Daily Read October 12, 2009

Mark 16:3-6, NIV

"³and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

⁴But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him."

Now there are some exciting verses!!!

Jim

Daily Read October 11, 2009

Colossians 4:5-6, NIV

"⁵Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

Fat guy running club...

So I'd been toying with an idea for a while.

In high school, sports was a regular part of my life. Even in college, sports was still a regular part of my life as I continued to lift weights and play basketball regularly. But since being in ministry for the past 10 years, I haven't had a regular "sports fix."

So I had been thinking about taking up running. But I had never done it. (My sister has... she was a great cross country running in high school and continues to run and is 'way' fast!)

So I'd been seriously thinking about it for the past couple of years. But the timing was never right. Finally this summer, I thought "if it's going to happen, there's no better time than now."

So I started (August 8).

I started with a goal in mind. Last year when our students were in the Dominican Republic for our missions trip, there was a 10k happening that weekend. So I thought, "I'll get myself ready and if that 10k is that same weekend as last year, then I'll be ready to run it." So that's what I'm working toward.

But I thought that a 10k race shouldn't be my first race. So I decided to run the Naperville Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving 5k.

So I've been working on this goal for the 8 weeks. I haven't blogged out it, even though it's been showing up on my twitter feed. (Basically I didn't blog it in case it didn't work out and then I wouldn't have looked like a failure.)

But the experience has been anything but that.

Today was my final day of my initial running training cycle. I was amazed that I ran 30 minutes without stopped. (Pretty good for a guy who has been noted to 'run to the fridge, but walk back.') And actually when I looked my mileage, I ran 3 miles without stopping. That amazed me more than 30 minutes!!!!

So, next week I start on my 5k training cycle. Although I'm a couple of weeks further along than I thought I was. My 5k will be on Thanksgiving 7 weeks from now. And I'm hoping that my 10k will be on March 28th, 2010.

Where we go from there... who knows... But I am starting to enjoy it. Today, for the first time, I think that I experienced what some refer to as "runner's high." That was exciting.

If you are running and tracking your runs with Nike+, which I am, you can follow me HERE and I can follow you too.

I'm now a part of the "Fat Guy's Running Club." And if there isn't one, maybe I'll be it's first member and President. Plus, the added benefit is that I've lost 20 pounds too!

Jim

P.S.: I figured you would enjoy that picture Steve.

Daily Read October 10, 2009

Colossians 3:23-24, NIV

"23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving"

Daily Read October 9, 2009

Matthew 9:35-38 (New International Version)

³⁵Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Daily Read October 8, 2009

Colossians 2:13-15 (New International Version)

" ¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

Daily Read October 7, 2009

Philippians 4:4-9 (New International Version)

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Ping Pong Balls - Brock Gill

I love this guy!!! He's a Christian illusionist and he is hilarious. This is one of his best tricks. Enjoy!

Jim

Watch it HERE.

Daily Read October 6, 2009

Jeremiah 1:6-8 (New International Version)

⁶ "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

⁷ But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

Logos scholarship for seminarians

Bible study is one of the most important things that we can do as Christians. God has given us an incredible tool in giving us the Bible. It is indeed a powerful weapon and a mighty sword when placed in the hands of those who weld it with excellence.

I have grown in my appreciation of the Bible over the years. I regularly spend time reading and studying it. One of the greatest companions that I have in my study of the Bible is the Logos Bible Software. I wasn't aware of this software until I began my MDiv work at Lincoln Christian Seminary. Now, I couldn't imagine doing Bible study research without it.

LCS believes in the importance of Bible study and therefore they are pretty upfront with their desire that we seminarians use the Logos system. Which is easy for me since I have found that I really like the software.

Then I saw this fall that Logos is giving away seminary scholarships!!! (For real: Check it out HERE (http://www.seminaryscholarship.com/) I would love to land one of these $1000 scholarships (it would almost cover a class at LCS) and would love even more to get some of the resources that come along with some of the other Logos software. So I entered.

If you are going to seminary, you need Logos. And if you are going to seminary, why not apply for a scholarship(http://www.seminaryscholarship.com/)? Watch a short video, give them some information and maybe you'll be using the most powerful tool in Bible study and saving some money in your seminary bill department!

Jim

Feed My Starving Children video

A couple of weekends ago, FVCC took 77 folks to Feed My Starving Children in Aurora. Here is a video of some of the photos from that day. Enjoy

Jim

P.S.: All these photos and videos were taken by my iPhone 3Gs... Just thought I'd throw that in there.

Check it out HERE if you need to.

Daily Read October 5, 2009

Mark 12:28-31 (New International Version)

The Greatest Commandment

²⁸One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

²⁹"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ³¹The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."

Daily Read October 4, 2009

Mark 10:42-45 (New International Version)

⁴²Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Diet Update... week 8

I haven't blogged about my diet lately. For those who are wondering, I'm still working on it.

The month of September has been tough... both on the blogging and on the diet. It started off with 10 days in Caldwell at both of my grandparents' funerals. That was hard on the diet because Mom likes to cook and it's good. So the temptation was always to eat more.

But I'm back on track. And have been pretty good on track the rest of the month. In fact, this morning (after my 2.5 mile run) I weighed in at 260.0. That's a grand total of 18 pounds lost in 8 weeks.

So... so far... so good...
Now let's get rid of another 18 pounds...

Jim

Daily Read October 3, 2009

Mark 9:35-37 (New International Version)

³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

³⁶He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Zelda is sacked out...

Zelda, one of our cats, is totally sacked out on my wife's lap. She's just chillin'.

Jim

Australian School Answering Machine

This cracked me up. Enjoy

Jim

Click HERE to check it out.

Declaration and Address 200 Years Later

As some of you will know, I have recently discovered my love for Church history. I have always enjoyed history, but never really got into the Church's history until my time at Lincoln.

This weekend marks an important anniversary for the Christian Churches, of which Fox Valley Christian Church is a part, as well as our movement's brothers and sisters in the Churches of Christ (non-instrumental) and Disciples of Christ.

This weekend... October 4th... is the 200th year celebration of our movement's founding document, "The Declaration and Address" by Thomas Campbell written in 1809.

The Christian Standard has posted a collection of articles about this important document. I think this 200 year old document, that most in our churches haven't even heard of, has something important to say to us today.

First, Campbell's words: "That the Church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things according to the Scriptures, and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct, and of none else; as none else can be truly and properly called Christians."

The Church (with a capital C) is bigger than my little group of Christian friends that attend a single congregation. The Church is bigger than even our Restoration Movement brothers and sisters. The Church is made up of those who everywhere call on the name of the Lord and follow His Son Jesus Christ with their lives. It's easy for us to believe and live like the Christians who meet inside the four walls of my church are THE church. But Thomas would want to remind us this weekend that that isn't true. (Check out Jesus' prayer for the Church and his followers... John 17:20-23.)

Second, Campbell's words: "That although the Church of Christ upon earth must necessarily exist in particular and distinct societies, locally separate one from another, yet there ought to be no schisms, no uncharitable divisions among them. They ought to receive each other as Christ Jesus hath also received them, to the glory of God. And for this purpose they ought all to walk by the same rule, to mind and speak the same thing; and to be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment."

It's easy to view the church down the street as competition. But the reality is that the congregation down the street is working toward the same goal that we should all be working towards: CHANGED LIVES. The church needs to remember that we are supposed to be about introducing folks who don't know to a Savior Jesus Christ who loves them passionately and died for them so that they could have an eternal relationship with the God who created them. That is the goal. And if that's happening in the church down the street, then that's a win for us. If that's happening in our church, then that's a win for the congregation down the street. (See Matthew 24:14.)

Third, Campbell's words: "That although the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inseparably connected, making together but one perfect and entire revelation of the Divine will, for the edification and salvation of the Church, and therefore in that respect can not be separated; yet as to what directly and properly belongs to their immediate object, the New Testament is as perfect a constitution for the worship, discipline, and government of the New Testament Church, and as perfect a rule for the particular duties of its members, as the Old Testament was for the worship, discipline, and government of the Old Testament Church, and the particular duties of its members."

We don't spend enough time in our Bibles. I'm to blame as well. Most of us own a Bible, but rarely do we read it. Everything in found within it's pages to show us how to live life properly. Instructions are found within it's pages as to how the church should function. There is no clear picture within it's pages of what the church should look like exactly, but what we have is several pictures of how the early church operated. But rarely do we open this book. We need to change that... desperately. (Check out Acts 17:11.)

Finally (and there's more, I'm just choosing to cut it off here for now...), Campbell's words: "That all that are enabled through grace to make such a profession, and to manifest the reality of it in their tempers and conduct, should consider each other as the precious saints of God, should love each other as brethren, children of the same family and Father, temples of the same Spirit, members of the same body, subjects of the same grace, objects of the same Divine love, bought with the same price, and joint-heirs of the same inheritance. Whom God hath thus joined together no man should dare to put asunder."

As I said before, the Church needs to learn how to get along again. If we do, there won't be anything that can stop us (check out Matthew 16:18).

If you would like to familiarize yourself with this document that launched the Restoration Movement, you can read it in it's entirety HERE. The document is long and the language isn't that familiar to our ears. But I think that 200 years later, Thomas Campbell still has some important words for our ears.

Jim

Daily Read October 2, 2009

Mark 9:23-24 (New International Version)

²³" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

²⁴Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Daily Read October 1, 2009

Ephesians 6:10-12 (New International Version)

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.