Ray Fowler .org

• Google Browser. The beta version of Google Chrome, Google’s new web browser, is now available for free download.
• 30-Days of Prayer. This 30-day prayer focus helps Christians pray for Muslims during the month of Ramadan (September 1-30, 2008). This year’s motto is: “Loving Muslims Through Prayer.” You can sign up for the daily email list here.
• The Dead Sea is Dying. A reduced supply of water from the Jordan River is causing the water level in the Dead Sea to drop at an estimated rate of 1 meter per year.
• Staying Well. Dr. Francis Collins (author of the best-selling “The Language of God”) is working on a book that promises “stunning new revelations about why we get sick; what it means to be healthy; how we can prevent disease; and medical treatment.”
• Israel to Display the Dead Sea Scrolls on the Internet. Specialists are digitally photographing every one of the thousands of fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls with the aim of making the entire file available to all on the Internet.

The bigger the summer … the harder the fall! The autumnal equinox is still twenty days away, but for most of us here in the U.S. the day after Labor Day marks the end of summer and kicks off the new fall schedule.

As homeschool parents who begin the new year of school for our kids on this day, we are particularly aware of the change in schedule. Churches often start a whole new schedule for the year in September, too.

How about you? Does your schedule change significantly in the fall or do things stay mostly the same?

Yesterday’s message was called Rest for the Weary, taken from Matthew 11:25-30. The main idea of the message was that you can only find rest in God through Jesus Christ. Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. Come to Jesus and learn from God. (verses 25-26)
    A. God is Lord of heaven and earth.
    B. God has hidden these things from the wise and learned.
    C. God has revealed these things to little children.

II. Come to Jesus and know the Father. (verses 27)
    A. All things have been committed to Jesus by the Father.
    B. No one knows the Son except the Father.
    C. No one knows the Father except the Son.

III. Come to Jesus and find rest for your soul. (verses 28-30)
    A. Jesus offers rest to the weary and burdened.
    B. Jesus is gentle and humble in heart.
    C. Jesus calls you to follow him as his disciple.
    D. His yoke is easy; his burden is light.

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

I am taking a break from blogging for the rest of this week. I should be back after Labor Day (Monday, September 1).

Yesterday’s message was called God So Loved the World, taken from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The main idea of the message was that God’s love for the world is a mandate for missions. Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. The Scope of God’s Love – the World

II. The Depth of God’s Love – His Son

III. The Fruit of God’s Love – Our Salvation

Application Points:
    1) Make worldwide missions a priority.
    2) Exalt Christ.
    3) Share the gospel.

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

With the 2008 Olympics winding down, I thought I would go with an OLYMPIC THEME for this week’s Quick Takes.

Did You Know?

• City officials fired 1,100 rain rockets Friday afternoon and evening to fend off any rain clouds before the Opening Ceremony. The rockets contained silver iodide to disperse rain and clouds before the event.
• Ever wonder how they get the camera to follow the Olympic divers so perfectly from the diving board to the pool? It’s easy – they just drop the camera. Basic physics at work; Isaac Newton would be proud. (I dropped my wife’s camera once. It didn’t work out so well.)

Rick Phillips affirms Shawn Johnson’s graciousness in her second place finish for the women’s all-around. “She’s only spent her whole life dreaming of winning that gold medal. Then she comes in second to her roommate, Nastia Liukin. During all of the interviews she conducted herself with cheerful dignity and grace. In particular, she clearly recognized that it was Liukin’s night to shine and did everything possible to make it a dream night for her friend. She didn’t talk about herself, she didn’t talk about her disappointment, but only how proud she was of her deserving friend … I don’t know if she is a Christian or not, but she certainly has conducted herself in the way that Christians should.”

And, speaking of gymnastics, here are a couple quick takes from previous Olympic years.

First Perfect 10 in History (Video length: 0:51)

Nadia Comaneci’s 1976 Compulsory on the Uneven Bars was the first perfect 10 awarded in Olympic gymnastics. You will notice the scoreboard reads 1.00 instead of 10.0. That’s because the scoreboards were not yet designed to display the number 10 (it had never happened before!).
 

Nadia Comeneci’s 1976 Uneven Bar Routine Perfect 10
(Video length: 0:40)

 

Nadia Comaneci’s 1976 All-Around Balance Beam Perfect 10
(Video length: 3:14)

 

And here is a neat performance from Olga Korbut in the 1972 Olympics.
(Video length: 0:40)

Pastor Jack Hamilton died earlier this summer, and his library is now up for sale. It is some library. The bidding starts at $295,000 if you are interested!

HT: David Heddle at He Lives

• The Periodic Table of Videos provides links to videos about each element on the table. (See also: Dynamic Periodic Table of Elements)
• Holographic Pastors? Slate reports on the recent trend of mega-churches launching video venues for their congregations.
• The Kind of Leader America Needs. The morning after the Presidential Civic Forum, Rick Warren preached on the top three qualities Christians should look for in a leader: 1) integrity, 2) humility, and 3) generosity.
• Scientists Say Star Trek Warp Drive Is Possible. They just need to figure out the minor detail of generating the amount of energy equivalent to turning the entire mass of Jupiter into energy (that’s about 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilograms!).

I shared the following story about Olympic runner Derek Redmond in my sermon Sunday as an illustration of the Holy Spirit’s encouragement in the believer’s life. (“Encouraged by the Holy Spirit,” taken from Acts 9:31).

The Greek word for encouragement is “paraklesis.” It literally means “to be called to one’s side,” and so it is the picture of someone coming alongside you to give you help, comfort, encouragement and strength. Jesus used a related form of this word as a name for the Holy Spirit in John 14:16: “Parakletos,” which means “a helper, comforter, encourager or advocate.”

This story of Derek Redmond and his father is a beautiful illustration of someone coming alongside another to help and encourage.

(Video length: 3:21)

Derek Redmond was running in the 400-meter race in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He already held the British record in this event. In the previous Olympics he had been forced to withdraw 10 minutes before the race because of an Achilles tendon injury. Now four years later he was here, ready to compete, determined to win a medal in the 400. His father was in the stands watching.

During the semi-final heat, Redmond was only 175 meters away from the finish line, when his right hamstring suddenly popped and he fell to the ground. As all the other runners raced past him, Redmond knew that once again his Olympics dream had been snatched away from him. But Redmond was determined to finish the race, so he got back on his feet and started hobbling towards the finish line. He was in visible pain with each step, and it was unclear whether he could even make it.

Suddenly, his father gets out of his seat and jumps onto the track, running around the security guards, and comes alongside his son on the track. He puts his arm around his son’s waist and encourages him to keep going. And as 65,000 people in the stadium rise to their feet in applause, father and son make their way around the track to the finish line together. Redmond did not win his Olympic medal. But with the help of his father, he finished the race.

Rick Phillips offers Christian parents four commitments to remember in building a strong discipling relationship with their children:  Read – Pray – Work – Play.

1. Parents (especially fathers) must read God’s Word to and with their children. Countless Christians raised in strong believing homes will remember the influence of their father’s fervent and faithful ministry of reading (plus explaining and discussing) the Scriptures. Paul states that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).
2. Parents must pray for and with their children. How it warms a child’s heart to know that his or her parents are fervently praying on his behalf. Parents should have regular times of prayer with the children and should frequently pray individually with their children.
3. Parents should work with their children. This means that parents should be involved in the children’s work – mainly schoolwork – both to help and guide them. But it also means that we should invite our children into our work. Shared work builds relationships … Families should also engage in works of Christian service together.
4. Parents should play with their children. This involves our participation in their play and our invitation for them to join in our play … Parents should share their passions with their boys and girls and invite them into the fun of hobbies and pastimes. All of this play has a very serious purpose: the bonding of hearts in loving relationship through joyful, shared experiences.

“My child, give me your heart,” says the Bible. This assumes, of course, that the parent has already given his or her heart to the child. This will always take the form of time: serious time and play time, time in worship and time in service together. If we will give our hearts to our children, we will find their hearts eagerly offered back to us, so that we may then lead them into the reality of our faith in Christ.

Yesterday’s message was called Encouraged by the Holy Spirit, taken from Acts 9:31.

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord. (Acts 9:31)

Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. What does it mean to be encouraged by the Holy Spirit? (John 14:16-17)
    A. The Holy Spirit comes alongside you to help.
    B. The Holy Spirit dwells within you.
    C. The Holy Spirit will never leave you.

II. How does the Holy Spirit encourage you?
    A. He teaches you God’s truth. (John 14:26)
    B. He gives you God’s peace. (John 14:27)
    C. He fills you with God’s love. (Romans 5:5)
    D. He assures you that God is your Father. (Romans 8:15-17)
    E. He gives gifts of encouragement. (Romans 12:8)

III. What are the results? (Acts 9:31)
    A. We are strengthened in the Lord.
    B. We draw closer to God.
    C. We reach out to others.

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

If you missed the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency last night, you can:

• read the transcripts here: Broadcast Transcript Service: Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency; or
• view the videos here: Saddleback Forum Video