Oh Man is a Giddy Thing

Love it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be
There is a design, an alignment, a cry
Of my heart to see,
The beauty of love as it was made to be

VCA Chapel- Nov/Dec 2012- "It's a Wonderful Life" sermon series

Below is the entirety of VCA's sermon series "It's a Wonderful Life."  The series focused on Christmas, and particularly our approach to money during the holiday season.  Enjoy!

11/14/12- Rick Jones- "The Cost of Christmas"

11/21/12- Andrew Jones- "The Root of All Evil"

11/28/12- Derek Chirch- "Black Friday Theology"

12/5/12- Ben Polhemus- "Giving in a World of Taking"

12/12/12- "Joy to the World"

12/19/12- Becky Crain- "The Greatest Story Ever Told"

VCA Chapel- 11/7/12- Kody Lindgren

VCA senior Kody Lindgren shares about walking in the Spirit and hearing His voice.

VCA Chapel- 10/31/12- Danny Mosco

VCA alum returns to Victory's chapel to speak on the spiritual gifts.

VCA Chapel- 10/24/12- Denver Ayres

Pastor Denver Ayres speaks on life in the Spirit at VCA chapel.

VCA Chapel- 10/17/12- Panel Discussion on the Holy Spirit

A discussion between Rick Jones, Andrew Jones and myself on questions about the Holy Spirit, as written by VCA students.

Part 1

Part 2

VCA Chapel- 10/10/12- Aaron Podgorski

Blessed to hear from my old friend Aaron Podgorski in chapel yesterday...can't wait to see what God is going to do through him in his church plant, The Bride...

VCA Chapel- 10/3/12- David Wade

Another great chapel at VCA!  Love being a part of this thing!

Un Héros- A Short Film

Check out my latest directorial effort...did a little bit of acting in this one, but not much.  Lots of fun with my students and took first place in the Fall Film Festival (aka the VCA pep rally).  Enjoy.

VCA Chapel- 9-19-12- Justin Guess

Great job by Justin Guess of Faith Fellowship Church in today's chapel...privileged to be able to be a part of a great chapel team...God is on the move!

VCA Chapel- 9/12/12- An Interview with Jon Walker

It was my privilege to interview VCA senior Jon Walker in chapel and hear his testimony.  Check it out!

VCA Chapel- 9/5/12- Rick Jones

T-Minus 3 Days

The Carpenter releases Tuesday!  While I've listened to the album a hundred times here, there is something nice about actually owning the music, isn't there?  Check out song previews below or click on the link above for the full album.  

At first listen, you will notice some changes that seem like a bit of a departure, but the album will grow on you pretty quickly, I think.

Do Blogs Make a Difference?

Sometimes I wonder if anyone (besides my friends and family) is actually reading my blog.  Then I check out Feedjit and I am reassured.  Feedjit gives me a little bit of info on who is checking out my blog and how they got here.  Today, I noticed that I recently had a visitor from Saudi Arabia...and they arrived here by searching for "all kinds of free XXX porn videos." Imagine their surprise when they arrived on my post entitled "The Great Porn Debate"and read about the danger of porn and the love Christ has for them!  To top it off, they left the blog by heading to The Simple Way, another great Christian ministry.  So, maybe blogs make a difference after all. :)

(P.S. If you arrived on this blog by searching for "FEEDJIT" or "is anyone reading my blog?"---Jesus loves you and wants to have a relationship with you!!!  You've just been blog-ambushed!)

Lips and Hearts

I guess as an evangelical Christian, I'm supposed to have a "life verse."  You know, a verse that defines what my faith is all about, something that encourages me.  A lot of people choose Jeremiah 29:11 as their life verse (usually due to some pretty serious misreading of that passage), or a similarly uplifting Scripture.  While many, many passages have resonated with me as critical to my walk with God or applicable to my particular circumstances, I hadn't ever reflected on whether or not I have a life verse.  Until today.  I thought about it...and almost immediately, my "life verse" came to mind.  From Isaiah 29 and quoted by Jesus in Matthew 15-

"The Lord says, 'These people come near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Isaiah 29:13)

Oh Lord, how true this has been of me at times!  I am apt to read Christ's words and think, "Those foolish, prideful Pharisees!" and fail to see those words describing me.  When we are in Christian leadership, we are always in danger of being the subject of that Scripture.  Constantly, we honor God with our words---we must, it's part of the job---and yet, our hearts can be so far from Him.  That can be a very isolating, lonely place to be.  I know at times I have felt like I must plow forward with the Message of Hope---I must!---even when my heart is far from Him.  

This is not really a "confessional," so to speak.  The very fact that I am writing this blog and thinking these thoughts reassures my heart that I am not far from Him.  But woe to me if I am not conscious of this Scripture daily!  Woe to me if I continue to speak His Word and share His love but do not know Him myself!  

This is my life verse.  It's a verse of discouragement....discouraging a self-centered, apathetic attitude that results in a heart that is far from Him.  Lord, help my heart to acknowledge You even more authentically than my words do.

VCA Chapel- 8/29/12- Wake Up!

Speaking to myself as much as the crowd...

VCA Chapel- 8/22/12- John 10:10

Boy, I'm not the most consistent blogger in the world, am I?  Here is last week's chapel video from the first week of school...I also spoke today and that video is coming soon.  I've been so consumed with VCA that I haven't had time to blog.  I'll hope to change that. :)

8/22/12- LIFE: More than a Game- John 10:10

Real blogs coming soon!

Young Love (Courtesy of TAB)

I really enjoy these two songs and what they teach about the roller coaster of young (and sometimes not so young) "love."  When we build a relationship on anything other than a love that is patient, kind, giving, humble and honest we end up with something that looks like...this.  Enjoy!

"November Blue"

"Denouncing November Blue"

Tough Love

"One thing God has spoken,
      two things I have heard;
 that you, O God, are strong,
      and that you, O Lord, are loving."
                        Psalm 62:11-12

God is strong enough to take care of you and He is loving enough to want to take care of you.

Book Review: "No Greater Love" by Levi Benkert

Most Christian books I read are of the manifesto-type---presenting Biblical and theological support for an idea of a movement.  And I enjoy these works.  They are practical, and I'm a practical person. But, sometimes, idea-overload can occur and burn out isn't far behind.  After The Next Christians, I was almost to that point.  It was the perfect time to read Levi Benkert's No Greater Love, even if I didn't know it when I started.

No Greater Love is a memoir, covering the journey of the Benkert family to remote Ethiopia to save children from the tribal practice of mingi.  In the first few chapters, we find that Levi Benkert had been a wildly successful real estate developer living in San Diego with his wife Jessie and three children (one of whom was adopted through the American foster care system).  Then the housing market collapsed and Benkert quickly was on the verge of losing everything.  At the end of his rope, he had the opportunity to take a short-term missions trip to Jinka, Ethiopia to assist with orphan care.  While on this two-week trip, Benkert learned of the horrifying tribal practice of mingi, the ritual killing of children who were considered cursed by tribal leaders.  Children were being rescued (in small numbers) by courageous Christian locals and being brought to the orphanage.  It was seeing this process in action that led Benkert to believe that God might be calling he and his family to Ethiopia for good.  Not a particularly religious man (though he did consider himself a believer and had done humanitarian work in the past), Benkert wondered if God was really speaking to him.  Through conversation with his wife and a series of related events, the Benkerts decided that God was indeed bringing them to Ethiopia.  They sold everything they owned and moved their family of five overseas, trusting that God would guide their work.

Once I got past Benkert's American life (interesting, but not fascinating), I became enthralled in this book.  The story of this family, the children in the orphanage and the triumphs and hardships they all faced were amazing.  Dozens of children were rescued.  The Benkerts adopted again.  More Americans joined the cause.  Things broke down in a heartbreaking turn of events.  God restored the ministry of the Benkerts.  The story of this family and God's work through them kept me reading last night until I had finished 200+ pages in an hour or two.  This is a stirring, inspiring read.

The book is not a how-to manual on orphan care, foreign missions or hearing God's voice.  Yet, after reading it, I'm more inspired than ever to fight for orphans.  This book is not meant to equip, necessarily.  It is meant to fuel us to listen for God's voice and to see His heart for the poor and powerless.  Benkert's book hits the mark.  Check out the Benkerts work at http://bringlove.in

Book Review: "The Next Christians" by Gabe Lyons

Do Christians have an image problem?  That's a tricky question.  If you ask the general public, the answer is absolutely.  Statistically speaking, Christians (particularly evangelicals) are not exactly the most popular group in the world.  If you ask Christians, you'll probably get a plethora of answers.  Some argue that Christians shouldn't concern themselves with image.  Jesus said the world would hate His followers, so why be concerned when those words become reality? In fact, they contend, we should be proud of our "image problem" because it just demonstrates our righteousness. Others have taken the criticisms of the world to heart and have gone to great lengths to become more "relevant," changing everything from music, to venues, to programs to even messages.  Still others are completely oblivious to the conversation all together. 

Gabe Lyons, author of statistics-drive unChristian, wholeheartedly acknowledges the image problem that Christianity has in the West, particularly among the under 40 population.  His research from unChristian bears out his beliefs.  Yet, despite the grim assessment of the Church's current image, The Next Christians is an extremely hopeful book.  Lyons argues that a new group of believers---believers who are focused on restoration---are rising in Western Christianity and slowly, but surely, turning the tide of outsiders' perceptions of Christians.  

Synopsis:  Lyons spends the opening chapters outlining the decline of the Church in America and the West as a whole.  We now live in a post-modern, post-Christian, pluralistic world, a world that has ostensibly passed the Church by.  Lyons melodramatically writes, "Many churches are increasingly exhibiting less and less real influence in the communities where they are located.  If they were gone tomorrow, one can't help wondering if anyone would notice." (p 25)  Americans are still looking for spirituality however, states Lyons, citing a Newsweek cover story.  The article presented research that illustrated that 80% of Americans consider themselves spiritual and 75% of those people considered a "personal relationship with God" to be vitally important to their lives.  If these statistics are accurate, then the Church still has an abundant opportunity to make a difference in America.  Lyons argues that a grassroots movement of Christians, believers focused on how things "ought to be" are poised to make a difference in spite of the parody of itself the Church has become.

Throughout the 20th Century and into the 21st Century, Lyons attests that two types of Christian cultural interaction have taken place---separatist and cultural.  The two approaches are fairly self-explanatory.  The separatist approach has been to (duh) separate from the culture, while the cultural approach has been to engage the culture.  Within these two categories are several subgroups.  The separatists include the insiders (those who insist on engaging in activities and within groups explicitly labeled "Christian"), the culture warriors (those who believe America is inherently a Christian nation and are fighting against the secularization of the nation) and evangelizers (those whose sole intent is to "get people saved").  The cultural approach includes the blenders (Christians who attempt to blend in with the mainstream, hoping to not be associated with "crazy Christians") and philanthropists (Christians who make good works their trademark, rather than the grace of Christ expressed in the Gospel).  Lyons contends that each of these groups has a certain strength to them, but have overall missed the mark and have in their own way pushed outsiders away from the Gospel.   However, Lyons has seen a third way of cultural interaction arise in recent years.  He calls this group the restorers (of which, not surprisingly, he is one).  He writes that restorers "envision the world as it was meant to be and they work toward that vision.  Restorers seek to mend the earth's brokenness...Through sowing seeds of restoration, they believe others will see Christ through us and the Christian faith will reap a much larger harvest." (p 47)  He considers the restorers to possess "a way of following Jesus that is radically different" than the other groups described, making them the hope of the future of the Church.  I'll briefly outline those ways of following Christ below.

*"Provoked, Not Offended"- When elements of culture run counter to the teachings of Scripture (i.e. the promotion of homosexuality), Christians have typically been offended and critiqued the culture.  The next Christians are provoked instead of offended.  They look to engage instead of condemn, offer grace instead of judgement, and be faithful without regard to reputation.

*"Creators, Not Critics"- Statisics show that outsiders view most Christians as critical of the culture of the world.  The next Christians look to instead create culture.  They celebrate beauty, affirm goodness, tell the truth and serve others.

*"Called, Not Employed"- Christians have long considered calling as something reserved for those in full-time Church-related ministry.  The next Christians see things differently, seeking to find calling regardless of career path.  Lyons illustrates that there are several channels of cultural influence in which Christians can impact society- media, education, arts and entertainment, business, government, social sector and church.  The next Christians are intent on discovering their talents and abilities as a guide to calling and then having influence in each of the seven channels.

*"Grounded, Not Distracted"- Lyons explains that this characteristic is crucial for the next Christians in distinguishing themselves from the blenders and philanthropists.  As the next Christians engage culture, they must remain grounded in the Gospel and its disciplines or risk stumbling badly into sin.  He argues that the next Christians who are making a difference have made a commitment to five spiritual disciplines----immersing themselves in Scripture (instead of entertainment), observing the Sabbath (instead of the modern drive for productivity), fasting for simplicity (instead of consuming), chosing embodiment (instead of division) and focused on prayer (instead of power).  He warns that the thrust of the next Christians will collapse without focus on these disciplines.

*"In Community, Not Alone"- In a culture of isolation and individualism, the next Christians are intentional about creating and remaining in community.  They seek intimacy, permanance and service as modes of restoration.

*"Countercultural, Not Relevant"- As a response to the less-than-favorable outlook of outsiders, many churches and Christians have made an effort to become "relevant."  They have attempted to look as much like the world as possible.  The next Christians instead look to create new culture, a restored culture that looks more like things "ought to be."  Instead of being a carbon copy of a broken culture, the next Christians create a culture for the common good that gives outsiders hope.

Lyons maintains that if the next Christians remain rooted in the Gospel, they will create and restore culture and present the Gospel in a new and fresh way that will result in the next big shift in Christianity, a modern-day Awakening.

Review:   The Next Christians is a thought-provoking read.  I found myself discussing Lyons' ideas often with Alyssa and found much of the text challenging.  However, the book is far from perfect.  The book is overly optimistic about our generation and, in fact, comes across as a bit prideful at points.  The implication throughout the book is that this group of Christians finally "gets it" where all other groups have missed the big picture.  One thing I have learned over the course of my faith journey is that we should never dismiss the history and practice of previous generations of the Church.  There is always something to be gained from others within the Body.  To think that a new group has come up with something completely new is a bit naive.  There are plenty of examples of Christians throughout the past two centuries in America who have embraced community, service, the spiritual disciples and cultural engagement.  In fact, I'd say most churches embrace these things.  Additionally, I felt at times that the Gospel itself is missing from the book.  Lyons has the mistaken idea that good works and restoration alone with lead people to Christ.  Despite admitting that there is no way to quantify this happening, he insists it is in motion.  Early in the book he goes as far to say that conversion and good works are of equal importance.  You won't find much orthodox theology that will embrace this statement, let alone the Gospels themselves.  I don't think that Lyons actually believes this, but less discerning readers may walk away with the wrong impression.

In spite of these flaws, there is much to be gained from The Next Christians.  The approach to life he promotes for Christians is spot on.  We should be purposeful about being restorers of culture, engaging outsiders in a way that demonstrates the grace, love and beauty of Christ.  This type of living will lead to opportunities to share the Gospel in ways that other generations have not been able to.  I highly recommend reading the book...it will challenge your thinking, cause you to re-evaluate your lifestyle and give you practical examples of how to live out culture restoration.

Name that Tune

While I'm anxiously awaiting the September release of the Avett Brothers latest album (that fire was stoked by a great cover article on TAB in Relevant Magazine this month), I've been checking out some of their older and off-beat stuff.   I've been particularly loving a lot of the covers of some under-appreciated classics...check them out and if you're an AB or folk fan, prepare to be delighted.

 Seth Avett and Bob Crawford cover Jim Croce's "Operator"

Scott Avett covers Bob Dylan's "One More Night"

Scott Avett covers Tom T. Hall's "Country Is" 

Scott Avett covers Matt Butcher's "A Famous Country Singer" (ok, not exactly a classic, but sounds great anyways)

Enjoy!

   
 

Knocking on the Brothel Door

"Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is knocking for God."- G.K. Chesterton

What do you find consuming your life?  Where does the majority of your time, attention, money and energy go?  Is there a sin you consistently fall into?  Stop and consider for a moment that those things might be revealing that you are not finding your significance through Christ.  You may be desperately looking to fill something that is empty inside you and continually ending up disappointed.  Like Chesterton points out, when a man is looking for sexual conquest, it's not really about the sex.  He's looking for something that ultimately is found only in the Almighty.  What doors are you knocking on and who are you expecting to answer?

Be Quick to Listen, Slow to Post

In the age of constant information, the opportunity is always there to post an opinion on Twitter, chime in on a conversation on Facebook or rant and rave on a blog.  I know that everyday I see things posted on Facebook that I consider responding to....then I think better of it.  Who wants to argue, let alone get a billion notifications?  It's not just reacting to other's words however.  Alyssa and I were in Chicago today and saw numerous people, places and things that maybe deserved some social commentary.  But to what end?  Why do we post what we post?  Why do we blog what we blog?  What exactly are we hoping to accomplish when we publically address our thoughts on the social issue of the hour?  I'm not necessarily arguing that we shouldn't speak up at times about where our society or its members are headed.  But we need to be extremely wise about what we say, when we say it and why we say it.

Alyssa and I discussed this topic as we walked around the streets of the city.  I'm the kind of person who likes black and white answers, but the longer the conversation went on the more apparent it became that there is not always a definitive way to go about choosing what we say.  There are some Scriptural guidelines that help us know some of the things we shouldn't say, of course.  We should never post gossip about anyone.  We shouldn't write anything that is there to simply tear someone else down.  There are clearly ways of saying things that are abrasive, off-color or simply inappropriate and those things should be out of bounds.  But what about chiming in on political topics, gender issues, sexual orientation, and the like?  Even when we strongly feel the Scripture favors what we are posting, we need to consider our end game.  What am I hoping to accomplish to posting what I am posting?  An example of this is posting about homosexuality.  I make no secret about the fact that I am a Christian, and by default I'm sure most people know the Christian view on homosexuality.  So, when I post that it is wrong, what am I trying to accomplish?  No one is learning something about me or my views that they didn't already know.  I may get some slaps on the back from fellow Christians, but I may also have pushed some readers further away from the Gospel.  I'm not saying that I (or anyone else for that matter), should always tolerate every view and should never use social media as a platform to discuss spiritual issues, even hot-button issues.  So, how do we know when to post and when not to?

The answer is simple, but carrying it out is difficult.  Simply put, Christians absolutely must deepen their relationship with Christ and rely on Him for direction of what to say and when to say it.  I believe most of us have a relatively shallow relationship with Christ most of the time.  This leaves us to our own devices in terms of speaking our mind, a dangerous situation for people with darkened, sinful hearts.  However, the more we connect with Christ through studying His Word and fellowshipping with Him through prayer, the more we will know how to hear His voice.  In fact, as Paul discusses, we will begin to see Him living through us more and more.   We need His direction.  I don't want to be just another voice in a world with a billion voices.  I want Him to speak through me because I know what He says is perfect, true and loving.  Christ knows when to speak on sin and when not to.  Case in point, consider the stories of the Samaritan woman at the well and Zacchaeus.

Jesus confronts a Samaritan woman, breaking numerous social boundaries in the process.  During this conversation, Jesus points out this woman's sexual immorality and infidelity.  This does not turn this woman away.  In fact, it turns her towards Christ!  His timing and words were perfect.  Then, consider the story of Zacchaeus.  This is a man who was reviled by his own people.  He was a tax collector and he was notorious for cheating his own countrymen.  Yet, when Christ encounters Zacchaeus he embraces him and does not point out his sin.  Zacchaeus, in response to this exposure to Christ, actually recognizes his own sin, repents and turns to Christ!  Again, Jesus knew his heart and knew how to approach the situation.  We see that Jesus was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and knew precisely what to say and when to say it.

There will be times when Jesus will lead your heart to post something (or say something, people still do talk these days, I think) that is controversial and it will actually go a long way towards moving the heart of someone He wants to touch.  Other times, He will simply have you love others and allow His love to move them to recognize truth.  You will only be able to recognize this leading if you have consistent, daily communion with Christ and His Spirit.

As you grow in this relationship, let two biblical principles guide your speech.  First, James tells us to be slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to anger.  Listen first, speak second and wait to get angry.   Most of the time, once you've listened, you won't be angry after all.  Second, Paul tells us that judgement and correction is to be from believer to believer.  Remember that those people who are not Christians don't share your trust in God, let alone the Bible.  Don't expect a non-Christian to act like a Christian.  Extend Christ's love to them and be open to speaking the truth in love when Jesus leads.

Debt Emancipation

Two years ago, Alyssa and I were blessed to be a part of a Crown Financial Bible study with our friends from Bridgepoint Church.  At that point, we were up to our necks in debt---credit card debt, auto loan debt, medical bill debt, student loan debt, etc.  In fact, not including our bigger deferred student loans (tens of thousands of dollars more), we had over $51,000 in debt we began paying on in March 2010.  Utilizing many of the strategies we learned from Crown and our small group, we have since paid over $40,000 of the debt off in just over two years!  We did not start making more, we didn't inherit anything and we definitely didn't win the lottery.  We follow Biblical principles and are committed to our strategy, and it has worked.

I know we are not the only family in the world who has carried the weight of debt.  The Bible calls debt slavery and that is exactly what it is.  Proverbs 22:7 says "The borrower becomes the lender's slave."  Think about it.  When you are in debt to a credit card company, you WILL work to pay that money back with interest.  There is no getting out of it (other than the even more undesirable options of bankruptcy, default, etc).  You are the company's slave.  (NOTE:  The use of slave here is not to diminish the horror of human trafficking...but the Bible is clear that the punishment for finding yourself in debt is severe).  No one wants to be a slave.  So, given our relatively successful battle against debt, I wanted to share how you can find your debt shrinking and your freedom expanding.  

1.  If you're not in debt, don't start now!

2.  If you are in debt, read what the Bible has to say about debt and money.  Whether you are a Christian or not, I assure you that you will find great wisdom in the Scripture on both topics.  How does your perspective on money compare with that of the Bible?

3.  Pray that God can a) help you to dilligently carry out a plan to eliminate your debt and b) can change your attitude towards money.  Most of us look at money and possessions as "ours," things we have earned.  The Bible corrects that mentality, helping us to see that everything belongs to God.  When we start to understand we are dealing with God's money, it is much easier to be careful with it.

4.  Create two spreadsheets.  The first sheet is your monthly bills and savings.  Ours is a seven column spreadsheet----company/bill, due date, total, interest %, balance, paid?, and expected payoff date.  We have found this sheet helpful for several reasons.  First, we aren't paying bills late because they are in order by date.  We look at the sheet often and we know what must be paid and when.  This has saved us a lot in unnecessary late fees!  Second, we are able to see the interest we are paying and this is helps us know how to spend our excess money (more on this later).  Third, the payoff dates give us hope.  We can see how the debt will disappear if we stick to our plan and God continues to provide.

The second spreadsheet is our budget spreadsheet.  This sheet is set up in such a way that we see how much we start with in each category, and has blanks to the right so we can deduct from those totals with each purchase.  The budget is much more difficult to get right at first.  We had to play with different amounts for a few months until we settled in on what were appropriate limits for each category.  FYI, our categories are groceries, clothing, gas, dog, miscellaneous, entertainment, dinners out, health and beauty and allowance.  We have actually taken this a step further in recent months, taking our budget totals and putting cash in envelopes for each category.  Once the cash is gone, the spending for that category is over for the month.  This eliminates the tendency to go through money on a debit card as if it is monopoly money.

5.  Add up all your income for the month and add up all your expenses (bills + budget).  Subtract your expenses from your income.  Hopefully, you have a positive number!  If your expenses exceed your income, you have two options.  Using a credit card is not one of them.  First, you can eliminate expenses.  A data plan, cable television, excess groceries, excess gas (eliminating trips and riding your bike or walking can help), eating out, entertainment money and any other unneccessary expense can be cut to help you get into the green.  Second, you may need to get a second job or a new job in order to have your income exceed expenses.  I am not suggesting this part will be easy or fun.  But remember---you're trading slavery now for freedom later.

6.  Once you have excess income, you can start to really pay debt.  If you ever read your credit card or mortgage statement, you know that paying minimum payments results in paying a lot of money for a long time.  Paying minimum payments is no way to get out of debt.  Go back to your bills spreadsheet.  Which bill has the highest interest rate?  Add your excess income to your highest interest bill.  You will be shocked at how fast that bill disappears.

7. After you have paid off one debt, take your excess income PLUS the minimum payment you were paying on that bill, and add it to the payment for the highest interest bill remaining.  You can see the pattern and where to take it from there.  Eventually, your excess income will be high enough that you will be making $1000+ payments on smaller debts!

8.  Somewhere along the line, and this will be different for each person, I would recommend putting a small percentage of money in savings.  If possible, avoid every purchase made on credit besides a mortgage (and more power to you if you can pay for a house in cash!)  If you have sufficient savings, you can pay for a car in cash.  You avoid the interest and you will most assuredly get a better deal on a car you are paying for in cash.

9.  Most importantly, honor God with your money.  I don't just mean tithing, although I do think you should give a percentage of your money each month to a church, charity, someone in need, etc.  Read what the Bible says about that if you need direction.  However, I'm talking more about doing what is right with your money.  Don't spend on things that are wrong.  As you gain more, don't become greedy and selfish.  Always reevaluate your attitude towards your finances.  Money is not the root of all evil----the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.  If you're asking God to help you get out of debt, honor Him through the process.

Hopefully, this information is helpful to someone reading out there.  Alyssa and I have been extraordinarily blessed throughout this process and we want to bless others with our story and we've learned.  Feel free to contact me if you want some additional resources, need advice or just want to share your story!

The Cost

In Luke 14, we encounter Jesus as he is being swarmed with people.  In fact, Luke leads his story in 14:25-34 with the fact that a "large crowd" was following Jesus.  This is precisely what a public speaker leading a burgeoning religious movement would want, right?  Not Jesus, apparently.  He turns to the crowd and He tells them that if they have any interest in following Him, they need to hate their entire family.  This is not a very seeker-sensitive approach.  Of course, commentators remind us, Jesus meant that a follower's affection for Him must make his love for his family look like hate.  Regardless, Jesus is telling this large crowd that following Him is serious business.  Then, He makes an even more shocking statement and tells this group that they need to carry their cross in order to follow Him.  Summarized, Jesus was more or less saying "Look, you are going to have to pick up your instrument of torture and death, reserved for the most reviled criminals in the world and publically carry that shame with you for the rest of your life if you want to call yourself My follower."  Christ is not following a modern evangelical framework for introducing salvation to this mass of humanity.  He isn't leading them through the sinner's prayer or holding an altar call.  He is making it completely clear that being a Christian is more than praying a prayer, more than joining a church, more than being baptized.  It is wrapped up in lifestyle.  Of course, this is a paradox.  We cannot earn our salvation with anything that we do, but can we consider ourselves saved if we aren't the kind of disciples Jesus is talking about in this passage?  


Jesus goes on speaking to the crowd, discussing the cost of being a disciple.  He provides examples from building and from war, explaining that costs must be counted in both endeavors.  You don't build a house without being sure you have the funds to pay for the materials, and you don't go to battle without considering your force, your enemy, etc.  Jesus then goes on to make one of the hardest statements in the Gospels---"In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."  We tend to soften this statement.  Jesus didn't really mean that we have to lose everything to follow Him, did He?  For the sake of argument, let's contend that He meant that in the figurative sense that He must be our top priority and not that we literally must give up all our possessions.  Fine.  That still leaves us with Christ saying, "If I'm not your top priority, you can't be my disciple."  If you're not a disciple, are you saved?  This is a big question, a hard one.  Of course, we can point to an example like the thief on the cross---he was saved in his dying moments and Jesus said he would be in paradise.  So, it's possible to be saved without being a disciple.  But we cannot simply dismiss Christ's many, many statements about discipleship, fruit, etc that indicate that one must really commit their life to Christ to be saved.  I'm fearful that the Church has so cheapened grace that we have given people a very distorted, very wrong picture of what salvation looks like.  


Bonhoeffer said that cheap grace is "the grace that we bestow on ourselves.  Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”  This is the type of grace that the Church often offers people.  By telling people that they are now a Christian by praying a prayer, are we missing the mark and missing it badly?  Over 70% of Americans consider themselves Christians.  Do you think that 70% of the people in this country are so devoted to Jesus that their love for Him makes their love for their family look like hate?  Not even close, in my opinion.


So, are there a lot fewer saved people than we think?  Well, cheap grace is still grace.  I'm hesitant to say that someone who believes they have accepted Christ is not saved.  Only Jesus knows the heart of each man.  Yet, read the Gospels.  Read all of the words of Christ for yourself and then tell me that you are supremely confident that most people who call themselves Christians are really Christians.  Tell me that a sinner's prayer without explaining the cost of Christianity is sufficient.  If you're a person who is "saved" but has not made Jesus your number one priority, I urge you to make Him number one in your life.  Don't take the chance that a mediocre lifestyle will keep you in the Christian camp.  And if you're a disciple, understand that you need to be discipling others, not leading them through a prayer.  The prayer is a start.  Discipleship is crucial for every living moment after that prayer.


DISCLAIMER:  Man cannot save himself.  You can't be good enough to merit God's favor.  The work of Christ on the cross was more than enough to cleanse you of your sins.  Recognizing your sin, turning from it, and turning wholly to Christ is the essence of salvation.  Yet, there is a cost that must be counted.  If you choose to accept the free gift of salvation, you will be asked to follow Christ and make Him your life.  He lives through you now. Be willing to live completely for Christ.  He provides the grace to save, but those who are truly saved will live for Him. 

A Closer Walk with Thee

"I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee"

He Has Put a New Song in My Mouth

Enjoy some music that I have been enjoying....

"All the Poor and Powerless" by The Digital Age

"Reason to Sing" by All Sons and Daughters

"Take Me to the River" by Desperation Band

"Alabaster" by Rend Collective Experiment

The Great Porn Debate

Recently, I was involved in a Facebook "debate" about pornography.  In discussing this topic, I came across several very genuine, kind people---some who may even consider themselves Christians (I'm not sure)---who argued that porn was fun, entertaining and even helpful.  I was surprised, but in hindsight I should not have been.  Porn has reached epidemic proportions in America and globally.  Statistics, both from Christian and secular sources, claim that upwards of 70-80% of men have viewed pornography recently.  Surveys of evangelical Christians have illustrated that 50%+ of church-going men have engaged in watching pornography in the last month.  This does not surprise me, and I doubt it surprises many of you Christian men who are reading this.  If you have transparent relationships with other men, you know that the temptation of pornography is an issue for 99% of men, and the other 1% are probably lying! (Note, I said temptation, not sin...I know that many Christian men are winning the fight against temptation through the grace and power of Christ.)  Women are not immune to pornography addiction.  Studies show that anywhere from 20-30% of all women regularly view pornography and a great percentage more have viewed pornography at some point during their teen or adult years.  Clearly, pornography addiction is not simply an issue for non-believers...porn is impacting people of every demographic and every faith background.

These numbers, however, don't address the question "what's wrong with pornography?"  It's one thing to acknowledge that many people have interacted with pornography---we all agree on that.  However, when it comes to determining whether porn is right, wrong, or somewhere in between, disagreements arise.  That is why I am writing this blog.  Porn is damaging on many levels, but our culture has become so sexualized that the Enemy has made pornography commonplace and, as a result, accepted by the masses.  Pornography is everywhere, and depending on your definition, it is far more than just the nudity found in pictures or movies.  So, how do we define porn?  The actual dictionary definition of porn focuses on anything that elicits sexual excitement as pornography.  Believe it or not, the word porn can be found in your Bible  Porneia (in its various forms) appears in the New Testament 25 times and is used to indicate fornication (sex outside of marriage) and sexual immorality (anything that encourages or sparks sexuality outside of the marriage bed).  In short, the Biblical definition of porn is the same as the modern dicitionary definition of porn---anything that creates sexual excitement outside of your spouse.  So, porn is more than xxx websites and magazines.  It is the billboards on 80-94 that depict scantily-clad young women and advertise for strip clubs.  It's restaurants that primary means of luring in customers is women wearing next to nothing.  It is "Girls Gone Wild" commercials (yes, the commercials are every bit as pornographic as the film itself).  It can be something as seemingly mild as Facebook pictures that reveal way too much.  In short, porn is anything that creates sexual excitement.  We know what porn is, but is it wrong?  Here are five ways that I see that porn is not only wrong, it is destructive.

1)  Porn hurts your relationship with God.  If you don't have a relationship with Christ or you are disinterested in religion, you may want to skip to number two.  But, if you consider yourself to be a person who believes in God or further yet is a born-again Christian, read on.  As mentioned above, the Bible speaks at length about sexual immorality.  The New Testament is filled with references regarding impure sexuality, and this teaching starts with Jesus.  In the timeless sermon on the mount, Jesus addressed the topic of lust---sexual desire for anyone other than your spouse.  Addressing the legalistic religion of his hearers, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already commited adultery with her in his heart."  (Matthew 5:27-28, ESV)  Adultery is named among the ten commandments and is condemned throughout the New Testament.  If we believe the words of Christ in this sermon, then there can be no doubt that He is staunchly opposed to pornography.  Further, the apostle Paul addresses issues of sexual immorality at length in his NT writings.  He repeatedly condemns both the business of prostitution and the engaging in sexual activity with a prostitute.  Pornography IS prostitution.  Porn stars are paid to have sex on camera...further, oftentimes the audience is paying to participate in the sex act by buying magazines, subscribing to websites, purchasing DVDs, etc.  By participating in pornography (even "free" pornography online), you are helping to fund the biggest financial windfall of prostitution in the history of the world (in a calendar year, the porn business makes more money than pro baseball, football, basketball and hockey COMBINED).  The New Testament continues on with scores of verses that indicate that God desires sexual purity for His people and that those who are unrepentant of sexual immorality will not inherit the Kingdom.  (I will glad to share those verses with anyone who would like to read further...or visit www.biblegateway.com and search for "sexual immorality" to read more).  With all this said, it becomes clear that pornography is not something that can a part of a Christian's life.  The Lord is full of grace and mercy for any of us that have stumbled in this area, but our heart must be to turn away from the things God hates.

2) Porn hurts us, rewiring the way we think about ourselves, others and sex.  There is significant research (again, from both sacred and secular sources) that show that pornography actually changes the brain.  Fixating on graphic images creates new neural pathways that, over time, change the way we think.  (This type of rewiring can also occur when fixating on violent imagery, etc.)  Particularly in men, this type of neural rewiring causes them to be unable to see women realistically and instead to objectify them sexually. (More on this below.)  Continued exposure to porn affects "mirror neurons" which are motor system cells that activate when you see a behavior. (William Struthers, Wired for Intimacy).  Mirror neurons can cause people to vicariously participate in the sex act they are viewing in pornography.  This can cause two problems: first, the viewer disconnects from reality;  second, the viewer's brain, over time, will only cause the viewer to become sexually aroused when mirroring the activity they have watched (either by watching it, or an expanded version of the act, or by fantasizing about the act).  In other words, the viewer can only be aroused by pornography or by fantasizing about pornography.  Our spouse, which should be the only person we are aroused by, is no longer able to arouse us on their own merits.  This is very sad, unfortunate and unintended consequence of consuming pornography.  Without using emotional and spiritual self-control to avoid pornography, we risk losing physical self-control due to our physiology.  (For an expanded overview of this topic, check out pages 139-142 of Mark and Grace Driscoll's book Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship and Life Together.)

3) Porn damages marriages, including future marriages.  The previous two points make this one.  God intended marriage to be pure.  Hebrews 13:4 says that we must keep the marriage bed undefiled and avoid all sexual immorality.  God wants you to share your sexuality with your spouse alone.  Not only is sex a pleasurable gift from God, it is also an act that is designed to bind you together with your spouse.  When two people are sexually active, chemicals are released to the brain that actually binds the people together.  Similar chemicals are released to the brain when pornography is viewed.  Watching porn binds the viewer to the people he/she is watching and in turn makes the spousal bond less valuable.  We should want to be bound to our spouse alone.  Pornography is, simply put, unfaithfulness to the marriage.  Marital infidelity is hurtful because of the destruction of trust even more so than the act itself.  Hidden porn habits create the same destruction of trust.  Some porn-users argue that they enjoy using pornography as an aid to their sex life with their spouse, i.e. watching pornography together.  Ironically, this choice to try and grow closer together is emotional and physically creating disconnect between the spouses without them even realizing it.  For those who are unmarried, your sexual activity and your engagement with porn now will assuredly have an impact on your marriage later.  The purity intended to be there will be nearly impossible because of the emotional and physiological impact that sex acts have on the brain and body.

4)  Porn sets an unreachable and/or undesireable standard for women, hurting their self-image and their value in the eyes of a porn-infected world.  This objectification of women starts with the media at large.  Beauty tends to be defined by what the producers, advertisers, record labels, etc decide on as beautiful. This in turn shapes the way most of us think about beauty, even if it is subconscious thinking.  This skewed thinking goes to an entirely different level when one is fixated on pornography.  Obviously, most porn "stars" first become popular due to their good looks and "perfect" bodies (and let's face it, the majority of women in the world don't look like this).  Porn goes a step further and presents its female participants as women who always want sex, who enjoy being degraded (one study showed that 90% of porn scenes depicted some degradation of women) and are entirely naive.  As men consistently watch pornography, their neural pathways are altered and they begin to expect their spouse to exhibit these same charactertistics.  Realistically, their spouse will not have the body of a porn star.  Further, most women do NOT want sex all the time, they do NOT want to be degraded and they are NOT unintelligent.  This disconnect between the viewer's perceived sexual reality and actual sexual reality causes dysfunction and, in some cases, even violence.  In almost all cases, however, a woman's self-image is damaged by the expectations of their spouse.

5) Porn hurts children.  Earlier last decade, it was estimated that over 100, 000 child porn websites were in existence.  Updated numbers are not available, but experts estimate that the number has risen dramatically.  In 2007, a British study showed that one child porn site received over 1 million hits in a month.  Additionally, in 2002, Congress changed the definition of child porn from any visual act that appears to be done by a child to a more lenient definition that stated that the participant must actually be a minor for it to be considered child porn.  This is not a small difference.  Porn makers can now make their actors appear younger than they are (hair styles, child-like clothing, "innocent" personality types) to create the illusion of child porn.  The viewing of child pornography or similar types of porn have been clearly linked to pedophilia.  Porn is a gateway to child sexual abuse.  Porn also hurts children because of the easy access kids have to it.  When I was a teenager, the internet was still in the dial-up stage and surfing for internet pornography was a challenge.  Now, with high speed and wireless internet, porn is two clicks and a google search away.  Children can be unattended at a computer for literally a minute and be exposed to horrifying, graphic porn,  Sadly, parents can and often are naive when it comes to their children and porn.  Kids have computers in their rooms, iPhones, smart phones, laptops, Kindles, and any other device that can access the internet.  If your child has access to the Internet without your supervision, you can be assured that they will sooner or later stumble on to porn (whether on purpose or not).  The average age that kids access porn is 11.  All of those emotional and physiological effects discussed earlier can start to impact your kids BEFORE they hit puberty!  This should cause us grave concern.  In our family, we recently installed an internet filter and accountability program.  Our kids cannot access the internet without logging in.  The filter does not allow them to see any type of inappropriate material (everything from pornography to questionable Youtube videos to Google image searches).  Additionally, any time they attempt to access such material we get notified by text message and email.  This may seem extreme, but we want our children (and ourselves!) to be protected from destructive, predatory world of porn.  Visit www.x3watch.com for more information this service...it is only $7 a month and is well worth the investment of protecting your children and marriage.

I hope this has been somewhat helpful to you as you try to navigate this sexualized society that tells you that porn in all of its sordid forms is okay.  You're under attack and I hope this article gives you some awareness of what to watch for, what porn does to you and how to protect yourself.  If you want confidential advice, help or accountability to be freed from porn, to protect your marriage from porn or help with protecting and educating your kids, please feel free to contact me via Facebook or at derekchirch@comcast.net.

Kony2012: Social Justice (Alone) is not the Gospel

By this point, I'm fairly certain that you are aware of the Kony 2012 campaign launched by the makers of Invisible Children.  The twenty-nine minute video profiling the atrocities commited against children by Joseph Kony in Uganda went viral a couple of days ago and has grabbed worldwide attention.  I know at our little Christian school the launch of this video has created a great deal of buzz and conversation amongst our students and staff.  I first saw the video linked on Facebook on Tuesday and by Wednesday evening it had been shared by 46 different friends.   The video has clearly grabbed the attention of millions of people and with good reason.  Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army have kidnapped over 30,000 children during the last 26 years, forcing boys to be soldiers and girls to be sex slaves.  These crimes should and do outrage us and the overwhelming response speaks to how this video has stirred the spirit of scores of human beings across the planet.  This video and the fight against Kony is likely to continue to generate greater momentum in the coming months.  We, as Christians, need to consider the message of this film and what we can or should do with it.  The film and its makers have not been without criticism and there certainly can be a tension between evangelism and social justice among evangelicals.  So, how do we respond?

I shared the Kony video immediately after watching it.  As a Christian, there is no way I can watch a film that describes children being kidnapped, raped, mutilated and killed and not be greatly moved in my heart.  These children were fearfully and wonderfully made by God.  He knows each of them by name, knows their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams.  These kids may have been invisible to the world, but they have always been seen by God.  This resonates with my spirit and any other person in whom the Holy Spirit lives.  These children of God must be protected, rescued and redeemed.  If we, the Church, can stand idly by with this information and do nothing then we are woefully misguided in our faith.  Jesus made it clear that people who do nothing for the least of these---the poor, the weak, the sick, the broken...those who cannot speak for themselves---have no part in Him.  We cannot rightfully call ourselves Christians if we allow injustice to reign.  Every Christian should share this video, regardless of your concerns over the politics, finances or mission of the leaders of Kony2012.  These children need to be seen and aided.

That said, I am uneasy with the fact that Christians have been very quick to share this story and very lax to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The majority of people that I know who are sharing the Kony video would consider themselves Christians.  Why haven't I ever seen anything that is boldy Christ-centered go viral the way this video has?  I fear that we have become a generation of Christians who wants to simply preach a social Gospel and consider that enough.  Quite honestly, that will never be enough.  If good works, even great works like rescuing these children, were enough then there would be no need for the sacrifice of Christ.  Jesus told us not to fear the one who can kill our earthly bodies but to instead fear God who judges the eternal soul.  This principle is quite applicable here.  If we rescue these kids, make them safe, educate them, reunite them with their families, etc, but do nothing to save their souls, what have we ultimately done?  We have done something of fleeting significance but have not impacted lives eternally.

So, how do we respond?  Well, I am certainly not suggesting that we not share Kony2012 or refuse to participate in Cover the Night or similar events.  In fact, I think Christians should be the first in line to participate in these events and sound the alarm for these children.  God DOES call us to social justice.  We MUST care for the orphan, the widow, the kidnapped, the oppressed.  Refusing to take care of the least of these assures our standing as people outside of the Kingdom of God.  Yet, we must be just as passionate (if not more so) about the spiritual reality of the situation.  Have you prayed for Joseph Kony?  Have you prayed for the children?  Sharing a video to create awareness is great.  Falling to your knees before the Lord Almighty and begging for his mercy and intervention in Uganda is far more powerful.  We must put these efforts before God and pray that He moves through this situation to reach the hearts of these very broken, downtrodden people.  Are you spending money on an "action kit" to get the word out about Kony 2012?  If so, wonderful.  But are you willing to also put your money towards getting these kids a Bible?  Are you willing to support a Ugandan missionary or orphanage that is sharing the Gospel with children?  You may be attending Cover the Night or organizing some other event to raise awareness of these situation.  I commend you if you are doing that and my hope is that you are able to touch hearts with your efforts.  But I ask you, are you going to set up a prayer meeting for Uganda?  Will you consider organizing a missions trip to Uganda?  Lord, I pray that we do not miss the mark here and care only for the body and miss the soul.

Christians, we must stand and fight for justice.  But, the spread of the Gospel---the salvific Gospel, not the social Gospel---must be the driving force behind every effort we take, every cause we support.

VCA Spirit Week---Spiritual Warfare---Sermons by Derek Chirch and Rick Jones

Spiritual warfare is real.  We do not wrestle against our circumstances, our enemies, our jobs, or even ourselves.  We fight against the evil one---Satan---and his forces of darkness.  

How do we stand in the spiritual battle?  Rick Jones explains that we must put on the armor of God and then we stand in the strength of the Lord.

Why are so many Christian men so apathetic about their faith?  Why must we so often rely on women to be the passionate leaders in our ministries?  Even men who recognize spiritual warfare and put on the armor of God can be missing something.  What is missing?  The battle cry of the warrior God!

Once we are equipped and are stirred to passionate action, we still must stand in the might of the Lord.  Ultimately, God will be the One to win the spiritual battles we face.

The concluding message of VCA's spirit week---a conversational sermon.  We talk about what it really means to be a man of God and what influences have shaped us as men of God.  At the end of the service, we commissioned 50+ young men to be warrior's for God and they signed the following pledge:

Today, before God, my peers and my teachers

I make a commitment to live as a warrior for God

A man of integrity, strength, service and love

I resolve today to do what is right

To act with integrity in everything I do

Even when it hurts

And even when no one is watching

I resolve today to speak truth

To encourage my friends and family

To refrain from tearing others down

And to share the love of God with the world

I resolve today to grow as a leader

And accept the  mantle of responsibility He has placed on me

Both in the present with my peers and family

And the in the future with my wife and children

I resolve to support my brothers in Christ

I will hold them accountable to do what is right

I will be open with them about my struggles

And I will lift them up in daily prayer and encouragement

I resolve today to put my relationship with God first

I will hide God’s word in my heart daily

I will seek to know Him through prayer

Living as a true warrior for Jesus Christ

God, we pray that you will help us to hold to this pledge...raise up these young men to be the fathers, husbands, leaders and ministers that are so desperately needed in these evil days.