Real Encounter

I worked at the bike shop a couple weekends ago with a guy named Brad Bennett. A stand up, passionate, hard working, Christ loving man of God. Brad is the founder of Real Encounter Ministries. Brad and the other professionals use action sports as a platform to share the life changing message of Jesus Christ.

Check out the video to see how their ministry works.

Confirmation Sunday

The best Confirmation Class i've ever been a part of. What a blessing these students are!

Jesus on Twitter

I saw this video at my parents church (FBC Ellisville) over Easter weekend.

Types of Love

(Schweitzer Youth - 2010 High School Mission Trip)

There is a lack of love. A lack of friendship. A lack of community. All because of sin.

We see this in Genesis, where God creates the man and the woman for the purpose of oneness. They have friendship, and intimacy , and loving affection, but, sin comes and immediately they hide from each other. They hide from God. They cover themselves. Shame enters into the human equation. There is separation between the man and the woman and God, and the man and the woman and each other and that's what sin does. Sin isolates us from God. It also isolates from one another. It ills life, and it kills love, and it kills oneness, as God has created us to have.

This has come to be such a pressing matter in our culture today that we live in a world that is almost completely void of real Christ-like biblical love.

C.S. Lewis talks about Need Love and Gift Love. He says that need love is where I love you, because you do something for me that is beneficial. That is a contractual sort of love where, "Well, you make me feel good, so I love you," or "You do kind things for me, so I love you," or "You meet a need that I think I have, so I love you."

He says that Christ-like love is a gift love where, "I give affection to you with no demands or expectations in return. It is a covenantal and not contractual love. It is not predicated upon terms. It is just given freely, and graciously, and happily, without ever expecting that you will give it back to me or make up for it, or that this ever in any way be an equal giving of love."

So, what kind of love are you giving to your friends, family, co-workers, strangers?

Need Love?
or
Gift Love?

Samson Cryopreserved

Did you know that Samson, from biblical stories, was cryogenically frozen back in 1200 B.C.? I thought he died with the Philistines in the book of Judges. But as I was watching ESPN the other day, I think I was proved wrong. I guess people back in the day knew he'd be good for something, so they brought him back and he's now playing for the French National Rugby Union team.

Check out this video for some of Sebastien Chabal's (Samson's) highlights as a rugby player.

STL 9 - ANA 3

Angela and I traveled to St. Louis this weekend to visit my family and go to the Blues game last night. It was one for the record books. Stewart & Shattenkirk, welcome to the team!

Game Highlights


Two in Seven Seconds


PostGame Interview: Stewart, Oshie, and McDonald

Generation to Generation

We have a new Sermon Series coming up that deals with the different generations within the church and how we, as a church, can use this to our advantage.

What's the Big Deal about Jesus?

The Schweitzer UMC staff gives their opinions on the question:

What's the Big Deal about Jesus?

Aaron Rodgers' Faith

Aaron Rodgers isn't just a NFL quarterback, and Super Bowl MVP. He's also a mentor off the field. Check out this article about Aaron Rodgers and how his faith has shaped his game.

Click HERE to read the article.

God is not a White Man

"God is not a White Man"

Gungor

Big Shoes to Fill

Joshua 1:2-3

Verse 2

"Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them."

I read this the other day and instantly felt unworthy. Not the kind of unworthy where you beat yourself up about all those things about yourself that aren't perfect but unworthy in the sense that there are some tasks in life that are HUGE and that cause you to rely on a strength/power completely other than your own the whole time you engage it. That's what I felt.

Then God makes this sweet promise...

Verse 3

"I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you.'"

It seems that often all we see is the task before us rather than combining that with the promises God has already given us. Verse 2 in isolation seems undoable until verse 2 rolls around and reminds us how Moses was operating all along. I wonder how many of us need the reminder daily that we have the opportunity to operate with the provision of God for our lives... doesn't mean it'll be easy but it does mean our steps are blessed when they're ordered by God!

If Verse 3 isn't enough to get Joshua fired up and ready, then check out Verse 5.

Verse 5

"No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you."

That is God saying "I got your back!" What would this mean for us if we believe God was "For us" like this? I'm not saying that God is saying to us what He said to Joshua in the same way that he said it to Joshua.... BUT check out what Jesus says to us in John 14:12...

Hard to Follow

There is a leadership saying in the book, IT, that says a leader can only lead people as far as they have gone themselves.

But there's one thing of this truth that we need to be careful of, especially when it comes to the way we communicate to inspire and motivate the people we're trying to lead.

A person walking ten miles ahead of you is a hard person to follow.

It's one thing to say you've been ten miles ahead and you're going to lead them to the destination. It's another thing to tell people that "I'm ten miles ahead, come find me." Leaders lead the way. Leaders should inspire people to raise their game by their life and what they say. Leaders can only take people as far as they have gone themselves. But they also have to live and communicate in such a way that the people following them believe it's possible to get to where they're going as well.

In your leadership, try to be an example that people can aspire to be like while still being a person that people can relate to. Then you'll be able to lead people to where you've been.

Bear Grylls' Faith