Archive for March, 2009

Is Doubting God a Sin?

Posted: March 31, 2009 in Culture, Faith, Life, Ministry, Music, People, Spirituality, The Bible
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Is it okay for Christians to doubt? Is doubting God a sin?

I was reading a music review recently of “You Found Me” by the Fray, a song that speaks of a man who believes in a loving God who searches for his lost children, but the lyrics themselves alternate between accusation, doubt, and belief, that said…

My understand of Scripture is that, yes, doubting God is sin. But let me clarify that. To doubt God is to say in our hearts, “I’m no longer convinced that God is God, that He is right or good or loving or powerful. I can’t say I believe in Him.”

In fact, you could define sin as doubting God: “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

Faith is the opposite of doubt. Faith is trusting God: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Doubt, by definition, is being uncertain and unsure.

Having said that, we’re not talking about honest questions that come up when our belief in God is challenged. To ask those questions and seek real answers takes more faith, not less. And we’re also not talking about the feelings of disappointment we sometimes experience with the circumstances God allows.

Faith is the constant command of Jesus. Faith is the sole prerequisite of salvation. Faith in Jesus is how we are reconciled to God. Why all this emphasis on faith? Because if we believe in God, then we will act like we believe in God. That means that we will love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we will love our neighbors as ourselves.

Doubt seems to have become highly valued in our society. It is a cornerstone of certain worldview perspectives. Some believe that science teaches we must doubt everything. Doubt is seen as a sign of intellectual maturity.

So what do you think? Any thoughts? Do you buy what this guy is saying? Is doubting God a sin?

Let me challenge you to step back and truly soak this in before answering. I think it is too easy to agree with whatever you naturally tend to be. For example, if you are prone to doubting, your first and normal reaction will be “no, of course not.” If you do not struggle with doubting, then your first and normal reaction will be “absolutely, doubt is a sin.” Do not choose your answer by what makes you feel better about your life. Choose your answer by what is true.

Is doubting God a sin?

Wal-Mart, Tiger Woods, & Dominance

Posted: March 30, 2009 in Culture, Life, People, Sports
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THIS WAS A CONCEPT I WROTE ABOUT OVER A YEAR AGO WHEN ABOUT 15 PEOPLE WERE READING THE BLOG. IT IS A GOOD DISCUSSION TOPIC THAT IS WORTH YOUR BRAIN POWER…

In Sulphur Springs, Texas we have three big grocery stores: Wal-Mart (yeah, it’s a Super Center), Brookshires, and Piggly Wiggly. While all from time-to-time get customers, one dominates the grocery business in this town. The Wal-Mart Super Center is constantly packed. It has all the advantages: lower prices, more check out lines, ability to buy your kids superman pajamas and a plasma tv on the same trip, and open 24 hours everyday. Sure Brookshires and ”the Pig” have business or they would close, but Wal-Mart consistently out-do them. (Side note: I try to avoid Wal-Mart as much as possible because of the obscene amount of florescent light and there is always a load of people there.)

I watched some of this week’s PGA golf tournament on TV. It was not one of the four major golf tournaments; it was the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. The main reason I watched was to see if Tiger Woods, who is coming off major knee surgery, could get back to his dominant, winning ways. In fact, I found myself watching this seemingly insignificant golf tournament over the NCAA Elite Eight basketball games to see if Tiger could make a comeback. He only drilled a 12 foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one shot and match the largest comeback in his PGA Tour career. Yesterday he won at his third tournament after a nine month layover that included major knee surgery. The crazy thing is that nobody is surprised. He wins last year’s US Open on one leg and nobody is surprised. He has become so dominant in professional golf that it is expected that he will win and be better than everyone else simply by showing up. (Another side note: I find it hilarious that people can’t figure out why Tiger is so dominant compared to the other golfers. He is the only guy on tour that works out, that’s jacked, and that’s in shape. All the other guys look like my Uncle Hal. Think about it. It makes sense.)

So what does Wal-Mart and Tiger Woods have in common? They are dominant in what they do. The question I ask myself: Is it a good thing for something/someone to be so much better than every single one of their competitors? Is it a good thing for cities when Wal-Mart dominates sales? Is it good for the PGA when Tiger dominates every tournament? Is it a good thing that smaller, hometown grocery stores shut down or struggle month-to-month because Wal-Mart is down the street and they can’t compete? Is it a good thing that when Tiger doesn’t play in a tournament many people (including myself) will not watch a second of their coverage? Some say yes, others no. This principle can be applied to anything that completely dominates their field.

Thoughts?

Fantasy Baseball Draft

Posted: March 28, 2009 in Uncategorized
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Last night I had a fantasy baseball draft. Every year I play fantasy baseball with some of my best friends on this planet. This year we are only using National League players. Here’s my fantasy baseball team, CHIN MUSIC…

HITTERS

  • C Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants
  • IB Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
  • 2B Dan Uggla, Florida Marlins
  • 3B Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs
  • SS J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee Brewers
  • OF Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
  • OF Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates
  • OF Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies
  • OF Lastings Milledge, Washington Nationals
  • OF Milton Bradley, Chicago Cubs
  • OF Cameron Maybin, Florida Marlins
  • OF Michael Bourn, Houston Astros

PITCHERS

  • SP Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies
  • SP Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros
  • SP Yovanni Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers
  • SP Adam Wainwright, St Louis Cardinals
  • SP Derek Lowe, Atlanta Braves
  • SP Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers
  • RP Matt Lindstrom, Florida Marlins
  • RP Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
  • RP Manny Corpas, Colorado Rockies
  • RP Jason Motte, St Louis Cardinals
  • RP J.J. Putz, New York Mets

Spiritual A.D.D.

Posted: March 26, 2009 in Faith, Friends, Life, Ministry, Movies, People, Spirituality
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Can you relate to this? Have you ever experienced this? Do you ever struggle with a bad case of Spiritual A.D.D.? What did this video stir up inside of you?

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This video was made by one of my college friends, Kacy Maxwell. He is extremely gifted and talented.

REVIVE – Pastor Frank Q&A Tonight

Posted: March 25, 2009 in Faith, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality
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Tonight will be a special night at REVIVE, the Shannon Oaks Church weekly teen worship service.

frankTonight Frank Gray, who is the new senior pastor at the Shannon Oaks Church, will be speaking to our students. However, it will not be the normal somebody-gets-up-and-preaches message. Pastor Frank is going to be answering your questions. Tonight will be a great way to get to know him better. For a week now, we have been gathering all types of questions for him to answer. Funny questions. Random questions. Theological questions. Deep questions. Life questions. Anything goes. Here is a sneak peak at some of the questions he will answer tonight:

  • Have you ever returned an item to a store for a refund after having used it?
  • How long have you been bald? Do you wax your head?
  • When was your life most out of control?
  • What made you want to become a pastor?
  • What do you think happens in eternity if a person takes their own life?

If you live in the Sulphur Springs area, you will not want to miss tonight. Adults/parents are welcome to come. If you have a specific question for Pastor Frank, please get them to me as soon as possible. Leave a comment below with your question before 4pm.

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Also, I wanted to give some free publicity for the Shannon Oaks Church Women’s Ministry. Tonight Pastor Frank’s wife, Mary Gray, will be sharing her testimony with the SOC women. If you are a woman in the Sulphur Springs area, make sure you do not miss hearing Mary’s story. 6:30-8pm.

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If you are a teenager in the Sulphur Springs area, you need to be at REVIVE Wednesday night. If you are a parent of a teenager in the Sulphur Springs area, you need to make sure your teenager is at REVIVE Wednesday night. It will be powerful.

REVIVE, Wednesdays, 6:30-8pm, Shannon Oaks Church

The $0.99 Musical Instrument

Posted: March 24, 2009 in Life, Music, Technology
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ocarina

WARNING: My inner geek is about to come out. If you don’t think you can handle that, turn away now.

I have had my iPhone now for over a year. For so many reasons (the free downloadable updates that changes your phone, the easy functionality, the efficiency, the size, the compatibility with my laptop, the app store, and much more) the iPhone is by far the best cell phone that I have ever used. I discovered something this weekend that takes it to a whole new level.

I was watching the hour and fifteen minute keynote presentation on the new iPhone OS 3.0 software that is soon to be available for all iPhone users (I know…I am a nerd…I am cool with it).

While watching I learned about a company called SMULE that makes different iPhone apps that can be found in the Apple App Store. SMULE specializes in apps that turn your iPhone into a musical instrument. Being the pseudo-wannabe-musician that I am, I had to check this out on my iPhone. What I found amazed me.

In the app store, I discovered the SMULE OCARINA app. For $0.99 I could buy this app that would transform my iPhone to a legitimate musical instrument.

The Ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument that was featured in Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda. And yes, I love the old school Zelda video games (inner geek again…I know…I know). 

I paid the $0.99 and downloaded the Ocarina to my iPhone. Since then, I have been learning to rock the Ocarina. It’s incredible. Hopefully, I will be able to jam this tomorrow night at our REVIVE worship service…

If you own an iPhone and are somewhat musical, you need to get this app. It is a ton of fun and tell me another legitimate musical instrument that you can buy for $0.99.

Thanks for letting my inner-geek shine through today.

Jarrett Payton Q&A

Posted: March 23, 2009 in Faith, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, Sports
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Just so you know, this is a blog post where I expect a lot of comments. There will be an important question at the end of this post that I REALLY want you to answer. Can you help me with that?

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jarrett-paytonA few years ago I submitted a question on NFL.COM for a question and answer session with Jarrett Payton. Surprisingly, my question was selected for Payton to answer. If you don’t have a clue who Jarrett Payton is, let me help.

Jarrett Payton is a former professional football player who spent time in the NFL and NFL Europe. He was a running back for the Tennessee Titans in 2005 and 2006. He played college football at the University of Miami. Jarrett Payton is also the son of NFL Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.

Here was my question that I asked him:

IF YOU COULD COMMUNICATE TO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OR THINGS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED SINCE YOU LEFT HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AND YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE NFL AND NFL EUROPE, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM?

Payton answered…

“I would tell them to never give up. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something. If you have a dream and you want to get it done, you can get it. Try to attain it at all costs and don’t let anyone take it from you.”

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How would you answer that question?

Adults, there are a lot of teenagers that read that blog everyday. What’s the most important thing or things you have learned? If you could only communicate one message to middle schoolers and high schoolers, what would you tell them? Speak truth into their lives.

Teenagers, feel free to jump in on this conversation as well. As a teenager, what’s the most important thing or things you have learned so far in your life? If you could only communicate one message to your middle school and high school peers, what would you tell them? Speak truth into their lives.

I would love to hear your heart. Leave a comment…

Let the Madness Begin

Posted: March 19, 2009 in Culture, Life, Sports
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LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!!!

As a sports fan, today is one of my favorite days of the year. Today signals the start of the NCAA tournament, where for the next four days there will be nothing but wall-to-wall college basketball as 64 teams will be dwindled down to the Sweet 16. This tournament will undoubtedly provide upsets, buzzer beaters, and plenty of drama. I’m excited!

I will be going home early and “working from home” today so that I can watch all the action from the start. I have been able to do this for the past seven years. 

One thing I love about this tournament so much is the fact that the first round (the Thursday and Friday games) are the best part of the entire tournament. You tell me another sporting event where the first round of something is better than the championship rounds. For example, is the NFL wild card playoff round better than the super bowl? Is the first round of the NBA playoffs better than the NBA finals? Is the Daytona 500 poll time trials better than the actual Daytona 500? The next two days of this tournament are better than the championship game. How cool is that?!?

09mens_bracket

Here are my official 2009 NCAA picks:

FINAL FOUR

  • Louisville
  • Memphis
  • Pittsburgh
  • North Carolina

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

  • Memphis vs North Carolina

2009 NCAA CHAMPION

memphis-tigers 

Memphis Tigers

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Do you love the NCAA tournament? Are you feeling a little March Madness today? Why do you love the tournament? Who are your Final Four, Championship game, and 2009 NCAA Champion picks?

Now It’s Your Turn

Posted: March 18, 2009 in Faith, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality
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For the past two days I have written about specific times in my life where somebody saw something in me that I would have never seen in myself and then pushed me to be better. In fact, they pushed me to be what God created me to be.

Two days ago, I shared about on of my college professors, DR. LAVENDER, who saw that I possessed a gift of writing. That conversation made a significant impact on my life by pushing me to explore that gift of writing.

Yesterday, I share about my youth minister, DAVE MORGAN, who saw that I was a leader and that I possessed gifts that could lead to a future successful ministry career – both things I never saw in myself. That conversation forever changed my life by pushing me to explore God’s calling of ministry in my life.

That’s me.

Now what about you?

Have you ever had someone push you to something greater? Have you ever had somebody see something in you that you never would have seen in yourself?

If you have, praise God! I would love to hear those stories. Leave a comment or email me telling me those stories.

I also challenge you to write an email/letter or make a phone call to personally give the person a simple “thank you” for pushing you and seeing something in you that you would have never seen in yourself.

If you have not ever had those kind of people in your life, please pay close attention to the next few sentences…

You are special. You are loved. You were created so uniquely and so perfectly by God. You were so uniquely wired with talents, gifts, and abilities that should be used for God. If you have not figured out what that looks like specifically in your life, it is not because you don’t have anything to offer. I encourage you to keep searching and praying for how you can leave your spiritual fingerprints all over this world. God has an amazing, unbelievable plan for your life that are far beyond anything you can imagine. Do whatever it takes to find that purpose and calling for your life. Find your life “sweet spot” and chase after it with wreckless abandonment. You were created for something special.

If you felt something stir at your emotional/spiritual heart strings while reading that truth, that was God trying to tell you something.

Respond to that truth.

Live in that truth.

Thanks for reading.

I’m a Leader?

Posted: March 17, 2009 in Faith, Friends, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, Sports, The Bible
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Have you ever had someone push you to something greater? Have you ever had somebody see something in you that you never would have seen in yourself? Maybe it was a parent, minister, coach, friend, teacher, or mentor…

The Bible shows an awesome example of this in Exodus 3-4 when God calls Moses to something greater. God tells Moses that he is going to use him to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Moses does not see in himself what God sees because he starts to give every excuse in the book why he is not the man for this God-sized job. Nevertheless, God calls Moses to something greater that he would have never done on his own.

Yesterday I shared a story of a former college professor that pushed me to write.

Today I want to share another story.

Dave Morgan is a man that has made a significant impact on my life. He has pushed me and shaped me. He was my youth minister while I was in high school.

One day before the start of my junior year of high school, Dave invited me to play one-on-one basketball at the church one afternoon. I jumped at the chance for two reasons: (1) I got to play basketball and (2) I got the chance to beat down my youth minister, which was often the case when we played against each other (Dave, if you read this, please don’t bring up the time you and Jason beat Josh and I when he sprinted to the church that afternoon. It was a cheap win and you know it.)

Dave tricked me. Playing basketball was not the number one priority that day. In between taking jump shots, we had a heart-to-heart conversation that has forever changed the coarse of my life. 

Dave began to speak truth into my life that day. He told me that I was a leader. He said that he had noticed that people followed my lead and that I possessed a lot of leadership potential. He told me that leadership was not a choice one made. However, that the only choice I had is HOW I was going to lead, not IF I was going to lead. He challenged me to step up as a leader in our youth group. Finally, he told me that he saw gifts in me that could lead to a successful future career in ministry.

That conversation was the first seed that was planted in my heart to pursue a career in ministry. Without that conversation, I truly believe that I would not be sitting in the very chair I am sitting in while I type this post (my chair in my church office).

Dave, I want to thank you for seeing something in me that I would have never seen in myself. I was a quiet kid that cared about sports, girls, and sports, but you gave me purpose. Thanks for pushing me and making me think. You may not even remember that conversation, but God used you to forever change my life that day. Over the past five years, I have had that very same conversation with students in my ministry when I see leadership potential. I cherish our relationship. You will always be my youth minister.

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