Archive for April, 2009

23
Apr
09

Less Clutter Less Noise

By Rick Phillips Leave a Comment
Categories: God, Jesus, books and church

clutter1I just finished Less Clutter Less Noise by Kem Meyer and I must say thank you. Thank you Jesus for the passion You have given Kem for church communications. Thank you to all who have driven, inspired, challenged and otherwise shaped and molded Kem into the person she is. Thank you to Granger Community Church for fostering an attitude of sharing and love among your leaders. And last but certainly not least thank you Kem for your hard work, dedication, inspiration, motivation and any other -tion I may have forgotten.

I first met Kem a few years ago at a workshop she was conducting at GCC. I had a fire burning for our newly formed communications position I was helping to start at our growing church, The Ridge, and Kem effectively threw gasoline on that fire. Over the years I have valued her insight and commentary as well as her wit, reality and humbleness. I am also the owner of a small business and I have found that this information is applicable not only in the church but business as well.

The willingness to share from Kem and the entire staff at GCC is amazing and unfortunately not often found in business or church. At times I’m not sure how appreciative our patoral staff has been for what I have learned from Kem but ultimately it has all worked out for the best (just kidding). Less Clutter Less Noise is a great source to aleviate or outright avoid some of the trials and tribulations one can and will encounter in the arena of communications. Whether you are a seasoned vetereran or a newbie there is plenty of “take-away” available. Buy it now, I dare you…

Thanks again Kem, you ROCK!!!

09
Apr
09

Why the Easter Bunny?

By Rick Phillips Leave a Comment
Categories: God, Jesus and church

The post below came from Mark Driscoll and the people at The Resurgence You should also check out the “Satan Debate” that Mark participated in. Thank you brother for your insight and your obedience to what God has called you for.

How in the world did the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, the most sacred and central event in Christianity, come to be represented by a fluffy bunny who lays colored eggs and gives out cheap candy to kids? The Easter Bunny is a commercialized cultural commonplace around the world (though it may be losing ground to the Easter Bilby in Australia), yet for all its familiarity, the Easter Bunny’s true origins are a mystery.

Eggs and Bunnies

Eggs and rabbits have been used as traditional symbols of springtime fertility and rebirth by various cultures throughout history. Eggs symbolize new life about to emerge, while hares and rabbits are conspicuous in the spring because they breed—like rabbits. The hare’s association with Easter may be a holdover from the ancient pagan spring festivals of Europe. According to Bede, an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon church historian, the British pagans used to celebrate a spring feast in honor of the goddess Eostre, who was represented by the hare.

Eostre and the Hare

When Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) sent missionaries to the British Isles, he instructed them to adapt the existing religious places and festivals for Christian use. He wrote, “Since the people are accustomed, when they assemble for sacrifice, to kill many oxen in sacrifice to the devils, it seems reasonable to appoint a festival for the people by way of exchange. The people must learn to slay their cattle not in honor of the devil, but in honor of God and for their own food…” Because the celebration of the Resurrection replaced the old spring feast of Eostre, the Christian holiday came to be called Easter, and Eostre’s pet animal the hare apparently came along for the ride.

Osterhase

The first known mention of the actual Easter Bunny comes from Germany in the 1600s, where the cute little guy was known as the Osterhase, or “Oschter Haws.” German immigrants came to America with a tradition in which the kids would build nests around the house out of hats and bonnets, and if they had been good children, Osterhase would leave brightly-colored eggs in the nests. The tradition grew and spread over time, and eventually Osterhase turned into the Easter Bunny and began giving out chocolate and candy as well as eggs.

The Resurrection

Easter is still celebrated as a major holiday all around the globe, but the truth of Jesus’ gory crucifixion and glorious resurrection is often obscured by the garish cartoon bunny in the stores and the gaudy displays of springtime fashion among the religious. Traditions of cute bunnies, colored eggs, and little girls in pink dresses are harmless enough, but at the same time we must not let anything obstruct our view of the earth-shattering reality represented by Easter. There’s nothing cute or cuddly about the fact that we killed God. When we were his enemies, he came to us, suffered in our place through the horror that was Good Friday, and rose from his grave on Easter Sunday so that we will one day rise from ours. The curse is broken, and we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus because we know we will one day experience it (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Let’s be joyful, let’s never shrink from speaking about Jesus’ death and resurrection, and let’s never trivialize it.

08
Apr
09

Double Book Recommendation

By Rick Phillips Leave a Comment
Categories: God, Jesus and books

Experiencing the Spirit: Serve God as never before

image001The first Christians “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) shaking the gates of hell even in the face of severe persecution. The result:
People all around “were filled with wonder and amazement” (Acts 3:10).What can give Christians today the same impact?

God’s Holy Spirit is ready to answer that for us in an awesome way, as Henry Blackaby and his son Mel Blackaby make clear in Experiencing the Spirit. You’ll see how the proof of the Spirit’s presence is our awareness of God’s personal assignments for us, plus our supernatural enablement to carry out those assignments. You’ll find essential clarification on the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts. You’ll explore the dynamics of being filled with the Spirit through intimate relationship with Him, committed obedience, and radical departure from sin.

Instead of considering what you can do for God with your abilities and talents, you’ll be encouraged here to seek what God wants to do through you supernaturally by His Spirit, empowering you beyond your personal competence and capacities. Release the Holy Spirit’s work at the very core of your experience of the Christian life.

For me “Experiencing the Spirit” could not have come at a better time, right on the heals of finishing a small group study of “Experiencing God”. Once again Henry Blackaby challenges you to open your eyes, heart and mind to God and the Holy Spirit. More than that though he and his son Mel help you to better understand the importance of God’s gift to us in the Holy Spirit if you allow Him to take up residence in you.

Dr. Henry Blackaby has devoted his life to the ministry. A multi-faceted talent, he has served as a music director, senior pastor, college president, missionary, and later as an executive in Southern Baptist Convention. Blackaby is the author of more than a dozen books with more than one million copies sold, including the best-selling Experiencing God. As the President of Blackaby Ministries, he is a vibrant speaker and the father of Dr. Melvin Blackaby. Melvin serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro in Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

The Treasure Principle – Flip-Flop Your Concept of Giving!

image003Bestselling author Randy Alcorn introduced readers to a revolution in material freedom and radical generosity with the release of the original The Treasure Principle in 2001. Now the revision to the compact, perennial bestseller includes a provocative new concluding chapter depicting God asking a believer questions about his stewardship over material resources. Readers are moved from the realms of thoughtful Bible exposition into the highly personal arena of everyday life. Because when Jesus told His followers to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” He intended that they discover an astounding secret: how joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure. Discover a joy more precious than gold!

Story Behind the Book: After years of writing and teaching on the theme “God owns everything,” in 1990 Randy Alcorn was sued by an abortion clinic (for peaceful, nonviolent intervention for the unborn). Suddenly he had to resign as a pastor and was restricted to making minimum wage. Legally unable to own anything, Randy gave all his book royalties to missions work and need-meeting ministries. He and his family have experienced the reality of The Treasure Principle-that God really does own everything, takes care of us, and graciously puts assets into our hands that we might have the joy and privilege of investing in what will last for eternity.

“The Treasure Principle” by Randy Alcorn is a quick read…but don’t let that fool you.  It is jam packed with seven biblically based tips of wisdom.  They are each expanded in a chapter and then also shown through practical real life experiences the author has had.  He also is good to weave them periodically throughout the book to show how each of these steps works together.  At the end of the book he also provides questions for you to ask yourself and then gives you scripture verses to refer to as to why this is biblically sound.  His best piece of advice…when you realize you are God’s “money manager” and truly grasp that “you can’t take it with you, but instead can send it ahead” it frees you to truly do what God wants you to do rather than be confined to our world’s materialistic ways.  I highly recommend this book if you are feeling the stress of this slumping economy to find ways to truly put it in perspective to truly achieve the “wealth” that God has in store for you. -Jenni Phillips

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). Prior to 1990, when he started EPM, he served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has spoken around the world and has taught on the adjunct faculties of Multnomah Bible College and Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Randy is the best-selling author of twenty-seven books (over three million in print), including the novels Deadline, Dominion, and Deception as well as Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home, and Wait Until Then.

01
Apr
09

Clutter-FREE Christianity

By Rick Phillips Leave a Comment
Categories: God, Jesus and books

clutterWhen did the Christian life become so complicated?

Your greatest desire is to please God, but with each passing week, your spiritual to-do list grows longer. As you strive to fulfill a never-ending inventory of requirements for being a godly parent, spouse, voter, employee, and more, you feel increasingly disconnected from the God you’re trying to serve.

It’s time to cut through the clutter and get to the heart of what it means to please God. In this liberating look at the core principles of faith, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals the truth about what God really wants from you-and what He wants to do for you.

Through solid biblical teaching and practical insights, Dr. Jeffress points you toward a revitalized faith centered on becoming more like Jesus in action, attitude, and affection. You’ll learn how to partner with God in the process of spiritual transformation as you choose to follow Christ in forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentment, service, and prayer.

Through a renewed focus on experiencing the kingdom of God right now, you’ll find your to-do list shrinking and your spiritual life deepening. It all comes with embracing Clutter-Free Christianity.

I found the authors approach to some of the issues that have “cluttered up” Christianity thought provoking, amusing and sad all at the same time. Dr. Jeffress really sums it all up in his chapter titles. It is a matter of the heart. We need to remember that when we let Jesus into our hearts we can’t keep Him locked in there for our own selfish devices. We need to let Him use us as a conduit for spreading that love to others.

This book is a refreshing look at what we as Christains should have already been aware of but tend to ignore or sweep under the rug.
jeffresDr. Robert Jeffress is the senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, one of the most historic churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. The author of sixteen books, he is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, live broadcasts of Dr. Jeffress’ weekly messages reach millions of listeners and viewers each week, while his daily sermon series airs on 1,100 television stations and cable systems nationwide. Dr. Jeffress and his wife, Amy, are the parents of two adult daughters.

I’m Rick Phillips-

I'm a massage therapist and the owner of Vandalia Massage Therapy. I'm also the communications director for The Ridge Community Church. I love to be used by God and help others discover how amazing it is to find their place and purpose in His kingdom on this earth. I'm used... The views expressed here are not necessarily the views and opinions of Vandalia Massage, the Ridge, bald guys or sane people. Thank you.
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