Tithe Rap...

Driscoll on Nightline...

In case you didn't know, I'm a big Mark Driscoll guy. I'll go to bat for him, 'cause he'll go to bat for Christ, any day of the week! This is a new clip of him on Nightline that ran last week. Enjoy!

Church Is a Horrible Hobby...

Last night at work I was listening to my boy, Matt Chandler, via "The Village Church" podcast on my iPod and thought he made some interesting remarks.

He said that going to church and "trying" to be a "good Christian" is a horrible hobby. Trying to keep enough rules to be ok with God, trying to be good enough to make those around you happy and so on, is a horrible hobby. If it isn't out of love for Christ and an act of worship, it's drudgery. Admit it, he's right. I've been there, you've been there, we've all been there, I think, if we're honest.

He said it's like "Halloween" every week.

You put on your "Christian face," get all dressed up and pretend to be something you're not. When asked "how's it going?" you respond "good brother, praise the Lord." Then you walk away knowing you just lied and deep down in your heart you wish you could have told him the truth, sat down, and got some prayer.

Let's be honest about who we really are. We are born-again, Holy Spirit regenerated, Christ followers and Christ worshipers who struggle to live holy lives and battle against the enemy every day of our existence. We are men who everyday must be ready for battle the minute our feet hit the floor. We must be ready to fight at a moments notice for our souls, our families, and our God!

Although we can fool everyone in church, we cannot fool the one who presides over the church. Jesus sees us for who we really are. So why do we pretend on Sunday mornings? Why can't we just be who we are? Sinners saved by God's amazing grace!

Robert Robinson wrote about this in his hymn, "Come Thou Fount," with these words; "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, o take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above."

Does your heart betray you everyday like mine does ? You know the life you want to live, but you feel so prone to wander. Does the church invite the "messy" people like me in? Or do we have Halloween every week? Do Pastors set the example of how to repent of sin, cry out to God for mercy, and plead with the Lord to make us more like Christ every week from the pulpit? Or do they seem so untouchable that the only way to seem anything like them is to fake it, like many of them do? On the streets of Chicago this is called perpetrating, or false flagging. Pretending to be something you're not.

In the end, in some way, I guess we all play church on Sundays. Lord knows I do. Wouldn't want to disrupt the culture you know. If people really knew me for who I am inside they probably wouldn't like me very much. And if I knew them for who they really are, I probably wouldn't like them very much. So I guess we'll go on having Halloween every week in order to "keep the peace." After all, isn't that what good church folk do? God help us...

Going to FFH Concert with Janai...

Tonight I'll be escorting the prettiest little 16 year old girl in Northwest Indiana to Bethel Church in Crown Point to see the group "FFH" in concert. How do I know she's the prettiest little girl in the region? Because she's my daughter and she looks like me! :)

We're both looking forward to our Daddy date night!

Taking Kids To See Franklin Graham

My kids are excited and ready to go, because tonight we're heading to Moody Memorial Church in Chicago to see Franklin Graham as he closes out this year's Founders Week for Moody Bible Institute.

Franklin, in case you don't know, is the eldest son of Billy Graham, who is one the most well know Christians of all time. Franklin is also founder and president of Samaritans Purse, a Christian relief organization.

My oldest son, Stephen Josiah, is a huge Billy Graham fan, and has been waiting for this day to come for some time now. This is a great opportunity for me and my four oldest children to get some time together and do something that will inspire and encourage them in their faith for years to come.

We'll be leaving early to pick up my Mom and several of my nieces and nephews as well.

If you're in the Chicagoland area, carve out a Friday night and join us up there. Doors open 6pm, with the event beginning at 7:15pm!

One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven

I had the privilege last Sunday of hearing Mark Cahill speak live at Bethel Church in Crown Point, IN., and Man let me tell you, he shook me to the core.

His passion for evangelism is unparalleled and his call to the church in America is a much needed wake-up call.

Mark is a former basketball player who played his college ball at Auburn and was teammates with Charles Barkley. After getting his degree in Business and working in the field for a while the Lord called him out and he began his journey of sharing his faith and summoning the people of God to do the same.

He's written a couple of books, "One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven," and "One Heartbeat Away," which you find on Amazon. I would encourage you to visit his website and order his books, listen to his messages, get to know him, and let him challenge you. I don't think I'll ever be the same after hearing him speak. Just last night at work I was able to share my faith with an unbeliever and present the gospel message to him. To God be the Glory!