Friday, Saturday and Sunday 7 pm each evening @ FBCSmyrna. Do not miss this Worship Arts Production.
Get your complimentary tickets @ FBCSmyrna or call the office for will call tickets. Invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers and those you want to introduce to church.
God choosing me
my Amy, Jordan, Peyton, Evan
my mom
Tracey, Greg, Abby, Ellie, Lucy Grace, Zoe
the Word of God
the church I serve
my calling
the team of leaders I serve
the school my children attend and my wife serves
so many others I can’t name them all…
but I will update as God reminds me.
Time to list yours.
(some think my blog post are too short)
This weekend was full of reading for me. I completed a book that Pat gave to the staff and asked us to read entitled, Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be). The book was a very good read and is definitely a book worth picking up. The authors expose some major theological errors in the theology of Rob Bell, Erwin McManus, and Brian McLaren (+ a host of others). No one denies they are very good teachers and communicators, but the theology base they work from is a new form of classic liberalism. Each of the authors desire their readers to “follow the way of Jesus” which is what I think most pastors desire for the congregations they are entrusted to lead. The authors of the book explain how what Bell, McLaren, and others write and teach is full of doctrinal errors which will lead individuals to spiritual disaster. This doesn’t mean that living like Jesus is wrong, but the premises that each of these guys work out of is faulty and leads away from historic orthodox Christianity.
On Friday evening Amy and I walked into B&N and I immediately saw a book that caught my eye. It is by the popular, buddhist transcendental meditation author, Deepak Chopra. He has entitled his new book Jesus, A Story of Enlightenment.
Here is an excerpt from the dust cover:
“What if Jesus wanted his followers—and us—to reach the same unity with God that he had reached? My story is based on the premise that he did. By following the young seeker from Nazareth on his path to Christhood, I’ve laid out a map of enlightenment. It wasn’t necessary to invent the map. Enlightenment has existed in every age. The path from suffering and separation to bliss and unity with God is well marked. I put Jesus on this path because I believe he walked it.”
–Deepak Chopra from
JESUS: A Story of Enlightenment
Another from his website:
It’s been a long time — perhaps as far back as Thomas Jefferson — that Americans seriously considered Jesus, not as the Son of God, but as an enlightened teacher. For me, that doesn’t rob him of his sacred stature. It puts sacredness in human terms.
I hope the reader comes away appreciating how enlightenment unfolds from promising beginnings, not full divinity. In an age when Jesus threatens to become the exclusive property of fervent, literal-minded devotees, we have an urgent need to bring him back, not as the savior, but as a savior — one who won his own salvation before promising it to the world. (bolding is by K.G. for emphasis)
HEY NOW HOLD ON!!
This is serious stuff.
First, Jesus was not on a path to Christ-hood. He was born the Christ child. In fact, he was Christ the Son of God before the foundation of the world. Chopra had nothing to do with it. (John 8:58)
Second, Jesus was not a young seeker, in the sense of enlightenment. He did come seeking, those who needed a savior. He was about his Father’s business seeking and saving those who were lost. (Luke 19:10)
Third, Chopra did not put Jesus on any path. Jesus put us on our path. (Col. 1:16)
Fourth, Chopra attacks the full divinity of Jesus with his statement above. Jesus was fully God and fully man.
Fifth, notice Chopra calls him a savior, not the savior. (John 14:6)
I was mortified. I know I shouldn’t be, but I was. This is one of the books that is getting front billing in the store.
My counsel is to be ready to speak truth to those who see this book on any afternoon talk shows, because it is coming soon to a network near you.
By the way, if you have made it this far you need to know these authors will not offered in our resource center (Crosswalk) and will not be approved for small group materials.
The NextGen staff informed me of a new service called ChaCha that is really cool. You need text messaging for it to really work. It is a mobile search engine connected to your phone through text messaging. I may be hooked. (trivial information galore)
The interview is an old interview but probably the most in depth I have read or heard on President-Elect Obama’s faith. It (his faith) is very eclectic to say the least. I would be interested in your thoughts about the article and his description of his faith. Thanks J.T.
You will want to check out the new website for our friends in Brazil, AMO. You might also remember that Bret and Susie Cox moved this summer to be our local members in Brazil. They have a wonderful web presence also you will want to utilize.
We are a church of small groups. We have small groups that meet on Sunday morning and during the week in the homes of church members. Eddie tells me that we have around 100 adult small groups counting on campus and off campus groups.
We also have student small groups for sixth graders through college students. There are close to 100 small groups for our students. I am a proponent of small groups. My family is part of an adult small group so we have first hand knowledge of what an active small group can do for your spiritual growth.
I want to link you to a story from Chris Hollomon, our Student Pastor about a small group story that you are going to love.
We just finished packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan’s Purse) at church. Last year we packed 400 boxes and this year we are hoping to do the same amount. I wanted to post a blog from Amy’s cousin, Cheryl.
She has a great story that I would encourage you to read.
Three years ago, on a mission trip to Tamale, in Northern Ghana, I was literally dropped off at the doorstep of World Vision. Formal introductions were made and then an incredible discovery! At that very time, World Vision was partnering with Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan’s Purse) to deliver almost 2,000 shoe boxes to children in rural African villages and I was invited to join them! It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
There were 3 truckloads just like this that went to each village.
This little girl was too shy and afraid to ask for a box from the white woman who visited her village, so the headmaster of the school encouraged her.
Operation Christmas Child holds a very dear place in my heart because not only do they show God’s love by giving gifts to children in desperate situations all over the world, they share the Good News of Jesus with every child that receives a box. They do this in different ways, but the most effective way is by giving them a small, culturally relevant booklet in their heart language called The Good News.
World Vision staff, along with my dear friend, Grace Brew, directed the program.
The line became longer and longer…..and there were never enough shoe boxes!! I remember looking up and seeing the line and then looking down and seeing the empty cardboard box in front of me. It is a moment frozen in time. I will never ever get that image out of my mind.
These children patiently waited in line for over 3 hours
you will want to click here and take the survey.
A good interview with Billy Graham leading to his 90th birthday. Well worth the reading. [HT-Taylor]
