168 Hour Film Project

My friend and filmmaker Louis Kreusel will be making a film for the 168 Hour Film Project, a “faith-based, worldwide incubator, in which teams make a short film in 7 days.” In his blog post announcing his entry Louis writes:

The 168 Hour Film Project is supported by industry veterans such as Howard Kazanjian, Producer, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark and Ralph Winter, Producer X-Men and Star Trek VI. More details at 168project.com.

All films will be based on this year’s 168 Project theme “Second Chances”. Each team will be given a verse from the bible which they must interpret in their film.

Lighthouse Community Church will be supporting this film, and so can you! Click here and follow the directions to make a contribution. For those who contribute, Louis writes:

As a way of saying thanks to everyone who sends a gift, here are a few rewards:
$5 or more will receive a copy of the film on DVD. The DVD will include special features and a professionally printed case.
$10 or more will receive a copy of the film on DVD or Blueray (or both) – your choice.
$20 or more will receive the DVD or Blueray and you’ll also get your name in the credits.
$50 First five to give $50 or more will also receive their choice of a) Half day of video consulting (edit training, camera training, etc) b) Ask me anything about film and video production via email for a week c) Come over to my place for a homemade dinner of gourmet vegetarian food 🙂
$400 For the first two to give $400 or more I’ll make a film for you, up to seven minutes, to support a charity, cause, or organization that we both like.

Lastly, you can click here to watch a short video Louis made of his baby boy, Miko.

Panda Express Prophecy

I was very amused today at what my wife’s fortune cookie from Panda Express predicted:

YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A VERY COMFORTABLE LIFE

Yes! Health and wealth here we come! (Or does it only apply to her???)

We are like sheep

David Murray offers some insights on the lives and character of sheep, from his experience as a pastor in the Scottish Highlands. My challenge to you: read his blog post, then reread some famous passages in Scripture that use a sheep/shepherd metaphor (e.g. Psalm 23, Isaiah 53, Mark 6:34, etc.) and experience these verses with fresh eyes from the original author/speaker’s perspective.

HT: Tim Challies

One bold letter…

“I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure for a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all this for the sake of Him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Saviour from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?”

– Letter from Adoniram Judson (age 22), first missionary to the Burma, to his future father-in-law, John Hasseltine, requesting permission to court his daughter, Ann “Nancy” Hasseltine (age 21), in 1810.

Christmas Eve Service

Pastor Kim preached from chapter 53 of Isaiah for the Lighthouse Christmas Eve Service; here are verses 2-6:

² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

All of us were reminded that the baby in the manger that we celebrate during the Christmas season would one day bear “the iniquity of us all” as he hung on a cross. May Christ be our ultimate reason for celebration, and may His light shine through you upon those you will see tomorrow, and every day. Merry Christmas!

 

Latest Secret Church now available

The latest Secret Church seminar given by David Platt is now available here. The main topic for this one is The Body of Christ. If you are unfamiliar with what Secret Church is, Platt has likened it to having a firehose of doctrine open and aimed at your face for six hours. Good times!

What is Hell?

I recently heard a sermon preached by Tim Keller titled “Hell: Isn’t the God of Christianity an angry Judge?” It was probably one of the best expositions I have heard of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus recorded in Luke chapter 16. Want to better understand a view of hell other than literal fire and flames? Then I would highly recommend listening to this sermon. Also, if you’re interested in Keller’s best-selling book, The Reason for God, you can hear other sermons related to the book for free at the Redeemer Sermon Store.

Christians and Pop Culture

Mark Driscoll recently wrote a thoughtful blog post on how and why Christians should seek to engage the culture of the people they minister to for the sake of “contexualizing the good news of Jesus.” Here are some quotes that made me pause to think:

‘As a missionary, I do not view culture passively, merely as entertainment. Rather, I engage it actively as a sermon that is preaching a worldview. I teach my children to do the same.’

‘We want our kids to be innocent but not naïve. Naïve Christians are the most vulnerable to engaging culture ignorantly and unpreparedly. ‘

‘We all have some areas in which we need to restrict our freedoms because of our weaknesses, while we are able to use our Christian liberty in areas in which we are strong.’

‘…I am encouraging Christians to involve themselves in culture not merely for the purpose of entertainment but primarily for the purpose of education.’

‘Engaging culture requires discernment by God’s people to filter all of the cultures they encounter, Christian and non-Christian, through a biblical and theological grid in order to cling to that which is good and reject that which is evil.’

‘Should Christians who like rap check out guys I have enjoyed getting to know a bit, such as Lecrae? Yes. Should all Christians listen to Jay-Z? No. Should Jay-Z sit down and talk to me about Jesus? Yes.’

 

Be Missional Every Day

Some time ago, I wrote a post about a sermon by John Piper on living as tent-makers in our cities. In a similar vein, here is a post from UK blogger Adrian Warnock describing a sermon given by his pastor, Tope Koleoso, on how to be missional every day. I recently listened to this sermon and was very encouraged by its gospel centered-ness and practical applications for reaching out to people in and out of our social circles. You can download/listen to it directly here.

Am I trying to help God?

The other day my family and I took a trip to the local Christian bookstore to buy a children’s Bible for one of our neighbors. While the kids were busy entertaining themselves with a magnetic Moses figure and Veggie Tales characters, I snuck away to the Classics section and was able to pick up a paperback copy of The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. I had been eyeing this book for a while, and was surprised and excited that they had it in stock.

As I’ve been reading through it, one quote in particular has stood out to me, especially as I think about my motives and heart for serving the Lord Jesus in places like Thailand:

Probably the hardest thought of all for our natural egotism to entertain is that God does not need our help. We commonly represent Him as a busy, eager, somewhat frustrated Father hurrying about seeking help to carry out His benevolent plan to bring peace and salvation to the world…

Too many missionary appeals are based upon this fancied frustration of Almighty God. An effective speaker can easily excite pity in his hearers, not only for the heathen but for the God who has tried so hard and so long to save them and has failed for want of support. I fear that thousands of younger persons enter Christian service from no higher motive than to help deliver God from the embarrassing situation His love has gotten Him into and His limited abilities seem unable to get Him out of. Add to this a certain degree of commendable idealism and a fair amount of compassion for the underprivileged and you have the true drive behind much Christian activity today.

I am reminded that whenever Christians have the opportunity to serve and love others, it should be counted as a privilege and blessing that we can participate in His great and wonderful plans, not because He needs us, but because He loves us.