MLB Opening Day MONDAY!!!

If new Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo keeps throwing like he has been, I don't care if he looks like Scott Stapp.

Major Leauge Baseball's Opening Day is MONDAY!

*Look for my Cincinnati Reds to put up a "W" against the Chicago Cubs. President Bush will reportedly throw out the first pitch.

I LOVE THIS GAME.

Salt Anyone?

If the below chart/timeline is true for Christians who become more separated from non-Christians the longer they are Christian, how does this lessen the impact we have as salt and light in our communities?

The irony is that we are on a mission for Jesus, but the more older and mature we become as Christians (and hopefully wiser), the less non-Christians then get to see and experience Jesus in us. I am talking about actual relationships and friendships where trust and dialogue are built with people who get to know us personally, not just street witnessing type of a thing to strangers.

Instead of only circling in closer with all Christians as we get older and more mature in our faith, shouldn't it almost be the opposite as we grow older? Of course, provided we maintain Christian community in the midst of being on a mission for Jesus, as we all need Christian community. But it seems ironic that when we mature and know Scripture better, and Jesus better and are transformed all the more by the Spirit - that less and less non-Christians get to really experience that through relationships with us since we are more and more entrenched in the Christian sub-culture.

*This chart/timeline is from the book "They Like Jesus but not the Church" (Zondervan)

HT: Dan Kimball

Donald Miller Coming To TPC Franklin

Next Sunday (April 2nd) Donald Miller will be with us at The People's Church in Franklin (TN). I have had the honor to be with Don a couple of times.

His work includes, Blue Like Jazz, Searching For God Knows What, Through Painted Deserts, and To Own A Dragon.

Spring Break @ Seaside

This is my view for a few days...

Invisible Children: Global Night Commute

Every night in Uganda, thousands of children leave their homes out of fear of abduction and walk miles into town.

"For one night, we are asking you do the same." Invisible Children. April 29th, 2006 in the Global Night Commute.

Last SAT night our youth at TPC Franklin were the first in the Nashville area to view Invisible Children. If you haven't heard of this you MUST see it. You might be changed forever.

Their BLOG.

More to come...

BOOKS: The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

This is one of my new reads. The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne is an honest fresh look at someone doing things a different way b/c his old way wasn't working.

Read this below to see how his journey kind of got started.

Spiritual Bulimia

"So as we do in our culture, I thought perhaps I needed to buy more stuff, Christian stuff. Luckily, I found an entire Christian industrial complex ready to help with Christian music, bumper stickers, T-shirts, books, and even candy ("Testa-mints"). They had lists of bands and the Christian alternatives to them, so I rid of all my old CD's. And I bought books, devotionals, T-shirts. I developed a common illness that haunts Western Christianity. I call it spiritual bulimia. Bulimia, of course, is a tragic eating disorder, largely linked to idenitity and image, where folks consume large amounts of food but vomit it up before it has a chance to digest. I developed the spiritual form of it where I did my devotions, read all the new Christian books and saw the Christian movies, and then vomited information up to friends, small groups, and pastors. But it never had the chance to digest. I had gorged myself on all the products of the industrial complex but was spiritually starving to death. I was marked by an overconsumptive but malnourished spirituality, suffocated by Christianity but thirsty for God."

An exert from The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.

The Simple Way (play the video if you want to be blessed)

God-Casting...

Usually the church side of things tend to be behind the rest of culture by 5-10 years, but it seems that the church might be catching up a bit faster on the Pod-casting side. I know 12-15 churches and or people that pod-cast faith based messages of some type...and that's just me. How many do you know? OR do you pod-cast?

The Tennessean had a great article on Church Pod-Casts. Go HERE.

Much thanks to iLife 06 for making it easier for all of us!

Paramore At Exit In- Nashville

So I know I am a little bias, but I had the honor to see Paramore perform at Exit In 2 weeks ago. Even though this is one of my least favorite venues in town, I was witness to one of the most talented young bands around.

Haley and the Farro boys brought it! I am proud of the Franklin band.

If you haven't got the CD yet (west coasters....), you gotta go get. If they come around your area, treat your self to some fresh rock!

Paramore.net

Bono Up For Peace Prize?

A week or so ago it was reported that Bono is up for the Nobel Peace Prize again.

The Nobel Prize is the first international award given yearly since 1901 for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. In 1968, the Sveriges Riksbank (Bank of Sweden) instituted the Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize. Each prize consists of a medal, personal diploma, and prize amount.

Go HERE for more.