December 2003 Archive
Top Albums of 2003 (12/31/03 - 4 Comments)
2003 was a banner year for Christian music. I had a difficult time sorting through the many excellent albums to choose my favorites. After a lot of consideration, four rose to the top. Why only four? Because everyone else is doing top-five lists and I choose to be different! A quick note about qualifications. It is difficult to determine what constitutes Christian music, so for my purposes the only qualifications for this list are albums...
Home At Last! (12/31/03 - 0 Comments)
After spending a wonderful week in Atlanta with with my family, we have returned to the much colder North. I elected not to announce that we would be travelling and would be away from the house for a week. For some reason it just seemed like a bad idea! We spent the week relaxing, reading, spending time with my family and meeting two new boyfriends (one for each of my unattached sisters). I'm proud to...
Calvinism vs Arminianism (12/30/03 - 4 Comments)
This is a series examining the differences between Calvinist and Arminian theology. Though I completed it several weeks ago, I did not provide a "table of contents" for the five articles. An Introduction To Calvinism & Arminianism - giving some introductory and background information on Calvinism and Arminianism, and how do they relate to the Christianity and church today. An Introduction To Calvinism & Arminianism (Part 2) - Explanation and Scriptural support for the Calvinist...
Book Review - All Things Possible (12/30/03 - 0 Comments)
All Things Possible is the autobiography of football star Kurt Warner. Though in the media his story is often related as a meteoric rise to stardom, we learn that it was only through time, perseverance and God’s grace that Warner ever got a chance to live out his dream. I was drawn to Kurt Warner’s story for several reasons. First, I am a fan of the St Louis Rams, the team with which Warner has...
Iranian Believers (12/29/03 - 0 Comments)
I am travelling today and do not have time to make a "proper" post, so instead I will post this news article I received from Middle East Reformed Fellowship. I have no verification if this is true, but don't see any reason to doubt it at this point. The latest update we have from Iran indicates that 28 brethren were gathered for an underground Christmas service in house near the center of the earthquake devastated...
Book Review - Hostage (12/28/03 - 0 Comments)
Hostage tells the story of the kidnapping of three American missionaries from a tiny village in the Panamanian jungle. The book is written by Nancy Mankins, wife of Dave Mankins, who along with Mark Rich and Rick Tenenoff was kidnapped by Colombian rebels. The book continually alternates between the day of the kidnapping and the years of preparation that led the Mankins family to become missionaries to the Kuna tribe. We learn about their call...
Book Review - The Sacred Romance (12/27/03 - 19 Comments)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked The Sacred Romance, by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge, claims that it will �invite us to see what God is doing behind the scenes of our lives to woo us to Himself. A glimpse of His wild beauty arouses our desire and puts us on a journey to capture or be captured by love. It calls us to recognize our heart�s deepest longing and invites...
Blog of the Week - He Lives (12/26/03 - 1 Comments)
I am going to try to introduce another Christian Weblog once a week. This week's featured blog is He Lives. This site describes itself as the "Reformed viewpoint of a nuclear physicist." The author, David Heddle, has nearly completed a vast and thorough look at the various Christian viewpoints on the end times. He appears to be heading towards a belief in "partial preterism." I highly recommend this series, though you will have to go...
Merry Christmas (12/25/03 - 1 Comments)
Merry Christmas! I don't suppose you expected me to say anything else on Christmas Day. I have been up for the last hour, waiting for the kiddies to get up. I've taken the time to do checks of all my regular Web sites (news, blogs, etc) and now am just waiting... And so I wish you a Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour....
Challies Dot Com Update (12/24/03 - 0 Comments)
Since it is the Christmas season, I will be easing off on writing for the next few days. I intend to spend my vacation primarily engaged in reading, writing, talking and eating. I will also be drinking copious amounts of Coke. Here are some of the things I am working on for 2004: Continuing my Basic Christianity series. I am receiving some nice feedback about it and am enjoying researching and writing it. That will...
Arminian Grace (12/23/03 - 14 Comments)
This is a song I found while digging around the Internet and is a pretty funny parody of Arminian theology. Unfortunately I did not record where I found it so can not cite it. To the tune of Amazing Grace. Arminian "grace!" How strange the sound, Salvation hinged on me. I once was lost then turned around, Was blind then chose to see. What "grace" is it that calls for choice, Made from some good...
The Purpose Driven Life - Day Forty - Living With Purpose (12/22/03 - 7 Comments)
This is the fortieth and final chapter of The Purpose Driven Life. As I expected, it wraps up with a review of the five sections and encouragement to develop a personal purpose statement. Rick Warren begins the chapter with a discussion about the importance of a personal “Life Purpose Statement.” Such a statement will keep me focused on achieving all of my purposes and help me remember what is most important in my life. He...
The Purpose Driven Life - Day Thirty Nine - Balancing Your Life (12/21/03 - 0 Comments)
Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone. In chapter thirty nine of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren describes a life of balance – a life that is equally devoted to each of our five purposes. He provides five pointers for keeping on track with a balanced life. Talk it through with a spiritual partner or group. We learn best through community, so we should be sure to share our journey with other people....
Day Thirty Eight - Becoming A World-Class Christian (12/20/03 - 2 Comments)
Day thirty eight of The Purpose Driven Life discusses the difference between a worldly Christian and a world-class Christian. Whereas worldly Christians are most concerned about themselves and their own happiness and blessing, world-class Christians are far more concerned with their mission of reaching the lost. As the world shrinks through increased transportation and communication it becomes easier and easier for Christians to fulfill their mission of reaching out to the world. Rick Warren provides...
Basic Christianity - Part Six
The Bible (12/19/03 - 3 Comments)
What Is The Bible? The Bible is, at the most obvious level, a book. Admittedly that does not sound like anything remarkable. The word Bible is simply the Greek word for “book,” and is the same root from which we derive the words “bibliography” or “bibliophile.” Yet the Bible is exceptional among books as it came into existence in a unique way. The Bible is a book that contains within in sixty six other books....
Day Thirty Seven - Sharing Your Life Message (12/19/03 - 0 Comments)
God has given me a life message to share. From the moment I became a Christian I became a messenger of God. I have a life message that I am to share with unbelievers and this message contains four parts. My testimony. My testimony is the story of how God has made a difference in my life. My job is not to try to convict others, but simply to be a witness to them of...
Day Thirty Six - Made For A Mission (12/18/03 - 2 Comments)
Day thirty six of The Purpose Driven Life begins the discussion of my fifth and final purpose, “made for a mission.” God is at work in the world and He wants me to join Him in doing this work. I am to have a ministry within the body of believers and a mission to the rest of the world as my service to unbelievers. Warren provides several reasons why my mission is important. My mission...
Church Votes to Expel Non-Purpose Driven Members (12/18/03 - 2 Comments)
Before you get all crazy, please realize that this article is satirical. Rick Warren's Book Becomes More than Recommended Reading for Local Congregation MEMPHIS, TN – Many Christians have heard sentences like these lately: "Oh, you really should read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren," and "Wow, I can't believe you haven't read The Purpose Driven Life yet." But only one group of believers has been confronted with this imperative: "Read The Purpose Driven...
Basic Christianity - Part Five
God's Revelation (12/17/03 - 4 Comments)
In this article we turn our attention to what Christians believe about the ways God has revealed Himself to humans. We have already looked at this briefly, so today we will review the two ways God has revealed Himself to us and provide some details about each. In a previous article we answered the question of how God has revealed Himself to us. We saw that he has used Natural Revelation and Special Revelation. We...
Day Thirty Five - God's Power In Your Weakness (12/17/03 - 1 Comments)
God loves to use weak people. In reality if He wishes to use people to do His work on earth He does not have much choice, for we all have imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. The important thing is not whether or not we have weaknesses, but what we do with them. If we deny, excuse or hide them, we prevent God from doing what He desires in and through us. As he wants...
Day Thirty Four - Thinking Like A Servant (12/16/03 - 0 Comments)
Day thirty four of The Purpose Driven Life continues to explore servanthood. The book seems to be getting quite repetitive at this point, as this chapter finds Rick Warren simply restating things he has already said several times. He provides five attitudes that will be found in the mindset of a servant. Servants think more about others than themselves. True humility is thinking of myself less while thinking of other people more. When I stop...
Day Thirty Three - How Real Servants Act (12/15/03 - 0 Comments)
I serve God by serving others. Whereas the world defines greatness by how many others serve me, God defines greatness by how many people I serve. Rick Warren provides several ways I can discern if I have a servant’s heart: Real servants make themselves available to serve. A real servant does not fill his time up with other pursuits that will limit his availability to serve. I need to be available at any time, even...
Day Thirty Two - Using What God Gave You (12/14/03 - 0 Comments)
Because today is Sunday, this is an abbreviated look at day thirty two of The Purpose Driven Life. Warren continues his discussion about finding my SHAPE. He gives several pointers to help in discovering this. First, I need to begin by assessing my gifts and abilities. One of the best ways of doing this is by asking those around me, especially those who know me well, what they think my abilities are. An outside opinion...
Day Thirty One - Understanding Your Shape (12/13/03 - 0 Comments)
Today Rick Warren continues the discussion about my SHAPE. Yesterday he discussed Spiritual Gifts and Heart and today discusses Abilities, Personality and Experiences. Every person has some natural talents and abilities that have been given to us by God. Each of these abilities can be used either for or against Him and obviously God wants us to use these in His service. No one else can play the role God created specifically for me since...
Basic Christianity - Part Four
The Trinity (12/12/03 - 2 Comments)
Before we begin this study, let’s quickly recap what we have already learned in previous studies. We began with discussing reasons why it is good and necessary to have an understanding of Christianity. We then turned our attention to defining what God is. We examined His attributes, that He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable, and his various characteristics. Today we expand our study of God by expanding our definition of God. We will introduce the...
Day Thirty - Shaped For Serving God (12/12/03 - 5 Comments)
I was shaped to serve God. Just as every creature in the world was created to play a specific role in the world, so I was created to do a specific thing. I was created to fulfill a specific ministry. God gave me abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality and life experiences so I could use them all for His glory. When I identify and understand these factors, I can discover God’s will for my life....
Basic Christianity - Part Three
What Is God? (12/11/03 - 3 Comments)
A study of Christianity must depend on an understanding of God, for without God there is no Christianity. In this article we will learn about God – what He is and how we know about Him. Of all the topics we will examine in this series, this may well be the most incomprehensible. An exhaustive examination of God could fill many libraries, so please realize this study will barely even scratch the surface of what...
Day Twenty Nine - Accepting Your Assignment (12/11/03 - 0 Comments)
Day twenty nine of The Purpose Driven Life begins the section on my fourth purpose which is serving God. I was put on this earth to make a contribution and to make a difference with my life. This purpose is my “ministry” or service. I was created to serve God. I was placed on this earth for a special assignment of serving God. I was saved to serve God. God saved me so I could...
Basic Christianity - Part Two
Introduction (12/10/03 - 3 Comments)
Having settled the rules, let’s move on to a discussion of why an understanding of Christianity is important. As I mentioned at the outset, I hope to answer the question “Why should I bother learning about Christianity?” As a person working in the computer industry, I am often told about wonderful new pieces of hardware of software. A friend may have bought a new Palm Pilot and tries to convince me it is a tool...
Day Twenty Eight - It Takes Time (12/10/03 - 0 Comments)
Day twenty eight of The Purpose Driven Life is the final chapter devoted to my third purpose which is becoming like Christ. Warren closes this section with a discussion of the time it takes to mature in my faith. There are no shortcuts and no easy answers to reaching Christian maturity. It takes time and perseverance. God began His work in me the minute I became a Christians, but this work takes a lifetime to...
Basic Christianity - Part One
Ground Rules & Presuppositions (12/09/03 - 3 Comments)
A Starting Place I have been asked by a few different visitors to this site to write a series about basic Christianity. At first I hesitated, thinking that surely there were many, many similar series on the Internet that I could direct people to. I was only partially correct. There are many courses available, but most seem to be geared towards a knowledgeable Christian audience. They assume a belief in the Bible and extensive...
Day Twenty Seven - Defeating Temptation (12/09/03 - 3 Comments)
God will never allow me to face a temptation that is too much for me to bear. God provides me all I need to be able to stay strong through temptation. I can do my part by following four principles: Refocus my attention on something else. If I focus on the problem I will never defeat it. Rather than focus on the temptation I am to divert my mind and think about other things. When...
Day Twenty Six - Growing Through Temptation (12/08/03 - 0 Comments)
Day twenty seven of The Purpose Driven Life deals with temptation and how every temptation is an opportunity to do good. A temptation is only a stumbling block if I react the wrong way. What Satan uses as his primary tool to destroy me is what God uses as a primary tool to develop my character. “God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you’re...
Day Twenty Five - Transformed By Trouble (12/07/03 - 0 Comments)
Because today is a very busy Sunday, this is an abbreviated look at day twenty five of The Purpose Driven Life God has a purpose behind every trouble. God uses circumstances to develop my character. God will often use tough times in life to test me and mold me into Christ's likeness. Through the hard times I need to remember that God is in control and that He has promised to work all things for...
Day Twenty Four - Transformed By Truth (12/06/03 - 0 Comments)
God’s truth transforms me. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make me like the Son of God. Unlike any other book in the world, the Bible is alive. It is the spiritual nourishment I need to grow spiritually. I need to not only read God’s Word, but abide in it. There are three aspects to this: I must accept it’s authority. The Bible needs to be authoritative in my life. I...
Day Twenty Three - How We Grow (12/05/03 - 3 Comments)
God wants me to grow up. It is God’s will that I mature as a Christian, becoming more and more like Jesus. We see that in the Christian world many people never do grow up and much of the reason for this is that people do not dedicate themselves to spiritual growth. Growth is not automatic. It takes dedicated effort and every Christian needs to make a conscious decision to grow spiritually. Nothing shapes my...
Grammy Nominations (12/04/03 - 5 Comments)
Nominations were announced today for the 46th annual Grammy Awards. My only interest in this is two categories - Best Rock Gospel Album and Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. First, let's look at the nominations for Best Rock Gospel Album. Worldwide Audio AdrenalineI have not heard this entire album, but have heard enough to know that although it is not Audio A's best album, it is solid. Red Letterz Fresh I.E.Admittedly I have never even heard...
Day Twenty Two - Created To Become Like Christ (12/04/03 - 0 Comments)
Day Twenty Two of The Purpose Driven Life begins the examination of my third purpose – becoming like Christ. God’s plan for me from the very beginning was for me to become like Christ. The way to achieve Christ-likeness is through the transformation of my character. It is important to note that this does not mean losing my personality! God wants me to develop the kind of character Jesus outlined in the beatitudes and that...
Miscellaneous Personal Notes (12/03/03 - 3 Comments)
Having completed my series on Calvinism and Arminianism, I am now (by request) working on a series on basic Christianity. It is likely to be a long series of at least ten articles. I hope to post the first of them later this week. I just launched a new Web site for a friend of mine who is an aspiring photographer. You can see his site at Digital Perspectives. I am very happy with the...
Day Twenty One - Protecting Your Church (12/03/03 - 3 Comments)
It is my job to protect the unity of my church. Unity is a critical component of God’s plan for Christian community and I must do all I can to promote it. The Bible gives several pointers on how to protect the unity in my church. Focus on what we have in common, not our differences. We are called to be united, not uniform. Therefore I need to focus on what we have in common...
