tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34813081133872162242024-03-14T09:49:50.964-05:00Redeeming The TimeChris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.comBlogger480125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-46758558409855027992011-07-04T08:50:00.000-05:002011-07-04T08:50:34.529-05:00Moving the BlogYou may have noted that I haven't posted in quite some time. One of the reasons for this is the fact that I have been moving the blog to a new address (with a lot of assistance from <a href="http://rockedbygrace.blogspot.com/">Mike Wittig</a>) . The transfer isn't complete, but you can check out the new site <a href="http://chriscarr.net/">here</a>. Feel free to give me your critique, and I will let you know when the blog is fully functional.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-52296624592646616522011-05-31T10:05:00.000-05:002011-05-31T10:05:10.362-05:00True & Better<iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/23642755" width="400"></iframe><a href="http://vimeo.com/23642755">True & Better</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/artemenko">Peter Artemenko</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-36059217395041946242011-05-26T17:30:00.000-05:002011-05-26T17:30:38.030-05:00What Do You Think of This Quote?One of our staff members at Bethel shared the quote below today. I'd like to hear your response.<br />
<br />
<i>We need to have kids that can be sent off to the most hostile universities, toil in the greediest work environments, and raise their families in the most hedonistic communities and yet not be in the least bit intimidated by their surroundings. Furthermore, they need to be engaged in the lives of people in their culture, gracefully representing Christ's love inside those desperate surroundings. - Dr. Tim Kimmel</i>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-29993320224909245452011-05-24T12:13:00.000-05:002011-05-24T12:13:04.220-05:00Greatest Valedictorian Speech Ever?<iframe width="420" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iP3-W1JbsGc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-31745565138380695382011-05-22T19:10:00.001-05:002011-05-22T19:10:56.815-05:00The Case for LifeIn my opinion there are few current issues more important than the fight for the unborn. <i>The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture</i> is a new book on the issue that is getting rave reviews. Watch the video promo for the book below. You can purchase it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Case-Life-Equipping-Christians-Culture/dp/1433503204">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/23369057?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/23369057">Scott Klusendorf - "The Case for Life" Trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/crosswaymedia">Crossway</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-11596177265808506132011-05-21T21:25:00.000-05:002011-05-21T21:25:11.382-05:00How Important is the Bible?<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/18432932?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/18432932">John Piper: "How Important is the Bible?" - Lausanne 2010</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/crosswaymedia">Crossway</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-12208623618639286252011-05-18T16:04:00.000-05:002011-05-18T16:04:28.686-05:00Don't Wait for Leaders to Come Along<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
John Kotter:<br />
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<i>Successful organizations don’t wait for leaders to come along. They actively seek out people with leadership potential and expose them to career experiences designed to develop that potential.</i><br />
<br />
(HT: <a href="http://www.whatsbestnext.com/">Matt Perman</a>)Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-5510633687121991622011-05-18T08:14:00.000-05:002011-05-18T08:14:02.942-05:00Worship God by Serving the PoorSteve Sjogren writes in this <a href="http://www.outreachmagazine.com/features/4215-Worship-God-Serving-the-Poor.html">article</a> that we can worship God by serving the poor, and provides 12 practical steps for doing so.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-75721458226568619532011-05-17T18:04:00.000-05:002011-05-17T18:04:05.312-05:00TGC 11 Workshop AudioGet the audio of all workshops <a href="http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2011/05/all-audio-from-tgc-workshops.html">here</a>.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-33790635903899048212011-05-16T21:50:00.000-05:002011-05-16T21:50:02.948-05:00Should You Make Your Kids Go to Church?In recent months I have heard from a few parents that were upset or disappointed in the fact that we had moved our Sunday morning Student Ministry to Sunday night (we did this primarily because many of our students weren't attending the corporate worship services and we do not believe this to be good for their long-term spiritual health). One of the reasons some of the parents were upset is because they couldn't get their children to come to church if there wasn't something specifically for their age group. Now, there are lot's of things I could say about this myself, but today I came across a post from Michael Kelley that answers the question well and saves me the trouble.<br />
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In short, the answer is an emphatic 'yes'. Be the parent, and make them go. <a href="http://michaelkelleyministries.com/2011/05/should-you-make-your-kids-go-to-church/">Here</a> are the reasons why.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-36059392503906631352011-05-15T22:37:00.001-05:002011-05-15T22:38:39.614-05:00I'm Tired....This is somewhat of a rant. OK, there's no somewhat to it. It's a full-on rant. But I don't do it often (actually almost never). And I think it needs to be said.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Late this evening I made a trip to a local pharmacy to pick up a couple of prescriptions. I had to travel a little ways because as I found that there are few pharmacies open past 6 pm on Sunday evenings.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Anyways, as I walked through the store waiting for the prescriptions to get filled, I naturally came across the magazine rack. And while I knew what was there, for some reason this time I became very agitated in my spirit. If you don't understand why, let me explain: I'm tired; really, really tired of the exploitation of women in our culture. I'm tired of the media that promotes it, I'm tired of those who consume it (myself included), and I'm even tired of the women who willingly allow themselves to be exploited. </div><div><br />
</div><div>And I think its time for Christians to do something about it. It's time for Christian men to refuse to consume it. Whether its the SI Swimsuit Issue, the beer commercials, the TV shows with the subtle sexuality, or simply viewing the magazine covers in the checkout line, it's time for us make a Jeremiah-like covenant (Jer. 31:1) and refuse to look at <i>anything</i> that might cause lust to sprout in our hearts. It's time for us to stop contributing the the exploitation.</div><div><br />
</div><div>And Christian ladies, it's time for you to stop consuming it as well. It's time to stop evaluating yourself based upon what some magazine, model, TV, or commercial says that you should look like. It's time to quit measuring your worth based upon your weight, your bust size, the complexion of your skin, or by what you are wearing or not wearing. It's time to find your worth based upon the fact that you were created in God's image and that he made you beautiful, just the way you are. It's also time to start helping your brothers out by being counter-cultural in how you dress so that men have a safe place in the church where they aren't bombarded by the same temptations they are everywhere else.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Let me say two more things before I am finished. First, let me explain why I'm tired. I'm tired because of the devastation that this issue is causing to men, women, and families. As a pastor at a large church there is hardly a day that goes by that I don't see the profound implications of our culture's obsession with sex and so-called 'beauty'. It's destroying marriages, families, and ultimately our culture as a whole.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Finally, let me end on a positive note. Thankfully, there is hope in the Gospel, which tells us that in Christ we can do all things (Phil. 4:13). This includes fighting sensuality and the temptation to find our joy in anything other than our relationship with Jesus Christ. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Sensuality feels good for a moment, but it only leads to guilt and pain. But through the power of Christ in us, we can say learn to say"no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, godly lives today (Titus 2:11). And when we do, we will receive the blessings that come from purity, and be a counter-cultural witness to what Christ has done in and for us.</div>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-38194008890410115822011-05-12T07:45:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:50:14.077-05:00Transforming Communities by Transforming Public SchoolsThis morning I received a voice mail from the assistant superintendent of my children's school district asking me to consider participating in a committee that would be addressing the discipline process for our local high school. I don't know the details yet, but it could be an interesting and important opportunity.<br />
<br />
Then I woke up this morning and found this <a href="http://byfaithonline.com/page/in-the-world/transforming-neighborhoods-by-transforming-public-schools">article</a> about the movement of some churches and Christians to engage their communities through the public school system.<br />
<br />
Here's the point: we all bemoan the status of our public school systems, but are we willing to do something about it? And more to the point, our public schools are the very heart of our communities; if we want to be salt and light, they are a great place to start.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-68651018305065436382011-05-11T21:39:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:50:13.962-05:00Parenting 001Here is a really, really good <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/05/10/parenting-001/">post</a> by Kevin DeYoung on parenting. I don't really have anything to add because he completely nails in on the head. Take 5 minutes to read this, you will be encouraged and challenged all at the same time.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-82633053383679005612011-05-11T18:26:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:50:13.864-05:00Some Good News in the Fight for Life in IndianaA US District Judge has ruled against a temporary injunction in the Indiana Planned Parenthood case. Read about it <a href="http://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_546b334f-803e-5b50-8115-6e886efa0256.html">here</a>.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-58542305470758637572011-05-09T15:05:00.002-05:002011-05-09T15:05:08.629-05:00Doing Justice<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If a person has grasped the meaning of God’s grace in his heart, he will do justice. If he doesn’t live justly, then he may say with his lips that he is grateful for God’s grace, but in his heart he is far from him. If he doesn’t care for the poor, it reveals that at best he doesn’t understand the grace he has experienced, and at worst he has not really encountered the saving mercy of God. Grace should make you just. – Tim Keller<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><!--EndFragment-->Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-53599545666861670452011-05-07T21:04:00.000-05:002011-05-07T21:04:50.300-05:00The Heavens Declare the Glory of God<i>The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (ESV)</i><br />
<br />
Check out how this is true <a href="http://media.skysurvey.org/interactive360/index.html">here</a>.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-67027108488987574452011-04-29T08:38:00.001-05:002011-04-29T08:39:43.242-05:00The Royal WeddingI won't be paying any attention to the Royal Wedding. Someone on my Twitter feed aptly put it this way: <i>Since when is the wedding of an unemployed college grad living on government aid and living at grandmas "breaking news?"</i><br />
<br />
<i></i>Nevertheless, I know that many of are interested, so here are some <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/04/28/longing-and-looking-for-a-good-king/">good thoughts</a> from Mike Cosper on the big event.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-2670982438940263852011-04-29T08:33:00.000-05:002011-04-29T08:33:55.758-05:00China says population rises to 1.339 BillionThe <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.329c6cccb28bef19304d6977b2e73a97.3a1&show_article=1">population in China </a>grew by almost 80 million in the last decade, and doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing. What does this mean for the church, when hundreds of millions of unreached people (and growing) are without the Gospel?Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-47343352162433614372011-04-28T16:18:00.000-05:002011-04-28T16:18:56.230-05:0040 Positive Reasons to Avoid PornDaniel Henderson shares <i>40 Positive Reasons to Avoid Porn</i>:<br />
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1. I fully enjoy the pleasure of my love relationship with Christ.<br />
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2. I fulfill my true identity as a child of God.<br />
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3. I experience God's provision of empowering grace.<br />
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4. I enjoy my freedom in Christ to its fullest.<br />
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5. I avoid a life-pattern of deception.<br />
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6. I cultivate a soft and sensitive conscience.<br />
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7. I turn away from the solicitation of harlots in my heart.<br />
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8. I refuse the temptation of idolatry.<br />
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9. I prove to be a faithful steward of my money.<br />
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10. I prove to be a faithful steward of my time.<br />
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11. I abstain from any promotion and support of the pornography industry.<br />
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12. I preserve God’s gift of loving sexual expression for its intended purpose.<br />
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13. I protect the purity and power of my God-given imagination.<br />
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14. I develop disciplined character.<br />
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15. I guard the integrity of my Christian testimony.<br />
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16. I promote health and harmony in the body of Christ.<br />
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17. I cultivate a stronger resistance to future interpersonal sexual sin.<br />
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18. I nurture the proper biblical view of the sanctity of womanhood.<br />
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19. I relate to women as equals and persons of ultimate worth.<br />
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20. I learn to live in reality rather than fantasy.<br />
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21. I steer clear of unnecessary personal guilt and shame.<br />
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22. I cultivate a lifestyle of contentment and satisfaction.<br />
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23. I experience the blessing of living as a servant<br />
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24. I learn the relational skills of authentic intimacy.<br />
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25. I avoid future mental, emotional and spiritual scars on my life.<br />
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26. I experience the joy of the Christian life.<br />
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27. I lay up eternal rewards.<br />
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28. I learn to deal with the causes of my problems rather than treating symptoms.<br />
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29. I prevent potential temptations for others in my sphere of influence.<br />
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30. I honor the trust and prayer support of those who have invested in my spiritual life.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">If I am married: </span></span><br />
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31. I avoid adultery in my heart.<br />
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32. I encourage my wife's trust.<br />
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33. I honor my vow of marital purity and faithfulness.<br />
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34. I keep my marriage union pure from fantasies of other women.<br />
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35. I communicate acceptance and honor toward my wife.<br />
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36. I avoid the pathway that could easily result in infidelity.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">If I have children:</span></span><br />
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37. I minimize the risk of my children being exposed to pornography.<br />
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38. I model strong and genuine moral values for my children.<br />
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39. I avoid embarrassing and embittering my children.<br />
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40. I encourage all of the above positive qualities in their lives.<br />
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Read the whole thing <a href="http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-how-to/150646-40-positive-reasons-to-avoid-porn.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily-Update">here</a>.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-82088923159758474942011-04-27T20:56:00.002-05:002011-04-27T20:56:20.375-05:00TGC11 Plenary SessionsAll of the Gospel Coalition's 2011 plenary sessions are now available on video <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/04/27/watch-tgc11-plenary-sessions/">here</a>.Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-62669024622211951682011-04-26T11:20:00.001-05:002011-04-26T11:21:49.561-05:00Great Quote from Doug Collins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDURIrnjJieLJOFVPf1XpY3Isy2cm7DJeuqGeU9IvM3wRKGBQQp61gxifzheJvUNBWl37ynX2fhl6v5BHHbvIDIMRhYdMozpOLTVMIcYU8oxSfk-B-LFgE4zt5jRvdNauji97YiYJ09xa/s1600/220px-Doug_Collins_gestures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDURIrnjJieLJOFVPf1XpY3Isy2cm7DJeuqGeU9IvM3wRKGBQQp61gxifzheJvUNBWl37ynX2fhl6v5BHHbvIDIMRhYdMozpOLTVMIcYU8oxSfk-B-LFgE4zt5jRvdNauji97YiYJ09xa/s200/220px-Doug_Collins_gestures.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is a great quote from Doug Collins, coach of the Philadelphia 76er's, after his team staved off elimination at the hands of the Miami Heat on Easter Sunday:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When you have faith you have hope. When you have hope you have life.</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don't think that Collins is a believer, but it would be hard to find a more appropriate quote describing what the Resurrection does for us.</span></span>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-26970277259821988452011-04-24T19:19:00.000-05:002011-04-24T19:19:47.120-05:00Thankful for Bethel Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend we had a wonderful Easter celebration at Bethel. While the focus of our celebration was Jesus Christ and His Resurrection, I found an additional source of joy: the faithfulness of our people. </div><br />
This weekend would not have been possible if not for the hundreds of volunteers who served in various ministries, many coming both on Saturday and Sunday so they could worship and serve in the choir, on the hospitality team, in the children's ministry, or on our production team.<br />
<br />
In addition, our people were on time, parked far away, sat up front (for the most part!) and most significantly, came at a service time that was perhaps not the most convenient so they could make room for visitors. In fact, one of the most encouraging moments of the weekend for me came during the early moments of the 9:30 am service when I took this picture from the north parking lot:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCwH5SXxdI3YOtGfOy8j97vRP70MyzcZgq9mnBOC4TL5a1ZkMcDrGxfJ4TDITrSca2LG_hqMQxYfbxSz5k8NSPAIKaKFM7lkwgUnMr0-2eIpcrXl6XJ63TaZehiThYDteElx_kNWE_PXt/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCwH5SXxdI3YOtGfOy8j97vRP70MyzcZgq9mnBOC4TL5a1ZkMcDrGxfJ4TDITrSca2LG_hqMQxYfbxSz5k8NSPAIKaKFM7lkwgUnMr0-2eIpcrXl6XJ63TaZehiThYDteElx_kNWE_PXt/s200/photo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Now, it might be possible that this makes little sense to you. Normally empty parking spaces up close on Easter aren't good news. But let me explain. Empty parking spaces up close during the service that is normally the most attended means two things: 1) many of our people didn't come to the one service we asked them to consider not attending and 2) those that did parked far away. The point: our people did what their leaders encouraged them to do, making themselves a little uncomfortable so that guests could be comfortable. In it's own way, this is a simple picture of Gospel: the Son making himself uncomfortable so we might be comforted (see Philippians 2).<br />
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At the end of the day, this is a sign of real growth in our congregation. Would we like to have the parking lot full for every service? Of course; we want to preach the gospel to as many people as possible. But we also want to see the Lord working in the people who are already a part of the Bethel family. And thats what we have here.<br />
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So, if your are part of the Bethel family, I leave you with these words from our 1 Corinthians 15 series:<br />
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<i>Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.</i>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-43089360561717898522011-04-22T15:46:00.000-05:002011-04-22T15:46:08.015-05:00It's Friday, but Sunday's Coming<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Tn94B3GHcjY" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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(HT: <a href="http://jeremyacarr.blogspot.com/">Jeremy Carr</a>)Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-7058879067831184862011-04-22T10:05:00.000-05:002011-04-22T10:05:03.104-05:00Stories Like This Tell the Real Character of a Man<i>In 1966 I joined Operation Mobilization for a year of ministry in France, but spent two years in India instead. While in London that summer, at the one-month OM orientation, I volunteered to work on a clean-up crew late one night.<br />
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Around 12:30am I was sweeping the front steps of the Conference Centre when an older gentleman approached and asked if this was the OM conference. I told him it was, but almost everyone was in bed.<br />
<br />
He had a small bag with him and was dressed very simply. He said he was attending the conference, so I said, ‘Let me see if I can find you a place to sleep’. Since there were many different age groups at OM, I thought he was an older OMer.<br />
<br />
I took him to the room where I had been sleeping on the floor with about fifty others and, seeing that he had nothing to sleep on, laid some padding and a blanket on the floor and used a towel for a pillow. He said it would be fine and he appreciated it very much.<br />
<br />
As he was preparing for bed, I asked him if he had eaten. He had not as he had been travelling all day. I took him to the dining room but it was locked. So after picking the lock I found cornflakes, milk, bread, butter and jam — all of which he appreciated very much.<br />
<br />
As he ate and we began to fellowship, I asked where he was from. He said he and his wife had been working in Switzerland for several years in a ministry mainly to hippies and travellers. It was wonderful to talk with him and hear about his work and those who had come to Christ. When he finished eating, we turned in for the night.<br />
<br />
However, the next day I was in trouble! The leaders of OM really ‘got on my case’. ‘Don’t you know who that man is on the floor next to you?’ they asked. ‘It is Dr Francis Schaeffer, the speaker for the conference!’<br />
<br />
I did not know they were going to have a speaker, nor did I know who Francis Schaeffer was, nor did I know they had a special room prepared for him!<br />
<br />
After Francis Schaeffer became well known because of his books, and I had read more about him, I thought about this occasion many times — this gracious, kind, humble man of God sleeping on the floor with OM recruits! This was the kind of man I wanted to be.<br />
<br />
Of course, I will never attain the intellect, knowledge or wisdom of Francis Schaeffer. But I can reach out to younger people and minister to them in Christ’s name by living a life of humility. What about you?</i><br />
<div><br />
The author is International Director of Action International Ministries (ACTION) Nichols.doug@gmail.com www.action intl.org</div><div><br />
</div><div>(HT: <a href="http://challies.com/">Tim Challies</a>)</div>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3481308113387216224.post-84471944982917338862011-04-21T15:04:00.000-05:002011-04-21T15:04:52.121-05:00A Great Question from David Platt<i>How can we in the church best unleash the people of God in the Spirit of God with the Word of God for the glory of God in the world? - Introduction to Radical Together</i>Chris Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06547479663628572013noreply@blogger.com0