CT's Most Redeeming Films of 2007

Every year the Christianity Today movie reviewing department puts out a best-of list called "The 10 Most Redeeming Movies." Here's the list for 2007. What's a "redeeming movie"? Here's their explanation:

"They're all stories of redemption—sometimes blatantly, sometimes less so. Several of them literally have a character that represents a redeemer; all of them have characters who experience redemption to some degree—some quite clearly, some more subtly. Some are 'feel-good' movies that leave a smile on your face; some are a bit more uncomfortable to watch. But the redemptive element is there in all of these films."

I'd love to hear from you if you've seen any of these movies and what you thought of them. Were they "redeeming"? The only ones I have seen (including the "Ones that Got Away" list), are Ratatouille, Rescue Dawn (which I highly recommend) and Spider-Man 3.

Help Your Neighbors in Lawrence

Early Monday morning, at the corner of Market Street and Parker, an enormous fire took hold of 14 buildings in the south of Lawrence. One policeman described the scene as a "horror movie." The damage done has been estimated at $4 million, the fire completely destroying or damaging businesses and residences. Sadly, many who lived in these dwellings are now homeless and have little to live on.

If you are able, please help. There are three main ways:

• Pray.
  
• The Eagle-Tribune Newspaper has partnered with the Red Cross and are accepting donations that will go directly to the aid of those in need. Find the info here.
• Habitat for Humanity has stepped up as well and are looking to help rebuild the devastated area as soon as possible. To donate your time and/or money, go here.

Read more about the fire and those affected here and watch the video posted below.

Science and Faith Class This Sunday!!

If you missed the class Decisive Question of Science and Faith two weeks ago, don't fret. There are still two more chances to hear the teaching of Steve Hill. It starts at 9AM at the church and, for all you parents out there, childcare is provided. There really is no reason to miss out!

Eat Your Wheaties, Read Your Bibles

Ok, this isn't anything earth shattering, but I wanted to share how my wife and I have been doing our daily devotions since Christmas. I have always liked using a bible reading plan to stay committed to reading the scriptures each day. I have used the Discipleship Journal Plan in the past and have liked it. But rather than using the plan this year, I bought two copies of a "One Year Bible" that separate the readings for you for every day of the year. I have really liked it. You can get them in any translation, but I got mine in the ESV. You can get them 45% off at the Westminster Book store (and any other ESV) here.

Prayer Items for Moldova Team

On January 6th, we commissioned our first mission team from GracePoint for a 9 day trip to Moldova. (See the picture for the location of Moldova.) As of now, the team has arrived in Moldova safely and begun serving!

I wanted to pass along their schedule so that you can pray for them on a daily basis and do so knowing what they'll be facing.

On Monday (1/21), they will be in Negureni distributing food to the elderly and doing the Face of a Child distribution to village children.

On Tuesday (1/22), they will be in Visoca and Drochia (the village where we paid for new bathrooms to be installed in the orphanage... They are taking pictures of the completed bathrooms!). In those places, they will be doing the Face of a Child distribution and Kim will be helping out at a nearby medical clinic.

On Wednesday (1/23), they will be doing village food distribution along with the Face of a Child distribution. They will also visit local homes to serve them and minister to them.

On Thursday and Friday (1/24 & 1/25), they will be in Cahul working with Steve Davis and the new transition home for older girls (doing Bible studies with the girls). They will also be working with the local orphanages.

On Saturday (1/26), they will begin their trip home and take a flight to Prague, and then they will arrive in Boston on Sunday (1/27).

So let's pray for this team... that God would work through and in them!

Stetzer on CNN

I posted last week on a recent survey done on the unchurched in America. Here is an interview on CNN with the guy (Ed Stetzer) who oversaw that survey. His comments are interesting (as well as the positive feedback from the interviewer).

As Promised

In the January edition of our monthly e-newsletter (check here to see it and also to sign up for a monthly subscription to it), I promised to post the video about Paul Potts, the would-be opera singer who sold cell phones. So here it is and notice how Simon Cowell's initial reaction to hearing Paul is just CLASSIC! And just a warning: the emotional among us will experience a bit of a tear jerk.

"There's gotta be more than this."

Isn't it amazing that he uses the word "god?"

Pray for him.

Your Next Door Neighbors

A friend just passed these survey stats on to me on recent converts and "the most effective forms of evangelism." What's important here is that this is a study on your next door neighbors. Here are a few of the major findings on New England Christian converts compiled by Vision New England:

• For 71%, relationship with a caring Christian friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member, is the single most important factor in seeing a person come to a living faith in Christ.
• 80% of churches list evangelism as one of their top three priorities. Less than 2% of New England congregations experience ongoing adult conversion evangelism taking place.
• Only 14% of converts are coming to faith in Christ in one time conversion event experiences. Previous classic methods of gospel presentation are not as fruitful today as personal relationships & lifestyle witness.

What does this mean for our church in this area? What should we be doing better to reach out to our communities? What can you start doing now?

Check out all 12 here.

A Look Ahead...

Boy Meets Girl will be our next message series on Sunday morning where we'll be tackling a tough and truthful book in the Song of Songs. It is tough because the whole book is a poem, a song that uses foreign metaphors and cryptic images to paint a picture of a God-filled romance.

It is truthful because the whole song paints a whole romance complete with love, intimacy and sex without blushing and without excuses. In fact, this song is so up front with its poetry about the God-given pleasure of intimacy and it's intended climax within marriage that we'll have some PG-13 Sundays where parents will have the option to send their kids to another environment should they choose to do so.

The Song of Songs promises to shock and to awe us with a relational portrait of love, sex, and intimacy between a man and a woman that is filled with God's presence and God's approval. I know that as I've been studying it and trying to understand it, I've been dumbfounded by how beautiful the poetry is and how jaw-dropping romance can be like when God is at the center. When have we ever heard that in church?!

What resources am I using for the messages? Along with the commentaries, I am using three books that I would recommend at various levels. The first is Solomon's Song of Love by Dr. Craig Glickman. Don't ask me how, but somehow, I stumbled onto this gem. Glickman's own poetic explanation does wonders for understanding what is going on in the Song of Songs. He's honest with what it's saying without being crude and in doing so, he elevates the vision of a God-filled romance between a man and a woman.

The second is The Book of Romance by Tommy Nelson. This book has become the standard for explaining and teaching through the Song of Songs. Tommy Nelson doesn't mince words and shoots straight with his explanations and applications. And his experience with college students as a pastor is a plus in both areas.

The third is God on Sex by Daniel Akin. Again, somehow I stumbled onto this book. While Daniel Akin breaks the Song of Song into smaller, bite-sized pieces so that we can digest it more easily, it is very easy to miss the grander scope of the Song of Songs with those smaller sections. Having said that, Daniel Akin does a fairly good job of explaining and applying with a hint of Christendom lying in his audience.

So prepare for a wild ride into the Song of Songs where few have ventured and so have lost out on the beauty and possibilities that lie therein!

Stats that Encourage

If you listened to Piper, you heard him talk about his friend who, after years of bold evangelizing, still lacks courage from time to time when he shares his faith. But should we ever be afraid? Read these results from a recent survey on the unchurched done by a guy named Ed Stetzer:

• 78 percent of those surveyed said they would be willing to listen to someone who wanted to talk about their Christian beliefs. The number rose to 89 percent among adults 18-29 years of age.

• Only 28 percent of adults 30 years and older said they think Christians they know talk to them too much about their beliefs.

• 78 percent of adults 30 years and older said they would enjoy an honest conversation with a friend about religious and spiritual beliefs, even if they disagreed with the friend.

Though we might not always believe it, many of the unchurched people in your lives are more than willing and ready to talk about Jesus. As Dan Rather used to say, Courage!

Read the whole article here.

Boldness in the Workplace

Listen to John Piper talk on how we can be bold in our faith in the workplace. Here is a quote from the audio:

"I suppose everybody thinks of 'Are you going to open your mouth and talk about your Christianity?' And I think we want a mingling there of wisdom and timing and courage. And it really is a lack of courage, I think, that causes people not to speak of their faith."

Resolved

1. To be a husband known for his affection, leadership and passion.

2. To be a good father.

3. To gather strength not from my own creation, but from the deep wellspring of God.

4. To pour over the scriptures, praying all the while.

5. To not be ashamed of the Gospel.

6. To live with all my might, as I do live.