Ray Fowler .org

Evangelist Luis Palau shares a list of his favorite evangelistic websites.

Children’s Minister Tony Kummer has a great article on How To Choose The Right Vacation Bible School Curriculum. “Vacation Bible School curriculum options are getting better every year. With the host of excellent VBS themes comes a problem – which one is right for your church? Here are the top elements I look at when choosing a Vacation Bible School curriculum.”

Don Surber provides a lighter look at this election year’s presidential candidates with his clever “Cartoonidates.” My three favorites were Hillary Clinton as Velma, Barack Obama as Snagglepuss, and Fred Thompson as Fred Flintstone. But Mitt Romney as Mr. Ranger (from Yogi Bear), John McCain as Papa Smurf, Rudy Guiliani as Scooby Doo and Mike Huckabee as Huckleberry Hound are also priceless!

Jodi Benson, the voice of Walt Disney’s The Little Mermaid, talks about her role in the recent Disney film Enchanted. “I love to sing. It’s an extension of who I am as a person, and it’s a great way for me to worship. I’m so happy that I can use my opportunities to get out and encourage people. When I’m onstage singing and sharing songs, it’s an extension of the joy I feel. I try to lift people up and give them a happy moment with my music.”

English professor Devin Brown offers some suggestions to Andrew Adamson, director of the upcoming Prince Caspian movie. “My wish list actually represents a genuine concern about the film. Why get so anxious about what, to many people, will be just a movie? The answer is that for me—and a good number of people like me—these books are on that list of special things in life that have become a part of us and have helped make us who we are.”

C. Michael Patton gives a thoughtful answer to the question: Are all sins really equal in God’s sight? “I think that it is biblical and necessary to say that some sins are more grievous in the sight of God than others … There are many instances in the Scriptures where degrees of sin are distinguished. 1. Christ tells Pilate that the Jewish leaders have committed a worse sin than him, saying “he who has handed me over to you has committed the greater sin” (Jn. 19:11).”

Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer talks about lessons learned in this interview at TheHigherCalling.org. “At age 21, Phil Vischer had created VeggieTales to make cartoons with content. To staff the work, he incorporated Big Idea. By his early 30s, he was helmsman of the biggest animation enterprise between New York and L.A. By his mid-30s, he was in bankruptcy court. In his new book, Me, Myself and Bob, the man who left his ocean-liner sized dream by life raft turns and looks back with hard-won wisdom.”

Robert P. George, co-author with Christopher Tollefsen of Embryo: A Defense of Human Life, argues for the dignity of human life at all stages of development. “At all stages of our lives — from the embryonic through the fetal, infant, child, and adolescent stages and into adulthood — we are human beings with dignity and the right to life. Our dignity does not come from having achieved a certain level of intellectual proficiency or even conscious awareness. … We have our dignity in virtue of the kind of entity we are: that is human being, a creature with a rational nature. And we became that when we came to be.”

For well over a year now two different formats have been competing for the high-definition DVD market. Sony has been pushing its Blu-Ray format in competition against the HD-DVD format. Remembering the old VHS vs. Betamax battles, wary consumers have been waiting to see which format will emerge as the standard. Sony lost the Beta battle back in the 1980’s, but with the help of their PlayStation 3, it looks like they may have won the battle for Blu-Ray.

Two news stories this week seem to point the way forward for Blu-Ray over HD-DVD.

First off, Warner Home Video anounced last Friday that they will begin to support the Blu-Ray Disc format exclusively starting in May. That leaves only Universal Home Video and Paramount Home Video in the HD-DVD only camp. Warner now joins Sony Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, MGM Home Entertainment, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Lionsgate in the Blu-Ray camp.

Then, yesterday, New Line Home Entertainment and HBO Home Video also declared their support for Blu-Ray, dropping HD-DVD support for their titles. That, coupled with the Warner announcement, could mean the beginning of the end for HD-DVD.

I know there are some people who feel passionately about one format over the other. I am not one of them. I have just been curiously watching to see which side will eventually win out. The momentum definitely just turned in the favor of Blu-Ray this week.

Grace Community Church recently put free Gospel presentations in 25 different languages on their website.

Grace Community Church has several different approaches for the kind of cross-language evangelism that Los Angeles requires. We have evangelistic Bible studies taught in nine different languages. We have teach ESL (English as a second language) classes that serve as a connection for people in our community. The idea is that they join our ESL class, and then get connected to the appropriate Bible study.

We also offer Gospel presentations on CD in the 40 most common languages in our area. We give these away Sunday mornings from a table at our church. We have found they are popular and helpful, as people take them to give to neighbors and co-workers that don’t speak the same language.

We have recently put those gospel presentations on-line, for free. So, if you know someone who is more comfortable in another language, and you are looking for a way to present them the Gospel, see if their language is on our site. You can make your own CD for them, or you can email them the link. (Source: Pulpit Magazine)

This sounds like a great resource. A big thanks to the good people at Grace Church for making these available online.

Marc T. Newman (Ph.D., MovieMinistry.com) presents his list of 15 movies to see in 2008.

Instead of looking behind, I prefer to look ahead at films that might represent interesting ministry opportunities for those people who use film for outreach, or to create teachable moments … Keep in mind that I have yet to see any of these films. The speculations built into this preview are based solely on articles that have appeared about these films, their trailers, and plot synopses … Keep in mind, also, that release dates are always subject to change by the studios, and many of these films are yet to be rated.

So, here are MovieMinistry’s Fifteen Films to Look for in 2008 (Click on the link to read Marc’s synopses and commentary for each of the films.)

1. VeggieTales Presents The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything – January 11
2. Penelope – February 29
3. Horton Hears a Who! — March 14
4. Inkheart – March 21
5. Iron Man – May 2
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – May 16
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – May 23
8. The Incredible Hulk – June 13
9. WALL-E – June 27
10. Hancock – July 2
11. The Dark Knight — July 18th
12. X-Files Sequel – July 25
13. Valkyrie – October 3
14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – November 21
15. Star Trek XI– December 25

Some of these I knew about, some of them are new to me. The ones I am most looking forward to are: Prince Caspian, Indiana Jones, The Dark Knight (Batman sequel), X-Files, and Star Trek XI. How about you?

Woo-hoo! The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie opens in theaters this Friday, January 11, 2008. Here is a quick preview of the song, “Rock Monster” to whet your appetite.

(Video length: 2:04)

Go Veggie Pirates! Watch out for Evil Cheese! Don’t worry, Jack Sparrow (whoops, I’m sorry, that’s “Captain” Jack Sparrow) ain’t got nothing on you!

HT: GoodWordEditing

I have been thinking recently about how we can do a better job of reaching out to the community. So I found the following post by Brian Thornton on doing things in public together as a church interesting. Here are some excerpts:

I have heard it said that we (as believers) gather together on Sundays to get equipped/energized so that we can then go out into the world to be a witness for Christ. And I agree with that. But, so often, once we depart from being together with our brothers and sisters within the confines of the four walls of the church building, we become soloists … In other words, the world doesn’t really see the church together, in public, interacting with one another …

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”, but how will all people know this if the only place you express love for your brothers and sisters is inside the walls of your church?

I fear that the visible church is only visible on Sundays and Wednesdays, and even then it is not the church which is visible, but rather just the gathering of cars in a parking lot!

Brian goes on to suggest that the church do more things in public together as a church body.

I am not saying every single thing we do should be done within the view of the world, but perhaps we could give the world a taste of our love for one another if we conduct at least some of our activities out in a public setting.

If your Sunday School class has regular get-togethers, schedule some of them at the local Chili’s or Golden Coral. Let the world see you having fun together and enjoying each others’ company.

If you have small Bible study groups which meet during the week at church or in homes, plan to have one or two of them a month at the local Starbuck’s or Atlanta Bread Company. Let the world see you opening the Word of God together and praying for one another.

If you have annual church-wide gatherings, schedule at least one of them a year in public. Have a church picnic at a public park or facility that can hold a larger group of people. Let the world see that your church loves being together.

They will know we are Christians by our love, but only if they actually see us together, loving one another in the world. They will not know anything about that love if we continue to stay holed up in the comfort of our buildings and homes.

What do you think? Are there things your church has done to be more visible as the church in the community?

HT: ekklesia

Update: See comments below for chronological order.

Next week CBS will air the new mini-series, Comanche Moon: The Road to Lonesome Dove (January 13th, 15th and 16th). This is the final installment in the Lonesome Dove series. (Chronologically, Comanche Moon fills in the gap between Dead Man’s Walk and Lonesome Dove. Streets of Laredo closes out the series.) Then on February 26, Sony will release the 2-DVD set of Comanche Moon: The Road to Lonesome Dove – Extended Edition, with extra footage only available on the DVDs. Here is a picture of the initial box art for the DVD set.

I am a huge fan of Larry McMurty’s Lonesome Dove series. I have read all the books and seen all the television adaptations. So I am really looking forward to Comanche Moon next week. However, I must warn you, that the Lonesome Dove books and films are not for children and not for the faint of heart. McMurtry pulls no flinches in portraying a rugged American West where people live and die hard, often in extremely brutal ways. Comanche Moon was probably the toughest read of the four, so this mini-series will not be everyone’s cup of tea (or jug of whiskey as the case may be).

Any other Lonesome Dove fans out there?

I know, you are not supposed to talk about religion or politics at the table, so if you are talking about both at the same time, you are really pushing it! But fools rush in where politicians fear to tread, so here I go. We have a heavy political season ahead of us, and Allan Bevere at RedBlueChristian provides some helpful answers to the following question:

What exactly is the church allowed to do publicly when it comes to politics?

Although churches are not allowed to directly endorse or oppose a political candidate, “indirect” participation is allowed and includes the following:

1. Pastors may personally endorse a candidate.
2. Pastors may personally work for a candidate and contribute financially to his or her campaign. No church may contribute to a campaign.
3. Pastors may endorse a candidate in print. The pastor’s title and specific church affiliation may also be listed for the purposes of identification.
4. Pastors may preach on moral and social issues (abortion, gay marriage, economic matters, etc.) which may by implication throw support behind one candidate over another. Churches may also take official positions on such issues, as long as they don’t directly endorse or oppose a candidate in the process.
5. Churches may organize voter registrations and drives as long as they are directed at all eligible voters and not only toward voters of one political party.
6. Churches may hold forums where candidates address the issues.
7. If a candidate visits a church during worship, he or she may be introduced publicly.
8. Churches may host candidates who may speak from the pulpit, as long as that candidate is not directly endorsed or urges the congregation to vote for her/him.
9. Churches may distribute non-partisan voter guide giving information on where each candidate stands on the issues.
10. Churches may use their premises as voting stations.

Those are Allan’s points in brief, but if this is an area of interest or concern for you, I encourage you to go to RedBlueChristian and read the whole article. Of course, what is legally allowed for a church and what is wise are two different issues. What are some of your thoughts on pastors, churches and political involvement?

Jedi apprentice. Don’t toy with this boy. An 11-year-old boy in Norwich, England defended his mother from an attacker using his toy lightsaber. The attacker fled after the boy hit him with the plastic weapon. Talk about using the Force!

Forget something? A masked burglar in Idaho left a video-taped message for the homeowner demanding a $3,000 ransom for the return of the stolen items. One problem. He forgot to say where to drop off the cash. “We’re not dealing with brain surgeons here,” police Lt. Joe Cawley said.

Fall down, get back up again. Well sure, but how about after falling over 500 feet to the ground? Window washer Alcides Moreno fell 47 stories, breaking his ribs and right arm, shattering both legs and injuring his spine. He underwent fourteen operations and was in a coma for weeks after the fall, but is now awake, talking and likely to walk again according to his doctors.

You know it’s Monday when …

your down vest meets its former owner.

_________________________________________________________

Click on a month for more Garfield Mondays:  January, February, March,
    April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Click here for Real Life Garfield.
Click here for Garfield Monday Extra.

Check back the first Monday of each month for more Garfield Mondays.

Yesterday we began a new message series called God’s Good Creation. Yesterday’s message was called God’s Good Creation and was taken from Genesis 1:1, 31; 2:1-3.

Genesis 1:1, 31; 2:1-3 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth …

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

The main idea of the message was that we must understand our beginnings if we are to rightly understand how we are to live today. Here is the outline of the message:

I. It all starts with God (Genesis 1:1a)
    A. Three philosophical choices
        1) God has always existed
        2) The universe has always existed
        3) Something came from nothing

    B. One biblical choice

II. God created all things (Genesis 1:1b)
    A. God is prior to creation
    B. God is separate from creation
    C. God is over all creation

III. God created all things good (Genesis 1:31-2:3)
    A. God brought order in creation
    B. God approved his work of creation
    C. God completed his work of creation

Note: To read the complete message, go to the Sermons tab at the top of the blog.

18th century email. “More than 200 years ago it was already possible to send messages throughout Europe and America at the speed of an aeroplane – wireless and without need for electricity.”

EyeWitness to History. “Your ringside seat to history – from the Ancient World to the present. History through the eyes of those who lived it, presented by Ibis Communications, Inc. a digital publisher of educational programming.”

Rick Phillips shares about the recent loss of their baby during his wife’s eleventh week of pregnancy. “The process of grief for this loss has been both difficult and insightful. With the latter in mind, I thought I would share some of the things we have experienced, with the aim of helping others and those who minister to them.” (HT: Between Two Worlds)

Sharon at Daily Writing Tips sums up the history behind the names of the days of the week. “Sunday was the day of the sun, whether you were Latin, Greek or Germanic, while Monday was the day of the moon. Tuesday is named after the God of War (who was Mars in Latin and Ares in Greek). However, the English form comes from Tiu/Tiwa, the Germanic/English name of the god of war and the sky.”

Erik Thoennes at ChristianityToday.com answers the question, “How can I know I’m a Christian if I can’t remember when I first responded to the gospel?” “For those who question their salvation, the best evidence is not the memory of having raised a hand or prayed a prayer. Nor is it having been baptized or christened. The true test of the authentic work of God in one’s life is growth in Christ-like character, increased love for God and other people, and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25; James 2:18).”

David Frum reminds passionate political bloggers during this election season that very few American voters actually read blogs. “For those who participate in it, the blogosphere takes on the scale and reality of an alternative world—a world whose controversies and feuds are so absorbing, whose alliances and enmities burn with so much passion, that only the most level-headed of the participants ever seem to remember that somewhere between 97 and 98 percent of American voters have never looked at a blog in their lives.”

Albert Mohler comments on the current generation of young people in Japan called the “oyayubi sedai” — “the Thumb Generation.” “Scientists around the world are noting a change in the human body. The average human being now has a more powerful and accurate thumb. Why? As Edward Tenner, author of Our Own Devices: How Technology Remakes Humanity, explains, this phenomenon can be traced to the use of those tiny buttons on PDAs and cell phones. We are now using our famed opposable thumbs like no previous generation.”