Heather and I have chosen the name for our son. It’s bomb.
JORDAN HOLLOWAY CROMER
(And he’s already locked down an ideal Twitter id: @jordancromer)
Archive for March, 2011
I NEED YOUR HELP:
REVOLUTION is finishing up our March series “5 HOT WAYS TO JACK UP YOUR LIFE”. In this series, we have been taking an honest look at 5 different issues - lust, bitterness, control, anger, and worry – and how those things can seriously jack up your life.
This Wednesday, we are talking about worry. Jesus speaks some truth in Matthew 6 on worry…
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Despite this awesome Jesus-truth, we still worry…a lot.
Here’s how I need your help:
You can help me with my research for my message on worry. Answer this question…
WHAT DO TEENAGERS WORRY ABOUT?
(Thanks in advance for your help.)
7 KEYS TO LIFTING YOUR FRIENDS AND OTHERS
Posted: March 21, 2011 in Books, Inspirational, Life, PeopleTags: Books, Inspirational, Life, People, Tony Dungy, Uncommon
- Choose friends for the sake of friendship, based on values.
- Listen to the voices of those you trust, not the voices of the crowd.
- Be open to taking advice from people whose judgment you trust.
- Conflict can be positive. Don’t fear it.
- When conflict occurs, attack the issue, not the person.
- Be yourself. Others may need your example, whether you realize it or not.
- Be intentional about helping others. Give back as you move through life.
(From “Uncommon” by Tony Dungy)
TENSION IS GOOD
Posted: March 21, 2011 in Faith, Life, Ministry, People, SpiritualityTags: Faith, Life, Ministry, NORTHchurch, People, Spirituality
This Sunday I had the privilege of speaking in all 3 services at NORTHchurch. If you have an extra 30 minutes, you should check it out. You can listen to more messages, get message notes, and more by CLICKING HERE.
LOVE ADVICE – MUSCLES
Posted: March 19, 2011 in Funny, Life, Ministry, PeopleTags: Funny, Life, Ministry, People, Videos
15 KEYS FOR REACHING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL
Posted: March 15, 2011 in Books, Culture, Faith, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, SportsTags: Books, Culture, Faith, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, Sports, Tony Dungy, Uncommon
- Be positive. Your mind is more powerful than you think.
- Build high expectations into others.
- What is down in the well comes up in the bucket. Fill yourself with positive things.
- Your education matters. Don’t cut corners – you’ll only cheat yourself if you don’t learn the material.
- Sports are great…as a complement to academics.
- Find employment that excites you for reasons beyond the salary.
- Make conservative decisions with debt.
- Don’t take hassles from work home with you.
- Goals are important, but make sure they are worthy goals – you just might reach them!
- Don’t fear risk – life is an adventure, not a dress rehearsal.
- Make the best decisions you can after deliberation and prayer, but don’t second-guess yourself. You did the best you could.
- Be careful with mind-altering substances, even legal ones. Addictions can sneak up and destroy your life.
- Don’t be afraid to be different.
- You will fail. Remember that, but don’t fear it.
- True toughness is how you respond to adversity.
(From “Uncommon” by Tony Dungy)
THE PURPOSE OF SEX
Posted: March 13, 2011 in Culture, Faith, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, The BibleTags: Culture, Faith, Life, Ministry, People, REVOLUTION, Spirituality, The Bible
The world is trying to sell us a backwards view of sex. From TV, movies, commercials, music, media, to Internet, we are constantly being bombarded with this backwards view of sex. It’s everywhere.
And we are living in a Christian community with the simple message of “don’t do it” and “just say no”. Why? Because you could get pregnant. Because you could get a disease. Because you will sin.
Growing up with this constant message of “don’t do it”, I began asking myself, “Why in the world did God create sex? It has to be more than just making babies and populating the earth.”
In this state of questioning, God began to reveal something (about the purpose of sex) that I had never heard before. And it all starts with creation.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Most of us are familiar with the creation story described in the first chapter of Genesis. God creates light, sky, land, oceans, trees, plants, the sun, the moon, stars, birds, fish, animals, and everything else on Earth. After everything God created, the Bible says that he looked down and declared “THIS IS GOOD!”
But God was not done creating.
God saves his best creation for last. He (along with Jesus and the Holy Spirit) decide to make something special. Something different than everything else they had already created. Something they could love and have a relationship with. Something made in the image of God. Something that has all of God’s attributes.
So they make man (Adam).
And after God makes people, the Bible says that God looked down and declared “THIS IS VERY GOOD!”
Then God looked down at Adam and said, “You know what would be even better? Ladies!” So God puts Adam into a deep sleep, amputates a rib, and forms Eve (woman).
Here’s the point…
If man was made in the image of God and encapsulates all the great attributes of God and then God creates woman out of man, suddenly the COMPLETE image of God is now two places. Suddenly man does not have all the attributes of God – woman has some. Now there are two separate things that have different attributes of God – men don’t have the women’s and women don’t have the men’s.
Like those old school, cheesy best friend necklaces that are torn in half (one half saying “Be / Fri”, the other half saying “st / ends”), now the image of God is in two places.
Then God creates this awesome thing called sex. And the 2 become 1 by this adhesive that is so strong that it can put the image of God back together.
So the purpose of sex is so much bigger than making babies and populating the earth. Sex is the super-strong adhesive that puts the complete image of God back together.
(Material used in the REVOLUTION series – XES. Major thanks to Gateway Church student pastor Ben Pirtle for hooking me up with a lot of this material.)
It’s official. Heather and I are going to be having a boy. Trust me…I’ve got the pictures to prove it. Didn’t want to post them because I’m pretty sure I’d get arrested.
The Cromer name lives on.
We’re pumped!
11 KEYS FOR LOVING YOUR FAMILY
Posted: March 6, 2011 in Books, Culture, Faith, Family, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, SpiritualityTags: Books, Culture, Faith, Family, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, Tony Dungy, Uncommon
- Be a leader around your home, but lead for the benefit of your wife and children, not for your own benefit.
- Give your wife breaks from her daily responsibilities.
- Make memories.
- Keep your (marriage) vows sacred. Sometimes better comes after worse.
- If you are not married, be careful in selecting a spouse. It is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.
- Be present with your family – emotionally and physically.
- Be careful what you say and do.
- Write notes to your children.
- Honor those in authority over you.
- Be careful with the authority and influence that you’ve been entrusted with.
- If you can’t come to grips with your parents and your past, find a professional to walk with you through it.
(From “Uncommon” by Tony Dungy)
13 KEYS FOR DEVELOPING YOUR CORE
Posted: March 4, 2011 in Books, Faith, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, SpiritualityTags: Books, Faith, Inspirational, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, Tony Dungy, Uncommon
- Remember that what you do when no one is watching matters.
- The means matter as much as the ends, if not more.
- Hang in there. Character is revealed through adversity.
- Often we grow as much through the little things as we do through the big ones.
- Truth is critical. Being truthful is too.
- Don’t rationalize your way around honesty.
- Don’t blow your own horn.
- Don’t be falsely modest; you have amazing gifts. Just recognize that others do too.
- You are important, but not indispensable. The same goes for others. See yourself as a significant part of the process.
- Be careful what you do with your resources, gifts, time, and talents. You’ve been entrusted with them.
- Some of the most rewarding times in life are when you have to stand alone, even if you are uncomfortable doing so.
- Life is hard. Courage is essential.
- Never give up. Never.
(From “Uncommon” by Tony Dungy)
