it's prize." Remember that!

So how can we win a war like this? Well, if you want to know the answer, go read the book! But I will tell you this; Jason does an excellent job of illustrating the fundamental nature and need for integrity. He reminds us that integrity is not so much a destination as an "ongoing journey." What's the difference? Read the book and you will see.

There are a lot of good things I could say about this book, but for the sake of brevity let me just praise one more aspect that I found truly remarkable - it's versatility.

This is a very versatile book. By that I mean that you could approach it or use it in a lot of different ways. For the person who likes to just sit down and read, Jason's writing style is engaging and will keep you interested. For the diligent student who combs every word, this book will serve as resource on integrity issues that you will come back to time and time again. This book could be used for men's studies or even just your own personal growth. In fact, I think women would like this book as well. But however you choose to use it, I am convinced it will benefit you greatly.

If you cannot tell, I really enjoyed this book. It challenged me, and at times it "pricked my heart." But that's what good books do: they hang on to you even after you lay them down.

Buy this book. Go to this website and purchase it for yourself, your dad, brother, husband, friend, preacher (all preachers love books), or anyone. What better gift for Father's day?

But perhaps your thinking; "my __________ hates to read!" Well, good news; Jason also has an audio version of the book available on his website. Now you have no reason not to pack your bags and head to "Boot Camp." And you'd better hurry - there's a war going on out there!

-JC3

More Popular than Jesus

According to a recent Harris poll Barak Obama is more popular than Jesus. In fact when asked; "who they admired enough to call a hero" the Americans polled ranked President Obama higher than Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, even Abraham Lincoln. But higher than Jesus...seriously?
I understand the current popularity of our President. His charisma coupled with promises of hope and change resonate in our times. Faced with a faltering economy, two wars and a sense that the worst is yet to come, many Americans have projected all their hopes and trust onto this man.
But I thought this was a Christian nation. That's what we've been told. We have heard that moniker applied to this nation so often that many have come to beleive it. But it is not true. I have said before and still contend that America is no Christian nation. This most recent Harris poll is just an indication that I am right. Col 3:17 says "whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord." Tell me how a people can honestly say they are doing that, and then when asked who they would consider a hero, Jesus ranks 16th. Jesus doesn't want 16th. In fact, you can't rank Jesus 16th. It's impossible. Jesus is either Lord of your life, consuming not only the top spot but all of your existence, or He is no part of you at all.
Perhaps that sounds harsh. I hope it does. I hope those words elicit some sort of reaction, becasuse Jesus said in Matthew 7 that He was going to tell some people "I never knew you" on the Judgment Day. And get this - those people actually claimed to be serving Jesus. What do you suppose He will say to those who have no time for Him at all?
Is it wrong for Barak Obama to be your hero? Well, that's not really the point. The point is, that we are called to serve Jesus with a whole heart and undying devotion. So if a person comes to us and asks us who we admire enough to call a hero, we should take care how we answer. Jesus is listening and I'm guessing that it will come up again.
So who is your hero?
-JC3

Making Your Bible Reading Count

Do you have a hard time keeping up with your Bible reading schedule? Do you wish someone would offer a few thoughts about the section you are reading? You should check out one of the blogs that my friend Edwin Crozier authors. It is called "Give Attention To Reading" which is taken from Paul's words to Timothy. Edwin does an excellent job of giving quick and concise thoughts to help make your reading more beneficial. Why not check it out and see what you think? You can find it at: http://giveattentiontoreading.com/

- JC3

They Will Be Talking About You

Sooner or later you're going to die. That's what happens to all of us. One of these days we will "go the way of all the Earth." This should come as no surprise. What we see in nature and the losses we experience teach us that eventually our life will end. In fact, the knowledge that we will die affects how each of us lives. Some consider the words of Hebrews 9:27; "it is appointed unto man once to die, then comes the judgment" and they live their life as a sacrifice to the Jehovah. Others, ignore the Lord and live only for themselves. Unfortunately, what so many often fail to consider is that, after death........we will be remembered.

When we die we leave behind a host of people who have known us and loved us, and have come to know who we really are. While we're living we don't really consider what others are thinking about us. We know that relationships are fluid. They change and grow from day to day. We may have a fight with a friend or the best time of our life. All these things affect what the people around us are thinking about us right now. But if we were to die, those thoughts would fade away. When people pass away we have a tendency to let go of the most recent experiences and think about who the person was - the things that compose who they really were.

I experienced a good example of this earlier today. I was in the locker room at the gym and overheard two guys talking. One of them began to tell the other that he had received a bad phone call earlier that morning. He explained that a friend of his had passed away. He woke up and felt sick. After going into the other room and getting sick, his wife came to check on him, only to find him dead. The two men in the locker room continued to talk about this man who had passed. As these conversations typically do, it turned quickly to a discussion of memories. This is when the story gets ugly. The man smiled and proceeded to talk about something his late friend loved to share. It was something dear to him that he loved to get laughs with. It was his favorite pornographic magazine. I removed myself from earshot. I'm not going to stay near enough to a conversation like that to be affected (remember: garbage in, garbage out).

But all of this got me thinking. First of all, it broke my heart that this was the one memory that this man wanted to share about his recently departed friend. I immediately became worried about this man's soul. But then another thought crossed my mind. This is the way life works. The actions we take, the jokes we make, our reaction to conflict, all of these things contribute to the memories that our loved ones are left with when we're gone.

We need to be mindful of this. Not for our own glory. Not just to cultivate a legacy of likability. No, there is a much bigger reason. We are going to be judged. 2 Cor 5:10 tells us that when we do finally meet Jesus at the judgment that we will "receive what is due" for whatever we have done in our bodies. And all of those things we have done; the jokes, the words, the thoughts, all of our actions will determine "what is due."

When we go to the judgment our only hope is Jesus. If we are not in Christ (Gal 3) then we have no hope. But just because we were at one time "in the Lord" does not mean we are now (Gal 5:4). We need to live a life that pleases God. Rom 12:1-2 calls us to be something new. Something "transformed." We should be sanctified, holy, and righteous.

When you die, what are people going to say? They will be talking...telling stories. But what will they say? Tears will be shed, and stories told. Will those words be righteous or foolish? We need to carefully consider the answer to that question, because the answer will resonate at the judgment and beyond...

-JC3

Preaching Today

"Enslaved By Our Free Time"

The Bible is clear that we need to occasionally take time to relax and recreate. But what should we do? When faced with a chance to get away on vacation or just an hour or two to ease our mind, what type of activities should Christians be involved in?

God has not given us a specific list of things to do or not to do, but He has provided us with clear principles to guide these decisions. In this sermon we are going to ask several questions that help us determine what these principles are...

If you'd like a copy of this or any other sermon, just let me know.

Have blessed Lord's day!

-JC3

Clean Jokes

I love clean jokes. Here are some good ones. (the cornier the better)

What's an 8 letter word with only 1 letter in it?
Envelope

What do you call a snowman with a tan?
A puddle

What are caterpillars afraid of?
Dogerpillars

Here are a couple of my personal favorites:

Two muffins are sitting in the oven, one looks over at the other and says; "man it's hot in here!" The other muffin looks at him and screams; "aaaaagh!!!! a talking muffin!!!!"

Two pretzels were walking down the street and one was a salted....

You know you love em...

-JC3