- Forbes: Apple's iPhone Business is Now Larger Than All of Microsoftt http://t.co/MvMNvyY1 Posted on
- NASA's spectacular high-res image of Earth: the other side. http://t.co/LD6p0K1Q Posted on
- Prefect omelette dinner. @ cook st culinary institute http://t.co/YtBaptK9 Posted on
- Disney World with the nephews and family in March. Pretty stoked! http://t.co/8xAyc2tl Posted on
December 22
Blog Tour: Primal by Mark Batterson
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 @ 1:56 pm by Josh Burcham
We complicate things. We take a simple message and add and add until we get to a point where it becomes difficult to find that original message. Jesus came to this earth and left us with a simple command. Love God and Love People.
Over time we have taken this simple command and complicated it. Creating our own commands to help us keep original command. Loosing focus of Jesus on the way. We’ve started to focus on the command, instead of the reason Jesus gave us those commands.
Mark talks about the perception problem that Christianity has. “We are better know for what we are against than what we are for.” He talks about that problem not lying with our churches, but within you and me. We’ve lost focus on the greatest command of Love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and strength.
We need to stop being just okay with the Great Commandment and become great at it. We need to stop focusing on Christianity as a religion and focus back on Jesus. We need to get Primal about our faith, we need to get back to basics.
Primal explores the four elements of Great Commandment: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Moving us from just people that have beliefs to a people that want others to meet Jesus. As primal moves through those four elements, we find ourselves going primal and rediscovering Jesus’ heart within us. Becoming compassionate for the things that break God’s heart; discovering the raw wonder that is beyond logic and words, the place where we step back in awe for God; developing a curiosity that isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions; and experiencing the power and energy that only God can grant.
This is a must read for any Believer or those searching for more to their lives. Take the journey and go Primal with your faith. Get back to the basics and become great at the Great Commandment.
Visit: The Primal Movement
About the Author: Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. NCC was recognized as one of the 25 Most Innovative Churches in America by Outreach Magazine in 2008. One church with eight services in four locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations. Nearly 70% of NCCers are single twenty-somethings.
December 16
Red Letters: Why So Complicated?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 @ 1:19 pm by Josh Burcham
I’ve read these verses over and over again and have blogged about them numerous times, but as I read this section of God’s Word I noticed something interesting. And I’m guessing you might have missed it as well:
One 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?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.
”When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. Mark 12:28-34
Now these are Jewish people and sacrifices and burnt offering are the focus for forgiveness and God’s graces. They were sacred. Jesus came with the message of Love God, Love people. And it floored the people in the crowd. The end of of verse 34, “And from then on no on dared ask him any more questions.”
Matthew 22:46 puts it, “No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.”
613 Jewish commands summed up into two. Following those commands was simple, they didn’t have to remember any longer, they just had to do. Love God, Love People.
The simpleness floored them. “No one was able to answer Him a word…”
Why do we still try to complicate Christianity? Being a Christ-follower is simple, Love God, Love People. Lets keep it simple and start living those commands.
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December 15
Help to Parents
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 @ 9:18 am by Josh Burcham
I’m not a parent, but I know enough to know parenting isn’t easy. Hopefully, all the parents out there get some good advice. “Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories.” ~John Wilmot Enjoy!
December 5
Unexplainable Life
Saturday, December 5, 2009 @ 8:55 pm by Josh Burcham
Recently finished Francis Chan’s Forgotten God, which has been on my reading shelve for months, and one phrase stuck out over all the others:
I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn’t be doing this on my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through. That if He doesn’t come through, I am screwed. (I probably shouldn’t write that word here, but it’s how I truly feel about this.) - Francis Chan (Forgotten God, pg. 142)
Let that permeate in you for a second. I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now and it is just not sitting right. Not because I disagree with it, I don’t, but because I don’t know if I can attain that. That can be weird to hear, but it’s how I feel. I want that for my life, I want to be in-tune with the Spirit’s leading. But I don’t know if I am capable.
I can take comfort in Truth, Matthew 7:7-11. I know God loves me more than I can comprehend and that His plan for me fits perfectly in His big-picture plan. But there is a part that is my responsibility. There is action that I have to take and that is where I get fearful in whether or not I can preform.
And then it hit me.
It isn’t whether or not I am prepared to perform or have the right knowledge or skills. It is just about me saying yes and doing it. Let me tell you a story about how I suck.
Few weeks before Thanksgiving my grandpa (step-dad’s dad) was in town. We were headed out to dinner with him, my sister and brother-in-law. As I drove into the parking lot there were two younger women sitting on the corner asking for money. The Spirit-led and asked me to invite them to dinner with us.
Explainable Life: I came up with excuses, they’ll probably say no, our reservation is only for 7…etc, etc.
Unexplainable Life: I should of stopped my car and asked. Figured out the detail later, since there weren’t that many details anyways to figure out.
It comes down to just do. When the Spirit moves, move with Him and your life won’t be explainable.
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