Crazy about God and the life He has given me!

Posts tagged “follower of Jesus

The F-Bomb reading plan. . .

As we take the next month to really walk through and chew on how to live lives where we are dropping the F-bomb all over the place.  I would like to encourage you to take the F-Bomb reading challenge.  Here on the blog you are able to have different verses from the bible to read that deal with forgiveness.  What I would pray that you do is share what you are hearing from God about be a person that is able to accept forgiveness and share forgiveness with all of those around you.  Forgiveness is a challenge for each one us, it is a challenge to how we are going to walk through a life that can be filled with pain and hurt.  Pain and hurt that comes from people that Jesus loves and was willing to to die for, so willing that he said on the cross, Luke 23:34; “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”  There is an example of a life filled with the F-bomb.  May we live that life too.

F-Bomb Reading Plan for the month of August:

8th – Genesis 50:15 – 21

9th – Exodus 30:11 – 16

10th – Leviticus 26:13

11th – Judges 15:1

12th – 2 Samuel 12:14

13th – 1 Chronicle 21:8

14th – Psalm 32:1

15th – Matthew 5:32

16th – Matthew 6:14 – 15

17th – John 20:23

18th – John 8:11

19th – Luke 11:4

20th – Luke 15:30

21st – Luke 15:32

22nd – Matthew 28:10

23rd – Acts 8:18-23

24th – Romans 1:5 – 6

25th – Romans 4:6 – 8

26th – Romans 12:17 – 21

27th – Philemon 1:10

28th – Hebrews 9:22

29th – 1 John 1:9

30th – Ephesians 4:32

31st – Luke 23:34


Mark Batterson “Primal” Blog Tour

Over the past couple of years I have had the pleasure of reading the books that Mark Batterson has written.  It was also my pleasure to be able to listen to him share about the amazing things that God has been doing in the church that he pastors in Washington D.C. at a seminar for church starting at “Exponential”.  Each time I have cracked the pages of one of his books I have be fortunate to learn something new about God, have a great time doing it, and been challenged to step out on faith.  It was through reading the book “Wild Goose Chase” that God spoke to my wife about starting a church.  It was through the reading the book “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy day”  that we as a family felt the spirit speaking to us as a family to set life goals and take the fight to this life that God has given us.  In his newest book “Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”  I have been impacted beyond my anticipation. In this book there is a great gathering of the historical, the biblical, the analytical, and the creative.

“Have you ever noticed how many times Psalms tells us to sing a new song? That creative command is repeated no fewer than half a dozen times.  Evidently God gets tired of old songs.  He doesn’t just want you to worship Him with your memory; He doesn’t just want you  to worship Him with your memory; He wants you to worship Him with your imagination. Love isn’t repetitive, Love is creative. As love grows you need new lyrics and new melodies. You need a new song to express new dimensions of love.  If you tell your wife that you love her the same way over and over again, she may stop believing you at some point. Why? Because your words are an expression of memory instead of an expression of imagination. It’s half-hearted because it is half minded”                                                                                            Mark Batterson “Ritual” pgs 110 – 111

I think that this is a book for everyone that calls themselves a follower of Jesus should read.  It pushes and prods in ways that enables you to really grasp some old areas of faith in new ways.  This will be a book that I read as well as my whole family, this is a book that I am excited to say has as much of my ink in it from marks and high lights as what the book originally came with when it was printed. Take the time this Christmas season to share with those around you a great expression of what it means to follow Jesus in some new ways.  LET’S GO PRIMAL!


Quick Serve Christianity

IPOD Kiosk

Above is a picture that I took in the Oakland Airport of the IPOD Kiosk.  As I was sitting there I thought first that is way cool and I wish I had some money to be able to try that thing out.  (I really like MAC stuff now.)  I also was thinking about how we have really decided that this is the way that we want things in life.  Walk up insert the cash and get what I want quick fast and easy.  We also have this idea with what it means about becoming a follower of Jesus.

I mean let’s be honest we here people talking about church like it were the IPOD Kiosk.  ”I want this kind of music.”  ”I want this kind of preaching.”  ”I want” “I want”.  It is that mentality of, I stand here and I push the button and out comes the church that I want.  I also see people do that with following after Jesus; “I want this prayer request answered”,  ”I don’t want to have to serve others”,  ”You forgave me but I don’t need to forgive others they hurt me”, “What you expect me to share with God my money?”.  You see our walk up and get the quick fix to what I want really sounds pretty pathetic when it comes to being a follower of Jesus Christ.  But yet we still do that.  I do that.  We don’t want to have to go through the tough times, we don’t want to have to work at being what God has called us to be, we just want things nice and easy the way we want it.

James 1:3-4 (NLT)
For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. [4] So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
James 1:3-4 (NLT)  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. [4] So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
Where do you see yourself needing to step away from the easy push button kiosk and take the time to grow in your faith?

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