Francis Chan on the Bible Belt

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=kTjHx_oH_0s]

I know what your talking about…

I believe that is why God has kept me in the Bible belt area, because I see it everyday, and have grown passionate about seeing unbelievers as well as those who claim to be believers become passionate about Jesus.

I’ve grown up watching this very thing.
I am not methodist but I have been intrigued by these quotes from John Wesley:

  • “I shook off the dust of my feet, and left Georgia, after having preached the gospel there, not as I ought, but as I was able.” – To me it sounds as if some people were trying to hold John Wesley back from preaching the way he felt he ought to preach, therefore he left because people did not want to hear him.
  • I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.” – This, I believe is the danger and the state of many churches in the “Bible Belt” – Having a form of religion without the power.
  • “The Church recruited people who had been starched and ironed before they were washed.” – This reminds me of the assessment that Billy Graham made a few years back, that he believes anywhere from 80-85% of people in church are not saved. The church has gotten into the conforming business versus the transforming business. Instead of leading people to Jesus who can save and change people, we settle for changing people so they conform to us, a lot of churches could care less about their spiritual state, they are more concerned with their physical state.

Broadcast Yourself Live!

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My friend Tony, twittered that Carlos Whittaker was broadcasting live the other night. I didn’t know what that meant, so I went to check it out. Carlos is the “Ragamuffin Soul” and Worship Pastor at the North Point’s Buckhead location.

The link took me to Mogulus – Its a site that lets you broadcast yourself live, or anything else that you want to broadcast live via a video camera. It is sweet. Shane and I are discussing how the Next Gen Ministry can use it at TCAG. He would have to do most of the live stuff as I am stuck in a publications office/music room and it is more difficult for me to do anything of quality with people walking in and out. My site (www.mogulus.com/nickcarnes) will primarily used for Lifecasting versus ministry.

This is a really cool concept. People can chat with you via a built in chat room while you are live. It would be great for interactive training, video conferences, etc. We will probably try to use it as a live Bible Study where students can send in live questions and comments. Then again we may use it for other stuff like live broadcasting of our midweek student service (Fusion) – Who knows?

Conversation with a 5 Year Old.

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This was the conversation that was being yelled across a couple of rooms between Nicki and Gavin (our 5 year old) this morning…

Gavin: “Mommy!”
Nicki: “What?”

Gavin: “It feels like Tristan has a baby in his tummy!”
Nicki: “What?”

Gavin: “It feels like Tristan has a baby in his tummy!!!”
Nicki:
“That’s just Gas!”

Gavin: “Oh!”

:mrgreen:

A friend was telling me they had a conversation with a guy where they asked, “Why would someone want to bring a child into this evil world?” – My response when I heard the question was…”With the world as evil as it is, children are the pure ones (not meaning without sin), they are the innocent ones. Their motives are pure.”

With Nicki being pregnant, Gavin understands that she has a baby living in her…so it was normal and natural as he and Tristan were playing/wrestling to relate Tristan’s tummy rumblings to be nothing more than a baby! It was a great moment!

Challenge the Process – (Quote of the Day)

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This is my dad…
This is me…

Funny, because I swore up and down when I was younger that I would never be like my dad. He was strict or at least I thought so at the time. I now find myself calling him often for advice and his opinion.

I am skimming through the Catalyst Groupzine, volume 1. (Its one of the items I picked up yesterday at STL.)

Here is Andy Stanley’s opening quote for which I relate:

The instinct to challenge the process is a fundamental quality of every leader. When God created leaders, He equipped them with an unsettling urge to unpack, undo, and unearth methods. This explains your tendency to question everything around you. It’s the reason you have such strong opinions – And such a strong desire to share them. God wired you that way.

I can’t wait to read through it…right now I’m just skimming.

Discontent Take 2

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I posted on being discontent the other day.

Thanks Claire for all of the reminders of how people changed the world through some of their discontentment…that is my prayer…that God would use me to change the world, so hopefully it starts with a little discontentment!

Today, Nicki and I went to Sunrise Grill for our weekly breakfast date and then shot over to Waynesboro to the STL International Distributors Warehouse. I got $120 worth of brand new books for right at $20. Can’t beat that!

One of the books I got was Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels. I’ve been wanting to buy it for a while, but held off, I’m glad I did…instead of paying $15, I paid about $3.50!

I can’t wait to read it, praying that God will use it to move me forward in his journey…