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The Bigsby Show has a great video and song to help children (and adults) learn the books of the Bible. Music is a great way to memorize. I still use the song that I learned as a child for the New Testament books to get the order right (and that’s after going to seminary!).

(Video length: 2:57)

• You can download the video for $1.99 here.
• Guitar chords are available for free here.
• The performance track mp3 is available for free here.

Need some more Bigsby before you go? Here’s “Frogs, Frogs, Frogs” from the Lake Charles show. (Video length: 1:11)

HT: Ministry-to-Children.com

• Three Days Three Nights. Walt Kaiser explains why Jesus was crucified on a Friday rather than Wednesday as some people believe.
• Stations of the Resurrection. You’ve heard of the Stations of the Cross. Mark Roberts introduces you to the Stations of the Resurrection.
• De-Baptism. More than 100,000 people recently downloaded “certificates of de-baptism” from the Internet to renounce their Christian faith.
• Why Professional Athletes Go Broke. The main reasons given are the recession, bad investments, misplaced trust, divorce (“the most dangerous thing that could happen to an athlete financially”) and the pressure to consume conspicuously.

Yesterday’s Easter message was called Nothing Else Matters, taken from 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. The main idea of the message was: “If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen — nothing else matters.” (quote from Jaroslav Pelikan) Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. If Christ is not risen …
    A. Your faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14,17)
    B. Your hope is hopeless (1 Corinthians 15:18-19)
    C. Your life lacks purpose (1 Corinthians 15:30-32)

II. If Christ is risen …
    A. Material gain does not mater (Matthew 6:19-21)
    B. Your trials do not compare to eternity (2 Corinthians 4:8-18)
    C. To die in Christ is gain (Philippians 1:20-21)

Note: Click on the Sermons tab at the top of the blog for this and other messages.

“If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen — nothing else matters.”

–Among the last words of historian Jaroslav Pelikan (1923-2006)

Happy Easter!

HT: Of First Importance

According to a recent poll, nearly two-thirds of all Americans plan to attend an Easter church service this year. Maybe they will attend yours if you invite them!

It is not uncommon for preachers to compare Jesus’ arms stretched out on the cross to his arms stretched out in love for us today. I thought this was a more modern convention, but apparently the analogy goes back at least as far as John Calvin.

“God declares to us that Jesus Christ, who once had his side pierced, today has his heart open, as it were, that we may have assurance of the love that he bears us; that as he once had his arms fastened to the cross, now he has them wide open to draw us to himself; and that as once he shed his blood, so today he wishes us to be plunged within it. So, when God invites us so sweetly and Jesus Christ sets before us the fruit of his death and passion, . . . let us all come to take our stand with our Lord Jesus Christ.” (John Calvin, Sermons on Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Death and Passion of Christ, p. 82)

Thank you, Lord, for the wide open arms of Christ my Savior.

HT: Ray Ortlund

Lenten Series:
    1. What is Lent?
    2. Should Christians Celebrate Lent?
    3. Should I Give Something Up for Lent?
    4. What is Ash Wednesday?
    5. What is Maundy Thursday?
    6. What is Good Friday?
    7. What is Easter?

Easter is the day Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Actually every Sunday is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but Easter commemorates the actual day of Christ’s rising.

The date of Easter shifts each year depending on when the full moon comes in relation to the vernal equinox (see the article: Determining the Dates for Easter and Passover). The date of Easter each year determines the arrangement of the other days in the Christian calendar.

Easter is a joyful day of celebration. It is customary to greet one another with the words, “He is risen!” to which the hearer responds, “He is risen indeed!” Some churches like to hold an Easter Sunrise service to commemorate Christ rising from the dead in the early morning hours.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (Matthew 28:5-6)

Lenten Series:
    1. What is Lent?
    2. Should Christians Celebrate Lent?
    3. Should I Give Something Up for Lent?
    4. What is Ash Wednesday?
    5. What is Maundy Thursday?
    6. What is Good Friday?
    7. What is Easter?

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. In the Eastern (Greek Orthodox) Church it is known as Great Friday. Good Friday marks the day Jesus suffered and died on the cross. It is a solemn day, commonly observed with fasting, Scripture readings and prayers. Many Good Friday services offer reflections on the final seven words of Christ from the cross.

“He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

Related post: What’s So Good about Friday?

Lenten Series:
    1. What is Lent?
    2. Should Christians Celebrate Lent?
    3. Should I Give Something Up for Lent?
    4. What is Ash Wednesday?
    5. What is Maundy Thursday?
    6. What is Good Friday?
    7. What is Easter?

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. This marks the day Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples in the Upper Room. It is also known as Chare Thursday and associated with Tenebrae (the extinguishing of candles in preparation for Good Friday).

As a kid I always thought it was “Monday Thursday,” and I am sure there are plenty of adults who still wonder what the word “Maundy” means. There are two possible origins. Most connect it to the word “command” (Latin mandatum) in John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another.” Others connect it to the word “wash” (Latin mundo) and Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.

Most churches that observe Maundy Thursday celebrate the Lord’s Supper together on this night. Other common practices include holding a Passover or Seder Meal, practicing a symbolic foot washing, extinguishing candles and stripping the church of its ornamentation.

Jesus said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15-16)

Can’t wait for the new Hobbit movie in 2012? The Hunt for Gollum releases May 3, 2009.

‘The Hunt For Gollum’ is a ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Fan Film made by fans for fans. Inspired by notes in the appendices from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ book, ‘The Hunt For Gollum’ follows Aragorn as he sets out to find the creature Gollum and discover the truth about the Ring … (TheOneRing.net)

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my favorite book and movie series. So I am looking forward to this fan-made film made for, well, fans like me! The production values look impressive for a home-made film. (I read somewhere they did this for only $3,000? That doesn’t seem possible.) Started over two years ago, the 40-minute film will be available for free download or live streaming at the official Hunt for Gollum website on May 3, 2009.

Update: Commenter Theresa corrects the $3,000 amount to £3,000 (approx. $4,500). Thanks Theresa!

Click here for more Tolkien related posts.
Related post: Storming Omaha Beach on a Shoestring

Deepak Reju shares his list of 17 things that seminary never taught me.

 1. How to tell a man his wife just died.
 2. How to tell a couple they should not get married.
 3. How to tell a staff member he is fired.
 4. How to tell my wife that I am depressed.
 5. How to tell someone that he or she is foolish.
 6. How to encourage someone who has given up on life.
 7. How to plead with a man to stay with his wife.
 8. How to give comfort to a woman whose husband just left her.
 9. How to comfort a mother who just suffered a miscarriage.
10. How to navigate the IRS tax code for pastors.
11. How to chair an elders’ meeting.
12. How to organize and manage a church budget.
13. How to balance church responsibilities with family life.
14. How to do a wedding and a funeral.
15. How to administer the Lord’s Supper.
16. How to best use technology for the sake of the kingdom.
17. How to shield my kids from the pressures of being a PK.

Actually we did cover a number of these in seminary, but there are some things you just don’t learn in a classroom. Looking over the list, I would say these are quite typical of the things pastors do. I have had to deal with some version of all 17 of these at one point or another in my 22 years of ministry.

Yesterday’s service was a combination Palm Sunday/Baptism theme. We celebrated Palm Sunday with the children marching in with palm branches and laying them at the front of the church. And we also had a celebration of baptism with three of our young people professing their faith in Christ through baptism. Congratulations to Daigan, Nathaniel and Nate!

Instead of a full sermon, I gave a brief introduction to baptism, explaining how and why we baptize at our church. Each person who was baptized also shared Scripture and a brief testimony. You can read my remarks on baptism at the Sermons page under the heading, Baptism Service.