Go see this movie in April!

At the confrence, this movie was played for a select few of us. It is amazing and chech out their website about more on the movie!

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/home.php

rethink

So I just got back from the rethink conference at the Crystal Cathedral in So. Cal and here are my highlight notes from the speakers.

Dan Kimball- Santa Cruz Pastor (Amazing guy I talked one on one with)
- Good News- there is a growing interest in Jesus in our Culture.
- Bad News- "I like your Christ, not your Christians" Gondi
The older Christians get, stats say the less non- Christians they hang out with. There is a real danger in loosing community. We are not pouring out salt and light into our world.

Chris Seay (Emerging Church)
Not just engaging in being inspired, but living in the movement of God (encounter)
-Church needs to rise up to be love, grace and mercy

Mark Kvamme (One of my favorite speakers- I learned a lot about culture!)
- 60 Seconds
Internet has 10 sec. to get your attention
10 sec. to tell about sight
10 sec. to get interests known
10 to have viewer have "Experience"
- If you spend 3 min on someones website, that business is giving high fives all around!
- 60 Sec. you can:
Read a chap in bible
type 33 words
write 22 words
EVERYTHING IS GOING DIGITAL!
Old way- Write thought out letter where it show heart
New Way- Email, you can backspace and copy paste! LESS THOUGHT!
-Getting more and more difficult to get message across
-newspaper companies getting smaller because everything is going digital.
handshake-Phone-cell phone-email-text message-instant message
!!!WHEN IT GOES DIGITAL, IT IS ALWAYS THERE!!!
-harder to get job because of previous posts!
**"We will soon reniminence about the day our family met around the TV!"**
What do we do with technology to truly build community?
27 trillion emails were sent out last year!!!
""Soon we will have to give our sermons in 60 sec. bites Dr. Shooler"

Asynchronous World
- 100 emails a day (average)
-91% of Mobil users (only one meeter away at all times) loose keys, not cell phone
-More than 50% of teens give at least 10 im's a day
-50% of people email people sitting next to them.
WE ARE TEACHING KIDS NOT TO COMMUNICATE!!!
HOW DO WE GET OUR MESSAGE ACROSS?
Technology -more productive? Is it really? We are not putting full thought in things.

More on the conference later!

I Think I Ate The "NASTY" Bug...

You ever wake up and everything is just wrong it feels? Last Friday, that was me....

Everything was wrong, and I felt bitter. I was angry for really no reason, and my anger (thankfully) did not come out on anyone. It was just one of those days and thankfully it was my day off and the people at work and my wife did not have to see me that way. I did hear something inside saying something to do though. What I heard was go and talk with Rick (Sr. Pastor at the church) and tell him what is going on. I heard the voice inside to have him pray for me. So I did, and it was really good for me. I felt better in my heart as I drove away. The I go get my tires replaced and I have to wait 3 hours for them to be done. That didn't bother me at all, so I just went over to Starbucks and read for my ethics class. While I was sitting there, there was a man next to me that looked over and said, "What are you reading?" I told him that it was a book on Christian Ethics, and that is when the guy went off on me. I am not talking about the usual "I dissagree with you" tone, but the man went psycho billy ninja on me for about 20 min. Serriously, GOd was with me in that moment, because the "human" side of me wanted to ninja him up but once again, I heard a calm voice within saying, "Just listen to him!!!" I sat through 20 min of some of the most brutal attach on not just Christianity, but CHrist himself. But I listened, and I listened. When he was done, he said, "So big shot, what did he [Jesus] do for you?" I shared with him in about 2 paragraphs worth of my testamony and he was calm! The guy that just went off on me was calm! He did not say a word, just sat in his seat. Nothing else happened, but 2 min went buy and he calmly got up and walked out the door. I have no idea what happened in him, or what the Spirit of God was doing right there in the moment, but it was cool. What if I would have spoken up against the Spirit's direction, I have been asking myself? COuld he have been definsive? I have all the right to stand up for my Savior, but God was saying wait Joel, just wait for my ok.

That is one thing that impresses me about Jesus so much as we read in scriptures. Jesus waited on what God wanted him to do. Not just that, but Jesus' and His Father's relationship was so tight, that the Father even told Jesus how to say it! When, how, what body language, tone and timing.

We get caught up sometimes and try to overstep God and forget that it is better in His timing. In a time of crisis (does not even have to be a time of crisis), when was the last time that you listened that intently to God's direction? What might happen in you if you obeyed? What could happen to others if you obeyed that closely?

Can the Holy Spirit Teach Us?

the holy spirit is also called a councilor, and when you experience the holy spirit pointing something out in your life, the spirit is trying to teach you something! I remember in my younger years trying to say that the spirit was just my mind, but I am learning to listen and obey whatever i hear the spirit say. You might say to yourself, i am not sure that it really is the spirit though... what I would say to you is this, keep listening to his voice, everyday take time out and listen to god speak in your life. eventually you will begin to understand his beautiful voice speaking to you.

Disturbed

I read this post from Perry Nobel's blog, and I had to share it with you all!


“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little. When we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord.”

DANG!

First of all–THAT is going on my wall in my office!

Second of all–I WANT THIS!

I think one of the greatest sins that is prominent in the realms of Christianity is that we dream too small of dreams and pray too small of prayers.

I want the All-Mighty to disturb me!

I want to be disturbed in my personal walk with Him…I don’t want to merely have a quiet time just to do it–but I want my time with Him to be real, intimate and convicting.

I want to be disturbed as a husband…I don’t want to come home and fall in love with routine, thus nullifying romance. I want Him to disturb me…to get me OUT of my comfort zone relationally.

I want to be disturbed as a father…not ever looking at my little girl as a hindrance but rather as THE primary discipleship opportunity the Lord has given to me.

I want to be disturbed as a leader…to dream bigger and attempt more than we’ve ever tried–because Philippians 1:6 is true and He is so much larger than we could ever imagine.

I am praying that God will disturb me. How about you? Any areas you need to be disturbed in?

Mystery Trip 2008

We are going to go all out on this one again. This last summer we did a lot of one day mystery trips, and I thought it was a little bit a flop, so we are bringing it back (an extended mystery trip). If you are interested in going email me and I will place you on the list. Start saving your pennies, well dollars, it will be about $300. We are going to do this trip in place of Spirit West coast this year.

So, how was your Christmas?

Wow, what a Christmas! I got back on Saturday night from so cal and it was a lot of fun besides being sick with a sinus infection the whole time. It didn't really slow us down though. My father in law took me deep sea fishing, and man was the wind howelling! It was cold and wet, but I learned a lot about fishing technique. I caught 2 calaco bass, but mainly had a good time hanging out with dad!

Got a lot of fun things for family for christmas too!

How was yours?