Rick Nier...Woo!

This is what we think we say. This is what others often hear.       It is quite ironic when we bemoan the declining number of people in church while at the same time not making it any easier for them to join us. Even with our best intentions, sometimes the sign people see is this one.   There is no lack of people holding up this sign. Perhaps we forget too easily there is only one sign we should be showing. It can be called antiquated and irrelevant, but it’s the solution we found. And it’s the only solution that’s ever been given. Jesus is still the Way, the Truth and the Life.  

Certain books cause me to rethink what I'm doing blogging. Oftentimes, it's the books that force me to think about purpose and goals in connection with my blog. That's what Bryan Allain has done to me this past week as I read Community Wins: 21 Thoughts on Building a Thriving Online Tribe . He's also the author of 21 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo . I read that one as well and it gives good insight. But Community Wins  goes further by bring practical action steps for creators of all sorts of tribes. In fact, this book would be more aptly called a workbook. Because that is what it is. Bryan tackles everything from understanding your purpose and defining your goals to networking online and offline. That does still happen, ya know. Each short chapter comes with an exercise. Trust me, if you want the book to make a difference, do the exercises. Otherwise you'll be left seeing other people create while following these very do-able steps. Here's the best...

In my more sane moments, I do have to go back and questions what I was thinking. Actually, that's something I have to do a lot. But at the time, we needed the money. And so did those teens I was working with. It seems so long ago now, but the danger seemed real enough then. And please realize that I was not alone in the absurdity of my thinking. I take you back to a country church where I used to serve. Car washes would have been a waste of time for this youth group, because most people in the country liked a little dirt on their trucks. But have a fundraising contest to see who would have to kiss a pig and now you've piqued their curiosity. Myself, another associate and a lay member all laid our lips on the line. The premise was that each of us would have a jar. Whichever jar had the most money, that owner would have to kiss a pig. A time limit of two months was set and cash was flying. The associate pastor seemed okay with the possibility that he might have to pucker ...

As if I needed more to read, sometimes catching up on my blog roll means discovering new gems to follow. In honor of that, I am highlighting a blog which led me to another blog. Yeah, I know, this just got all Matrix vs Inception on everyone. Here's the blog I already read.  It's a wonderful mix of technology and theology. Here's the new one I enjoy.  This is just pure comic relief. And it has my 9-year old son's stamp of approval. Woo!

Is there a way to decline an offer to review a Bible without saying that you hate baby Jesus? I couldn't think of one, so when my friends at Salem Publishing/YouthWorker Journal offered, I accepted. The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens  is just that. Rock. Solid. The scriptures are there, in all of their NIV glory. But on top of that, there are plenty of features. Each book has an introduction, the back is filled with maps and there are lots of sidebar features. Principles and thoughts, examples and applications, this Bible has something for everyone. And for the teen who doesn't know where to begin, there are various reading plans. If you were trying to create a study Bible that removes all the excuses before teens even use them, then this one is a great fit. If you want a starting place to find this for your teens, check out this link.

I ask the question because it directly concerns me. After all, if I wasn't cursed with such rugged good looks, then maybe I wouldn't need the answer so badly. Of course, because I care for all of God's people, I'd still want to know. So why do bad things happen to good looking people? We may never truly know, but more people seem to take looks out of the equation and ask why bad things happen to good people. As one of my leaders discussed this with the teens on Sunday night admitted, perhaps we should shorten the question to; why do bad things happen? After all, Jesus told us that no is good but God alone and Paul affirmed many times that all of us are sinful. So to define a good person is to ask an entirely different question. But bad things? Well, that can be explained by sin, the world-wide disease for which there is only One cure. Delightfully tucked away in the prophets, though, is a great reason that God has given us to ease our wondering. The righteous pe...

Warning: The following story took place long ago. I wouldn't tell a story like about our current church friends. That is, not without changing the names and some details to make it barely recognizable.  But the story is true. It's not like my wife to tell people how to live their lives. Unless, of course, she's married to them. For that lucky guy, it's a daily update of what he can do better. But long ago, while living in a very rural area and with us serving at a country church, she took a stab at being helpful. It started out with a country ride home. Between our home and the church we would pass several of the homes of people in our church. And since good ol' Ed is probably not trolling around the world wide web, we'll go ahead and use his real name. As I drove over the winding road, she would glance here and there. That was when she saw what she has never been able to un-see. It seems Ed would unwind by walking around his house in nothing but his tig...