Not Condemned

Memorial Day: Freedom is Not Free

2009-05-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

What is G?

2009-02-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

Stephen Colbert Giving the Gators Some Love!

2009-01-21T13:39:00.001-08:00

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

A Really Good Book

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Florida Gators: National Champions!

2009-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

I told you so! I told you so! I told you so! Remember this post? http://kennyloehe.blogspot.com/2008/08/7-reasons-florida-gators-will-win-sec.html

Like all Gator fans, I have been basking in the glory of a second national championship in three years and the third straight national championship for the SEC. What else can be said about this Gator squad and their fearless leader Tim Tebow? Maybe just . . . amazing.

The Florida Gators went into the National Championship game to face what many said was the most prolific offense in the history of college football, an offense that averaged 54 points per game, over 60 points in 5 straight games, a Heisman trophy winner in Sam Bradford who had passed for nearly 4,500 yards, 48 TD's and only 6 INT, and the Florida Gator defense shut them down holding them to a season low 14 points.

The Sooner offense moved the ball inside the Gator 10 yard line twice and were shut down both times coming away with a turnover on downs the first time and an INT the second time with only 3 seconds left in the first half. And what was up with that "no-huddle" offense? That was about the stoopidest (pun intended) thing I've ever seen. The purpose of a no-huddle offense is to pick up the tempo and not give the defense a chance to get set. But what difference does it make if the offense hurries up, but then the QB takes another 30 seconds to get the play from the sideline before the snap? Hey coach Stoops that is not a no-huddle, that is not huddling. Stoops looked like an amateur out there!

And what about little Sammy Bradford? He didn't exactly look like a Heisman trophy winner. But of course he had never had to play against a defense before and, as most predicted, as soon as the Gator D hit him just a couple of times, Sammy crumbled like a house a cards. Brandon Spikes pretty much summed it up when he said of the O-who offense, "the defenses they play against are kind of like our scout team.” Ouch!

And what about the Gator offense? Anyone who watched the game could see that they were less than perfect, scoring only 7 points in the first half, a season low. But like real champs the Gators went into halftime, made adjustments and then let Tim Tebow go Tebow on the Sooner D and like the Sooner offense, they crumbled. Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin put on one of the most impressive ground assaults that we have seen all season, netting 250 yards on the ground! And then if that wasn't enough, Tebow and company finished it all off by punking the Sooner D with the famous "jump pass." Congrats Gators, on another championship. And Sooners, nice try, better luck next time! And I told you so!

Here's a very cool video highlight of the game:

Tim Tebow: Highlight Videos on the Gridiron and on the Mission Field

2009-01-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

I put this video up on my football blog just before the He15man trophy was awarded to the wrong guy. I love this video. It starts right after Tebow and the Gators lost to Ole Miss in a heart breaker. Right after the game at the press conference Tim Tebow essentially promised Gator fans that he would never lose again. He kept his promise and gave the Florida Gators their 3rd National Championship. Tim Tebow is a great football player, but he is an even greater person. He's an missionary's kid and devoted follower of Christ. Tell me what you think of the video.

This is a video story they did on Tebow and his off the field activities. This is really what makes him tick.

iMarriage: Understanding Your Spouse

2009-01-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

We have moving through a new series in our church entitled iMarriage. And the big idea is, the key to a successful marriage is taking the "i" out and putting understanding my spouse in. It's been pretty good for me personally as I've tried to locate those areas of my actions and attitudes where I just don't actively seek to understand the needs that my wife has.

One of the proverbs that the women have been meditating on has been from Prov. 14:1, "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish woman tears it down with her own hands." And we've been kind of developing that from 1 Peter 3 and how a woman can easily tear down her husband with her words (words that Peter says don't work anyway). I wonder how many wives really take the time to think about the fact that their husbands have been designed by God to be leaders of their home and the damage that their words can have on their husband's confidence to lead.

But the same goes for men. What men fail to understand is that our wives are amazingly gifted people, designed by God to be helpers to us, which is why Peter says that we should understand their needs and honor them for everything they are to us. I found this really funny video that we will be showing this Sunday that underscores how little husbands understand their wives.

Why men don't listen and women can't read maps

2009-01-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a sampling of things that men and women will never see eye to eye on.

RELATIONSHIPS
First of all, a man does not call it a relationship. He refers to it as romance, or a period of dating, or going out, or just marriage. When a relationship ends, a woman will cry, and pour her heart out to her girlfriends, and she will write a poem titled “All Men are Idiots.” Then she will get on with her life.

A man has a little more trouble letting go. For six months, his ex may not hear from him, but then, at three on Saturday night/Sunday morning, he will call and say, “I just wanted to let you know you ruined my life, and I'll never forgive you, and I hate you. But I want to let you know there's always a chance for us.”

HANDWRITING
To their credit, men do not decorate their penmanship. They just chicken scratch. Women use scented, colored stationary, and they dot their "i's" with circles and hearts. Women use ridiculously large loops in their "p's" and "g's." It is a royal pain to read a note from a woman. Even when she's dumping you, she'll put a smiley face at the end of the note.

BATHROOMS
A man has 6 items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, a razor, a bar of soap and a towel. The average number of items in a typical woman's bathroom is 237. And a man would not be able to identify most of these items.

GOING OUT
When a man says he is ready to go out, it means he is ready to go out. When a woman says she is ready to go out, it means she will be ready, as soon as she makes one phone call and finds her other earring.

THE TELEPHONE
Men see the telephone as a communication tool. They use the telephone to send short messages to other people. A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours.

DIRECTIONS
If a woman is out driving, and she finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings, she will stop at a garage and ask for directions. Men consider this to be a sign of weakness. Men will never stop and ask for directions. Men will drive in a circle for hours, all the while saying things like, “Looks like I've found a new way to get there.” and, “I know I'm in the general neighbourhood. I recognize that Taco Bell.”

ADMITTING MISTAKES
Women will sometimes admit making a mistake, but they usually try make it look like it was the man’s fault. The last man who admitted he was wrong was General George Custer.

TOYS
Little girls love to play with toys. Then when they reach the age of 11 or 12, they lose interest. Men never grow out of their obsession with toys. As they get older, their toys simply become more expensive and silly and impractical. Examples of men's toys: little miniature TV's. Massive TV’s. Complicated juicers and blenders. Graphic equalizers. Small robots that serve drinks on command. Video games. Anything that blinks, beeps, and requires at least 6 "D" batteries to operate.

LAUNDRY
A man will wear every article of clothing he owns, including his surgical pants that were really hip about eight years ago, before he will do the laundry. When he is finally out of clothes, he will wear a dirty tracksuit inside out, rent a truck and take his mountain of dirty clothes to the Laundromat.

SOCKS
Men are sensible about socks. They wear argyle socks or standard white sweatsocks. Women wear strange socks. Socks with pictures of clouds on them. Socks that are cut way below their ankles. Socks that have little fuzzy balls on the back.

GARAGES
Women use garages to park their cars and store their lawnmowers. Men use garages for many things. They hang license plates in garages, and they watch TV in garages, and they build useless lopsided benches in garages.

2008-12-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

Hope you enjoy our Family Movie! Stephanie made this all by herself : ) Please ignore the glitches and awful spelling error(s)!! This is in lieu of the Christmas newsletter we usually send out.

Also, it's not so easy to view on this little screen. So it would be much better to have a copy of the DVD for yourself so you can watch it on your TV screen. So, if you would like one, please let us know. Plus, we're not keeping this on here for very long.

God bless and Happy New Year!

my idea of good counseling

2008-11-14T08:20:00.001-08:00

The Reckoning is Complete

2008-11-04T18:10:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to share this very well made highlight video of my beloved Gators taking the the hated Georgia Bulldogs to the woodshed. I said this would happen here:

http://kennyloehe.blogspot.com/2008/08/november-1-2008-reckoning.html

Tell me what you think of the video.

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wrote, "Unlike Georgia last year, Florida's players didn't show much emotion during this game. Their victory was cold-blooded, calculating and ruthless. They dismantled one of the top teams in the country with all the stony-eyed sentiment of an assassin squeezing the trigger."

Are you a Demas?

2008-10-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered about that dude named Demas? His name is one of those names that you don't see all the time, it sounds kind of cool, but you would never give it to your son. But who was Demas? The Bible doesn't tell us a lot about him. We do know from Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24 that he served with Paul and Luke.

And from that we can conclude that Demas left everything to serve with Paul in spreading the gospel and suffering for the sake of Christ. He stuck it out with Paul when he was thrown into prison the first time. It's also reasonable to assume that Demas experienced many of the hardships and suffering that Paul experienced. I am sure that he felt the sting of a whip or the coldness of a chain. Few of us have given up as much as Demas gave up for the cause of Christ. And yet there is a startling verse in 2 Timothy 4:9-10 where Paul writing to Timothy says, "Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica" (italics mine).

In order to grasp the weight of this verse you really need to understand the context. The apostle Paul was in prison because of his passion for Christ and his commitment to the gospel. Paul's life was a catalogue of suffering for the sake of the gospel. There are few Christians who have suffered loss like Paul. In fact, in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 he said of his himself:

"Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches."

And yet nothing could discourage Paul from pressing on to the goal. No amount of suffering and hardship could keep him from being faithful to his calling. And the reason Paul could do that is because His passion and love for Jesus Christ constrained him to be willing to loose everything to make Him known, to experience His love more fully. And yet here is Demas, a man who had evidenced immense faithfulness in the past, deserting Paul because he was "in love with this present world." Are you a Demas? I've been asking myself that question lately.

I would invite you to ask yourself that question. What relationships are you willing to lose to see Christ honored in your lifestyle choices? What indignities are you willing to suffer to see the gospel advanced? What hardships are you willing to experience to see the glory of Christ cover the earth like the waters cover the sea? What death are you willing to die to see the triumph of the cross in the lives of those for whom Christ died?

You say, "Well I'm not sure" . . . "in love with this present world." This really convicts me, because I really want to see my daughters grow up and graduate and get married (well I don't really want to see that). And I want to see the game this weekend, or I want to get married to that special person. I really want to finish the addition on the house, I want to buy that dream home, or I want to be able to enjoy some retirement . . . "in love with this present world."

Where is your ultimate passion in life? What is the object of your supreme love? Whatever it is you will be willing to lose everything to have it. Demas loved this present world and he was willing to lose Christ to have it and so he spared himself from suffering with Paul.
You say, "Well I've done a lot for the church, I've given a lot my money, I've served tirelessly for the sake of the gospel."

Demas did too. And what we learn from Demas is it's not how you start or what you've accomplished in the past that proves where your ultimate passion and supreme love rests, it's in how you finish. I have found in my own life that you can fake it for a while. You can stand losing a few relationships, you can suffer indignities for a time, you can tolerate a season of hardship and even entertain the possibility of martyrdom. But can you go all the way to the end? I think that that's why Paul said to Timothy:

"As for you [Timothy], always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." And then Paul says of Himself, "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:5-8).

Straight-Up Conference

2008-10-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

We just got back from this year's Straight-Up Conference in Chicago at Harvest Bible Chapel. It was great. Great worship, great preaching, great fellowship. But I wanted to tell you about one message in particular. C. J. Mahaney from Sovereign Grace Ministries (formally senior pastor of Covenant Life Church) preached from 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 on recognizing the evidences of grace in the lives of other believers. It was one of those messages that leave you bruised and bloody, but encouraged and inspired. Isn't that a mark of good preaching?

Here's the thrust of it: When you see another believer who is in sin what is the first thing you see? His or her failure or the evidences of God's grace in his or her life? Well I could on and on about it or I could let you listen to it yourself. Enjoy

http://www.harvestbiblefellowship.org/BlogEntry.aspx?site_id=10295&entry_id=111524

I have a new SEC Football Blog

2008-09-27T09:03:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody! I set up a new blog that is devoted exclusively to SEC Football. Stephanie has been after me for a while to do it. So take a look and tell me what you think. www.secrant.blogspot.com The link is also in the blogroll on the left side.

Gators watch out, Randy Shannon is really mad now

2008-09-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Not sure if anyone else heard about Randy Shannon, the head coach of Thug U, whining about the Gators hanging another 3 points on them late in the 4th quarter. But the amazing thing about it is that was one week after Coach Shannon and "the U" went for it on 4 and 3 against division 1-AA powerhouse Charleston Southern to tack on another touchdown to their 45-7 lead with only 2 minutes left in the game. Wow 52-7 against Charleston Southern. Way to dominate Miami!

This "U" is very much like "the U" of yesteryear. They still talk trash and still have multiple aggravated assault and armed robbery convictions. But there is one very big difference between this "U" team and "the U" of yesteryear, "the U" of Michael Irvin, Bernie Cosar and Warren Sapp never, ever whined. And when they talked trash, they could actually back it up. Here's the thing Coach Shannon: if you don't want your opponent to score on you late, then do something about it! It's called man up and play some defense!

Well here's what happens to this "U" when they actually have to play a division 1-A opponent (you might want to turn the volume down).

I found this really cool burn from Jim Rome, my sentiments exactly. Keep up the good work Rome.

Rocky Top, you'll always be an easy win for me, Good ol' Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee!

2008-09-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

This is a great picture of the Gators running onto their home away from home. Most teams in the NCAA wish they had as many victories on their home fields as the Gators have in Neyland Stadium. Ouch I bet that hurt!

I have to say that I am not like most Gator fans in that I don't hate Tennessee. I pity them, but I don't hate them. I mean if you stop and think about it how could a Gator really hate Tennessee? They have given the Gators so many victories and so many trips into the SEC championship game! Really the Gators should actually love Tennessee! 59-20 last year and 30-6 this year, and 4 straight wins, wow, we love UT!

And so in honor of my new friends in Knoxville I will sing my special rendition of Rocky Top. Maestro! Rocky Top, you'll always be an easy win for me, Good ol' Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee! Rocky Top Tennessee!

By the way did you see this?

In case you didn't that is Brandon James returning a punt for 78 yards and a touchdown. And that was right after he returned the opening kickoff for 52 yards. Special teams at Florida is where it's at. In fact, I have a feeling that the offense will have pretty low numbers this year largely because of the Gator's special teams. Sorry Tebow no big numbers this year for you, you'll just have to settle for the SEC and National championships!

But one of the biggest surprises this year has been the Gator defense. Here's a stat for you, in 3 games they have given up a total of 2 touchdowns and 19 points. And this defense is a pretty young squad. And yet in spite of their youth, they absolutely smothered the Thug U offense 2 weeks ago, giving up only 3 points and letting them cross the 50 only twice in the whole game.

Ever since Miami made that new rule that their football players were only allowed one felony conviction per semester, a lot of their talent has been kept off the field. Well need to go for now. Man, I'm sure glad football season is here!

too busy to blog

2008-09-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Just wanted to let you all know that I am still on earth and that the rapture didn't take me away. I really like to blog, but I've been too busy to blog. I hope that things will cool off a little in the next few weeks so that I can catch you up on everything.

The main reason for the busyness is ministry. Things at church are going very well. The church is growing, people are experiencing change. But when people are experiencing change it's usually in the midst of trials and hardship and that's where ministry gets busy and that's where I am right now. If you remember pray for us and for me that I will have godly wisdom and renewed stamina. Later.

Allyson Felix

2008-08-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know about one of the athletes on the USA track team. Her name is Allyson Felix and she runs the 200m (she's the one with the red thing on her head). She won the silver in Athens 2004, as well three time US champion and two time world champion in 200m. She recorded the fastest leg ever in a 4x100m relay and was the first women ever to win three gold metals at a world championship. And as of today she has advanced to the 200m final in Beijing and is the favorite to win her first Olympic gold. This is a physically gifted athlete.

Allyson is also committed to the integrity of her sport. She is a member of “Project Believe”, a group of athletes who have volunteered to be tested for performance enhancing drugs out of competition to try and combat the negative image of their sport.

But what I really like about Allyson Felix is her deep faith and devotion to Jesus Christ. I do not know her personally, but I know her father and have met her mother. Her father, Paul Felix, is on the faculty of the seminary I attended and is an ordained pastor. He and his wife have had a huge influence on Allyson's life and on her walk with Christ. Way to go Mom and Dad!

Allyson loves to run and she has a passion for competition, that is clearly evident to all. But her first love and ultimate passion is Jesus Christ. She is truly an Eric Liddell type of athlete. She loves to run, but when she runs she feels God's pleasure. In a time when athletes fail almost daily, she is breath of fresh air, an inspiration that my daughters and other Christian women can look up to.

Thank you Allyson for the example you set. I am very proud of you as a representative of my country, but I am even more proud to call you my sister in Christ.

Please check out her website to the left.

it seems like just yesterday

2008-08-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

It seems like just yesterday that I was holding my new bride enjoying our very first dance as husband and wife. My ears were filled with our song, Nat King Cole's Sentimental Reasons, and my nose was filled with the sweet smell of her perfume. Stephanie looked amazing that night. I'll never forget the moment I first laid eyes on her in her wedding dress. I couldn't believe that I was going to put my ring on her finger and vow my love and devotion to her for the rest my life.

That was ten years ago this Thursday (August 7th). So on Monday I took her up to Chicago for an overnight anniversary date. We had a blast. We spent Monday afternoon at the Navy Pier and had dinner in a little English pub that evening. Every part of it was perfect and new again (at times it felt like we were dating again). We got caught in the rain getting off the bus and snuggled on the "L" on the way back to the hotel. And as we enjoyed our "date" I was reminded all over again why I fell in love with her in the first place. I can honestly and without hesitation say that I love Stephanie, I mean I really love her. But I also really like her. Stephanie is really fun to be with. It has been a fun ten years and I'm so blessed that our time together has really just begun.

Here's somethings I really like about Stephanie:

1. Her eyes. She has the most amazing eyes, they light up a room and my life.

2. Her smile. A smile from my wife can get me through some very dark times.

3. Her hair. I don't know if there is anything extraordinary about it other than that it's connected to her. But I love to run my fingers through it.

4. Her laugh. Stephanie likes to laugh and it's infectious when she does. When she laughs everyone else does too.

5. Her devotion. I once had a friend tell me, "Stephanie adores you." Her devotion is evident to everyone who sees it.

6. Her commitment. I am not an easy person to live with and I make a lot of mistakes, but my wife is so patient and so committed to me she would never think of hurting me with her words.

7. Her purity. I was the first and last person she ever gave herself to.

8. Her thoughtfulness. She is not beyond spending hours and hours and even days planning something special for me. And each part of it has special meaning.

9. Her submission. She epitomizes a godly wife who maintains the extremely difficult balance between being an effective helper (telling me things I don't want to hear) and a gentle follower (knowing when not to say anything).

10. Her example. She models what a godly woman is and does. She is a model wife and model mother. Everyone I know looks up to her and seeks to emulate her.

11. Her friendship. I can honestly say that she is my best friend, my BFF.

I could go on for days describing all the things I like about Stephanie, but suffice it to say, I am madly in love with this amazing woman!

November 1, 2008: The Reckoning

2008-08-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that little stunt last year? Well you know the Gators do. That one has been on the team bulletin board since October 28th last year and the day of reckoning is coming, count on it! Meyer will not let the puppies get away with that one and one serious smack down is on the way. Jim Rome burned on this and captures my sentiments exactly.

7 reasons why the Florida Gators will win the SEC and probably the national championship

2008-08-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

1. The coaching staff: To even the casual observer it is clear that Urban Meyer is one of the best and most innovative coaches in college football today.

2. The Gator offense is simply the best offense in the country, end of discussion. Why do I say that?

Tim Tebow (51 TD's [29 passing, 22 rushing], Heisman Trophy [and virtually every other piece of award hardware he could fit in his trunk], First team all-SEC)

Percy Harvin (4.3 sec. 40 yd, averaged 9.4 yards per carry when acting as RB [BTW he moonlights as a WR, 858 yards receiving in that capacity]. First team all-SEC. Can anyone say "Heisman"?)

Chris Rainey (4.2 sec. 40 yd, actually beat West Virginia's Noel Devine in a foot race and is therefore arguably the fastest player in college football. He is a RB but is just as lethal in the slot)

Jeffrey Demps (4.2 sec 40 yd, RB and WR)

Brandon James (4.3 sec 40 yd, RB, WR and KR)

Donte Thompson (4.3. 40yd, WR)

Louis Murphy (One of the best deep threat WR's in the SEC)

Emmanuel Moody (4.3 40 yd, USC transfer. Even though he is big, he is an extremely fast and illusive RB. He reminds me a lot of Bo Jackson)

Cornelius Ingram (First team all-SEC tight end that works just as well as a WR)

One of the best offensive lines the Gators have ever had, boasting two all-SEC offensive linemen

With all that speed on the field at the same time we might need NASA to determine if the Earth's rotation is in danger. Can you imagine the nightmare that an opposing defensive coordinator will have when he sees four 4.2/4.3 WR's on the field with a 4.3 RB all at the same time? And don't even try single coverage! Then who's gonna cover Tebow? Two words: you lose.

Speaking of Tim Tebow. By the end of his sophomore year he already had more rushing TD's than Emmitt Smith, Hershel Walker and Bo Jackson had in their entire college careers! Just in case you didn't know that.

3. The only other team in the SEC that can really give Florida a run for their money is Georgia. But here's the thing, historically the dawgs are underachievers and simply cannot measure up to high expectations. And they have only beat Florida 3 times in 18 years. Bottom line: the Gators own the puppies. (By the way Mark Richt's little celebration stunt last year did little but fuel the Gators already fanatical passion for revenge. Way to go Coach Richt!)

4. The Michigan loss last year hurt the Gator's pride and they will be out to prove they were better than that by mercilessly beating down every team they meet this year.

5. One of the best pass rush defenses in the nation.

Carlos Dunlap, 6-6 290 lb Defensive end, runs (get this) a 4.6 40 yd! (this kid returned ricks in High School)

Jermaine Cunningham was a nightmare last season and was for all intents and purposes the Gator's defensive line, now he has a lot of talented help. Be afraid Matthew Stafford, be very afraid!

6. Brandon Spikes LB. Need I say more? Spikes is first team all-SEC and is the epitome of what a middle linebacker should be. All I have to say is "Knowshon who?"

7. As far as the national championship goes, the superiority of the SEC virtually guarantees the SEC champ a spot in the big dance. And the BCS will no doubt give the hapless Buckeyes another opportunity to embarrass themselves on a national stage.

Well that's all I've got right now. If you're not a Gator, you must be Gator bait!

P.S. Be sure and check out Jim Rome's burn under the topic "November 1, 2008: The Reckoning" on this blog

a great day of worship

2008-07-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

If you've been to Justin's blog (huttshead.wordpress.com) you've seen this pic and heard about the service we had on Sunday. It was truly amazing. We had planned it all out and knew what we were doing, but we had no idea that it would have the effect that it had.

We were looking at what Paul said in Colossians 2:13-15, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the certificate of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."

The service included each person writing their sins on a "certificate of debt" and signing their names. Then everybody went forward to "nail' their sins to the cross. They then went to a communion table and took communion. It was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had. There's just something about writing out your sins (specific sins) and then putting them on the cross, knowing that your debt has been canceled, the wrath of God has been averted because God's own Son absorbed that wrath Himself.

It was a powerful reminder of the tremendous price that was paid for our forgiveness and restoration. And as I watched one person after the other (many of them weeping) and nailing their sins to the cross, the cross became filled, top to bottom, all along the sides, overlapping, becoming a very vivid picture of the weight of sin that our Savior bore . . . for us. I had prepared the message and helped plan the service, but I was not prepared for how I would be affected by reflecting on the cross in that way.

As I thought about the service afterward and talked to some of the people, I got to thinking: How often do we focus long and hard on the just wrath of God that is stored up against sinners when we present the gospel? How often do we make the sinner feel the weight of God's righteous law crushing them, threatening to condemn them for an eternity of eternities? How often do we make the sinner realize that he is God's enemy, guilty of cosmic treason against the King of the universe? It's no wonder that grace fails to amaze us anymore. No one will truly cherish the sweetness of God's mercy until they have tasted the bitterness of God's justice.

Jesus, thank you for taking the wrath for me. I deserved only God's just wrath poured out on me for an endless, never ceasing eternity, but with amazing love you took my place. You bore the curse so that I could obtain blessing. I'm forgiven because you were forsaken. You became sin so that I could become the righteousness of God in you.

my vacation book

2008-07-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

"'You can be young, passionate about Jesus Christ, surrounded by diversity, engaged in a postmodern world, reared in evangelicalism and not be an emergent Christian. In fact, I want to argue that it would be better if you weren't.' The Emergent Church is a strong voice in today’s Christian community. And they’re talking about good things: caring for the poor, peace for all men, loving Jesus. They’re doing church a new way, not content to fit the mold. Again, all good.

But there’s more to the movement than that. Much more. Kevin and Ted are two guys who, demographically, should be all over this movement. But they’re not. And they give you the solid reasons why. From both a theological and an on-the-street perspective, Kevin and Ted diagnose the emerging church. They pull apart interviews, articles, books, and blogs, helping you see for yourself what it’s all about."

So says the "back of the book." I read this book while I was on vacation (have you seen the pictures and video?) and I whole-heartedly recommend it. Regardless of my less than glowing endorsement of Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis (below) I am attracted to the emergent movement in many ways. It's fresh, engaging, creative, and raw. It's not afraid of asking difficult questions and probing (and at times smashing through) boundaries laid by centuries of unbiblical tradition.

And though I'm not emergent, I also enjoy reading emergent books because they excel in two very important ways. First, they're actually interesting and lack the mind-numbing dullness that characterize much of evangelical writing. Secondly, they engage the reader intellectually and emotionally, or emotionally and intellectually. Also something evangelicals often can't do at the same time (BTW both of those reasons also make them dangerous and effective tools for deception).

Why We're Not Emergent is a great book for both of those reasons (minus the deception). But it's also a great book in that it critiques a generational movement from within. When I read D.A. Carson's Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church I was very impressed and glad it was written. But it kind of came across as an old theologian from an earlier (and maybe more rigid) generation criticizing a new dynamic generation that just wanted to be relevant to their generation. Well, Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck are anything but old. In fact, they're still probably a little "wet behind the ears" (neither are much more than 30). But this is one of the things that make their critique so effective. They write like emergent authors and they even look like them (yes the emergent church has "a look").

But as much as I enjoy the writing, the content is where it's the strongest and makes it more than worth the read. The authors slice through the blurry morass that is emergent theology in a way that anyone can understand. If you want a balanced, well-researched, engaging critique of the emergent movement, this is it. Check it out. I don't think you'll be sorry you did.

repainting the christian faith. . .hmm subversive

2008-07-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

If you ask those who know me, they will tell you that I have a subversive streak. And that streak sometimes makes me read things I wouldn’t normally read. When I hear someone like John MacArthur or Al Mohler say, “Don’t read this book,” that book typically rises to the top of my reading list. When I left home to join the Navy, the last words my mother said when I got on the bus was “Don’t come back with a tattoo!” Can you guess what was at the top of my “to do list” when I got out of boot camp? Yeah (does anyone know how I can get rid of this stupid thing?). I’m also a sucker for catchy titles that lack any substance at all. And so when a friend of mine asked, “Have you read Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell?” and then said, “Don’t waste your time,” I was hooked!

So off to the book store I went. After a bit of stumbling around, I found the book and took it off the shelf. As I looked at the cover, I started involuntarily humming Revolution by the Beatles. I wasn’t sure why at first until it dawned on me that Rob’s book looks like the Beatles’ White Album (someone once told me not to listen to it; guess what I did). Like the White Album, it’s all white with a very subtle (and vertical) title: Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (how cool is that? very cool and quite subversive). Well, there I am perusing the book when this salesgirl, who was all of about 17, comes up to me with slightly vacant eyes and says, “That’s a totally cool book, the best I’ve ever read!” and then she added with wide eyes, “It’s really deep” (puzzled look on my face). Now I’m really hooked. So I paid the $20 (you’ve got to be kidding me) and took it home.

As I read, I noticed right away that Rob likes to shock his readers. Now shock is a good tool in writing, but sometimes it’s a just a ploy to get a reader to keep reading something that’s not written very well. There’s a little bit of both in Rob’s book. I do like the “blog style” and the one word chapter titles (it’s kind of . . . I don’t know . . . subversive). I love emergent books. I hate them too.

WEEDS

I must say that I really appreciated some of Rob’s thoughts on the cross of Christ. “There is a once-and-for-all work of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and saying, ‘It is finished.’ Nothing more to be offered . . . Jesus’ death perfectly satisfies God . . . all has been forgiven.”And then he adds, “The point of the cross isn’t forgiveness. Forgiveness leads to something much bigger: Restoration (italics mine). God isn’t just interested in the covering of our sins; God wants to make us into the people we were originally created to be” (p. 108). Well said Rob.

However, having said that, I have to say that I didn’t like the book. Rob Bell is seminary trained (Fuller) and should know that much of what he says about theology, hermeneutics, and historical backgrounds of the Bible is simply not true. He has either forgotten much of what he has learned, or worse, he is depending upon an evangelical community that has become biblically and historically illiterate and increasingly susceptible to novelty.

RAINCOAT

Here are some examples. On page 22 he likens the doctrines of the Christian faith to springs on a trampoline, and jumping on the trampoline to living the Christian life. “The springs aren’t God. The springs aren’t Jesus. The springs are statements and beliefs about our faith that help give words to the depth that we are experiencing in our jumping. I would call these the doctrines of the Christian faith.” Then he states that if a “spring” is questioned and found to be false we can still jump on the trampoline. What’s really troubling is the spring he chooses is the virgin birth! “What if that spring were seriously questioned?” he asks, “Could a person keep jumping? Could a person still love God? Could you still be a Christian?” (p. 26). “If the whole faith falls apart when we reexamine and rethink one spring, then it wasn’t that strong in the first place, was it?” (p. 27).

Statements like that make me wonder about Rob’s theological depth. There are several single springs that the entire faith rests on, and if only one is found to be fallacious the entire faith crumbles. The apostle Paul agrees. He emphatically stated that if the resurrection of Christ (that’s a spring too) is found to be "just a bit of mythologizing," then our “jumping” is in vain (1 Cor. 15:14-19).

In fairness, Rob does affirm the virgin birth of Christ (p. 27). But if I can still jump without it, then it’s just irrelevant. In my opinion, reducing a doctrine as critical as the virgin birth to irrelevancy is as bad as denying it (it might even be worse).

This irrelevancy of doctrinal truth is rooted in the general emergent understanding that the point of Christianity is not believing the right things, but rather living the right way. While it is important to live the right way, how could one do that if he didn’t believe the right things? In fact, the apostle Paul’s rhetorical style typically focused on doctrine (the right things to believe) followed by practice (the right way to live). In the NT, doctrine is always the foundation for living.

A common theme that undergirds some of Rob’s ambivalence toward doctrine is the emergent emphasis on just “having a relationship with God.” It’s not about knowing facts about God, they say, it’s about having a relationship with God. That sounds cool, but it doesn’t make any sense. What kind of meaningful, loving relationship could I have with my wife, for example, if I knew nothing about her? Unless I love her for the facts of who she is and what she has done, and what she is doing, I’m just loving a formless, empty void.

BUILDINGS

Here's an other one, for some reason comparative religions is a well that Rob likes drawing from, but he either knows little about it or depends upon his readers not knowing much about it. For example, on page 26 referring to a hypothetical discovery that disproves the virgin birth, he speculates, “What if . . . the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in to appeal to the followers of Mithra and Dionysian religious cults that were hugely popular at the time of Jesus, whose gods had virgin births?”

First of all (Ben Witherington points this out), the cult of Mithra didn’t even exist before the first century A.D. and therefore is of no relevance to the NT. Secondly, the cults of Mithra and Dionysius were not religious cults that centered on real historical people (unlike Christianity) and therefore didn’t talk about actual virgin births any more than they talked about bodily resurrections of a person like Jesus. To interact with these ancient pagan cults, requires some knowledge of them and yet how can he get it so wrong? It makes me wonder if he’s just trying to pull a fast one on gullible readers.

DOOR

Here’s one more example. Rob loves to view Jesus and His followers through the lens of early Judaism. This is wrong-headed in so many ways. First, Jesus was not a Rabbi. In fact, there’s no biblical or extrabiblical evidence that any ordained Rabbis existed during the time of Jesus (is there a single recorded encounter that Jesus has with a rabbi in the gospels?). Not only that but the Talmud and the Mishna do not describe the world that Jesus lived in. They describe a Judaism of nearly 150 years after Jesus. Things were very different then (2 Jewish wars had been fought, Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed and made into a pagan city with pagan temples). It would be like someone 2,000 years from now trying to understand life in the mid-1800's with books written in 2006.

Rob also enjoys reinterpreting (or repainting) Jesus’ binding and loosing statements into a method of accepting or rejecting certain interpretations (p. 49). Rob never clearly explains how he came up with that. He does cite some sources, but I’m still trying to figure out how they apply to what Jesus said. Furthermore, is there a single instance in the gospels where Jesus applies this binding and loosing principle to interpretation? (the answer is no). I guess it just “seemed good to Rob” (p. 57).

SCREAM

There are also things about this book that just irritate me. Where does the Bible even imply that we should celebrate mystery? (p. 34) I know it sounds cool and kind of hip, but again are we suppose to celebrate mystery? In fact, the NT always refers to mystery as something that was hidden, but is now revealed. Now, granted there are things about God and His ways that are mysterious and difficult to understand, but are we supposed to make that into some kind of spiritual discipline?

Furthermore, questions, questions, questions. Rob loves to revel in questions that have no answers. In fact, according to Rob and many other emergent writers, questions seem to be an end in themselves, and when we get the answer it ruins it. It's like Bono's refrain, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for." Rob, quoting Sean Penn (what?), says, “When everything get’s answered, it’s fake. The mystery is the truth” (wow, really deep). Again, this sounds cool and hip and maybe even humble, but it makes no sense. The mystery is the truth? (If anyone can explain to me what that means, please I am all ears).

So much of emergent thinking is like this. It's all about the journey not the destination. It's about seeking truth, but not really finding it. A musician once said, "These days it's cool to search for God, but it's not cool to find Him."

Now, the Bible does raise questions, and sometimes questions that can’t be answered, and there are mysteries that are far deeper than our abilities to comprehend them, but that’s not the Bible's purpose. The Bible doesn't present itself as a book that will give you fodder for reveling in unanswerable questions. The Bible is a huge answer to every question that is worth asking and it presents itself that way.

BLUE

Well, I could go on and on. But here’s the bottom line: Rob Bell is really good at saying a lot of things without really saying anything, which is really my take on the emergent movement as a whole. In the final analysis, I don't believe the emergent movement (Rob's strand included) can last over the long haul because it lacks content. People don’t give their lives for questions and mysteries; they give their lives for answers and certainties. I guess I should have listened and not read the book. But as I said, I have this subversive streak. BTW I do like the nooma dvd's, for the most part he did a good job on those.

As I thought about how to end this post I realized that a lot of pastors have embraced this book and others like it. I can understand a 17 year old who lacks a theological education embracing it and even enjoying it, but what really amazes me is the degree to which it is embraced by people who should know better. That is sad indeed. If you’re a pastor or even a lay leader and you’ve embraced this stuff, remember that God isn’t looking for people who are hip or cool (or even subversive), he is looking for people who are faithful.

Well I guess I better go and check out Al Mohler’s “do not read list.” Later. (sorry it was so long)

here are some better quality shots

2008-07-02T18:02:00.001-07:00

The video slideshow below lost a a lot of the photo quality and so I included some of the nature shots in a Slide slideshow. Just open the viewer and then hit "original view" to see the pictures in a browser. You can see them large that way. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

vacation 2008 slideshow I promised

2008-07-01T22:58:00.001-07:00

I hope you all enjoy. I finally got my Windows Movie Maker to work. This was a great vacation!

vacation 2008 is in the books

2008-06-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well, vacation 2008 is now in the books. We're back in Indiana and back in the saddle again (I'm still not sure if I am happy about it). This was by far the best vacation we've ever had. And what made it so good is a lack of any real schedule. Each day we decided that morning what we would do and we went wherever we wanted and stayed as long as we wanted (how cool is that?).

We spent the first week in the Smoky Mountains (7 nights in the tent!), hiking, climbing, and swimming. We found a place on Big Creek to take baths and swim. We'd take our soap down into the Creek and soap up and rinse off. Man, that water was some kind of cold, but it was the best bath I ever had. Stephanie said she loves bathing with the spiders. Oh yeah, we also learned that little girls and bugs don't mix. Adi woke up the entire campground with a blood-curdling scream when a spider cornered her in the bathroom!

We spent our second week in Birmingham with Matt and Abbey Gore and Nick and Michelle Quinn. What an awesome time. All we did was . . . well . . . nothing! The Gore's are really good hosts. If you're ever going through Birmingham feel free to drop in on them any time and stay for a few days. They have plenty of room and food. Don't worry just tell them Kenny sent you! And they won't care because they're free like butterflies (that's an inside joke, just didn't want anyone to think I was weird or something).

The Quinns are great hosts too, but when they had us over for dinner they didn't even feed us until like 10:00 o'clock! So, if Nick and Michelle ever have you over be sure to stop and get a burger on the way, because it'll be awhile before you get to eat (Michelle, stop with the awkward eyes--another inside joke).

And of course no trip to Birmingham would be complete without ribs at Dreamland (we didn't have to wait for those). If you have never had ribs at Dreamland, they are worth the trip to Alabama, trust me on that. Any pig would be honored to give his life (and his ribs) to Dreamland.

Now for some pictures. Here's a shot from about 6,500 feet on the Appalachian Trail. It runs on top of a ridge where you can see Tennessee on one side and North Carolina on the other. Absolutely gorgeous. We stopped and took some time just to reflect on the greatness and the beauty of our God. We read Scripture, prayed and sang some praise songs. I could have stayed there for the rest of my life.

Here's our new tent at our campsite at Big Creek. Our old tent was getting kind of ragged out. As you can see even though the tent is a brand new Coleman I "tarp it" just in case. Mr. Kenny does not like to get wet. We also have some laundry hanging out there for a nice homey touch.

I hiked 5 miles to get this picture. And it was the second time that I had done it. The first time Steph and the girls and I went out but when we got to the waterfall the batteries in our camera were dead (I'm the biggest Charlie Brown in the world). So a few days later I sent the girls into town to get supplies and I went by myself to get this shot of Hen Wallow Falls and loved every minute of it.

If we can figure out our Windows Movie Maker, I'll post a slide show movie of our vacation. It's not letting us publish, some stupid error message keeps coming up. I know you MAC freaks are saying, "If you had a MAC . . . if you had a MAC . . ." Shut up! Anyway, great trip, great vacation, great memories.

we've gone dark

2008-06-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Just to let you all know, we've gone dark for awhile and will not be back online until the 16th of June. We're on a very secret mission in the Smokey Mountains (vacation).

this is a football

2008-06-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

I’ve been preaching a topical series on Sunday mornings called This is a Football. (I hate topical series, but I usually do one a year). Anyway you might be wondering why I called it that. For those who know a little about football history probably remember when Vince Lombardi took over the ailing Green Bay Packers. The team had just finished one of its worst seasons in franchise history and Coach Lombardi knew why. The players, though very talented and very committed to the game, had forgotten one of the most important things about playing the game: they had forgotten the fundamentals of football—things like protecting the football, sound tackling and blocking. Fundamentals. And because they had forgotten the fundamentals, they were ineffective and they weren’t winning. So the coach called a team meeting and said, “We need to get back to the fundamentals.” He picked up a football, held it over his head and said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

The Christian life can be like that. There are certain basics, fundamentals of life in Christ and if we don’t get them right, we’ll be ineffective and stunted. And yet sometimes they are so basic that we overlook how absolutely critical they are in our walk with Christ. They are footballs. And so that’s why I called the series This is a Football. And though I hate topical series (I think I already said that), I have really been enjoying this one. The first message was Welcome to the Team and focused on God’s sovereign grace. The second message was Meet the Coach about the Lordship of Christ.

(BTW a word of caution to preachers: in your attempt to come up with catchy, cute titles don’t let those titles diminish the glorious truth that you’re communicating.)

The third message was Here’s the Playbook: Living under the authority and power of God’s word. And then this past Sunday was the fourth message entitled, Keep your Head in the Game: trusting God with my future. That's the one that I want to tell you about. (I enjoyed it so much I went over by 15 minutes . . . My church is far more gracious than I deserve)

One of the texts I was dealing with was Matthew 8:23ff where Jesus and the disciples put their boat in and went fishing. The text says that there arose a “great storm.” The Greek says mega seismos or a mega seismic event. So it must have been a really nasty storm. But here’s the question: Didn’t Jesus check the weather channel? Did He know the storm was coming? I am sure He did. Here’s another question: Could He have prevented the storm? Yeah, I’m sure He could have. So, here's my best attempt at logic: If Jesus knew the storm was coming, and if He could have stopped it but chose not to, then it seems that Jesus wanted the storm to come, that He was happy about the storm, that He was glad about the storm. Here’s why I think He was glad about the storm: That storm as harsh and as frightening as it was would teach the disciples something about Him and the life of faith that they could have never learned otherwise.

Do you remember John 11 when Mary and Martha were all stressed out about their brother Lazarus being sick and on the verge of death? The text says that Jesus deliberately stayed where He was for another 2 days. Of course Lazarus died. But what was really striking was that in John 11:14 Jesus told His disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” Now don't miss this: that is an awesome insight into how Jesus feels about the storms in my life. He wants the storms in my life, He wants me to experience tragedy, He wants me to suffer. And the reason He wants that is because those are the means through which His transforming grace flows. He loves me so much that He will spare me no pain to make me like Him.

The most common question believers ask when they experience hardship is “why?” But you know what? That’s a really stupid question, because we already know why. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” That’s why I suffer, that’s why Jesus likes storms in my life. He wants to change me.

In fact, when I find myself in one of those mega seismic events that rocks my world, I no longer ask why? (it's a stupid question right?) Instead of asking, “God, why?” I ask “God, what? What are you trying to change in me? What sin are you trying to kill in my life? What attitude are you trying to uproot? And usually the nature of the storm and the fears it produces tell me a lot about what He’s after. That’s a football.

Vacation planning and thinking about the greatness and beauty of God

2008-05-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Steph and I are planning our vacation and part of it will be in Birmingham Alabama (which is why I changed my playlist to more appropriate music). Abbey and Michelle are planning a get-together for everyone on either the 14th or the 21st of June. And we're gonna eat BBQ until we're full as ticks! yee ha! I am so looking forward to seeing all the cool people I went to college with and just people I've known. I really want to invite everyone, but I don't really know how to do that. So if you want to know details just ask Abbey or Michelle, they're kind of arranging things.

(Steph says you should turn off the Lynard Skynard now and turn on "I can only imagine" or another praise song because she says that the greatness of God and Lynard Skynard don't go together very well. I love my wife)

The first leg of our vacation will be in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina side). We're shooting for Big Creek campground (we stayed there 2 years ago). Last year we did the Rockies. All I can say about the Rockies is "God, You are phenomenal!"

This picture was taken at about 12,000 feet. This little picture can't do the immensity of these mountains any justice at all. I can remember standing there and being in a state of absolute awe, but at the same time being a little afraid of being there. The Bible tells us that the creation exists to reveal the greatness and glory of God (Isaiah 40:12-26). And that mixed sense of awe and fear (aren't those kind of the same things?) at 12,000 feet gave me a taste (an extremely small taste) of what it will be like to stand in the presence of glory, fully justified by the blood of the Lamb. I can only imagine.

Here's an amazing, God glorifying shot of Long's Peak (14,259 ft.). My oldest daughter (Clarissa) and I have a standing commitment to climb to the peak when she gets a little older (I just hope I'm not too old).

But this year we'll be in the Smokies again. The Smokies are not as impressive in size and majesty, but they more than make up for it in breath-taking beauty. Here's some great shots.

When I think about these 2 vacation experiences, I conclude that the Rockies remind me of God's immensity and majesty, and the Smokies remind me of His stunning beauty. Please pray for us that as we enjoy God's creation that our love for Him would grow and that our worship would flame with intensity! God, you are truly amazing.

Also please pray for my family. I love to hike and climb dangerous cliffs and I wear out Steph and the girls. Hope to see everybody.

okay, okay!

2008-05-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay! You guys are like so totally lame! I took Amos Moses off the first spot in my playlist because there are some people (who shall remain nameless) who don't know good music when they hear it. So for the sake of the less cultured among us, I have pushed Jerry Reed down a few spots. But for those of you who enjoy the finer things in life, he's still on the playlist and you can find him and listen to your heart's content.

Straight Up 2008

2008-05-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to tell everyone about a conference that a group of us from our church is going to this October 5-7. It's the Straight Up Conference in Chicago. And here's why I love this conference. . . Well let me tell you what I hate about a lot of pastor's conferences before I tell you what I love about this one. I used to go to these lame conferences that focused on methods and strategies and how to's. Everything from how to be more relevant in your preaching (or should I say your "conversation"?) to how to get your people to give more to how to start a cookie ministry! and a bunch of other horizontal blah, blah, blah. And the thing that is conspicuous in its absence is . . . well, God.

That's why I love the Straight Up Conference. It relentlessly focuses on God. That is it's stated purpose. It calls us to put God back into our ministries and gets us vertical again. Now, if you're into methodology and a lot of how to's, you might want to go to Willow, but this is a conference that I can whole-heartedly endorse. This year they've got Johnny Mac (John MacArthur), C.J. Mahaney, Joe Stowell and James MacDonald. Check out the promo video; it's from a few years ago. I also put a link to the website on the side. Hope to see you there.

Have you heard of this kid?

2008-05-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of this kid? Just about the time that we thought the mighty Gators didn't need any more speed, especially with the likes of Percy Harvin (1) and Brandon James (25), we signed probably one of the fastest kids in college football. His name is Chris Rainey (8), he's a running back and ran a 4.5 in the 40 . . . that was after he tripped and fell down on the starting line! Without tripping he runs a 4.2! That is amazing! Everyone was talking about Noel Devine of West Virginia being the fastest player in D1 football. Well Chris Rainy (8) heard about that too, and because they live about 20 miles apart Chris called Noel on his cell phone and told him to meet him in the Wal-Mart parking lot for a foot race (that's the way we handle stuff in the south). Devine showed and Rainey smoked him.

In the Orange and Blue spring game, Rainey was prolific and probably got the starting spot at RB and slot receiver (gotta love that spread option). Can you say "Emmanuel Moody (21) who?" He was the RB transfer from USC (that's Southern Cal). We had hopes that he would take a lot of pressure off Tebow (15). But as we often see from the Pac-10, they're pretty, but they aint sturdy enough for the SEC. He has speed and talent and looked good in the spring game, but if you hit him solid, he'll drop the football. He also struggles with the Florida heat and humidity. So Moody, we'll give you some touches, but don't hurt yourself, you're not lining up against those sissys at UCLA anymore!

But I say all that to say this: I would so hate to be on the defensive squad of Tennessee or Georgia or LSU right now. Go Gators!

this freaks me out a little bit

2008-05-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

A call to political cynicism

2008-05-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am something of a political junky. I love to watch it, I try to keep up with it. And I like to see it unfold. In fact, this political season is some of the best entertainment I have seen in years, especially the democratic primaries. So I am not calling for the end of politics, it's my chief source of entertainment. Nor am I calling for evangelicals to stay home on election day. But what I am calling for is to remember what politics is and to remember that at the end of the day politicians serve themselves. That's why the word politician has historically been a pejorative term.

But here's why I am writing this: I am extremely concerned and have been for some time about how many of us who claim the title evangelical have sought to politicize our faith and sanctify politics. I cannot think of many things more toxic to the faith than politics and more repugnant than trying to sanctify the political process. Do we have a single biblical injunction that says we should wed ourselves to a political party or agenda? No we do not. And yet what are we called? The Christian Right, which is another way of saying that we are the religious wing of the Republican party.

But how much of the unbelieving world see us as followers of a crucified God who absorbed the fury of His own wrath to rescue a sinful and corrupted humanity? Often we are seen as followers of George Bush or John McCain, and our agenda is drilling for oil in ANWR, conservative supreme court justices, and war on terrorism. That is a politicized faith!

Check yourself: do you spend as much time in God's word, in prayer and serving as you do listening to the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News? A politicized faith is unworthy of those who call themselves by the name of the gospel and who endeavor to live by its priorities.

When I see self-serving Evangelical leaders seeking their moment in the national spotlight beside a political canidate I have to admit that I experience feelings that strain my sanctification. Who are they to speak for me? Did I ask them to speak for me? No I don't think I did. A group of centrist evangelicals have called for a pull back from party politics to prevent becoming "useful idiots" exploited for partisan gain (do the names John Hagee and Rod Parsley come to mind?). BTW, the term "useful idiot" was allegedly coined by Lenin to refer to people who by giving moral and material support to a political ideology are in effect braiding the rope that will hang them. While I am in full agreement with the need to call for a "pull back" I wonder if its too little too late.

I want to say this in love, but very directly: Our biblical injunctions are very clear, we are to be a people who are marked by grace and graciousness even toward those with whom we disagree (Tit. 3:1-7). We are to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only thing that can truly transform people, cultures, and countries (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18-ff) I wonder how many of us even believe that the gospel is the power of God anymore.

I am neither a Rebublican nor Democrat. When it comes to politics I am a cynic because I have something at my disposal that has more power than 6 divisions of Abrams tanks and more capacity to produce change than thousands of legislators. Here it is: God came to earth, became a man, lived a life of perfect righteousness and then was punished for the sins of the world, so that everyone who receives Him by faith will be declared as righteous as He is righteous and will be put on a path of real and lasting change (2 Cor. 5:21).

Together 4 the Gospel

2008-05-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago a few of us from church went to Together 4 the Gospel in Louisville, KY. If you've never been, I'd highly recommend it. It was a great time, I was able to reconnect with a lot of the guys I went to seminary with and enjoy some old and very good friendships. I even got to see John Boy (he makes me laugh).

If I took one thing away from T4G it was to intentionally make the gospel central to our ministry and our preaching again. In our attempt to be relevant, it is amazing how quickly the word of the cross seems to become foolishness to us. The T4G site at t4g.org has all the sessions (I have included a link on the side). I would recommend R.C. Sproul's "The Curse Motif in the Atonement," and John Piper's "How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice."

Also, a group of us are going to the Straight Up Conference in Chicago in October with James MacDonald and Joe Stowell. This is one that our staff go to every year. If you can, try to make it, you will not be sorry you did.

Be afraid, be very afraid!

2008-05-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Football season is right around the corner and all I can say to the SEC East and all those poor wretches in the West who were unfortunate enough to be put on the Gator's schedule: BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!

Last year was truly disappointing (9-4), but 2008 will see a resurgent and very hungry Gator squad, led by the Prince of Krypton himself, Tim Tebow, in the BCS championship game for the second time in 3 years. And with any luck at all we will meet Ohio State and administer their annual SEC smackdown.

I can't wait, this is gonna be great!

The Most Important People in My Life (on Earth)

2008-05-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

These are my very cute daughters. From left to right, Adriana (Adi) age 6, Annalise age 2, Clarissa (Ruthie to me) age 8.

My very hot wife, Stephanie (she will hurt me for that!)

Our vacation to the Rockies

2008-05-02T18:49:00.001-07:00