Give a quick response to all of the following questions and see what you come up with. I will give an answer to each on my following post that may surprise folks......P.S. nope, I didn't come up with it, this is an experiment that I listened to in a talk given by Peter Kreeft--professor of Philosophy at Boston College.
1. Name the living person who has had the greatest influence on your life.
2. Who are you?
3. What is God like?
4. What is the church?
5. What is the church’s gospel?
6. What is truth?
7. What is the meaning of life?
8. What is death?
9. What was the last command of the last apostle?
Remember try to give quick responses. I know that's crazy hard on some, but limit yourself to about 15 seconds to respond to each question. It's not so much to test you, but to make a point.
no cheating......
are you sure you tried to answer all the questions before looking?
last chance to go back and try to answer them for yourself before looking at the answers.....
ok, here we go.....
Answer: Christ
1. Did you not think of him as a living person?
2. Christ lives in me
3. In Christ all the fullness of God dwells
4. Christ’s body
5. Christ in you the hope of glory
6. I am the way, the truth, and the life.—Christ
7. I am life.—Christ John 14:6
8. to live is Christ and to die is gain—more Christ
9. Jesus Christ, this is the true God and eternal life---little children keep yourselves from idols.
Just a clever way to remind us how much we are called to revolve our ENTIRE life around Jesus, and how far short of that we all fall(I don't think I answered Christ on a single one).
I pray He transforms our minds.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Sayings I'll miss
"Daddy gonna buss you up."
"Daddy, can you come here a second?"
"How bout...."
"Ina(I want to) touch the butterflies."
"Daddy read."
"Squeeze the daddy."
"Daddy/mommy silly."
"Ready, Go, Set!"
"Ina color chalk."
"Ina swing."
"Ina swim."
"Ina see gamma."
"Dere's Elijah!"
"Daddy, can you come here a second?"
"How bout...."
"Ina(I want to) touch the butterflies."
"Daddy read."
"Squeeze the daddy."
"Daddy/mommy silly."
"Ready, Go, Set!"
"Ina color chalk."
"Ina swing."
"Ina swim."
"Ina see gamma."
"Dere's Elijah!"
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Jesse M. Guy
"We are always some mix between the influences of who we were ten years ago and who we want to be ten years from now."
Just choice or no choice?
Certainly there are things in our lives that deserve to be placed into one of the two above categories. Things that are simply a choice we make in the course of our lives, or things that we have no choice about at all. An example of the first would be perhaps the color of the first paint we choose to paint on the walls of our first abode, and the second could perhaps be the country we were born in that determined in large part how many fun filled choices we would be given the opportunity to make in our lives.
However, I believe we are far, far too quick to place many things into one of these two categories. One example of this is homosexuality or sexual identity or identity in any sense. There are often two schools of thought that drift in and out of how we choose to deal with questions of how choice interacts with identity. You are what you do, or you do what you are.
No one believes that a person's gender or race is determined by choice, and these factors greatly affect what a person's identity is. However, a person's identity is not solely based on genetically predetermined factors. Who a person is, is also determined by their beliefs and attitudes. It is true that we all have environmental factors thrust upon us that we have no control over, but is it not also true that we can control what we choose to believe about what those experiential influences mean to us? Can we not affect the direction our lives take by what our beliefs and attitudes are in regard to any genetic predispositions or environmental influences? Therefore, a person's choices can and do affect what their options are in the future to some extent. I know that there are some who would say that sexual identity is as engrained as race or gender. It is important to understand that this is a belief no less than my belief that homosexuality is immoral and is not a predetermined path. We both choose which belief to espouse and this will impact our identity in the future. Beliefs chosen are often like snowballs on the tops of snow covered mountains. If you allow them to roll far enough down the hill, they will create an avalanche that only a miracle can stop the momentum of. This is why it is wise to give serious consideration to what we choose to fully invest ourselves in. The beliefs that we choose to fully invest our lives around are more accurately called convictions and will sway our identities more than mere casually held beliefs to be sure. I say that those who "believe" that sexual identity is as engrained as race or gender is only a belief because that is true. Even in the secular world, this is an established fact. In spite of media reports that muddy the waters(the 1993 story about the 'gay gene' is one of my personal faves) and activist political groups that would try to make it sound like the civil rights movement part deux, the FACT is that this belief about gayness not having any meaningful choice attached to it at all is exactly that, a belief. My point here is not to defend the equally silly notion that someone perhaps wakes up one day and decides to be homosexual, but simply to show that identity is one of the things in our lives that may appear at first glance to be either simply a choice or from another perspective seem that there is no choice to made because "that's just who we are." The truth lies somewhere in between. Although there are a complex mix of genetic, environmental, and experiential influences that contribute to our identities, sexual or otherwise, there will always also be a meaningful role for choice as well that is woven into our lives. I believe my ultimate conviction is that God is ultimately the only one who truly and completely knows both what our identity is here and now and what identity He will give us if we yield to Him.
However, I believe we are far, far too quick to place many things into one of these two categories. One example of this is homosexuality or sexual identity or identity in any sense. There are often two schools of thought that drift in and out of how we choose to deal with questions of how choice interacts with identity. You are what you do, or you do what you are.
No one believes that a person's gender or race is determined by choice, and these factors greatly affect what a person's identity is. However, a person's identity is not solely based on genetically predetermined factors. Who a person is, is also determined by their beliefs and attitudes. It is true that we all have environmental factors thrust upon us that we have no control over, but is it not also true that we can control what we choose to believe about what those experiential influences mean to us? Can we not affect the direction our lives take by what our beliefs and attitudes are in regard to any genetic predispositions or environmental influences? Therefore, a person's choices can and do affect what their options are in the future to some extent. I know that there are some who would say that sexual identity is as engrained as race or gender. It is important to understand that this is a belief no less than my belief that homosexuality is immoral and is not a predetermined path. We both choose which belief to espouse and this will impact our identity in the future. Beliefs chosen are often like snowballs on the tops of snow covered mountains. If you allow them to roll far enough down the hill, they will create an avalanche that only a miracle can stop the momentum of. This is why it is wise to give serious consideration to what we choose to fully invest ourselves in. The beliefs that we choose to fully invest our lives around are more accurately called convictions and will sway our identities more than mere casually held beliefs to be sure. I say that those who "believe" that sexual identity is as engrained as race or gender is only a belief because that is true. Even in the secular world, this is an established fact. In spite of media reports that muddy the waters(the 1993 story about the 'gay gene' is one of my personal faves) and activist political groups that would try to make it sound like the civil rights movement part deux, the FACT is that this belief about gayness not having any meaningful choice attached to it at all is exactly that, a belief. My point here is not to defend the equally silly notion that someone perhaps wakes up one day and decides to be homosexual, but simply to show that identity is one of the things in our lives that may appear at first glance to be either simply a choice or from another perspective seem that there is no choice to made because "that's just who we are." The truth lies somewhere in between. Although there are a complex mix of genetic, environmental, and experiential influences that contribute to our identities, sexual or otherwise, there will always also be a meaningful role for choice as well that is woven into our lives. I believe my ultimate conviction is that God is ultimately the only one who truly and completely knows both what our identity is here and now and what identity He will give us if we yield to Him.
Daddy/Daughter week....
Spent a lot of time with mommy and Elijah too, but this was a special week especially for daddy and Ella. We got to hang out a lot more than we usually do during the week and a half off that I was blessed to be able to take off from work. It was special. I'm having family withdrawals now but it was a great week and a half.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Freedom and a pure life
It's time to highlight another incredible person/persons for anyone checking out the ole blog.
Pure Life Ministries is a ministry started by Steve and Kathy Gallagher. Steve had what he refers to as a sexual addiction. His story is intense and is worth checking out if you ever get a chance.
If you visit their web site, purelifeministries.org you will immediately be greeted with 3 amazing statistics.
1. 50% of Christian men are addicted to pornography
2. 20% of Christian women struggle with pornography
3. 47% of families said that pornography is a problem in their home
These stats represent a dirty little secret in the church. Sexual immorality is a serious problem for professing believers and not enough is being said or done about that fact. I have struggled intensely in my life with lust and am not in any way stating these facts as someone who is above it looking down on those poor, pitiful souls affected by it. I am talking about it because I know first hand how much damage it can and does do. I long to live in an ever increasing spiral of freedom and purity not in an ever deepening spiral of bondage and depravity.
Pure life ministries is the single greatest resource I know of to point to for fellow seekers of a life of purity.
Ironically, the key to purity is NOT to think of it simply in terms of sexual sin. Purity or the lack thereof is spiritual, and it is spiritual purity, not just sexual purity that we are called to as believers. This is the strength of pure life ministries. They know this secret. Spiritual purity is synonymous with the degree to which our lives genuinely REVOLVE around Christ. Because this is the case, even if you personally do not struggle with some form of sexual immorality, I highly recommend checking out the web site. They also have a podcast if you have itunes. Simply type in purity for life podcast into the search bar of itunes and you can subscribe to their weekly "audio magazine" for free. Their podcast is full of invaluable insights for ANYONE seeking the purity of a life fully consumed with Christ.
The following is a snippet from their show. Steve Gallagher is sharing an overview of principles that he counsels pastors to put into place in their church to be proactively prepared for the ongoing issues that will arise when a pastor chooses to try to begin combating the forces of sexul immorality that are ravaging so many people within the church.
FREEDOM
Foster an atmosphere of truth and honesty
Renounce sin from the pulpit
Educate your congregation about proper and improper sexuality
Establish and encourage men’s ministry
Disciple those in need
Offer restoration for fallen church leaders and members
Model godly character in consecration
May 4, 2008 Purity For Life podcast 2nd segment
Pure Life Ministries is a ministry started by Steve and Kathy Gallagher. Steve had what he refers to as a sexual addiction. His story is intense and is worth checking out if you ever get a chance.
If you visit their web site, purelifeministries.org you will immediately be greeted with 3 amazing statistics.
1. 50% of Christian men are addicted to pornography
2. 20% of Christian women struggle with pornography
3. 47% of families said that pornography is a problem in their home
These stats represent a dirty little secret in the church. Sexual immorality is a serious problem for professing believers and not enough is being said or done about that fact. I have struggled intensely in my life with lust and am not in any way stating these facts as someone who is above it looking down on those poor, pitiful souls affected by it. I am talking about it because I know first hand how much damage it can and does do. I long to live in an ever increasing spiral of freedom and purity not in an ever deepening spiral of bondage and depravity.
Pure life ministries is the single greatest resource I know of to point to for fellow seekers of a life of purity.
Ironically, the key to purity is NOT to think of it simply in terms of sexual sin. Purity or the lack thereof is spiritual, and it is spiritual purity, not just sexual purity that we are called to as believers. This is the strength of pure life ministries. They know this secret. Spiritual purity is synonymous with the degree to which our lives genuinely REVOLVE around Christ. Because this is the case, even if you personally do not struggle with some form of sexual immorality, I highly recommend checking out the web site. They also have a podcast if you have itunes. Simply type in purity for life podcast into the search bar of itunes and you can subscribe to their weekly "audio magazine" for free. Their podcast is full of invaluable insights for ANYONE seeking the purity of a life fully consumed with Christ.
The following is a snippet from their show. Steve Gallagher is sharing an overview of principles that he counsels pastors to put into place in their church to be proactively prepared for the ongoing issues that will arise when a pastor chooses to try to begin combating the forces of sexul immorality that are ravaging so many people within the church.
FREEDOM
Foster an atmosphere of truth and honesty
Renounce sin from the pulpit
Educate your congregation about proper and improper sexuality
Establish and encourage men’s ministry
Disciple those in need
Offer restoration for fallen church leaders and members
Model godly character in consecration
May 4, 2008 Purity For Life podcast 2nd segment
Friday, July 04, 2008
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