Jesus Tomb and Empty Easter Eggs

Wanted to share a neat story from Sunday.

Stephanie and I had the chance to teach a lesson to the kids at our church. We read them a story about a boy named Jeremy and empty Easter eggs. It is a very touching story that you may have heard in a sermon before. (Read here)

As an illustration we brought all the empty plastic eggs in our house for the children. Our plan was to give each child an empty egg as a picture of the empty tomb of Christ after his resurrection. We didn’t know how many children we’d have so we grabbed one extra egg from the floor of the van when we got to church.

After reading the story we started handing out eggs. One, two, three…. The basket started getting emptier and I started getting more anxious. Then, as the last student came up, I looked down into the basket and saw one last egg.

Amazing. God provided all we needed. Just like he always does!

Speaking Opportunities

God is good. He knows I’m a preacher without a pulpit and lately he’s bringing some really cool opportunities my way.

Tonight I was able to share with a group of seminary students.

Tomorrow I’ll be speaking to a group of students in Minneapolis.

Sunday I’ll be partnering with my beautiful wife to teach some kids at Sunday School.

Then, there is also something pretty cool brewing up for late April.

Anytime I get a chance to speak and use my teaching gifts I get pumped! Thank you Jesus for your graciousness in my life.

How Young is Too Young to Preach?

Check out this video on a couple of child preachers. How do you feel about it? How do you feel about what the ‘Religion Professor’ says at the end?

Best News I Heard All Day

There are plenty of people who want to knock Mark Driscoll; they like to get on blogs and call him arrogant and mean-spirited. I think people who do this are lame.

Two of the coolest ministries out there are The Resurgence and the Acts 29 Network. The Resurgence is primarily a web based ministry that hosts all kinds of theological training and materials. The Acts 29 Network is a ministry that provides conferences, workshops, training materials and networking opportunities for church planters and pastors who want to band together and spread the Gospel.

Both of these ministries are headed up by Mark and are underwritten by the people of Mars Hill Church. I am so grateful that Mark is leading ministries that are giving back, often free of charge, to others who wish do grow in their faith and Gospel work.

Here is just another example of how The Resurgence and Acts 29 go over the top.

All main sessions and Q&A at [National Resurgence Conference 2008 Text & Context] will be live-streamed right here at www.theResurgence.com! Sessions can be viewed here. And of course, once we get the conference sessions edited, audio and video of all of the sessions will be posted on this site for download or streaming. We wish you could join us in person, but hopefully you will be sufficiently consoled knowing that you can watch at home in the comfort of your jammies and bunny slippers.

Resources for Preachers and Teachers

I have been spending some time working on another blog that focuses on a passion of mine – preaching.

The blog is Resources for Preachers and Teachers. My hope is that it will be a resource for men and women who are striving to effectively communicate the Gospel in all different contexts.

Please check it out and spread the word.

Thanks.

Dating Teaching Recap

Just finished up my talk with the middle and high schoolers. There is not many things more humbling than teaching church students, because you get so little affirmation and feedback. I felt like I was just throwing darts at a board hoping that some will stick.

In essence though that is always the prayer of the preacher. I am simply a sower of seeds, the Lord will water the crops and bring the harvest.

I feel good about the truth I communicated and the standard I set for the kids. I walked away happy that I did the best I could, and that the rest is in God’s hands. It is not about me being a rock star teacher that all the kids want to hang with, it is about the truth of God’s Word taking hold of hearts and transforming lives.

Inspiration, Internalization, Imitation, and Impact

I read these equations at Steven Furtick’s blog today. I think they provide a helpful and useful framework for thinking about how to use the creativity and work of others in our own lives and ministries.

Inspiration without Internalization=Imitation
Inspiration + Internalization=Impact

You can read his whole post for more context.

Speaking to Guys About Girls

Pretty excited about speaking next weekend to a group of teenage guys about “The Mysteries of Girls” and “Dating w/ Integrity.” I have never met a guy, no matter what his level of faith, that hasn’t been affected at some level with the messages our society propagates regarding the value and purpose of woman. I am hoping to inspire the guys, as followers of Jesus, to hold woman in high regard and to treat them as people rather than challenges to win, trophies to display or products to be consumed.

Note to Self

Too important to ever forget…

Ability will put a microphone in your hand.
Integrity will keep it there.

- Steven Furtick

Using Magic to Gain a Gospel Audience

A couple nights ago my family and I watched a show where a masked magician showed some of the tricks illusionists use to entertain audiences. I was thinking more about that and I thought it would be cool to learn some magic tricks and incorporate them into a show that teaches about Jesus. Almost everyone I know enjoys magic on some level. People get a charge out of being fooled and wondering what just happened in front of their eyes. Added to that is that fact that there is no shortage of material in the Bible regarding the spiritual world. Combining the two could make for a great draw and opportunity to share the story of the Gospel. I’d need to learn a few good tricks first, but it seems like a fun goal to shoot for.