Last Day | New Blog | Lots of Readers
Where do we begin?
This is the last day to enter to win a copy of Michael Franzese’s book I’ll Make You an Offer You Can’t Refuse. The book is about tactics Franzese used while in the Mafia to run a successful business, and how you can use these strategies to run an organization (legally) today. For more, see my review here.
To win the book, comment on this post and leave your blog, Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, or website URL.
It is that easy to win! One winner will be chosen at random JULY 1st, 2009.
Second! My wife and I have a new blog together!
You can go to www.calledtofitness.com to read about our quest to get in shape and stay that way. If you go there, you can confirm the rumor that I am converting back to being a vegetarian with all your friends. We will be blogging about our diets, exercise, being frugal yet buying healthy foods, and much, much more. Check it out!
Finally, A BIG THANKS!
I will have the final numbers tomorrow morning, but June 2009 will have been the biggest month EVER for www.youseedrybones.com. We have seen 790 visitors (a 35% increase over last month) with over 280 being first timers! I have had repeat visitors from Belgium, the UK, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, and Australia as well as ten other countries and 35 states in the US.
Thanks so much for reading my posts, commenting, and telling others.
Now, go win a free book or check out our new blog 
-Don-
Can We Be IN the World
Without being “OF” the world?
Here is some scatter shot to get the brain moving on Monday morning.
I have been thinking about Jesus telling His followers to be a light in a dark place. To share the truth of the Gospel with the non-Christians. Doing so requires something many Christians themselves frown on. Sure, we think we have good reasons and intentions; but you have to wonder at what point we will start to be obedient.
I’m talking about going into our culture.
Believe it or not, there are many Christians who will not go to the following places out of fear of their own corruption:
- Movie Theaters
- Bars / pubs
- Concerts
- City sponsored social events
- Parades
- Parties
For some it makes sense…a little.
I have a friend who was an alcoholic who refuses to go into bars. I can see how that may be an issue, but feel it is somewhat of a cop-out. This guy has been a Christian for years. Take some friends with you so you can remain accountable. Stop having excuses.
For most of us, avoiding our culture makes no sense at all.
I have been organizing the structure and methodology according to the vision I believe God has given me for His church plant. One of the requirements of members (I know, such a dirty word. How dare a church ask for commitment?) will be to attend a smaller “mini-church” throughout the week. Think of it as a small group on Steroids. Each “mini-church” will have to spend at least one day out of every 30 doing “their thing” in their local culture. What does that look like? Some small groups may choose to meet in a bar or pub. Some might decide to go to a concert together. Others may go to a social event. Who knows. They will have to be creative.
I really think it is time for Christians to get out into the culture and meet people around them.
It’s time for Christians to do what they are called to do. Preach the Gospel and reach the “lost.”
-Don-
Michael Jackson
I am choosing to focus on Michael Jackson the musician, not the tabloid center piece.
I grew up in a home where secular music had to take a hiatus due to legalism. Before that hiatus, there was the Thriller video. You know, the one that was 15 minutes long, had the Vincent Price over-dubbed voice. Zombies. I think my macabre streak is by and large attributed to this video. Whenever I think of Halloween, I think of Thriller. Whenever I think of horror movies, I think of Thriller.
About two months ago, our worship leader played an acoustic version Beat It during warm ups. In my opinion (feel free to disagree) Beat it was the best vocal work Michael ever displayed. I think Bryant, our worship guy, should record his version of Beat It sometime down the road.
Man in the Mirror was a song I always loved. It was probably my second favorite song of Michael’s. I remember when I first heard it. I thought “man, I want to be a singer!”
I have worked with so many musicians in many different genre’s who have cited Michael’s music as an influence.
My friend Lucas and I spent hours upon hours listening to the Weird Al versions of Michael Jackson songs.
We had a running gag at work where one of us would start playing Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough whenever we experienced long tech support issues.
That’s really all I got.
I pray his kids use this tragedy to draw closer to Jesus in order to be comforted.
-Don-
“You’re Supposed to Take Care of Your Kids!”
You Chris Rock fans will get the title of this post.
I was taking a walk in the park today when I started thinking about my kids. I started thinking and praying about them growing up to become great men who loved Jesus with their whole hearts. I want them to grow up not caring much about what others think of them and caring greatly about what Jesus thinks of them. I want my boys to be missionaries to their culture, wherever that may be.
Then I started thinking about the people I know.
I have some co-workers and friends whose parents did not care about such things. This is not to say their parents did not care about their kids, or that they were not Christians (debatable). These are people whose parents made statements like the following:
I do not want to force a religion on my children. I do not want them indoctrinated from a young age. This will make them free to make their own choices as adults.
This is a popular view in parenting. Some idiot wrote a book in which he said (and I paraphrase):
Raising your kids with any kind of religious dogma is child abuse.
Lets start by diagnosing what is philosophically wrong with both of these statements.
Not forcing religion on a child or indoctrinating them with religion is still an indoctrination. In some cases, it is also forcing. You are forcing your child to “figure it out for themselves.” While they can make their own choices as adults, you are providing no parental guidance. This is your indoctrination, that your child is to be alone and unguided.
The second phrase is ridiculous because raising your child without a religious world view is in fact a religion. It is a religion of one making themselves a god and being in complete control.
I would argue in favor of teaching children doctrines and philosophies.
To let your child run out into the world without teaching them is like giving them the keys to a car and not teaching them how to drive. In doing so, we would produce very bad drivers. Sure, we could expect our kids to get the basics down, but overall, they would still be bad drivers.
Or worse, mediocre.
The main problem with Western Christians is the mediocrity and passivity associated with us. We tend to be well known for boycotts and hate than love and evangelism. Shoot, most of us cannot even portray a consistent worldview or knowledge of the Scriptures. We pick and choose which parts of the Bible we want to believe and ignore the rest. We memorize only those verses we agree with. Many of us do not even understand the ramifications of the Cross of Jesus Christ.
If you assumed I was going to indoctrinate my children, you are right.
I want them to be articulate and sound in philosophy. I want them to be passionate, zealous, and obsessive Christ followers.
-Don-
