tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102949302012-02-02T08:02:30.974-08:00BlogotionalAn eclectic brew of odds and ends designed to get people to read short devotional Christian thoughts about the news of the day, or at least what seems to be the hot topic of discussion in the blogosphere.John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.comBlogger77371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-19536564458542979842012-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-02T06:00:08.283-08:00Stuff Gets In The WayContinuing on something we discussed a few days ago Sjye Jethani @ Out of Ur continues to look at Mission and Idol:You may be thinking, “But we are called to do things for God. And what’s the alternative--continuing to allow the people in our churches to be self-consumed Christians seeking only their own comfort?” That is a very fair concern. And I completely concur with the consumer posture thatJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-56570368599131181552012-02-02T05:45:00.000-08:002012-02-02T05:45:00.694-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-37416998129039330042012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-01T06:00:09.084-08:00Authority, Conscience, ActionChristian Post:A Presbyterian minister on Long Island is bucking church protocol by saying she will marry same-sex couples.The Rev. Elizabeth Simpson of the First Presbyterian Church of Glen Cove told WCBS radio that she will marry one of the same-sex couples that attend the church next March.“I will make myself vulnerable to accusations or indictments, so to speak, from within the Presbytery,” John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-84956036222749999452012-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-31T06:00:18.488-08:00It Is Never About SelfChristian Web Trends Talks about how self-promotion hurts a church web site and misses an important spiritual principle within:I have a friend who started a blog about his automobile restoration passion. He was blogging for months with very few readers and was frustrated. He sought out professional marketing help for his blog and they gave him life changing advice! Here it is… “Go find other John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-45157346231258294222012-01-31T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-31T05:30:03.178-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-26896550134749433332012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-30T06:00:19.858-08:00The Nature Of GodJustin Taylor quotes James Anderson on whether God changed at the Incarnation. The question as posed:How do we hold together the idea that God doesn’t change with what happened at the incarnation and resurrection – where Jesus was united to a human nature and took on an earthly body and ultimately a resurrection body? It’s hard to understand that God taking on a human nature and all that he John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-35585515206182862952012-01-28T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-28T05:30:01.473-08:00Comic ArtHEROES AND ARTISTS - SUE RICHARDS/INVISIBLE WOMANBrian HitchMark BrooksMy Vain Attempt At HumorJ Scott CampbellAdi GranovTechnorati Tags:comics, comic books, comic art, artists and heroes, sue richardsGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-64663323637301984372012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-27T06:00:15.832-08:00A Question That MUST Be AskedSkye Jethani @ "Out of Ur" asks:Has Mission Become Our Idol?Now THAT is one heck of an important question. It is one of my chief contentions that the idols the church must be most wary of are not money and fame, but the stuff of the church itself. His post opens this way:“There is a first-rate commitment to a second-rate mission.” That is what Roger, a leader in global church planting, said as John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-84492516064399156812012-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-27T05:30:05.067-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, classic cartoonGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-56403758816353596472012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-26T06:00:13.067-08:00Christian NegativismMMI notes that Josh McDowell said:The Internet has given atheists, agnostics, skeptics, the people who like to destroy everything that you and I believe, the almost equal access to your kids as your youth pastor and you have… whether you like it or not… Now here is the problem. Going all the way back, when Al Gore invented the Internet [he said jokingly], I made the statement off and on for 10-11John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-54599332299873170462012-01-26T05:45:00.000-08:002012-01-26T05:45:00.714-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-53418381227179986792012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-25T06:00:21.480-08:00A BIG DifferenceBob Hyatt on leadership:As a pastor, I have authority in my community. But authority is not really what I want. What I really want is influence.Authority is the ability to get people to do what I think they should do. Influence, however, is the ability to move people to want to do what they need to do.[...]I’ve come to realize something about the difference between my pastoral authority and my John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-42721509356589268492012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-24T06:00:03.753-08:00Consitency and IntegrityMark Roberts uses Luke 16:10-12 as "A Call to Consistent Integrity":Jesus thought differently. He said that if you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones too. By implication, you will not be faithful in the big things if you are not faithful in the little ones. The same is true, according to Jesus, when it comes to honesty. He even connects stewardship of financial John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-49975748144339384062012-01-24T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-24T05:30:00.419-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-16393732803307363002012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-23T06:00:07.650-08:00Let The Spirit WorkChaplain Mike looks at how the evangelical church tends to deal with some things:There are no “steps” to “overcoming” discouragement. There is no answer, no fix for this problem. Furthermore, the Bible was not given for the purpose of enabling us to “conquer” this or any other emotional malady. It contains no instructions to follow that will lead to an answer. When genuine Christian love and John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-58943784989933781022012-01-21T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-21T05:30:00.900-08:00Comic ArtSO BAD, THEY'RE GOODJust look at this guy, not for long mind you, but look at him. Do comic creators have NO shame? And by the way, this is not a joke, he is a real comic villain, with a bio, and TV appearances and everything. Comic relief he may have indeed mostly been, but still, shouldn't there be limits?What's next? And yet when I try to think of something more extremely silly, there is aJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-54055866232366516772012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-20T06:00:02.631-08:00REACH OUTIn a brief devotional, Greg Laurie points out:"So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ."- Romans 10:17It is worth noting that no person in the New Testament came to faith apart from the agency of a human being. Have you ever stopped and thought about that? We can find example after example.There was the Ethiopian (see Acts 8:26-39). There are many ways that God John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-48314702007936704202012-01-20T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-20T05:30:03.918-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, rodney dangerfieldGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-63545548801704613372012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-19T06:00:11.147-08:00Be Vewy, Vewy Quiet......I just always wanted to use that as a headline. (you did too if you are honest with yourself.) There is a good reason though. Lynne Baab at Think Christian writes on one of my favorite Psalms:Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10I’m early for dinner at a friend’s house. She lives in the upstairs apartment in a big old house, and on her front porch is a table and two chairs. I decide John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-20242279982032489322012-01-19T05:45:00.000-08:002012-01-19T05:45:00.549-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-6376481708905794752012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:00:15.440-08:00"Authentic" BrandingFrank Raj writes in the Washington Times about giving up on religion but not God:Should there be one common message every religious believer needs to hear, perhaps it could be something like this:"If Christ cannot be glimpsed in the followers of Christianity, they should admit their religion is a mistake and stop faking it; Muslim's should not advocate Islam until Muslim against Muslim carnageJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-6583308803389275472012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-17T06:00:02.359-08:00Or is that the Holy Spirit?Jodh Etter @ Desiring God quotes JI Packer:It is a universal experience that conscience is largely autonomous in its operation; though sometimes we can suppress or stifle it, it normally speaks independently of our will, and sometimes, indeed, contrary to our will. And when it speaks, it is in a strange way distinct from us; it stands over us, addressing us with an absoluteness of authority whichJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-2129091346075365072012-01-17T05:31:00.000-08:002012-01-17T05:32:51.805-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-8427283950738544902012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-16T06:00:06.972-08:00Character, NOT ArgumentDouglas Groothius quotes J.P. Morleand:So understood, an apologetic character is not a set of answers a person memorizes and adds to a life otherwise defined without regard to the apologetic mandate. No, an apologetic character is a way of being present in the world, an approach to life, a part of the very structure of one’s embodied soul.There is a question to ask yourself everyday when you wakeJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-67999234644300354602012-01-14T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-14T05:30:00.663-08:00Comic ArtHEROES AND ARTISTS - METAL MENDuncan RouleauWalt SimonsonTechnorati Tags:comics, comic books, comic art, heroes and artists, metal menGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-33871529065263845602012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-13T06:00:10.772-08:00Who Does The "Granting"DAvis Swanson wonders in pastoral authority is "earned, taken, or granted":Pastor. In the eight years since this label first applied to me, it has been fascinating to notice who uses it and who doesn’t. The church that first entrusted the title to me was suburban, predominately white, and largely middle-aged. As a twenty-something associate pastor, I was mostly referred to by my first name. John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-31832250342106491962012-01-13T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-13T05:30:00.743-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, star trekGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-7288878558409829282012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-12T06:00:00.097-08:00Who Defines Church?Chuch Marketing Sucks discusses social media and the use of the question to draw comment:It’s easy to get frustrated and bored when you spend time putting together posts and they are seemingly ignored. While there are many reasons for this, the easiest way to change this is to introduce social media’s star character: The question mark.[...]The very first rule of social media that I put in place John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-63655328541320121802012-01-12T05:45:00.000-08:002012-01-12T06:08:32.792-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-1386338046378377442012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-11T06:00:18.085-08:00Making SoilMark Daniels looks at the parable about seeds, the sower, and soil types and concludes:While we don't control our salvation and it's all a product of God's work in our lives, we evidently can decide whether we will be good soil or not. We can decide whether we'll be receptive to the word about Jesus. Otherwise Jesus wouldn't have bothered telling this parable![...]The fruit of God's Spirit will John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-91745929852921913262012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-10T06:00:03.079-08:00Liturgy or Comfort Zone?I agree with iMonk:I’m somewhat angry about having this avalanche of industrially produced music forced on me for a dozen insufficient reasons. The way the church’s canon of singable, theologically meaningful music has been detonated in the name of anything that creates what growth oriented churches demand is stunning. We’ve been brutal in this process and we’re going to be sorry in the long John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-12911610836572676422012-01-10T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-10T05:30:02.378-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-39596066304388653972012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-09T06:00:09.697-08:00And Therein Lies The ProblemMSNBC discusses the presence of "real" people in comic books. It made me sad. You see, the point of comics is to tell epic stories about epic characters - character that show us our greatest capability, and the strength to overcome our flaws. Real people are a bit different than that - many do astonishing things, but a society needs something more than astonishing.I fell in love with comics John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-6487435097863459662012-01-07T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-07T05:30:01.450-08:00Comic ArtSO BAD, THEY'RE GOODSPEECHLESS! I am struck dumb. Every now and then you find something in comics that leaves you using nasty phrases. So it is with the arch nemesis of the Doom Patrol Beard Hunter. Doom Patrol has always been known for being weird and strange, but this leaves weird and strange somewhere in the trail dust.Most amazing is that this character dates to the 90's. Back in the dayJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-35314453148648217352012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:00:13.248-08:00The Ordinary Holy SpiritMark Roberts on how God guides us:So far I’ve shown that God guides us through circumstances, Scripture, and community. In my last post, I added that we can be guided through careful reasoning. I want to explain what I mean in this post.Because the Spirit’s guidance can be so marvelously miraculous at times, we can overlook or even disparage so-called “normal” processes of reasoning. Sometimes, John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-53710694463593347632012-01-06T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-06T05:30:00.182-08:00Friday HumorI need to know where this pub is and how I can get in the game!Technorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, top gearGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-64894923378082775072012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-05T06:00:02.592-08:00LeadingDave Bish looks at Hosea and concludes:This is an altogether different kind of headship, an altogether different kind of god. And if this is who he is then maybe, just maybe some of the most apparently difficult material in the Bible isn’t quite as strange and peculiar as we might initially assume, not half as strange and peculiar as this LORD of love.Bish's discussion centers on the disgrace John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-86875510987788033932012-01-05T05:23:00.000-08:002012-01-05T05:24:51.569-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-58250752677089598922012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-04T06:00:12.462-08:00InteractionJustin Taylor looks at Matthew Milliner/T.S. Eliot on the interaction of Christianity and culture:In this post from First Things Matthew Milliner makes a helpful distinction between two ways of thinking about the relationship between culture and Christ as culture.The first approach thinks of Christ and culture like the dispensable relationship of the hermit crab and its shell: “The true essence John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-8944640018903863472012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-03T06:00:05.841-08:00Does Practice Make Perfect?Lynne Baab @ Thoughtful Christian:Spiritual practices (or disciplines) can be viewed as a way to spend time with someone we love. Practices can also be viewed as a way to rest in God and embrace the fact that God created us and redeemed us. We don’t do the work of creation and redemption, and abiding in Christ (John 15:1-11) through various forms of prayer, Bible study or other spiritual John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-44798347272693844932012-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-02T06:00:09.418-08:00It's All WorshipDictionary.com:wor·ship [wur-ship] Show IPA noun, verb, -shiped, -ship·ing or (especially British) -shipped, -ship·ping.noun1. reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.Had to look it up when I read this post @ Thoughtful Christian about space exploration:I think there’s a theological reason behind that, actually. Space exploration captures John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-87673825998807185432012-01-01T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-01T05:30:02.765-08:00New Year's ArtRelated Tags: New Year Art WorkJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-36734184618468204432011-12-31T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-31T05:30:00.496-08:00New Year Comic ArtHow do superheroes celebrate the New Year? With a...Technorati Tags:comic art, new yearGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-20647343614132891262011-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-30T06:00:09.214-08:00ArroganceKevin White @ Mere Orthodoxy quotes Francis Chan:Here’s what I had to repent of: I had felt the need to soften a lot of Jesus’ statements, because in my arrogance I think, “Okay Jesus, I’m not going to say that like that. Trust me, people will like you more and be more willing to accept you if I say it like this.” Obviously I’ve never said that to God. But that’s the attitude I’ve taken, and it John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-1717262209125234222011-12-30T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-30T05:30:02.489-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, popeyeGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-77596979046038032332011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-29T06:00:00.878-08:00Dealing With Scripture and KnowledgeDesiring God quotes John Owen:Men profess to know the truth; but they know it not in its proper order, in its harmony in use. It leads them not to Christ, and brings not Christ unto them; and so is lifeless and useless. Hence, oft-times, none are more estranged from the life of God than such as have much notional knowledge of the doctrines of Scripture. For they are all of them useless, and John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-45297626936183473062011-12-29T05:45:00.000-08:002011-12-29T05:45:01.606-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-60003896454036576302011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-28T06:00:01.081-08:00How The Spirit SpeaksMark Roberts discusses how God guides us through community:Paul assumes that the Holy Spirit will be active in the church. Here he mentions prophecies, occasions when Christians speak forth God’s messages directly. In another of his letters Paul includes many more ways the Spirit speaks and acts within the church (see 1 Corinthians 12-14). But just because someone claims to have a message from John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-33308517959597085202011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-27T06:00:03.146-08:00Eating SeasonGodspace asks "What Makes Us Fat?":So I wonder what is really making us fat? Is it our stress, our sedentary way of life, the chemicals in our bodies and our environment, the technology we use, our disconnect from God, hormonal imbalances, or just plain overeating and a lack of discipline? Yes all of these have been accused of contributing to our obesity. And I suspect that all of them do John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-50940720539520598732011-12-27T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-27T05:30:00.780-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-25168473349891686622011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-26T06:00:08.179-08:00From Whence Sin?The Anchoress notes:That was not the first time — nor the last — that I came to see how selfishness has a deep connection to all of our sins; it is a lesson I keep needing to relearnThe Anchoress is, of course, Catholic and the res of her post bears the marks of her Catholicism, but how startling is her statement to all of faith.It strikes right at the root of the "church as service dispensary" John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-92107053841754865172011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-25T06:00:03.494-08:00The End Of AdventRelated Tags: Christmas Art WorkJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-81815577310795757852011-12-24T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-24T05:30:00.796-08:00Christmas Eve Comic ArtFor the sixth year running...Merry Christmas From A Few Of My Friends Technorati Tags:comics, comic books, comic art, superheroes, christmas comics, superhero christmasGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-52302523806500074402011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-23T06:00:12.774-08:00Ministry SuccessMark Jackson @ MMI encourages small churches to limit their programs, but this is what typically happens:hear the need (which, please understand, I believe are real – youth do need small groups; adults need deeper Bible study; kids programs should be excellent) flail about looking for someone to lead this new ministry/program grab someone who is already overworked but easily feels guilt John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-38868541719839126592011-12-23T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-23T05:30:01.173-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, christmas humorGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-51199377133655497362011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-22T06:00:00.260-08:00Genuine MinistryFrederick Schmidt:People can be taught to observe boundaries and clean up their language. Organizations can even cultivate a respectful workplace, environment, or institutional culture—and many of the programs devoted to diversity and inclusion training use those terms. And when all else fails, leaders can even enforce appropriate behavior. (As Magill, observed, the pilot "knows what he did John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-61046113176290595092011-12-22T05:35:00.000-08:002011-12-23T05:43:40.147-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-36313270636631090812011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-21T06:00:11.118-08:00Almost Christmas, Not As Happy As We ThinkAt Christmastime, Christ is all warm fuzzy and cuddly lambs, but the incarnation is one of the essential miracles of our faith, and there is nothing cuddly about being a Christian. Daniel Harrell at Patheos:Alabama Methodist bishop Will Willimon, formerly the chaplain at Duke University, recounted a conversation he once overheard between two Duke students where the first told the second how he John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-37037829408657017522011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-20T05:44:46.962-08:00The Evangelical ElderDesiing God presents a short video of DA Carson discussing the qualification to be an elder, as presented in Paul's letter to Timothy. He calls those qualifications "unremarkable." I wonder if that is the right approach in an age of rampant divorce and other "lesser" sins> I wonder if that is the right approach when the church works so hard at evangelism but so often neglects its obligation toJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-3016439206760996512011-12-20T05:30:00.001-08:002011-12-20T05:30:01.431-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-80767760921429728032011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-19T06:00:19.230-08:00"Reach"ing BalanceDouglas Groothius:The church should be concerned with in-reach (teaching and formation) and outreach (mission) and upreach (worship), not just upkeep!Well said and I have no doubt there are any churches so moribund that upkeep is all they concern themselves with, but I have to say most churches I know these days focus on outreach and a very shallow form of upreach and almost entirely neglect John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-86183311059097249392011-12-17T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-17T05:30:02.345-08:00Comic ArtHEROES AND ARTISTS - BETA RAY BILLPatrick ZircherDoug BraithwaiteMarko DjurdjevicWalt SimonsonTechnorati Tags:comics, comic books, comic art, heroes and artists, beta ray billGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-13727957574635549572011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-16T06:00:01.327-08:00Growing UpDesiring God ps carrying a column "Live Like A Narnian". Says Joe Rigney:But our tendency is to fall into one of two traps. Either we accept the idea of discipleship through Narnia and rush to the moral or allegorical meaning of the stories prematurely, short-circuiting the actual breathing of Narnian air, or we dispense with the notion that the stories can be a component of Christian John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-37050523720669720222011-12-16T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-16T05:30:03.142-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, popeyeGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-51033974023625536962011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-15T06:00:06.649-08:00Hearing From GodJon Bloom @ Desiring God:I cry to you for help and you do not answer me; I stand, and you only look at me. You have turned cruel to me (Job 30:20-21).[...]Can you identify with Job? You cry out to God in your affliction and you see nothing change. It seems like he’s just standing there watching you writhe. It feels cruel.But this is not, in fact, true. What is true is that God is doing far more John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-64291630092746818052011-12-15T05:33:00.001-08:002011-12-15T05:35:42.441-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-29413622481079077772011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-14T06:00:05.373-08:00RestorationCNN asks:When does a pastor tainted by scandal deserve forgiveness?They look at the case involving some black mega-churches around Atlanta but from Jim Bakker to Ted Haggard to this pastor that bled the budget I know - this is an important question.Sadly, the discussion is not about forgiveness, really, its about allowing the pastor to hold their position, which is a different question.Let's say John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-73556252271524543122011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-13T06:00:08.010-08:00How Would Jesus FaceBook?Christian Web Trends had a I - II - III part series on "How to Build Online Relationships Like Jesus." There is some good stuff there, particularly this from the first post:It’s not a Technology Issue, It’s a Relationship IssueBut then the series sort of defies that wisdom. It gets very analytical about relationships - ordering them, shepherding them, categorizing them. Struck me as very "John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-44492412919324539712011-12-13T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-13T05:30:02.515-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-33907444991329455762011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-12T06:00:17.482-08:00GO DEEP!Church Marketing Sucks reviews and interesting book:If you are not familiar with Timothy Willard and Jason Locy, you should be. Not only are they two of the most articulate, creative and thoughtful guys you’ll ever meet, they are unpretentious, unassuming and quite brilliant. Their new book, Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society, should be required reading for everyone who has wrestled John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-42032829947741410592011-12-10T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-10T05:30:02.905-08:00Comic ArtOne of the more delicious insider images from the Captain America movie this summer past was the first appearance of the character Arnim Zola. In that shot, the very human Zola is first seen looking through a lens in tight close-up so that those if us in in the know suspect we are going to see the startling character depicted around us here.Such a visual presence on screen as much as Zola was inJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-65362802446520770392011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-09T06:00:05.448-08:00Holy Trinity BatmanOK, an admittedly weak title for a very serious sermon by Mark Daniels:“Fine,” you might be saying, “I accept the Trinity, although I don’t quite understand it. But what difference does God being one God in three Persons make in my life?”Let me suggest three ways it may make a difference to you and me as we go through our daily lives.[...]The Trinity makes a difference in our daily lives, first John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-19245141162943215272011-12-09T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-09T05:30:02.649-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, marvinGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-40298988893373858732011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-08T06:00:13.713-08:00Liturgy and DisciplineLynne Baab at "Thoughtful Christian" has written, based on recent writings of Will Willimon, on spiritual practices. In Part IWillimon writes: "I fear that a practice is what we sometimes do when our attention has been displaced from the living God. This leads to a domestication of Christianity, in which Christianity quietly morphs into a species of unbelief, and revelation is taken into our ownJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-64611467944320084852011-12-08T05:45:00.000-08:002011-12-08T05:45:00.463-08:00Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-844935257906416332011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-07T06:00:07.649-08:00Where Do We Stand?Justin Taylor quotes Oz Guiness and David Wells:For the Christian faith is unashamedly world-affirming, and has a peerless record in contributing to education, to philanthropy, to social reforms, to medicine, to the rise of science, to the emergence of democracy and human rights, as well as to building schools, hospitals, universities, orphanages, and other beneficial institutions.Yet at the sameJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-64983763037197754272011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-06T06:00:13.154-08:00Yes, ALL Of ItMark Roberts looks at the cost of discileship:Luke 14 consistently emphasizes the cost of discipleship. If we’re going to follow Jesus, if we’re going to be citizens of the kingdom of God, then we are to humble ourselves (14:11), “hate” our family (14:26), and carry our cross (14:27). To make matters even more uncomfortable, Jesus says, “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-91185268869157232552011-12-06T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-06T05:30:03.174-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-86631811465449175522011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-05T06:00:10.437-08:00ServiceAdrian Warnock writes about what it means to be a Christian at work:Act 2 of Esther makes this point: Esther, we have already seen is working hard, beginning to do everything that needed to be done. But now we see her involvement in the king’s life being spared. Mordecai uncovers conspiracy, he tells Esther and Esther informs the king. Now that wasn’t part of her job description, or Mordecai’s toJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-50921814961886713462011-12-03T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-03T05:30:01.701-08:00Comic ArtHEROES AND ARTISTS - ROBOTMANMatthew ClarkJesus SaizJosue "Justiniano" RiveraTechnorati Tags:comics, comic books, comic art, heroes, robotmanGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-48561289524684781382011-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:002011-12-02T07:00:03.076-08:00Therapy and DoctrineAl Mohler opined about Anthony Weiner:Sadly, many Christians have accepted this worldview as their own, believing that their own deepest problems are therapeutic rather than theological in nature.While I agree with the idea Mohler posits here, I have to disagree with the way he gets there. Our problems are NOT "theological" in nature. They are spiritual, they have to do not with what we believeJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-27955245031321764962011-12-02T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-02T05:30:01.397-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, popeyeGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-52228546036622885702011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-01T06:00:08.660-08:00Why Do We Complicate The Uncomplicated?Chaplain Mike puts up a really long post about the Bible, science and creation:Despite the passion many feel regarding this matter, apparently younger generations are yawning. Matt Rossano’s article, “The (Lack of) Conflict between Science and Religion in College Students” cites a Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion study that surveyed 10,000 students from 200 colleges and universitiesJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-14521807472911352612011-12-01T05:25:00.000-08:002011-12-01T05:27:28.547-08:00Illuminated ScriptureRelated Tags: Illuminated ScriptureJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-42711137975107450852011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-30T06:00:01.748-08:00First Ask If It Is Necessary?CMS provides "Tips for Implementing Change in Small Churches":There has been a lot of discussion about how to pitch change to a pastor or church leadership who is unwilling. This can be especially difficult in a small church (50-300 congregants). Churches don’t take on new things because of lack of money, limited volunteers and staff, and sometimes a lack of understanding of what benefits the John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-88335363752731094982011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-29T06:00:12.416-08:00How Do We Serve?Godspace looks at a Barna survey:There seems to be a disconnect for most Americans between serving the community and helping individuals find their way to God through Christ. Ministry-related goals – such as teaching the Bible, introducing people to Christ, and bringing people to salvation – are infrequently viewed as a primary way to serve the community. Even among many churchgoers, contributingJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-76916687017433564742011-11-29T05:21:00.000-08:002011-11-29T05:22:44.269-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-69507400479967687272011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-28T06:00:05.501-08:00Neither Do IMMI headline:I DON'T TRUST PASTORSBeen there, pretty much agree. He quotes an Elizabeth Esther from a story in the Orange County Register:I don't trust pastors.I want to trust them – but I've experienced so much church-related devastation that I doubt if I can ever again believe the best about their motives, preaching or how they conduct their lives. My trust is utterly broken.In politics, John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-57677214705888601772011-11-26T05:30:00.000-08:002011-11-26T05:30:01.311-08:00Comic ArtSO BAD THEY'RE UNKNOWNOk - This post is almost pointless. I have finally encounter the comic book character about which I know NOTHING - Hidden Man. But then, The site that lists every character in the Marvel Universe had this to say about our friend here:The Hidden Man is up there pretty highly on the Obscure-o-meter. It took me a few months to place him after seeing him in Maximum John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-31384362105704225912011-11-25T07:02:00.000-08:002011-11-25T07:02:00.684-08:00Surviving EmbarassmentRemember when the raputre was supposed to happen anout 6 month ago and did not. Mallory McDuff reflected in USAToday:As I share my research on Christians and the environment, my students are shocked to learn that evangelicals and Episcopalians are working toward common goals around care of creation, such as weatherizing low-income homes in our town. These young activists boycotted Taco Bell and John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-36971599883649084062011-11-25T05:30:00.000-08:002011-11-25T05:30:02.409-08:00Friday HumorWith Apologies for my poor taste, but it made me laugh very hardTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humorGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-279398140677256792011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-24T06:00:01.041-08:00Oh Thankful Day!Technorati Tags:thanksgivingGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-61404905573991853932011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:00:06.244-08:00What's The Point?Mark Daniels quotes from Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt:If you were to ask the average Christian sitting in a worship service on Sunday morning to summarize the message of Christianity, you would most likely hear something along the lines of "The message of Christianity is that God loves me." Or someone might say, "The message of Christianity is that God John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-69015284931330460272011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-22T06:00:16.397-08:00Competition Gone Very WrongMMI presents a video of a preacher declaring John Piper as a "dangerous heretic." Strong words. Follow the link and watch - this is no passing comment this guy goes on and on and on about it.Set me to thinking. If I am completely honest, I loved John Piper before he became JOHN PIPER. Now I worry when he seems to have some sort of psuedo-intellectual theology comment about everything. And no John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-81318927957543699462011-11-22T05:45:00.000-08:002011-11-22T05:45:00.753-08:00Kitty KartoonsTags: cartoons, catblogging, Aggie, Flash, LoganVJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-79541610694728775882011-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-21T06:00:08.650-08:00Fruit Can Rot On The VineMichael Oh @ Desiring God looks at why so many ministry stars "flame out" (to say the least):As I sift through a mountain of emails, I’ve learned to quickly dismiss forwarded “junk mail,” even if it’s from people I consider friends. At the same time I learn to recognize which email “clicks” might actually reap spiritual blessing. When I get an email from a particular dear friend who works with John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-66178375815991142792011-11-19T05:30:00.000-08:002011-11-19T05:30:01.015-08:00Comic ArtHEROES AND ARTISTS - WARRIORS THREESalavador EspinAmanda ConnerOlivier CoipelJack KirbyTechnorati Tags:comics, comic books, comic art, heroes and artists, warriors threeGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-37140605088316585202011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-18T06:00:10.072-08:00How does God Touch You?Dave Bish, working his way through Song of Solomon asks:What does a Christianity centred upon a lover look like?OK, I get Dave's point, but in a world that has such a perverted view of what it means to be a lover, I think the question is pretty loaded. People come with so much stuff loaded on the idea of "lover" that I am not sure this is a good way to go.Bish's analysis stays away from all John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-86495382024346915492011-11-18T05:30:00.000-08:002011-11-18T05:30:01.410-08:00Friday HumorTechnorati Tags:joke, humor, friday humor, and thenGenerated By Technorati Tag GeneratorJohn Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10294930.post-32217971409387376112011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:002011-11-17T06:00:07.813-08:00BeginningsPiper (on video):To Say "I Received Jesus" Means Nothing......unless we receive Him for who He is. Piper then goes on to talk about all that Christ can provide us. All true, but......until we stop receiving Christ for what He can give us, on any level, and simply receive Him by laying prostrate and humble before Him, I wonder if we really have it all figured out.Technorati Tags:receiving John Schroederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02917037602880789273noreply@blogger.com0