Questions from a Generation
I had a minister ask me one time how they could do a sermon to better reach this generation (X,Y,Z). So I started the list of 25 questions that I (we) struggle with, or that I have been asked before. But I realized that I could do this much better by asking the people that are “living it”. We came up with a few more than 25, but a good list none the less. Here they are, in no particular order. Enjoy!
1. What is truth?
2. How can I be a Christian with my home life in the condition it is in?
3. How do I share my faith (no Sunday School answers)?
4. What does it mean to be relevant anyway?
5. Why does God seem so angry?
6. What are YOU going to do so I’ll come back to church?
7. Why do I need church? What’s the point?
8. I know I need relationships with people, but what does God have to do with that?
9. Why do we as Christians not take this verse more seriously?
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.- 1 Corinthians 3:17
10. Why are we so worried about keeping the Christians happy and well fed and not focused solely on reaching others?
11. How did we ever get so screwed up that we feel like we need do be in our Sunday best in order to worship God?
12. Why are our Churches called names like First Baptist Church, and Bethel Assembly of God etc. If I was not a Christian, that would be a foreign language to me.
13. Speaking of foreign language, why do we speak a foreign language as Christians that must sound absolutely nuts to non-believers.
14. How do we focus our energy to make new disciples and ignore all of the useless non-important stuff that is unnecessary and takes away from our focus?
15. Why do the Jewish people still not believe that Jesus is and was the Messiah?
16. Why is ok for women to be in office serving our country but not in our church?
17. How did so many Christian men in our history get so screwed up with racism and slavery?
18. Why do we as Christians spend so much effort tearing each other down?
19. If America is so culturally diverse, why do we still have Christian denominations?
20. I don’t know how to vote, as God would have me to. What does the Bible say about politics?
21. If I am Christian does that mean I have to be republican?
22. What is the church doing about saving the environment?
23. If I don’t go to church but have my own Bible study at home, is that still fellowship with God?
24. Isn’t war against what Jesus taught?
25. This is the 21st century. Is the Old Testament still relevant?
26. If I don’t listen to contemporary Christian music, am I a sinner?
27. Which Bible should I read to understand God’s word? There are so many different kinds.
28. Are God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit the same entity?
29. I like to meditate. I undergo homeopathic treatment. I think Buddhist temples are beautiful and I find peace in them. Does that negate my Christian beliefs?
30. Can Christians be materially wealthy and still be humble and thankful?
31. What is the difference between happiness and joy? Is there a difference?
Fire away!
-AOD
Windows Ads Made on a Mac
I just saw this on the Boing Boing blog.
LuisDS at Boing Boing looked at the metadata of the new “PC” commercials and found they are actually made on a Mac. (BTW, I quote “PC” because my good friend Joe says that a Mac is a PC. I’m sure he or Drew could also tell you what meta-data is, cuz I don’t know.)
I make no bones about it that I am a Mac guy and now that I do a lot of media stuff, I pay a lot closer attention to commercials, movies, camera angles, etc. I have to say, the new Windows commercials are pretty lame. I like that Bill Gates shows his face, but doesn’t everyone already know who he is? The Apple folks nail it in all their ads. Simple and informative, but not too informative. You get enough information to make you want to go and find out the rest on your own.
Call this my biased opinion, but more and more people are seeing the light at the end of the Windows-based tunnel. Joe or Drew, your welcome to add your technical insight here!
-AOD
Announcement Video
As I’ve mentioned, we are doing morning announcements now on video. So every week we come up with a theme, or creative way to deliver the normally boring announcement time. The latest is below.
Here we are…
-AOD
Bravo, Phil
I would like to give a shout out to my good friend Phil Wickham. (Just kidding, never met the guy, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, Just Kidding again) I will point out anyone that is on the cutting edge of technology and wants nothing but to see God’s Word spread just a bit easier than it was back in the day. Phil has recorded a live album, just him and his guitar (already scores points in my book) and he offers it for free on his website. All he asks is for your email address. It’s a free LP of various originals and even some hymns!
Thanks, Phil Wickham
Go get the album
So, this leads me to a thought. More and more things on the web are becoming free. I have a lot of sites (too many to link in the amount of time I have) that I use for ppt backgrounds/logos, etc. I recently heard that Mike and Mike in the Morning are now offering their formerly paid access program for free. There are increasingly more music people that offer a free download of their new single. Phil is the first (but there are probably more) I have seen that offers his whole album for free. A first question that could be asked is this, “how can he afford to do that?” or “what’s the catch?” Well, here’s what I think. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to “make it” today as a singer/songwriter. There are a lot of options out there and you as a musician have to stand out from the crowd. In some cases you have to put aside what YOU think you should be as a musician, and listen to the people of the industry…for now. I saw Phil Wickham in concert about two years ago in Norfolk, VA. He was good, but MercyMe kind of dwarfed him a bit. Phil is bigger now, but still, I assume, struggling to get his name out there. So what do you do? Make an album that features you and what you do best, hire a producer that you are good friends with, and offer a low-cost, low-maintenance recording to the people. You get a standing “O” Phil, keep up the good work!
-AOD
He’s On Vacation!
Yes that is right. I am smack dab in the middle of vacation right now and it has been wonderful. We’ve gone to the beach, went shopping, spent too much money (especially on gas). We hope to take baby Abs to the Children’s Museum tomorrow which should be fun. It’s been a long time since we have “vacated” and this is the first as a new family by ourselves. Fun stuff! Here was our view today.
North Myrtle Beach, SC
If I don’t get back to your emails or whatever you use to pursue a wonderful conversation with me, I’m checked out until next Monday. I will have limited access. I guess this is one downfall of staying at a family beach home for pennies, no WIFI AHHHH!
Atlanta Bread Company does the trick. Talk to you all limited, but soon.
-AOD
Coke vs. Water
I read this on Eric Bryant’s blog…
Water
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This most likely applies to half the worlds population.
2. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
3. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Coke (even Diet)
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coke into the toilet bowl and let it sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China.
4. To carry Coke syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.For more disturbing facts go to my good friend Nichole’s website.
Hmmm, well I really like Coke, but this makes me reconsider (a little). Maybe I’ll stick to water and…sweet tea? Or maybe the point was to drink more water, I’m not sure.
-AOD
Sarahahah…Sarah!
As the old Starship lyrics say, “no time is a good time for goodbyes“! I don’t think we will be saying goodbye to her anytime soon. Much like Obama stormed on the scene in the ‘04 DNC, Sarah Palin spoke last night at the RNC and brought the house down! She was smart, witty, relatable (is that a word?) and very strong. In a matter of 2 years she turned her state of Alaska upside down as the first female governor, and now as potential VP, has the opportunity to come in as an executive and an outsider and turn Washington upside down as well.
This election season has been very interesting to watch. And people may not like to hear it, but we will have the third EVER president to come from the senate (no matter what happens). We will have either the first black president or the first female to be second in line. Some people might say that these things don’t matter, but I feel like they do. I’m big on “first time in history” type of moments whether in politics, news or even sports. This is fun to watch. I am an advocate for change (do not read as an endorsement for Obama) and I love to see the tables of history stand on their head.
As an advocate for change and new, trendy ideas, I suppose it is kind of ironic that I work in a church. However, I have seen (even in our church) where change is more readily being accepted. Change is just a slow process sometimes. And let me be clear, we are talking about good change. There is such thing as bad change. Moving backwards is bad change. Staying the same is NO change. Having a vision, seeing it through and always looking to the next step is good change.
