Have a look at this article about the 'monster fish'. Then have a look at Job 41.

I love how the Word stands more solid every day :0)

Labels: creation, god

Hey boys and girls.

We have hotel rooms in Atlanta booked for the Passion '07 conference, and I think we'll have extra beds, so who wants to bunk?

Labels: photography

John Piper is bad

...and so am I :0)

Here's a quicktime presentation about God's work that pastor David has been a part of in the past several years. Let me know if you're interested in more information about their ministry.

You can go here to look at 'em. And let us know your vote for which one should be on display at the wedding :0)

Hey Boys and Girls,

Come play some flag football in our 2nd annual Abundant Life Turkey Bowl, this Saturday! We want as many folks as we can get. I know it might be a little bit of a drive for you Raleigh people, but it'll give me a chance to hang out with you :0)

And while you're at it, vote for your favorite team name at the website!

Hey guys and gals,

I really have no idea who reads this silly thing, but I want to throw something out there...

A really, really awesome guy is coming to speak at our church this Sunday. He's an Indian missionary who God has used to plant seeds for the Kingdom all over the broken soil of India.
He fasted and prayed for 100 days this summer, seeking God's heart for the American church, and he's going to be sharing what he learned.

Let me know if you're interested in coming!

This poem is from the last episode of 722 that they posted.
I heard it performed and loved it so much that I jotted it down.
I don't know the name of the author, so if you do, please let me know so I give credit where it's due.

Please share any thoughts you have about this:

o Holy One
o Holy One

only Son Who chose
to be robe-lessly de-throned for the lowly ones
yeah, for lowly me

see, before i was even known
to me grace was shown
for you see this day has been long-awaited
the throng of angels stated "Glory be..."
to God
for the Savior has come
to set you free

for sin has pervaded the nation
and their only saving grace
lies in the face of a baby
swaddling clothes and a manger

how unworthy of a King

birthed in love
who's only service was
the service of us
showing us our purposes
turning us into worshipers
of Him

grace it was
saving us
He came to us
to take the taste of death away from us
take the sting of satan from us
never paining us again

glory
glory to Your name
glory to the King
I'm not worth the price You paid
for the purchase of me
I'm not worth the life You gave
for the weight of my sins
I'm not even worth the birth pains of Mary

what's worse
is that they cursed and spat in Your face
as the blood ran out of Your face
i thank You Jesus
'cause as death ran out of Your way
it ran out of me
too

and i believe You
in You and of You
there's nothing above You
i love You
believe me
and never leave me

'cause Your judgement comes
to the ones who succumb to the demon
but because of Your love
we are free men

so praise Him
praise Him
praise the raised One
the Savior has come

born in bethlehem
the slain lamb has come
to erase sins
and raise disgraced men
to places of greatness

so i say yes
yes
Lord, whatever You request of me
the answer is yes
i pour out my whole life
a living sacrifice 'till my death

like a lightning rod
i will siphon the might of Your light down
to the lifeless ones

strike me twice if You want
take my life if You want
it's Yours

i give it all to You
yes, i give it all up
but Lord, give me more of You
'cause all of me is not enough

show Your light in me
this spark that You ignited inside of me
is violently rising in me

let it explode Lord
let it flow Lord
freely

free me from myself
lead me to Yourself
i know You need me to Yourself

nothing else
nothing else

Lord You brought me from such a long way
from sore knees on the floor
crying every day
You told me to walk the path chosen by You
now look what You've molded me to

You took me from nothing and You made me something

Jesus, You heard my prayers when nobody cared
if they don't understand
it's 'cause they weren't there

they don't know all the things that You've done for me
they don't know all the lonely nights that You comforted me
they weren't there through death scares that You brought me through
they weren't there through child affairs that You taught me through

they don't understand the tears on my face
and the weight on my back
they don't understand the pain that i've had

but You do

You understand pain

they didn't praise Your name when You came
they cursed You
hurt You
denied You three times
they betrayed You
hated You
doubted You
in Your hardest time they deserted You
from birth they tried to murder You

they didn't know

Jesus
we didn't know

we didn't know that You were King
we didn't know that You came to bring us salvation
we didn't know that the baby in the manger
would one day raise us and show us favor

we didn't know about the Alpha and Omega
we didn't know that the messages You gave us
were of divine nature

we didn't know

Lord, forgive us
for we know not what we do

if we knew...

if we knew

Labels: god, worship

I just posted a quicktime video highlighting our Fall Fest on the church 'movies' page, which you can find here: http://www.acts242church.com/movies.html

Have a look at how Psalm 33 gets translated in the Message.

(The message is the work and intellectual property of Eugene Peterson. No animals were harmed in the writing of this blog post. Blah, blah, blah...)

Psalm 33 (The Message, copyright Eugene Peterson)

1-3 Good people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising.
Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs!
Play his praise on a grand piano!
Invent your own new song to him;
give him a trumpet fanfare.

4-5 For God's Word is solid to the core;
everything he makes is sound inside and out.
He loves it when everything fits,
when his world is in plumb-line true.
Earth is drenched
in God's affectionate satisfaction.

6-7 The skies were made by God's command;
he breathed the word and the stars popped out.
He scooped Sea into his jug,
put Ocean in his keg.

8-9 Earth-creatures, bow before God;
world-dwellers—down on your knees!
Here's why: he spoke and there it was,
in place the moment he said so.

10-12 God takes the wind out of Babel pretense,
he shoots down the world's power-schemes.
God's plan for the world stands up,
all his designs are made to last.
Blessed is the country with God for God;
blessed are the people he's put in his will.

13-15 From high in the skies God looks around,
he sees all Adam's brood.
From where he sits
he overlooks all us earth-dwellers.
He has shaped each person in turn;
now he watches everything we do.

16-17 No king succeeds with a big army alone,
no warrior wins by brute strength.
Horsepower is not the answer;
no one gets by on muscle alone.

18-19 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him,
the ones who are looking for his love.
He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times;
in lean times he keeps body and soul together.

20-22 We're depending on God;
he's everything we need.
What's more, our hearts brim with joy
since we've taken for our own his holy name.
Love us, God, with all you've got—
that's what we're depending on.

Labels: creation, god, musings, worship

Read some awesome, awesome stuff from J.P. this morning....

No time to share now though.

Also, more bells and whistles at http://www.acts242church.com

Please give me some feedback so I can get it functional :0)

From Wayne Grudem: http://www.crosswalk.com/news/weblogs/WGrudem/

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach...
-Rich Mullins

Labels: creation, god, music, musings, worship

From "Life as a Vapor"

"God's will for us is not paralyzing frustration because of imperfection. His will is liberating courage because of the certainty of our future in him. The 'Not Yet' makes us humble and vigilant. And sometimes the road seems long. But the 'Already' makes us confident and bold, and reminds us that the road is short. Jesus walked it. And in Him, we are already home.
While we live, this is our calling: brokenhearted boldness. Contrite confidence. The image of Christ on earth: the Lion and the Lamb.

Labels: god, musings, piper