Posts from September 2014
Exclusive Claims of Christ
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel Objection #3 – It’s Offensive to Claim Jesus Is the Only Way to God “You Christians are so arrogant,” the young man told me. “You think Jesus is the only route to God. It’s an insult to anyone who follows another faith.” His parting shot was: “It’s intolerant religious views like yours that lead to hatred and violence.” Well, this young man is not alone in his views. In an age that celebrates…
Faith Contradicts Science
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel Objection #2 – Faith Contradicts Science In his book, The Case for Faith, journalist/pastor Lee Strobel says he struggled to find answers to questions he thought blocked belief in God—including scientific teachings that ruled out the God who created the heavens and the earth. Strobel had always accepted Darwin’s evolutionary theories. But the more he investigated Darwinism’s claims, he writes, the more he questioned “whether the sweeping conclusions of Darwinists are really justified…
i WONDER? – sermon series
Have you ever asked yourself these questions? Does my life matter? – 9/27 God are you there? – 10/4 Why is there evil? – 10/11 Why is life so unfair? – 10/18 Is there life after death? – 10/25 Why do I feel so alone? – 11/1 If you have wondered about these questions (and who hasn’t) and are still looking for answers, then this series of messages might be for you. If you would like a safe and respectful place…
Since Evil and Suffering Exist, a Loving God Cannot
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel Objection #1 – Since Evil and Suffering Exist, a Loving God Cannot During the winter Sue Stottmeister was jogging through a park in Rockville, as she always did before picking up her children from school. But on this day she would not complete her run. Instead, the Sunday school teacher was attacked and brutally beaten. When police found her, she had been lying in the snow for five hours. She died on the way…
You Can’t Catch What’s Not There
“It doesn’t matter how good a fisherman you are, if you’re fishing where there isn’t any fish, you ain’t gonna catch anything.” Serious fishermen spend time and money researching maps with information on topography and vegetation and utilize sophisticated electronic equipment to locate their objective. But the best equipment, the most tantalizing bait, and the most advance techniques will not yield a catch if there are no fish in the area. While there are techniques of baiting that can yield…
Where the Church is the People
This month we publically launch NineSevenZero Church. We come out of the closet and announce to our community that we exist. But make no mistake this isn’t the “start” of our church, just our formal introduction. NineSevenZero Church is a new church emerging in the Grand Valley. And while this launch has us consumed for the moment, we’re not working to create an organizational entity. We believe that the church is not a building or a denomination. We believe that the…
Fishin’ Is Better With A Buddy
“Fish with a buddy – it’s nice to have someone to grab the net.” I do enjoy the solitude of fishing by myself. It’s rejuvenating and refreshing but they usually aren’t my most productive ventures. For maximum results and fun – bring a friend. I can’t count the times that I realized that, by myself, I didn’t have what it takes. I didn’t have enough hands or couldn’t troll and fish at the same time. It’s just nice to have…
Hot Spots Attract People
“Hot Spots attract people” Have you ever noticed that when the fish are really biting, you attract other fishermen? It’s the law of the Hot Spot. People are attracted to activity, they are attracted to success, and they are attracted to winners. It’s the quest for the answer to one of those deep inner questions of life, “Wuz Up?” One of the keys to evangelism in our emerging postmodern culture is the same as it was for the early church, create…
Fish Tales
“Nothin’ stacks up to fishin’, but tellin’ the tale is mighty close.” There are few things in this life that transcend time, culture and geography but “fisherman tales” are on the short list. Who of us can’t recall a favorite tale or haven’t constructed one of our own? Another endearing characteristic of fishing tales is that the teller not only brags of his successes (the ones caught) but he also unashamedly boasts of his failures (the ones that got away). For…
Fishing Is 3D – Depth Matters
“You can’t just fish on the surface. Use your sinkers!” While I was in Cambodia on a missions trip the missionary took some of us out for a morning of salt water fishing. We weren’t going after the mammoths of the deep but rather the numerous smaller varieties that live in the coral reefs around the outlying islands. Because of predators and swift currents these fish stay very close to the reef. So he had us put on some rather large sinkers…
Frozen – Hard Water Fishing
“Just ‘cause it’s froze over, don’t mean you can’t fish.” The secrets of hard-water fishing are pretty much the same as warm weather fishing. Knowledge of the waterway and its structure will help you know where the fish are hanging out. Depending on the species you’re targeting, some fish will tend to hug structure, some will suspend themselves to take advantage of thermocline layers and oxygen levels, while others will “tail” schools of bait fish. But there are unique aspects of…
I Will Make You Fishers of Men
“To a die hard fisherman hunting is like shooting fish in a barrel.” I love fishing and hunting and while they have their similarities there are differences. And it’s these differences that make each sport unique and truly enjoyable to a wide range of people. But when it comes to the Kingdom, I’m glad Jesus said to His disciples that He would make them “fishers of men” and not “hunters of men”. Just the idea of “hunters of men” brings mental…
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