Buzz of the Week: Apple TV

Here’s what you need to know about the new Apple TV.

Apple released their Apple TV device which is anticipated to revolutionize the downloadable media industry by merging computer activity with couch potato time.

• Connects computers (Mac and PC) to televisions

• Essentially an iPod for your TV; copies computer files to the device

• Copies one computer’s movies, photos, TV shows, videoclips and music

• Can also stream media from five other computers without copying

• Works with both wired and wireless networks

• Only works with iTunes media–meaning you can’t use it to watch YouTube videos on your TV, as Netgear’s new EVA8000 box does

• Only works with widescreen TVs

• Holds 50 hours of video

• If you pause a movie, TV show or song on your iPod, Apple TV remembers your place when you continue watching/listening on your TV

Now if only they could solve finding our remote, we'd be all set...

Now THE BIG QUESTION is how do you see this being used in the local church?

(via The Intelligence Group)

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Spurgeon on Youth

"In an election the first votes recorded count all the day long, and they encourage the party all through the anxious hours of polling. When men give in their names for Jesus and his cause in the morning of their lives, their whole existence influences their time, and their encouragement to the good cause is lifelong." Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9 (ESV)

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” Ecclesiastes 12:1 (ESV)

Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

Make Your Life Count For Lasting Things!

On Being a Dad: 03.27.07

Some recent highlights of fathering a son who is created in the image of God and is Wild at Heart.

• He has only cried twice in the bath, the first time he cried was the third time he had a bath, so we don't know if he was freaked out or what, but the only other time he cried because he was mad that we took him out too soon. He was not done playing!

• He discovered how to splash water by about the 4th bath and has loved splashing and stomping ever since.

• He has two teeth that he is not afraid to use.

• He has learned how to clap.

• He has the thighs of a fullback and the arm strength of a linebacker.

• He already knows that remote controls are to be controlled by the men of the house.

• He recently discovered his "junk" in the bath tub.

• He loves the outdoors.

• He loves dogs.

• He loves life as evidenced by his hysterical laughter, his incredible range of eyebrow control to show a wide range of contemplation and emotion, and his ever increasing ability to "get loud."

• He wears these little red sunglasses, and unlike most kids, he doesn't try to take them off. He knows they say something about being manly and outdoorsy.

• He has not yet had a food that he has not liked, rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, carrots, squash, bananas, green beans. He says he is ready to move on to Steak, Tex-Mex, and Coca-Cola.

• He is already developing his hunting and tracking skills. I hold him in the superman position down by my waist and he chases Sammey, our Schnauzer, around the house and backyard.

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Student Ministry 101 (Examining Your Student Ministry)

Someone recently asked me the purpose of my blog. While most things I do, I do with purpose, my blog has more or less been a scatter shot, stream of conscience type of rambling event. As my career and calling revolves around Student Ministry, I tend to use this blog as a place to process and 'put out there' those ideas, thoughts, readings, happenings, and ideas that fall outside of student ministry. In a way, a place I go to get away from Student Ministry to connect with a wider audience. However, I have decided that several people that read my blog and I connect with through this medium are also interested in, involved in, and living in the trenches of ministry both as laypeople, pastors, and student ministers. On top of that, many are parents of tweens and teens. So in the future I plan on having more content posted here regarding Student Ministry.

So I start here with Dr. Johnny L. Derouen, SWBTS Professor of Student Ministry, and his questions for "Examining Your Youth Ministry."

5 Questions:

1. What does God want of our students?

2. Why do you follow Jesus?

3. What is your student's purpose on this planet?

4. Is God trustworthy?

5. What is your most valuable possession?

How does he answer these:

1. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 (ESV)

God wants their everything.

2. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. I Cor. 15:16 (ESV)

Follow Jesus because He is our only hope.

3. And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as
yourself." Luke 10:27 (ESV)

Build your life on and around Jesus.

4. Yes, God is trustworthy so prepare them that discipleship is a life long journey, a process. Move them beyond (ween them off of) the quiet time books and equip them to study the Bible.

Equip them to walk for a lifetime.

5. Your time is the only thing that is yours to give and you can not save it.

Don't waste your life.

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Who knew...

...index cards could be this much fun.

This is my new favorite blog. This girl is genius!

An oldy but a goody

I Like Big Bibles:

Video Venue

As you know I am a big fan of great music. I like classic country, alt country, indie rock, punk, rock n roll, opera, even a little classical or hip hop when the mood strikes. My wife considers me a rock snob to some degree, and I would probably have to agree with her. Everything from Shuggy Otis to Modest Mouse, Gram Parsons to Grandmaster Flash. So though these are not obscure I wanted to drop some music videos on you today. I think these are some of the best (and or most innovative) videos around. Best is subjective but for me it means they don't get old.

R.E.M. -- Imitation of Life


Weezer -- Buddy Holly


Beastie Boys -- Sabotage (not innovative but so much fun, file under guilty pleasure)


Coldplay -- Yellow (correct me if I am wrong but isn't this one continuous shot unedited)


Duran Duran -- Wild Boys (The first music video I ever saw.)


For 5 recent ones try these:
Mates of State -- Fraud in the 80's
Cold War Kids -- Hang Me Out to Dry
Peter, Bjorn and John -- Objects of My Affection and Young Folks
Gnarls Barkley -- Smiley Faces

For 5 more obscure classics:
Bob Dylan -- Subterranean Homesick Blues
Townes Van Zandt -- Pancho and Lefty
Son House -- John the Revelator (proof you can find almost anything on youtube.com)
Sam Cooke -- You Send Me (danced to this at our wedding)
Dizzy Gillespie & Louis Armstrong -- Umbrella Man

80's Bonus:
Stryper -- Soldiers Under Command
Grand Master Flash -- The Message
Did you forget B.A. Baracus hates to fly?

Cussing Pastors, Blue Language, and the Dirty Word

There has been an ongoing debate in my mind for quiet sometime about language. What exactly is crude language, coarse jesting, and foul language? What constitutes cussing? There is most definitely a Biblical mandate for "watching your language." So how do I as a Chirst follower, father, husband, pastor and gen-Xer determine what is and is not appropriate language? Is it hypocritical for me or just prudent to use different vocabulary with different groups of people?

Don't get me wrong! I am not advocating anything here I am just pondering (to some they will see no difference I am sure.) I have grown up among my peers, Christian or not, to find "sucks," "crap, crappy," "freaking, freakin'," and then maybe a few others to be acceptable. However, most people in older generations might have problems with some or all of these words. I admit I have used them from time to time in preaching to students. To say things like "I know sometimes you feel like life sucks" or "Maybe you believe that Jesus does not care about the crappy deal you got when your parents split up." I have been in ministry 14 years and I can honestly say I have had only one complaint. But I do not gage orthodoxy or orthopraxy based on complaints, whether many or few.

What are you thoughts?

For further threads on examining this Biblically and culturally look at some of these articles and sights. There is much that I have found helpful in thinking through these things. My biggest question is who or what makes a dirty word dirty in the first place? What is profane?

There is the continuing debate about Mark Driscoll, known by some as 'the Cussing Pastor.' Latest that I know of in the attack on Driscoll is John McArthur.

Others that have discussed Mark Driscoll are Tim Challies and Phil Johnson. For me the larger question is "Does Driscoll preach Christ and Him crucified?" In writing, in sermon, and in his blog Driscoll confesses his tongue can be a problem, he is repentant and claims he is trying to do better. He claims he has men (elders) who hold him accountable. Do we need bloggers and other preachers to judge his heart and his motives when they have no personal knowledge or contact with him when oiher qualified men do, such as Piper and C.J. Mahaney. Of course Piper recently slipped, and then apologized.

Dr. Peter J. Leithart, professor at New Saint Andrews College, has several outstanding posts on coarse language, etc. Including Skubalon which is the greek word Paul uses that some claim can be translated with a word stronger than crap, vulgar language, how Christians should talk about sex, and obscenity.

I hope this will be a lively and biblical discussion! Speaking of biblical here is the main passages to consult: Ephesians 5:1-12.

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Is there Baseball in Heaven? a joke

Ok I rarely ever forward emails, almost never. And I have never posted 

a joke or cutesy story on my blog but I got this Baseball 

Joke from my daily email from MIKEY'S FUNNIES is brought to you by...

Mike Atkinson @ http://www.uneekNet.com ... helping organizations succeed on the web.  Since OPENING DAY is fast approaching I wanted to share some baseball cheer.



Two 90-year-old men, Moe and Joe, have been friends all of their lives.

When it's clear that Joe is dying, Moe visits him every day. One day

Moe says, "Joe, we both loved baseball all our lives, and we played minor

league ball together for so many years. Please do me one favor: when

you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there's baseball

there."



Joe looks up at Moe from his deathbed, "Moe, you've been my best friend

for many years. If it's at all possible, I'll do this favor for you."

Shortly after that, Joe passes on.



At midnight a couple of nights later, Moe is awakened from a sound

sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to him,

"Moe, Moe."



"Who is it?" asks Moe, sitting up suddenly. "Who is it?"



"Moe -- it's me, Joe."



"You're not Joe. Joe just died."



"I'm telling you, it's me, Joe," insists the voice.



"Joe! Where are you?"



"In Heaven," replies Joe. "I have some really good news and a little

bad news."



"Tell me the good news first," says Moe.



"The good news," Joe says, "is that there's baseball in Heaven. Better

yet, all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better

than that, we're all young again. Better still, it's always springtime,

and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play baseball all

we want, and we never get tired."



"That's fantastic," says Moe.  "It's beyond my wildest dreams! So

what's the bad news?"



"You're pitching Tuesday."

Technorati Tags: baseball, jokes, MLB, heaven, texas rangers, michael young, short stop, opening day, funnies, haha,

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An Open Letter to SWBTS Trustees by Marty Duren

If you are a Texas Baptist, Southern Baptist, concerned with Baptists, and/or alumni of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary you should read the open letter pastor Marty Duren has posted at his blogsite, SBC Outpost.

Get the word out to your friends and colleagues in Baptist life in ministry, in leadership, and foward them this letter or link to it. It is an important call to right several wrongs and hold accountable our leaders in the Convention.

I am a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and I have a connection there still with Professors. I just long for our leaders to be held accountable for their actions but also for them be held accountable when their leadership becomes divisive and dismissive on issues of preference and conscience. There are plenty of clearly defined doctrines and distinctives in Scripture that are related to salvation and ethics. Where doctrine and practice are less clear, or where Scripture is all together silent, I choose to let the Holy Spirit guide men's conscience.

On this topic here are some other blogs that I go to for a balanced, respectful, truthful, and thoughtful approach to Southern Baptist life.

Steve McCoy the Reformissionary and most recently his post strongly titled "Reasons Why I Hate Us."

Joe Thorn

Wade Burleson

And here are my concerns with the direction of the SBC right now:

1. inerrancy of scripture vs. sufficiency of scripture (alcohol)

2. complementarians vs. egalitarians (Klouda)

3. cessationists vs. non-cessationists (McKissic IMB/NAMB appointments)

4. the debate over ‘proper’ baptism leaning towards Landmarkism (IMB/NAMB)

5. the debate over Calvinism (While I was at Southwestern one professor
regrettably wrote in the Baptist Standard that “the God of Calvinism
resembled Allah more than the God of the Bible.”)

I wonder if it is only a matter of time before some try to force a particular eschatology, political party, sandwich meat, Bible translation, or whatever on us as the Convention standard. It used to not be so wearisome to be a Southern Baptist. It used to be a blessing, while it still is, more and more days it is feeling like a burden.

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We said goodbye to a friend today (03.10.07)

Brick James went to be with Jesus in Heaven last Sunday about this time (around 1AM one week ago today.) We had an incredible memorial service today to pay tribute to his life and ministry. Most of all we came together to mourn our loss, support each other, and give God the glory for a "life well lived."

Brick fought the good fight and he finished well. Married almost 30 years, serving in ministry 25 of those, battling cancer the last 7. He was an encouragement to me and to obviously so many as some 400 people filled the auditorium of Pottsboro High School to celebrate his life.

I don't worship Brick, I don't idolize Brick, but I did admire him, trust him, and love him. He knew and walked with Jesus and it was evident in his ministry, his marriage, his daughters and his love for the outdoors and most importantly for the wounded, hurting and incomplete of this world. He worked diligently to see that others had an opportunity to meet the Savior Jesus that Brick knew, loved and served.

I will share a few words I shared at the funeral.

Brick was a real man in a day when we don't see to many of those anymore. The world's ideal man is a self made man but Brick was a real man because he was a God made man. He was being sanctified while still here on earth.

For two short years while on staff together I got to witness the results of his sanctification process and his transformation in three ways. He was a good father because he tried to emulate His perfect father in Heaven. Brick loved his daughters and was devoted to his wife.

Brick loved Jesus his savior and he worked with joy ministering to those in our community and in our church that needed to know the Saving Grace of Jesus. He was a lover of the unloved, a missionary in his own back yard. He loved to see our church reach out to the community in anyway we could, especially to the children.

Brick ministered in the power of the comforter, the Holy Spirit. He was a counselor to the hurting and countless people credit Brick with saving them physically from the edge of darkness, leading them spiritually to the Light and Hope of the world, and many more for helping them piece their children, marriages, and selves back together.

I am thankful to God in Heaven where Brick now worships. Thank you that you allowed me to know Brick. Thank you that you have completely and totally healed Brick from cancer. Thank you that you used him in so many lives to bring about your kingdom purposes. Thank you that there is a legacy for his wife and daughters and friends to cherish.

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Theological Manure

I know you have come to see my blog as a bastion of scholarship, deep deep spiritual encounters, and theological discourse but today I wanted to keep it light yet informative. Here are two videos from guys that unfortunately have infiltrated the world of Christianity and claim to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ when in fact they are to put it nicely "full of crap" and preach a different gospel. These men are charlatans, con-men, frauds, heretics and what-have-you. So please enjoy these video send ups of their bogus "ministries" and also consider yourself warned if for some reason you would ever find yourself sleep deprived and channel surfing only to end up watching 'Christian Television' wondering "Is this an episode of the twilight zone?" No it is just horrible theology, bad breath, Italian suits, and helmet hair.



Warning: May cause dizziness, nausea, headaches, extreme anger or frustration, righteous indignation in the theologically sound. May cause loss of faith, loss of money, lack of healing, spiritual abuse in the hurting and helpless. May cause serious future judgment and accountability in the practitioners of such charades.



Now Watch:

Benny Hinn



Tootin' Tilton



This last video has been around in various forms for over a decade. I remember as a teenager being shown a similar video to this one on VHS by my youth pastor around 1991 (approx.). At that time it was a copy of a copy of a copy (ad infinitum). It was very poor quality. The reality is now when you go to your tube there used to be several more but now when you search it says they have been removed due to the copyright claim Tilton has made on the video images of himself?' My question is 'why would he copyright videos of himself farting. What a sick twisted soul!

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American Teen Fighting World Wide Slavery

Zach Hunter is a teenager and a modern day Abolitionist. He is 15 years old and he is fighting modern day slavery, he has founded Loose Change to Loosen Chains, and he has written a book "Be the Change."

Here is a video along with links to see this amazing story. I hope it inspires you, encourages you, and challenges you.



Links:

See he him on both CNN and CBN news.

Help make an Amazing Change.

More resources and info for individuals, families, youth groups and churches.