And therefore, as his people, so should we.  Especially in light of Romans 10:13-14 – “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”^[ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

And although many of us are skeptical of “preaching” to others (mainly because of the misguided zeal or stupidity of guys with bullhorns or preachers who yell until the vien in thier heads burst), we have been given a divine calling and commission to “speak the truth in love”.  And as St. Francis of Assisi pointed out, this most certainly includes and is based on the way you live your life.  But it also must include words and explanations.

1 Peter 3:15 says this – “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have”.  Okay, so I’m asking you – why Jesus?  Why now?  Given all of the reasons not to believe, tell me why you do.

*Here are some things to keep in mind/some suggestions to help you formulate an answer and communicate your hope in Christ with others.

In his book “Walk Across the Room”, Rick Warren talks about living in 3D – Develop Friendships (get to know people outside of your Christian circles/spheres of influence. Spend time in places and with people who don’t know the LORD, basically become a good friend to as many people as possible!).   Next, Discover Stories (ask great questions and really get to know the people you are befriending. Find out what is important to them, what makes them tick, what do they feel or know or want in regard to religion.  What was thier family like? What are their hopes for the future? Discover stories and get to know others at a deeper level).  Finally, Discern Next Steps (follow the Spirit’s leading and allow him to tell you/show you what you should do next.  Maybe you need to invite them to church, or open the Word with them, maybe you simply need to encourage them or ask more questions or pray over/with them.  God is faithful and will show you what should come next).

In addition to living in 3D, Rick Warren talks about how absolutely crucial it is that we know and are able to communicate our own “faith stories”.  At its most basic level, your story might sound/look something like a “Before & After”.  Think about it in these terms –  Before Christ…Christ…After Christ.  What difference has Christ really made in your life?  What were you like before Christ (angry, pusposeless, hopeless, living in regreat, broken, etc.) and now what are you like after you’ve come to know Christ (more peaceful, grounded, hopeful, redeemed, healed, etc.)? 

Rick Warren says, “When someone opens a conversational door for you by asking why you are so fired up about Jesus, state as simply as possible what was going on before you met Jesus, and what has been going on since you began to seriously and intentionally follow him”.

A few more things to keep in mind – as we speak the truth in love, I think it is absolutely crucial that we know the “Irreducible Ingredients” of the gospel. What are the key/foundational truths that someone needs to know if/when you are sharing the message of the gospel with them.  Here are the ones that Rick Warren suggests:

1. God loves you

2. Sin destroys you

3. Christ chose to die/pay for you

4. The choice is now yours

At this point, you might also want to have several key verses handy to help summarize/communicate these points:  Verses like Hebrews 9:26-28; Romans 6:22-23; Titus 3:3-7; I Timothy 1:15, or Acts 4:12  

Regardless of what you say or how you say it, know this (as Isaiah 55 promises) – that when God’s words/Word goes out, it will always accomplish something and will never come back void.  So start talking!

When did Jesus struggle the most during?  It wasn’t during all of these events, it was earlier that night, in prayer, before any of these things had transpired.  In that time of prayer, we read that Jesus was heavily burdened, scared, and possibly even terrified of what was to come.  Sweat and tears and blood poured from his body that night.  

In response to this, Philip Yancey says the following: “For most of us, prayer serves as a resource to help in a time of testing or conflict.  For Jesus, it was the battle itself.  One the Gethsemane prayers had aligned him with the Father’s will, what happened next was merely the means to fulfill it.  In the words of Haddon Robinson, ‘Had I been there (in the garden with Jesus) I would have worried about the future. “If he is so broken up when all he is doing is praying, what will he do when he faces a real crisis?  Why can’t he approach this ordeal with the same calm confidence of his three sleeping friends?” Yet, when the test came, Jesus walked to the cross with courage, and his three friends fell apart and fell away.’

These words and insights hit me like a ton of bricks. For my entire adult life, and throughout the last 8 years of ministry, I have approaced prayer as preparation for the battle that is to come.  Prayer is that which will give me the strength and wisdom to go out and fight the darkness.  And yet, it appears, that the real battle is fought in prayer.  If I see prayer simply as the pep-talk before the big game, then when I speak or teach or “fight the good fight” as I have understood it, I am simply walking out onto a field, fully prepared to fight, only to see that the battle has been over for quite some time.

Could my life and my ministry lack power and authority, could renewal and passion and a longing for God be missing from the students I work with because I have “fallen asleep the night before” and not devoted myself to the real battle taking place in & through prayer?

Jesus shows us that what we seek to accomplish and bring about in/through our ministries and our Christian lives happens first and foremost (and maybe only) through the discipline and avenue and battle that is prayer.

SUN 10:15AM          Church Service  (Elkins)

SUN  8:00PM           Student-Led Chapel (Chapel)

WED 7:00PM           Collide  (Elkins)

When I first heard this principle, it was rather liberating.  At times, believers (especially new/young believers) can feel as if studying or pursuing anything that doesn’t have the label “Christian” on it or doesn’t directly connect with or point to Christ, is somehow secondary to those things that do.  I used to think and say to myself, “Learning more about mathematics is good, but knowing the gospels is better!”  To me, it seemed like there was truth with a capital “T”, and then all other truths.  I’m not sure if others can relate, but I felt like all lower case “t” truth was a waste of my time. So hearing that all truth is God’s truth, opened my eyes to the fact that big “T” truth is everywhere (not just in the bible).  God’s power and presence and glory are found in everything from the bible, to calculus equations, to the study of the solar system.  Jesus said, “I am THE TRUTH”, so I have come to believe that when you encounter truth, you encounter Jesus (period).

But, as I have recently come to believe, that isn’t entirely true. Listen to the words of John Piper on this particular issue - 

Sometimes the slogan “All truth is God’s truth” is used to justify dealing in any sphere of knowledge as an act of worship or stewardship. The impression is given that just knowing God’s truth and recognizing it as such is a good thing, even a worthy end. But the problem with this is that the devil does it.

“If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” (1Corinthians 8:2-3). Which I take to mean that until we know in such a way that we love God more because of it, we do not yet know as we ought to know.

Alongside “All truth is God’s truth,” we need to say, “All truth exists to display more of God and awaken more love for God.” This means that knowing truth and knowing it as God’s truth is not a virtue until it awakens desire and delight in us for the God of truth. And that desire and delight are not complete until they give rise to words or actions that display the worth of God. That is, we exist to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and merely knowing a truth to be God’s truth does not glorify him any more than the devil does.

Wow – causes you to rethink the solgan a little bit.  Is all truth God’s truth?  Well, all truth does in fact point to God and find its basis and meaning in God, whether that is 2+2 or an understanding of how to build a computer, but the Scriptures make it clear that truth is designed for and grounded in the glory of God and its primary purpose is to cause us to grow in our love for Him.  So if we simply allow truth just to be truth and not allow it to draw us or compel us to have a greater love for God, then it is not God’s truth.  So, marvel in the precision of the universe, delight in how God has made everything, seek to discover more and more about God through his creation, or the laws of physics, or whatever.  But don’t just stop there. Allow that truth to result in an even greater love for the God who is behind and in it all. 

All truth is God’s truth (well, sort of).

And although I will be the first to admit that it is pretty funny to hear about the bad luck and problems that others experience (I guess it reaffirms that I’m not the only one with problems), I find something troubling about such sites, and the comments that you read on there.

I mean it is easy and quite natural to focus on and highlight the bad part of any given situation. We do it all of the time.  In addition to the truly bad things that tend to dominate our lives , think about our normal tendencies - 

- My car runs fine, but there is that one little noise that just drives me crazy.  If only I had a car that wouldn’t do that.  I hate it when it…

-I have a great job and all, but I really can’t stand when I have to do…(you fill in the blank).  If only I had a job where I didn’t have to do that or…

-I tried my best and put in a ton of effort into that assignment, and my grade was good, but if only professor would have heard me say…or if the other students would have carried their weight a little more, I could have received an even higher grade.

-I like the internship that I have, but the one I really wanted was…now I’m not sure if I will get the job that I want.

The list goes on and on. It doesn’t take much thought or effort or energy to sit there and gripe about the “bad things” that are in our lives. And surrounding yourself, either on-line or with real people who only talk about and pay attention to the things that didn’t work out, makes for a pretty lousy afternoon.

I’m wondering what it would look like, instead of being so focused on and burdened by the negative in our lives, if we actually started openly talking and thinking about the amazing things that are happening (that God is doing), all around us.  Now I should point out that this isn’t exactly my idea.  It’s God’s.  

Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

I know a lot of us have been involved in or fall victim to bad situations, or destructive relationships, or lousy bosses, etc.  But a mind and a heart and a voice that focus on and gives praise and thanks, even in those situations, is one that is full of and in tune with the very Spirit of God.  By focusing on the negative, we are in essence having the good that is also present ripped away and stolen from us.  Satan loves when all we can see, in any given situation, is that which we causes us to complain and bicker. Because it gets our focus off of God.  But it takes intentionality and energy to sift through the bad and find the good, but if you are willing to do it, I am confidant that life will look and feel and turn out very differently. God promises exactly that.

So what do you say?  Let’s start a new mini-revolution.  No more FML.  How about TTL – Thank The Lord!  Or LML – Love my Life!  Tell us what God is doing in your life.  Tell us how and in what ways your are experiencing His goodness. 

This isn’t bragging or boasting, it is simply acknowledging that in every situation, God’s provision and grace are present. And it is up to us to recognize it and call others to do the same.

I’ll go first – I have spent the afternoon writing this article, while at the same time watching my beautiful baby girl play alongside me.  She has such a joyful little spirit and boy does she love bouncing around in her jumper!  God truly hand crafted this little girl and I am forever grateful he sent her my way – TTL!

Many people believe that by drastically controlling and altering the way we consume food, they can somehow obtain the body and the results they so desperately desire.  as was the case with porn and sexual sin, seeking to satisfy our desires in that way only leads to immense pain, anguish, and frustration.   But, victory and release are available to you and the pain you are experiencing can be overcome (Philippians 4:13).

What is an Eating Disorder?

An eating disorder occurs when a person’s life revolves around weight and food.

• Some people eat too little. This is called restrictive eating.
• Some people eat too much at one time. This is called binge eating.
• Some people purge. They vomit, use laxatives, fast or excessively exercise to get rid of the food they eat.
• Some people exercise to excess (more than an hour a day). They are compulsive about exercise and feel significant distress if they are unable to exercise, even for one day.

For detailed information regarding each type of eating disorder, click on the links below:

• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Binge Eating Disorder
• ED-NOS

Excerpt from “Life Inside the ‘Thin’ Cage” by Constance Rhodes:

“I’m Not Hurting Anyone…”

For many years there wasn’t much anyone could say to veer me away from my tried and true technique of chronic dieting. In my mind, gaining weight was simply not acceptable, and so the means by which I remained so incredibly thin seemed a small price to pay for my perceived success.

It wasn’t until the day I nearly passed out while trying to mow my tiny front lawn that I finally got frustrated with what I had become. I talk about this more in my book, but it was that event that finally got me mad, which was actually an important step toward getting help.

For some reason, it took me 12 years to realize that my eating habits had indeed been destructive to my body. Up to this point, I had convinced myself that I was not hurting anything, or anyone, but as I began to step back a little, I started to understand that there had been several “hidden costs” along the way.

Things like skipping social events, out of fear that I would eat something “off limits”. Or missing out on building friendships, as my obsession seemed to consume my time and cause others to keep their distance. As I started taking a closer look at my life, I saw hundreds of price tags, both small and great, that had been stacking up along the way.

And so I realized that there were actually some pretty compelling reasons to give up my unhealthy obsession with thinness.

If you think you might struggle in this area, please seek out the advice of someone you trust.

One of the best websites we have found that can provide you with the resources and strategies you need to overcome this struggle is findingbalance.com. This site is a trusted Christian resource that specializes in this area and is invaluable if you are looking for help.

Don’t ever hesitate to e-mail, call or come by our office so we can partner with you in finding freedom and liberation.

*As seen on Baylor University’s Counseling Website http://www.baylor.edu/counseling_center/baretruth

Here are a few sobering statistics on how drinking too much, too often can put a serious damper on your dreams of achieving academic glory–or even your dreams of just graduating:

• According to the Core Institute, an organization that surveys college drinking practices, 300,000 of today’s college students will eventually die of alcohol-related causes such as drunk driving accidents
• 159,000 of today’s first- year college students will drop out of school next year for alcohol- or other drug-related reasons. The average student spends about $900 on alcohol each year. Do you want to know how much cash the average student drops on his or her books? About $450.
• Almost one-third of college students admit to having missed at least one class because of their alcohol or drug use, and nearly one-quarter of students report bombing a test or project because of the aftereffects of drinking or doing drugs.
• One night of heavy drinking can impair your ability to think abstractly for up to 30 days, limiting your ability to relate textbook reading to what your professor says, or to think through a volleyball play.

Although these statistics might be true, they still don’t do much to curb our habits or motivate us to stop drinking.  But, what will? 

When it comes to Christians and alcohol in particular, most of us are accustomed to hearing the same thing: drinking is from the devil (combined with a judmental look and a finger pointed at your face)!  And although we believe alcoholism and the misuse of alcohol by those in college is incredibly destructive, more needs to be said on the topic than simply “Drink and you’ll find yourself in Hell!”

In I Corinthians 10, we read the following – “‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”  In these two verses we are presented with one of the strongest reasons for severly limiting, if not altogether putting an end to your drinking.  Although it is not a sin (against the will of God) to have a drink (Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding) the question becomes how beneficial and constructive is this behavior?  As the verse above points out, and as the gospel makes clear, as a Christian you no longer live for yourself.  You were bought by Christ to be used for Christ.  And a common theme throughout Scripture is that while drinking is not always viewed as wrong, its dangers and harmfulness were such as to call forth numerous warnings.  In some cases (priestly service, Nazirite vow, Timothy’s apostolic efforts) abstinence was seen as commendable and appropriate.

Proverbs 23 – “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind utter perverse things.” This verse, along with numerous studies points out that drinking causes you to not operate at 100% of your intellectual ability, it tends to weaken your capacity to make split second decisions, and greatly impacts your moral restraint.  Someone who is seeking to be used by God at all times, who is to “always be prepared to give an answer”, whose conversation is to ”always be full of grace and seasoned with salt” , cannot seek to live out these commands and be under the influence of alcohol at the same time.  Not drinking is a sacrifice that many of us are called to make, not merely for our own benefit and well being, but equally importantly for the benefit of the world around us – for “the good of others”.  Life is about so much more than simply having a good time, relaxing with, and getting your mind of things for a while.  It is about always being in tune with God.  Always seeking to do His Will.  So whether you are  the designated driver, the person who is able to stop others from making dumb mistakes, the only one who fully present in any given situation, or one of the few who is willing to make a statement about the negative effects of drinking, the use (and abuse) of alcohol is something that Christians need to take much more seriously. 

Where to Go For Help

• Enlist the help of family, friends, professors or your Resident Director.  Letting someone else know about your struggle and your desire to change is a huge first step.  When they hear that you want to try to curb your drinking, we are sure that they will be happy to do whatever they can to help and encourage you.
• Call or e-mail the campus ministry office or the counseling center right away (www.services.pepperdine.edu/counselingcenter)   We are here to assist and walk with you as you seek to break free from your dependance and addiction to alcohol or drugs.
• Learn about all of the different resources that are available to you right here around campus.  Whether it be peer support groups, accounatiblity partners, etc. you will probably be surprised to learn how many people and organizations there are that can help.  One of the best online Christian based resources that we have found is www.celebraterecovery.com.   

1/27 – “God is the Lover of Justice” - God is passionate about justice and desires for His people to likewise seek it.  Join us on Wednesday evening to see what justice means for us as social activists and Christ followers. 

2/3 – “I love God’s Justice (to a Point)” - It is one thing, in light of God’s nature as “lover of justice,” to celebrate God’s righteousness and His passion and ability to ensure that evil will not go unpunished; but what happens when, instead of fighting against evil, the tables are turned and we find ourselves on the receiving end of God’s vengeance?  Come join us as we take a hard look into the reality when God’s justice means- not only for social action but for us as those deserving of “God’s wrath.”

2/10 & 2/17 - “Can You Hear Me Now?” - Psalm 50 tells us that when God comes, he does not remain silent.  Our God does not sit back with arms crossed and lips sealed.  He speaks. In fact, the writer of Hebrews refers to God as “the speaking one”.  And maybe because He is God, he doesn’t have to say much.  Many of us know, or will come to find out that one word from the mouth of God can and does change people’s lives.  If that is true, then why are God’s people, those commissioned to “speak the truth”, so quiet?  Join us for a two week study on how simple, yet how profound it is to share the gospel truth with another person.

2/24 – “God Is Sovereign” - To proclaim that God is sovereign, means that we proclaim/believe that God is in ultimate control of the universe from the largest cosmic happenings to the smallest particle known to man.  Yet, how does evil, pain and suffering, let alone free will, play into all of this?  Has God “tied his hands” on these issues?  Does he choose to sit back and do nothing for the sake of “love” or “choice”?  Is he engaged in a cosmic battle with the foreces of evil, sometimes triumphing over them and sometimes not?  Come join us for an in-depth look into the complete rule and reign of God – and see how much bigger God and His Sovereignty truly are. 

3/3 – SPRING BREAK - Whether you are going to Mexico to build a home, embarking on a Project Serve Campaign, or just going home, enjoy a week off of classes!

3/10 – “I am SO Scared!- Fear is a debilitating emotion that most of us feel on a daily basis.  And although many of us wouldn’t admit it, we are terrified of something, and it goes much deeper than spiders, heights, or public speaking.  Things like failure, rejection, lonliness, etc. dominate our lives and many of us are unsure or incapable of overcoming these fears on our own.  Join us as we tackle the issue of fear, and learn how clinging to a Sovereign & Good God free you from the bondage of fear.

Speaking Truth In Love

God of Justice

Why Are You Downcast My Soul

God Is My Song

Promise Keeper

Personal Calling

The Shack

God Is Deliverer

God Is Wrathful

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

God Is Creator

Download “Intro – God Is”

Porn Runs The World

This world is rife with moral decay. Doubters need only look to the evening news or the vacant church pews for confirmation. That and the fact that the porn industry utterly dominates our society.

Think we’re exaggerating? We’ve got the numbers to back it up. As big as you think porn is, it’s bigger, and its influence on modern society is deeper.

Porn > Hollywood

“Hollywood cranks out around 500 movies a year to an international audience of 2.8 billion. Its closest competitor, India’s Bollywood, makes about 1,000 movies a year, but 50 percent aren’t released and 95 percent of those released are financial flops. This is unfortunate considering every Bollywood clip we’ve ever seen has been absolutely amazing.

In 2008, The Dark Knight alone grossed $533 million domestically and over $1 billion internationally, certifying it in the top five highest grossing films of all time and a crown jewel in the Hollywood empire. It’s just further evidence that the institution of Hollywood cannot possibly be bested in any way, and certainly not by the data in the following paragraph.

As early as 2002, about 11,000 adult movies were released per year–more than 20 times the mainstream movie production. To meet current demand, a new pornographic video is being created every 39 minutes in the U.S.

In 2005, there were approximately 425 films released in Hollywood, including a Star Wars prequel and a Harry Potter movie, with domestic grosses of $8.597 billion. That’s very impressive. In 2006, the cumulative grosses for porn videos in the U.S., leveraging video sales, rentals, mobile phone content and Internet revenues–came out to….

Are you ready?

$8.65 billion.

About the same, and that’s minus the billions Hollywood spends on promotion. Oh, and we’re going to take a wild guess and say that the combined budgets of every porno shot that year wouldn’t even pay for the CGI in the opening credits of a Harry Potter movie. So, yeah, we’re thinking that $8.65 billion is pretty much all profit”.

Porn > Pretty Much Everything

Remember at the beginning when we said as big as you think porn is, it’s actually bigger? We meant it.

Microsoft, purveyor of the operating system used on most of the computers in the world, reported 2008 profits in excess of $16 billion. ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded company and number five on Forbes’ top 2000 companies, posted 2008 profits of $40.6 billion. Though there is little in common with their industries, they do share one common bond: porn revenues spank them both.  

In 2006, the sum of international revenues from pornographic videos, sexual novelties, magazines, “dance” clubs, pay-per-view and Internet was approximately $97 billion.

Can you even wrap your mind around that number? Try it this way: that’s larger than the combined annual revenues of the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball.

Still not impressed? Well, our domestic revenues for pornography are larger than the revenues of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink combined.

This means $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography internationally every second. To put that in perspective, when ExxonMobil posted a quarterly profit of $11.7 billion last year, the largest in American history, they were effectively making $1,947 less per second than the world of filth mongers.

When you start talking about money this big it’s not even fair to compare individual companies, so we just made the jump to entire countries. If you compare porn revenues to Gross Domestic Product, the market value of all final goods and services from a nation in a given year, it is bigger than Morocco”.

Making money is one thing, but making money by preying off of people and causing them immense pain and strife is quite another.  Don’t think porn is negatively affecting our world?  Keep reading.

* As read on http://xxxchurch.com/blogs/news/pornrunstheworld.html