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CCALLINGSelf – CallingApr 24 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 24:28-36Sept 3-5 2011 RCCC Retreat [Renewing our first love for Christ] Renewing our vision of the Cross Luke 9:18-2723-25 Sept 2011 ACBC Missions Conference (Mandarin) – Matt 28:18-20 The Great CommissionI remember the day I accepted Christ. I was at this IV-retreat as a freshman in college. There were only two non-Christians there and I was one of them. But after a culmination of struggling with the purpose and meaning of life and reading up and I guess God just working in my heart, I was challenged by the room-mate they gave me, if I wanted to accept Christ and I did. Incidentally, this room-mate later became my small group leader and he currently works for Coke as a Financial Controller at their Thailand office. He recently also had a set of boy-girl twins through IVF. Anyway, that morning, during the morning worship, I remembered telling God, “Why is it that these Christians around me are so emotional and they seem to feel you and experience you as if you are next to them. But I don’t feel anything. When I accepted you, I didn’t feel anything or hear anything! Nothing! Is this real? Or are they just emotionally weak?” I prayed, “Lord, let me experience you!” In the midst of the worship, I just felt this stirring in my heart and I grasp what a wretched sinner I was. Then the first tear trickled down my cheeks and then the dam broke. I told you I don’t cry well! Snoot & saliva and the guy beside me, someone I barely knew, put his arms around me and I just cried. God became real! Then the pastor spoke on John 21 and my heart was strangely warm. Perhaps that was what these disciples of Emmaus felt when Jesus spoke to them. I realized that I was like Peter in John 21 and I responded and told God that I wanted to feed his sheep. It was in that moment then I felt called to full time ministry. This is another story that perhaps I will have an opportunity to share in future. But in that moment, not only was my mind informed, but my heart was touched. Allow the message of the Cross to burn in our hearts. CARES, OF THE WORLDSubway in TokyoDate: 1/2006.101DCFC YOC - Bible Study Training - Jan 200610 February 2008 DCFC English - Mark 5 21-43 ~ White Water FaithIn Tokyo and wanted to take the subway and see what the rush hour was like. Mistake!People in uniform and white gloves. Oh! I have seen this on TV. It always looks so funny when the TV shows these people pushing the commuters into the train carriage. They push with one hand, two hands, with their backs and all sorts of ways. No matter what, by the time the train alarm for door closing goes off, they always somehow manage to fit all the people in. Then the camera would show those people in the train all crushed up, against the door, against the window - like a tin of sardines - it was really funny.Now, here I was with my pretty wife and a busy Monday morning at 9.00 am. Somehow, it didn’t strike me that I would be one of those people whose face gets pressed up against the window. I thought I could out maneuver them. We got ourselves in a good position and when the train came, we managed to get in early. There were no sits, but we managed to settle ourselves into a comfortable corner near the other door. Mistake No. 2. Suddenly, more and more people came in and the carriage was so crowded that there was not enough standing space, yet more people came. And yet more were standing outside. I was thinking "Hey, no more space! Don't come in anymore!" Then the officers in white gloves began to do their jobs and they pushed and they pushed. Amazingly, all those people standing outside managed to get in. It was as if they were prepared for this. They just stood they like spineless leaf stalks. When those officers pushed, they just went along! I was no longer comfortable and found my back crushed against a man who was pressed against the door! And in front of me, there were 3 ladies, one right in my face, the other two on my left and right, pressing against me. I never felt so violated before.It was terrible and I wished somehow I could get out of this, but I could not move.Once my wife and I were in Tokyo and we wanted to try the famous rush hour squeeze. You see, we have seen the rush hour scene on the trains in many Japanese movies and wanted to experience for ourselves what it is like. During rush hour, there are so many people that the trains would be packed till the passengers are unable to board the trains. Then officers wearing white gloves would come along and push those outside the train in. Amazingly they manage to squeeze at least another 50% in. I thought it looked quite funny so we decided to try it out. We went at about 8.30 that day and there were truly a lot of people. But being a typical Singaporean, I thought, I cannot lose out to these Japanese. So skillfully, we maneuvered to the front just as the train was pulling in. When the doors opened, we rushed in but to my dismay, we were just a little too slow to find a seat. So I found a comfortable spot by one of the train metallic support and stood there. I was going to stand my ground and survive Tokyo rush hour. People started to pile in and eventually I was backed into the metal support. The train was already full, at least by my definition, but there were still many people outside. Then like in the movies, those white gloves officers came along. Everyone was ready for them except me. They just stood like flaccid leaves and with one pushed more people than I could imagine fit into the train. Almost everybody got in. I was squashed by three petite Japanese ladies up in my face, to the left and to the right. There was absolutely no concept of private space and I could identify what each lady ate for breakfast by their smell of their breath. The only part of my body I could move without being accused of molestation was my toes.Pressures of life.CHILDRENAngerDate: 4/2009.101What so amazing about grace? Philip Yancey P120 I have a friend whose marriage has gone through tumultuous times. One night George passed a breaking point. He pounded the table and the floor. "I hate you!" he screamed at his wife. "I won't take it anymore! I've had enough! I won't go on! I won't let it happen! no! no! no!" Several months later my friend woke up in the middle of the night and heard strange sounds coming from the room where his two year old son slept. He padded down the hall, stood for a moment outside his son's door and shivers ran through his flesh. he could not draw a breath. In a soft voice, the two year old was repeating word for word with precise inflection the argument between his mother and father. "I hate you... I won't take it anymore... No! no! no!"CHILDRENCompassion – JokeDate: 9/2007.101Humor for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal & Christian Reader P43 The instructor from a dog training workshop in Salt Lake City noted that a dog's disposition can be tested by the owner. If the owner will fall down and pretend to be hurt, a dog with a bad temper will tend to bite him. But a good dog will show concern and may lick the fallen owner's face. Susan Matice attended the class and then decided to test her two dogs. While eating pizza in her living room, she stood up, clutched her heart, screamed and fell to the floor. Her dogs looked at her, looked at each other and then raced to the coffee table for her pizza.Do we evaluate our children/parents like that? CHILDRENJoke - Babies & PrayersDate: 3/2007.101\webpage{} A minister friend of mine asked one of the youngsters in his primary department if they ever prayed in their home."Oh, yes," the child replied. "Every night. When Mommy puts me down to sleep she goes out of my room and when she has closed the door I hear her say,"Thank God she's in bed!"Application:How often do we pray? Is this the only time?Or noisy children?CHILDRENPrayers of fathersDate: 3/2009.10114 Feb 2010 DCFC English Worship - [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 1:15-23 What should I pray about?Christian fathers need to pray for their children. When we pray for our children, we are asking God to help, guide and protect beyond our abilities to do so. All human fathers have limits. But, our Heavenly Father is not limited by any means! And when we pray to our Heavenly Father for wisdom and guidance, we are praying for the interaction the hands of our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer who is all knowing (omniscient), everywhere (omnipresent), and all-powerful (omnipotent). Only our Heavenly Father has these unlimited capacities! Therefore, when we pray to God our Heavenly Father, we are praying that He will help us. We are praying that He will help us in our helplessness and give us hope in our uncertainties in all that we do as we seek to do our part in training our children up in the ways that they are to go and grow (Proverbs 22:6). While I was working on this sermon, I looked up a prayer of General Douglas MacArthur. Listen to the wisdom and the insight of his prayer that I am going to read to you. The General's Prayer: by General Douglas MacArththur "Build me a son, oh Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. "Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee, and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. "Here let him learn to stand up to the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past. "And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength. "Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, `I have not lived in vain.CHILDREN, ANSWERED PRAYERThe Candle In RomeDate: 6/2006.101Preaching Magazine: 6 June 2006 A husband and wife were unable to have children. After consulting everyone who would listen to their problem, they consulted their family priest. "My children," the priest began, "The Lord will listen to your prayers, and I am sure that you will be blessed with children shortly. In fact, I am planning a stay in Rome, and while I am visiting the Vatican, I will light a candle for you." "Thank you, Father, thank you!" said the couple. Before leaving, the priest turned and said, "My stay in Rome will be for quite some time-15 years. But when I return, I will be sure to pay you a visit."And so, 15 years came and went, and the priest returned to the U.S. While resting on his porch one mid-summer morning, he remembered the promise of paying a visit that he had made 15 years ago. So he made his way to their home, and upon arriving at the residence of the couple who'd sought his council years earlier, he rang the doorbell. Sounds of crying and screaming children filled the air! Overjoyed by the thought that their prayers had been answered, he entered the house. More than a dozen children filled the house from top to bottom! In the midst of all the chaos, stood the wife."My dear," the priest said, "your prayers have been answered! And where is your husband? I wish to congratulate him on your miracle!""He just left for Rome," she said."Rome? Why did he go to Rome?" asked the priest."To blow that candle out" came the harried reply.CHILDREN, ANSWERED PRAYERJoke - Too Full A QuiverDate: 6/2006.10114 Nov 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Satisfying Life’s Desires] Ps 127 Secret of Success1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking #656 – JokeBack in the days when fathers waited outside for the baby to be born, there were three men waiting for the joyous news. The first was informed by the nurse that his wife had twins. He told the nurse, "Isn’t that ironic. I pitch for the Minnesota Twins."A few minutes later the second man learned his wife had triplets. The coincidence was that he worked for 3-M.The third man panicked and raced for the door. he was stopped and asked what happened. "I work for a 7-11 store and I'm getting out of here!"CHILDREN, RESPONSIBILITY TOCultivating faithDate: 6/2008.101British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge once had a discussion with a man who firmly believed that children should not be given formal religious instruction, but should be free to choose their own religious faith when they reached maturity. Coleridge did not disagree, but later invited the man into his somewhat neglected garden. "Do you call this a garden?" the visitor exclaimed. "There are nothing but weeds here!" "Well, you see," Coleridge replied, "I did not wish to infringe upon the liberty of the garden in any way. I was just giving the garden a chance to express itself." Daily Walk, March 28, 1992CHILDREN, RULES OF RAISINGHonoring the motherDate: 5/2006.101Susannah Wesley was married at age 19 to Samuel Wesley, a minister, and had nineteen children. Samuel was often gone for church meetings and revivals, so she assumed the primary load in raising the children. Two of her sons are well-known to us today: John and Charles Wesley. John launched the Methodist movement and Charles was a celebrated composer and hymn-writer; you would recognize some of his music like Christ the Lord is Risen Today and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing. Susannah Wesley spent time each day praying for her 19 children. She also took each child aside for a full hour every week to discuss spiritual matters. She also expected each child to be able to read the Book of Genesis by the time he or she was six years child.Here are her famous 16 rules of raising children:1. Eating between meals not allowed.2. As children they are to be in bed by 8 p.m.3. They are required to take medicine without complaining.4. Subdue self-will in a child, and those working together with God to save the child's soul.5. To teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.6. Require all to be still during Family Worship.7. Give them nothing that they cry for, and only that when asked for politely.8. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented of.9. Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.10. Never punish a child twice for a single offense.11. Comment and reward good behavior.12. Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed, should be commended.13. Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.14. Strictly observe all promises.15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.16. Teach children to fear the rod.(from Victor Yap; list from \webpage{})CHILDREN, VICESWrong Number – HumorDate: 5/2007.101Funny Stuff by Clyde Murdock (Humor) P84 The teenage daughter had been on the family telephone for half an hour. When finally she did hang up, her father said sarcastically, "You usually talk for two hours. What stopped you this time?""Wrong Number!"CHOICE, EVILRoe vs. Wade – AbortionDate: 3/2009.1019/20/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of the Imago DeiHave you ever made a poor choice that ended up destroying many lives? Norma McCorvey was influenced by her attorneys, Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee, and used to change the landscape of America. Norma, whose pseudonym was "Jane Roe," was an unmarried woman who sought to get an abortion to end her pregnancy. In Texas, where Roe lived, abortions to end pregnancies not endangering the mother's life were illegal. So, Roe being used by her attorneys, filed suit against Texas and took her suit to the Supreme Court. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Roe and declared many anti-abortion laws unconstitutional. In 1995, Norma McCorvey was answering phones at the Dallas clinic, A Choice for Women, when the pro-life group Operation Rescue moved into the office space next door. She tried trading insults with the pro-lifers, but they rebuffed her barbs with smiles, scripture and an invitation to church. McCorvey quit her clinic job later that summer and announced her conversion to Christianity. Operation Rescue's national director, Rev. Philip "Flip" Benham, baptized McCorvey in a Dallas swimming pool. In 2004, McCorvey went before the New Orleans Circuit Court of Appeals with a motion to overturn the Supreme Court's 1973 decision. The New Orleans court rejected the motion and dropped the case. On Sunday, January 13, 2008, McCorvey, the keynote speaker at a Choose Life Rally in Reno, Nevada, said, "I felt that I was doing something good for humankind, and I was wrong. I stand before you now, and I ask for your forgiveness." CHOICE, WISEChoice - God or MaterialDate: 11/2005.1012005 - Saipan28 May 2006 - Pandan Chinese Xi Yang - Luke 4:1-11 ~ Qualities of a Disciple2 Sept 2006 - YOC Camping - Luke 5:1-11 ~ The Qualities of a Disciple5 Dec 2006 - DTS PM 202 Senior Sermon - Luke 9:18-27 Senior Chapel 24 April 2007 - Luke 9:18-27 Sept 2007 FWC Retreat: The Kingdom is Here - Kingdom Path Luke 9:18-27Oct 2007 Germany Leipzig/Weimar - Luke 5:1-11 - Qualities of a discipleAug 10 2008 - FCBC Mandarin - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the CrossAug 24 2008 - MSU Mission Trip - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the CrossFeb 13 2011 – DCFC Chinese - Luke 9:18-27 – Way of the CrossMar 13 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 6:20-49 The Call of the DiscipleSept 3-5 2011 RCCC Retreat [Renewing our first love for Christ] Renewing our vision of the Cross Luke 9:18-27?Source: Poem of William McChesney, Missionary to Congo who martyred in 1964 at the hands of Muslim rebelsI want my breakfast served at eight,with hams and eggs upon the plate;A well-broiled steak I'll eat at one,and dine again when the day is done.I want an ultra-modern home,and in each room a telephone,Soft carpets too upon the floors,and pretty drapes to grace the doors.A cozy place of lovely things,like easy chairs with inner springsAnd then I'll get a small TV -of course, I'm careful what I see.I want my wardrobe too to be,of neatest finest quality;With latest style in suit & vest:Why should not Christians have the best?But then my Master I can hear,in no uncertain voice so clear;"I bid you come and follow Me,the lowly Man of Galilee."If He be God and died for me,No sacrifice too great can be;For me, a mortal man to make,I'll do it all for Jesus' sake.Yes, I will tread the path He trod,no other way to please my God.So henceforth this my choice shall be,My choice for all eternity.CHOICE, WISECrowd FollowersDate: 9/2007.101Fresh Ideas: Illustrations, stories & quotations - Jim Burns & Greg McKinnon P75 - Matthew 7:13-14 Look at those Crowd Followers, now aren't they a bunch?Following the crowd from breakfast to lunch.Never asking, "Where are we going?"Just riding the current wherever it's flowing.They say to themselves, "Now this sure is a breeze,Following the crowd is as easy as you please."They never stop to consider where all this will end;They just keep on following all of their friends."Everyone else must know where we're heading,So why should I do any fretting?I'll just follow the crowd all day and all night.I'm sure everything will turn out all right."Everyone is laughing and having such fun,Why not following the crows would be really dumb.I really don't care where all this may end;I just want to keep having fun with my friends."But every road must come to an end.The Crowd Followers too have to round the last bend.And when they do they will come face to faceWith the Creator & the Designer of the whole human race.And He'll not ask what the crowd has to say,For each person will have to speak for themselves that day.And when everything has been said and been done,The crowd again will march forward as one.No one will, that day want to follow their friends,because they know destruction will be their end.But because they spent their life following the crowd.On that final day no turning back will be allowed.Application:If you decide to follow the crowd in life, you need to ask yourself one question: "Do I really want to go where the crowd is heading?"Exodus 23:2; Joshua 24:15; Daniel 1:5, Daniel 1:8-17; Luke 13:24-30; John 21:19CHOICE, WISEExcusesDate: 1/2007.101Chaplin Bill Bryan - BC101 Biblical Counseling Your past may explain the way you are, but it does not excuse the way you are - Bill BryanCHOICE, WISEThe ChoiceDate: 6/2007.101Daily Bread Nov 6 2006 You’ve heard the infamous name of John Wilkes Booth. He assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. But have you heard about Edwin Booth, John’s eldest brother? Edwin, a well-known actor, was waiting at a Jersey City train station when he saw someone slip and fall off the platform. Edwin quickly grabbed the man’s collar and pulled him to safety rescuing him from serious injury or death. Who was the man he saved? Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert, a soldier in the Civil War.How ironic that the man who saved Lincolns son had a brother who would soon kill the president. One saved a life; one took a life. One chose life; the other chose death.The Lord gave His people a choice between life and death: They could love Him and obey His commands (Deuteronomy 30:16), or they could worship and serve other gods (Deuteronomy 30:17). He told them, I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19).We too have a choice between life and death. We can receive Jesus as our Savior and live with Him forever, or we can reject Jesus and be in darkness forever without Him. The best choice is clear. Receive God’s gift of His Son Jesus. Choose life! Anne CetasThe choice we make determines ourEternal destination;One leads to everlasting life;The other, condemnation. The choice you make today will determine your tomorrow.CHOICE, WISETime will TellDate: 9/2007.10113 July 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:4 - Abel the Speaking DeadFresh Ideas: Illustrations, stories & quotations - Jim Burns & Greg McKinnon P83 - Mark 8:36In 1923 a meeting was held at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Attending the meeting were nine of the world's most successful financiers: Charles Schwab, steel magnate; Samuel Insull, president of the largest utility company; Howard Hopson, president of the largest gas company, Arthur Cotton, the greatest wheat speculator; Richard Whitney, president of the NY Stock Exchange, Albert Fall, a member of the president's cabinet; Leon Fraser, president of the Bank of International Settlements; Jesse Livermore, the great "bear" on Wall Street and Ivar Krueger, head of the most powerful monopoly.25 years later, Charles Schwab died in bankruptcy and had lived his last five years on borrowed money; Samuel Insull had died a fugitive from justice and penniless in a foreign land; Howard Hopson was insane, Arthur Cotton had died abroad, in solvent; Richard Whitney had spent time in Sing Sing; Albert Fall had been pardoned so that he could die at home, Jesse Livermore, Ivar Krueger and Leon Fraser had all died by suicide.Application:It is possible to spend all your life trying to gain the world and only to lose your own soul in the process.Matt 6:24, 28-33; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 12:15-21; Luke 14:25-35; John 12:23-25; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31CHOICE, WISETossing the QueenDate: 4/2007.101During the heyday of the Napoleonic era, French troops fanned out around the globe to share the best of France with their colonies and to bring the best things from those colonies back to France. Included in this cultural exchange was a storehouse filled with ancient Egyptian artifacts. As the empire waned, many of these treasures found their way into the basement of the Paris museum.In the 1940s some workmen uncovered a burial case squeezed into an obscure corner of the basement. They decided that the box would make an excellent storage space for many of the treasures. Without consulting the museum's caretakers, they simply emptied the contents into the sewer and filled it with odds and ends of Egyptian artifacts.Only later did they discover that they had inadvertently disposed of the remains of Egypt's most famous personage Cleopatra.Where to Take It from Here...In ignorance people regularly discard things of great value. Jesus Christ is God's greatest gift to mankind, yet he continues to be rejected by those who do not believe (1 Peter 2:7).CHOICE, WISEWhich Way am I growing?Date: 3/2007.101CS Lewis: Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before."We can choose to submit our wills to God each day, asking Him to give us strength to live for Him and for others.Some folks grow old gracefully, but others become grouchy and ill-tempered. It's important to know which way we are growing because we are all growing older.Surer than autumn's harvestsAre harvests of thought and deed;Like those that our hands have planted,The yield will be like the seed. - HarrisCHRISTJames Hewitt - Illustrations Unlimited?OUR ONENESS IN CHRIST ?I was speaking at the Indiana State Prison. Only weeks earlier, Stephen Judy had been electrocuted there. An execution always creates a special tension in a prison, and I could sense it that day. It was in the air, in the voices of the guards, in the faces of the men. After my talk, the warden walked us through the maze of cell blocks to that most dreaded of places—an isolated wing where five men awaited their final decree and death. Nancy Honeytree, the talented young gospel singer who is part of our team, was with me; several of our volunteers came along as well. Finally, we were ushered through two massive steel gates into the secure area. The inmates were allowed out of their cells, and we joined in a circle in the walkway while Nancy strummed the guitar and sang. It was a beautiful moment for those condemned men—and for us—as we closed by singing together “Amazing Grace.” Two of the men, I knew from their correspondence with me, were believers. One of them, James Brewer, had the most radiant expression during our visit, and he sang at the top of his lungs. As we were shaking hands and saying good-bye, I noticed that Brewer walked back into his cell with one of our volunteers. The others began filing out, but this volunteer remained in Brewer’s cell; the two were standing shoulder to shoulder, together reading the Bible. I was expected in two hours in Indianapolis for a meeting with the governor, so I walked back into the cell. “We’ve got to go,” I called out, beckoning to our volunteer. “Just a minute, please,” he replied. I shook my head and repeated, “Sorry, time’s up, the plane is waiting.” “Please, please, this is very important,” the volunteer replied. “You see, I am Judge Clement. I sentenced this man to die. But now he is born again. He is my brother and we want a minute to pray together. I stood in the entrance to that solitary, dimly lit cell, frozen in place. Here were two men—one black, one white; one powerful, one powerless; one who had sentenced the other to die. Yet there they stood grasping a Bible together, Brewer smiling so genuinely, the judge so filled with love for the prisoner at his side. Impossible in human terms! Brewer should despise this man, I thought. Only in Christ could this happen. The sight of those men standing together as brothers in that dingy cell will remain vivid in my mind forever.?CHRISTRecognizing our need for ChristNov 06 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 6:24-37 – be the bread of lifePastor Brian Bill retells the story of Jon Krakauer in his bestselling book called, “Into Thin Air.” Jon Krakauer relates the hazards that plagued some climbers as they attempted to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Andy Harris, one of the expedition leaders stayed at the peak too long and on his descent, he became in dire need of oxygen.?Harris radioed the base camp and told them about his predicament. He mentioned that he had come across a cache of oxygen canisters left by the other climbers but they were all empty. The climbers who already passed the canisters on their own descent knew they were not empty, but full. They pleaded with him on the radio to make use of them but it was to no avail. Harris was starved for oxygen but he continued to argue that the canisters were empty. The problem was that the lack of what he needed had so disoriented his mind that though he was surrounded by something that would give him life, he continued to complain of its absence. The lack of oxygen had ravaged his capacity to recognize what was right in front of him. CHRISTThe oneDate: 3/2009.101 "The one" - JesusCHRISTChrist the Only Way – SelfOct 16 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 3 - Give us second birthIt was May 14 2005. I was sitting on the breakfast table with a cup of coffee, reading the news paper. There was this front page article about a trend of having young ministers in the different religions. The journalist interviewed young man age 25-35 who gave up their professional lives to serve in religious ministries. The journalist made a comment, “These young men are seeking purpose in their lives through living for a higher purpose.” I was back in Singapore after my first year in Seminary. I had been going around to share some of my exciting experiences of God during my first year. That morning, I got a phone call from a good friend and he said, “If you read their interviews, they all have had similar spiritual experiences as you. There is this Buddhist monk, an Islamic scholar, a Catholic priest and a Christian pastor. Your experiences of God are not all that unique. What makes you so sure that Christianity is the only way, that only the Christian experience is authentic?” CHRISTCHRIST AND BUDDHA—THE GREAT DIFFERENCE James Hewitt - Illustrations UnlimitedFrederick Buechner, in his book?Now and Then,?has a section on his comparison of the teachings of Buddha and of Jesus Christ, a topic he wrestled with when he was teaching at Phillips Exeter Academy: “Finally, lest students of comparative religion be tempted to believe that to compare them is to discover that at their hearts all religions are finally one and that it thus makes little difference which one you choose, you have only to place side by side Buddha and Christ themselves. “Buddha sits enthroned beneath the Bo tree in the lotus position. His lips are faintly parted in the smile of one who has passed beyond every power in earth or heaven to touch him. ‘He who loves fifty has fifty woes, he who loves ten has ten woes, he who loves none has no woes,’ he has said. His eyes are closed. “Christ, on the other hand, stands in the garden of Gethsemane, angular, beleaguered. His face is lost in shadows so that you can’t even see his lips, and before all the powers in earth or heaven he is powerless. ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you,’ he has said. His eyes are also closed. “The difference seems to me this. The suffering that Buddha’s eyes close out is the suffering of the world that Christ’s eyes close in and hallow. It is an extraordinary difference, and even in a bare classroom in Exeter, New Hampshire, I think it was as apparent to everyone as it was to me that before you’re done, you have to make a crucial and extraordinary choice.” CHRIST, AS SHEPHERDBlind SkiersDate: 12/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #252 A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouted "Left!" and :Right!" As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line depending solely on the sighted skiers' word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe.What a vivid picture of the Christian life! In this world, we are in reality blind about what course to take We must rely solely on the Word of the only One who is truly sighted - God himself. His Word gives us the direction we need to finish the course.CHRIST, AS SHEPHERDHerd InstinctDate: 6/2007.101Nov 13 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 10:1-18 – Lay down His life?Daily Bread April 17 2007Near the village of Gevas in eastern Turkey, while shepherds ate their breakfast, one of their sheep jumped off a 45-foot cliff to its death. Then, as the stunned shepherds looked on, the rest of the flock followed. In all, 1,500 sheep mindlessly stumbled off the cliff. The only good news was that the last 1,000 were cushioned in their fall by the growing woolly pile of those who jumped first. According to The Washington Post, 450 sheep died.The Bible often refers to human beings as sheep (Psalms 100:3; Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 9:36). Easily distracted and susceptible to group influence, we would rather follow the crowd than the wisdom of the Shepherd.I’m glad the Bible also describes sheep in a positive way. Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd . . . . My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:14,John 10:27).So the big question for us is: Whom are we following? One another? Self-centered shepherds? Or the voice and direction of the Good Shepherd?Our challenge is to avoid the mistake of the sheep who blindly followed one another over a cliff. We must make it our daily purpose to ask ourselves: Am I listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd? Am I following Him? Mart De HaanCHRIST, AS SHEPHERDPs 23Date: 6/2009.1017 June 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heavenly Songs for Earthly Woes] Ps 23 The Lord is my shepherdThis psalm is popular and endearing because it brings out deep theological truths of God's provision and protection in such simple poetic terms even when misquoted by children. As a little child said, "The Lord is my shepherd, what more shall I want?" What more do we need? Truly, with the Lord in our lives, what else do we need?CHRIST, AS SHEPHERDThe Evangelist & the Post OfficeDate: 5/2007.101Hot Illustrations A famous evangelist was in town to hold an evangelistic crusade. On the way to the stadium where the crusade was being held, the evangelist wanted to stop at the post office and mail a letter. But he got hopelessly lost and finally decided to ask someone for directions.He noticed a little boy walking on the sidewalk, so he pulled over and said, Excuse me, son, but can you tell me where the post office is?The little boy said, Sure. Turn around and go back down the street to the first light, turn left and it’s a block or two on your right.Thank you very much, young man, said the evangelist. By the way, he added, handing the boy an announcement for the crusade, I’d like to invite you to come to a meeting later today where I’ll tell you how you can find Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.Fat chance, said the little boy. You can’t even find the post office.Where to Take It from Here...Fortunately for us, we don’t have to find Jesus. Jesus finds us. In Luke 15, Jesus describes us as lost sheep. As a shepherd with a flock of one hundred sheep, he says, he leaves the ninety-nine in order to go out and find the one that has gone astray. We don’t have to find our way back to the fold. Jesus is pursuing us. All we need to do is stop running and let him take us back.CHRIST, AS SHEPHERDThe Trek of Machoo-PeechooDate: 7/2006.101July 22 2006 - DCFC YOC16 March 2008 DCFC English - Mark 12:28-34 - A Mountaineering Guide12 July 2006 - ABC NightlineA group of 18 kids went to Peru to climb a mountain - the mountain of Machoo-peechoo, it is one of the sacred trails of the Incas.An interesting feature of this group is that it consist of a group of blind kids with some normal kids. They lived together and trained together, with the normal kids guiding the blind. Their treks takes a few days, up and down slopes, crossing rivers, through forest. It was difficult because the air gets thinner as they go higher. It was essential that the blind kids follow their guide as they ascend and descend slopes. They can't see anything but managed to complete the journey, wholly trusting and following their guide through all the obstacles before them.Likewise, we have a guide who walks with us through our lives - Christ. And we need friends who would walk with us too.CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTENo title05 Dec 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Satisfying Life’s Desires] Ps 51 Living in JoyJesus Became Man’s Substitute In January 1975, after I was in prison seven months, I hit my low point. I learned that my son, in college, had been arrested for drug possession. He was in jail, and I couldn’t reach out to him. I learned I was disbarred in one state. My dad, my closest friend, had died. My mother was alone. My wife was having difficulty managing things. The other three guys in Watergate, who were in prison with me, were released because they’d been sentenced by another judge. Then I received a phone call from Al Quie, seventh ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. He said, “Chuck, we’ve been praying, and we’ve been hurting for you. I found an old pre-Civil War statute that says one man can serve another man’s prison sentence, and I’m going down tomorrow to ask President Ford if I can come in and serve your sentence so you can go home.” That night, by my bunk, I got down on the dirty floor and said, “God, thank You, because now I know the truth.” —Chuck Colson, quoted by Mike and Amy Nappa in?Men of Integrity, Vol. 3, no. 5. See:?John 15:13;?Romans 5:6-8;?Ephesians 2:1-10 CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTEDoing push upsDate: 12/2008.101This past week, Josie received a rather interesting story via the e-mail that I would like to paraphrase for you this morning. Unfortunately, I do not know the name of the author. However, I do know that it was written by one of the students who witnessed this experiential sermon in a small Christian college, somewhere in the western United States. It happened during an introductory course in Christian theology. The professor who taught this course was named Dr. Christianson. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year, regardless of their major. Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the Gospel to his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take the course, and subsequently, Christianity seriously. There was, however, one special student in his class. Steve had entered college with the intent of later going on to seminary to study for the ordained ministry, and so he took this course seriously. Steve was also popular among the student body. He was not only well liked, he was an imposing physical specimen. Even as a freshman, he was the starting center on the school football team. One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to remain after class in order to talk with him. Dr. Christianson then asked Steve, "how many push-ups can you do?" Steve responded, "I do about 200 every night." "Well, that pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson responded. Then he asked, "do you think you could do 300?" "I don't know," Steve answered. I've never done 300 at a time." "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it?" the professor asked. Steve said, "Well, I think I can. Yeah, I can do it." Dr. Christianson said, "Good. I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind." Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started the professor pulled out a huge box of donuts. Now, these weren't the normal kind of donuts. They were the extra fancy, BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting. Everyone in the class became excited. It was Friday, the last class of the day, and it looked as though they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class. Dr. Christianson then went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" "Yes," she replied. Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure," Steve said, as he jumped down to the floor in front of his desk and did a quick ten. Then he returned to his seat. Dr. Christianson then put a donut on Cynthia's desk, and went to the next person in the row and asked, "Joe, would you like a donut?" Joe said "Yes." And again, Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Joe can have a donut?" And again, Steve hit the floor and did a quick ten. And so it went, down the first row of students. Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut. Then Dr. Christianson started down the second row, and came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and an athlete in his own right. When Scott was asked if he wanted a donut, he responded by saying, "Well, can I do my own push-ups." Dr. Christianson responded, "No. Steve has to do them." Scott then said, "Then I don't want one.? Dr. Christianson shrugged his shoulders, turned to Steve, and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut that he doesn't want?" And in obedience, Steve started to do ten push-ups. Scott then said, "Hey, I said I didn't want one." Dr. Christianson retorted, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk. By this time, Steve had begun to slow down. He just stayed on the floor between sets, because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see perspiration coming out around his brow. And as Dr. Christianson started down the third row, the students were beginning to get angry. "Jenny, do you want a donut?" he asked. And as sternly as she could, she said "No." But again, Steve did ten for the donut that Jenny didn't want. By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were all beginning to say "No," and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get his push-ups done for each donut. A small pool of sweat formed on the floor from beneath his face. The class could clearly see that his arms and brow were red from the physical effort involved. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some other students from other classes had wandered in and sat on the steps along the side wall of the classroom. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count, and realized that there were now 35 students in the room. He began to worry if Steve would be able to make it, because it was taking him much longer to complete each set. When he came to the end of the last row, he asked Steve, "Do you think we should give a donut to these five, who are not members of our class? You realize that if we do, you will need to do ten push-ups for each one. Steve picked up his head, his arms now visibly shaking from exhaustion, and said, "Give them a donut. But do I have to touch my nose to the floor on each push-up." Dr. Christianson thought for a moment and said, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way you want." As Dr. Christianson went to those last few students, the tone in the voices had changed from defiance, and anger, to sadness and compassion. The next to last student very sadly uttering, "No, thank you." Again, Dr. Christianson quietly asked "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten, very slow push-ups for Linda. Then he stood before the last student, and asked, "Susan, do you want a donut?" With tears flowing down her face, she asked, "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him? Dr. Christianson responded, with tears of his own, "No, Steve has to do it alone. I have given him the task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut, whether they want it or not. When I decided to have this party, I looked at my grade book. Steve is the only one with a perfect grade. Everyone else has either failed a class, skipped a class, or offered me inferior work. Steve shared with me that in football practice, when a player messes up, he has to do push-ups. I then told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the consequences for you, by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes. Then he added, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, his arms buckled beneath him, and he fell to the floor. Two students helped an exhausted Steve to a seat. Dr. Christianson then turned to his class and said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus the Christ, who gave himself up for us all. Whether or not we choose to accept his gift to us, the price has been paid. Wouldn't it be foolish and ungrateful, to leave it lying on your desk?" CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTEDr Drew's DiscoveryDate: 8/2006.101Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks 4 P172 For much of its history, the USA has not been so united. For centuries, American societies was racially segregated. From schools to buses, public restrooms to drinking facilities, restaurants to churches, the country was divided into black and white.Hospitals were among the last institutions to desegregate because many people were afraid they might get the "wrong blood" during a transfusion. They feared that if they received blood from a person of another color or ethnicity, they might actually develop characteristics of that race.All that changed when Dr Charles Drew came along.In the 1930s, Dr Drew created the process we now use to make plasma. Plasma means it can be used to treat bleeding patients without the need for whole blood.Dr Drew's discovery was so noteworthy that he was asked to head the Blood for Britain campaign during WWII. After the war, Drew founded the American Blood Bank which is still in operation today.Ironically, Dr Charles Drew died in 1950 at the age of 46 because he did not receive blood transfusion or blood plasma in time.Dr Drew was injured in an automobile accident and taken to the hospital that was still segregated - a hospital that would not admit black people. And since Dr Drew was a black man, he bled to death.Application:Dr Charles Drew dedicated his life to saving lives - yet he could not save his own. Sounds familiar? When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the leaders of the religious establishment mocked him, "He saved others,: they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross and we will believe in him!" (Matthew 27:42).It is only in retrospect that we can appreciate the injustice of Dr Drew's death. because public policy has changed, we may believe we're different from the people of 1950. We cling to the belief that we would have behaved in a more caring manner than those who turned Dr Drew away during his time of need.But can we be sure of that?What about Jesus' death on the cross? Are we any different today than those who mocked the Savior and drove nails through his hands and feet? Unless we truly appreciate what he did for us, we aren’t different at all. We have to put our faith in Jesus and make him Lord and Savior of our lives. Only then can we be changed by him from inside out.CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTEFighting Fire with Fire- Burnt over GroundDate: 8/2006.101Oct 16 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 3 - Give us second birthHot Illustrations For Youth Talks 4 P59 The pioneers who settled the American West often had to travel for days at a time across miles and miles of grassy plains. And while pioneers considered mountain ranges difficult and treacherous to cross, they dreaded these vast plains even more. It wasn't hostile Indians, prairie wolves, rattlesnakes or summer heat that caused their fear. It was lightning.The high grass on the plains was often so dry that lightning could ignite a small fire that could then be whipped up by the winds and spread quickly across the land, engulfing everything and everyone in its path. Many died on their journeys across the plains simply because they were unable to outrun a raging prairie fire.After many tragic journeys, the pioneers developed a method of finding refuge from these fires that is still used today. Whenever they saw smoke from a lightning fire in the distance they would go downwind from their wagons and set the plains on fire. The wind would then push that fire and burn the grass downwind from them. Once the grass was burned, they would then move their horses and wagons across the scorched land. When the fire from the lightning did reach them, they were safe because there was no longer any grass to be burned.The pioneers found safety by fighting fire with fire.Application:In a sense, Jesus fought fire with fire. He took the sins of the world upon himself and endured a cruel death so that we would not have to suffer the fires of hell. Jesus knew the only way for us to avoid death was for him to die. By taking our sins to the cross, he destroyed them "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalms 103:12) and provided us with a safe place to stand. 'Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)Don't try to outrun the flames. You can’t do it. You need to stand firm on the solid rock of faith in Jesus Christ.CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTEFiorello LaGuardiaDate: 11/2007.101June 04 2012 DCFC English [Worship Acceptable to God] Mal 2:17-3:5 A call to trust in a just GodIllustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #5 The fame LaGuardia airport in NY was named after its irrepressible mayor.One winter's night in 1935, it is told, Fiorello LaGuardia, the irrepressible mayor of New York, showed up at a night court in the poorest ward of the city. He dismissed the judge for the night and took over the bench. That night a tattered old woman, charged with stealing a loaf of bread, was brought before him. She defended herself saying, "My daughter's husband has deserted her. She is sick and her children are starving." The shopkeeper refused to drop the charges, saying," It's a bad neighborhood, your honor and she's got to be punished to teach other people a lesson."LaGuardia sighed. he turned to the old woman and said, "I've got to punish you; the law makes no exceptions. Ten dollars or ten days in jail." However, even while pronouncing sentence, LaGuardia reached into his pocket, took out a ten-dollar bill and threw it into his hat with these famous words: "Here's the ten-dollar fine, which I now remit and furthermore, I'm going to fine everyone in the courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."The following day, a New York newspaper reported, "Forty-seven dollars and fifty cents was turned over to a bewildered old grandmother who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren. making forced donations were a red-faced storekeeper, seventy petty criminals and a few New York policemen."Application:Atonement of Christ. Judgment & PaymentCHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTEJack BauerDate: 10/2007.10124 hours - Jack Bauer takes a bullet for the president. Secret Service agents are willing to do such a thing because they believe the President is so valuable to our country and the world that he is worth dying for. Obviously they would not take a bullet for just anyone. At Calvary the situation was reversed. The President of the Universe actually took a bullet for each of us. At the Cross, we see how valuable we are to God.CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTENebelun Jabelun - Yali TribeDate: 11/2007.1012007 Germany Magdeburg - John 4:1-24 The Samaritan womanGrace Baptist Mission conferenceYali tribe. Missionary noticed that they have maimed figures & ears. Old folks only have two digits on their left hand and 3 on their right. Their ears are very small too. This was because at the funerals of their relatives, they would cut off 1/3 of their fingers. They are a violent tribe so always kill each other. After 9 relatives die, they world start with their right hand and then their ears. He tried sharing the gospel with them for a few years, but efforts were in vain. One day he asked them, "Why do you maim yourself? Isn't it painful enough that your relative died?""Yes. you see, we believe that man once had eternal life. But one day, the spider of life and bird of death had an argument. The bird won and the spider - called Nebelun Jabelun left. We believe that Nebelun Jabelun will return when the pain quota is filled. The usual pain and sickness of death is not enough. Thus we inflict more pain on ourselves, hoping for Nebelun Jabelun to return. We must be careful because Nebelun Jabelun will come in a disguise and we must welcome him."The missionary hit on an idea - Jesus Christ is Nebelun Jabelun. We need not inflict pain on ourselves or do good deeds - all is done by Christ. By this the gospel door was opened.CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTENew EarsDate: 5/2007.1017 Oct 2007 - DCFC English - Luke 10:25-32/ John 15:12-13 - Crossing the Street23-25 Sept 2011 ACBC Missions Conference (Mandarin) – Luke 10:25-37 The Good Samaritan July 08 2012 DCFC Chinese Luke 10:25-37 Good SamaritanHot IllustrationsGuy Dowd tells this story:Danny was born with no ears. He could hear all right, but he didn’t have ears like normal people. All his life, Danny endured ridicule and rejection because of his deformity. But he learned to live with it. Thankfully, he had loving parents and a strong family to sustain him.When Danny was in high school, his doctor told him of a new procedure that made it possible to transplant ears from one person to another. That meant Danny could get new ears if someone who was compatible to him ever donated theirs.This was exciting news. After all, people donated body parts all the time hearts, lungs, kidneys. But Danny soon found that donor ears were extremely scarce.Danny didn’t give up hope, however. He knew that someday he would get new ears. He graduated from high school with honors and was accepted at a major university thousands of miles away. He kissed his parents good-bye and began his life as a college student. Again, though, he found it hard to make friends and fit in because of his ears.One day he got a phone call from his father. Go to the hospital tomorrow, Danny. A donor has been found.The very next day Danny checked into the university hospital where doctors were ready to perform the surgery. A few hours later, Danny had new ears.When the bandages came off, Danny gazed into the mirror for hours. He finally had ears like normal people. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t ashamed of the way he looked. He not only had new ears, he had a new life.A few weeks later, Danny received another phone call from his father. Son, your mother is very ill, his father said. She may not live through the night.Danny was on the first plane home. When he arrived, his father gave him the sad news that his mother had died.Together they went to the funeral home, where Danny was able to see his mother for the last time. He leaned over to kiss her cheek. Brushing her hair back from her face, he noticed that she had no ears.Where to Take It from Here...It was a mother’s incredible love that provided Danny with new ears. And it was a Fathers incredible love that provided us with new life. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTENo Greater LoveDate: 5/2007.101Hot Illustrations In the open salvos of World War II, a large British military force on the European continent, along with some English citizens and diplomats, retreated to the French coastal port of Dunkirk. With its back against the English Channel, the British army faced a German army that threatened to drive it into the sea. To save what he could of his army, British prime minister Winston Churchill called for all available sea vessels, whether large or small, to evacuate the soldiers and civilians from the besieged French beaches and bring them back across the Channel to safety.An incredible array of ships and boats raced to the rescue fishing boats and cruise ships alike. As the flotilla made its way to the beach to pick up soldiers and then move out again, Nazi aircraft set upon them like vultures while German artillery pummeled them with shells. Ships were strafed with machine gun fire, and some were blown out of the water altogether.Three German Messerschmits attacked the defenseless Lancastria, a converted cruise liner, whose decks and hold were packed with soldiers. One bomb dropped directly down the ships smokestack, tearing a huge gap in her lower hull. Nearly 200 men were trapped in the forward hold of the now severely listing ship. No one doubted that the liner was going down. Chaos, smoke, oil, fire, and blood, mixed with terrified cries of the men trapped below, created pandemonium on deck as those hopeful of surviving searched for lifeboats or simply leaped into the water.Moving through the middle of this living nightmare, a young Navy chaplain quietly worked his way to the edge of the hold and peered in at the darkness below.Then, knowing he could never get out, he lowered himself in.Survivors later told how the only thing that gave them courage to survive until passing ships could rescue them was hearing the strong, brave voices of the men in the hold singing hymns as the ship finally rolled over and went to the bottom.Where to Take It from Here...This true story testifies to the courage and compassion of one faithful Christian who gave his life to provide comfort, courage, and hope to the suffering. We are also called to demonstrate that kind of love in our lost and dying world. Greater love has no man than this (John 15:13).CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTESatisfaction of GodDate: 8/2007.101YOC Retreat 2007 (Lake Lavon) - Phil 3:7-16 ~ The One Pursuit of LifeSept 2007 FWC Retreat: The Kingdom is Here - Kingdom Goal Phil 3:7-16As the founder of Dallas Seminary, Dr Chafer said, "In Christ, God is fully satisfied - we can do nothing more or nothing less to please Him - that is the grace of God." CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTESaving Private RyanDate: 8/2006.101DCFC Sunday School 2006 - Ruth 316 March 2008 DCFC English - Mark 12:28-34 - A Mountaineering GuideHot Illustrations for Youth Talks 4 P142One of the most powerful films in recent history is Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. The film begins on D-Day, June 6 1944, as the Nazis were advancing across Western Europe. Faced with the ugly possibility of defeat, the Allied powers staged on the beaches of Normandy the greatest military invasion in history. Their goal was to cripple the German army and ultimately force Hitler and his army into retreat.Following the bloody battle, Captain John Miller (played by Tom Hanks) and his surviving company of soldiers receive very unusual orders from their commander. They must locate and rescue a soldier, Private James Ryan (played by Matt Damon), who is fighting somewhere behind enemy lines. We are told that Pte Ryan and his 3 older brothers enlisted in the Army. What Pte Ryan doesn't know is that all three of his brothers perished during the Normandy invasion. To spare Pte Ryan's mother the anguish of losing all four of her sons, Miller and his men must find James and bring him back alive.As Miller and his 8 men move deeper into enemy territory in search of Pte Ryan, they engage in an intense debate about why one man's life is so important that they should risk theirs. "This Ryan better be worth it," Miller says. "He better go home and cure some disease or invent a new longer-lasting light bulb."Despite their misgivings, Capt. Miller's band of soldiers bravely carried out their orders, with several of them paying the ultimate price as they successfully locate and rescue the young soldier. In the final battle scene, Miller takes a bullet that will ultimately cost him his life. But before he dies, he whispers to Pte Ryan, who is kneeling by his side, "Earn this...earn it."The movie ends with a scene set some 50 years after the war, with elderly James Ryan standing over Capt. Miller's grave at Arlington National Cemetery. With a trembling voice, he says, "Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I've tried to life my life the best I could. I hope that was enough... I hope I earned what you did for me."Application:In the movie, Ryan then asks his wife, "Have I been a good man?" For 50 years, her was tormented by the realization that he could never do enough to earn what Capt. Miller and his men did for him.Contrast that with Jesus, who gave his life so that we could love. His dying words were not "Earn this." Instead, he said, "It is finished."Had Jesus said, "Earn this." you would quickly come to realize that there's no way to earn what it costs for Jesus to give his life for yours. To spend a lifetime trying to earn your salvation only leads to frustration and despair.That's why Jesus said, "It is finished!" He declared once and for all that nothing more needs to be done. You don't have to earn it. The free gift of salvation is yours - no strings attached. Just believe and accept him as your savior and friend.Does this mean we live our lives as if nothing happened? Do we go on living as we did before? "By no means!" writes Paul in Romans 6:2. Instead we demonstrate that we have new life in Christ by living in obedience to him. Our good works won’t earn our salvation, but they will provide evidence that we have gratefully received it.CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTEThe Knitting NeedleDate: 9/2007.101Fresh Ideas: Illustrations, Stories & Quotes - Jim Burns & Greg McKinnon - Is 53:5 There was once a young boy named Jim whose parents died when he was very young. His grandmother took him in and by herself, tried to raise him and worked long hours to provide for him. One day when little Jim came home from school his grandmother discovered that he had some things that didn't belong to him. He had stolen them from some of his classmates. His grandmother told him that is was wrong to take something that didn't belong to him even if other people had more than he did. She made him promise never to steal anymore. He promised but it was not long before he broke his promise and his grandmother found out.She asked Jim to come with her and she turned and walked down the hall of their small house toward the kitchen. On the way she stopped and took a knitting needle from her knitting bag. When they got to the kitchen she turned on one of the burners on the gas stove and laid the knitting needle across the hot flames. Jim watched as the knitting needle got hotter and hotter until finally it was red hot. His grandmother then picked up the needle with a pot holder and held it up where little Jim could see its sizzling hot metal. Then she told Jim, "if I ever catch you stealing anything again, I'm going to put this red hot knitting needle in the palm of your hand. Little Jim's eyes were as big as saucers and he was so scared that he promised her he would never steal again.But as time passed, Jim's fear of the knitting needle faded and he began to steal again. Finally he was caught by his grandmother. She confronted him and asked him to come with her. They started walking down the hall toward the kitchen and on the way she picked up the knitting needle. Jim was so afraid he began to shake. His grandmother grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hall toward the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she turned on the burner and laid the knitting needle across the flame. Little Jim shook with fear and began to cry as he saw the needle getting hotter & hotter. His grandmother held his little hand tight. She then picked up the needle with the pot holder, stretched open Jim's plan and brought down the needle. But at the last moment she let go of Jim's hand and put the needle in her own. After that day, Jim never stole anything again. What fear could not do, the sacrificial love of his grandmother did.Application:You should want to obey God, not out of fear of what might happen to you if you don't but out of love for the One who first loved you.Is 53; Romans 8:1-2; Ephesians 2:1-9CHRIST, BECAME MAN’S SUBSTITUTETrying to stop deathDate: 9/2007.10125 July 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 15:50-58 Rethinking Death & Resurrection Apr 03 2011 DCFC Chinese Worship Eph 1:1-14 What is so good about being a Christian?Fresh Ideas: Illustrations, Stories & Quotes - Jim Burns & Greg McKinnon P27 - Hebrews 2:14-15Dr Pierce Harris told the story about a dear Christian woman who became very weak. She went to her physician and he administered a series of tests and told her that she had cancer. With compassion, the physician told her that her condition was not good. He shared with her that she had a type of cancer that was very rare, but it was also a rapidly spreading type. She asked the doctor, "How long do I have?" He responded, "You have at the outset three months to live."When she returned home, her pastor came to see her. After telling him the news, he asked her, "How are you doing?" She said, "I’m fine, but I am having difficulty telling my little boy Billy. 5 times I've tried to tell him and I just can't do it. Will you please tell him for me?" The pastor said, "I’ll try the best I can!"He prayed for grace and he went into the backyard where the little boy was. He put his arms around the lad and said, "Billy, your mother is getting ready to take a long trip." And the little boy in his childish innocence looked into the eyes of the pastor and said, "Pastor there are two questions I want to ask. One, how long will she be gone and two when is she leaving?"The pastor swallowed hard and said, "Billy, your mother is not coming back." And then he looked up at a big tree overhead. it was in the latter part of September and the leaves were beginning to change colors. he said, "When the leaves have all fallen from this big tree overhead, your mother will be gone." Over the next two months, he faithfully visited the lady. After nearly three months had ended he came to see her one day and she was weak. She had lost weight and was hardly able to speak. he said to her, "How are you doing?" She said with a faint smile, "Oh, I'm fine, but I don't see my little boy much. He stays in the backyard and I am too weak to go to the window to see what he is doing. Would you go out and check on him?"The pastor went into the backyard and could not find the little boy. He shouted, "Billy! Billy! Where are you?" he then heard a quivering voice above as he turned and looked up into the tree and there he saw the little boy with pockets filled with leaves and several strands of string in his little tears, said, "Pastor, I'm up here tying to tie the leaves to the tree. I don't want the leaves to fall. I don't want Mama to leave."Application:You cannot stop death no matter how hard you try, but because of Christ, you no longer have to fear death.Matthew 16:21-23; John 5:24; Romans 6:23CHRIST, BEING LIKEBurning for Christ Requires Being Close to HimDate: 3/2006.101John RW Stott "The Cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, and we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us." CHRIST, BEING LIKEHow much time do we spend in Quiet Time?Date: 3/2006.101We become who we associate with most. We were discussing about children with friends and then they told us that they took after their parents when it came to quarrelling - both of them just do not raise their voice and do not know how to quarrel because of their environment. The wife shared with us that She could not remember once that her father raised his voice, so much so that her sister do not shout or raise her voice at all because she don’t know how. Well, I realized that I was the opposite and began thinking - How do I want my children to grow up to be? Then I must set the correct environment. Because the more time they spend with me, the more they will take after me - thru observation etc.How do we want to take after? We say Christ - but how much do time do we spend with Him?CHRIST, BIRTHThe Heli FamilyDate: 10/2008.101Christmas The Heli family lived in a village in northern Palestine. As you know this is a part of the world marked by terrible violence and age old hatreds. The Heli children grew up hearing stories of how their grandparents and great-grandparents had lived freely in their land, how their country had been invaded and taken over by a foreign government. Life was hard and the conflict was often brutal. Some of the village folk grudgingly accepted the state of affairs and got on with life as best they could; others fought back, becoming terrorists bent on forcing the foreign government to withdraw.When the Helis were about to have their first child the government demanded they move to a village in the south. They made what was a difficult trip for a heavily pregnant woman and set up their home in a new village. Any peace they experienced was short-lived. One morning the villagers awoke to the sound to government soldiers moving door to door, tearing terrified children from the arms of their parents and then cold-bloodedly executing them. The slaughter was ordered by a government which figured the best way to eliminate future threats to power was to kill the future leaders.The Helis were lucky to escape. Knowing the government had given orders to kill all children in that area they had no option but to flee to their neighboring country, Egypt, and seek refuge. They had no time to arrange visas, no time to apply for asylum and then wait for their application to be processed. If they were to save their child there was no option other than sneaking across the border and living the fearful shadow life of an unlawful entrant into a foreign land. It was only years later, after the threat died down, that they were able to go home to their beloved homeland.You of course know the Helis. You recount their story every Christmas, the story of Joseph, son of Heli, his wife Mary, and their baby son, Jesus.CHRIST, BLOOD OFDEFINING MOMENTS OF FAITHSeveral years ago Jeff Strueker was a US Army Ranger posted in Mogadishu, Somalia. Today he is a master of divinity student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.For him Oct 3-4, 1993 were the defining moments of his life. He was one of the troops called on to go into the center Mogadisu to secure a building as part of a larger operation. The movie “Black Hawk Down” came out about a year ago chronicling the events of those two days.In the first trip into the city he and most of his friends got out through a hailstorm of bullets. One man was shot and killed. It was then that he felt the fear. He began to pray. The humvee was painted with blood as they escaped the city with their dead and wounded comrades.The news soon worsened. A helicopter was shot down. The team received orders to return to the melee. Yet, his men understandably couldn’t fight in the bloody humvees. Struecker spent the next 30 to 45 minutes cleaning. No running water. Only sponges and buckets."I began to talk to the Lord. I thought I was going to die," he said. Feeling his fear grow, he began to ask God to protect him. But his prayer soon changed. "I’ll never forget this for the rest of my life. ... A scene appeared in the landscape of my mind. The scene was Jesus in the Garden. ... He clearly and honestly knew that he was going to die. ... He also showed that he did not want to go to that cross and die. And I knew that I didn’t want to die that night. But Jesus courageously said, ’God, not my will, but yours be done.’ "If I die tonight, that’s fine, as long as your will is done," Struecker said. For the first time in his life, Struecker -- who had been a Christian since age 13 -- was prepared to die. "God spoke to my mind and my heart and said, ’I’ve been protecting you every day of your life,’" Struecker said. "He did not tell me, ’You will live through the night.’ He simply showed me my life has always been in his hands."Struecker and his men returned to the field of fire in Mogadishu that night and fought with a God-given courage. The sergeant first class would later... CHRIST, BLOOD OFSplattering Chicken BloodDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #11 Dennis Fulton, former pilot with the Wings of Caring ministry in Zaire, tells of landing a newly purchased Cessna 402 at one of his regular stops in the back country. As always, the villagers excitedly gathered around the plane, but this time Dennis was approached by two men carrying a live chicken. One had the bird by the feet and the other had it by the head and before either the chicken or Dennis knew what was happening, the fowl's head and body parted company. The man with the flopping chicken corpse began swinging it over his head, round and round with predictable results. Dressed in a freshly pressed white shirt, Dennis was splattered with chicken blood as were the plane and the villagers.When Dennis asked what that meant, a native explained that for generations, the splattered blood signified an end to suffering. To the people of Zaire, the Cessna promised hope and help of all kinds. In a graphic way, the splattered blood of that chicken, signifying the end of suffering, was a fitting reminder of the blood Christ shed to end the suffering of a world caught in the grip of sin.CHRIST, BLOOD OFThe Blood of an OvercomerDate: 2/2007.101Hot Illustrations 1 P42 Louis Pasteur's coworker in the demonstration of what used to be called the germ theory was Dr. Felix Ruh, a Jewish doctor in Paris. The physician's granddaughter had died of black diphtheria and Dr. Ruh, vowing he would find out what had killed his granddaughter, locked himself in his laboratory for days. he emerged with a fierce determination to prove with his colleague Louis Pasteur, that the germ theory was more than a theory.The medical association had disapproved of Pasteur and had succeeded in getting him exiled but he did not of far from Paris. He hid in the forest and erected a laboratory in which to continue his forbidden research.Twenty beautiful horses were led out into the forest to the improvised laboratory. Scientists, doctors and nurses came to watch the experiment. Ruh opened a steel vault and took out a large pail filled with black diphtheria germs, which he had cultured carefully for months. There were enough germs in that pail to kill everyone in France. The scientist went to each horse and swabbed its nostrils, tongue, throat and eyes with the deadly germs. Every horse except one developed a terrific fever and died. Most of the doctors and scientists wearied of the experiment and did not remain for what they thought would be death of the remaining horse.For several more days this final horse lingered, lying pathetically on the ground. While Ruh, Pasteur and several others were sleeping on cots in the stables, the orderly on duty had been instructed to awaken the scientists should there be any change in the animal's temperature during the night. About 2 am, the temperature showed a half degree decrease and the orderly awakened Dr. Ruh. By morning the thermometer had dropped two more degrees. By night the fever was entirely gone and the horse was able to stand, eat and drink.Then Dr. Ruh took a sledgehammer and struck that beautiful horse a deathblow between the eyes. The scientist drew all the blood from veins of this animal that had developed the black diphtheria but had overcome it. The scientists drove as fast as they could to the municipal hospital in Paris. They forced their way past the superintendent and the guards and went into the ward where three hundred babies lay, segregated to die from black diphtheria. With the blood of the horse, they forcibly inoculated every one of the babies. All but three lived and recovered completely. They were saved by the blood of an overcomer.Application:We have been saved by the blood of an overcomer. Jesus Christ overcame sin and death on the Cross and by His blood we are saved (Ephesians 1:7).CHRIST, BORE THE SINS OF MANYThe Bus Driver's GiftDate: 8/2006.101Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks 4 P105 One afternoon a bus driver was taking 40 children home from school. As the bus made its way down a steep grade, the brakes failed. The driver was unable to steer the bus to the left because of a high embankment or to the right because of a steep cliff.As the bus hurtled down the hill, the driver recalled that there was a narrow gate at the bottom which led into a field. He decided to try to steer the bus through the gate and into the field, figuring that it would eventually come to a safe stop. He hoped that no cars or other obstacles would get in his way before he got to the gate.When the bus reached the bottom of the hill, the driver saw the gate approaching fast. But to his horror, he noticed a small child sitting on the gate, waving at the bus.It was too late to change plans now. If the driver tried to avoid the gate, 40 children would die. He cried out in anguish as the bus slammed directly into the gate. The innocent child died instantly in the collision, but the bus and all of its passengers were saved.Emergency vehicles were the first to arrive on the scene, followed shortly by relieved parents and grandparents. Many of them wanted to show their appreciation and gratitude to the driver who had kept the bus under control long enough to save their children. But the driver was nowhere to be found. They asked the police officer where he had gone."They've taken him to the hospital," the officer said. "He's suffering from severe shock.""Well, that's understandable," they replied."No, you don't understand," said the officer. "You see, that little boy on the fence was his own son."Application:God's decision to save us came to us at a great expense to himself. Jesus cried out in the garden, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me" (Matthew 26:39). But it was God's love for us that sent Jesus to the cross (John 3:16). He gave his only son so that we could live.CHRIST, BORE THE SINS OF MANYThe Draw Bridge Operator – GospelDate: 6/2006.101YOC - July 2006 - Lock in: Be A Mountaineering Guide (Mark)Apr 29 2012 DCFC Chinese [Worship Acceptable to God] Mal 1:1-5 A call to respond to God’s loveMore Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P46There was once a man who worked in a small town as the operator of a drawbridge on a river. A train track ran across the bridge, and the operator's job was to keep the bridge up when no train was coming so that the boats could pass underneath. When the train approached, he was to blow the whistle and let down the bridge.One sunny Saturday morning, the man brought his seven-year-old son along to work with him. The boy could frolic along the river, skip rocks on the water, chase butterflies or even try to catch a fish.Shortly before noon, a passenger train was due to come through the area. The man began to make preparations to let the bridge down so the train could pass safely across the river. As he examined the bridge, he noticed that someone - a small child - had somehow climbed over the guardrail next to the bridge, and was playing at the very spot where the bridge would come down. As he looked closer, he realized with horror that the child was his son. In desperation, he yelled out his son’s name, but the sound of the approaching train drowned out his screams. He knew he had to make a quick decision. If he lowered the bridge now his son would die as the train plunged into the river. He barely had time to think.As he screamed in agony, the main thrust forward the lever to lower the bridge just as the train arrived. His son died instantly. And as the train passed by, the people just smiled and waved as they passed by the man in the control booth, with his head bowed low, oblivious to what had just taken place.Application:Isn't this what God did for us?The Train and the BoyI would like to tell you a story about a man named John Griffith. John was the father of an 8-year-old boy during the 20’s and 30’s. John was very fortunate during those times, because he had job. John loved his son very much. He was the apple of his eye. John’s son was a normal little boy who constantly wanted to go to work with his father. John decided he would take his boy to work with him one day. John was bridge conductor across the Mississippi River. John was in charge of raising and lowering the bridge so that boats could get through and trains could pass. John’s son was so amazed at the gears and all the things that went along with his father’s job. They had brought their lunch to work with them that day and decided to eat their lunch on the bank of the river. John and his son was eating lunch and John had realized that in about 3 minutes the Memphis Belle carrying 300 passengers was getting ready to cross the bridge, but the bridge was not lowered. John didn’t want to alarm his son so he patted him on the shoulder and told him to sit right there and he would be right back. John hustled up the stairs, he grabbed the lever to lower the bridge and he had realized that somehow his son had climbed to the bridge and had fallen in between the gears of the bridge. John could hear the train coming carrying the 300 passengers. In his mind he started going over ways he could get his son from the gears and still lower the bridge, but he knew he had to make a choice. John lowered the bridge just in time for the train to pass crushing his son in between the gears. John looked at the train passing by and saw a man reading his newspaper a woman drinking her tea and another talking to his wife. John screamed at the top of his lungs “Hey, Don’t you know what I’ve just done for you” they didn’t hear him so he screamed again “Hey, Don’t you know what I’ve just done for you” But again they just went along with their lives not ever realizing what John had done for them. God is asking us the same question “Don’t you know what I’ve done for you. I sent my only son to this earth for you. He died a terrible death so that you could spend eternity with me. Why are you going on with your busy meaningless live not serving me, and some of you have not even accepted me as your savior. I love you so much.我曾经在Youtube看到这个短片。当中有一个父亲把独生的儿子带到他工作的地方。他的工作是控制一座铁桥。当火车来的时候，他需要把桥放下让火车可以开过下面的那条河。那天中午时有一列火车正开过来。他准备把桥放下来，突然发现有一个小孩越过了栏杆，正好在桥跟铁轨的连接处。他仔细一看，原来是自己的孩子。他大声喊叫孩子的名字，但火车的响声把他的声音淹没了。他知道需要赶紧做出一个决定。把桥放下，他儿子就没命。不把桥放下，火车里上百人的生命就没了。他只能含着眼泪，按钮把桥放下，好眼睁睁看着自己的独生儿子被桥压死。火车安全过了桥，而火车上的乘客有的在睡觉、有的在看报纸、有的在讲话，根本没有意识到发生了什么事。他站在一边对火车大叫，“难道你们不知道我为你们做了什么？”CHRIST, BORE THE SINS OF MANYThe Puppy Nobody Wanted - Jesus Paid the Price For US!Date: 6/2006.101DCFC English Worship 22 April 2007 - Rom 12:1-2Sept 2007 FWC Retreat: The Kingdom is Here - Kingdom Transformation Rom 12:1-2Sept 3-5 2011 RCCC Retreat [Renewing our first love for Christ] Renewing our minds for worship Rom 12:1-2?More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P143The sign on the door said "PUPPIES FOR SALE" and so the little boy went inside to look. The man inside the pet shop showed him 5 little puppies who were ready now to leave their mother. They were about the cutest dogs the little boy had ever seen."How much are they?" the little boy asked.The man replied, "Some are fifty dollars, some are more."The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. After counting it, he said, "I have a dollar and forty-seven cents.""Well, I am afraid I can't sell you one of these puppies for a dollar and forty-seven cents, little boy. You'll have to save your money and come back next time we have more puppies for sale."About that time, the pet store owner's wife brought out another puppy that had been hidden in the back of the store. It was smaller than the other puppies and had a bad leg. It couldn't stand up very well and when it tried to walk, it limped very badly."What's wrong with the puppy?" asked the little boy. The pet store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the puppy and had discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp and always be lame."Oh, I wish I had the money to buy that puppy!" exclaimed the little Boy with excitement. "That's the puppy I would choose!""Well, that puppy is not for sale, son. But if you really want him, I'll just give him to you. No charge."But the little boy got quite upset at this. He looked straight at the pet store owner and said, "No, I don't want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as the other dogs you have for sale. I'll give you a dollar and forty-seven cents now and I'll give you fifty cents a month until I have paid for this dog in full."The pet store owner was perplexed. "You don't really want to spend your money on this little dog, son. He is never going to be able to run and play with you like the other puppies."Then the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left, and supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the pet store owner and said, "Mister, I don't run and play too good myself. I figure this little puppy is going to need someone like me who understands."Application:Scripture says that you were "bought with a price." Jesus paid a very high price for you when he went to the cross. He did it because he loves you and wants you to be with him. And he understands what you are going through. As it says in the book of Isaiah, he was the "Suffering Servant" who "bore our iniquities." He tool all of the pain we deserve upon himself. You may feel like an outcast, a nobody. You may think nobody likes you, that nobody wants you. You may be suffering, going through difficult times. Through all of that, you can be sure that Jesus understands. He knows exactly how you feel.CHRIST, CORNER STONERock of my SalvationDate: 12/2008.101Personal - grand Canyon We drove to Grand Canyon on a road trip to California in 2008. Climb down to a pointed cliff and walked right onto it. I was feeling a little nervous as I sat down on the edge, feet dangling over. I didn't dare to walk to the pointed end, so I sat down on the side edge of the cliff. My wife came along and walked till the very edge and sat down. Now I was really nervous. I cried out, "Be careful OK?" Suddenly my world seem to be collapsing. I was so paranoid that she would fall over and my world would end. I suddenly realize how important she was to me. Even though rationally, I know it wouldn't happen and the cliff had enough space, it was about 2 feet wide right at the tip. The chances of her falling over is really really slim, though possible. But I was so afraid and yet didn’t want to make her afraid, so in the end I just walked away and didn’t want to see her sitting there, all the while, heat beating quickly. finally she came back and I sighed in relief. I asked her, "Aren’t you afraid?" "Yes, initially. Then I thought, I am standing a on a solid rock and it won't shake our anything. As long as I had faith in the rock I won't fall over. I am ok!" :That's easy for you to say!" I retorted.But later as I reflected on what she said. It makes perfect sense. She wasn't trembling as much as me because she had full faith in the rock, while I did not. Isn't this what the Psalmist said, "The Lord has planted my feet on the rock of my salvation" The image is of the psalmist standing at the edge of a deep muddy pit which was formerly used to collect water. If he falls, over, he can't get out. But around the edge of this pit, they put solid rocks so that one would not lose one's footing easily. The Lord is akin to this rock. Steady & sure. As long as we have faith in Him, it is fine.In life, Christ is my rock of salvation. I have sure footing on Him. he is the Lord that bears my daily burdens (Psalms 69)CHRIST, DOMINIONIn the shadow of the CrossDate: 7/2008.10131 August 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:24-29 - Moses the Man who withstood Pharaoh2009 OK Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, Do2011 FCCD Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, DoPersonal - German Trip 2008An artist was told to design some art pieces in a popular square in Berlin. In the square was a statue of Marx sitting down facing a tall radio tower, one of the most popular landmark in Berlin. The artist designed some blocks of concrete with holes in it to look at this radio tower from various angles - contemporary art. This new art piece drew many people to the square. It’s so beautiful and well designed. Unknown to the communist party, this artist was a Christian. At a certain time of the day, when the sun strikes the silver radio tower, together with the concrete blocks, it will cast the shadow of a cross on Marx. Later this artist was arrested as a result.In the years of Communist domination of East Germany there was a symbol which brought hope and comfort to believers in Jesus. A huge TV tower had been erected to broadcast atheistic propaganda. Near the top of the building was a globe-shaped structure housing a restaurant. The remarkable thing was that the sunlight always reflected off the globe in the shape of a cross. The authorities were embarrassed and tried everything they could think of to prevent this optical phenomenon, even covering the dome with paint. But nothing worked. A pastor commented wryly, "No matter how hard they try, they can’t get rid of the Cross!" Paul would agree and would say, "God forbid that we even try to do that!"Where to take it:Even the greatest human system, lives in the shadow of the Cross. man will pass away but not Christ.Sometimes like the communist, we are well pleased with the plan of salvation until we discern that in it is the cross of self-denial. CHRIST, GREATNESS1809Date: 4/2007.101Youth Specialties - Hot Illustrations Had you picked up a daily newspaper in 1809, you would have read the big news that Napoleon I, emperor of France, had conquered Austria at Wagram, annexed the Illyrian Provinces (now part of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), and abolished the Papal States.But in that same year, in France...Louis Braille, who devised a way for the blind to read, was born.And in Germany...Felix Mendelssohn, the great composer of symphonies, was born.And in England...William Gladstone, the four-time Prime Minister and the father of public education, was born.Alfred Lord Tennyson, the poet laureate of Great Britain, was born.Charles Darwin, the most influential scientist of the nineteenth century, was born.And in America ...Edgar Allen Poe, the master poet and storyteller, was born.Oliver Wendell Holmes, the writer and physician who developed surgical techniques still in use today, was born.Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, was born.But at the end of the year 1809, the only event anyone thought to be important was Napoleons conquest of Austria. That was the big news.Today, who remembers the big news of 1809? Hardly anyone. Napoleons conquest is just a tiny blip on the big screen of history. But the world was changed forever by a few seemingly insignificant births which took place that same year.Where to Take It from Here...The year Jesus was born, most people missed it. Only a few were aware of the cosmic implications of his presence in a manger in Bethlehem.And so it is with all of God's work. Most of it is behind the scenes hardly ever visible. It rarely make headlines; instead it makes a huge difference in the lives of people because it is eternal.CHRIST, GREATNESSSalvationDate: 3/1998.178122 Feb 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heart for the Nations] Acts 9:1-22 What is so amazing about grace?07 Mar 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 3:1-13 What is the Church called to do?2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 3:1-13 The Calling of the Church10 July 2011 DCFC Chinese Worship – Eph 3:1-13 What is the Church called to do?John Newton is remembered for his hymn "Amazing Grace." In his later years, he often lost his memory in the pulpit and had to be reminded of the subject about which he had been preaching. He said, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner and that Jesus is a great Savior."-- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Philippians 2:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:15; Titus 2:11-13 CHRIST, INCARNATIONA Stranger At The Door – GospelDate: 6/2006.10128 Feb 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 2:11-22 What is Church?More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P25It was snowy Christmas Eve. Inside the warm house, the Christmas tree was cheerfully ablaze with lights and surrounded by dozens of presents. The man's wife and children were dressed and ready to leave for church. "Come with us," they urged, for they loved him."Not me," he snapped. "I don’t believe all that religion garbage."For many years the man’s wife had been trying to tell him about Jesus Christ and the salvation he offers. How God’s Son had become a human being in order to show us the way to heaven."Nonsense," the man always said.The family left for church and the man was all alone in his cozy country home. He glanced out the window at the cold snowy scene outside. He turned to warm himself by the fire.But as he turned, his eyes caught a movement in the snow outside. He looked. Cats! Three young cats walking slowly past his window."The fools," he thought. "They'll freeze for sure!" The man put on his hat and coat and opened the door. A blast of wintery air sent a shiver through his body."Come here, cats! Come inside where there's warmth and food. You'll die out there." But the cats ran away, frightened by the stranger at the door.He walked outside. "Come back! Don’t be afraid, I want to save you."But the cats were gone. It was too late."Well, I did everything I could do? I'd have to become a cat myself in order to reach them and save them. If I became a cat, I could tell them and show them. They would have to believe me then, unless they were fools."Just as he reached the door, the church bells rang in the distance. The man paused for a second and listened. Then he went in by the fire, go down on his knees and wept.Application:And that is what the Christmas story is all about. The Creator of the universe loved us so much that he came to earth to show us how to be saved. And if we listen to him and follow him, we will not perish, but instead will be given everlasting life (John 3:16; John 2:6-8).CHRIST, KNOWING OFYou Know the Psalm - Knowing the Author of the BibleDate: 6/2006.1012 Sept 2006 - YOC Camping - Eph 4:7-13 ~ Gifts of a believer 12 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." Eph 4:11-13 - Candle in the Darkness2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 4:1-16 The Growth of the ChurchMore Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P177There was once a Shakespearian actor who was known far and wide for his one-man show of readings and recitations from the classics. He would always end his performance with a dramatic reading of Psalms 23. Each night, without exception, as the actor began his recitation - The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want - the crowd would listen attentively. And then at the conclusion of the psalm, they would rise in thunderous applause in appreciation of the actor's incredible ability to bring the verse to life.But one night, just before the actor was to offer his customary recital of Psalms 23, a young man from the audience spoke up. "Sir, do you mind if tonight I recite Os 23?"The actor was quite taken aback by this unusual request, but he allowed the young man to come forward and stand front and center of the stage to recite the psalm, knowing that the ability of this unskilled youth would be no match for his own talent.With a soft voice, the young man began to recite the words of the psalm. When he was finished, there was no applause. There was no standing ovation as on other nights. All that could be heard was the sound of weeping. The audience had been so moved by the young man's recitation, that every eye was full of tears.Amazed by what he heard, the actor said to the youth, "I don't understand. I have been performing Psalms 23 for years. I have a lifetime of experience and training - but I have never been able to move the audience as you have tonight. Tell me, what is your secret?"The young man humbly replied, "Well sir, you know the psalm... but I know the shepherd."Application:It's not enough to just know the content of the Bible & its stories, its sayings and its teachings. Unless you know the author, the Bible is nothing more than just another book. But when you put your faith in Jesus Christ and have entered into a personal relationship with God the Father, the Bible truly becomes "living and active - sharper than any double-edged sword." (Hebrews 4:12)CHRIST, LORDSHIP OF,$160 GiftDate: 3/2008.1013 Mar 2008 DCFC English Mark 8:27-38 - No Fool DisciplePersonal2 years ago I was on a mission trip to Saipan an island in the Pacific ocean which belongs to the US. There are quite a number of clothing factories there and they hire seamstresses from Mainland China. Their salary is only about $1.60 per hour, that is 4-5 times lower than the minimum wage in US. Whatever they earn in the first year goes to the agent and they only have two more years to earn money for themselves. So most of them come with one objective in mind - to make as much money as possible! But they never expected to encounter God. And their lives are so radically change that we just cannot help but get infected by their joyous faith in the Lord. We were teaching them of giving Jesus lordship over their lives, but they had taught us so much more with their lives. When we were about to leave, two of the sisters came up to me and gave me an envelope. I opened it and saw $160 inside. I could not accept it, but they insisted and just ran off. $160 may not be much to us, we would probably blow that in a week - but it means 100 hours of manual labor for them I was really touched & humbled. They lived out for me what I could only tell them in words. For people whose only objective when they left home was to earn money, this was a picture of the lordship of Christ over their lives. CHRIST, LORDSHIP OF,Your Latte & Your FaithDate: 3/2008.1013 Mar 2008 DCFC English Mark 8:27-38 - No Fool DisciplePersonalThere is a new phrase about current trends in Evangelical Christianity - that is to have your latte & your faith. It refers to new trends that churches allow people to sit around with their lattes, watching the worship going on in another building on the big screen. Now, I have nothing against drinking our lattes when we worship, but I hope we do not misunderstand the idea behind this trend. It is to lower the barriers so that unchurch people are willing to come. But there is a lot of work in small groups and discipleship that goes on to help the unchurched become believers and get plugged in. However, most of us do not see this part and we begin to copy the style without the substance, thinking it's a cool way of worshipping, or cool way of doing church. Maybe when we go off to college, we may attend a church like this, but the problem is, we just stop there! We do not get plugged in, do not get involved in the spiritual community. What happens as a result is we have this religious consumerism mentality - that we go to church to be entertained and there is no deeper step of commitment, no price to pay. But Brothers & sisters, Christianity without a cross becomes a mere religion without a crown. When we just go to church & be entertained, without commitment, without paying the price for our faith, it’s like drinking overnight coffee from Gilbert's office - have you tried that? Instead of strong aromatic coffee, you just go blah! So let's not cheapen our faith & settle for blah when we can have the real thing! CHRIST, ONLY SAVIORA Great ManDate: 5/2007.101Feb 13 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 4:1-13 The Credentials of the MasterHot Illustrations History records that he was great man. Yet he had humble beginnings. He grew up in a small village, an ordinary boy who did nothing to draw attention to himself.Like most boys his age, he attended school. He also worked in the family business and did his best to grow up strong and healthy. Deep inside, however, he knew he had a special purpose, a destiny to fulfill.As he grew older people began to notice that there was something special about this young man. He had talent and charisma. He was gifted like no other. It wasn’t long before he started attracting crowds. Thousands came to see and listen to him.He chose a small band of loyal companions who traveled with him everywhere he went. Many of them had given up their jobs just to be with their idol and take care of his needs.As his fame spread, some grew jealous of him. Others thought he was leading people astray, and they plotted against him. But his popularity only increased. He touched the lives of young and old alike and brought joy and laughter to the weak and downhearted. Many hailed him as king.Toward the end of his short life, he suffered quite a bit. Some who had followed him fell away and turned to worshiping others.He died alone. Those closest to him were left discouraged and confused. They never expected his life to end that way.Soon after his death, there were rumors that he didn’t really die. His followers spread the news all around. He lives! They said. He is not dead! Some claimed they actually saw him. Even today, many believe he is still alive.By now, you’ve probably figured out who this great man was.His name was Elvis Presley.Where to Take It from Here...If you word things generally enough, you can find a lot of similarities between Jesus and Elvis. In fact, you can find a lot of similarities between Jesus and you. That’s because Jesus was a human being, just like you. He was fully God, but he was also fully human.That’s where the similarities end, however. Elvis came to sing; Jesus came to save.There is only one Jesus Christ, Son of God, who was born of a virgin, died on a cross for the sins of the world, rose again on the third day, and today sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for everyone who calls on his name.While others have been hailed as king, there is only one King of King and Lord of Lords. His name is Jesus.CHRIST, ONLY SAVIORThe Art Auction Date: 4/2007.101Oct 2007 Germany Magdeburg- John 4:1-26 - The Samaritan WomanHot IllustrationsYears ago a wealthy man shared a passion for art collecting with his devoted young son. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by the likes of Picasso, Van Gogh, and Monet adorned the walls of the family estate.The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction as Mark, his only child, became an experienced art collector. The son’s trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.As winter approached, war engulfed their nation, and Mark left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram: his beloved son had died saving the life of a fellow soldier. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Christmas holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son always looked forward to, would visit his house no longer.On Christmas morning a knock on the door awakened the old man. As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. At the door was a soldier with a large package.I was a friend of Mark, the soldier said. I was the one he rescued. If I may I come in for a few moments, I have something to show you.The two were soon deep in conversation. From the soldier the old man learned that Mark had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart. The unfolding image of his son's gallantry awakened a fatherly pride that eased his grief. The soldier then recounted how often Mark had spoken of his father's love of fine art. Placing the package on the old man's lap, the soldier told him, I'm an artist. I want you to have this.The old man unwrapped the package, pulling the paper away to reveal a portrait of his son. The canvas featured the young man’s face in striking detail, though the world would never consider the painting the work of a genius. Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier.Once the soldier had departed, the old man set about hanging the portrait above the fireplace, pushing aside paintings by masters that had cost thousands of dollars. Then seating himself in his chair, he spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given. In the weeks that followed, the man grew peaceful realizing that Mark lived on because of those he had touched. The soldier's gift soon became his most prized painting, it’s worth to him far eclipsing the value of the pieces in his collection for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world stirred in anticipation of the public auction of the old man's estate. He had stipulated that his collection be sold on Christmas Day the day he had received his greatest gift. On the appointed day art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on the spectacular paintings. Many who coveted the reputation of owning the greatest art collection waited eagerly for the auctioneer to open the bidding.The auction began with a painting not on any museum's must-have list the soldier's painting of the old man's son. May I have an opening bid, the auctioneer requested. The room was silent. Who will open the bidding with $100? he prompted. Minutes passed and still no one spoke.Who cares about that painting? shouted a bidder from the back of the room.It's just a picture of his son, commented another. More voices echoed agreement. Let's forget it and go on to the good stuff.No, we have to sell this one first, replied the auctioneer. Now, who will take the son?Finally, a friend of the old man spoke. I'd like to have the painting. I knew the boy. Will you take ten dollars for it? That's all I have.I have ten dollars," called the auctioneer. Will anyone go higher? More silence. Going once. The auctioneer raised the gavel. "Going twice," he said looking around for any takers. Gone, he said at last, letting the gavel fall.Cheers filled the room. Now we can get on with bidding on these treasures! remarked the man from the back of the room.Over the microphone the auctioneer said. Thank you for coming. The auction is now over.Stunned disbelief quieted the room.What do you mean it's over? growled an irate bidder.We didn't come here for a picture of some old guy's son! said another.What about all of these other paintings? shouted the irate bidder coming to his feet. There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what's going on!It's very simple," replied the auctioneer. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son...gets it all.Where to Take It from Here...And that is the will of the Father today. Whoever takes the Son...gets it all. When you take Christ as Savior, you will have the riches of life to its fullest. (John 10:10, Matthew 6:33) Jesus is God's greatest treasure, his pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46).CHRIST, ONLY SAVIORThe Face On The PuzzleDate: 6/2006.101More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P66 A father just settled into his recliner on Sunday afternoon, looking forward to wading through his six-inch thick newspaper, when his five-year old son Bobby came scampering into the room. "Daddy! Daddy!" said the boy, "Can you play with me?"The father tried to be gentle in his response when he told his son, "Bobby, Daddy wants to read his paper for a little while. But if you come back in twenty minutes we can play together."Though mildly annoyed at being put off, Bobby rumbled out of the room, leaving his father alone to read his paper.But five-year olds have a poor sense of time, so it was only a few short minutes when Bobby was back. "Daddy, can we play now?""Not now, Bobby," said thee father. "Don't bother me until I'm finished with my paper."Bobby stomped his way out of the room to wait, but before his father could even get to the sports pages, Bobby returned. He shoved his head up under the paper and said, "Please Daddy, can we play now?"The father now convinced that he would never get a moment's peace without giving in, looked on the floor and noticed that there was a full page map of the world included in his newspaper. He reached for his wife's sewing scissors and proceeded to cut the map into about twenty pieces. Leading his son to the kitchen table, he told Bobby to put together this puzzle of the world as the first of their afternoon games. "When you finish the puzzle, then I'll play with you," the father promised. He knew it would give him plenty of time to read his paper.Not five minutes had passed when Bobby burst back into the room. "Daddy, I'm through with the puzzle! What can we play next?""What? You finished already?" asked the father. He got up from his chair and went into the kitchen to look. Sure enough, the puzzle was complete, with every piece in its proper place. "Bobby... how did you ever do this so fast? Where did you learn how to do this?" asked the father in amazement."It was easy, Daddy." said Bobby. "You see, on the back of the map of the world was a picture of a person. I decided to put the person together first. When I did that, the whole world seemed to fit right into place."Application:We live in a broken world in desperate need of being put back together. But it can't be done with social programs, more laws, better schools, the right politicians, or systems of government. The only way to put a broken world together is by putting broken people back together. Changed lives will result in a changed world.The best thing you can do is to impact your world is to lead someone to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one who can put broken people back together again. And when a person has been put back together, the whole world seems to fit right into place.CHRIST, POWER OFMugged!Date: 8/2007.1013 February 2008 DCFC English - Mark 3 20-35 ~ Butt Print Legacy??05 July 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heavenly Songs for Earthly Woes] Ps 73 From Theodicy to CredoPersonalIn Swissaire, August 6 2007. Two persons force their way into apartment complex. grabbed bicycle and tried to run off. I grabbed it and refused to let go. They threatened to punch me. If they did, I would fight back, but I was holding myself back. But what if they had a gun? He ask his friend to pull out the pistol, I thought about it twice but felt they were lying. Suddenly my wife screamed and I woke up and let go! I was very angry after that - vengeance belongs to the Lord. Angry at myself and at them - wanted to revenge. If I persisted - something might have happened - get hurt or hurt them! But vengeance belongs to the LordA few months ago when we just moved into new apartment complex, one night while we were trying to go home, these two young men wanted to follow us in. I refused to let them in because they were not residents and send my wife to look for the apartment manager. But after she left, they pushed me aside and went in. The first thing they saw was a bicycle and one of them said, "This is mine!" So he hopped onto it and started to ride away. My first thoughts were, "Thief!" So I called out and chased after him. I got into this tug-of-war right at the front gate. He threatened to punch me and even to shoot me. But because of this stupid adrenalin rush, I just refused to let go! Then I heard my wife scream and I came to my senses, "What am I doing? I am willing to die for Jesus, but for a bicycle?" So I just let go. In order for the thief to steal, he first has to get by me, which he did. Who was stronger? Obviously its him - he was tall with all those bulging muscles. But you know how our imagination works right? Since he won me, in my mind he was probably 7 ft. tall and the next time I re-tell the story he would probably have six pack and look like Mr. Universe.Another angle:Sometimes, when we experience unrighteousness, it is not easy to say that vengeance belong to God. I remember sharing this with you last year, when I was still staying down town near the Seminary. I was trying to get into my apartment complex from the car park when two men blocked our way and wanted to go in with us to look for a friend. I knew something was amissed because anyone in the car park should be a tenant and have a key. Moreover, one of them looked kind of high and was evening bleeding from his forehead. Anyway, They barged their way in, saw the first bicycle and said, "That is mine." One of them jumped on it and started riding to the front door. So I ran after him and got into a tug of war. He threatened to shoot me, but somehow because of the adrenalin, I refused to let go! Until my wife screams from behind woke me up and I thought, "What am I doing? Die for a bicycle?" So I let go. That was the first part of the story which I told you before. It took me a full week to get over this incident. I was mad! I felt so violated and angry with that person! I went to the apartment manager and told him, "We should call the police!" He replied, "Well, they will take a record, but will not do anything. This is too minor in Dallas. They have other things to investigate?" "What? But but this guy ..we have his DNA! He wiped his blood on the wall at the car park!" You know what the manager did? He laughed and said, "ha! Ha! You watched too many episodes of CSI! The police won't come and scrap his blood to look for the DNA!" I felt so upset for a whole week! Felt so unjust. His blood was there and yet the police wouldn't come to get his DNA? CHRIST, PREEMINENCE OFChrist is First PlaceDate: 6/2006.10128 May 2006 - Pandan Chinese Xi Yang - Luke 5:1-11 ~ Qualities of a Disciple2 Sept 2006 - YOC Camping - Luke 5:1-11 ~ The Qualities of a DiscipleDec 5 2006 - Senior Sermon DTS - Luke 9:18-27Senior Chapel 24 April 2007 - Luke 9:18-27 Sept 2007 FWC Retreat: The Kingdom is Here - Kingdom Path Luke 9:18-27Oct 2007 Germany Leipzig/Weimar - Luke 5:1-11 - Qualities of a discipleAug 10 2008 - FCBC Mandarin - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the CrossAug 24 2008 - MSU Mission Trip - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the CrossFeb 13 2011 – DCFC Chinese - Luke 9:18-27 – Way of the CrossMar 13 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 6:20-49 The Call of the DiscipleSept 3-5 2011 RCCC Retreat [Renewing our first love for Christ] Renewing our vision of the Cross Luke 9:18-27?2002 SARSWhen the SARS broke out in Singapore in 2002, the first person to die of it was a pastor. The first doctor to die of SARS was also a Christian. The pastor got infected because he visited a church member who was the first to be infected. The doctor, was one of Singapore's finest. He knew the dangers of the virus but knew that he had to go. He told his wife - "I have to go, this is my job." At that time a lot of doctors and nurses tried to take leave because they were afraid. But this doctor did not. Not because he was looking for trouble, not because he was trying to be funny, but because he knew that it was his God-given responsibilities. We have many sisters who are nurses and during that time, a sister shared with me, "When the virus first broke out, the hospital asked for volunteers who would take care of SARS patients. Many who volunteered initially were Christians. They were not looking for trouble, but they knew the true and living God. If they did not go, who would? God takes first place in their lives.CHRIST, REAL HOPERats in the TubDate: 6/2006.10112 July 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heavenly Songs for Earthly Woes] Ps 129 Hope!More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P145Several years ago, an experiment on endurance was conducted at the University of California at Berkeley involving Norwegian field rats. The rats were placed in a tub of water, where they were forced to swim until they grew exhausted and finally drowned. During the first experiment, the researchers discovered that on average, Norwegian field rats were capable of swimming for over seven hours before drowning.A second experiment was conducted, exactly like the first, but with one exception. When a rat was getting too exhausted to swim any longer, the researchers would remove the rat from the tub of water for a few seconds, then put the rat back into the water to continue swimming. These rats were able to swim for almost twenty hours before perishing.The researchers concluded that the rats in the second group were able to swim much longer than first group because they had hope. They had experienced a rescue - and what kept them going was the hope that they would be rescued again.Application:Human beings are no different. Without hope, we drown. but with hope, we have a reason to live. Hope is what keeps us going. It has been said that "as oxygen is to the lungs, so hope is to the human heart."Many people today have false hopes. They put their hopes in technology or in hedonism, or in accumulating material wealth or power. But these hopes are like fool's gold. ultimately they are worthless and have no power to keep us afloat.That's why Jesus cane. He conquered death and the grave so that we would know that we also can do the same. This means no matter what happens, ultimately nothing can hurt us because we have victory in Christ Jesus. Christian hope is a living hope, "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you!" (1 Peter 1:3-4)CHRIST, RESURRECTION OFRoom in the LifeboatsDate: 6/2006.101Still More Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks P29 Catering to the rich and famous, this luxury liner was advertised as unsinkable. On Titanic's fateful night, passengers who somehow still believed the advertisement refused to get in the lifeboats, even thought they were told the ship was going down. They held to their belief in the advertisement that the ship was unsinkable - and were actually offended by officers who told them to climb into a cramped lifeboat when they had paid enormous sums for luxurious accommodations.Other passengers were unable to enter a lifeboat because of the selfish privileged who felt no concern for anyone but themselves. The first-class passengers feared that added weight in the lifeboats would jeopardize their chance for survival. As a result, many of the ship's lifeboats, which were made to hold up to 60 people, left the ship with only 15 people aboard.Although there were enough lifeboats to save hundreds more, people either refused to use them or they were left stranded on the sinking liner.Application:The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ provided the lifeboat we all must climb aboard. To miss that lifeboat is to perish. Many people either continue to belief that the world can offer them happiness or salvation through their own efforts, or they are left stranded because Christians have been too selfish to reach out to them. There is more than enough room at the Cross for those who are perishing.CHRIST, SECOND COMINGNT Background of Gospel TermsPaul identifies “the Lord Jesus Christ” who will come from heaven as the savior. He uses the term savior that was widely used for the emperor. By using it for Jesus, Paul indicates that he does not think Rome and its emperors have saved the world from anything. Rome’s claim to have brought security and safety, to have affected deliverance from danger is false. Rather God saves the world from Rome and its false claims. The coming of Jesus will bring peace and security. This phrase openly evokes Pax Romana which was celebrated on Ara Pacis Augustae in Rome, the Altar of Augustan Peace. The Cube shaped monument with highly decorated walls, witnessed to Rome’s victories in wars that derived from its faithfulness to its god given mission to rule the world. Paul uses terms to confront the imperial claims, denying their legitimacy by contrasting them with God’s significantly different purposes of justice for all.Good News – denoted the empire’s benefits such as an emperor’s birth, military conquest or ascension to power. In the tradition of Isaiah (Isa 40 & 52) Paul uses the same language to speak not of Rome’s so called blessings but of God’s saving activity and the establishment of God’s reign or empire in place of Rome’s. To believe the gospel is to commit to and to be obedient to God as king or emperor.Salvation – this term named the blessings of Rome’s world, especially its security and order achieve through deliverance from all threats and dangers. But this order of course was nothing other than benefit for a few – Rome’s military power and to enforced submission to most. Again invoking Isaiah, Paul presents an alternative reality in which God’s saving power frees from imperial powers.Righteousness or Justice – Paul’s gospel is a challenge to Rome and he uses the imperial sounding language of victory to affirm God’s inevitable triumph. What God is doing is fundamentally different. Rome proclaimed its mission to give justice to the world “to crown peace and justice” Roman justice was an agent of its imperial system. It functioned to sustain the control of the elite over the rest by punishing and removing threats to its power. Paul sees the gospel, not Rome as revealing the justice of God. CHRIST, SECOND COMINGWaiting for the presidentDate: 6/2007.101We wanted to move into an apartment but did not know what it looked like. We wanted to see the size and shape so that we know what furniture to bring. We have a friend staying in that apartment, so we told him that we would visit. From that day, he started cleaning his apartment, making sure it is kept clean for our visit. Waiting for us. Dr P, when Swiss Tower was build, was invited to move in and stay in the Tower for couples. He gladly accepted because his wife had passed away and was lonely at 85. Before he moved in, the President of the Seminary told him that he would visit Dr P. From that day, Dr. P had to keep his apartment clean, waiting for the President to come. He do not know when it would be, but it could be at anytime.CHRIST, SECURITY INBread of lifeNov 06 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 6:24-37 – be the bread of lifeIn his book entitled God’s Psychiatry, Charles Allen tells this story: As World War II was drawing to a close, the Allied armies gathered up many hungry orphans. They were placed in camps where they were well-fed. Despite excellent care, they slept poorly. They seemed nervous and afraid. Finally, a psychologist came up with the solution. Each child was given a piece of bread to hold after he was put to bed. This particular piece of bread was just to be held—not eaten. The piece of bread produced wonderful results. The children went to bed knowing instinctively they would have food to eat the next day. That guarantee gave the children a restful and contented sleep. It seems that regardless of the socio-economic group to which we belong, or how sophisticated our palette becomes, every one of us recognizes the significance of bread as a staple of our basic human existence. CHRIST, SECURITY INSecurity in ChristDate: 12/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #200 In a sermon, Juan Carlos Ortiz spoke of a conversation with a circus trapeze artist. The performer admitted the net underneath was there to keep them from breaking their necks, but added, "The net also keeps us from falling. Imagine there is no net. We would be so nervous that we would be more likely to miss and fall. if there wasn't a net, we would not dare to do some of the things we do. But because there's a net, we dare to make two turns and once I made three turns - thanks to the net!"Ortiz makes this observation: "We have security in God. When we are sure in his arms, we dare to attempt big things for God. We dare to be holy. We dare to be obedient. We dare because we know the eternal arms of God will hold us if we fall."Club Med - Trapeze. I very scared - remember diving platform incident in the army when I froze at the height. So I did not want to go up. But colleague went up and just jumped. he let go bravely and ended up in the hands of the other person. Why was he so brave? Because of net - he trusted it and was able to let go.CHRIST, SUFFERED AND DIEDTHE RIGHT PERSPECTIVEApr 17 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 22:31-38 The price the Master paidA man was walking through an art gallery when he came upon a picture of the Lord Jesus dying upon the cross. He stopped and looked at the beautiful portrait of Calvary's love. As he stared into the face of Christ, so full of agony the gallery guard tapped him on the shoulder. "Lower," the guard said. "The artist painted this picture to be appreciated from a lower position."So the man bent down. And from this lower position he observed new beauties in the picture not previously shown. "Lower," said the guard. "Lower still." The man knelt down on one knee and looked up into the face of Christ. The new vantage point yielded new beauties to behold and appreciate. But motioning with his torch toward the ground, the guard said, "Lower. You've got to go lower." The man now dropped down to two knees and looked up. Only then as he looked up at the painting from such a low posture could he realize the artist's intended perspective. Only then could he see the full beauty of the cross. Is the same not true in worship? Only as we position ourselves lower and lower in humble submission can we behold more fully the glories of our wonderful Lord.From David Moore's Sermon "In and Around Heaven"CHRIST, SUFFERED AND DIEDOld Rugged CrossMay 06 2012 DCFC Chinese [Worship Acceptable to God] Mal 1:6-14 A call to authenticityIn his book, Reaching the Invisible God, author Philip Yancey tells the story about his wife, Janet, who leads a weekly “Christian Circle” at a local nursing home. An Alzheimer’s patient named Betsy faithfully attends, led there by a staff worker, and sits through the hour. Every week Janet introduces herself, and every week Betsy responds as if she’s never seen her before. After a few weeks, Janet learned that Betsy has retained the ability to read. She has no comprehension of what she is reading and will repeat the same line over and over, like a stuck record, until someone prompts her to move on. But on a good day she can read a passage straight through in a clear, strong voice. Janet began calling on her each week to read a hymn. One Friday the senior citizens, who prefer to sing the older hymns they remember from childhood, selected “The Old Rugged Cross” for Betsy to read. “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suff’ring and shame,” she began, and stopped. She suddenly got agitated. “I can’t go on It’s too sad Too sad” she said. Some of the seniors gasped. Others stared at her, dumbfounded. In years of living at the nursing home, not once had Betsy shown the ability to put words together meaningfully. Now, obviously, she did understand. Janet calmed her: “That’s fine, Betsy. You don’t have to keep reading if you don’t want to.” After a pause, though, she started reading again, and stopped at the same place. A tear made a trail down each cheek. “I can’t go on It’s so sad” she said, unaware she had said the same thing two minutes ago. She tried again, and again reacted with a sudden shock of recognition, grief, and the exact same words. Finally, when Betsy seemed tranquil, Janet led her to the elevator to return her to her room. To her amazement Betsy began singing the hymn from memory. The words came in breathy, chopped phrases, and she could barely carry the tune, but anyone could recognize the hymn: On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross The emblem of suff’ring and shame. New tears fell, but his time Betsy kept going, still from memory, gaining strength as she sang: And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown. Somewhere in that tattered mind, damaged neurons had tapped into a network of old connections to resurrect a pattern of meaning for Betsy. In her confusion, two things only stood out: suffering and shame. Those two words summarize the human condition, the condition she lives in every day of her sad life. Who knows more suffering and shame than Betsy? For her, the hymn answered that question: Jesus does. Philip Yancey，一位著名的作家写了一本书“触摸到看不见的神”。其中，他分享，“我太太Janet 每个星期都会到老人院帮忙。有一位患了老人痴呆症的妇女叫 Betsy 每个星期都会来。但是，她从来不记得我的太太。后来，我太太发现 Betsy 还能够阅读。她没有办法明白字的意思，而且常常象一架坏的光碟播放机重复的读同样的一句话，直到有人叫她继续读下去。有一天，我太太就叫 Betsy 读一首旧诗歌：古旧十架。她念,“各各他山岭上，独立一十字架，这是羞辱痛苦记号。” 她突然停下变成非常激动说，“我没办法继续读下去。这太悲伤了！太悲伤了！”当时周围的人愣了一下，因为Betsy已经很多年无法理解这些字的意思了。Janet 镇定的对她说，“你不想读，就不要读下去。”Betsy停了一会儿，又开始读。但又再同样的地方停下。这次她开始掉泪，“太悲伤了！我无法读下去了。” 当她冷静以后，Janet 就扶着她回房。她们在电梯里时，Betsy 忽然一段一段开始唱起歌。“各各他山岭上，独立一十字架，这是羞辱痛苦记号。”到此，Betsy再次掉眼泪。但她凭着记忆继续唱下去。“神爱子主耶稣，为世人被盯死，这十字架为我最爱珍宝。故我爱高举十字宝架，直到在主台前见主面。我一生要背负十字架，这十架可换公义冠冕。”在那一刻 Betsy 衰弱的脑里，突然神经细胞连起线。而在她混乱的状态中，两个词汇对她产生极大的反应。羞辱和痛苦。这两个词也概述了人类的情景，也描述了Betsy 每一天的生活情况。有谁比 Betsy 能够明白羞辱和痛苦呢？ 对她而言，这首诗回答了这问题。耶稣能够。 CHRIST, SUFFERED AND DIEDThe Bee StingDate: 6/2006.101Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P30 A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden, a big black bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringers in the backseat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour."Oh, Daddy," she squeals in terror. "It's a bee! It’s going to sting me!" The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing around toward him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps it in his fist.Holding it in his closed hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father's hand and in pain, the father lets go of the bee. The bee is loose in the car again. The little girls again panics, "Daddy, it's going to sting me!" The father gently says, "No, honey, he's not going to sting you now. Look at my hand."The bee's stinger is there in his hand.ApplicationsPaul exulted in 1 Corinthians 15:55, "Where, O death, is you victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" Jesus says to us, "Look at my hands." He has Satan's sting, the sting of death, the sting of sin, the sting of deceit, the sting of feeling worthless. Jesus has all of those stingers in His hands. When you see that nailed-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf, Jesus took all the pain that Satan could throw at Him. He reduced Satan to a big black bee that’s lost its stinger - all Satan can do is buzz. That's the victory that Jesus won for you.CHRIST, SUFFERED AND DIEDThe PrizeDate: 6/2006.101Still More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P49 A billionaire oil tycoon from Texas decided to find a husband for his only daughter, rather homely 18-yeard old. He initiated a search by inviting the local bachelors to a party in his backyard. A large, elegantly designed swimming pool dominated the yard. As the men edged by it to get their refreshments, they saw it was filled with man-eating sharks, piranhas, alligators and other animals that wouldn't think twice about eating you alive. Clustering beside the pool, the bachelors puzzled over the strange sight.Just then, the tycoon appeared on the patio and gave an emotional speech, telling how much he loved his daughter and expressing how much he wanted her to marry someone deserving of her. He then laid out The Deal."Anyone who will jump in the swimming pool and swim to the other side will have their choice of a check for $1 million with no questions asked or the title deed to my most profitable oil field, or the hand of my daughter in marriage and your place in my will, which will result in your inheriting my entire fortune."The bachelors were speechless. Their questioning looks seemed to say that none of them would be crazy enough to risk his life - even for all that money.The long silence was finally broken by a splash. Everyone turned to see one of the men swimming to the far side of the pool as fast as any Olympic swimmer. Leaping out of the water, he shook himself and stalked back to the tycoon. With a hug and a handshake, the tycoon congratulated the young man on a fine swim. "Son, would you like a million dollar check?" he asked."No sir, I wouldn't," responded the young man politely and slightly out of breath."Fine," said the tycoon. "Then would you like my most profitable oil field?""No, sir," he replied, getting a hold of himself.With a tear in his eye the tycoon asked, "Then, my boy, would you like my only daughter’s hand in marriage?"To the surprise of the gawking bachelors, the young man replied, "No sir."Puzzled and a little hurt, the tycoon asked, "Well, then, son, what do you want?""I only want one thing," answered the young man with assurance. "I want the name of the guy who pushed me into the pool."ApplicationNobody would willingly jump into a shark-infested pool - even for a million dollars. And nobody would willingly let themselves be nailed to the cross - even if he thought he might get some fame or recognition out of it.Jesus let himself be nailed to the cross, not because there was something in it for him personally, but because there was something in it for you and me. Jesus did more than risk his life for us, Jesus gave his life for us. Nobody pushed him into it. he chose to die because he loves us.CHRIST, THE LAMD OF GODLambing in New ZealandDate: 6/2006.101DCFC Sunday School 2006 - Ruth 3 Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P133The beautiful green hills of NZ, a country known for its sheep industry are dotted everywhere with white sheep. During the yearly lambing season, thousands of baby lambs are born. Unfortunately, some lambs’ die at birth. Many mother sheep are also lost during lambing season; they die giving birth. In an attempt to save the orphaned lambs, the shepherds match baby lambs who have lost their mothers with mother sheep who have lost their lambs. It is not as easy as it sounds, though - a mother sheep won’t accept a lamb and nurse it unless it is her own.How then, do shepherds get a mother sheep to accept an orphaned lamb as her own? The process is as old as shepherding itself. The mother's own lamb, which had died, is skinned and the skin of the dead lamb is draped over the living lamb as it is placed by the adoptive mother’s side. The mother sheep then smells the skin and accepts the orphaned lamb as her own.Application:Lambing season in New Zealand reminds us of what JC did for us on the Cross. When John wrote in Revelation 7:14 and Revelation 12:11 of our being saved by "the blood of the Lamb," it was in terms that people in agrarian societies vividly understood. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he... has destroyed the barrier the dividing wall of hostility..." (Ephesians 2:13-14). because of Christ's blood, God accepts us as His own. Once we were orphans, but now we are God's adopted children.Gal 3:36-27; Is 61:10; Zechariah 3:1-4, Romans 13:14CHRIST, THE LAMD OF GODSacrificeDate: 3/1998.1765Under the Old Testament system, every worshiper had to bring his own lamb. If he had no lamb, he had to buy a lamb. He could not borrow a lamb. No one could give him a lamb. He had to provide his own lamb. In the New Testament everything is reversed. God provides the Lamb! -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Genesis 22:7-8; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19 CHRIST, SINNER’S FRIENDNo titleNov 13 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 10:1-18 – Lay down His lifeJoni Erickson Tada, a quadriplegic who was paralyzed in a diving accident as a teenager, talks about her wedding day. She says, “I felt awkward as my girlfriends strained to shift my paralyzed body into a cumbersome wedding gown. No amount of corseting and binding my body gave me a perfect shape. The dress just didn’t fit well. Then, as I was wheeling into the church, I glanced down and noticed that I’d accidentally run over the hem of my dress, leaving a greasy tire mark. My paralyzed hands couldn’t hold the bouquet of daisies that lay off-center on my lap. And my chair, though decorated for the wedding, was still a big, clunky gray machine with belts, gears, and ball bearings. I certainly didn’t feel like the picture-perfect bride in a bridal magazine. I inched my chair closer to the last pew to catch a glimpse of Ken in front. There he was, standing tall and stately in his formal attire. I saw him looking for me, craning his neck to look up the aisle. My face flushed, and I suddenly couldn’t wait to be with him. I had seen my beloved. The love in Ken’s face had washed away all my feelings of unworthiness. I was his pure and perfect bride. How easy it is for us to think that we’re utterly unlovely — especially to someone as lovely as Christ. But he loves us with the bright eyes of a Bridegroom’s love and cannot wait for the day we are united with him forever.” And we, unattractive, frightened, paralyzed and imperfect, yet wild with hope, come to the wedding feast of the Lamb. We feel inadequate and unworthy, yet our eyes are fixed on Christ. We are overwhelmed with emotion as we know that we are loved and accepted just as we are, and that the wedding will bring about a transformation. The blood and water that flowed from his side has released us from our bondage, healed our brokenness and cleansed us from our sin. We become the Bride of Christ, not just in theory or potentially, but in reality. And there, together with him and all the redeemed, we will taste the new wine of the kingdom. CHRIST, SINNER’S FRIENDJust as I amNov 06 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 6:24-37 – be the bread of lifeCHARLOTTE ELLIOTT learned an important lesson about Jesus one sleepless night in 1834. She was an invalid, so when her family held a bazaar in Brighton, England, to raise money to build a school, she could only watch from afar. That night she was overwhelmed by her helplessness and could not sleep. But her sadness turned to joy when she realized that God accepted her just as she was. Her experience inspired these well loved words: "Just as I am, without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, 0 Lamb of God, I come! I come!" When she published the poem in The Invalid’s Hymn Book she included with it John 6:37. CHRIST, SINNER’S FRIENDPoem - The Watered LiliesDate: 6/2006.101The Best Loved Poems of the American People P308 The Master stood in His garden,Among the lilies fair,Which His own right hand had planted,And trained with tend ‘rest care.He looked at their snowy blossoms,And marked with observant eyeThat the flowers were sadly drooping,For their leaves were parched and dry."My lilies need to be watered,"The Heavenly Master said;"Wherein shall I draw it for them,And raise each drooping head?"Close to his feet on the pathway,Empty and frail and small,An earthen vessel was lying,Which seemed no used at all;But the Master saw and raised itFrom the dust in which it lay,And smiled as He gently whispered,"This shall do My work today:"it's is but an earthen vessel,But it lay so close to Me;It is small, but it is empty -That is all it needs to be."So to the fountain He took it,And filled it full to the brim;How glad was the earthen vesselTo be of some use to Him!He poured forth the living waterOver His lilies fair,Until the vessel was empty,And again He filled it there.He watered the drooping liliesUntil they revived again;And the Master saw with pleasureThat His labor had not been vain.His own hand had drawn the waterWhich refreshed the thirsty flowers;But He used the earthen vesselTo convey the living showers.And to itself it whispered,As He laid it aside once more,"Still will I lie in His pathway.Just where I did before."Close would I keep to the MasterEmpty would I remain,And perhaps some day He may use meTo water His flowers again."CHRIST, SINNER’S FRIENDThe Empty ChairDate: 5/2007.101Hot Illustrations Brennan Manning tells the following story of an old man who was dying of cancer.The man’s daughter had asked the local priest to come and pray with her father. When the priest arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. I guess you were expecting me, he said.No, who are you?I’m the new associate at your parish, the priest replied. When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up.Oh yeah, the chair, said the bedridden man. Would you mind closing the door?Puzzled, the priest shut the door.I’ve never told anyone this, not even my daughter, said the man. But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At the Sunday Mass I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head?/p>I abandoned any attempt at prayer, the old man continued, until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, love, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here’s what I suggest. Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because he promised, he’ll be with you always. Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you’re doing with me right now.So, Father, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, shed either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.The priest was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the rectory.Two nights later the daughter called to tell the priest that her daddy had died that afternoon.Did he seem to die in peace? he asked.Yes, when I left the house around two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, Father. In fact, beyond strange, it’s kind of weird. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed.(From Abbas Child by Brennan Manning, Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1994, pg. 126-7)Where to Take It from Here...John, who was known as the beloved disciple, wrote twice in his Gospel of the time that he laid his head on Jesus chest in a moment of intimacy. (John 13:23, John 13:25; John 21:20) It was a special memory for John, one that assured him that he was indeed a disciple whom Jesus loved.Brennan Manning writes, The Christ of faith is no less accessible to us in his present risenness than was the Christ of history in his human flesh to the beloved disciple. We can have the same kind of relationship with Jesus that John did.Do you have that kind of relationship with Jesus? Are you and Jesus so close that you can converse with him as you would with a friend? Do you know that he loves you passionately and that he is interested in you and wants to listen to everything that you have to say? Can you lay your head on his chest and feel his heartbeat?That’s the kind of relationship that Jesus wants to have with you.CHRIST, THE TRUE LIGHT OF LIFEFollowing the Right LightDate: 5/2006.101ACC English - 1 April 2007 Heb 12:1-331 August 2008 DCFC English - Heb 12:1-3 Heroes of the Faith: Run the Marathon of Faith2009 OK Retreat - Heb 12:1-3 Faith 2 Finish: Faith is a marathon2011 FCCD Retreat – Heb 12:1-3 Faith 2 Finish: The Christian Life is a MarathonIn the army, we used to train at night. Each time the platoon goes out, we walk in rows, about 10 feet apart. When the commander in front stop, the rest of us need to stop too and hide in the bush - not just stand around. Sometimes, it’s very dark so we can’t see each other. What we do is that we use little cylum straws. And in the darkness we just follow the light before us. When it moves, we move, when it stops we stop.The problem is we get tired after training 2-3 days in a row. And when we stop, sometimes you just fall asleep without realizing. The next moment you wake up, the light is gone, so you have to run ahead to find it. Once, I fell asleep. Suddenly I woke up and could not see the light. I panicked and went forward, then saw the little light and was relief. As I followed that light, it appeared strange. I followed it for almost 5 min then realized that this light was going around in circles. Finally, I ran up to it and realized that it was not the cylum straw behind my buddy, but a fire fly.So I followed the wrong light and left the right path.In our lives, we need a light to guide us in the right path - Christ. But there are many false lights that beckons us to follow them, if we do, we will leave the right path.CHRIST, CRUCIFICTIONGovernors/ Crucifixion of ChristWhen Jesus was handed over to Pilate, his fate was sealed. Two factors ensure Pilate will execute Jesus. One factor concerns keeping his allies happy by respecting their wished. The second factor concerns the content of the charge. To claim to be King of the Jews without Rome’s assent is to pose a political threat and to be guilty of treason. But to execute a kingly pretender was risky. Pilate knows that it may provoke an uprising. So he conducts a poll to assess the strength of his support. He offers a public bait and switch with Barabbas. His allies manipulate the crowd to shout for Barabbas’s release. Pilate tests their support by asking several times. The crowd calls for Jesus’ execution. This is a masterful piece of work by Pilate. Aided by his Jerusalem allies, Pilate manipulates the crowd into demanding what he already intended to do, thereby disguising his will as theirs (Matt 27:24-26). But the narrative is equally skillful in exposing Pilate’s work. (1) Mrs. Pilate testifies that she has learned in a dream that Jesus is righteous or just. The word in Matthew’s Gospel attests faithfulness to God’s purposes. She ironically announces that Jesus’ faithful challenge to Rome’s way of structuring the world accounts for his death. (2) Pilate washes his hands of Jesus, blaming the people and having them take responsibility. But the narrative’s references to Pilate’s questioning of Jesus as king of the Jews, to the Jerusalem elite’s manipulation of the crowd to Pilate’s polling of the crowd reveal the self serving nature of Pilate’s and Rome’s rule. CHRISTIAN, CALLINGFocus on EarthDate: 10/2007.101Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching - Leadership Journal - Ed Rowell P73 (Stephen Nordbye) On Day Six of the ill-fated mission of Apollo 13, the astronauts needed to make a critical course correction. If they failed, they might never return to Earth. To conserve power, they shut down the onboard computer that steered the craft. Yet the astronauts needed to conduct a thirty nine second burn of the main engines. How to steer? Astronaut Jim Lovell determined that if they could keep a fixed point in space in view through their tiny window, they could steer the craft manually. That focal point turned out to be their destination - Earth.As shown in the 1995's hit movie, Apollo 13 for 39 agonizing seconds, Lovell focused on keeping the earth in view. By not losing sight of that reference point, the three astronauts avoided disaster. Scripture reminds us that to finish your life mission successfully, "Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2)CHRISTIAN, CALLINGSuper Bowl 1993Date: 10/2007.101Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching - Leadership Journal - Ed Rowell P75 (Steve Chandler) Tom Friends of the NY Times asked coach Jimmy Johnson what he told his players before leading the Cowboys onto the field for the 1993 Super Bowl."I told them that if I laid a two-by-four across the floor, everybody there would walk across it and not fall because our focus would be on walking the length of that board. But if I put that same board 10 stories high between two buildings only a few would make it, because the focus would be on falling." Johnson told his players not to focus on the crowd, the media or the possibility of falling, but to focus on each play of the game as if it were a good practice session. The Cowboys won the game 52-7.A Christian must not focus on what people think but only on what is excellent or praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8)CHRISTIAN, CALLINGThe Call of the BarnyardDate: 6/2006.101More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P49 A flock of wild ducks were flying in formation, heading south for the winter. They formed a beautiful V in the sky and were admired by everyone who saw them from below.One day, Wally one of the wild ducks in the formation spotted something on the ground that caught his eye. it was a barnyard with a flock of tame ducks who lived on the farm. They were waddling around on the ground, quacking merrily and eating corn that was thrown on the ground for them every day. Wally liked what he saw. "It sure would be nice to have some of that corn," he thought to himself. "And all this flying is very tiring. I'd like to just waddle around for a while."So after thinking it over a while, Wally left the formation of wild ducks, made a sharp dive to the left and headed for the barnyard. He landed among the tame ducks and began to waddle around and quack merrily. He also started eating corn. The formation of wild ducks continued their journey south, but Wally didn’t care. "I'll rejoin them when they come back north in few months," he said to himself.Several months went by and sure enough, Wally looked up and spotted the flock of wild ducks in formation, heading north. They looked beautiful up there. And Wally was tired of the barnyard. It was muddy and everywhere he waddled nothing but duck doo. "It's time to leave," said Wally.So Wally flapped his wings furiously and tried to get airborne. But he had gained some weight from all corn-eating, and he hadn’t exercised his wings much either. he finally got off the ground but he was flying too low and slammed into the side of the barn. He fell to the ground with a thud and said to himself, "Oh well, I'll just wait until they fly south in a few months. Then I'll rejoin them and become a wild duck again."But when the flock flew overhead once more, Wally again tried to lift himself out of the barnyard. He simply didn't have the strength. Every winter and every spring, he saw his wild duck friends flying overhead and they would call out to him. But his attempts to leave were all in vain.Eventually Wally no longer paid any attention to the wild ducks flying overhead. He hardly even noticed them. He had, after all, become a barnyard duck.Application:Sometimes we get tired of being wild ducks - followers of Jesus Christ. It’s not always easy to be obedient to God and to discipline ourselves to hang in there for the long haul. When we are feeling that way, that’s when Satan tempts us to "fall out of formation" and to join the barnyard ducks - the world.But look what happened to Wally. He thought he would just "check it out" for awhile and then leave when he wanted to. But he couldn't do it. Sin is like that. Sin is a trap and it has a way of changing us into people we don’t even want to become. Eventually we lose touch with who we really are - the sons and daughters of the Most High. We become barnyard ducks.Let us focus on things above and not things below. God has called us to fly, to soar, let us not settle for waddling.CHRISTIAN, CALLING WITNESSINGThe Lifesaving Station Date: 6/2006.1015 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." Matt 28:18-20 Dreaming God's dream23-25 Sept 2011 ACBC Missions Conference (Mandarin) – Matt 28:18-20 The Great CommissionHot Illustrations for Youth Talks P140On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was no more than a nut and there was only one boat; but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea. With no thought for themselves, they went out day and night, tirelessly searching for the lost. Some of those who were saved and various others in the surrounding area wanted to be associated with the station and give their time, money and effort to support the work. New boats were bought and new crews trained. The little life saving station grew.Some of these new members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those who were saved from the sea. They replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Not the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely because they used it as a sort of a club. Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do this work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in this club's decoration and there was a memorial life boat in the room where the club initiations were held.About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick and some of them were foreigners. The beautiful new club was in chaos. Immediately, the property committee hired someone to rig up a shower house outside the club where victims of shipwrecks could be cleaned up before coming inside.At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities because they felt and pointed out that they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. A small number of members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. The small group's members were voted down and told that if they wanted to save lives, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast.They did.As the years went by, however, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old station. it evolved into a club and yet another lifesaving station was founded. History continued to repeat itself and if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore.Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters but most of the passengers drown.Application:As disciples of Jesus, our primary task is to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). To put it another way, we are to go and save lives. Unfortunately, we sometimes forget our purpose. We need to recover our passion for lifesaving. We need to be doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22)CHRISTIAN, LIVING AGAINST CULTUREAdventure in PhilippinesDate: 11/2005.1012005-7-16: YF (Pandan Chinese)2005-8-21: SaipanDCFC English Worship 22 April 2007 - Rom 12:1-2Sept 2007 FWC Retreat: The Kingdom is Here - Kingdom Transformation Rom 12:1-2Sept 3-5 2011 RCCC Retreat [Renewing our first love for Christ] Renewing our minds for worship Rom 12:1-2?Personal 1997 in PhilippinesThe headlights were blinding my eyes, speeding toward me with each passing second. I froze in my seat, hands tightening around the overhead grip. All I could do was stutter, "Car! Car!" Suddenly, at the last moment, it swerved to the right and I saw this white Mazda whiz by. Immediately, a motorcycle flew by on the left. And to my horror, there was a huge bus coming straight at us, blaring its horns.At that time, I was working in a bank in the Philippines. We were usually driven thru and fro our offices and the hotel by local drivers. On that fateful day, the office informed me that they were short of drivers and had assigned a new driver to me. That evening, as I went to the car, there, standing before the silver Honda Civic was a young man - not more than 18 years old. He informed me that it was his first day of work. Wow! First day? So I asked him, "Do you know the way back?" "Yes sir! Yes sir!" Well, as long as he could bring me home, then I am Ok with it. So I hopped on the back of the Honda Civic and started reading the papers. My stomach was growling and I was thinking of the nice little Italian restaurant beside my hotel. I should be sitting before a delicious plate of seafood linguine in about half an hour - or so I thought!45 minutes later, I was still zooming through traffic, going in circles. What was taking so long? It was supposed to be only half an hour. So I asked the driver, "Do you know the way back?" "Yes, sir! Yes, sir!" "You sure?" "Yes Sir!" Well, what can I say, if he's so sure? So I kept quiet, trying to appease my growing impatience and growling stomach. 15 minutes later, we were still in traffic. By this time, I was pretty sure we were totally lost. Then, to the east, I saw Shang-rila hotel in a distance. That was where I was staying - not at Shang-rila, but at the little hotel beside it. So I asked the driver, "Are we lost?" "No sir! No, sir!" "No? Then why is Shang-rila on our East when we are going west?"Suddenly, both his eyes widened like two saucers, "Aah!" It was as if some light had gone on in his head. I scoffed and thought "He finally gets it!" I was momentarily pleased with myself for pointing this out to the driver! Well, I said momentarily because in the next instance, he swerved into a single lane road which went eastward. I was heading home. But there was one small tiny problem. We were going in the opposite direction on a single lane road! We were going against the traffic. As I was facing that bus barreling toward us, blaring its horn, I shot a quick prayer to the Lord and prepared myself to meet Jesus! There was no way out! At the last moment, my skillful driver went up the pedestrian pavement, kept going against the traffic, until finally he turned into another main street, the right directions this time. Going against traffic was one of the scariest experiences of my life.CHRISTIAN, LIVING INFLUENCEMelt Them Down & Put In CirculationDate: 6/2006.101Preaching Magazine 6 June 2006 Chuck Swindoll relates that during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, the British government began to run low on silver for coins. Lord Cromwell sent his men to the local cathedral to see if they could find any precious metal there. After investigating they reported: "The only silver we can find is in the statues of the saints standing in the corners."To which the radical soldier and statesman of England replied: "Good! We'll melt down the saints and put them in circulation!"That brief but direct order states the essence of the practical goal of authentic Christianity. Not rows of silver saints crammed into the corners of cathedrals, but melted saints circulating through the mainstream of humanity. Where life transpires in the raw.On campuses where students carve through the varnish of shallow answers. In the shop where employees test the mettle of everyday Christianity. At home with a house full of kids, where R&R means run and wrestle. In the concrete battlegrounds of sales competition, seasonal conventions, and sexual temptations, where hard-core assaults are made on internal character. On the hospital bed, where reality never takes a nap. In the office, where diligence and honesty are forever on the scaffold. On the team where patience and self-control are checked out.The cost factor of being a saint occurs on Monday and Tuesday and throughout the week. That's when we're "melted down and put in circulation." "Sunday religion" may seem sufficient, but it isn't. And pity the person who counts on it to get him through. (Dallas Seminary Daily Devotional, 5-30-06)CHRISTIAN, LIVING SPIRITUAL WALKNo TitleDate: 11/2005.101Dr Doug Cecil - PM 102 Evangelism class Cut through all the fluff. How is your walk with God?CHRISTIANITY Black outDate: 1/2007.101DCFC Sunday School 2007 - Mark3 February 2008 DCFC English - Mark 3 20-35 ~ Butt Print Legacy??AMG Bible Illustrations Book 3 #221Dennis E. Hensley writes:When I was a newspaper reporter, I did a feature on training procedures for Air Force pilots. One flight condition a pilot must understand is hypoxia or 'oxygen starvation.' Students are paired off in an altitude simulation chamber. With oxygen masks on, they are taken to simulated conditions of 30,000 feet. Then one student removes his mask for a few minutes and begins to answer simple questions on a sheet of paper. Suddenly, their partners force the oxygen masks on the uncovered mouth and noses of the people who are writing. After a few gulps of normal air, each writer is astounded at what he sees on his paper. The first few written lines are eligible, but the last few lines are unreadable. One minute earlier, the participant was absolutely sure he had written his answers in perfectly legible script. In reality, he was on the verge of losing total consciousness. Remarkably, he didn’t even know he was blacking out.Similarly, people can be spiritually starved. They may not know anything is wrong, but unless someone explains how to obtain the 'breath of life,' those disconnected from God will never gain spiritual 'consciousness.'Personal experience...CHRISTIANITY Christian-lite Sermonspice21 Feb 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 2:1-10 What is the gospel about?2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 2:1-10 The Purpose of a Christian29 May 2011 DCFC Chinese Worship – Eph 2:1-10 What is the gospel about?CHRISTIANITY Coming back to an orderly homeMar 12 2012 DCFC English [Dan 12: Ultimate hope lies in God] Mar 12 2012 DCFC Chinese [Dan 12: Ultimate hope lies in God] Passport Through Darkness – Kimberly L SmithI believed saving lives of helpless children mattered more than just about anything I could imagine. I wanted others to see there was something more important than going to church and coming home to a clean and orderly home. I began to realize that I used to think that faith was about the joy I reaped from walking with Christ. But now I realized that living a life of faith starts with knowing the whole heart of God – what brings Him joy, and what breaks his heart. Once I knew both of these things, my life began to keep rhythm with His heartbeat and I found myself reaching out to the world as just He would.CHRISTIANITYNo title?Nov 13 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 10:1-18 – Lay down His lifeAs Pastor Rodney Buchanan said, “Jesus, the good Shepherd, has come to give us life. It is unfortunate that we have reduced the Christian life to a moral code. There is a moral code, but it is so much more than that. It misses the point when we present the Christian life as a set of rules, or a body of doctrine. It is tragic when we reduce the Christian life to some kind of formula: Believe these things and say these things in this order, and you will be saved and won’t have to worry about going to hell. It totally misses the point that the Christian life is a relationship. It means loving our Shepherd. Following him. Listening to his voice. Staying near him. Trusting him.CHRISTIANITY Tebow, Faith & CultureUT San Diego – Eddie Pells Jan 9 2012DENVER — He kneels in prayer at times when many players would be pounding their chest, and is winning with a style the experts insist cannot work for long. Tim Tebow's formula for success and fame is not typical for the NFL. So, is it a football miracle? Or the perfect blend of luck, timing and big plays? That's the debate that makes the tale of the Denver Broncos quarterback one of the most compelling stories in America these days. Hardly anyone stands on neutral ground when it comes to the purveyor of this unorthodox mix of throwing mechanics, big-time sports and devout religion, a 24-year-old Christian who is the subject of comedy skits on Saturday nights and serious sermons on Sunday mornings. But what most people will agree on is that it's hard to take your eyes off Tebow these days - a man who unapologetically uses football to take his message beyond the field while also taking his team on an unexpected ride through the playoffs. "I'm just very thankful for the platform that God has given me, and the opportunity to be a quarterback for the Denver Broncos - what a great organization," Tebow said after his latest shocker - an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime Sunday to beat Pittsburgh 29-23 in the wild-card playoffs. The play, according to Twitter, spawned a record 9,420 tweets per second. Not lost in that flurry was that Tebow threw for 316 yards and set an NFL playoff record by averaging 31.6 yards. That's "316," as in John 3:16, one of the most-often cited Bible passages for Christians, the most widely searched item on Google for much of Sunday night into Monday, and the message Tebow used to stencil into the eye black he wore when he played college ball at Florida. Not that referencing the Bible or thanking God is anything new in sports. After NFL games for years, a small group of athletes gather around midfield, kneel, hold hands and pray. That devotion has been largely ignored or even criticized by media and fans. "The thing with Tebow is that he seems more genuinely religious than most athletes, who seem to be religious to win games," said Clifford Putney, author of the book "Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America, 1880-1920." That might help explain why Tebow's gestures are not being overlooked, but part of an ever-growing sensation. It started building when he won the Heisman Trophy and two national titles at Florida, though he was steeped in strong religion well before that - born in the Philippines to missionary parents. More recently, he introduced mass culture to the art of "Tebowing" - kneeling on one knee, elbow perched on the other, fist to forehead - while chaos is erupting around him. The practice now has its own website, with pictures of people Tebowing in a research lab, in front of the Sydney Opera House, in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, etc. DENVER — Entertaining as all that has been, it has made fans and the media rethink the way they judge and cover their sports stars. Reporting that a player was including the Lord in his postgame analysis has long been widely thought of as trite and inappropriate, something to simply skip over when typing in the quotes. Tebow's five fourth-quarter comebacks and his four overtime victories - each more improbable than the last - and his steady, genuine, yet somehow unassuming insistence on bringing God into the conversation has forced an uncomfortable question upon those who want to make it only about what happens between the lines. Does God really care about football? "Not one whit," said Joe Price, a professor in the religious studies department at Whittier College. "But does God care about people who play football? You betcha." In a sports season filled with unsavory stories - NFL and NBA labor wars, child sex abuse scandals at Penn State and Syracuse, and a baseball MVP accused of using steroids - Tebow is seen by many as a sports star who really could be a role model, contrary to what Charles Barkley or anyone else might say. But the Tebow angst still exists, in large part because there is seemingly no way to analyze what he does on a football field without religion seeping into at least some part of that analysis. Opine about his unorthodox throwing motion - widely derided by scouts and coaches and seemingly more suited for tossing a boomerang than a football - and the quick assumption becomes that you might not like him because of his religious beliefs. Defend him as a winner who cares less about conventionality and depends more on moxie than mechanics - well, then you must be drinking the Kool-Aid, a Tebow fan because you're in line with his Christian beliefs. "I still have doubts about him as a long-term answer, as I think most reasonable people do," said radio host Sandy Clough, who has been manning Denver's sports talk shows for more than 30 years. "Does one game, if he plays well, not only invalidate his play from the other (bad) games but anything anyone's ever said about it? Well, no it doesn't. It's all part of the mix. It's a fascinating mix. He's the toughest player I've ever had to analyze, because there are all these extraneous factors you have to bring in." Sensing the excitement and loving his message, Tebow is also being courted by Republican presidential candidates. The quarterback recently told The Associated Press he's been asked by more than one of the contenders for his support. He wouldn't name names, but did say he'd declined the offer. "I think you have to have so much trust in who you support, just from product endorsements to endorsing a candidate because if that person or company does something (bad), it reflects on you," said Tebow, who's a pitchman for Nike, Jockey and FRS energy drink. Tebow has, however, placed himself in the political realm before - two Super Bowls ago when he starred in a Focus on the Family commercial with his mother sharing the story of how she gave birth to him in the Philippines in 1987 after spurning a doctor's advice to have an abortion for medical reasons. After being criticized for that ad, he didn't do an encore and instead tries to toe the line of showing his religion without shoving it down people's throats. DENVER — That hasn't stopped people from mocking him - and worse. After Tebow was particularly bad in an ugly loss to Buffalo on Dec. 24, comedian and talk show host Bill Maher sent out a tweet that basked in the QB's misfortune, blaming Jesus for the loss. "And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler `Hey, Buffalo's killing them,'" Maher tweeted. Maher, in turn, was roundly ripped for the post. Less toxic was the recent skit on "Saturday Night Live," where "Jesus" materializes in the locker room with an actor portraying Tebow, admits he is pulling some strings during these Bronco games, then after being told the New England Patriots are next on the schedule, suggests Tebow substitute his playbook, "the holy Bible," for one with some Xs and Os. The "SNL" Jesus also concedes that he, personally, prays to the Broncos place-kicker, Matt Prater, whose excellence has defined what the Tebow sensation has been about for most of this season: a bunch of teammates, motivated by a less-than-perfect leader who never gives up, coming together and picking each other up when the going gets tough. A great story line that has held most of the year. The twist on Sunday, though, was that for the first time this season, it could reasonably be argued that Tebow was a one-man show. In the win over Pittsburgh, he completed five passes of 30 yards or more. And with his defense struggling, he threw a perfect strike for the game-winner to receiver Demaryius Thomas, who didn't have to change his stride and, thus, ran untouched into the end zone. "He was the same Tim, calm and collected," Thomas said. "He took it one play at a time and was in the huddle and said, `It's either we win or we go home.'" CHRISTIANITYDECEMBER 13, 2010Change usually happens slowly in the Church. But a review of the past year's research conducted by the Barna Group provides a time-lapse portrayal of how the religious environment in the U.S. is morphing into something new.Analyzing insights drawn from more than 5,000 non-proprietary interviews conducted over the past 11 months, George Barna indicated that the following patterns were evident in the survey findings. ? 1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.What used to be basic, universally-known truths about Christianity are now unknown mysteries to a large and growing share of Americans--especially young adults. For instance, Barna Group studies in 2010 showed that while most people regard Easter as a religious holiday, only a minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Other examples include the finding that few adults believe that their faith is meant to be the focal point of their life or to be integrated into every aspect of their existence. Further, a growing majority believe the Holy Spirit is a symbol of God's presence or power, but not a living entity. As the two younger generations (Busters and Mosaics) ascend to numerical and positional supremacy in churches across the nation, the data suggest that biblical literacy is likely to decline significantly. The theological free-for-all that is encroaching in Protestant churches nationwide suggests the coming decade will be a time of unparalleled theological diversity and inconsistency.2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.Despite technological advances that make communications instant and far-reaching, Christians are becoming more spiritually isolated from non-Christians than was true a decade ago. Examples of this tendency include the fact that less than one-third of born again Christians planned to invite anyone to join them at a church event during the Easter season; teenagers are less inclined to discuss Christianity with their friends than was true in the past; most of the people who become Christians these days do so in response to a personal crisis or the fear of death (particularly among older Americans); and most Americans are unimpressed with the contributions Christians and churches have made to society over the past few years. As young adults have children, the prospect of them seeking a Christian church is diminishing--especially given the absence of faith talk in their conversations with the people they most trust. With atheists becoming more strategic in championing their godless worldview, as well as the increased religious plurality driven by education and immigration, the increasing reticence of Christians to engage in faith-oriented conversations assumes heightened significance.3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life.When asked what matters most, teenagers prioritize education, career development, friendships, and travel. Faith is significant to them, but it takes a back seat to life accomplishments and is not necessarily perceived to affect their ability to achieve their dreams. Among adults the areas of growing importance are lifestyle comfort, success, and personal achievements. Those dimensions have risen at the expense of investment in both faith and family. The turbo-charged pace of society leaves people with little time for reflection. The deeper thinking that occurs typically relates to economic concerns or relational pressures. Spiritual practices like contemplation, solitude, silence, and simplicity are rare. (It is ironic that more than four out of five adults claim to live a simple life.) Practical to a fault, Americans consider survival in the present to be much more significant than eternal security and spiritual possibilities. Because we continue to separate our spirituality from other dimensions of life through compartmentalization, a relatively superficial approach to faith has become a central means of optimizing our life experience.4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.Largely driven by the passion and energy of young adults, Christians are more open to and more involved in community service activities than has been true in the recent past. While we remain more self-indulgent than self-sacrificing, the expanded focus on justice and service has struck a chord with many. However, despite the increased emphasis, churches run the risk of watching congregants’ engagement wane unless they embrace a strong spiritual basis for such service. Simply doing good works because it's the socially esteemed choice of the moment will not produce much staying power.To facilitate service as a long-term way of living and to provide people with the intrinsic joy of blessing others, churches have a window of opportunity to support such action with biblical perspective. And the more that churches and believers can be recognized as people doing good deeds out of genuine love and compassion, the more appealing the Christian life will be to those who are on the sidelines watching. Showing that community action as a viable alternative to government programs is another means of introducing the value of the Christian faith in society.5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church.Our biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused Americans to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled judgmental. The result is a Church that has become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies. This increased leniency is made possible by the very limited accountability that occurs within the body of Christ. There are fewer and fewer issues that Christians believe churches should be dogmatic about. The idea of love has been redefined to mean the absence of conflict and confrontation, as if there are no moral absolutes that are worth fighting for. That may not be surprising in a Church in which a minority believes there are moral absolutes dictated by the scriptures.The challenge today is for Christian leaders to achieve the delicate balance between representing truth and acting in love. The challenge for every Christian in the U.S. is to know his/her faith well enough to understand which fights are worth fighting, and which stands are non-negotiable. There is a place for tolerance in Christianity; knowing when and where to draw the line appears to perplex a growing proportion of Christians in this age of tolerance.6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible.Christianity has arguably added more value to American culture than any other religion, philosophy, ideology or community. Yet, contemporary Americans are hard pressed to identify any specific value added. Partly due to the nature of today’s media, they have no problem identifying the faults of the churches and Christian people.In a period of history where image is reality, and life-changing decisions are made on the basis of such images, the Christian Church is in desperate need of a more positive and accessible image. The primary obstacle is not the substance of the principles on which Christianity is based, and therefore the solution is not solely providing an increase in preaching or public relations. The most influential aspect of Christianity in America is how believers do--or do not--implement their faith in public and private. American culture is driven by the snap judgments and decisions that people make amidst busy schedules and incomplete information. With little time or energy available for or devoted to research and reflection, it is people’s observations of the integration of a believer’s faith into how he/she responds to life’s opportunities and challenges that most substantially shape people’s impressions of an interest in Christianity. Jesus frequently spoke about the importance of the fruit that emerges from a Christian life; these days the pace of life and avalanche of competing ideas underscores the significance of visible spiritual fruit as a source of cultural influence.With the likelihood of an accelerating pace of life and increasingly incomplete cues being given to the population, Christian leaders would do well to revisit their criteria for "success" and the measures used to assess it. In a society in which choice is king, there are no absolutes, every individual is a free agent, we are taught to be self-reliant and independent, and Christianity is no longer the automatic, default faith of young adults, new ways of relating to Americans and exposing the heart and soul of the Christian faith are required.About the ResearchThis summary is based upon a series of national research studies conducted in the?Barna Poll?by the Barna Group throughout 2010. Each study was conducted via telephone interviews with a random sample of adults selected from across the continental United States, age 18 and older. With one exception, each study included a minimum of 1,000 adults; the exceptions were one study among 400 adults, and one among 603 adults. Each survey included a proportional number of interviews among people using cell phones. The data set for each study was subjected to minimal statistical weighting to calibrate the aggregate sample to known population percentages in relation to several key demographic variables.Mosaics are individuals born between 1984 and 2002.?Baby Busters are individuals born between 1965 and 1983.CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERICSTICS OFChristianityDate: 3/1998.1079One frustrated oppressor of Christianity in the former Soviet Union once said, "Religion is like a nail. The harder you hit it the deeper it goes into the wood." -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Matthew 16:18; John 16:33; 1 Peter 1:24-25 CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERISTICS OFCoffeehouse ConversationsDate: 3/2009.10115 Mar 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heart for the Nations] Acts 15:1-21 The truth will set you free. - judgmental & legalism[Coffeehouse Conversations #5]CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERISTICS OFGet in the GameDate: 6/2007.101Aug 10 2008 - FCBC English ~ 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game!19 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game!- Personal at Soldier's Field experience/ or NBA Mavericks experienceDaily Bread June 9 2007I love going to Chicago’s Wrigley Field for a baseball game sitting in the stands, downing a great hot dog, and cheering the Cubs on to victory!Unfortunately, Christianity has become a lot like professional sports. As a friend of mine has observed, there are nine guys on the baseball field doing all the work and thousands in the stands just watching. And as you probably know, that’s not Gods game plan for His people. He wants us to climb out of the stands, get out on the field, and join the team.If you are wondering what good you can do on the field, wonder no more. What about your financial resources? Jesus can take your silver and gold and use it to accomplish great things for His glory.But more than just getting out your checkbook, you have gifts you can contribute. God has given each of us spiritual gifts that can help advance His kingdom. Whether its teaching, encouraging, serving, showing hospitality, or extending mercy, each ability can yield great dividends. Lets follow the example of Paul, who tirelessly served on Gods field for the joy of being used by Him (Colossians 1:28-29).Believe me, it’s far more rewarding to be on the field than to sit in the stands. Joe StowellStart where you are in serving the Lord,Claim His sure promise and trust in His Word;God simply asks you to do what you can,He’ll use your efforts to further His plan. Anon.Don’t make a cemetery of your life by burying your talents.Swish! The shot left Nowitzki's hands from beyond the three-point line and it was pure net. That sent the boisterous crowd crazy. Immediately that familiar beat came over the PA system, "boom-boom-ba! Boom-boom-ba!" And the crowd chanted in unison, "D-fence! D-fence!" It was just an amazing feeling watching the Dallas Mavericks play the LA Lakers live in the American Airline Center. Though it was just a regular season game, the atmosphere was just electrifying. 5 seconds left on the clock and we are leading by 1 point as a result of Dirk's shot. We just need to hold them for 5 seconds. It was so tensed that everyone stood up, cheering, crying out, some praying because of the adrenalin that was coursing through our bodies. 5 seconds! The inbound pass came and alas! Devin Harris made a rookie mistake and allowed Kobe Bryant from the Lakers an open passage to the basket. No one came to help and he made an easy 2, clinching the game! The crowd was just stunned into silence, "How did we let the game slip through our fingers?" People began streaming out in disappointment, some just staring in disbelief and there was just this sense of frustration! That day was such a treat for my wife and I. We had received some free tickets to this game from the Seminary and so we went. We screamed our voices hoarse, felt the emotional highs & lows through the game, even though we were just spectators! I felt so frustrated! In my mind I thought, "If only we could have done something about it then just watch & scream! I would not have made that stupid rookie mistake!" Yeah! Right! That's what I thought! Of course reality is much different! But brothers and sisters, that is spectator sports! In the case of basketball, its just 10 men running after the ball, doing all the work on the court with tens of thousands watching & screaming in the stands. I am sure those of us who has been to a basketball game, a football game or a baseball game, don't you wish you could get involved, rather than just watch? CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERISTICS OFShemaDate: 12/2009.101Confident Parenting P64 Most people in Jesus' day who heard him quote the shema has probably repeated those words themselves a few times a day. Then Jesus did something radical by adding a phrase not in the Shema but found in Leviticus. In Matthew 22 Jesus summarized the Law & the Prophets with two phrases, "love God" & "love your neighbor" This is what Scot McKnight calls the Jesus Creed. When Jesus amended the Shema of Judaism by adding the statement about loving our neighbor, he probably brought the crowd to silence. CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERISTICS OFTebow practices what he preachesDate: 7/2009.10110/18/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of SinJemele Hill July 24 2009 ESPNSo Tim Tebow is college football's Andy Stitzer.But unlike Stitzer -- the lead character played by Steve Carell in "The 40 Year Old Virgin" -- Tebow isn't embarrassed he's a virgin, and he's planning to stay nookie-free until he's married. For some reason, Tebow's chastity admission -- which came at SEC media day on Thursday when Clay Travis of AOL's asked if he was a virgin -- has caused great debate in the sports world. Questioning Tim Tebow's virginity wasn't inappropriate, but he showed fortitude by not being afraid to answer. Should we care that the most popular athlete in college football hasn't gotten his freak on? Was it an appropriate question? Should Tebow have even answered?Yes.Yes.And, yes.Asking Tebow about his virginity wasn't out of bounds, and his answer was more important than people realize. Tebow has used his enormous platform to promote his Christian beliefs. He utters the words "Jesus Christ" almost as often as "spread offense." At media day, he spoke in detail about ministering to prisoners, and he's been praised considerably for doing missionary work overseas. Tebow's faith preaches abstinence before marriage, and if Tebow is going to regularly endorse Christianity to millions of people, he should be prepared to respond to questions about his adherence to those beliefs. Instead of engaging in a debate about an athlete's right to privacy, we need to be celebrating Tebow for exhibiting that much backbone under such heavy public scrutiny. I've heard a lot of athletes profess to be devout Christians for the cameras -- only to see them at the bar later picking up women. Here we have arguably the most popular college athlete ever supporting abstinence, which, let's be honest, isn't considered conventional in today's society. Isn't that the very definition of true leadership? "I think you're stunned right now," Tebow joked with reporters after revealing his virginity. "You can't even ask a question. I was ready for that question, but I don't think ya'll were." Promiscuity is so deeply embedded in sports culture that most people think the 21-year-old Tebow would be crazy not to take full advantage. Considering his popularity and the breadth of his accomplishments, Tebow must spend a good bit of his day stiff-arming willing women as if they were SEC linebackers. Though after this recent announcement, Tebow's female fan base probably will triple in size. To his credit, Tebow takes being a role model very seriously. He realizes that not only are other Christians watching him, but so are thousands of young people across the country. So shouldn't we be happy Tebow is teaching them about restraint rather than "making it rain?" Isn't it a good thing Tebow is showing them they can be themselves and they don't have to succumb to peer pressure? Shouldn't we be relieved college's most visible athlete is taking a different course, especially in light of the circumstances following Steve McNair's tragic murder?I'm no holy roller, but I'll take Tebow admitting he's a virgin over Wilt Chamberlain's boast that he bedded 20,000 women or Magic Johnson's claim he had sex with multiple women at a time, any day. The fact Tebow answered a question about his virginity is a testament to his character. All he did was successfully put another bull's-eye on his back. I can't imagine what a defensive end might say to Tebow after a sack or the ridicule he'll incur nationally. Whether Tebow stays a virgin isn't the issue. The lesson here is true belief sometimes requires you to separate from the pack, and only a chosen few are strong enough to handle it."Although there has been a backlash, oh well," Tebow said at media day. "I'll deal with it if I have to. It's not a big deal to me because of the kids and the people that have been encouraged by the stories that we have had to tell and the life I've tried to live."CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERISTICS OFThe End of Christian AmericaDate: 4/2009.10110/04/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of the Bible10/11/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of ManFeb 27 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 6:20-49 The Character of the DiscipleThe End of Christian AmericaThe percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now-and what, as a nation, we are about to become.By Jon Meacham | NEWSWEEKPublished Apr 4, 2009From the magazine issue dated Apr 13, 2009It was a small detail, a point of comparison buried in the fifth paragraph on the 17th page of a 24-page summary of the 2009 American Religious Identification Survey. But as R. Albert Mohler Jr.-president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the largest on earth-read over the document after its release in March, he was struck by a single sentence. For a believer like Mohler-a starched, unflinchingly conservative Christian, steeped in the theology of his particular province of the faith, devoted to producing ministers who will preach the inerrancy of the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the only means to eternal life-the central news of the survey was troubling enough: the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 8 to 15 percent. Then came the point he could not get out of his mind: while the unaffiliated have historically been concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, the report said, "this pattern has now changed, and the Northeast emerged in 2008 as the new stronghold of the religiously unidentified." As Mohler saw it, the historic foundation of America's religious culture was cracking."That really hit me hard," he told me last week. "The Northwest was never as religious, never as congregationalized, as the Northeast, which was the foundation, the home base, of American religion. To lose New England struck me as momentous." Turning the report over in his mind, Mohler posted a despairing online column on the eve of Holy Week lamenting the decline-and, by implication, the imminent fall-of an America shaped and suffused by Christianity. "A remarkable culture-shift has taken place around us," Mohler wrote. "The most basic contours of American culture have been radically altered. The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western cultural crisis which threatens the very heart of our culture." When Mohler and I spoke in the days after he wrote this, he had grown even gloomier. "Clearly, there is a new narrative, a post-Christian narrative, that is animating large portions of this society," he said from his office on campus in Louisville, Ky.There it was, an old term with new urgency: post-Christian. This is not to say that the Christian God is dead, but that he is less of a force in American politics and culture than at any other time in recent memory. To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population.According to the American Religious Identification Survey that got Mohler's attention, the percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 percentage points since 1990, from 86 to 76 percent. The Jewish population is 1.2 percent; the Muslim, 0.6 percent. A separate Pew Forum poll echoed the ARIS finding, reporting that the percentage of people who say they are unaffiliated with any particular faith has doubled in recent years, to 16 percent; in terms of voting, this group grew from 5 percent in 1988 to 12 percent in 2008-roughly the same percentage of the electorate as African-Americans. (Seventy-five percent of unaffiliated voters chose Barack Obama, a Christian.) Meanwhile, the number of people willing to describe themselves as atheist or agnostic has increased about fourfold from 1990 to 2009, from 1 million to about 3.6 million. (That is about double the number of, say, Episcopalians in the United States.)While we remain a nation decisively shaped by religious faith, our politics and our culture are, in the main, less influenced by movements and arguments of an explicitly Christian character than they were even five years ago. I think this is a good thing-good for our political culture, which, as the American Founders saw, is complex and charged enough without attempting to compel or coerce religious belief or observance. It is good for Christianity, too, in that many Christians are rediscovering the virtues of a separation of church and state that protects what Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island as a haven for religious dissenters, called "the garden of the church" from "the wilderness of the world." As crucial as religion has been and is to the life of the nation, America's unifying force has never been a specific faith, but a commitment to freedom-not least freedom of conscience. At our best, we single religion out for neither particular help nor particular harm; we have historically treated faith-based arguments as one element among many in the republican sphere of debate and decision. The decline and fall of the modern religious right's notion of a Christian America creates a calmer political environment and, for many believers, may help open the way for a more theologically serious religious life.Let's be clear: while the percentage of Christians may be shrinking, rumors of the death of Christianity are greatly exaggerated. Being less Christian does not necessarily mean that America is post-Christian. A third of Americans say they are born again; this figure, along with the decline of politically moderate-to liberal mainline Protestants, led the ARIS authors to note that "these trends suggest a movement towards more conservative beliefs and particularly to a more 'evangelical' outlook among Christians." With rising numbers of Hispanic immigrants bolstering the Roman Catholic Church in America, and given the popularity of Pentecostalism, a rapidly growing Christian milieu in the United States and globally, there is no doubt that the nation remains vibrantly religious-far more so, for instance, than Europe.Still, in the new NEWSWEEK Poll, fewer people now think of the United States as a "Christian nation" than did so when George W. Bush was president (62 percent in 2009 versus 69 percent in 2008). Two thirds of the public (68 percent) now say religion is "losing influence" in American society, while just 19 percent say religion's influence is on the rise. The proportion of Americans who think religion "can answer all or most of today's problems" is now at a historic low of 48 percent. During the Bush 43 and Clinton years, that figure never dropped below 58 percent.Many conservative Christians believe they have lost the battles over issues such as abortion, school prayer and even same-sex marriage, and that the country has now entered a post-Christian phase. Christopher Hitchens -a friend and possibly the most charming provocateur you will ever meet-wrote a hugely popular atheist tract a few years ago, "God Is Not Great." As an observant (if deeply flawed) Episcopalian, I disagree with many of Hitchens's arguments-I do not think it is productive to dismiss religious belief as superstitious and wrong-but he is a man of rigorous intellectual honesty who, on a recent journey to Texas, reported hearing evangelical mutterings about the advent of a "post-Christian" America.To be post-Christian has meant different things at different times. In 1886, The Atlantic Monthly described George Eliot as "post-Christian," using the term as a synonym for atheist or agnostic. The broader-and, for our purposes, most relevant-definition is that "post-Christian" characterizes a period of time that follows the decline of the importance of Christianity in a region or society. This use of the phrase first appeared in the 1929 book "America Set Free" by the German philosopher Hermann Keyserling.The term was popularized during what scholars call the "death of God" movement of the mid-1960s-a movement that is, in its way, still in motion. Drawing from Nietzsche's 19th-century declaration that "God is dead," a group of Protestant theologians held that, essentially, Christianity would have to survive without an orthodox understanding of God. Tom Altizer, a religion professor at Emory University, was a key member of the Godless Christianity movement, and he traces its intellectual roots first to Kierkegaard and then to Nietzsche. For Altizer, a post-Christian era is one in which "both Christianity and religion itself are unshackled from their previous historical grounds." In 1992 the critic Harold Bloom published a book titled "The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation." In it he cites William James's definition of religion in "The Varieties of Religious Experience": "Religion shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they consider the divine."Which is precisely what most troubles Mohler. "The post-Christian narrative is radically different; it offers spirituality, however defined, without binding authority," he told me. "It is based on an understanding of history that presumes a less tolerant past and a more tolerant future, with the present as an important transitional step." The present, in this sense, is less about the death of God and more about the birth of many gods. The rising numbers of religiously unaffiliated Americans are people more apt to call themselves "spiritual" rather than "religious." (In the new NEWSWEEK Poll, 30 percent describe themselves this way, up from 24 percent in 2005.)Roughly put, the Christian narrative is the story of humankind as chronicled in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament-the drama of creation, fall and redemption. The orthodox tend to try to live their lives in accordance with the general behavioral principles of the Bible (or at least the principles they find there of which they approve) and anticipate the ultimate judgment of God-a judgment that could well determine whether they spend eternity in heaven or in hell.What, then, does it mean to talk of "Christian America"? Evangelical Christians have long believed that the United States should be a nation whose political life is based upon and governed by their interpretation of biblical and theological principles. If the church believes drinking to be a sin, for instance, then the laws of the state should ban the consumption of alcohol. If the church believes the theory of evolution conflicts with a literal reading of the Book of Genesis, then the public schools should tailor their lessons accordingly. If the church believes abortion should be outlawed, then the legislatures and courts of the land should follow suit. The intensity of feeling about how Christian the nation should be has ebbed and flowed since Jamestown; there is, as the Bible says, nothing new under the sun. For more than 40 years, the debate that began with the Supreme Court's decision to end mandatory school prayer in 1962 (and accelerated with the Roe v. Wade ruling 11 years later) may not have been novel, but it has been ferocious. Fearing the coming of a Europe-like secular state, the right longed to engineer a return to what it believed was a Christian America of yore.But that project has failed, at least for now. In Texas, authorities have decided to side with science, not theology, in a dispute over the teaching of evolution. The terrible economic times have not led to an increase in church attendance. In Iowa last Friday, the state Supreme Court ruled against a ban on same-sex marriage, a defeat for religious conservatives. Such evidence is what has believers fretting about the possibility of an age dominated by a newly muscular secularism. "The moral teachings of Christianity have exerted an incalculable influence on Western civilization," Mohler says. "As those moral teachings fade into cultural memory, a secularized morality takes their place. Once Christianity is abandoned by a significant portion of the population, the moral landscape necessarily changes. For the better part of the 20th century, the nations of Western Europe led the way in the abandonment of Christian commitments. Christian moral reflexes and moral principles gave way to the loosening grip of a Christian memory. Now even that Christian memory is absent from the lives of millions."Religious doubt and diversity have, however, always been quintessentially American. Alexis de Tocqueville said that "the religious atmosphere of the country was the first thing that struck me on arrival in the United States," but he also discovered a "great depth of doubt and indifference" to faith. Jefferson had earlier captured the essence of the American spirit about religion when he observed that his statute for religious freedom in Virginia was "meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination"-and those of no faith whatever. The American culture of religious liberty helped create a busy free market of faith: by disestablishing churches, the nation made religion more popular, not less.America, then, is not a post-religious society-and cannot be as long as there are people in it, for faith is an intrinsic human impulse. The belief in an order or a reality beyond time and space is ancient and enduring. "All men," said Homer, "need the gods." The essential political and cultural question is to what extent those gods-or, more accurately, a particular generation's understanding of those gods-should determine the nature of life in a given time and place.If we apply an Augustinian test of nationhood to ourselves, we find that liberty, not religion, is what holds us together. In "The City of God," Augustine -converted sinner and bishop of Hippo-said that a nation should be defined as "a multitude of rational beings in common agreement as to the objects of their love." What we value most highly-what we collectively love most-is thus the central test of the social contract.Judging from the broad shape of American life in the first decade of the 21st century, we value individual freedom and free (or largely free) enterprise, and tend to lean toward libertarianism on issues of personal morality. The foundational documents are the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, not the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (though there are undeniable connections between them). This way of life is far different from what many overtly conservative Christians would like. But that is the power of the republican system engineered by James Madison at the end of the 18th century: that America would survive in direct relation to its ability to check extremism and preserve maximum personal liberty. Religious believers should welcome this; freedom for one sect means freedom for all sects. As John F. Kennedy said in his address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in 1960: "For while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew-or a Quaker-or a Unitarian-or a Baptist Today I may be the victim-but tomorrow it may be you-until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped."Religion has been a factor in American life and politics from the beginning. Anglican observance was compulsory at Jamestown, and the Puritans of New England were explicitly hoping to found a New Jerusalem. But coerced belief is no belief at all; it is tyranny. "I commend that man, whether Jew, or Turk, or Papist, or whoever, that steers no otherwise than his conscience dares," said Roger Williams.By the time of the American founding, men like Jefferson and Madison saw the virtue in guaranteeing liberty of conscience, and one of the young republic's signal achievements was to create a context in which religion and politics mixed but church and state did not. The Founders' insight was that one might as well try to build a wall between economics and politics as between religion and politics, since both are about what people feel and how they see the world. Let the religious take their stand in the arena of politics and ideas on their own, and fight for their views on equal footing with all other interests. American public life is neither wholly secular nor wholly religious but an ever-fluid mix of the two. History suggests that trouble tends to come when one of these forces grows too powerful in proportion to the other.Political victories are therefore intrinsically transitory. In the middle of the 19th century, the evangelist Charles Grandison Finney argued that "the great business of the church is to reform the world-to put away every kind of sin"; Christians, he said, are "bound to exert their influence to secure a legislation that is in accordance with the law of God."Worldly success tends to mark the beginning of the end for the overtly religious in politics. Prohibition was initially seen as a great moral victory, but its failure and ultimate repeal show that a movement should always be careful what it wishes for: in America, the will of the broad whole tends to win out over even the most devoted of narrower interests.As the 20th century wore on, Christians found themselves in the relatively uncontroversial position of opposing "godless communism," and the fervor of the Prohibition and Scopes-trial era seemed to fade a bit. Issues of personal morality, not international politics, would lay the foundations for the campaign for Christian America that we know as the rise of the religious right. The phenomenon of divorce in the 1960s and the Roe decision in 1973 were critical, and Jimmy Carter's born-again faith brought evangelical Christianity to the mainstream in 1976.Growing up in Atlanta in the '60s and '70s, Joe Scarborough, the commentator and former Republican congressman, felt the fears of his evangelical parents and their friends-fears that helped build support for the politically conservative Christian America movement. "The great anxiety in Middle America was that we were under siege-my parents would see kids walking down the street who were Boy Scouts three years earlier suddenly looking like hippies, and they were scared," Scarborough says. "Culturally, it was October 2001 for a decade. For a decade. And once our parents realized we weren't going to disappear into dope and radicalism, the pressure came off. That's the world we're in now-parents of boomers who would not drink a glass of wine 30 years ago are now kicking back with vodka. In a way, they've been liberated."And they have learned that politics does not hold all the answers-a lesson that, along with a certain relief from the anxieties of the cultural upheavals of the '60s and '70s, has tended to curb religiously inspired political zeal. "The worst fault of evangelicals in terms of politics over the last 30 years has been an incredible naiveté about politics and politicians and parties," says Mohler. "They invested far too much hope in a political solution to what are trans political issues and problems. If we were in a situation that were more European, where the parties differed mostly on traditional political issues rather than moral ones, or if there were more parties, then we would probably have a very different picture. But when abortion and a moral understanding of the human good became associated with one party, Christians had few options politically."When that party failed to deliver-and it did fail-some in the movement responded by retreating into radicalism, convinced of the wickedness and venality of the political universe that dealt them defeat after defeat. (The same thing happened to many liberals after 1968: infuriated by the conservative mood of the country, the left reacted angrily and moved ever leftward.)The columnist Cal Thomas was an early figure in the Moral Majority who came to see the Christian American movement as fatally flawed in theological terms. "No country can be truly 'Christian'," Thomas says. "Only people can. God is above all nations, and, in fact, Isaiah says that 'All nations are to him a drop in the bucket and less than nothing'." Thinking back across the decades, Thomas recalls the hope-and the failure. "We were going through organizing like-minded people to 'return' America to a time of greater morality. Of course, this was to be done through politicians who had a difficult time imposing morality on themselves!"Experience shows that religious authorities can themselves be corrupted by proximity to political power. A quarter century ago, three scholars who are also evangelical Christians-Mark A. Noll, Nathan O. Hatch and George M. Marsden-published an important but too-little-known book, "The Search for Christian America." In it they argued that Christianity's claims transcend any political order. Christians, they wrote, "should not have illusions about the nature of human governments. Ultimately they belong to what Augustine calls 'the city of the world,' in which self-interest rules all governments can be brutal killers."Their view tracks with that of the Psalmist, who said, "Put not thy trust in princes," and there is much New Testament evidence to support a vision of faith and politics in which the church is truest to its core mission when it is the farthest from the entanglements of power. The Jesus of the Gospels resolutely refuses to use the means of this world-either the clash of arms or the passions of politics-to further his ends. After the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the dazzled throng thought they had found their earthly messiah. "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." When one of his followers slices off the ear of one of the arresting party in Gethsemane, Jesus says, "Put up thy sword." Later, before Pilate, he says, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight." The preponderance of lessons from the Gospels and from the rest of the New Testament suggests that earthly power is transitory and corrupting, and that the followers of Jesus should be more attentive to matters spiritual than political.As always with the Bible, however, there are passages that complicate the picture. The author of Hebrews says believers are "strangers and exiles on the earth" and that "For here we have no lasting city, but seek the city which is to come." In Romans the apostle Paul advises: "Do not be conformed to this world." The Second Vatican Council cited these words of Pius XII: the Catholic Church's "divine Founder, Jesus Christ, has not given it any mandate or fixed any end of the cultural order. The goal which Christ assigns to it is strictly religious The Church can never lose sight of the strictly religious, supernatural goal."As an archbishop of Canterbury once said, though, it is a mistake to think that God is chiefly or even largely concerned with religion. "I hate the sound of your solemn assemblies," the Lord says in Amos. Religion is not only about worshipping your God but about doing godly things, and a central message of the Gospels is the duty of the Christian to transform, as best one can, reality through works of love. "Being in the world and not of it remains our charge," says Mohler. "The church is an eternal presence in a fallen, temporal world-but we are to have influence. The Sermon on the Mount is about what we are to do-but it does not come with a political handbook."How to balance concern for the garden of the church with the moral imperatives to make gentle the life of the world is one of the most perplexing questions facing the church. "We have important obligations to do whatever we can, including through the use of political means, to help our neighbors-promoting just laws, good order, peace, education and opportunity," wrote Noll, Hatch and Marsden. "Nonetheless we should recognize that as we work for the relatively better in 'the city of the world,' our successes will be just that-relative. In the last analysis the church declares that the solutions offered by the nations of the world are always transitory solutions, themselves in need of reform."Back in Louisville, preparing for Easter, Al Mohler keeps vigil over the culture. Last week he posted a column titled "Does Your Pastor Believe in God?," one on abortion and assisted suicide and another on the coming wave of pastors. "Jesus Christ promised that the very gates of Hell would not prevail against his church," Mohler wrote. "This new generation of young pastors intends to push back against hell in bold and visionary ministry. Expect to see the sparks fly." On the telephone with me, he added: "What we are seeing now is the evidence of a pattern that began a very long time ago of intellectual and cultural and political changes in thought and mind. The conditions have changed. Hard to pinpoint where, but whatever came after the Enlightenment was going to be very different than what came before." And what comes next here, with the ranks of professing Christians in decline, is going to be different, too.Read more about NEWSWEEK's poll on religion in America here .With Eliza Gray CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERISTICS OFThe Giving KindDate: 6/2007.101Daily Bread April 23 2007 At one end of the truck terminal where H. H. Lee worked years ago was a coal company. Nearby was a railroad, and each day several freight trains passed by. Lee often noticed that the owner of the company, who was a Christian, threw chunks of coal over the fence at various places along the track. One day he asked the man why he did this.The man replied, An elderly woman lives across the street, and I know that her pension is inadequate to buy enough coal. After the trains go by, she walks along and picks up the pieces she thinks have fallen from the coal car behind the engine. She doesn’t realize that diesels have replaced steam locomotives. I don’t want to disappoint her, so I just throw some pieces over the fence.That’s Christianity in action! The book of Ruth vividly portrays this principle of giving. When Boaz saw Ruth gathering grain behind the reapers in his field, he commanded them to leave some handfuls of grain for her. To her, this was a blessing from the Lord.In the same way, the people whose lives we touch need to experience Gods love through our compassion and generosity. That’s why we should ask God to make us aware of opportunities to show kindness. Henry G. BoschDo a deed of simple kindness;Though its end you may not see,It will reach like widening ripplesDown a long eternity. Anon.CHRISTIANITY, CHARACTERISTICS OFWright BrothersDate: 12/2009.10114 Feb 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 1:15-23 What is the gospel about? Wright BrothersHenry David Thoreau "If a man does not keep pace with his companion perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away."CHRISTIANSNo title19 Sept 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Brick by Brick, Life to Life] Neh 4 Obstacles & OpportunitiesNov 20 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 11? offer the resurrected lifeAugust 27, 2010 8:57 a.m. EDT HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Harvard of Atlanta, Georgia, may be a rarity. She's an American teenager who is passionate about her Christian faith.STORY HIGHLIGHTSMore teenagers embracing watered-down Christianity, author argues in new bookTeenagers see God as "divine therapist," author saysTeenager: "They don't want to make sacrifices"Who's responsible for inspiring teens? Parents and pastors are, author says(CNN) -- If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning:Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.Dean is a minister, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of "Almost Christian," a new book that argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity.She says this "imposter'' faith is one reason teenagers abandon churches. "If this is the God they're seeing in church, they are right to leave us in the dust," Dean says. "Churches don't give them enough to be passionate about."What traits passionate teens shareDean drew her conclusions from what she calls one of the most depressing summers of her life. She interviewed teens about their faith after helping conduct research for a controversial study called the National Study of Youth and Religion.They have a lot to say. They can talk about money, sex and their family relationships with nuance.--Kenda Creasy Dean, author The study, which included in-depth interviews with at least 3,300 American teenagers between 13 and 17, found that most American teens who called themselves Christian were indifferent and inarticulate about their faith.The study included Christians of all stripes -- from Catholics to Protestants of both conservative and liberal denominations. Though three out of four American teenagers claim to be Christian, fewer than half practice their faith, only half deem it important, and most can't talk coherently about their beliefs, the study found.Many teenagers thought that God simply wanted them to feel good and do good -- what the study's researchers called "moralistic therapeutic deism."Some critics told Dean that most teenagers can't talk coherently about any deep subject, but Dean says abundant research shows that's not true."They have a lot to say," Dean says. "They can talk about money, sex and their family relationships with nuance. Most people who work with teenagers know that they are not naturally inarticulate."In " HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Almost Christian," Dean talks to the teens who are articulate about their faith. Most come from Mormon and evangelical churches, which tend to do a better job of instilling religious passion in teens, she says.No matter their background, Dean says committed Christian teens share four traits: They have a personal story about God they can share, a deep connection to a faith community, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope about their future."There are countless studies that show that religious teenagers do better in school, have better relationships with their parents and engage in less high-risk behavior," she says. "They do a lot of things that parents pray for."Dean, a United Methodist Church minister who says parents are the most important influence on their children's faith, places the ultimate blame for teens' religious apathy on adults. Some adults don't expect much from youth pastors. They simply want them to keep their children off drugs and away from premarital sex.Others practice a "gospel of niceness," where faith is simply doing good and not ruffling feathers. The Christian call to take risks, witness and sacrifice for others is muted, she says."If teenagers lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation," wrote Dean, a professor of youth and church culture at Princeton Theological Seminary.More teens may be drifting away from conventional Christianity. But their desire to help others has not diminished, another author says. Barbara A. Lewis, author of "The Teen Guide to Global Action," says Dean is right -- more teens are embracing a nebulous belief in God. Yet there's been an "explosion" in youth service since 1995 that Lewis attributes to more schools emphasizing community service. Teens that are less religious aren't automatically less compassionate, she says. "I see an increase in youth passion to make the world a better place," she says. "I see young people reaching out to solve problems. They're not waiting for adults."What religious teens say about their peersWe think that they want cake, but they actually want steak and potatoes, and we keep giving them cake.--Elizabeth Corrie, Emory University professor RELATED TOPICS HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Christianity HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" TeenagersElizabeth Corrie meets some of these idealistic teens every summer. She has taken on the book's central challenge: instilling religious passion in teens.Corrie, who once taught high school religion, now directs a program called HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" YTI -- the Youth Theological Initiative at Emory University in Georgia.YTI operates like a theological boot camp for teens. At least 36 rising high school juniors and seniors from across the country gather for three weeks of Christian training. They worship together, take pilgrimages to varying religious communities and participate in community projects.Corrie says she sees no shortage of teenagers who want to be inspired and make the world better. But the Christianity some are taught doesn't inspire them "to change anything that's broken in the world."Teens want to be challenged; they want their tough questions taken on, she says."We think that they want cake, but they actually want steak and potatoes, and we keep giving them cake," Corrie says.David Wheaton, an Atlanta high school senior, says many of his peers aren't excited about Christianity because they don't see the payoff."If they can't see benefits immediately, they stay away from it," Wheaton says. "They don't want to make sacrifices."How 'radical' parents instill religious passion in their childrenChurches, not just parents, share some of the blame for teens' religious apathy as well, says Corrie, the Emory professor.She says pastors often preach a safe message that can bring in the largest number of congregants. The result: more people and yawning in the pews."If your church can't survive without a certain number of members pledging, you might not want to preach a message that might make people mad," Corrie says. "We can all agree that we should all be good and that God rewards those who are nice."Corrie, echoing the author of "Almost Christian," says the gospel of niceness can't teach teens how to confront tragedy."It can't bear the weight of deeper questions: Why are my parents getting a divorce? Why did my best friend commit suicide? Why, in this economy, can't I get the good job I was promised if I was a good kid?"What can a parent do then?Get "radical," Dean says.She says parents who perform one act of radical faith in front of their children convey more than a multitude of sermons and mission trips.A parent's radical act of faith could involve something as simple as spending a summer in Bolivia working on an agricultural renewal project or turning down a more lucrative job offer to stay at a struggling church, Dean says.But it's not enough to be radical -- parents must explain "this is how Christians live," she says."If you don't say you're doing it because of your faith, kids are going to say my parents are really nice people," Dean says. "It doesn't register that faith is supposed to make you live differently unless parents help their kids connect the dots."'They called when all the cards stopped'Anne Harvard, an Atlanta teenager, might be considered radical. She's a teen whose faith appears to be on fire.Harvard, who participated in the Emory program, bubbles over with energy when she talks about possibly teaching theology in the future and quotes heavy-duty scholars such as theologian Karl Barth.She's so fired up about her faith that after one question, Harvard goes on a five-minute tear before stopping and chuckling: "Sorry, I just talked a long time."Harvard says her faith has been nurtured by what Dean, the "Almost Christian" author, would call a significant faith community.In 2006, Harvard lost her father to a rare form of cancer. Then she lost one of her best friends -- a young woman in the prime of life -- to cancer as well. Her church and her pastor stepped in, she says."They called when all the cards stopped," she says.When asked how her faith held up after losing her father and friend, Harvard didn't fumble for words like some of the teens in "Almost Christian."She says God spoke the most to her when she felt alone -- as Jesus must have felt on the cross."When Jesus was on the cross crying out, 'My God, why have you forsaken me?' Jesus was part of God,'' she says. "Then God knows what it means to doubt."It's OK to be in a storm, to be in a doubt," she says, "because God was there, too."CHRISTIANSAmateur & Professional ChristiansDate: 10/2008.10126 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." 2 Ti 2:2-6 Power of MultiplicationPersonal – YueeYuee once told me what his father said, "there are two kinds of Christians. Amateurs & Professionals. Amateur Christians love God and serve God only when they feel like it. But professional Christians love and serve God despite of how they feel." CHRISTIANSBarna ResearchDate: 3/2009.101Sermoncentral In a 1995 survey by Barna Research Group, it was discovered that non-Christians have no clue what Christians mean when some they use some of the phrases Christians often take for granted. 63% of non-Christians don’t know what Christians mean when they talk about the Gospel. 75% of non-Christians don’t know what John 3:16 is. Add to the phrases like "a broken heart", "I’ve been convicted", and "get into the Word, which non-Christians would hear quite differently. The problem for unbelievers is they hear the unspoken message from Christians, "If you don’t understand the holy lingo, you don’t belong to the holy huddle." However, 40% of Christians don’t know what the Gospel means, and 53% don’t know John 3:16. CHRISTIANS Changing the WorldDate: 3/2009.10129 Mar 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heart for the Nations] Acts 20:17-38 Set your world alight!Creative Venue: Amazing GraceAllow me to show a clip from the film Amazing grace, where the future prime minister of Britain, William Pitt was meeting with his friend William Wilberforce. At that time, Pitt was planning to become the Prime Minister and he wanted his eloquent friend, Wilberforce to be with him. But Wilberforce felt that God has called him to serve as a pastor and he was contemplating on how he can serve God and make a difference in this world.[Amazing Grace Clip]"Do you want to use your beautiful voice to praise the Lord or to change the world?" My friends, are these options mutually exclusive?I would like to leave you with this speech by Charles Fox, a one time opponent of William Wilberforce. In fact, Fox lost his job as Prime Minister because of Wilberforce. After 20 years of tireless effort on the abolition of the slave trade, Wilberforce finally succeeded. Let's see what Fox says and at the end, let's just close with a few minutes of silent meditation. Then you can leave quietly from the back.[Clip on Amazing grace]CHRISTIANSDescription of cold ChristiansDate: 1/2010.101When God weeps P135 By itself suffering is no good, but when it becomes a thing between God and me, it has meaning. Wedged in the crux - the cross - suffering becomes a transaction. 1 Corinthians 1:18 "The cross is.. the power of God. The cross is the place where power happens between God and us. It is where a relationship is given birth and depth. The cross was first a transaction between God the Father & Christ. But it is also for us all. It is where we die. We go there daily but it isn't easy. Normally, we will follow Christ to a party where he changes water into wine, to a sunlit beach where he preaches from a boat to a breezy hillside where he feeds thousands, even to the temple where he topples the tables of the money changer, but to the cross? We dig in our heels. The Lord does not give a general appeal, but a specific one, personal to you. The transaction exists between the Almighty of the universe and you. We simply cannot bring ourselves to go to the cross. Nothing attracts us to it. Thus we live independently of the cross. Or try to. As time passes, the memory of our desperate state when we first believe fades. The cross was something that happened to us "back then" We forget how hungry for God we once were. We grow self sufficient. We go through the motions - turning the other cheek and going the extra mile - but the effort is just that, an effort. We would hardly admit it, but we know full well how autonomous of God we operate. This is where God steps in.He permits suffering. He allows Peter's blindness. Laura's degenerative disease, Mr. Beach's hunting accident, my paralysis. Suffering reduces us to nothing as Soren Kierkegaard noted, "God creates everything out of nothing. And everything which God is to use, he first reduces us to nothing." To be reduced to nothing is to be dragged to the foot of the cross.A miraculous exchange happens at the cross. When suffering forces us to our knees at the foot of Calvary, we die to self. We cannot kneel there for long without releasing our pride and anger, unclasping our dreams and desires - this is what "coming to the cross" is all about. In exchange, God imparts power and implants new and lasting hope. We rise, renewed. His yoke becomes easy and his burden light. But just when we begin to get a tad self sufficient, suffering presses harder. And we seek the cross again, mortifying the martyr in us, destroying the self-display. The transaction then continues.CHRISTIANSMahatma GandhiDate: 4/2009.10110/11/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of ManHope Again - Chuck Swindoll P188Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian nationalist leader once said, "I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians... They are so unlike your Christ." What a rebuke. But so often his words are true.CHRISTIANSMediaDate: 11/2009.10110/25/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of lifeEarly ChristianityChristianity Today cited a study that looked at the movie viewing habits of "religious" Americans. They found that when it came to watching R-rated films, there isn't much difference between the religious and nonreligious.How would we respond? How did Christians in the past respond to their culture? Look at the early Christians. The Roman theater was borrowed from the Greeks and the favorite dramatic themes were very much like today - crime, adultery, immorality, violence and the likes. Tertullian, an early apologist said, "The father who carefully protects and guards his virgin daughter's ears from every polluting word takes her to the theater himself, exposing her to all its vile language and attitudes. How can it be right to look at things that are wrong?" And of course, there is the all time favorite entertainment - the Gladiators. These brutal fights drove crowds wild with feverish excitement! Lactantius a Roman Christian told his fellow Romans, "He who finds it pleasurable to watch a man being killed pollutes his conscience just as much as though he were an accomplice of a murder committed in secret. Yet they call this "sport!" The crowds are even angry with gladiators if one of the two isn't slain quickly. By steeping themselves in this practice, they have lost their humanity. Therefore it is not fitting that we who strive to stay on the path of righteousness should share in this public homicide. When God forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits the violence that is condemned by public law but he also forbids the violence that is deemed lawful by men!" And I would add, "That includes make-belief violence that men deem as entertainment!" CHRISTIANS ShemaDate: 12/2009.101Confident Parenting P64 Most people in Jesus' day who heard him quote the shema has probably repeated those words themselves a few times a day. Then Jesus did something radical by adding a phrase not in the Shema but found in Leviticus. In Matthew 22 Jesus summarized the Law & the Prophets with two phrases, "love God" & "love your neighbor" This is what Scot McKnight calls the Jesus Creed. When Jesus amended the Shema of Judaism by adding the statement about loving our neighbor, he probably brought the crowd to silence. CHRISTIANSSpiritual Health ChecksDate: 3/2009.101Apr 24 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 24:28-36(Hungry for God's Word) A healthy Christian will not find his strength or determine his weakness in the size of the church he attends. Healthy Christians gain strength to overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil by what is written in Acts 2:42, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." The Christian's first heart check is his devotion to God's Word. Albert Barnes wrote, "One of the evidences of conversion is a desire to be instructed in the doctrines and duties of [Christianity] and a willingness to attend the preaching and teaching of [God's Word]. A healthy Christian is hungry for Holy Spirit inspired teachings and he makes time to be exposed to it." The Christian who is devoted to the teaching of the Word of God goes to church and Bible studies, prayerfully reads his Bible, watches quality Christian programs, listens to Christian music, and takes every opportunity possible to fill his eyes, mind and heart with things of God. There is an eagerness of mind and openness of heart to seek and hear what God's will is for him. He walks into church with anticipation and expectancy that the Lord has something specifically for him. He is not like the church attendee who walks out of church unmoved, critical and unfed because he refuses to eat from the table prepared for him. A Christian who is devoted to the teaching of the Word of God is like the Bereans in Acts 17:11. He "...receives the message with readiness of mind,"(prothumia) meaning to listen attentively and respectfully. He is willing to hear the Word of God, can comprehend it, and has a heart hungry to know God's will for him. A Spiritually healthy Christian takes to heart what was written by wise Solomon, "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong." (Ecclesiastes 5:1) Can those who see your life say? "There goes a man or woman that has high regard for the Word of God." If so then you are a healthy child of God on the right path to eternal life with Jesus Christ.CHRISTIANS, IMPORTANCEWho I am makes a differenceDate: 4/2008.101Youtube A teacher in NY decided to honor each of her seniors in high school. She called them out in front of the class and gave them a blue ribbon and told each one of them the difference they made in her life and why they are special. Then she pinned a blue ribbon on each of them that said, "Who I am makes a difference." She gave each of them 3 more blue ribbons and told them to carry out this assignment."Find one person who has made a difference in your life and give them this blue ribbon. Then give them the other two and tell them to carry on this experiment by looking for someone else who had made difference in their lives. Report back to me next week what happened."One young man in her class took the blue ribbon and gave it to a junior executive in a financial company nearby because he had helped the young plan on his financial planning. The young man thanked this junior executive and gave him the remaining two ribbons. After the young man left, the junior executive thought about whom he should give the blue ribbon too. He decided to go give it to his boss who was known as a grouch. He gave his boss a call and told him that he appreciated his boss' creative genius. His boss was surprised. Then the junior executive said, "Can I place this ribbon on you?" The surprised boss said, "Sure!" Then the young executive gave his boss the next ribbon and told him to find someone he could honor.That day the boss went home and sat with his 14 year old son and told him, "The most amazing thing happened today. One of my subordinates came up to me and told me that he appreciated me for being a creative genius. Then he told me that who I am made a difference. That's surprising. And he told me to give this remaining blue ribbon and told me to continue this ceremony with someone I want to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I thought about you. I want to honor you. My days are hectic and I don't pay enough attention to you. I just yell at you for your grades and messy bedroom. But tonight I just want to tell you how important you are to me. Besides your mother, you are the person most important to me. I love you! You are a great kid." The startled boy just started weeping and his whole body shook uncontrollably. Then he said to his father, "Dad, today I was sitting up in my room writing you a later explaining why I took my own life. I didn't think I mattered at all. I wanted to commit suicide tonight. But I don't think I need it anymore."The father went upstairs and found a letter filled with pain and anguish. The next day, he went back to work a changed man, never a grouch again.You make a difference.CHRISTIANS, VALUES OFKnowing our valuesDate: 6/2006.10128 May 2006 - Pandan Chinese Xi Yang - Luke 5:1-11 ~ Qualities of a Disciple2 Sept 2006 - YOC Camping Luke 5:1-11 ~ The Qualities of a DiscipleOct 2007 Germany Leipzig/Weimar - Luke 5:1-11 - Qualities of a disciplePersonalWhen I was working, I had a boss who loves to talk. So every other day, he would summon me into his office and talk for hours. His favorite topic is to criticize God. He is a RC - retired Catholic. Well, I was afraid to talk back because this man determined my pay, annual bonuses and performance evaluation. But I knew I had to because, if I did not, it would affect my testimony in office, since everyone knew that I was a Christian.Eventually, I realized - that the person against me was my boss, but the person on my side was God. The creator of heavens & earth. So I had to speak up.It is important for us to realize how God values us. When we want to testify for God or share the gospel, we often need to overcome our own fears. However, knowing how God looks at us makes us realize that we have value, we are valuable to God. And that gives us the strength.CHRISTLIKENESSBorn to FlyDate: 6/2006.101DCFC Retreat 2008 (TWU) Juan Eclarin on Spiritual gifts Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P48One day a prairie chicken found an egg and sat on it until it hatched. Unbeknownst to the prairie chicken, the egg was an eagle egg, abandoned for some reason. That's how an eagle came to be born into a family of prairie chickens.While the eagle is the greatest of all birds, soaring above the heights with grace and ease, the prairie chicken doesn't even know how to fly. In fact, prairie chickens are so lowly that they eat garbage.Predictably, the little eagle, being raised in a family of prairie chickens, thought he was a prairie chicken. He walked around, ate garbage and clucked like a prairie chicken.One day he looked up to see a majestic bald eagle soar through the air dipping and turning. When he asked his family what it was, they responded, "It's an eagle. But you could never be like that because you are just a prairie chicken." Then they returned to pecking the garbage.The eagle spent his whole life looking up at eagles, longing to join them among the clouds. It never once occurred to him to lift his wings and try to fly. The eagle died thinking he was just a prairie chicken.ApplicationYou were born to fly. But some of you think and act like prairie chickens because the world keeps telling you that's what you are. God created you "a little lower than the angels" (see Psalms 8 and Hebrews 2:7). Do you ever feel like there's something more to life than what you are experiencing? Look up! Lift your wings and fly! God wants you to be all that you were created to be.The apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:14, "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." In other words, "Stop living like eagles who think they are prairie chickens." You are no longer ignorant. You know who and what you are. You are born again through the living and enduring Word of God. Now live that way. Spread your wings and fly.CHRISTMASAkiane KramarikDate: 11/2007. - Rodney Buchanan (Methodist) God continues to show up in our day, though largely unnoticed by an unbelieving world. When he comes again it will be impossible to ignore him, for every eye will see him (Revelation 1:7). But until then, we need to have eyes that see and ears that hear. There are many examples that I could use, but take this one for a start. Akiane Kramarik is only 12-years-old, but she has abilities far beyond her years. Her mother chose to give birth to her underwater at the family home on July 9, 1994 in Mount Morris, Illinois. The family now lives in Idaho. Akiane speaks four languages, writes poetry, plays piano and composes her own music, and most of all she paints. Her paintings have deep expression and magnificent, living colors. She explains that she had a spiritual encounter with God at the ripe old age of four, and that now her paintings are attempts to help people experience God through her eyes. She claims to have actually visited heaven and gives vivid expression to what she saw there. She wants to put on canvas what she has seen in her visions and dreams. She says, "I want my art to draw people's attention to God. I want my poetry to keep people's attention to God.? Her desire is that people find hope in her paintings. The picture of Jesus here is entitled, "Father forgiven them," and was painted when she was 9. The next one is called "The Journey" also painted when she was 9. This painting is called "Slanted Eyes, “and the one next to it is called "Prince of Peace." Both were painted when she was only 8. Her web site defines her goal as: To be an inspiration for others and to be the gift to God. That's very profound for a 12-year-old - to be the gift of God.But the interesting part of the story is that Akiane did not come from a Christian home. Her American father is a culinary art instructor and chef, and her stay-at-home, Lithuanian mother was an atheist. There was no teaching in the home about the Christian faith, they never went to church and there was no talk of God. The entire family has now converted to Christianity, but home was not the place where she received any spiritual training. She has appeared on many TV shows, and been featured in several magazines. How did God break through to a 4-year-old girl in an atheistic home? I have absolutely no idea. Why did he do it? Well, he gave this girl a vision and a mission. But beyond that, this is just what God does. He chooses unusual people in unexpected places. Jesus was not born in the Temple, he was born in a stable. His father was not a priest, he was a peasant. His mother was not wealthy, they lived in poverty. They did not live in Jerusalem, they lived in Nazareth. No one really knew about Jesus’ birth and very few cared anything about it. But God was changing the world, and only a handful of people were in on the secret, and even they did not understand the full impact of what was happening. CHRISTMASChristmasDate: 3/1998.1105The Muslim calendar is dated from the Hegira, when Mohammed fled to Medina to escape persecution. Our calendar is also dated from a journey, but it was not a journey to flee persecution. Christ willingly made the journey from Heaven to earth, and when his time had come, willingly went to the cross to die at the hands of his enemies. -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-14; Galatians 4:4 CHRISTMASChristmas changing the worldDate: 11/2007. - Stephen Colaw How does Christmas change your world? Think about that for just a minute. How does Christmas change your world? How will your world be different on December 26th, January 18th, February 12th or March 23rd because of Christmas? Will you be happier? Will you have more peace in your life? Will you be a better person? Or will you simply have more things and owe more money and have to work more hours to help eliminate the additional strain that debt puts on your budget?If we are completely honest, Christmas doesn't really change our world all that much. Even for those of us believe in Jesus Christ as God's Son and the Savior of the world, Christmas doesn't change our lives that much. Largely, we celebrate Christmas as a great American holiday. Snow, Santa, holly and mistletoe, family and friends gathered around the fireplace remembering what Christmas was like when we were kids. The shopping, the parties, and all of the busy activities that we cram into the season are a part of how Christmas goes. But when everything is said and done, the only real change Christmas brings to our world is that it makes us a little bit poorer and a lot more tired; and all of this for an event that God never called us to commemorate.We are never once asked to remember the birth of Christ. Our celebration of Christmas is a purely human endeavor. He commanded us to remember his death, which we do through the act of communion, but he never asked us to celebrate his birth. That's our thing. It's not a bad thing, in fact it can be quite good, but does it change our lives?The purpose of Christmas, the birth of Christ, was to bring a change to our world. I don't mean just the world in general, but I mean he came to bring a change to each and ever one of our personal worlds. Where we carry out life on a day to day basis, our job, our relationships, our families, our spirituality, all should be radically transformed by Christmas. Not transformed by our celebration of Christmas, but transformed by Christmas itself. How does Christmas change my world?CHRISTMASChristmas LinebackerDate: 12/2008.101Media - Taking Christ out of ChristmasCHRISTMASChristmas themeDate: 11/2007.101Stonebrier - Chuck Swindoll "Mary had a little Lamb"CHRISTMASFirst Radio MessageDate: 12/2007.101Sermon Central The first ever vocal radio broadcast on December 24, 1906- Consisted of a reading from Luke chapter two.- A Canadian engineer and inventor, Reginald Fessenden - 1866-1932- The eldest son of an Anglican minister growing up near Niagara FallsOn Christmas Eve, 1906, from his workshop in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Fessenden sent the Morse message "CQ....CQ", alerting all ships at sea to expect an important transmission. When the telegraphers had assembled in their shipboard radio shacks, they heard the unimaginable: The sound of the human voice! . Fessenden, at this moment spoke for the first ever a vocal radio broadcast. He read from Luke 2 including, "Glory to God in the highest -and on earth peace to men of good will," then played the song O Holy Night on the violin.Those who were listening that night were no less stunned than if a tree had talked to them. Earphones that had only ever carried Morse code were communicating the full range of soundView the SermonCHRISTMASLonely BirthdayDate: 12/2007.101Sermon Central Illustration ?e-mail letter I receivedAs you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer. It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but now in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't seem to know the meaning of the celebration.I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates.The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside. They closed the door in my face......... and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth though, that didn't really surprise me that much because in the last few years it seems all are closing their doors to me.Since I was not invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise.I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a great time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, shouting: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus"... as if the party were in his honor!At 12 midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and.... do you know.... no one hugged me.Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me.What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties but nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all you heart.I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'll still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be let into the party. Those who don't answer the invitation, will be left outside.Do you know how you can answer this invitation? It is by extending it to others whom you care for...I'll be waiting for all of you to attend my party this year...See you soon.... I love you!-Jesus-CHRISTMASMerry Christmas In AdvanceDate: 11/2007.101The church was crowded. The minister said he was very glad to see so many out to the Easter services, and as many of you will not be here again until next Easter, I want to take this occasion to wish you a Merry Christmas. Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).CHRISTMASMichigan AveDate: 12/2007.1019 Dec 2007 - DCFC English - Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane Story 9 Dec 2007 - DCFC Mandarin (both) Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane StoryPersonal - Trip to Chicago Catherine's Wedding 2007There were bright neon lights everywhere, flashing billboards, red & green Christmas lights blinking down the entire street, even the trees were lit up. The sounds of Christmas jingles were mixed with the blare of car horns from the traffic on the street. You could feel the festive season in the air. My wife and I were wrapped up like dumplings walking through the icy cold street of Chicago, down Michigan Avenue, also known as the Golden Mile of Chicago. You could see a mist coming out with every breathe we took, as we strolled down the street, trying to take in the sights. We had driven around for an hour in the down town of Chicago just to find a parking spot. I would have given up after 5 minutes, but my friend who brought us around was a determined person. I did not know how determined until, after an hour, we were still circling the block. He said, "The Christmas lights on Michigan Avenue are the best, you need to walk down the street and enjoy the sights." We said, "Can't we just drive down the street? I mean we have already driven up and down this street quite a few times and I have seen everything." "No! It's different." So we did. We found a parking spot and then walked down the street. And because we had spent an hour searching for a parking space, we decided that we must at least walk for an hour to make the wait worth it! It was so cold about 35-38 F, and we went "wooyrrugh! Cold! Oh that's nice! Hmm! Blinking lights, wow! Wooorrygh! Cold! Hmm! Oh look at that!" I was just amazed at the amount of "Christmas" activities. Everywhere you turn it was sale, sale, sale. You have Santa Claus, Rudolph, Christmas elves and all kinds of Christmas stuff and it was not even Thanksgiving yet! And yet, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, there is little mention about Christ - the Christ of Christmas. The reason for celebration!CHRISTMASThe True meaning of the Candy CaneDate: 8/2007.1019 Dec 2007 - DCFC English - Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane Story 9 Dec 2007 - DCFC Mandarin (both) Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane StoryIntense Illustrations - Jim Burns & Mike Devries P118Many years ago as the Christmas season approached, a humble candy maker living in a small town in the state of Indiana wanted to create something with his own hands that would be symbolic of the true meaning of Christmas. Although his creation had become known throughout the world simply as a candy cane. It actually offers an often needed reminder of the birth, ministry, death of Jesus Christ! This is that story as told through a simple piece of candy:As a believer, the candy maker began with pure hard, white candy - 'white' to symbolize the virgin birth and the sinless nature of Jesus and 'hard' to represent Christ as the solid rock, the foundation of the Church and the firmness of the promises of God.The candy maker then shaped the candy into the form of a J, representing both the precious name of Jesus and also His staff as the Good Shepherd who reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out His fallen lambs, bringing them into eternal salvation. The candy maker then stained the candy with red stripes to represent the scourging Jesus received and the blood he shed on the cross as redemption for each who will believe in Him and accept Him as Lord.His final act was to make his creation and all that it stood for available to everyone - to partake and to experience its sweetness. Thus the candy maker hung the candy abundantly on the Christmas tree in his shop, around the window and the door frame, offering it free to anyone who would enter the shop and ask.Unfortunately as with many other things now associated with the commercialism of Christmas, the candy cane has become to most of the world just an inexpensive decoration for trees and fireplaces. But like a parable for those who have ears to hear, it's real message is the birth and life and ministry of Jesus Christ for whom this holiday is celebrated. From this day forward, may every candy cane you see remind you of this story. may it also provide you with the opportunity to use this little piece of sweetness to share with at least one friend, relative, classmate or co-worker the true meaning of Christmas and the good news of Jesus Christ!CHRISTMASWright Brothers' HometownDate: 11/2007.101/h9 Dec 2007 - DCFC English - Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane Story /h /h9 Dec 2007 - DCFC Mandarin (both) Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane StoryOrville and Wilbur Wright had tried repeatedly to fly a heavier-than-air craft. Finally one December day, off the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they did what man had never done before. They actually flew! Elated, they wired their sister Katherine, ?We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.?Hastily she ran down the street, shoved the telegram, the news scoop of the century, at the city editor of the local paper. He read it carefully and smiled, ?Well, well! How nice the boys will be home for Christmas!?Maxwell DrokePaul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk NC. On their 5th attempt, the plane under the control of Orville, embarked on a 12 second flight.Wilbur rushed to the local telegraph office and sent the following message ?WE HAVE FLOWN FOR 12 SECONDS - WE WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!Upon receiving the telegram their sister, Katherine went to the newspaper office, told the editor of her brother new flying machine, and informed him, they would be home for Christmas, if he would like to set up an interview.He told her that was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding the boys.On December 19th, the local paper placed the following headline on the 6th page of the paper: “WRIGHT BROTHERS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS” The most important story of the year, man’s first flight, and the editor missed it!I wonder if the same could be said about us when it comes to Christmas. Look all around us! The trees are decoratedThe music is festiveThe Season is Right It is Christmas, and there are only 14 shopping day’s left!In all of our rushing around, in all of our gift buying, in all the things we have to do during this season ?HAVE WE MISSED THE IDEA ?Jesus has come to earth!CHRISTMAS, BUSYNESSShoot HimDate: 12/2007.101Sermon central I heard a story of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year - Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, make sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card. Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up, and shot." From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry, we already crucified him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.CHRISTMAS, DATE OFDate of ChristmasDate: 12/2007.101As a theologian said in 320, "We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it."CHRISTMAS, MEANING OFBon Fire of ChristmasDate: 12/2007.101Sermon Central History records for us an interesting footnote. It was during the dark winter of 1864. At Petersburg, Virginia, the Confederate army of Robert E. Lee faced the Union divisions of General Ulysses S. Grant. The war was now three and a half years old and the glorious charge had long since given way to the muck and mud of trench warfare. Late one evening one of Lee's generals, Major General George Pickett, received word that his wife had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Up and down the line the Southerners began building huge bonfires in celebration of the event. These fires did not go unnoticed in the Northern camps and soon a nervous Grant sent out a reconnaissance patrol to see what was going on. The scouts returned with the message that Pickett had had a son and these were celebratory fires. It so happened that Grant and Pickett had been contemporaries at West Point and knew one another well, so to honor the occasion Grant, too, ordered that bonfires should be built.What a peculiar night it was. For miles on both sides of the lines fires burned. No shots fired. No yelling back and forth. No war fought. Only light, celebrating the birth of a child. But it didn't last forever. Soon the fires burned down and once again the darkness took over. The darkness of the night and the darkness of war.The good news of Christmas is that in the midst of a great darkness there came a light, and the darkness was not able to overcome the light. It was not just a temporary flicker. It was an eternal flame. We need to remember that. There are times, in the events of the world and in the events of our own personal lives, that we feel that the light of the world will be snuffed out. But the Christmas story affirms that whatever happens, the light still shines.CHRISTMAS, MEANING OFLittle MishaDate: 12/2007.1019 Dec 2007 - DCFC English - Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane Story 9 Dec 2007 - DCFC Mandarin (both) Ps 96 - Tell the Candy Cane StoryIn 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room at the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger.Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city.Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously.For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately -- until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift.So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift? “And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.?So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always."As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him FOR ALWAYS.CHRISTMAS, SECULARIZTIONSeculariztion of ChristmasDate: 12/2007.101John Gibson, a popular anchor for the Fox News Channel, has been digging up evidence about activists, lawyers, politicians, educators, and media people who are leading the war on Christmas. And he reveals that the situation is isn't just hype. For instance: In Illinois, state government workers were forbidden from saying the words Merry Christmas while at workIn Rhode Island, local officials banned Christians from participating in a public project to decorate the lawn of City HallA New Jersey school banned even instrumental versions of traditional Christmas carolsArizona school officials ruled it unconstitutional for a student to make any reference to the religious history of Christmas in a class projectMillions of Americans are starting to fight back against the secularist forces and against local officials who would rather surrender than be seen as politically incorrect. Gibson shows readers how they can help save Christmas from being twisted beyond recognition, with even the slightest reference to Jesus completely disappearing.Now, honestly, I don't care if someone says Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. I don't look to retailers or the general culture to validate the meaning of the season for me. What does concern me is the attempt to rewrite history to rob Jesus of the enormously positive influence He has had on the world over the past two thousand years.CHURCHBarna ResearchDate: 3/2009.101Sermoncentral In a 1995 survey by Barna Research Group, it was discovered that non-Christians have no clue what Christians mean when some they use some of the phrases Christians often take for granted. 63% of non-Christians don’t know what Christians mean when they talk about the Gospel. 75% of non-Christians don’t know what John 3:16 is. Add to the phrases like "a broken heart", "I’ve been convicted", and "get into the Word, which non-Christians would hear quite differently. The problem for unbelievers is they hear the unspoken message from Christians, "If you don’t understand the holy lingo, you don’t belong to the holy huddle." However, 40% of Christians don’t know what the Gospel means, and 53% don’t know John 3:16. CHURCHBe the ChurchDate: 3/2009.101 "Be the church" - be the hands and feet and mouth...power of one, being able to make a difference as a churchCHURCHChurchDate: 11/2008.101Humor / joke Pastor: Mrs. Smith, I really appreciate your devotion. You are present at all services.Mrs. Smith: Yes, it is such a relief after a long hard week of work. I just love to come to church, sit down on the soft cushions and not think about anything for an hour.CHURCHChurchDate: 11/2008.101Humor / joke An usher went up to a man with his hat on in church and asked him to remove it. "Thank goodness," said the man. "I thought that would do it. I have attended this church for months and you are the first person who has spoken to me."CHURCHChurch & CultureDate: 6/2008.101Personal - German Trip Church affected by culture. Chinese go to Germany, cohabit. Even after they become Christians, still take time to change. Need to counsel them to get married. The church cannot live apart from the culture. We are called to be out of this world, but God did not bring us out of it. So the church needs to be aware of what is cultural and what is biblical and make the right decision.CHURCHChurch & DemocracyDear Colson Center Friend,Christianity has been making headlines in the media lately, but often not in a way we'd like.As we approach a critical election year in 2012, some in the press continue to fixate on the faith of Christian political candidates. They throw out words like "theocrats" and "dominionists" with dark hints that Christian politicians desire to "impose" their religion on an unwilling populace.But friends, we teach here at The Colson Center that Christians aren't seeking to "impose" anything on anyone.?As a supporter of our movement, I'm sure you agree. What we?do?is "PROPOSE"—propose a way of life that benefits the common good and promotes human dignity.Remember, Western liberal democracy (which gives the media the freedom to bite the hand that feeds it) arose from Christian roots.It was in the monasteries of Christian Europe during the Middle Ages where we begin to find democracy for all—noble and peasant alike. Capitalism, guided by Augustine's writings, took root in the northern Italian states. In fact, the moral standards that Christianity engendered in Western culture were crucial for the development of democracy:?People must be able to govern themselves and practice self-restraint before they can rule themselves via elected government. I talk about this at length in my book,?The Faith, which I'd like to send you as a thank you for becoming a Charter Member of The Colson Center.Even beyond modern liberal democracy, think for just a moment about how Christianity made Western culture the most humane culture in history: schools for all, charities, hospitals, the great universities?.?.?.?these are all fruits of Christian culture in the West. The belief in the sanctity of life made Christians defenders of each individual's dignity.We believe men and women are sovereign creatures made in God's image.Because we bear His image and were granted free will by God Himself, we enjoy freedom as a right—it's in our nature. (That's also, by the way, why the Church has always defended the right of private property—another hallmark of the West.)So, the next time a friend or acquaintance blithely comments that Christians seek to "impose" their religion on others, gently remind him or her that we seek no such thing. We will continue as our forbearers did, PROPOSING that which benefits the common good and promotes human dignity.?Western civilization has been shaped by this proposal and every American who enjoys the blessings of freedom—believer and non-believer alike—benefits from it.CHURCHAmerica Return to God – Francis SchaefferJuly 10 2011 DCFC English Worship – [Carpe Diem: Live, Laugh & Love] Eccl 8:1-15 What is the connection between faith & politics? Vernon McLellanToday the separation of church and state in America is sued to silence the church. When Christians speak out on issues, the hue and cry from the humanist state and media is that Christians and all religions are prohibited from speaking since there is a separation of church and state. The concept used today is totally reversed from the original intent. This would have amazed the Founding Fathers. The French Revolution that took place shortly after the founding of the USA, with its excesses and final failure leading to Napoleon and an authoritative rule, only emphasized the difference between the base upon which the US was founded and that of the French Revolution. As a matter of historical fact, the Founding Fathers believed that the public interest was served by the promotion of religion. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which set aside federal property in the territory says, “Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind.In 1811, the NY State court upheld an indictment for blasphemous utterances against Christ and its ruling given by Chief Justice Kent, the court said, “We are Christian people and the morality of the country is deeply engrafted upon Christianity.”The establishment of Protestant Christianity was one not only of law but far more importantly of culture. It supplied the nation with its system of values until around 1920. As Terry Eastland said concerning John Adams, “Most people agreed that our law was rooted, as John Adams had said, in a common moral and religious tradition that stretched back to the time Moses went up to Mt Sinai. Similarly almost everyone agreed that our liberties were God-given and should be exercised responsibly. There is a distinction between liberty and license.?Vernon McLellanOur forefathers came to this country to carve from the wilderness the greatest nation in the world. With a gun in one hand and the Bible in the other, they stood against insurmountable odds. And they passed the greatest amount of freedom and the highest standard of living of any nation. For too long, Christians were told that their place was in those hallowed halls of the nation’s churches. The separation of church and state philosophy was heralded so loudly that we were made to believer that we had absolutely no say at all in the legislative decisions and government programs – that our mission to this world was purely a spiritual matter.Former Congressman & Arizona State Senator John Colan, “Separation of church and state is a false issue. It is a slogan created by the secular humanist which sounds legal but in fact is a sham. It does not appear anywhere in the constitution and it is not a concept of that our Founding Fathers believed. The Constitution was written with godly influence of the government was a given.” Humanists love to tell us, “You cannot legislate morality.” It is illogical because every law – air pollution, murder, taxes, every single one of them legislate morality. The question is not whether we legislate morality, but whose we legislate.CHURCHNo titleOne of the most striking Internet success stories in recent years is Zappos, the $1+ billion e-commerce business which was bought last year by Amazon.But, as is often the case, the Zappos empire was not created overnight.? Ten years ago, the online retailer known for selling shoes was actually desperate for sales.? It wasn’t until a young Tony Hsieh came aboard in 1999 -- as a business consultant and investor -- did that all begin to change.Hsieh’s unorthodox approach to company culture turned Zappos not only into a very lucrative business, but one beloved by customers and employees alike.? He was named CEO in 2000 and attributes Zappos’ success to sticking by the company’s core values, which were designed to make employees happy.“Our number one priority at Zappos is company culture. Our belief is that if we get the culture right most of the other stuff like delivering great customer service or building a long-term enduring brand for the company will happen naturally on its own,” says Hsieh who is also the author of a new book “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose.”Hsieh, 36, has stayed CEO of Zappos, despite making a salary that one would normally associate with an entry-level customer-service rep--$36,000 a year. Hsieh has been so successful as an entrepreneur that money no longer motivates him. What does, he says, is continuing to develop the company and culture that the Zappos team built over the past decade. And, so far, Amazon has allowed him to do that.? He must be on to something:? Fortune magazine named Zappos #15 on its annual ranking of “Best Companies to Work For” at the beginning of the year.Born for businessHsieh, a first-generation Taiwanese-American, was only in his mid-20s when he joined the Zappos team.? He may have been fresh out of college, but he certainly was no stranger to creating and cultivating multi-million dollar businesses.From a very young age, he had the entrepreneurial instinct. At just nine years old, he had started his very first business – a worm farm.? A few years later came his mail-order make-your-own button company.? Then while studying computer science at Harvard he started making his peers what every college student demanded more than anything: pizza. His first “real” companyShortly after college in 1996 at the age of 24, Hsieh co-founded LinkExchange a website development business from the comfort of his own basement. Two years later Microsoft paid him $265 million – yes, nine figures – for his creation.Of course Hsieh needed another challenge and to feed his insatiable entrepreneurial appetite.? That challenge would be Zappos.? His goal was to make the company – at the time fighting for financial stability - the largest online shoe retailer. Zappos named him CEO and he did what he set out to do. Hsieh grew the company that had nearly non-existent sales when he started, to over $1 billion in sales today.? His guiding principle:? Happiness.? When you enjoy what you do and where you work, great things will happen.“We have 10 core values at Zappos. We try to do is hire people whose personal values match their corporate values,” says Hsieh while also stressing the importance not hiding or holding back who you are outside of the office. “It is about being yourself in the office because we found that when true friendships are formed, that is when creativity really blossoms (in our employees) and great ideas come out, which is what has driven our growth.”The company will not hire anyone who does fit within their corporate culture.“One our values is to be humble, and that is the one that trips us up most during the hiring process. There are a lot of smart people out there that are also egotistical and for us it is not a question, we just won’t hire them,” says Hsieh.In the same vein, the company will fire employees who do not live up to those standards.Often, when growing companies are acquired by much-larger ones, such cultures are destroyed, as the acquirer seeks to wring out the "synergies" used by financial folks to justify the acquisition.But that's not so in this case, Hsieh says.Before Amazon and Zappos agreed to their deal, Amazon signed a document saying it would let Zappos continue to do its own thing. And Hsieh says Amazon has honored that commitment.Basically, the only thing that has changed, Hsieh says, is that Zappos has swapped its old board of directors for a new one--at Amazon. Zappos still runs its own show, and that has enabled it to maintain the culture that it so carefully cultivated in its years as an independent company.CHURCHAmerica, Return to God – Jim Nelson BlackJuly 10 2011 DCFC English Worship – [Carpe Diem: Live, Laugh & Love] Eccl 8:1-15 What is the connection between faith & politics?One of the gurus who provoked the mischief of the sixties was a German born philosopher and Berkeley professor named Herbert Marcuse. He wrote voluminously and laid out an agenda for undermining the capitalist system of the West. Marcuse proposed a radical environmentalism. He encouraged and an all out assault on Judeo-Christian morality. He saw the value of homosexuality and lesbianism in shocking and shaking the culture and he was critical of the nuclear family. An avowed Marxist, his purpose was the utter defeat of capitalism. “If the New Left emphasizes the struggle for the restoration of nature, if it demands a new sexual morality, the liberation of women, then it fights against material conditions imposed by the capitalist system.” He added that Art and fashion are ideal tools of the evolution.” He called for an assault on the English language and the use of profanity and obscenity to desecrate the everyday speech. The use of sexualized curse words are especially important, he said: “It turns easily against sexuality itself” and is a debasement of human intimacy. Slang, violent, loud vulgar rock music were useful tools in undermining the culture. Sadly, by the time he died in 1979, all these invasions were well under way.There is no more ominous threat to our future as a nation than the campaign for homosexuality being waged today in the popular media. The same perversions that brought ancient societies to ruin and that have been an anathema to every civilization known to man for more than 5000 years, are now paraded in the public eye and almost universally defended as inalienable rights. 45% of adults in the country believer homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle and thanks to relentless programming in schools, 85% of high school seniors say homosexuality is acceptable. Likewise, 86% say that homosexuality is determined at birth. Throughout Scripture, God’s judgment on sexual perversion is made strikingly clear. Yet the secular world has chosen sodomy over sanity.Dr Alfred Kinsey whose studies on sexual behaviors shocked the nation, and changed attitudes and behaviors of Americans dramatically, claimed to reveal what was really going on in America’s bedroom. In Sexual Behavior and the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior and the Human Female (1953) he claimed that 95% of American males engaged in some of form of not just promiscuous but criminal sexual behavior. He claimed that women were much more sexually active than anyone realized and that was a good thing. His book sold more than 200,000 copies within the first two months. However, in a brilliant expose, Dr Judith Reisman uncovered a fraud that Kinsey’s report was based on surveys conducted in prisons, including some 1,400 sex offenders. It was shockingly dishonest and statistically invalid. Yet the media soaked it up. This corruption continues to permeate today through internet pornography today. In 1973, Americans spent about $10 million on pornography, by 1987 it was $8 billion and by 2001 it exceeded $14 billion a year. Teenage pregnancy and violence against women rose 525% since 1960. This country has the highest number of reported rapes in the world. It is no accident that the states which recorded the highest volume of sales of adult and sexually explicit materials also have the greatest number of rape cases. In the culture, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually molested before their 18th birthdays. In 1973 some 167,000 cases of child abuse were reported in America, by 1990 it exceeded 2 million. In addition 50% of all American households are run by single parent. In 1960, just 5% of all births in the country were to unmarried women, by 2000, 33% of all births and 70% of African American births were to unmarried women. Out of wedlock childbirth is not just the leading cause of single parenthood, it is the number one cause of poverty among women.The greatest on-going tragedy of this generation is the crisis of abortion in America. Since 1972 there have been over 41 million abortions. That is more than 1,350,000 abortions a year in America. That horror that has been unleashed on America n the name of “a woman’s right to choose” is nothing less than the American Holocaust. IN Germany, the Nazis killed more than six million Jews, Poles, Christians and other undesirables. In America 41 million innocent children have been slaughtered. The famous Roe vs. Wade decision that on the woman’s right to abort was handed down in 1973. It helps to understand the context of it. Having just passed through the sixties and the moral values, traditions, and laws that had governed Western civilization for 2000 years, had been jettisoned in barely one decade. It was in this moral vacuum that the Court decided to act to provide a solution to the problem created by this new immorality. D. James Kennedy said, “The sin which was engendered in the sexual revolution was to be covered up by the abortion revolution. Today those aborted babies would be graduating from high school choosing colleges. If you watch a graduation ceremony, you should know that every fourth place should have been occupied by a cap and a gown that was empty, for the child was not there.”?CHURCHAmerica, Return to God – Vernon McLellanJuly 10 2011 DCFC English Worship – [Carpe Diem: Live, Laugh & Love] Eccl 8:1-15 What is the connection between faith & politics?Feb 26 2012 DCFC English [Dan 7 – Triumph of the Messiah] Feb 26 2012 DCFC Chinese [Dan 7 – Triumph of the Messiah]?I remember hearing one university history professor who reported, “The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been around 200 years. These nations progressed through this sequence:From bondage to spiritual faith;From spiritual faith to courage;From great courage to liberty;From liberty to abundance;From abundance to selfishness;From selfishness to complacency;From complacency to apathy;CHURCHCS Lewis & ChurchDate: 4/2009.101What so Amazing about Grace - Philip Yancey P45 During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until CS Lewis wandered into the room. "What is the rumpus about?" he asked and heard the reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. He responded, "Oh, that's easy. It's grace."CHURCHAmerica Return to God - Vernon McLellanFeb 26 2012 DCFC English [Dan 7 – Triumph of the Messiah] Feb 26 2012 DCFC Chinese [Dan 7 – Triumph of the Messiah]Oswald Spencer who wrote The Decline of the West said, “You are dying. I see in you all the characteristic stigmas of decay. I can prove that your great wealth, and your great poverty, your capitalism and your socialism, your wars and your revolutions, your atheism and your pessimism and your cynicism, your immorality, your broken down marriages, your birth control, that is bleeding you from the bottom and killing you from the top in your brains, can prove to you that these a characteristic marks of dying ages of ancient States – Alexandria and Greece and neurotic Rome.CHURCHLife is Mostly Edges - Calvin MillerNeedless to say, we children didn't want to go to those churches that brought us baskets. The last place you want to go worship? is the place where people need you to be poor so they themselves can feel rich in the dispensation of their charity. There is something grandiose about giving a beggar a dime, but there is nothing grandiose in receiving it. Beggar don't ask for money so they can think well?of themselves, but because feeling bad about themselves is usually less painful than starvation.I think it was in this spirit that Mama received gifts?from the church. She knew church members usually gave two ways. To their own well heeled members, they bake casseroles and dropped them off at elegant addresses?with a sprig of parsley and a Hall mark card. But to the poor, they dropped off a basket and a can opener.?Of course, Mama never refused their baskets, for the shame of it was less than the joy she derived out of being sure her little ones were fed.There was one other difference in how church members gave food to their own peers. They never asked if they'd been born again when they dropped off a casserole. But it was mandatory that they win as many of us poor people as they could. They could have said they were giving a cup of cold water in Jesus' name. But it was demeaning to have to confess Christ every time they dropped off a basket.CHURCHJumping without ParachutesDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #30 Tim Bowden, in his book One Crowded Hour about cameraman Neil Davis, tells about an incident that happened in Borneo during the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia in 1964.A group of Gurkhas from Nepal were asked if they would be willing to jump from transport planes into combat against the Indonesians if the need arose. The Gurkhas had the right to turn down the request because they had never been trained as paratroopers. Bowden quotes Davis's account of the story:Now the Gurkhas usually agreed to anything but on this occasion they provisionally rejected the plan. But the next day one of their NCOs sought out the British officer who made the request and said they had discussed the matter further and would be prepared to jump under certain conditions."What are they?" asked the British Officer.The Gurkas told him they would jump if the land was marshy and reasonably soft with no rocky outcrops because they were inexperienced in falling. The British officer considered this and said that the dropping area would almost certainly be over jungle and there would not be rocky outcrops so that seemed all right. Was there anything else?"Yes," said the Gurkhas. They wanted the plane to fly as slowly as possible and no more than 100 hundred feet high. The British Officer pointed out the planes always did fly as slowly as possible when dropping troops but to jump from 100 feet was impossible because the parachutes would not open in time from that height."Oh," said the Gurkhas, "that's all right then. We'll jump with parachutes anywhere. You didn't mention parachutes before!"Any church could use such Gurkhas-like commitment and courage.CHURCHChurch - Loneliness in ChurchPassport Through Darkness – Kimberly L SmithWe found no comfort in church. Most churches we visited focused on salvation, forgiveness, Bible studies and doing good works – almost exclusively programmatic things taking place within their four walls. We could find none that taught about the reality of extreme poverty, how vulnerable those conditions made women and children to trafficking, or about a biblical response required from the church. I tried to tell myself not to be angry or sad. After all, until I was faced with Carlos a few years ago, I didn’t know about trafficking either. My self talk didn’t help much; I still couldn’t understand how – once they knew, so many could turn away. At one time, going to church provided a deep sense of joy and comfort. Now, I felt more alone in the center of a beautiful worship service with glorious music rocking the rafters than I did as the only white woman in the middle of the Sahara Desert surrounded by a mob of hungry, thirsty, smelly, sick and dying people.CHURCHMe ReligionMore Americans tailoring religion to fit their needsBy Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY 9/13/2011If World War II-era warbler Kate Smith sang today, her anthem could be Gods Bless America.By Eric Gay, APPeople take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.EnlargeBy Eric Gay, APPeople take part in a National Day of Prayer gathering in San Antonio in May. Polls show that in 1991, 24% of U.S. adults hadn't been to church in the past six months; today, it's 37%.That's one of the key findings in newly released research that reveals America's drift from clearly defined religious denominations to faiths cut to fit personal preferences.The folks who make up God as they go are side-by-side with self-proclaimed believers who claim the Christian label but shed their ties to traditional beliefs and practices. Religion statistics expert George Barna says, with a wry hint of exaggeration, America is headed for "310 million people with 310 million religions.""We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education," he says. Now it's our religion.Barna's new book on U.S. Christians, Futurecast, tracks changes from 1991 to 2011, in annual national surveys of 1,000 to 1,600 U.S. adults. All the major trend lines of religious belief and behavior he measured ran downward — except two.Religious beliefs, practices shiftIn a typical week, U.S. adults who say they:Source: Barna Group OmnPollsMore people claim they have accepted Jesus as their savior and expect to go to heaven.And more say they haven't been to church in the past six months except for special occasions such as weddings or funerals. In 1991, 24% were "unchurched." Today, it's 37% .Barna blames pastors for those oddly contradictory findings. Everyone hears, "Jesus is the answer. Embrace him. Say this little Sinners Prayer and keep coming back. It doesn't work. People end up bored, burned out and empty," he says. "They look at church and wonder, 'Jesus died for this?'" The consequence, Barna says, is that, for every subgroup of religion, race, gender, age and region of the country, the important markers of religious connection are fracturing.When he measures people by their belief in seven essential doctrines, defined by the National Association of Evangelicals' Statement of Faith, only 7% of those surveyed qualified.Barna laments, "People say, 'I believe in God. I believe the Bible is a good book. And then I believe whatever I want.'"LifeWay Research reinforces those findings: A new survey of 900 U.S. Protestant pastors finds 62% predict the importance of being identified with a denomination will diminish over the next 10 years.Exactly, says Carol Christoffel of Zion, Ill. She drifted through a few mainline Protestant denominations in her youth, found a home in the peace and unity message of the Baha'i tradition for several years, and then was drawn deeply into Native American traditional healing practices.Yet, she also still calls herself Christian."I'm a kind of bridge person between cultures. I agree with the teachings of Jesus and … I know many Christians like me who keep the Bible's social teachings and who care for the earth and for each other," Christoffel says. "I support people who do good wherever they are."And it's not only Christians sampling hopscotch spirituality. The Jewish magazine Moment has an "Ask the Rabbis" feature that consults 14 variations of Judaism, "and there are many," says editor and publisher Nadine Epstein."The September edition of Moment asks 'Can there be Judaism without God?' And most say yes. It's incredibly exciting. We live in an era where you pick and choose the part of the religion that makes sense to you. And you can connect through culture and history in a meaningful way without necessarily religiously practicing," Epstein says.Sociologist Robert Bellah first saw this phenomenon emerging in the 1980s. In a book he co-authored, Habits of the Heart, he introduces Sheila, a woman who represents this.Sheila says: "I can't remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It's Sheilaism. Just my own little voice. … It's just try to love yourself and be gentle with yourself. You know, I guess, take care of each other. I think God would want us to take care of each other."Bellah, now professor emeritus at University of California-Berkeley, says, "Sheila was a jolt to some at the time. But to a lot of people, it wasn't a jolt at all, they had been living that way for a while. Don't romanticize the past. Fervent religiosity was always in the minority. Just because people showed up in church didn't always mean a deep personal conviction or commitment."Bellah sees two sides to the one-person-one-religion trend. On the positive: It's harder to hold on to prejudices against groups — by religion or race or gender or sexuality — if everyone wants to be seen individually."The bad news is you lose the capacity to make connections. Everyone is pretty much on their own," he says. And all this rampant individualism also fosters "hostility toward organized groups — government, industry, even organized religion."Today, even the godless disagree on how not to believe, says Rusty Steil of Denver.He grew up Lutheran and retained his parents' "strong moral code," but, he says, he couldn't stick with "ancient myths of people trying to make sense of the world.""I don't find much comfort in imagining there's an all-powerful God who would allow people starving and all the natural and man-made disasters," Steil says.Steil calls himself a "live-and-let-live atheist," as apart from the virulently anti-religious variety such as Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkins, or "those who actively promote disbelief."Paul Morris, an Army medic at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and veteran of six tours in the Middle East, says he has seen Christianity, Judaism and Islam in action, for better and for worse, and, frankly, he'll pass.Morris grew up "old-style Italian Catholic," but says he never felt like his spiritual questions were answered. So, he says, "I just wiped the slate clean. I studied every major religion on the face of the planet. Everyone had parts that made sense, but there was no one specific dogma or tenet I could really follow," Morris says."So now, I call myself an agnostic — one who just doesn't know. What I believe is that if you can just do the right thing, it works everywhere."CHURCHMissing the obviousDate: 12/2008.101Feb 20 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 4:1-13 The Purpose of the DiscipleSermon Central - don't miss the point. let the main point be the main pointSpeaking of missing the point, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are camping. They pitch their tent under the stars and go to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, Holmes wakes Watson. "Watson, look up at the stars and tell me what you deduce."Watson says, "I see millions of stars, and if even a few of those have planets, it's quite likely there are some planets like Earth, and if there are a few planets like Earth out there, there might also be life."Holmes replies, "Watson, you idiot, somebody stole our tent!"Application:Gospel MessageChurchPurpose of LifeCHURCHLife is Mostly Edges - Calvin Miller11 Apr 2010 DCFC English Worship - [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 6:10-17 What about the devil?Dr Calvin Miller, bestselling author, poet, pastor and seminary professor, wrote of his life story from his humble beginnings in Enid OK, to his midnight inspiration that led him to write the best selling singer trilogy, tells a story about church. His grade school teacher Mrs. Deurksen noticed that he was too poor to own a pair of galosh. SO his feet were always wet when it rained. One day after school, she asked him to remain behind while all the other students left. Then she presented to him a pair of galoshes, black with four shiny metal hooks. They were beautiful. Calvin Miller said, “I started to take off my shoes so I could try them on and she said, “No child! You can keep your shoes on. These are made to slip right over your shoes.” I was amazed that you could actually wear two pair of footwear at the same time. I put them on and asked, “How much do they cost?” “They’re free for everyone in our school whose initials are CM.” I was flabbergasted! Those were my initials!” “You wear them home. They are yours” Said Mrs. Duesksen. I hung around and asked, "Well, don't you want me to be born again or something? I never got anything free without being born again." "Well, now you have. I'm sure if you need to get born again, the Baptists can help you with that. But the galoshes are yours. You run along now."Years later, at his mother’s funeral, an old man approached him, “Dr Miller, did you ever wonder where the two hundred and fifty dollars came from on your second year at OBU?” “I’ve wondered all my life about that anonymous gift that allowed me to continue my studies,” Miller replied. “I gave it and by the way, you were worth every penny of it and then some!” Miller comments on these two stories, “In such moments, I forgive the church for sometimes being so unlike her Founder. It wasn’t just Jesus that appealed to me. It was what Jesus did through people who could for brief shining moments stop thinking about themselves and turn their minds to someone else. To give up selfish concerns and think of others is a small miracle in a selfish world. This is the grand narcotic – self denial. How addictive it is in the life of anyone with the courage to put it into practice. This is Church.CHURCHThis is our placeDate: 3/2009.101 "This is our place" - Introduction for churchCHURCHWelcome to our churchDate: 3/2009.101 "Welcome to our church" - What is our church about?CHURCHWhat about the Church?Date: 4/2009.10121 June 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heavenly Songs for Earthly Woes] Ps 103 The Scandal of GraceWhat so Amazing about Grace - Philip Yancey P15Quoted from Charles Leung, from Gordon MacDonald, "The world can do almost anything as well as or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace.CHURCH, ANOLOGIESInfluenceDate: 3/1998.1465A strange sign greets visitors to Vienna, Austria. Translated from the German, it says, "Welcome to Vienna, where the salt is in the saltshaker." Of course, the salt is in the saltshaker. Where else should it be? They mean that they don't put salt on the streets in the winter! The church, however, must never make the same boast. We are the salt of the earth, but we do no good if we stay in the saltshaker. -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Matthew 5:13; Acts 17:1-6; Romans 1:8; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:8 CHURCH, ANALOGIESRethinking the Message5 June 2010 DCFC English Worship - [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 1:18-25 Rethinking the MessageSermonSpice - Rethinking Church CHURCH, ATTENDANCEBored and Busy Date: 4/2007.101Hot Illustrations A local newspaper had a Sunday morning religion section that contained, among other things, letters to the editor about various religious issues. Most weeks these letters were pretty innocuous, but one Sunday something was printed that became quite controversial.A man wrote:I quit going to church this year. I decided that listening to sermons week after week was a stupid thing to do. After all, I went to church for more than 40 years and during my lifetime I probably heard 5,000 sermons. I can only remember about five of them. What a waste of time. Bored and BusyThis sparked a fury of incoming letters. Some people wrote that sermons do make a difference, while others sided with Bored and Busy’s opinion that they were basically meaningless and unnecessary. Finally, one letter was printed that ended the debate:I quit eating this year. Thanks to Bored and Busy’s insights, I decided that eating week after week was a stupid thing to do. After all, I have been eating for more than 40 years and during my lifetime I probably have eaten 5,000 meals. I can only remember about five of them. What a waste of time. Starved and StupidWhere to Take It from Here...Sometimes you may wonder what good it does to listen to sermons or participate in weekly Bible studies or have daily devotions. Like the first letter writer in the story, you may feel that you’re too bored or busy for the things of God. But don’t overlook the fact that you need those things to survive.In order to grow as a Christian, you need spiritual food (1 Corinthians 3:2). You need to feed on the Word of God. Not every spiritual meal is going to be memorable, but it will provide you with the nourishment you need to survive and thrive as a Christian.CHURCH ATTENDANCEChurchDate: 11/2008.101Humor / joke Dictionary for Church attenders:Pillars - worship regularly, giving time and moneyLeaners - use the church for funerals, baptisms and weddings.Specials - help and give occasionally for something that appeal to themAnnuals - dress up for Easter and come for Christmas programsSponges - take all blessings and benefits and even the sacraments but never give out anything themselves.Scrappers - take offense and criticizeCHURCH, ATTENDANCEGoing in CirclesDate: 11/2005.101June 26 2011 DCFC English Worship – [Carpe Diem: Live, Laugh & Love] Eccl 5:10-20 Is knowing God more practical than having money?Scott Horrell - From The Ground Up - NT Foundations for the 21st Century Church, P 11 Processionary caterpillars feed on flowers and leaves as they move in long lines across the jungle floor. Each butts its head against the extremity of the one before it. And so life goes on.Studying a group of processionary caterpillars, the French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre induced them onto the move of a large vase. Uniting the last caterpillar with the first, Fabre formed a living circle with neither a beginning nor an end. He supposed that after a while the caterpillars would tire of their repetitious march, break their useless cycle and set off in a new direction. This however, was not the case. The caterpillars continued at the same velocity on the same futile path, hour after hour, night after night.After several days, a favorite food was deliberately placed near the vase where it could be sensed by the caterpillars but not within immediate reach of the circle. Even then, each habitually followed the one before it. The caterpillars refused to vary from their routine, persisting instead on the same trajectory - day after day - in what became for them a march of death.The processionary caterpillars were following past experience, instinct, tradition, precedent, custom, established pattern, what they had always done. But they were following blindly. Their confused activity with progress. Despite their best intentions, persistence and fortitude, these processionary caterpillars were going to die.Are we like that in pursuit of material things, in 'doing-church'?Many times we recall with gratitude our past experiences in the presence of the Lord. With nostalgia, we remember certain youth group, powerful evangelistic meetings, hymns or choruses that had touched us deeply. We yearn for others in the church to experience today the same consecration and aliveness in Christ that we have known.ALSO -how are we doing church? Still the same? No change?CHURCH, ATTENDACEHabitsDate: 11/2007.10107 Nov 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Satisfying Life’s Desires] Ps 84 Satisfying Soul ThirstIllustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #100 In Pulpit Digest William H. Willimon used this illustration:Philip Haille wrote of the little village of Le Chambon in France, a town whose people, unlike others in France hid their Jews from the Nazis. Haille went there, wondering what sort of courageous, ethical heroes could risk all to do such extraordinary good. he interviewed people in the village and was overwhelmed by their ordinariness. They weren't heroes or smart discerning people. Haille decided that the one factor that united them was their attendance, Sunday after Sunday, at their little church where they heard sermons of Pastor Trochme. Over time, they became by habit people who just knew what to do and did it. When it came time for them to be courageous the day the Nazis came to town, they quietly did what was right. One old woman, who faked a heart attack when the Nazis came to search her house, later said, "Pastor always taught us that there comes a time in every life when a person is asked to do something for Jesus. When our time came, we knew what to do."The habits of the heart are there when they are most needed.CHURCH, ATTENDANCEJoke - Sporting ExcusesDate: 6/2006.1011001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking #70 - Joke Here's on old classic entitled "Pastor Quits Sports: 12 reasons Why Local Clergyman Stopped Attending Athletic Contests."1) Every time I went, they asked me for money.2) The people with whom I had to sit didn’t seem very friendly.3) The seats were too hard and not comfortable.4) The coach never came to call on me.5) The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.6) I was sitting with some hypocrites who came only to see what others were wearing.7) Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.8) The band played a few numbers that I had never heard before.9) The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.10) My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.11) Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.12) I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.On the bottom of the page was this one line postscript: "With apologies to those who use the same excuses for not coming to church."CHURCH, ATTENDANCESecret Service – JokeDate: 5/2008.10117 Aug 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:32-34/ Jud 6-7 - Gideon, 300 the Original The Army of the Lord - Joke/ humorJack was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands.The preacher grabbed Jack by the hand and pulled him aside. The pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord! “Jack replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."Pastor questioned, "How come I almost never see you except at Christmas and Easter?"Jack whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."CHURCH, ATTENDANCESleeping In ChurchDate: 3/2007.101Preaching Magazine Jan 2007 A Sunday School teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping."CHURCH, ATTENDANCEThe Lonely AmberDate: 10/2008.101A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."CHURCH, ATTENDANCEThrowing Dirt on YouDate: 5/2007.101Funny Stuff by Clyde Murdock (Humor) P154 A minister asked a man why he didn't come to church.The man said, "Preacher, the first time I attended church, they dunked me in the water, the second time I attended, you tied me to a wife that I've had ever since."And the minister said, "And the next time you come, we'll throw dirt on you.CHURCH, ATTENDANCEWhat I Never EatDate: 6/2006.10117 Aug 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:32-34/ Jud 6-7 - Gideon, 300 the OriginalStill More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P97Everybody has a good excuse for not attending church. If you take those excuses and apply them to other things we do (or don't do), like eating, they might look like this list:1 don't eat any more because...1) I was forced to ear as a child.2) People who eat all the time are hypocrites; they aren't really hungry.3) There are so many different kinds of food. I can't decide what to eat.4) I used to eat, but I got bored and stopped.5) I only eat on special occasions, like Christmas and Easter.6) None of my friends will eat with me.7) I'll start eating when I get older.8) I don't really have time to eat.9) I don't believe that eating does anybody any good. It's just a crutch.10) Restaurants and grocery stores are only after my money.Application:Giving lame excuses for not attending church or not getting involved in ministry is just as silly as giving up eating. Church attendance for Christian is as important as regular, balanced meals. Without spiritual food, we will die (1 Peter 2:2)CHURCH, ATTITUDE TOWARDSNo title07 Mar 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 3:1-13 What is the Church called to do??Sermonspice - [Me Church]CHURCH, ATTITUDE TOWARDSWhat Do You Get Out of the ChurchDate: 1/2007.101DCFC Sunday School 2007 - Mark 3Aug 12 2007 - DCFC English Gen 28:10-22 ~ Rock PilesMay 24 2009?- CCCFC English Gen 28:10-22 ~ Rock PilesAMG Bible Illustrations Book 2 #198Have you heard the story of Jim Smith and Ron Jones? Jim went to church one Sunday morning. He heard the organist miss a note and he winced. He saw a teen talking when everyone else was praying. He felt certain the usher was watching to see what he put in the offering plate and it made him boil. Five times, by actual count, he caught the preacher in slip-of-the-tongue mistakes. During the invitation, he slipped out the side door all the while muttering to himself, "What a waste of time!"Ron went to church also. He heard the pianist play an arrangement of "A mighty Fortress Is Our God," and he was stirred to worship by the majesty of it. A special missions offering was received and he was glad his church was doing what they could for people around the world. He especially appreciated the sermon that Sunday; it really spoke to a need in his life. He thought, as he shook the preacher's hand and left, "How can anyone come here and not feel the presence of the Lord?Both men were in the same church the same day. Each found what he was looking for. It has been said that churches and banks are much alike in one respect: "What one gets out is, for the most part, dependent upon what one puts in."CHURCH, ATTITUDE TOWARDSJames Hewitt - Illustrations Unlimited?07 Mar 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 3:1-13 What is the Church called to do??2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 3:1-13 The Calling of the Church?THE CHURCH WITHOUT COMMITMENTEmerson Colaw tells about doing some work with his church’s nonresident membership list. He wrote a letter to one family that had been very active in his church. A letter came back saying, “Mr. Colaw, we now live near a university campus and we go every Sunday to the chapel service there. They have unusually fine music… they have nationally known preachers ever Sunday morning.” And she added a note he didn’t think necessary. “We had not heard such preaching as that before. The children are being taught in church school by seminary students.” And then she ended, “But the best of all there is no membership, no pledging, and no women’s society asking me to work. So if you don’t mind, we’ll just leave our membership at Hyde Park and continue to enjoy what we have here.” No involvement, no bother. No crosses.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTA Candle In The Darkness - Putting your Life on the LineDate: 6/2006.101More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P 17 Several years ago in Timisoara, Romania, Laszlo Tokes became pastor of Timisoara's small Hungarian Reformed Church. Tokes preached the Gospel bodily and within two years membership had swelled to five thousand.But success can be dangerous in a Communist country. Authorities stationed police officers in front of the church on Sundays, cradling machine guns. They hired thugs to attack Pastor Tokes. They confiscated his ration book so he couldn’t buy food or fuel. Finally in December 1989, they decided to send him into exile.But when police arrived to hustle Pastor Tokes away, they were stopped cold. Around the entrance of the church stood a wall of humanity. Members of other churches - Baptist, Adventist, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic - had joined together to protest.Though police tried to disperse the crowd, the people held their post all day and into the night. Then, just after midnight, a 19 year old Baptist student named Daniel Gavra pulled out a packet of candles. He lit one and passed it to his neighbor.When Tokes peered out the window, he was struck by the warm glow reflecting off hundreds of faces. That moment, he said later, was the "turning point in my life." His religious prejudices evaporated. Here were members of the body of Christ, completely disregarding denominational divisions, joining hands in his defense.It was a moving testimony to Christian unity. The crowd stayed all through the night - and the next night. Finally, police broke through. They bashed in the church door, bloodied Pastor Tokes' face, then paraded him and his wife through the crowd and out into the night.But that was not the end.No. the religious protest led - as it always does - to political protest. The people streamed to the city square and began a fill-scale demonstration against the Communist government. Again Daniel passed out his candles.First they had burned for Christian unity; now they burned for freedom.This was more than the government could tolerate. They brought in troops and ordered them to open fire on the crowd. Hundreds were shot. Young Daniel felt a searing pain as his leg was blown off. But the people of Timisoara stood bravely against the barrage of bullets.And by their example they inspired the entire population of Romania. Within days the nation had risen up and the bloody dictator Ceausescu was gone.For the first time in half a century, Romanians celebrated Christmas in freedom.Daniel celebrated in the hospital, where he was learning to walk with crutches. His pastor came to offer sympathy but Daniel wasn't looking for sympathy."Pastor, I don’t mind so much the loss of a leg," he said. "After all, it was I who lit the first candle."The candle that lit up an entire country.Application:With a candle, a nineteen-year-old boy sparked a revolution that is still being felt today. Romania is a free country thanks to the efforts of people like Daniel Gavra who were willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel and for basic human rights. You can make a difference wherever you are if you willing to take a stand. Don't wait for everyone else to do it. Be the first to light your candle.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTAnimal SchoolDate: 4/2007.10111 July 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 12:20-30 Rethinking the Body of ChristYouth Specialties - Hot IllustrationsA group of animals got together in the forest one day and decided to start a school. There was a rabbit, a bird, a squirrel, a fish, and an eel. They formed a board of education and tried to create a curriculum.The rabbit insisted that burrowing in the ground be in the curriculum. The fish insisted on swimming. The squirrel insisted that perpendicular tree climbing be included, and the bird wanted flying.They put all these courses together and wrote a curriculum guide. Then they insisted that all of the animals take all of the subjects.Although the rabbit was getting an A in burrowing, perpendicular tree climbing was a real problem for him; he kept falling over backwards. Pretty soon he became brain damaged from these falls, and he couldn’t burrow well any more. He found that instead of making an A in burrowing, he was making a C. And, of course, he always made an F in perpendicular climbing.The bird was really beautiful at flying, but when it came to burrowing in the ground, he couldn’t do it so well. He kept breaking his beak and wings. Pretty soon he was making a C in flying as well as an F in burrowing. And he had a very bad time with perpendicular tree climbing.The squirrel was terrific at perpendicular tree climbing, but was so afraid of the water that he failed swimming altogether.The fish was easily the best in swimming class, but he wouldn’t get out of the water to come to any of the other classes.The valedictorian of the class was a mentally retarded eel who did everything in a halfway fashion. But the teachers were happy because everybody was taking all the subjects in their broad-based educational curriculum.(From Everything You’ve Heard is Wrong by Tony Campolo, Dallas: Word, 1992, pg. 130)Where to Take It from Here...Have you ever felt like the animals in that school? Have you ever been in situation where you are supposed to do things that you are not equipped to do?The Body of Christ, the church, was designed by God to include everyone, but God never intended for everyone to do everything. You don’t have to be like your pastor, or like your youth minister, or like anyone else. God gave you specific abilities called spiritual gifts which are to be used in the church and in the world by you and you alone. No one else is gifted quite the way you are, and there are many jobs that only you can do. (1 Corinthians 12)The call to follow Christ is the call to discover our unique giftedness and then to use our God-given gifts and abilities to bring glory and honor to him.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTBamboo Hut in Thailand 1998Date: 11/2005.101Saipan 2005 - Man That God Uses 28 May 2006 Pandan Xi Yang - Luke 5:1-11 ~ Qualities of a Disciple9?Sept 2006 YOC Camping - Luke 5:1-11 ~ Qualities of a DiscipleDec 5 2006 - Senior Sermon DTS - Luke 9:18-27Senior Chapel 24 April 2007 - Luke 9:18-27 Sept 2007 FWC Retreat: The Kingdom is Here - Kingdom Path Luke 9:18-27Oct 2007 Germany Leipzig/Weimar - Luke 5:1-11 - Qualities of a discipleAug 10 2008 - FCBC Mandarin - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the CrossAug 24 2008 - MSU Mission Trip - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the CrossFeb 13 2011 – DCFC Chinese - Luke 9:18-27 – Way of the CrossMar 13 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 6:20-49 The Call of the DiscipleSept 3-5 2011 RCCC Retreat [Renewing our first love for Christ] Renewing our vision of the Cross Luke 9:18-27Personal:In a missions trip to Thailand in 1998. When we reached there, we were shocked to find that there is not electricity. The first meal was eating instant noodles & there were flies all around. I prayed very hard that no fly will drop in and started to gobble down my food. As I finished my last bite, 1 fly fell in. Thank God. Then went for a night meeting, each one carried a candle to the meeting. Very dark & solemn. Then went toilet, one of us will hold a torch and shine at the hole for the other to use it. The place we sleep was just blanket over bamboo. When I laid down, I felt the bamboo bent and my body sunk in. I asked the person beside me if he felt it, and he said no. So I said, "If you hear the bamboos snap in the middle of the night, please go down the hill to look for me." This is because the house was built on a slope. So if it snaps, I will roll down the hill. Every night we shared & one of those nights, I confessed that I found it very difficult to adapt. I found it a challenge if God calls me to this place. At that moment, I really questioned my commitment to God - I am not even willing to do this, how can I claim to love God? Brother comforted me, "God knows our hearts. If we are unwilling now, it does not mean that we will remain unwilling in the future. Moreover, if God calls you here, He would certainly give you the grace to be willing to come. Also, it has got to do with your spiritual growth. It takes time. So you should focus on your spiritual walk instead.". Are you willing to sacrifice for God? Really willing?- During the Bible study, it was very dark. I was wondering how we can read. But soon, I as I looked outside, I saw little lights coming up the hill. Each person coming to the BS brought a little oil candle for himself. As they entered the room, each brought a little light and soon the room was lit up and we could each read out Bibles. Each of us make a difference in the body of Christ. We have a part to play.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTBody BuilderDate: 8/2008.101Aug 10 2008 - FCBC English ~ 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game! Feb 28 2010 - DCFC Sunday School12 June 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 3:5-17 Rethinking the MinistryBody builder –A man approached a body builder and pointed to his muscles, "What are these for?" "Urgh!!" (he posed). "Ur...ok, but what are they for?" "Urgh!" (he posed again). "Ur.. ok, but what are they for?"Purpose of muscles, not for posing, but for using. Church also.IJM - adds, huge muscles only good for opening jammed jars. Don't do the trivial & only open jammed jars.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTCan One Person Make a Difference?Date: 5/2007.101Preaching Now - Rick Ezell Can one person really make a difference?In his One Minute Uplift newsletter last week, pastor Rick Ezell shares this story: I lived in Chicago for eighteen years. I watched the Chicago Bulls win six NBA championships over an eight-year period. Why didn't they win those two years between their two sets of three championships? One major reason was that for most of those two seasons one of their players decided to try a different sport. The sport was baseball. The player was Michael Jordan. Those two years he sat out from basketball the Bulls did not make it to the finals, much less win them. Excluding Jordan, the personnel on the team was virtually the same. Michael Jordan made the difference.Yet for several seasons before the Bulls went on their historic run of six NBA championships Michael Jordan was playing and the Bulls did not win either. But then the Bulls drafted a virtually unknown player from a small college in Arkansas. Scottie Pippen brought a dimension to the Bulls that even Michael Jordan did not possess. Pippen was, for lack of a better term, a forward-guard. He would often bring the ball up the court. He could single-handedly break opposing team's full-court presses. Opposing teams found him difficult to match up with. He was too tall to be guarded by a guard. He was too quick to be guarded by a forward. He was an unselfish playmaker. He could play inside, but also was deadly from behind the three-point line. He was one of the best defensive players to ever play the game.Scottie Pippen made Michael Jordan a better player. And Michael Jordan made the Bulls a better team. Together, they won championships. Together, they made a difference.What is true for basketball is also true for a business or a club or a church. One person can make a difference. Will you be that one person? CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTCooperationDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #35 CBS radio newsman Charles Osgood told the story of two ladies who lived in a convalescent center. Each had suffered an incapacitating stroke. Margaret's stroke left her left side restricted while Ruth's stroke damaged her right side. Both of these ladies were accomplished pianists but had given up hope of ever playing again. The director of the center sat them down at a piano and encouraged them to play solo pieces together. They did and a beautiful friendship developed. What a picture of the church's need to work together! What one member cannot do alone, perhaps two or more could do together - in harmony.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTDepending on Each OtherDate: 11/2005.10111 July 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 12:20-30 Rethinking the Body of ChristElder Huang - Bible Camp 2005 (Pandan) Romans 12:5Each of us are part of the body of Christ. We need to learn to work together and depend on each other. If part of the body do not move, the body becomes paralyze. If every part of the body moves at the same time, the body is crazy. But if every part moves with co-ordination, then it becomes a proper body. Each of us need to play our part.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTNo title11 July 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 12:20-30 Rethinking the Body of ChristI once knew this young energetic pastor. When he preaches, you want to sit at the back of the room because his voice is so loud that it will deafen you if you sit close by. Of course, also to avoid the flying spit! One day, he woke up and he could not move a muscle. Young and energetic as he was, he could not even lift up his arms and could barely move his fingers. Later the ambulance took him to the hospital and found out that his body ran out of one little bitty salt – potassium. Just because of this one little thing called potassium, he could not move his body because his neurons could not communicate. CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTGet in the GameDate: 6/2007.101Aug 10 2008 - FCBC English ~ 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game! 19 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game!- Personal at Soldier's Field experience/ or NBA Mavericks experienceDaily Bread June 9 2007I love going to Chicago’s Wrigley Field for a baseball game sitting in the stands, downing a great hot dog, and cheering the Cubs on to victory!Unfortunately, Christianity has become a lot like professional sports. As a friend of mine has observed, there are nine guys on the baseball field doing all the work and thousands in the stands just watching. And as you probably know, that’s not Gods game plan for His people. He wants us to climb out of the stands, get out on the field, and join the team.If you are wondering what good you can do on the field, wonder no more. What about your financial resources? Jesus can take your silver and gold and use it to accomplish great things for His glory.But more than just getting out your checkbook, you have gifts you can contribute. God has given each of us spiritual gifts that can help advance His kingdom. Whether its teaching, encouraging, serving, showing hospitality, or extending mercy, each ability can yield great dividends. Lets follow the example of Paul, who tirelessly served on Gods field for the joy of being used by Him (Colossians 1:28-29).Believe me, it’s far more rewarding to be on the field than to sit in the stands. Joe StowellStart where you are in serving the Lord,Claim His sure promise and trust in His Word;God simply asks you to do what you can,Hell use your efforts to further His plan. Anon.Don’t make a cemetery of your life by burying your talents.Swish! The shot left Nowitzki's hands from beyond the three-point line and it was pure net. That sent the boisterous crowd crazy. Immediately that familiar beat came over the PA system, "boom-boom-ba! Boom-boom-ba!" And the crowd chanted in unison, "D-fence! D-fence!" It was just an amazing feeling watching the Dallas Mavericks play the LA Lakers live in the American Airline Center. Though it was just a regular season game, the atmosphere was just electrifying. 5 seconds left on the clock and we are leading by 1 point as a result of Dirk's shot. We just need to hold them for 5 seconds. It was so tensed that everyone stood up, cheering, crying out, some praying because of the adrenalin that was coursing through our bodies. 5 seconds! The inbound pass came and alas! Devin Harris made a rookie mistake and allowed Kobe Bryant from the Lakers an open passage to the basket. No one came to help and he made an easy 2, clinching the game! The crowd was just stunned into silence, "How did we let the game slip through our fingers?" People began streaming out in disappointment, some just staring in disbelief and there was just this sense of frustration! That day was such a treat for my wife and I. We had received some free tickets to this game from the Seminary and so we went. We screamed our voices hoarse, felt the emotional highs & lows through the game, even though we were just spectators! I felt so frustrated! In my mind I thought, "If only we could have done something about it then just watch & scream! I would not have made that stupid rookie mistake!" Yeah! Right! That's what I thought! Of course reality is much different! But brothers and sisters, that is spectator sports! In the case of basketball, its just 10 men running after the ball, doing all the work on the court with tens of thousands watching & screaming in the stands. I am sure those of us who has been to a basketball game, a football game or a baseball game, don't you wish you could get involved, rather than just watch? CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTGrab a What? Date: 4/2007.101Youth Specialties - Hot Illustrations There is a college that offers a course called Environmental Science, which is another way of saying its a class about the outdoors. The class usually includes several field trips, one of which often is a long hike in the mountains up several steep trails.One year, to prepare the students for the hike, the professor gathered all the students in a clearing and asked them to do something very unusual.I want you to mingle around and grab each other in the butt, he said. Just keep grabbing each other in the butt until I tell you to stop.So about twenty college students started moving among each other, grabbing each other’s butts. They were a little nervous about it at first, but after a while it became fun.After this exercise, the professor told the class the reason for this unusual procedure.We are going to be walking up a steep, narrow, slippery slope, he explained. Because of this, we will have to walk single file, hunched over, using our hands and feet. If the person in front of you should slip, the first thing you’ll meet is his or her butt. If that happens, you’ll need to reach up with both hands, grab on, and stop him or her from falling. If you aren’t used to touching someone’s butt, you might be tempted to step aside and let the person slide. This would put him or her at risk, as well as those behind you.Where to Take It from Here...The same principle applies in the church. We don’t grab butts, but we get to know each other well enough that we will be better able to help each other in time of need. That’s what the body of Christ is all about. There may be a time when someone has a deep need, and you may be the only person around to give help. If you haven’t taken the time to get to know that person, there is a good chance you will just step aside and let the person slide.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTHalley & NewtonDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #179 Every young student knows of Isaac Newton's famed encounter with a falling apple. Newton's discovered and introduced the laws of gravity in the 1600s which revolutionized astronomical studies. But few know that if it weren't for Edmund Halley, the world might never have learned from Newton. It was Halley who challenged Newtown to think through his original notions. Halley corrected Newton's mathematical errors and prepared geometrical figures to support his discoveries. Halley coaxed the hesitant Newton to write his great work, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Halley edited and supervised the publication and actually financed its printing even though Newton was wealthier and easily could have afforded the printing costs.Historians call it one of the most selfless act in the annals of science. Newton began almost immediately to reap the rewards of prominence; Halley received little credit. He did use the principles to predict the orbit and return of the comet that would later bear his name but only after his death did he receive any acclaim. And because the comet only returns every 76 years, the notice is rather infrequent. Halley remained a devoted scientist who didn't care who received the credit as long as the cause was being advanced. Others have played Halley's role. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He must become greater; I must become less." Barnabas was content to introduce others to greatness. Many pray to uphold the work of one Christian leader. Such selflessness advances the kingdom.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTHumor - No differenceDate: 4/2007.101Preaching Now 3 April 2007 "What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot messes up, the pilot dies; If ATC messes up . . . the pilot dies."The buck stops with me - no difference if one member of the body hurts, the rest hurts. If you or I mess up - its Christ that is hurt.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTInvention of CommitteeDate: 3/2007.101Treasury of Humor 1994 A traveler stopped to observe the curious behavior of a farmer who was plowing his field. A single mule hitched to the plow was wearing blinders, and the farmer was yelling, "Giddyap, Pete! Giddyap, Herb! Giddyap, Ol' Bill! Giddyap, Jeb!"After watching the farmer carry on like this for a while, the traveler asked, "Say, mister-how many names does that mule have?""Just one-his name is Pete.""Then why do you call out Herb and Bill and-""It's like this," explained the farmer. "If Ol' Pete knew he was doing this work alone, I couldn't make him do it. But if he thinks he's got three other mules working' alongside of him, he does the job all by himself.""What a marvelous idea!" exclaimed the traveler.And when he got back to his corporate office in New York, he invented the committee.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTJell-O makingDate: 8/2008.101Fellowship Dallas14 Mar 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 4:1-16 How does the Church grow?make jello - break up into each step - take milk, pour jello, cover , shake, shake again...Everyone has a part to play. Eat the sweetness at the end.Just like church - which one more important? All!CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTLaying Bricks or Building CathedralsDate: 3/2007.10128 Feb 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 2:11-22 What is Church?Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks P135Christopher Wren, who designed St. Paul's Cathedral in London (one of the world's most beautiful buildings), wrote about the reactions of construction workers who were asked what they were doing. Those workers who were bored and tired responded by saying, "I'm laying bricks" or "I'm carrying stones."But one worker, who was mixing cement, seemed cheerful and enthusiastic about his work. Asked what he was doing, he replied, "I'm building a magnificent cathedral."Application:Surveys have found that most people hate their work. They don't look forward to going work; instead they are bored with it and weary of it. They dream of winning the state lottery so they never have to work another day in their lives.God didn't create us to be bored and unfulfilled by our work. He created us to serve Him in everything we do, including our work. "Work" in Scripture is another word for "worship." God wants us to enjoy our work because our work is what brings glory to God. It's one way we worship God. Paul wrote that we should be happy in our work because we are not working for men, but for God. (See Colossians 3:23). In another place he wrote, "Whatever you do, do it all for glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).If you look at your work merely as something do to make a few bucks and survive, you won't be happy in your work. On the other hand, if you decide to glorify God in your work, you will not only be happy as you work, but God will meet all of your needs as well.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTLOTR28 Feb 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 2:11-22 What is Church??LOTR: In the first installment of the Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the ring, the entire world was facing the greatest evil that ever walked on this earth – Sauron. In order to destroy him, the good guys, which included, the dwarves, the elves and mankind had to destroy the one ring made by Sauron to control all things. And the only way to destroy this one ring is to deliver it to Mordor, the home of Sauron and throw it into the volcano from which it was made in the first place. They literally were delivering the one thing that Sauron wanted to him. This mission that was crucial to saving the entire world was given to one little Hobbit called Frodo Baggins. They gathered a team to protect Frodo and help him complete this mission. The team included an old graying wizard, a cynical, cussing Master dwarf, one cool elf, one ambitious and insecure human and another down-trodden human being despised by his fellow men. What a team! Add to that 3 other small, dim witted hobbits who didn’t know a thing in the world. How can this important world saving mission be entrusted to such a bunch? ?ConclusionThe final scene of LOTR as they face imminent death in a battle with Saruman. Notice how the relationship between the master Dwarf and the Elf, Legolas has changed. Notice how, the camera switched immediately to the scene where Samwise Gimgee carries Frodo to complete his mission.??CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTPull Buddy!Date: 8/2006.101Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks 4 P23 A man from the big city was enjoying a relaxing drive in the country when a dog ran in front of his car. He swerved to miss it but lost control of his car and ended up in a ditch. After a few unsuccessful attempts to get his car out, the man sat on his bumper and waited for help to arrive.He didn't have to wait long. A farmer who lived just down the road came to his aid with a big powerful looking horse.The watched as the farmer hitched the horse to the car's bumper.When the rope was secured, the farmer yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" But the horse didn’t move.Then the farmer yelled, "Pull, Buster, pull!" But the horse didn’t move.Next the farmer yelled, "Pull, Cococ pull!" But the horse still didn't move.Finally, the farmer said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!"And the horse dragged the car from the ditch with very little effort.The motorist was very appreciative - and a little curious, "Why did you call out four names when your horse only responded to one?" he asked.The farmer smiled. "Oh, Buddy is blind," he explained, "and if he thought he was the only one pulling he wouldn't even try!"Applications:Just like Buddy, we need other people to bring out the best in us. As the Scripture says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12)That's why God created us to be part of a community, part of a family, part of the church.It's very difficult to live the Christian life alone. It can be done, but like the verse says, one can be overpowered. The devil will find you easy prey. When you have others who are standing with you - even though they are not physically present - you can draw strength and encouragement from their prayers and support. We all really need each other.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTReal FriendsDate: 6/2006.101Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks P169 A teenage boy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had cancer and was in the hospital for several weeks to undergo radiation treatment and chemotherapy. During that time, he lost all of his hair. On the way home from hospital, he was worried - not about the cancer, but about the embarrassment of going back to school with a bald head. He had already decided not to wear a wig or a hat.When he arrived home, he walked in the front door and turned on the lights. To his surprise, about 50 of his friends jumped up and turned on the lights. To his surprise, about 50 of his friends jumped up and shouted, "Welcome home!" The boy looked around the room and could hardly believe his eyes - all 50 of his friends had shaved their heads.Application:Wouldn't we all like to have caring friends who were so sensitive and committed to us that they would sacrifice their hair for us if that's what it took to make us feel affirmed, included and loved? Friends like that are hard to find in today's world. When we become Christians, we are adopted into an extended family love and support - the church, the body of Christ. The Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 12 that when one member of the body hurts or experiences joy, the whole body shares in that pain or that joy. We suffer together and we rejoice together. That's what it means to be the church. We are a community, a family - real friends.When we act this way, we are doing for each other what Jesus Himself did for us. Jesus loved us so much that He did more than shave His head. He went to the cross for us. He gave up His life so that we might live. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTRoles in ChurchDate: 11/2005.1019 Sept 2006 YOC Camping - Eph 4:7-13 - Gifts of a believer 12 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." Eph 4:11-13 - Candle in the Darkness2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 4:1-16 The Growth of the ChurchPersonal: Mission Trip to Thailand – 1998In a missions trip to Thailand in 1998. When we reached there, we were shocked to find that there is not electricity. The first meal was eating instant noodles & there were flies all around. I prayed very hard that no fly will drop in and started to gobble down my food. As I finished my last bite, 1 fly fell in. Thank God. Then went for a night meeting, each one carried a candle to the meeting. Everyone who came made the place brighter & gave more life for the other. This is exactly what the body of Christ - the church is about. Each of us have a part to play. Each of us add a dimension to church life. Each of us become a light which brightens the place. Love shared is love multiplied. Sorrows shared is sorrows divided.I found myself staring into pitch black darkness as I lowered my head and stepped into bamboo hut that was only as high as my shoulders. Immediately, my nostrils flared at the musky stench that filled the hut. There were some people in the hut, but I just could not see them. Gradually, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could barely make out a man sitting on the bed with a lady and a boy sitting by his feet. Then the missionary said to me, "This is where we will have our Bible study tonight!" At that time I was in Thailand on a mission trip. We were supposed to lead a bible study that night at an Ahka village. So after dinner, the missionary brought me to that hut. As I stood there in the hut, the man greeted me in broken Mandarin and lit a little candle. He turned out to be the village chief. "Welcome! Welcome! Please sit here beside me." He offered me the seat on the bed because it was the cleanest spot in his home. "We are waiting for the others. Why don't we sing some worship songs?" So they began worshipping God by their songs. Even though I could not see a thing, but those songs they sung were familiar, so I just sang along with them. I thought to myself, "It's so dark, how are we going to be able to read the Bible?" As we were singing, I looked out of the little window and saw and interesting sight. There was this line of little lights coming toward our huts, like fireflies. It turns out that these were the villagers, coming for Bible study, each carrying a little candle. They came into the hut, a few at a time, each bringing a little candle. By now, I could make out the interior of this hut. It was just a tiny hut, about 10 by 15 feet and with sparse furniture. Then more people came, each with their little candle and the room got brighter and by the time the Bible study began, we had no problems reading our Bibles. Why? Because of the little candle that each believer brought!When I was in that Thai village, because of the little candle that each believer brought with them, we were able to light up the hut and as a result we could read the Bible. And as I looked over to the other hut on the other hill where they were having a Bible Study, it was lit up like ours. Because of the little candle that each believer brought with them, the church on the hill became a light house that lit up the darkness. Brothers and sisters, this is church. This is what church is about! When each of us brings our gifts together, help each other grow then go out into the world to make a difference becoming the light of the world.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTServiceDate: 12/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #207 Don McCullough writes in Waking from the American Dream:During WWII, England needed to increase its production of coal. Winston Churchill called together labor leaders to enlist their support. At the end of his presentation he asked them to picture in their minds a parade which he knew would be held in Piccadilly Circus after the war. First he said, would come the sailors who had kept the vital sea lanes open. Then would come the soldiers who had come home from Dunkirk and then gone on to defeat Rommel in Africa. Then would come the pilots who had driven the Luftwaffe from the sky. Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat stained, soot-streaked men in miner's caps. Someone would cry from the crowd, "And where were you during the critical days of our struggle?" And ten thousand throats would come the answer, "We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal."Not all the jobs in a church are prominent and glamorous. But the people with their "faces to the coal" play a vital role in helping the church accomplish its mission.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTShaking Bamboo StandDate: 8/2008.101Aug 10 2008 - FCBC English ~ 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game! 19 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game!Personal – SpeakingAfter I became a Christian in my college days, I began to attend a local church. I realized that the Bible was so interesting and had every answer to my needs. I was so excited, I wanted to share it with others, through writing letters, over the phone or in the fellowship. But I had a problem. I didn't like talking in front of a crowd, in front of people. I mean I could if I had to since I was a platoon commander in the army, but I felt unworthy to talk about Scripture because it is so sacred and I am so unholy & know so little. But this godly brother encouraged me to do something about it. In fact, we went on a mission trip to Thailand together and he gave me a chance to share my testimony at this drug rehabilitation center. I decided to get in the game and get my hands dirty instead of sitting on the sidelines. I will always remember that first time. The stand was made of bamboo and I prepared a 40 minute testimony. I stood up there and gripped on the sides and in 15 minutes I had gone through my 40-minute script. The whole time, no kidding, the bamboo stand was going "shudder!" But you know what? I got hooked! And now more than a decade later, it’s something that gives me so much joy doing - being able to share God's word. This is a privilege and joy that I would not exchange for anything in this world because it is what God has enabled me to do. CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTSpiritual disciplinesDate: 12/2007.101Aug 10 2008 - FCBC English ~ 1 Pet 4:10-11 Get in the Game! Feb 28 2010 - DCFC Sunday School12 June 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 3:5-17 Rethinking the MinistryIllustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #222A while back on "The Merv Griffin Show," the guest was a body builder. During the interview, Merv asked, "Why do you develop those particular muscles?" The body builder simply stepped forward and flexed a series of well defined muscles from chest to calf. The audience applauded. "What do you use all those muscles for?" Merv asked. Again, the muscular specimen flexed and biceps and triceps sprouted to impressive proportions. "But what do you use these muscles for?" Merv persisted. The body builder was bewildered. he didn't have an answer other than to display his well-developed frame.Our spiritual exercises - Bible study, prayer, reading Christian books, listening to Christian radio and tapes - are also for a purpose. They are meant to strengthen our ability to build God's kingdom, not simply to improve our pose before an admiring audience.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTStatue of LibertyDate: 9/2006.1012 Sept 2006 - YOC Camping - Eph 4:7-13 ~ Gifts of a believer We were in NY and went to see the Statue of Liberty. We had to take a ship there and could see it from afar. Everyone wanted to get into the picture and rush to take photos. But do you know that such a wonderful statue almost didn’t make it to NY? It was almost build in Cleveland or Baltimore. The government of France hired Fredric Auguster Bartholdi the architect and Gustave Eiffel to help build the supporting structure. They wanted to give this statue to the people of NY. But they had to build a pedestal for $280,000. The government of NY could not afford it. So when the government of Baltimore and Cleveland heard about it, they flew to France to try to convince the French government to move the statue to their state. However, the people of NY came together and raised every single cent required to build the statue. So because of their efforts, we have the statue of liberty at the entrance of the Hudson river today.As a church, everyone needs to come together and contribute to make things possible.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTTeamworkDate: 12/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #240 A sea captain and his chief engineer were arguing over who was the most important to the ship. To prove their point to each other, they decided to swap places. The chief engineer ascended to the bridge and the captain went to the engine room. Several hours later, the captain suddenly appeared covered with oil and dirt. "Chief!" he yelled, waving his monkey wrench. "You have to get down there: I can't make her go." "Of course you can't" replied the chief engineer. "She’s aground!"On a team, we don’t excel each other. we depend on each other.CHURCH, BODY OF CHRISTThe BodiesDate: 9/2007.10111 July 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 12:20-30 Rethinking the Body of ChristFresh ideas: Illustrations, Stories & Quotations - Jim Burns & Greg McKinnon P177 - Ephesians 4:16Once upon a time, there were 4 people named, Everybody, Somebody, Nobody and Anybody. When there was an important job to be done, Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. When Nobody did it, Everybody got angry because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Somebody would do it. But Nobody realized that Nobody would do it. So it ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place.Application:Everyone has a purpose within the Church - the Body of Christ. If you are not doing what God called you to do, it may not get done.CHURCH, CHINESEShow-and-Tell Date: 2/2009.101Beliefnet - joke - humor A kindergarten teacher gave her class a "show and tell" assignment. Each student was instructed to bring in an object to share with the class that represented their religion.The first student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is a Star of David."The second student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Mary. I'm a Catholic and this is the Crucifix."The third student got in up front of the class and said, " My name is Tommy and I am Baptist and this is a casserole." (I am a Chinese...)CHURCH, COMMUNITYSocial Media's Isolation EffectPolice say Taiwanese woman killed herself while chatting with Face book friends, none helpedBy Annie Huang, The Associated Press | Associated Press?–?3 hrs. agoTAIPEI, Taiwan - A woman in Taiwan killed herself by inhaling poisonous fumes while chatting with friends on Face book and none of them alerted authorities, police said Tuesday.Claire Lin killed herself on her 31st birthday, March 18, and family members who reported her suicide were unaware of the Face book conversations that accompanied it, Taipei police officer Hsieh Ku-Ming said.Lin's last Face book entries show her chatting with nine friends, alerting them to her gradual asphyxiation. One picture uploaded from her mobile phone depicts a charcoal barbecue burning next to two stuffed animals. Another shows the room filled with fumes.One friend identified as Chung Hsin, told Lin, "Be calm, open the window, put out the charcoal fire, please, I beg you."Lin replied: "The fumes are suffocating. They fill my eyes with tears. Don't write me anymore."A few of the Face book friends chatting with her tried to stop her and track her down on their own, but none called police. Chung did not respond to attempts to reach him for comment.Lin's last words, in Chinese, were: "Too late. My room is filled with fumes. I just posted another picture. Even while I'm dying, I still want FB (Face book). Must be FB poison. Haha."Lin's Face book postings indicated she was unhappy because her boyfriend was ignoring her, and had failed to return home to be with her on her birthday. Her boyfriend found her body the next morning and alerted her family, Hsieh said.Hsieh said he regretted that none of her friends called police to help her during the 67-minute episode, but he added it may have been difficult for them to know her whereabouts because of the nature of social media."It could be true that it would be hard to track down a Face book friend without her address or phone contact," Chen said.Chai Ben-rei, a sociologist at Taiwan's Feng Chia University, said the incident reflected social isolation in the Internet age."People may have doubts about what they see on the Internet because of its virtual nature, and fail to take action on it," he said.CHURCH, DOUBT OFChurchDate: 8/2007.10116 March 2008 DCFC English - Mark 12:28-34 - A Mountaineering Guide Choice Contemporary Stories & Illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers - Craig Brian Larson #28People should no more asses the church or the gospel by looking at hypocrites than they should test the value of diamonds by looking at a counterfeit. The question is, "What is true? not how have people failed to live up to the truth."CHURCH, FAMILY OF GODPull Buddy!Date: 8/2006.101Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks 4 P23 A man from the big city was enjoying a relaxing drive in the country when a dog ran in front of his car. He swerved to miss it but lost control of his car and ended up in a ditch. After a few unsuccessful attempts to get his car out, the man sat on his bumper and waited for help to arrive.He didn't have to wait long. A farmer who lived just down the road came to his aid with a big powerful looking horse.The watched as the farmer hitched the horse to the car's bumper.When the rope was secured, the farmer yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" But the horse didn’t move.Then the farmer yelled, "Pull, Buster, pull!" But the horse didn’t move.Next the farmer yelled, "Pull, Cococ pull!" But the horse still didn't move.Finally, the farmer said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!"And the horse dragged the car from the ditch with very little effort.The motorist was very appreciative - and a little curious, "Why did you call out four names when your horse only responded to one?" he asked.The farmer smiled. "Oh, Buddy is blind," he explained, "and if he thought he was the only one pulling he wouldn't even try!"Applications:Just like Buddy, we need other people to bring out the best in us. As the Scripture says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12)That's why God created us to be part of a community, part of a family, part of the church.It's very difficult to live the Christian life alone. It can be done, but like the verse says, one can be overpowered. The devil will find you easy prey. When you have others who are standing with you - even though they are not physically present - you can draw strength and encouragement from their prayers and support. We all really need each other.CHURCH, GOVERNMENT OFQualification of EldersDate: 11/2007.101PM 201 - (Topical Sermon Outline) Qualification to lead the ChurchOpening Image - Tech man who could not set up the computer. He was incompetent and created so much problems. Are we qualified to lead the church?2 ways to qualify - 1 Timothy 3 - attributes can be categorized - how he leads in church, in community, in home. The focus of this sermon is the home.1) Faithful to wife - Titus 1:6; 1 Timothy 3- avoid adultery- Guard our minds2) Lead out children- teach them the faith- discipline themCHURCH, GROWTH OFChurch GrowthDate: 3/1998.1122Our Lord seemed to be very much concerned with numbers. The fish in the miraculous catch were counted. The leftovers after the feeding of the five thousand were counted. And the five thousand themselves were counted! Converts at Pentecost were counted. And in the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd would never have known that one of his flock of one hundred was lost, unless he had counted them! -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 3:15 CHURCH, GROWTH OFJoke - Keep it simpleDate: 2/2006.1012 Sept 2006 - YOC Camping - Luke 5:1-11 ~ Qualities of a DiscipleOct 2007 Germany Leipzig/Weimar - Luke 5:1-11 - Qualities of a discipleJokeOrdinary pens cannot be used in space because of the lack of gravity. So the US spent US$5 billion to invent a pen that could write in the space. Guess what the Russians did? They used a pencil.Sometimes the simple way is the way to do it and we oversee the obvious.Church - do not build big organizations, organize marketing events - keep it simple and dun miss the obvious. Teach the Bible and care for the flocks.Even witnessing - keep it simple. We do not have to use big terms, organize big events, have attractive reasons or have answers to everything - just share the gospel of ChristCHURCH, GROWTH OFLobster Shell – ChangeDate: 10/2007.101Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching - Leadership Journal - Ed Rowell P43 (Brent Mitchell) From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart, yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison - and finally their casket. The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For a while at least, that old shell must look pretty good.We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our shells - a structure, a framework - we've depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when he bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow and leave our shells behind.CHURCH, LOVE FORPoem - It isn't the church - it's youDate: 6/2006.101The Best Loved Poems of the American People P93 If you want to have the kind of churchLike the kind of a church you like,You needn't slip your clothes in a gripAnd start on a long, long hike.You'll only find what you left behind,For there's nothing really new.It's a knock at yourself when you knock your church;It isn't the church - it's you.When everything seems to be going wrong,And trouble seems everywhere brewing;When prayer meeting, Young People's meeting and all,Seem simmering slowly - stewing,Just take a look at yourself and say,"What's the use of being blue?"Are you doing your "bit" to make things "hit"?It isn’t the church - it’s you.It's really strange sometimes, don’t you know,That things go as well as they do,When we think of the little - the very small mite -We add to the work of the few.We sit and stand round, and complain of what's done,And do very little but fuss.Are we bearing our share of the burdens to bear?It isn't the church - it's us.So, if you want to have the kind of a churchLike the kind of a church you like,Put off your guile and put on your best smile,And hike. my brother, just hike,To work in hand that has to be done 0The work of saving a few.It isn’t the church that is wrong, my boy;It isn’t the church - it's you.CHURCH, MEMBERS OFTrust the Lord – HumorDate: 5/2007.101Funny Stuff by Clyde Murdock (Humor) P173 - Empty Words A young man was asked to preach just before the morning service at a Bible conference. The regular speaker had not shown up for the service. This young man was scared to death. he wasn't prepared and didn't know what to say. he went to the bishop's tent and said, "What will I do? I have no sermon. What will I do?"The Bishop said, 'Trust in the Lord, Son, trust in the Lord."In desperation, he picked up the bishop's Bible and found a nice set of typewritten notes, so he took them and preached the bishop's sermon. Everyone was amazed. The people crowded him and told him what a great sermon it was. Then came the bishop, "Young man," he said, "you preached my sermon - the one I had prepared for tonight. What am I going to do tonight?" With much dignity, the young man replied, "Trust in the Lord, bishop, just trust the Lord."CHURCH, PRECIOUSNESS OFThe Treasures of the Church Date: 4/2007.101Youth Specialties - Hot Illustrations The early church had a stormy relationship with the wicked and powerful Roman government. Cycles of severe persecution interrupted by tenuous peace recurred at the whim of the emperor. Roman officials, ignorant of the actual teachings and practices of true Christians, often acted out of bigotry, fear, superstition, or misinformation. The royal court assumed that the growing Christian church operated along the same lines as their own base and greedy religions.The emperor, coveting the wealth these Christians must surely possess, summoned their head bishop to the royal court and ordered him to produce the treasures of the church. The frustrated bishop protested that the church had no gold, jewels, or other valuables (which was indeed true at this point in history). The emperor, brushing aside the bishop's objection, demanded that the riches of the church be brought to him in the morning. The bishop left the royal presence quietly.The next day the bishop dutifully appeared at the palace doorway. He was empty handed. I told you to bring me the treasures of the church! the emperor raged.The bishop then invited the emperor to look out at the palace steps. Gathered together, peering sheepishly at the great doors of the royal palace rising above them, was a mass of ragged beggars, cripples, slaves and outcasts,These, said the bishop with a sweep of his arm, are the treasures of the church.For his unappreciated but accurate insight, the good bishop was promptly martyred.Where to Take It from Here...You are the treasure of the church. The church is not a building; it is not a doctrine; it is not a program. You are the church, the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12)CHURCH, PURPOSE OFJames Hewitt - Illustrations Unlimited?A CHURCH WITHOUT WORKS ?I was naked, and you questioned my lack of modesty in my appearance. I was imprisoned, and you debated the legal aspects of interference. I was penniless, and you discussed tax-deductible donations from your wealth. I was sick, and you thanked the Lord for the blessings of your health. I was hungry, and you formed a club to study malnutrition. I was homeless, and you said God’s love was shelter under any condition. I was lonely, and you left me by myself while you and your friends prayed. You seem so holy and close to God. Yet I’m still sick and alone and afraid! Ruth M. WalshCHURCH, PURPOSE OFDamnDate: 10/2008.101Tony Campolo tells of a story about a preacher correcting his inward looking church. "The problem," the preacher's voice boomed, "is that people are dying all over the world and you don't give a damn!" When he punched the final word, the crowd gasped. Women looked at each other, stunned. Kids sat at attention, afraid to budge. The elders eyes one another, sending silent but understood messages, "we have to meet soon!!" The minister continued slowly and with obvious pain, "The saddest part is..." He paused and started again. "The saddest part is that most of you are more upset that I used the word damn in church than you are that people are dying and going to hell."When was the last time you have a lost person over in your home?How many meaningful conversations did you have with non-Christians this week?Who are the nonbelievers you prayed for today?CHURCH, PURPOSE OFEvangelismDate: 4/2007.101Humor for Preaching & Teaching - Ed Rowell P66 A woman bought a parrot to keep her company. She took him home, but returned the bird to the store the next day. "This bird doesn't talk," she told the owner."Does he have a mirror in his cage?" asked the owner. "parrots love mirrors. They see themselves in the mirror and start up a conversation." The woman bought a mirror and left. The next day, she returned. The bird still wasn't talking."How about a ladder? Parrots love walking up and down the ladder. A happy parrot is more likely to talk." The woman bought a ladder and left. Sure enough, she was back the next day; the bird still wasn't talking."Does your parrot have a swing? If not that's the problem. He'll relax and talk up a storm." The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.When she walked into the store the next day, her countenance had changed. "The parrot died," she said. The pet store owner was shocked."I'm so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say a word?" he asked."Yes, right before he died," the woman replied. "He said, "Don't they sell any food at that pet store?"CHURCH, PURPOSE OFLACK OF COURAGE James Hewitt - Illustrations UnlimitedOne of the bishops attending Vatican II later shared with a few colleagues a note from his personal journal: “Wisdom everywhere, courage nowhere. Dear Lord, we are dying of prudence.”CHURCH, SERVICE INLet The other do itDate: 1/2007.101AMG Bible Illustrations Book 1 #94 There is an incipient danger in thinking, since there are so many belonging to the Church, "Why not let George do it?" An eastern story tells of four brothers who decided to have a feast. As wine was rather expensive, they agreed that each one should bring an equal quantity and add it to the common stock. One of the brothers thought he might escape making his contribution by bringing water instead of wine. "It won't be noticed in the common wine jar," he reasoned. But when at the feast, the wine was poured out, it turned out not to be wine at all but plain water. All four brothers had thought alike. Each one had said, "Let the other do it."CHURCH, SERVICE INSomeone ElseDate: 1/2007.10112 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." Eph 4:11-13 - Candle in the DarknessThe church was bowed in grief this week to learn that one of our most valuable members. Someone Else, passed away. This death creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Someone Else has been with us for many years. During all these years, he did far more than a normal person's share of the work. Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results.Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach or a meeting to attend - one name was on everyone's list: "Let Someone Else do it."Someone Else was also among the largest givers of the church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed that Someone Else would make up the difference.This beloved church member was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing superhuman; but a person can only do so much. Everyone expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone. Who will pitch in to do the things that Someone Else has done? If you are asked to take a job in church, we hope you won't reply, "Let Someone Else do it." Now we need you to pick up where Someone Else left off.CHURCH, SERVING INDoing your partJune 17 2012 DCFC English [Worship Acceptable to God] Mal 3:6-12 A call to trust in a faithful GodThere is a story about a guy who came to church with his family. As they were driving home afterwards he was complaining about everything. He said, “The music was too loud. The sermon was too long. The announcements were unclear. The building was hot. The people were unfriendly.” He went on & on, complaining about virtually everything. Finally, his very observant son said, “Dad, you’ve got to admit it wasn’t a bad show for just a dollar.” CHURCH, SERVING INNo titleJune 17 2012 DCFC English [Worship Acceptable to God] Mal 3:6-12 A call to trust in a faithful GodThere was an old story a king that was coming to visit a certain land. The people in the land were so excited that a king would grace their little village with his presence. They wanted to find a way to honor him, and decided to do so by giving him the best of their wine. Every person was to bring one cup of their best wine from home and they would all put it in one big pot, and when the king came he would taste the best wine from all the people. One person thought if everyone else is bringing their best then I could bring water, it won’t make a bit of difference with hundreds of others bringing their best. When the king arrived and tasted the wine, he discovered that it was all water. The king was not honored. CHURCH, SERVING INThe Little boy who wanted to fight firesDate: 8/2007.101Intense Illustrations - Jim Burns & Mike Devries P69 Once there was a little boy who ever since he could remember wanted to be a fireman. The shrill of the siren and deep rumble of the racing fire truck had filled his dreams almost every night. Deep in his heart there was a longing to someday be able to help people, to save people from the ravaging grasp of fire. It was not the whim of childhood fantasy; his was the unmistakable call of destiny.Growing up never changed his mind. To be sure, he had gone through all the indecisions and doubts of adolescence, the well meaning questions of friends and family who wondered whether he could be happy as a fireman. But he never wavered. He was meant to be a fireman. He was meant to put out fires. Oh how he longed for the day when he would no longer be a spectator but could participate actively as a firefighter.Finally the big day came when he could take the first real step to fulfill his lifelong dream arrived: He was accepted at one of the best firefighter schools in the country. His teachers were world renowned. For three years, he immersed himself in his schooling. he spent hours honing his skills on practice fires. he studied firefighting theory long into the nights. Still, after all these years, he had never fought a real fire. As graduation approached, however, he realized that long-awaited moment was within reach.Suddenly he began to have doubts. For the first time in his life, he was unsure, afraid and worse yet, questioning whether he ought to be a fireman at all. It was then that one of his professors suggested he travel to Europe and study under one of the greatest fireman theorists of all time, He would be recommended by his professors and would receive the finest training available. It would last for two years.The not-so-little boy decided to travel to Europe and for 2 years, he exhausted himself in dedicated study and became one of the most brilliantly educated firemen in the world. But all he had ever done was put out practice fires. Once again, graduation loomed before him and once again he was haunted by indecision. he knew all about fires and could tell anyone how to fight one; in fact, he knew so much, he began to feel that his superior knowledge did in fact place him a notch above the ordinary firemen. He became increasingly concerned that he might have to fight fires with uneducated firemen which could result in him being exposed to unnecessary danger.It was then that he was offered a position to teach at one of the most respected firemen schools in the country. he accepted and for 25 years he taught with honor, receiving worldwide recognition. When he died sometime later, someone found the memoirs he had written on his death bed. In them was this strange passage:I lie here today reviewing my life. I still remember my dream, my passion to be a fireman. More than anything else I wanted to put out fires, but I realized something today. I have never put out a real fire. never.CHURCH, STRIFE INCHURCH FIGHTS 12 June 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 3:5-17 Rethinking the Ministry?James Hewitt - Illustrations Unlimited??It often seems that the church is a place for contention, which seems to turn some people away. But some see fighting in the church as a healthy sign that people care enough to invest the energy in fighting. A few years ago two ministers got into a fight about what they considered to be an important doctrinal matter. They settled the fight when the first minister told the second: “Look, what are we fighting over? We’re both striving to do the Lord’s work. You do it your way and I’ll do it His way!”CHURCH, STRIFE INMaking Music TogetherDate: 10/2007.10114 Mar 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 4:1-16 How does the Church grow?2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 4:1-16 The Growth of the ChurchFresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching - Leadership Journal - Ed Rowell P106The Atlantic Monthly (11/94) told about superstar tenors Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti performing together in Los Angeles. A reporter tried to press the issue of competitiveness between the three men. "You have to put all your concentration into opening your heart to the music," Domingo said. "You can't be rivals when you're together making music."That's also true in the churchCHURCH, STRIFE INMe Too! Date: 4/2007.101Youth Specialties - Hot Illustrations 14 Mar 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 4:1-16 How does the Church grow?2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 4:1-16 The Growth of the ChurchA man was standing by the bridge when he saw a second man about to commit suicide by jumping from a high bridge. “Stop! Stop! Don't do it!” shouted the first man. “But I have nothing to live for,” said the second man. “Maybe I can help you,” the first man offered. “Are you religious?” asked the first man. “Yes I am!” replied the second. “Me too!” said the first. “Are you a Christian, Jewish, or Moslem?” “I'm Christian,” replied the second man. “Me too!” said the first man. “Are you Protestant or Catholic?” “I'm a Protestant,” replied the second man. “Me too! Are you Calvinist or Wesleyan?” “Calvinist,” replied the second man. “Me too! Are you liberal or conservative?” “Conservative, of course” replied the second man. “Me too! Evangelical or Fundamentalist?” “Evangelical,” replied the second man. “Me too! Charismatic, Reformed, or Baptist?” “Baptist,” replied the second man. “Me too!” said the first. “General Baptist, Conference Baptist, or Northern Baptist?” “Conference Baptist,” replied the second man. “Me too!” said the first man excitedly. “Conference Baptist of the 1932 Conference, or Conference Baptist of the 1946 Conference?” “Conference Baptist of the 1932 Conference!” replied the second man with a wide smile. “1932?” exclaimed the first man. “Then die, infidel heretic scum!” And the first man pushed the second man off the bridge.Where to Take It from Here...To categorize and stereotype each other is to hurt each other. When we spend our energy looking for what makes us different, instead of recognizing that God loves us all, we ignore God's command to love each other as we have been loved by God. Regardless of the labels we wear, we are all God's children, created in his image.CHURCH, WHAT IT ISSmall group & Community?This desire to know and be known, this desire for community is something innate. It something we cannot deny because it is based on who God is. We are made in the image of God, the imago Dei. So what is God like? The very nature of God is the Trinity and that reflects community. Three persons with one essence that is the very essence of God and a doctrine that Paul repeats throughout his writings, especially in this book! Our identity as Christians, as the Church is build upon the Triune nature of God. So being made in the image of God, we too desire community and God has chosen the Church to reflect this community. Not only that, the incarnation of Christ, itself is an act of community. Christ became man, became flesh, became like us, to model community for us. So brothers and sisters, Church must be a place where you do not stand alone. It must be a place where you are held accountable. So it is absurd to view ourselves as individual Christians, relating only to Christ and not to each other. It is wrong to come to this place and not get connected with others – this is not Church!We aim to build authentic community through small groups. We believe in the small group, it is a place where you can connect and build genuine relationships, that is a place where you can know and be known, a place where you serve and are served, a place where you love and are loved. It will be such a waste, if you to this place week-in and week-out and never experience community and never experience Church. Church is family.?CHURCH, WHAT IT ISWe are the churchDate: 10/2008.10112 Oct 2008 DCFC English "We have a dream..." Eph 4:11-13 - Candle in the Darkness Craig GroeschelWe love this church because it is convenient for us.We go to this church because our kids love the day careThis church makes me feel better about myself"We are church shopping." Their words imply that they are consumers looking for some church to meet their needs. When they find a church they like, they join it. If one day this church no longer meets their needs, they leave, singing the national anthem of consumeristic church shoppers, "We're not getting fed! We are not growing!" Erwin McManus asked, "When will we realize that the church does not exist for us? We are the church and we exist for the world."CHURCH, ATTACK ONAmerica, Return to God – Ravi ZachariasAll around us ‘Christmas bashing” has gone on. After all, not everybody believes in it, so why should anyone be wished well on Christmas? The ACLU, ever present to eradicate belief from the public square, lent its oppressive muscle to those who denied any government or state agency the freedom to put up a Christmas tree or children singing Christmas carols in school. That is why in Capital Hill, the lighting of the Christmas tree became known as lighting of the “People’s Tree”. One civil libertarian demand a school in NJ that no Christmas tunes be played because it was not just the words that offended his sensitivities but the melodies as well. One well know talk show host said she would be offended if someone wished her “Merry Christmas” This bigotry has come from our culture of tolerance, which allowed cultural liberals to express their views in public while banishing everyone else’s views to their private chambers. So Happy Holidays rolled in on the heels of Happy Turkey day. Is a day coming when someone will be uncomfortable with saying Good morning, because good is a derivative of God and they would not want to offend an atheist?There is a venomous and brazen anti-Christian attitude now being wielded in the West. How did this come to be? How did it come about that while so-called Muslim scholars do not hesitate to admit that Islam and democracy are not compatible, a Muslim can still have a democratic right to call his festivals by their names, while Christians cannot? How is it that a Muslim in Canada can get away with demanding Shari’a law be introduced into the Canadian legal code but would scream outrage if a westerner in a Muslim country were to ask to be tried by his own legal system. How is it that while Muslim radicals attacked the US, the Koran is required reading at some academic institutions in the West, though the same institutions will mock the Bible? The issue is bigger than just banning Christmas carols. Something has gone radically wrong.Remember the words of Martin Niemoller who tried to warn those who remained silent to the Nazi atrocities, “First they came for the communists and I did not speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.” Those who wipe out the memory of the Christian faith will find out that the logic of their position may one day lead to someone wiping them out as well and there will be no one left to come to their aide, for there will be no one left with reason to speak of loving those who despise you.So what is the glimmer of hope? I began this essay while I was in Beijing China, where all over the city I saw banners that said, “Merry Christmas” I spent one morning at the Forbidden city. As I walked through the cold with some friends deep in the inner sanctum of the Forbidden city, I saw a small Starbucks with a sign that said, “Merry Christmas” I stopped and pondered, “How odd it is that in the land of Mao where individuals were humiliated for the sake of the “People” I should see a sign wishing me merry Christmas, while in the land where individual freedom is touted as defining the nation’s reason for being, “the people’s tree” won the day.CHURCH, ATTACK ONAmerica, Return to God – James Dobson “How can we win this war?”Your concern and convictions must be translated into action. As Edmund Burke, the English parliamentarian once said, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Contact your senators and representatives. Write a letter, place a phone call. Register to vote. Do it now. Take part in radio and TV call in programs. Volunteer to teach a class or hold a seminar about marriage and family related issues. Out up lawn signs and distribute bumper stickers proclaiming the sanctity of marriage.Dr. Corts, former president of the Billy Graham organization told of this story. When he was 16, he and his younger cousins went to visit their grandfather’s farm. They couldn’t wait to get out there and go out into the fields. They wanted to pitch hay and ride on the tractor. It sounded like so much fun. But grandfather was reluctant to let them go. They whined and begged until finally he said to John, “You are the eldest. You can take the kids to the field if you promise not to bring them back early. You must keep them out there until the end of the day.” John said, “I will do that grandpa.” SO they climbed on the hay wagon and the tractor pulled them out to the field. Very quickly, the kids grew tired and started complaining. The work was hot and sticky and they were miserable. They began asking to go back to the house. But John said, “No, grandfather told me to jeep you out here.” By lunch time, they were exhausted. The hay was getting under their shirts and it itched. Everyone wanted to go home. But again John said, “No. Grandfather told me to keep you here.” About 3 o’clock, a large storm gathered overhead. The kids got scared and several were crying. “please,” they begged. “Let us go home!” Still John refused. Finally at about 5, it was time. John loaded all the kids and brought them back. After their baths and meals, grandfather praised them warmly for their work and they felt proud of themselves. That’s when his grandfather said to John, “This farm has been successful through the years for one reason: We have stayed in the field when we felt like coming in. We did what needed to be done, even when we wanted to quit. That is why I wanted the kids to have a satisfying experience of staying with something through the day.”We are in a very difficult situation now. It is tough. It is hard swimming against the tide of political correctness, the liberal media, the entertainment industry, Congress, the libraries and cultural forces making fun of us. It is not pleasant to be called the religious right, the extremists, fundamentalist right wing crazies. None of us like that. But being ridiculed and marginalized is the price we must pay to defend what we believe. Jesus told us that it would that way. God has called us to stay in the field till the end of the day, and I for one, will do that as long as I have breath in my body.CHURCH, ATTACK ON America, Return to God – Thomas WangAmerica and the West are showing signs characteristic of pre-exilic Judah. One by one the Western countries are turning away from God. Is America following suit? There are elements working to secularize and paganize America, twisting the meaning of noble and virtuous words:Tolerance – tolerance of different views including the tolerance of evil, otherwise you are a hate mongerFreedom – free on everything otherwise you are a bigotMulti literalism – all isms and religions are equal and none could claim as uniqueUnity – We will have unity, if you agree with my ideologyPeace – we will have peace when you adopt my lifestyleProchoice – In reality it is pro-murderLove – love is sex and sex is love. One should be free to have sex with anyone, anytime, anywhere and any number, otherwise you are restrictive and archaic COMMITMENTThirst07 Nov 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Satisfying Life’s Desires] Ps 84 Satisfying Soul Heart of a Great Pastor P220: I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I’ve stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame vision, mundane talking, chincy giving and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up or burn up till I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop and preach till everyone knows. And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me… my colors are MITMENTJames Hewitt - Illustrations Unlimited?07 Mar 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 3:1-13 What is the Church called to do??2-4 Apr 2010 ACBC Revival Meeting (Mandarin) – [Growing in Love, Building the Church] Eph 3:1-13 The Calling of the Church?THE CHURCH WITHOUT COMMITMENTEmerson Colaw tells about doing some work with his church’s nonresident membership list. He wrote a letter to one family that had been very active in his church. A letter came back saying, “Mr. Colaw, we now live near a university campus and we go every Sunday to the chapel service there. They have unusually fine music… they have nationally known preachers ever Sunday morning.” And she added a note he didn’t think necessary. “We had not heard such preaching as that before. The children are being taught in church school by seminary students.” And then she ended, “But the best of all there is no membership, no pledging, and no women’s society asking me to work. So if you don’t mind, we’ll just leave our membership at Hyde Park and continue to enjoy what we have here.” No involvement, no bother. No crosses. COMMITMENTInventor of VaselineDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #8 Robert Chesebrough believed in his product. he's the fellow who invented Vaseline, a petroleum jelly refined from rod wax, the ooze that forms on shaft of oil rigs. He so believed in the healing properties of his product that he became his own guinea pig. he burned himself with acid and flame; he cut and scratched himself so often and so deeply that he bore the scar of his tests the rest of his life. But he proved his product worked. People had only to look at his wounds, now healed to see the value of his work and the extent of MITMENTJumping without ParachutesDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #30 Tim Bowden, in his book One Crowded Hour about cameraman Neil Davis, tells about an incident that happened in Borneo during the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia in 1964.A group of Gurkhas from Nepal were asked if they would be willing to jump from transport planes into combat against the Indonesians if the need arose. The Gurkhas had the right to turn down the request because they had never been trained as paratroopers. Bowden quotes Davis's account of the story:Now the Gurkhas usually agreed to anything but on this occasion they provisionally rejected the plan. But the next day one of their NCOs sought out the British officer who made the request and said they had discussed the matter further and would be prepared to jump under certain conditions."What are they?" asked the British Officer.The Gurkas told him they would jump if the land was marshy and reasonably soft with no rocky outcrops because they were inexperienced in falling. The British officer considered this and said that the dropping area would almost certainly be over jungle and there would not be rocky outcrops so that seemed all right. Was there anything else?"Yes," said the Gurkhas. They wanted the plane to fly as slowly as possible and no more than 100 hundred feet high. The British Officer pointed out the planes always did fly as slowly as possible when dropping troops but to jump from 100 feet was impossible because the parachutes would not open in time from that height."Oh," said the Gurkhas, "that's all right then. We'll jump with parachutes anywhere. You didn't mention parachutes before!"Any church could use such Gurkhas-like commitment and MITMENTTelemachusDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #37 Charles Colson in Loving God, tells the story of Telemachus, a fourth century Christian.He lived in a remote village tending his garden and spending much time in prayer. One day he thought he heard the voice of God telling him to go to Rome, so he obeyed, setting out on foot. Weary weeks later, he arrived in the city at the time of a great festival. The little monk followed the crowd surging down the streets into the Coliseum. he saw the gladiators stand before the emperor and say, "We who are going to fight to death salute you." Then he realized these men were going to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowd. He cried out, "In the name of Christ stop!"As the games began, he pushed his way through the crowd, climbed over the wall and dropped to the floor of the arena. When the crowd saw this tiny figure rushing to the gladiators and saying, "In the name of Christ, stop!" they thought it was part of the show and began to laugh. When they realized it wasn't, the laughter turned to anger. As he was pleading with the gladiators to stop, one of them plunged a sword into his body. he fell to the sand. As he was dying, his last words were, "in the name of Christ, stop!"Then a strange thing happened. The gladiators stood looking at the tiny figure lying there. A hush fell over the Coliseum. Way up in the upper rows, a man stood and made his way to the exit. Other began to follow. In dead silence, everyone left the Coliseum. The year was 391 BC and that was the last battle to the death between gladiators in the Roman Coliseum. Never again in the great stadium did men kill each other for the entertainment of the crowd all because of one tiny voice that could hardly be heard above the tumult. One voice - one life- that spoke the truth in God's MITTEESCommitteesDate: 9/2007.101Humor for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal & Christian Reader P35 An old legend says that when God created the world, the angels were in awe. As he created the animals, the angels asked to give it a try. God agreed, so the animal creation committee designed the platypus, a creature with the bill of a duck, the fur of a dog, the tail of a beaver and the feet of a frog. Since that day, there have been no committees in MUNICATIONJewish Janitor vs. the PopeDate: 5/2007.101-Isaac Asimov Back in medieval times, a thoroughly apocryphal story tells us that the Roman Pope was persuaded by some of his more conservative advisors to endure no longer the presence of Jews in the very heart and core of world Christianity. The Jews of Rome were, therefore, ordered evicted from their homes by a certain date.To the Jews of Rome this was a great tragedy, for they knew no refuge where they might not expect worse treatment than in Rome. They appealed to the Pope for reconsideration, and the Pope, a fair minded man, suggested a sporting proposition. If the Jews would appoint one of their own number to engage in a debate with him, in pantomime, and if the Jewish representative were to win the debate, the Jews might remain.The Jewish leaders gathered in the synagogue that night and considered the proposition. It seemed the only way out, but none of their number wished to volunteer to debate. Then the chief rabbi said, "It is impossible to win a debate in which the Pope will be both participant and judge. And how can I face the possibility that the eviction of the Jews will be the result of my specific failure?"The synagogue janitor, who had been quietly sweeping the floor through all this, suddenly spoke up. "I'll debate," he said. They stared at him in astonishment."You, a cheap janitor?" said the chief rabbi. "Debate with the Pope?""Someone has to," said the janitor, "and none of you will."So the janitor was made the representative of the Jewish community to debate with the Pope.The great date came. In the square before St. Peter's was the Pope, surrounded by the College of Cardinals in full panoply, with crowds of bishops and other churchly functionaries. Approaching was the Jewish janitor, surrounded by a few of the leaders of the Jewish community in their somber black garb and their long gray beards.Pope faced janitor, and the debate began.Gravely, the Pope raised one finger and swept it across the heavens. Without hesitation the janitor pointed firmly toward the ground. The Pope looked surprised.Even more gravely, the Pope raised one finger again, keeping it firmly before the janitor's face.With the trace of a sneer, the janitor raised three fingers, holding the pose just as firmly. A look of deep astonishment crossed the Pope's face.Then the Pope thrust his hand deep into his robes and produced an apple. The janitor thereupon opened a paper bag that was sticking out of his hip pocket and took out a flat piece of matzo. At this, the Pope exclaimed in a loud voice, "The Jewish representative has won the debate. The Jews may remain in Rome."The janitor backed off, the Jewish leaders surrounded him, and all walked hastily out of the square.They were no sooner gone than the church leaders clustered about the Pope. "What happened, your Holiness?" they demanded. "We could not follow the rapid give-and-take."The Pope passed a shaking hand across his brow. "The man facing me," he said, "was a master at the art of debate. Consider! I began the debate by sweeping my hand across the sky to indicate that God ruled all the universe. Without pausing an instant, that old Jew pointed downward to indicate that nevertheless the Devil had been assigned a domination of his own below."I then raised one finger to indicate there was but one God, assuming I would catch him in the error of his own theology. Yet he instantly raised three fingers to indicate that the one God has three manifestations, a clear acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity."Abandoning theology, I produced an apple to indicate that certain blind upholders of so-called science were flying in the face of revealed truth by declaring the Earth was as round as an apple. Instantly, he produced a flat piece of unleavened bread to indicate that the Earth, in accord with revelation, was nevertheless flat. So I granted him victory."By now, the Jews and the janitor had reached the ghetto. All surrounded the janitor, demanding, "What happened?"The janitor said indignantly, "The whole thing was nonsense. Listen. First the Pope waves his hand like he's saying, 'The Jews must get out of Rome.' So I pointed downward to say, 'Oh yeah? The Jews are going to stay right here.' So he points his finger at me as if to say, 'Drop dead, but the Jews are leaving.' So I pointed three fingers at him to say 'Drop dead three times, the Jews are staying.' So then I see he's taking out his lunch, so I take out mine."COMMUNICATION, IMPORTANCE OFCommunicationDate: 6/2006.101Preaching Magazine: Mikey's Funnies We need to learn to communicate. Often we do not but instead listen to what others say about what he said. Thus lose the real meaning and misunderstandings results.ILLUSTRATION: CommunicationThe Mafia was looking for a new man to make weekly collections from all the private businesses that they were "protecting." Feeling the heat from the police force, they decided to use a deaf person for this job. If he were to get caught, he wouldn't be able to communicate to the police what he was doing.On his first week, the deaf collector picks up over $50,000. He gets greedy, decides to keep the money and stashes it in a safe place. The Mafia soon realizes that their collection is late, and sends some of their hoods after the deaf collector. The hoods find the deaf collector and ask him where the money is. The deaf collector can't communicate with them, so the Mafia drags the guy to an interpreter. The Mafia hood says to the interpreter, "Ask him where the money is."The interpreter signs, "Where's the money?"The deaf signs in reply, "I don't know what you're talking about." The interpreter tells the hood, "He says he doesn't know what you're talking about."The hood pulls out a large gun and places it in the face of the deaf collector. "NOW ask him where the money is."The interpreter signs, "Where is the money?"The deaf man signs in reply, "The $50,000 is in Central Park, hidden in the third tree stump on the left from the West 78th Street gate."The interpreter says to the hood, "He says he still doesn't know what you're talking about, and doesn't think you have the guts to pull the trigger." (Mikey's Funnies)COMMUNICATION, IMPORTANCE OFReasons for Marriage – JokeDate: 6/2006.1019/27/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of Marriage 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking #571Husband to wife: How can someone so beautiful be so stupid?Wife to Husband: God made me beautiful so you would marry me; he made me stupid so I would marry you!COMMUNICATION, OF GOSPELSay it as If you Mean ItDate: 6/2006.101September 14 2007 - PM 103 Class on Introduction & Conclusion1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking #687Helena Modjeska (1844-1909) was a popular actress with great emotional style and superb ability. She demonstrated this ability by giving a dramatic reading in Polish, her native tongue, at a dinner party. Her listeners, who didn't understand the language, were in tears by the time she had finished. She had just recited the Polish alphabet.When we say things - we have to mean it. If not people can pick up that we are phoney. Walk the talk, then talk the MUNICATION, PROPERJoke - Pepe Rodriquez - The Bank RobberDate: 6/2006.101Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks - P163 Joke Pepe Rodriguez, one of the most notorious bank robbers in the early settling of the West, lived just across the border in Mexico. He regularly crept into Texas towns to rob banks, returning to Mexico. Eventually they cornered Pepe in a Mexican bar that he frequented. Unfortunately, Pepe couldn’t speak any English, so the lawmen asked the bartender to translate for them.The bartender explained to Pepe who these men were, and Pepe began to shake with fear. The Texas Rangers, with their guns drawn, told the bartender to ask Pepe where he had hidden all the money he had stolen from the Texas banks. "Tell him that if he doesn't tell us where the money is right now, we're going to shoot him dead on the spot!"The bartender translated all this to Pepe. Immediately Pepe explained in Spanish that the money was hidden in the town well. They could find the money by counting down seventeen stones from the handle and behind the seventeenth stone was all the loot he had stolen.The bartender then turned to the Texas Rangers and said in English, :Pepe is a very brave man. He says that you are a bunch of stinking pigs and he is not afraid to die!"Application:Things sometimes get lost in translation.Much of what we read and hear and watch is second hand information that may or may not be true. We need to make sure that we are not only getting the truth, but also communicating the truth to PANIONSHIP, DESIREInvention of CommitteeDate: 3/2007.101Treasury of Humor 1994 A traveler stopped to observe the curious behavior of a farmer who was plowing his field. A single mule hitched to the plow was wearing blinders, and the farmer was yelling, "Giddyap, Pete! Giddyap, Herb! Giddyap, Ol' Bill! Giddyap, Jeb!"After watching the farmer carry on like this for a while, the traveler asked, "Say, mister-how many names does that mule have?""Just one-his name is Pete.""Then why do you call out Herb and Bill and-""It's like this," explained the farmer. "If Ol' Pete knew he was doing this work alone, I couldn't make him do it. But if he thinks he's got three other mules workin' alongside of him, he does the job all by himself.""What a marvelous idea!" exclaimed the traveler.And when he got back to his corporate office in New York, he invented the PASSIONCompassion – JokeDate: 9/2007.101Humor for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal & Christian Reader P43 The instructor from a dog training workshop in Salt Lake City noted that a dog's disposition can be tested by the owner. If the owner will fall down and pretend to be hurt, a dog with a bad temper will tend to bite him. But a good dog will show concern and may lick the fallen owner's face. Susan Matice attended the class and then decided to test her two dogs. While eating pizza in her living room, she stood up, clutched her heart, screamed and fell to the floor. Her dogs looked at her, looked at each other and then raced to the coffee table for her pizza.Do we evaluate our children/parents like that? COMPASSIONCuriosity or CompassionDate: 9/2008.10110/11/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of ManMoody Devotion - Stowell - John 9 (Jasen Chen)Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. Arloa Sutter grew up on a farm in Iowa. One of her fond memories from her time on the farm was spawned on a cold December day when she walked out into the pasture and noticed a little lamb that had just been born. Its body was frozen stiff. Thinking it was dead, Arloa picked it up and carefully took it back into the warmth of the barn. She wrapped the little lamb in towels and then went back to her house. A few hours later, she returned to the barn to do a couple of chores only to hear the weak yet welcome sound of bleating from that little lamb.Rescuing that lamb had a huge impact on Arloa. It opened her heart to the call of God to rescue His lambs off the streets of Chicago. Arloa moved to Chicago and attended college at The Moody Bible Institute. She never went back to the sheep on the farm. In Chicago, she was struck by the needs of the destitute and poor - people whom, as she says, "are like that frozen lamb who need a touch of the compassion of Jesus to reclaim their souls." After graduation, Arloa established Breakthrough Ministries, which is now a leader in ministering to the homeless street people of that city. I lived in Chicago for many years, and I can tell you how easy it is to become immune to the countless homeless people on the street - to pass by and wonder what went wrong without reaching out to help. Why is it that we are far more interested in the details of WHAT, WHY, WHEN, and WHERE, than we are about HOW we can help?When the disciples passed the blind beggar, their curiosity about why he was suffering outweighed any desire to reach out to him. I can't help but wonder if they had seen him many times before and responded with the same kind of standoffish, theological curiosity. And when they finally got a chance to quiz Jesus about the man, it revealed that they were dreadfully out of step with their Master's heart. In fact, they had more than just curiosity. Lurking beneath their question was a desire to know whom to blame for the problem.Thankfully, Jesus' heart was into compassion, not curiosity. Rather than analyzing the situation to satisfy the judgmental attitudes of onlookers, He marshaled His divine resources to reach out and help. Which in this case meant that the blind man would see! And to answer the disciples' question, He made it clear that the man's blindness was intended to provide a moment when God could be magnified through Jesus' compassionate touch.Jesus' actions call us away from standoffish, curious, and often critical attitudes. Jesus teaches us that true followers never fail to be compassionate, but rather constantly live by the motto: "What can I do to help?"Your Journey...*What is your first reaction when you encounter someone who is down-and-out? Is your response more like that of the disciples or of Jesus?*Read the story of the blind man in John 9. How did the man's physical healing eventually bring about spiritual restoration (John 9:35-39)?*It's easy to go through each day with merely a passing thought about the needs of those around us. Ask the Lord to open your eyes today to give you an opportunity to see beyond someone's circumstances to their need, and to extend His touch of grace to that PASSIONNot my problemDate: 10/2009.10110/11/2009 DCFC English [Life & Theology - Is there a connection?] Theology of ManCreative VenueVideo Clip from Sermon Spice - Not my problemCompassion povertyCOMPASSIONTom LandryDate: 4/2009.101Hope Again - Chuck Swindoll P190 Tom Landry, head coach of Dallas Cowboys illustrates the level of his Christian love. Years ago, the late Ohio State coach, Wood Hayes, was fired for striking an opposing player on the sidelines during a football game. The press had a field day with the firing and really tarred and feathered Wood Hayes. Few people in America could have felt lower than he at that time; he not only lost control in a game and did a foolish thing, but he also lost his job and much of the respect others had for him. At the end of that season, a large prestigious banquet was held for professional athletes. Tom Landry of course was invited. Guess who he took with him as his guest? Wood Hayes... the man everyone was being encouraged to hate and PASSION, EXAMPLES OF HUMANRonald ReaganDate: 4/2009.101Hope Again - Chuck Swindoll P122 Peggy Noonan who wrote the story of Ronald Reagan.In highlighting this quality in Reagan's character, Noonan tells the story of Frances Green, an eighty three year old woman who lived by herself on social security in a town just outside San Francisco. She had little money but for eight years she'd been sending one dollar a year to the Republican National Convention.Then one day Frances got an RNC fund-raising letter in the mail, a beautiful piece on thick, cream-colored paper with black and gold lettering. it invited the recipient to come to the White House to meet President Reagan. She never noticed the little RSVP card that suggested a positive reply needed to be accompanied by a generous donation. She thought she'd been invited because they appreciated her dollar a year support.Frances scrap up every cent she had and took a four day train ride across America. Unable to afford a sleeper, she slept sitting up in coach. Finally she arrived at the White House gate: a little elderly woman with white hair, white powder all over her face, white stockings, an old hat with white netting and an all white dress, now yellow with age. When she got up to the guard at the gate, she gave her name, however, the man frowned, glanced over his official list and told her that her name wasn't there. She couldn't go in. Frances was heartbroken.A Ford Motor Company executive who was standing in line behind her watched and listened to the little scenario. Realizing something was wrong; he pulled Frances aside and got her story. Then he asked her to return at nine o'clock the next morning and meet him there. She agreed. In the meantime, he made contact with Anne Higgins, a presidential aide and got clearance to give her a tour of the White House and introduce her to the president. Reagan agreed to see her.The next day was anything but calm and easy at the White House. Ed Meese had just resigned. There had been a military uprising abroad. Reagan was in and out of high level secret sessions. But Frances Green showed up at nine o'clock, full of expectation and enthusiasm. The executive met her, gave her a wonderful tour of the White House, then quietly walked her by the Oval Office, thinking maybe at best, she might get a quick glimpse of the president on her way out. Members of the National Security Council came out. High ranking generals were coming and going. In the midst of all the hubbub, President Reagan glanced out and saw Frances Green. With a smile, he gestured her into his office. As she entered, he rose from his desk and called out, "Frances! Those darn computers, they fouled up again! If I'd known you were coming I would have come out there to get you myself." he then invited her to sit down and they talked leisurely about California, her town, her life and family.The President of the United States gave Frances Green a lot of time that day - more time than he had. Some would say it was time wasted. But those who say that didn't know Ronald Reagan. he knew this woman had nothing to give him, but she needed something he could give her. And so he took time to be kind and compassionate.In out high tech cyberspace era, it is so easy to become distant. We can live our lives untouched and untouchable. In a fast lane world it isn't difficult to become uncaring and preoccupied with our own agendas. The freeway of life requires that we keep moving, no matter what we see happening around us. COMPASSION, OF GODKnowing God's heartDate: 5/2006.101DCFC Sunday School - Intro to Jonah 15 Oct 2006Calvin Miller: O Shepherd, where art thou? P20Thomas CarlyleThe word cameand he wentin the otherdirection.God said: Cry,tears of compassion,tears of repentance;Cry against the reekof unrighteousness; cry forthe right turnthe contrite spiritand Jonah roseand fledin tearless silence.The ministry of the church ought to realize that tears are the condition of the world. And it may not be to the church's credit that she has not learned to weep with those who weep. Jonah in the OT sinned the sin of so many modern churchmen. He lost the ability to weep over what God PROMISEWhere is your beard? Date: 3/2009.101Jan 08 2012 DCFC English [Dan 1:1-21 – The Character that God values] ? - JokeAfter many years, a young Jewish Talmud student who had left the old country for America returns to visit the family."But--where is your beard?" asks his mother upon seeing him."Mama," he replies, "in America, nobody wears a beard.""But at least you keep the Sabbath?""Mama, business is business. In America, everybody works on the Sabbath.""But kosher food you still eat?""Mama, in America, it is very difficult to keep kosher."The old lady ponders this information and then leans over and whispers in his ear, "Isaac, tell me--you’re still circumcised?"COMPROMISE, GIVING INFresh Fish For SaleDate: 12/2005.10127 July 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:8-10 - Abraham - Sojourner on earth2009 OK Retreat - Heb 11:8-10 Faith 2 Finish: Open Palms2011 FCCD Retreat - Heb 11:8-10 Faith 2 Finish: Live Life with Open PalmsJan 08 2012 DCFC Chinese [Dan 1:1-21 – The Character that God values] ?Once a man was selling fishes and he put up a sign "Fresh Fish For Sale Today"Soon, someone told the man, "Why do you need to write 'Today'? It is obvious isn't it?"The man thought about it and agreed, so he removed the word "Today" - leaving "Fresh Fish For Sale".The next day, another person told him "Why do you need to write the word 'Fresh'? We all trust that you are man of integrity. Of course your fishes a fresh."So the man removed the word 'Fresh' and was left with "Fish For Sale". Soon, another man came along and told him "Why do you need to write the words 'For Sale'? I mean you set up the store to sell things - isn't it obvious?" Once again, he agreed and removed the words 'for sale' and was left with the single word 'Fish" on his sign board. Finally, his friends came up to him and said "Why do you need to write 'Fish'? We all can smell them a mile away!"So the man was left without a sign board. This is compromise. If we are not careful, step by step we give in and finally we realize that we have nothing left.CONCEITDon't Judge at first sightDate: 11/2006.101Toussaint BE 106 A barber saw a little boy coming into his shop and said to his customer, "This is the stupidest boy that I know. Look, let me show you." As the boy came in, the barber took a $1 bill in his right hand and 2 quarters in his left. Then he asked the boy, "Which one do you want?" Without a thought, the boy wanted the 2 quarters in the barber's left hand. He took the 2 quarters and left happily. "You seem what did I tell you!" said the barber to the customer.Sometime later, the customer saw the boy coming out from an ice-cream shop and he went to talk to the boy. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Sure!""Why did you take the 2 quarters instead of the $1 bill?" "Well," replied the boy, "if I had taken the $1 bill, the game would be over!"CONFESSION, OF SINAttitudeDate: 8/2006.101Humor for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal & Christian Reader P16 Way out west, a cowboy was driving sown a road, his dog riding in the back of the pickup truck, his faithful horse in the trailer behind. He failed to negotiate a curve and had a terrible accident.Sometime later, a state police office came upon the scene. An animal lover, he saw the horse first. Realizing the serious nature of its injuries, he drew his service revolver and put the animal out of its misery. He walked around the accident and found the dog, also hurt critically. He couldn't bear to hear it whine in pain, so he ended the dog's suffering as well.Finally he located the cowboy - who suffered multiple fractures - off in the weeds. "Hey, are you okay?" the cop asked.The cowboy took one look at the smoking revolver in the trooper's hand and quickly replied, "Never felt better!"CONFESSION, OF SINImportance of ConfessionDate: 11/2005.101AMG – Our God is a holy God and when we approach Him, we need to confess our sins. Confession of our sins is not telling God what bad things we have done. He already knows what we have done without our telling Him. It is admitting that we agree that what we have done is displeasing to God and it entails repentance. Without this, God will not listen to our prayers - why should He? There was once a little girl who loves to eat ice-cream. Every day, she would ask her mother for money on the pretext of buying books so that she had money to buy ice-cream. Now her mother always gave her the extra pocket money, but realized that her daughter did not buy any new books. So one day, her mother followed her to school and saw the little girl buying ice-cream. The next day, when her daughter asks her for money again, do you think she will give her? What will you do? Now this mother loves her daughter and is willing for her daughter to have ice-cream. But for the fact that her daughter is lying to her, she did not give her the money. Why should she? Will you? Similarly, when we come before God with unconfessed sins, it is like this girl coming before her mother with a hidden lie. God will not honor our prayers if we have unconfessed sins in our lives.CONSCIENCEAdjust your conscience – JokeDate: 3/2007.101Daily Bread Oct 21 2007 - Dennis De Haan Built into our nature is an internal judicial system, the conscience, that commends us when we do right and condemns us when we do wrong. But this vital monitor of morality does not say the same thing to everyone. In some cultures vengeful killing is seen as honorable. In others, a person is still considered good even when he betrays a friend.A story from Philadelphia Inquirer illustrates this problem. A 12-year old boy was caught stealing a watch. he told police that previously he had shoplifted a gift for his mother and he felt he had to do the same doe his dad. Although troubled about slighting his father, he had qualms about stealing.Because of sin, conscience is unreliable and needs a continual adjustment. This begins with a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. He paid sin's penalty and now our hearts are "sprinkled from an evil conscience," (Hebrews 10:22). But this does not make conscience obsolete. As we study the Scriptures, the Hoy Spirit puts our inner monitor on a frequency that brings us in tune with the words, deeds and attitudes of the Lord Jesus."Let your conscience be your guide" is valid only if God's word is guiding your conscience.Conscience is like a sundial: when the truth of God shines on it, it points in the right direction.Acts 24:10-16CONTENTMENTBeatitudesDate: 1/2010.101When God weeps P180 Beatitudes in matt 5:3-12 is baffling. I wanted to get excited about God and be blessed and happy as much as anyone, but Jesus seemed to make it a minus rather than a plus. He employed more of the same gaining-through-losing arithmetic.If I wanted the kingdom, I would have to know persecution - subtraction.If I longed to be comforted, I would have to mourn - subtraction.Inherit the earth? Be meek subtraction again.The Beatitudes especially linked to contentment in v. 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.CONTENTMENTFishing for more fishesDate: 10/2007.101Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching - Leadership Journal - Ed Rowell P31 (Scott Minnich) In our daily bread, Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat."Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked. "because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman."Why don't you catch more fish than you need?" asked the rich man."You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me."The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?""You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist."What do you think I'm doing now?" the fisherman replied.CONTENTMENTGod, Forgive Me when I whineDate: 9/2007.101June 19 2011 DCFC English Worship – [Carpe Diem: Live, Laugh & Love] Eccl 3:1-15 Does God really have a plan?Fresh Ideas: Illustrations, Stories & Quotations - Jim Burns & Greg McKinnon P109 - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Today upon the bus I saw a lovely maiden with golden hair;I envied her because she looked so fine and wished I was as fair.And suddenly as she rose to leave,I watched her hobble down the aisle.She had one leg and wore a brace but as she passed a smile.O God, forgive me when I whine. I've got two legs.The world is mine.And then I stopped to buy some sweets,The boy who sold them was so fine.I talked with him and he said to me,"You know, it’s good to talk with folks like you.You see,," he said, "I'm blind."O god, forgive me when I whine. I have two eyes,The world is mine.Then walking down the streetI saw a lad with eyes of blue.He stood and watched the others playBut seemed he did not know what to do.So I watched him for a moment and then I said,"Hey, don't you know the others here?"He looked ahead without a word and then I knew he could not hear.O God forgive me when I whine, I have two ears,The world is mine.With feet to take me where I go,With eyes to see the sunset glow,With ears to hear what I need to know,O God, forgive me when I whine.I'm blessed indeed, the world is mine.Application:Rather than looking at what you don't have, you need to thank God for all you do have.1 Chronicles 16:34; Philippians 4:6, Philippians 4:11-12; Colossians 3:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 1 Timothy 6:8; James 1:2-4CONTENTMENTLearning contentment in sufferingDate: 1/2010.10114 Nov 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Satisfying Life’s Desires] Ps 127 Secret of Success "Gaining contentment..."June 19 2011 DCFC English Worship – [Carpe Diem: Live, Laugh & Love] Eccl 3:1-15 Does God really have a plan? - only feeding partWhen God weeps P171 Philippians 4:12 - Paul learnt contentment in every situation - how?It meant making tough choices, deciding this and not that, going in this direction and not that one. Why does the secret involve such hard work? because approaching God's throne of grace is not our natural bent. Just take a look at a few of Paul's well chosen words in Philippians "I press on... I strive... I stand firm."Joni, "In a small way I understand making choices like these. I got tired of being fed by others. But when I tried to feed myself with paralyzed arms, I wanted to give up. A bent spoon was inserted into a pocket of my leather arm splint. With weak shoulder muscles, I had to scoop food on the spoon, then balance and lift it to my mouth. It was humiliating to wear a bib, smear applesauce all over my clothes and have it land more times on my lap than in my mouth. I could have surrendered - it would have been easy and many wouldn't have blamed me for quitting. But I had to make a choice. A series of choices. Was I going to let my embarrassment over my food-smeared face dissuade me? Was I going to let disappointing failures overwhelm me? Learning to ask the Lord for help was the secret. How do we learn contentment have get the right kind of subtraction of gaining through losing like Paul in Philippians 4:12, Philippians 4:17-18, learning to life in abundance and lack.Suffering is having what you don't want and wanting what you don't have. If so then Subtracting your wants and you will have contentment. The world is clueless about this sort of math. The world will try to improve its circumstances to match its desire - increase its health, money, beauty, power. It is wiser to subdue your heart to match your circumstances. Christians may not be able to rule their life situations, but they can rule their hearts.Example of Myanmar or Thai Christians with little.Gaining contentment does not mean losing sorrow or saying goodbye to discomfort. Contentment means sacrificing itchy cravings to gain a settled soul. You give up one thing for another. It's hard. Hard but sweet. You are sorrowful yet always rejoicing. You have nothing yet posses everything. 1 Timothy 6:6 - Godliness with contentment is great gain. And gain always comes through loss. No wonder contentment requires enormous strength. Jeremiah Burroughs "A Christian is the most contented man in the world, yet the most unsatisfied man in the world. These two together must needs be mysterious. he is contend if he has but a crust, but bread and water... yet if God should give unto him Kingdoms and Empires, all the world to rule... he should not be satisfied with that. A soul that is capable of God can be filled with nothing else but God.CONTENTMENTNo TitleDate: 11/2005.101Elisabeth Elliot God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in HimCONTENTMENTOnly Jesus SatisfiesDate: 12/2008.101Joe Stowell - 12/30/2008 Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:12-14Victor Krutko came to Moody Bible Institute from Minsk, a town in Belarus. This gifted, passionate pastor and I have become good friends. I’ll never forget an episode with him as we were traveling through Belarus visiting some of his work. God had used him to start a Bible school and seminary in his home country, and his influence had sparked the planting of more than 100 churches in the region. But the most special moment of the trip came when we went to visit Victor’s mom.Our trip to meet this dear woman took us 40 miles outside of Minsk, down a rutted track with weeds sprouting up in the middle of the lane. Passing ramshackle shanties as we entered this backwater village, we pulled up in front of one of the shanties to be greeted by a beaming, ruddy-faced woman in her late 70sVictors mother! With a babushka scarf wrapped around her head, she bustled us inside saying, Come in, come in!We picked our way past the outhouse and through a meager garden. I pointed out the pig to Victor, and he said, Oh yes, she raises the pig in the summer and eats it in the winter. The vegetables from the garden were her only other means of sustenance.Inside the two-room shanty was a kitchen featuring a little table. A sheet divided the other room into a bedroom and a sitting room. As Victor’s mom fed us cucumbers and tomatoes for lunch, she couldn’t stop beaming. Initially, I thought that her unbridled enthusiasm was because her boy, Victor, had come home. But it soon became apparent that her contagious joy was not just about Victor but also about another man in her life, Jesus! As Victor translated, all she could talk about was Jesus how much she loved Him, how much He loved her, how much she couldn’t wait to get to heaven to see and be with Him. This woman, who had very few material possessions, had all that she needed because Jesus had clearly become a well of living water flowing in her heart.This visit prompted a reality check in my heart about how addicted we are to the thought that having more in our material world is where joy is found. It’s not that we don’t want Jesus. It’s just that we act like He’s not enough. Were really glad to have Jesus, but we feel that what we really need is a spiffier set of golf clubs, a newer car, a bigger home, or at the very least a new shirt or pair of shoes. It’s not that having those things is necessarily wrong; it’s just that believing that they will satisfy is a wrong thought.Which reminds me of another woman. When Jesus sat down next to a Samaritan woman by a well, He initiated a conversation by discussing a material need: Would you give me a drink? Then, lovingly, He steered the conversation through territory that explored the many ways that this woman had tried to satisfy her own emptiness, including failed relationships, illicit pleasures, and empty religiosity. Then He made this staggering offer: If anyone comes to Him for satisfaction, they will find their deepest needs and longings met.So, how about you? Instead of seeking to satisfy your life with stuff, will you turn your heart to Jesus and receive His eternally thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying gift of living water? If so, you will experience the deep, genuine joy that captured the heart of Victor’s mom and the woman at the well.CONTENTMENTPs 23Date: 6/2009.1017 June 2009 DCFC English Worship - [Heavenly Songs for Earthly Woes] Ps 23 The Lord is my shepherdThis psalm is popular and endearing because it brings out deep theological truths of God's provision and protection in such simple poetic terms even when misquoted by children. As a little child said, "The Lord is my shepherd, what more shall I want?" What more do we need? Truly, with the Lord in our lives, what else do we need?CONVERSIONAbdul RahmanDate: 3/2009.101You might recall this recent news story? Illustration- Abdul Rahman Afghanistan. Muslim religious and governmental leaders had demanded that 41-year-old Abdul Rahman be executed because of his conversion to Christianity more than 14 years ago. Rahman converted to Christianity while working for a Christian aid group in Pakistan in the early 1990s. He was only recently jailed after court leaders learned of his faith in a child-custody battle with his ex-wife. Rahman was freed and went into immediate hiding March 27. He is now in Italy, where officials offered him asylum. Afterwards, hundreds of Afghans protested the release, as did the nation’s parliament, believing that he should be put to death. Question- Now let me ask you a question- who is the hero in this story? Is it Abdul Rahman? Is it the nations and groups worldwide who pressure put on Afghanistan to release Abdul? Question- Or is it the Christian Aid Group who went on a mission trip to Afghanistan? ?surrounded by Muslims- the church is an underground church- found in the cities only ?surrounded by intense persecution- no one who isn't Muslim survives in the rural countryside "only approximately 3,000 total Christians- only in the cities and only in secret Question- What did Abdul see in those Christian Aid workers that would make him renounce his upbringing, risk his life and convert to Christianity? Was It Something Abdul Saw That Made Him Believe- Or Was It Something He Believed That Made Him See? I believe that God put that Christian Aid Group there- to save Abdul ?They were seized with an extraordinary vision ?They served with extraordinary endurance; and Now Abdul will never be the same again ?And it was all because a Christian Aid Group went on a Mission Trip Question- What about you? Is the extraordinary vision limited to Christian Aid Groups in Afghanistan?CONVERSIONAnne RiceDate: 3/2009.101Anne Rice is one of the most widely read authors in the world. Her bestsellers most notably, her series of gothic books called "The Vampire Chronicles" have sold over 100 million copies. After spending most of her adult life a self-described atheist, Rice converted back to Christianity in 1996. She has since focused her writing efforts on religious-themed works. Her newest book is entitled Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana. She recently allowed the readers of Time magazine to ask her whatever they wished for an interactive piece called ?0 Questions? When one reader asked about the reasons behind her conversion, Rice summed up her journey in these words: "Americans like to believe we turn to religion because of an accident or the loss of a loved one, but in my case it was simply the culmination of searching. I wrestled with a lot of theological questions, and then one afternoon, I thought, I love you & I want to come back to you.?CONVERSIONJS – Feelings of conversionWalking down the street in his high school, John had a new feeling that he was in love with everyone and the world seemed to smile back. “I had no enemies left”Application:A feeling of peace and freedom that accompanies conversion. There must be fruit after our conversionCONVERSIONGeorge ForemanDate: 3/2009.101In his book "God in my corner" George Foreman has a chapter entitled "What will people think of Me?" In the chapter his shares his struggle with this common struggle for Christians. He said he wasn't afraid to step in the ring with toughest boxers in the world Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and Ken Norton, but he feared being rejected by other. He wanted to be loved and accepted by everyone. After his conversion he quickly discovered that unanimous approval was never going to happen. Friends started avoiding him, and even his family didn't understand what had happened to him -they thought he just flipped out. He had to admit he had felt the same way about church people all his life.CONVERSIONHudson TaylorOct 16 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 3 - Give us second birthHudson Taylor was born at Barnsley, England, May 21, 1832. He was born into a godly family, but Hudson became a skeptical and worldly young man. He began to think that for some reason or other he could not be saved and that the only thing for him to do was to take his fill of?this?world, since there was no hope for him in?the next. When he was about seventeen years of age he went one afternoon into his father's library in search of a book just to kill time. Finally he picked up a gospel tract which looked interesting, saying to himself: "There will be a story at the beginning and a sermon at the end. I will just read the story" Little did he know what was going on at that very time in the heart of his mother, who was on a visit seventy or eighty miles away. That very afternoon she went to her room with an intense yearning for the conversion of her son, turned the key in the door and resolved not to leave the spot until her prayers were answered. Hour after hour she continued pleading, until at length she arose with glad assurance that the object of her prayers had already been accomplished. Meanwhile, in the course of reading the tract, Hudson had come upon the expression, "The finished work of Christ." Remembering the words, "It is finished," he raised the question, "What was finished?" He at once replied: "A full and perfect atonement and satisfaction for sin. The debt was paid by the Substitute. Christ died for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." Next came the thought, "If the whole work was finished and the whole debt paid, what is there left for me to do?" Then came the blessed realization that there was nothing in the world to be done but to fall down on one's knees in prayer and in faith accept the salvation wrought out by Christ. "Thus," says Hudson, "while my dear mother was praising God on her knees in her chamber, I was praising Him in the old warehouse to which I had gone alone to read at my leisure this little bookHe then went on to be a missionary to China and started China In land Missions when the inland of China was not open to foreigners. And it is probably because of him that Chinese people got the gospel in such large doses. CIM is now Overseas Missionary Fellowship which is the organization which Pastor Sumi is with. When I first read the biography of Hudson Taylor, I was just blown away. CONVERSIONJS – conversionNew birth is a deep inward revolutionary change of heart effected by the Holy Spirit. How can this change come about? There are three conditions: repentance, faith and self surrender. This claim of total allegiance is one which we all need to face squarely today. Jesus never encouraged half hearted discipleship. He asked for all or nothing. Such self denial is true self discovery.Application:True conversion is revolutionary and there must be change.CONVERSION, NEED OF FOLLOW UPImportance of Follow-UpDate: 12/2005.101Dawson Trotman - Founder of Navigators "Remember, making the decision is 5%; 95% is following through. God is not glorified by a raised hand unless the decision is confirmed by a Christian life that follows it."COOPERATIONCooperationDate: 3/1998.1147When Anwar Sadat of Egypt was assassinated, a temporary burial place was provided beside Egypt's Unknown Soldier. How interesting that Egypt's best-known soldier should be buried beside Egypt's Unknown Soldier! In the kingdom of God there are many unknown soldiers. They march right beside the well-known soldiers. They do their part. What they do is important. Without their work the famous would not be famous. Without them nothing would be accomplished. -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Peter 4:10-11 COOPERATIONCooperationDate: 3/1998.1148Rivers gain more attention than the little streams that create them. You can name the great rivers of the world but you cannot name their tributaries. However, without the tributaries there would be no river. It must be remembered, too, that the smaller streams, while less well known, are purer and are found on a higher elevation. Some of our lives are tributary lives. It is our role to provide the pure water from the higher elevation that enables another to be a mighty river of power and influence. -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Peter 4:10-11 COURAGEIt takes CourageDate: 12/2008.101AMG Book 4 #307 To refrain from gossip when others about you delight in it.To stand up for the absent person who is being abused.To live honestly within your means and not dishonestly on the means of others.To be a real man, true woman by holding fast to your ideals when it causes you to be looked upon as strange & peculiar.To refuse to do a thing which is wrong though others do it.To live according to your own convictions.To dress according to your income and to deny yourself what you cannot afford to buyThese take courage.COURAGETelemachusDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #37 Charles Colson in Loving God, tells the story of Telemachus, a fourth century Christian.He lived in a remote village tending his garden and spending much time in prayer. One day he thought he heard the voice of God telling him to go to Rome, so he obeyed, setting out on foot. Weary weeks later, he arrived in the city at the time of a great festival. The little monk followed the crowd surging down the streets into the Coliseum. he saw the gladiators stand before the emperor and say, "We who are going to fight to death salute you." Then he realized these men were going to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowd. He cried out, "In the name of Christ stop!"As the games began, he pushed his way through the crowd, climbed over the wall and dropped to the floor of the arena. When the crowd saw this tiny figure rushing to the gladiators and saying, "In the name of Christ, stop!" they thought it was part of the show and began to laugh. When they realized it wasn't, the laughter turned to anger. As he was pleading with the gladiators to stop, one of them plunged a sword into his body. he fell to the sand. As he was dying, his last words were, "in the name of Christ, stop!"Then a strange thing happened. The gladiators stood looking at the tiny figure lying there. A hush fell over the Coliseum. Way up in the upper rows, a man stood and made his way to the exit. Other began to follow. In dead silence, everyone left the Coliseum. The year was 391 BC and that was the last battle to the death between gladiators in the Roman Coliseum. Never again in the great stadium did men kill each other for the entertainment of the crowd all because of one tiny voice that could hardly be heard above the tumult. One voice - one life- that spoke the truth in God's name.COURAGE, EXAMPLES OF300 The OriginalDate: 8/2008.10117 Aug 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:32-34/ Jud 6-7 - Gideon, 300 the OriginalUsed for Gideon & his 300.The movie 300 is about the Battle of Thermopylae which occurred in 480 BC. It tells of the bravery of 300 Spartan soldiers led by their king Leonides, who stood against the might of the Persian empire. Despite being killed by the Persian army, their act inspired the rest of the Greeks to unite and fight the Persians as they tried to cross over into Europe from the Mediterranean in the Battle of Plataea, ending the Greco-Persian war. About 150 years later, the united Greeks under Alexander the Great, cross over from Europe to the Mediterranean and defeated the Persians at the Granicus River & eventually took over as the world's superpower. Leonides & his 300 men thus became a symbol of Greek courage. I want you to take a look at this segment of the movie, when Leonides had been betrayed and was surrounded by the Persian army. Look at what he said while facing a certain deathWow! That is courage isn't it? But do you know that they are not the original 300. About 500 years before Leonides, there was another 300. But these 300 were not elite warriors with 6 pack. They were not led by a courageous hero like Leonides, in fact their leader was a coward. But the difference was that they won their battle! They won because they had God on their side. This is the story of Gideon & his 300. COURAGE, EXAMPLES OFTim Robinson – CourageDate: 4/2007.101YOC Retreat 2007 (Lake Lavon) - Phil 3:7-16 ~ The One Pursuit of LifeSept 2007 FWC Retreat: The Kingdom is Here - Kingdom Goal Phil 3:7-1617 Aug 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:32-34/ Jud 6-7 - Gideon, 300 the OriginalSenior Chapel - Paul MurphyTim Robinson who went to Cambridge to study was playing on the college rugby team. After the first came he played, on the way back, the seniors stood up in the bus and said it is the time when they get to know the freshies better. They asked all the first year players to stand up and describe the best sexual experience they have. One by one, the players stood up and described in grotesque details what they did and everyone enjoyed it. Tim was sweating in his seat. He did not know what to say and was afraid that the others would laugh at him. Finally, it got to his turn. He went up the front of the bus and prayed hard for courage. Finally, he said, "I am 21 and have not have sex yet because of my faith." He began to explain the Christian gospel to them and everyone howled at him. But Tim had the courage to state his testimony. Soon a few of the players decided to go to church with him and finally one of them came to faith. This was all because of the testimony of one courageous believer.COURAGE, TO WITNESSWitness – CourageDate: 2/2007.10120 Feb 2007 - Preaching Now The father of Origen, a third century theologian, was arrested for being a Christian. Origen, then only 17, was aflame with the desire to follow his Dad and share in glorious martyrdom. His mother pleaded with him not to go, but the headstrong boy did not want to listen to reason. His quick thinking mother did what she could -- she hid his clothes. Though Origen stormed and protested, she wouldn't reveal where they were hidden. He couldn't leave the house, and so he was unable to volunteer for martyrdom.Isn't it interesting? Origen was brave enough to be martyred, but not brave enough to go outside naked. Stepping outside without clothing would have sped up his arrest and imprisonment, but it was a step he was unwilling to take.In a sense, I suspect that talking with a friend about our faith is, for many of us, the equivalent of going outside naked. It makes us uncomfortable. We feel exposed. We declare that we will give our lives for Christ if he should ask it, but to risk a bit of embarrassment for him seems to be beyond our level of discipleship. How sad. The disciples were willing to forsake everything including the esteem of their friends. (King Duncan, Collected Sermons, )CREATORApollo 8 ChristmasDate: 6/2008.101Nov 27 2011 DCFC English [Jesus came to the world to...] John 1 – Reveal the FatherMedia Video Clip SermonspiceGenesis: Apollo 8 ChristmasReading of Genesis in space by crew of Apollo 8 in 1968CREATORCreationDate: 3/1998.1157The human body is a most remarkable machine. It can maintain a constant temperature of 98.6 degrees no matter what the weather is outside. Whether a man is at the Arctic Circle or the equator, his body temperature is about the same. There is an inner mechanism that makes the difference. The Holy Spirit dwells within the Christian to achieve this kind of stabilization in terms of spiritual health. Whether we face good times or bad, whether we are tempted or receiving spiritual nourishment, the Holy Spirit keeps us stable within. -- Robert C. Shannon, 1000 Windows, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1997).See: John 14:16-17; Galatians 4:6 CREATORGod vs. DarwinismDate: 10/2008.101Daily Joke - 9/18/2008 One day a group of Darwinian scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one Darwinian to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The Darwinian walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost." God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the Darwinian was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the Darwinian happily agreed. God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam." The Darwinian said, "Sure, no problem," and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt. God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!"CREATORTragedy of LifeDate: 12/2008.101Another Nobel prizewinner, Steven Weinberg, concludes at the end of his brilliant book The First Three Minutes: "The more the universe seems comprehensible the more it also seems pointless. But if there is no solace in the fruits of our research there is at least some consolation in the research itself. Men and women are not content to comfort themselves with tales of gods and giants, or to confine their thoughts to the daily affairs of life; they also build telescopes and satellites and accelerators, and sit at their desks for endless hours working out the meaning of the data they gather. The effort to understand the universe is one of the very few things that lifts human life a little above the level of force and gives it some of the grace of tragedy." So much for the conclusions of a leading scientist who believes it all just happened by itself. Louw Alberts, Christianity and the Enquiring Mind : Essays on the Compatibility of the Bible and the Findings of Science, Also Available in Afrikaans. (Vereeniging: Christian Publishing Co., 1997, c1996)CREATOR, EVOLUTIONX-menDate: 3/2009.101X-men 1 - Introduction about evolution through mutation. :But every few 100 years, mutation leaps forward..." How does it leap forward? use for into for creation.CRITICISMLife is Mostly Edges - Calvin Miller"Calvin," said Ralph to me on one occasion, "you have picked a life that will be filled with criticism. Much of it will not be instructive, but listen to it all, then sort through what you need to build a bulwark of survival." "How do you do that, Ralph?" "Use your nose, not your ears. The ears itch to hear the good stuff, but they will deceive you, for you will want to believe every good lie you hear. But your nose that's your best evaluator: manure always smells like manure. Always listen to your critics, for they , not caring too much for you, will often tell you the truth, while your friends sugarcoat to stay on your good side."CRITICISM Lowell's SyndromeDate: 11/2007.10119 June 2010 DCFC English Worship – [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 5:1-13 Rethinking the identity of ChurchIllustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #110At the turn of the century, the world's most distinguished astronomer was certain there were canals on Mars. Sir Percival Lowell, esteemed for his study of the solar system had a particular fascination with the Red Planet. When he heard, in 1877, that an Italian astronomer had seen straight lines crisscrossing the Martian surface, Lowell spent the rest of his years squinting into the eye piece of his giant telescope in Arizona, mapping the channels and canals he saw. He was convinced the canals were proof of intelligent life on Mars, possibly an older but wiser race than humanity.Lowell's observations gained wide acceptance. So eminent was he, none dared contradict him. Now, of course, things are different. Space probes have orbited Mars and landed on its surface. The entire planet has been mapped and no one has seen a canal. How could Lowell have "seen" so much that wasn't there? Two possibilities: (1) he so wanted to see canals that he did, over and over again and (2) we know now that he suffered from a rare eye disease that made him see the blood vessels in his own eyes. The Martian 'canals" he saw were nothing more than the bulging veins of his eyeballs. Today the malady is known as "Lowell's syndrome."When Jesus warns that "in the same way you judge others, you will be judged" and warns of seeing "the speck of sawdust" in another's eye while missing the plank in our own (Matthew 7:1-3) could he not be referring to the spiritual equivalent of Lowell's syndrome? Over and over, we "see" faults in others because we don't want to believe anything better about them. And so often we think we have a first-hand view of their shortcomings, when in fact our vision is distorted by our own disease.CROSS, OF CHRISTAccepting a Lower Standard of livingDate: 3/2008.1013 Mar 2008 DCFC English Mark 8:27-38 - No Fool DisciplePersonal - HYIn Singapore, because of the standard of living, usually both husband and wife must work. But I have a friend who chose to stay in a smaller house and buy a smaller car, so that his family can survive on one income and not have so much debt. This allows his wife to stay home to look after their children and gives him freedom in his work. He is a financial controller of a listed company and a few times he was asked to do some financial gymnastics which was against his faith & integrity. He had to choose - job security or his faith. And because he was not saddled with debt, it was any easy decision. CROSS, OF CHRISTCEO HYDate: 8/2008.101Aug 10 2008 - FCBC Mandarin - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the CrossAug 24 2008 - MSU MIssion Trip - Luke 9:18-27 - Way of the Cross31 August 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:24-29 - Moses the Man who /withstood Pharaoh2009 OK Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, DoFeb 13 2011 – DCFC Chinese - Luke 9:18-27 – Way of the CrossMar 13 2011 DCFC English Worship – [The Master & The Disciple] Luke 6:20-49 The Call of the Disciple2011 FCCD Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, Do?HY give up job - women & temptations...CROSS, OF CHRISTJS – Crucified ChristStott believes that the cross transforms everything. It gives a new worshipping relationship with God, a new and balanced understanding of ourselves, a new incentive to give ourselves in mission, a new love for our enemies and new courage to face the perplexities of suffering. CROSS, OF CHRISTCrucifixionDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching From Leadership Journal: Ed. Craig Brian Larson #44 C Truman Davis MD, in The Expositor's Bible Commentary writes:What is crucifixion? A medical doctor provides a physical description: The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought iron-nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place.The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot and with both foot extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified. As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain - the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of the feet.As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint rendering cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. it is now almost over - the loss of tissue fluids reached a critical level - the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy think, sluggish blood into the tissues - the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues... Finally he can allow his body to die.All this the Bible records with the simple words, "And they crucified Him." (Mark 15:24) What wondrous love is this?CROSS, OF CHRISTFoolishness of the Cross5 June 2010 DCFC English Worship - [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 1:18-25 Rethinking the Message (did not use)A cartoon has been found on a wall in the ruins of ancient Rome showing how crazy the Christian message seemed to the people of that time. It’s a caricature of Jesus’ crucifixion, showing a man’s body hanging on a cross - but the body has the head of a donkey. There’s also a figure of a young man with hand raised as if in worship. Underneath is the inscription, "He worships his God!" CROSS, OF CHRISTJS – Foolishness of the CrossBilly Graham went to Cambridge to conduct an evangelistic rally. In spite of good attendances, there was little response. Billy Graham was uneasy as he had heard of striking accounts of John Stott’s mission there three years earlier. And this time Stott was there too to assist Graham. Billy Graham said later, “I was really boxed in and inadequate. I felt that John ought to be the preacher and I should have been his assistant. John is one of my dearest friend, but he can also be a critic. And I felt in the first two nights that I was preaching to please John rather than the Holy Spirit. Then on the fourth night, Graham abandoned his script and preached as he would to any other audience. To David Watson, an observer, he said, “It seemed on this night as if Billy accepted the apparent foolishness of the message of Christ crucified and preached it with simplicity and integrity. The power of the Holy Spirit was manifestly at work, changing lives of many people. By the end of the week, 500 people had sought advice and made or renewed their commitment to Christ.Application:Accept the apparent foolishness of the cross and preach it with integrity and simplicity.CROSS, OF CHRISTHard ChoicesDate: 8/2008.10131 August 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:24-29 - Moses the Man who withstood Pharaoh2009 OK Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, Do2011 FCCD Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, DoMedia - Success Part 1 - Hard choicesHard choices! We make choices every day, some of them really hard ones, because of the intimidating circumstance or because there are consequences. In the following video clip, you will see a hard choice this budding actor has to make when he finally gets a chance for his big break! Video Clip - Success Part 1 - Hard choices.Hard choices we need to make as Christians. It was going to be the break of his career, a $500,000 offer for the part and maybe even greater things to come - but it was a hard choice. Success or Purity? Do we face such decisions in our lives? Maybe some of us struggle to fit in and be accepted by the rest at the expense of our faith? Maybe its popularity - dating and maybe even scoring with the hottest girl in school, or the coolest guy on the football team or be a Christian that no one gives a second thought about. Maybe it choosing between cheating on a test or not that would decide whether we get into the college that we desire. Maybe its choosing whether to give in to temptations and sin or forgo the enjoyment of secret sins. Maybe it's a choice between drinking and entertaining clients bringing them to strip clubs for our business or not compromising our faith and risk missing out on the business deal. Perhaps it's a decision whether to please the boss and do what he or she says at the expense of our walk with God, like agreeing to falsify the accounts, or the expenses claims, or working through Sundays with no time to worship God. Maybe it's a decision whether to abort a mentally challenged baby or not, with uncertain future consequences? How do we make hard choices for our faith when there are certain consequences, a price to pay or when we face impossible situations, being intimidated by friends or people around us?CROSS, OF CHRISTHigh Dive ConversionDate: 8/2007.10120 July 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:7 - Standing against a corrupt generationIntense Illustrations - Jim Burns & Mike Devries P57 - Doug WebsterIn 1967 while taking a class in photography at the University of Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a young man named Charles Murray, a fellow student at the school, training as a high diver for the summer Olympics of 1968. Charles was very patient with me as I would speak to him for hours about Jesus Christ and how He had saved me. Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of church so all that I had told him was a fascination to him. He even began to ask questions about forgiveness of sin. Finally the day came that I put the question to him. I asked if he realized his own need of a redeemer and if he was ready to trust Christ as his own Savior. I saw his countenance fall and the guilt in his face. His reply was a strong no.In the days that followed, Charles was quiet and often I felt that he was avoiding me. Finally he called and wanted to know where to look for a NT for some verses I had given him about salvation. I gave him the references to several passages and asked if I could meet with him. He declines my offer and thanked me for the Scripture. I could tell that he was greatly troubled but I did not know where he was or how to help him.Because he was training for the Olympic Games, Charles had special privileges at the University pool facilities. Sometime between 10.30 and 11.00 that evening he decided to swim and practice a few dives. It was a clear night in October and the moon was big and bright. The university pool was housed under a ceiling of glass panes, so the moon shone brightly across the top of the wall in the pool area. Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive. At that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the Scripture he had read, all the occasions of my witnessing to him about Christ flooded his mind. As he prepared to make his dive, he stood backwards on the platform, spread his arms to gather his balance and looked up to the wall where he saw his own shadow caused by the light of the moon. It was in the shape of a cross. He could not bear the burden of his sins no longer. His heart broke and he sat down on the platform, suspended 20 feet in the air and asked God to forgive him.Suddenly, the lights in the pool area come on. The attendant had come in to check the pool. As Charles looked down from his platform, he saw that the pool was empty. It had been drained for repairs. He had almost plummeted to his death but the cross had kept him from disaster.Colossians 1:19-22 - Jesus' death on the cross provided the ultimate power to forgive our sins and to reconcile us to God.CROSS, OF CHRIST Importance of gospel and crucified Christ5 June 2010 DCFC English Worship - [Extreme Makeover: Church Edition] 1 Cor 1:18-25 Rethinking the MessageIn his second visit to Latin America, John Stott was asked whether there was a solution to the continent’s problems, he remained convinced that there was more hope in evangelization than in any other single Christian option. “Nothing is more humanizing than the gospel. Through it, men and women begin to be remade in the image of God. Moreover the gospel of God’s love supplies the most powerful of all incentives to rescuer people from everything that dehumanizes them.Application:Importance of Cross & gospel??CROSS, OF CHRISTIn the shadow of the CrossDate: 7/2008.10131 August 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:24-29 - Moses the Man who withstood Pharaoh2009 OK Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, Do2011 FCCD Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, DoPersonal - German Trip 2008An artist was told to design some art pieces in a popular square in Berlin. In the square was a statue of Marx sitting down facing a tall radio tower, one of the most popular landmark in Berlin. The artist designed some blocks of concrete with holes in it to look at this radio tower from various angles - contemporary art. This new art piece drew many people to the square. It’s so beautiful and well designed. Unknown to the communist party, this artist was a Christian. At a certain time of the day, when the sun strikes the silver radio tower, together with the concrete blocks, it will cast the shadow of a cross on Marx. Later this artist was arrested as a result.In the years of Communist domination of East Germany there was a symbol which brought hope and comfort to believers in Jesus. A huge TV tower had been erected to broadcast atheistic propaganda. Near the top of the building was a globe-shaped structure housing a restaurant. The remarkable thing was that the sunlight always reflected off the globe in the shape of a cross. The authorities were embarrassed and tried everything they could think of to prevent this optical phenomenon, even covering the dome with paint. But nothing worked. A pastor commented wryly, "No matter how hard they try, they can’t get rid of the Cross!" Paul would agree and would say, "God forbid that we even try to do that!"Where to take it:Even the greatest human system, lives in the shadow of the Cross. man will pass away but not Christ.Sometimes like the communist, we are well pleased with the plan of salvation until we discern that in it is the cross of self-denial. CROSS, OF CHRISTJack BauerDate: 10/2007.10124 hours - Jack Bauer takes a bullet for the president. Secret Service agents are willing to do such a thing because they believe the President is so valuable to our country and the world that he is worth dying for. Obviously they would not take a bullet for just anyone. At Calvary the situation was reversed. The President of the Universe actually took a bullet for each of us. At the Cross, we see how valuable we are to God.CROSS, OF CHRISTLove etch on the CrossDate: 11/2007.101Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching from Leadership Journal ed. Craig Brian Larson #129 Ruby Shelly tells this story:Jason Tuskes was a 17-year old high school honor student. he was close to his mother, his wheelchair bound father and his younger brother. Jason was an expert swimmer who loved to scuba dive. he left home on a Tuesday morning to explore a spring and underwater cave near his home in west central Florida. His plan was to be home in time to celebrate his mother's birthday by going out to dinner with his family that night. Jason became lost in the cave. Then, in his panic, he apparently got wedged into a narrow passageway. When he realized he was trapped, he shed his yellow metal air tank and unsheathed his diver's knife. With the tank as a tablet, and the knife as a pen, he wrote one last message to his family: I love you Mum, Dad and Christian. Then he ran out of air and drowned.A dying message - something communicated in the last few seconds of life - is something we can't ignore. God's final word to us are etched on a Roman cross. They are blood red. They scream to be heard. They too say, "I love you."CROSS, OF CHRISTJS – on Need for ChristJune 05 2011 DCFC English Worship – [Carpe Diem: Live, Laugh & Love] Eccl 1:1-10 Is there meaning in life?In his sermons, “Why am I a Christian?” Stott writes, that he was a Christian because only Jesus could fulfill the basic aspirations of longings which all human beings experience. There is a hunger in the human heart which none but Christ can satisfy. There is a thirst which none but he can quench. There is an inner emptiness which none but he can fill. As Augustine wrote, “You have made us for yourself and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” God’s purpose it to build a new society, a new family, even a new human race that lives a new life and a new lifestyle.CROSS, OF CHRISTPoem - The Cross Was His ownDate: 6/2006.101The Best Loved Poems of the American People P310 They borrowed a bed to lay His headWhen Christ the Lord came down;They borrowed the ass in the mountain passFor Him to ride to town;But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He boreWere His own -The Cross was His own.He borrowed the bread when the crowd He fedOn the grassy mountain side,He borrowed the dish of broken fishWith which He satisfied.But the crown that He wore and the Cross that he boreWere His own -The Cross was His own.He borrowed the ship in which to sitTo teach the multitude;He borrowed a nest in which to rest -He had never a home so rude;But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He boreWere His own -The Cross was His own.He borrowed a room on His way to the tombThe Passover Lamb to eat;They borrowed a cave for Him a grave,They borrowed a winding sheet.But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He boreWere His own -The Cross was His own.CROSS, SELLINGSpiritual GrowthDate: 1/2007.10118 Jan 2009 - DCFC Sunday School - Acts 1Preaching Now 1-9-07Pastor Alan Smith tells the story of a country lad who was hired for a salesman's job at a city department store. It was one of those massive stores that has every department imaginable. In fact it was the biggest store in the world -- you could get anything there.The boss said, "You can start tomorrow, Friday morning, and I'll come and see you when we close up."When the boss saw the young man the next day at closing time, he saw him shaking hands with a beaming customer. After they parted, he walked over and asked, "Well, that looked good! How many sales did you make today?""That was the only one," said the young salesman."Only one?" blurted the boss. "Most of my staff make 20 or 30 sales a day. You'll have to do better than that! Well, how much was the sale worth?""$227,340 and change," said the young man.The boss paused for a moment, blinking a few times. "H . . . H . . . How did you manage that?""Well, when he came in this morning I sold him a small fish hook. Then, I sold him a medium hook, and then a really large hook. Then I sold him a small fishing line, a medium one, and then a big one. I then sold him a spear gun, a wetsuit, scuba gear, nets, chum, and coolers. I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast. We decided he would probably need a new boat, so I took him down to the boat department and sold him that twenty-foot schooner with the twin engines. Then, he said that his Volkswagen probably wouldn't be able to pull it, so I took him to the car department and sold him the new Deluxe Cruiser, with a winch, storage rack, rust proofing, and a built-in refrigerator. Oh, and floor mats."The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, "You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook?""No," answered the salesman. "He came in to buy a blanket.""A blanket?""Yeah, an extra blanket for the couch. He just had a fight with his wife. I said to him, 'Well, your weekends ruined, so you may as well go fishing . . . '"One thing leads to another. And that's the way it should work in our spiritual lives. As we grow and mature in Christ, we continue to add virtue upon virtue."But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Peter 1:5-7).By listening to others, we hear their surface needs and identify their felt needs and then real needs - in this way, we can bring them to Christ.CROSS, BEARINGBearing the CrossPassport Through Darkness – Kimberly L SmithMilton’s health got so bad that he had to stay State side and I was struggling to respond to the call to go to Sudan. I had never considered going to Africa. I made excuses, but the truth was that I was terrified of going to a place where mass rapes, sexual slavery, persecution, genocide were part and parcel of the daily routine. I saw this tension in Milton too. He wanted to keep his wife safe and by his side. He also wanted to be obedient and keep his eye on eternity, not just the here and now. He knew of the horrors against God and mankind taking place there in Sudan and felt God wanted Make Way Partners in that battles. He could not go. I could. Again, the impossible choice. Milton somehow knew something I could not yet admit. He knew that while I admitted I was afraid, in the end I would never let fear keep me from doing something I thought I should do.One day he said to me, “I knew this day was coming. I ache. I am afraid of losing you. If I lose you, I lose more than a piece of me. I lose who I’ve grown into being. And yet, something so strong within me knows you need to go. I can’t believe I am saying this but…I choose to let you go.”CROSS, BEARINGSufferingDate: 4/2008.10131 August 2008 DCFC English - Heb 11:24-29 - Moses the Man who withstood Pharaoh3 May 2009 DCFC Chinese - Ps 23 ~ The Lord is my shepherd, what more shall I want? (Just the quote)2009 OK Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, Do14 Feb 2010 DCFC English Worship - [Building a Community in Christ] Eph 1:15-23 What should I pray about? (Just the quote)2011 FCCD Retreat - Heb 11:28-31 Faith 2 Finish: Choose, See, DoDA Carson, How long oh Lord?In one church, a medical doctor, formerly a missionary, was appointed to the board of elders. Sometime later, he had an affair, divorce his wife, abandoned his children and separated himself from any form of Christianity. Countless attempts were made to rehabilitate him; doubtless some of these attempts were wise and others unwise.But the most thoughtful assessment of the mess came a few years later from one of the leaders form the church. He suggested that this doctor, who came from a Christian home and had done all the "right things" had never had to make a decision that cost him anything. Everything was too easy; at every point he had been supported and praised. Even his missionary career was bound up with his own specialty interests in medicine. Then, when some troubles opened up in his marriage (as they open up in most marriages at one time or another) and an attractive alternative presented herself, this doctor had no moral center on which to depend. He never for the sake of Christ, taken a decision that cost him something and he was not about to start now. In hindsight, it is not even clear that his profession of faith was real, for real professions of faith manifest themselves in a principal death to self-interest, in a principal commitment to the cause of Christ & his gospel.Sometimes we want to protect our children or flock from too many things. We try to protect them from the caustic scorn of peers who have little time for Christian values. After all we console ourselves, the Bible says much about earning a good reputation with outsiders. But that reputation is for integrity, kindness, love; it is never to be won at the expense of silence. I look at my children and wish for them enough opposition to make them strong, enough insults to make them choose, enough hard decisions to make them see that following Jesus brings with it a cost - a cost eminently worth it, but still a cost. A church that is merely comfortable that never evangelizes, never encourages its people to stand on the front line, will never be strong, never be grateful, never be able to sort out profoundly Christian priorities.Wife - chosen her because she struggles. Best decision I made.Much of western spirituality is deficient when faced with suffering. Where faith triumphs in adversity, we expect it to be manifest in unmoved resignation and where faith fails the failure is displayed in doubt that questions the integrity and possibly even the existence of God. But the psalmist does not display stoic resignation nor does she betray doubt that God existsCROSS, BEARINGThe Cross RoomDate: 6/2006.101Still More Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks P180 A young man at the end of his rope groaned in distress as he prayed. "Lord, I can't go on. My cross is too heavy to bear.""My son," the Lord replied with compassion, "If you can't bear its weight, come with me to the cross room. There you may exchange your cross for any other cross you choose."Filled with relief, the young man sighed, "Thank you, Lord." Briskly entering the cross room, he mindlessly discarded his own cross and searched for one he'd rather carry. He saw many other crosses, some so large the tops weren't even visible. After winding in and out of the rows of crosses, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against the far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord." he whispered.And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you brought in."Application:To put your pain in proper perspective, set your hassles aside for a while and reach out to minister to those less fortunate than you. Assisting others to carry their load of suffering helps you recognize that God has blessed you with a lighter burden than you realize. When you pick your cross up again, it will feel lighter.CROSS, BEARINGWay of the CrossAug 05 2012 DCFC Chinese Luke 14:15-35 Idol Worship我10几年前在山东的一个家庭教会里听过一首诗歌，叫做“有一条路”。我想请杨道培弟兄上来给我们唱。[诗歌：有一条路]对当时的我，这诗歌给我留下非常深刻的影响。当时，我跟着一位牧师到哪里培训。他培训那些家庭教会的领袖，我就有机会到各个家庭教会分享神的话。那是，我第一次过冬天，而且在乡村很冷。受不了。所以他们给我一个暖气机。我到不同的家去，在雪地上走着，抱着着笨拙的暖气机。我走到哪里，就插电，然后在暖气机旁边讲道。当时，他们就唱起这诗歌。我看到在我周围如此贫穷困苦的环境里，这些信徒却是火热的为主而活，给我心里挑起了一股为主的热忱。我们在唱的时候，我想起我包着暖气机在雪地上走着，而问了自己，“我生命中真的需要什么？就如当时，我只需要那暖气炉、虽然扛起来不容易，但是它给我暖气。同样的，除了耶稣，我还需要什么？我愿意走十架道路，而走到底吗？有什么东西拦住我的？我的事业？抱负？舒适生活吗？那我真不如这些乡村的信徒。 ................
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