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11.30.2009 |
Before we get to the football update, just a quick
reminder that a new message has been added to the
sermon page. It's the one I preached yesterday at
Parkwood, and it is simply entitled Christ is Hope,
from Lamentations 3:1-24. If you listen to it (or
any other messages), please
drop me a line and let
me know what you think.
* * * * *
And now, on with the weekly pigskin update. So how did my favorite football teams fare this past
weekend? Let's find out:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were
oh-so-close to their second win! Up 17-13 at
Atlanta, they gave up a touchdown with 0:23 left on
the clock and lost 20-17. The loss hurts, but it was
nice to see Chris Redman (former UL Cardinal) do
well as the backup QB for the Falcons--just with
he'd done it against someone else's team! Tampa QB
Josh Freedman continued to look solid (20/29, 250
yds, 2 TD) and I think the Bucs are on the right
track with him. I'm just starting to get nervous
about only winning one game the entire year...that's
not good. Up next: on the road to face
division rival Carolina Panthers (4-7).
Games left: 5
The Louisville Cardinals
lost (as expected) to Rutgers 34-14 before a low,
low crowd of 23,000 last Friday (the stadium holds
42,000 and is expanding to 60,000 seats). This ended
the Cards' season at 4-8, and when Saturday morning
rolled around, it also ended Kragthorpe's job as
coach. The axe fell quick on Kragthorpe, who went
15-21 as head coach at Louisville in three seasons.
(Don't feel too bad for him: he's still due a $2.2
million buyout.)
Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich will
undoubtedly search far and wide for the right
person, and Kragthorpe aside, Jurich has a solid
track record of hires. Let's hope he gets a coach
that can bring some excitement back to Cardinal
football, and that the program can start moving back
toward becoming a winning tradition. Below is the
full season recap for the Cards:
| UNIVERSITY
OF LOUISVILLE CARDINALS 2009 FOOTBALL |
| DATE |
OPPONENT |
W/L |
SCORE |
RECORD |
| 9.05 |
Indiana State |
W |
30-10 |
1-0 |
| 9.19 |
@
Kentucky |
L |
27-31 |
1-1 |
| 9.26 |
@
Utah |
L |
14-30 |
1-2 |
| 10.02 |
Pittsburgh |
L |
10-35 |
1-3 |
| 10.10 |
Southern Miss |
W |
25-23 |
2-3 |
| 10.17 |
@ Connecticut
|
L |
25-38 |
2-4 |
| 10.24 |
@ Cincinnati |
L |
10-41 |
2-5 |
| 10.31 |
Arkansas State |
W |
21-13 |
3-5 |
| 11.07 |
@ West Virginia |
L |
9-17 |
3-6 |
| 11.14 |
Syrcause |
W |
10-9 |
4-6 |
| 11.21 |
@
South Florida |
L |
22-34 |
4-7 |
| 11.27 |
Rutgers |
L |
14-34 |
4-8 |
Louisville Cardinals
(4-8) Season Completed
PRP Panthers (3-7) Season Completed
With two of the three teams done, here are the new overall standings:
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11.29.2009 |
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend! I
really enjoyed being able to spend time with my
family (and extended families), and am very thankful
for the amazing wife and sons God has blessed me
with! Tricia truly is a wonderful partner and I am
continually humbled that she would chose to love me
and enter into a lifelong covenant of marriage with
me.
A quote I recently read from John Piper
( This Momentary Marriage, 97) reminded me
of her and I thought I would share it today as a way
of expressing my thanks for my wife:
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A Christian woman does not put her hope in her husband...she does not put
her hope in her looks or her intelligence or
her creativity. She puts her hope in the
promises of God...
She looks away from the troubles and miseries and obstacles of life that
seem to make the future bleak, and she
focuses her attention on the sovereign power
and love of God who rules in heaven and does
on earth whatever he pleases. She knows her
Bible, and she knows her theology of the
sovereignty of God and she knows his promise
that he will be with her and will help her
and strengthen her no matter what.
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Tricia is gracious, supportive, and giving. She does
so many things, day in and day out, that often go
unnoticed and unappreciated. She loves with all her
heart. She puts her family's needs above her own.
There is no one else I would rather be with -- even
in tough times. She is the one I am totally honest
and open with, as she is with me. The way she loves me reminds me of the way Jesus
loves me. And because of that, she inspires me to be
a better husband, father, and pastor.
These words seem woefully inadequate to describe the
beautiful woman that is my wife, and she deserves so
much more. I truly look forward to each new day of our
journey together. Tricia, for you I am
exceedingly thankful!
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11.25.2009 |
Jeremy has a great post over at
The Pristine
Chappell about a recent experience he had while
working as a waiter. Here's a
snippet of his story:
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I waited on a table of 3, who seemed like nice enough people. They all ordered
steaks, soft drinks, even desert. Then came the bill. Their check totaled over
$65 and the kicker is that I got a whopping $3 tip total. The real issue here--other than the fact that you should never tip your server less than 15% unless
he/she is absolutely horrid--is the fact that they placed a bible tract with
the tip. I am a Christian, and I believe that this has to be the worst
possible thing these people could have done...
The Word of God is not a tip at a restaurant.
It is the single most
important thing we should all share with each other, but in this situation it
does not fit. If you leave these in a tip book, you had better be tipping 20 or
30 percent, or you are doing some damage. You are putting a stumbling block in someone's
path. The economy is down, tips are down,
Christians who can afford to spend $65 on a
meal, should be kind enough to take care of
another human being...
Feel free to share God's Word. Just don't use it as a bail out for your wallet.
God wouldn't approve--pretty sure that's biblical.
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I recommend that you read the entire post to get the
whole story, but I think you get the general idea. I
agree wholeheartedly with Jeremy on this one, and I
believe that Scripture does as well. Take a look at
James 2:14-17.
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What good is it, my brothers, if someone
says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him? If a brother or
sister is poorly clothed and lacking in
daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go
in peace, be warmed and filled," without
giving them the things needed for the body,
what good is that? So also faith by itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
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Typically, Christians tend to fall to one of two
extremes: (1) meeting physical needs as an end unto
itself, or (2) ignoring physical needs in the name
of the Gospel. Both are equally wrong.
Christians are commanded to take care of the needy,
and to look after "orphans and widows in their
affliction" [James 1:27], and so we must do so.
That's not debatable. But that is not the end of the
matter. We are also commanded to be "ambassadors
for Christ, God making His appeal through us"
[2 Corinthians 5:20] and to "make disciples of
all nations...teaching them to observe all that
(Christ) has commanded" [Matthew 28:19-20].
Establishing God's kingdom on earth is mainly
about sharing the Gospel and discipling those who
come to Christ in faith. Social justice and meeting
needs is good and important work that the Church
must do, but it is not the primary task of the
Church, and must never usurp the Gospel.
If a person is hungry, give him food. But do so in
Christ's name, with a desire to show him his more
urgent need of salvation through Jesus. Just don't
dare do that part first, while his stomach is empty.
He won't hear a word you have to say about the love
of Jesus if he hasn't eaten in three days and you
ignore that like it's no big deal. Or, in Jeremy's
case, don't try to pass off God's Word as tip money.
No waiter is going to read anything left
behind in place of a tip. How would you like it if
your boss paid you in Bible tracts?
Exactly.
More than that, if you are in Christ, then God has
been exceedingly, unspeakably generous to you. Not
only in meeting your greatest need through Christ,
but in "every good and perfect gift" [James
1:17, see Romans 8:31-32]. Don't be cheap--you are
misrepresenting God.
The bottom line on tipping is this: You can
supplement a good tip with the Gospel, but you
can't substitute a good tip with the
Gospel.
And I would even go so far as to say that the
quality of service you receive from your waiter
doesn't really matter. If you are trying to share
the Gospel, then we have to keep the basic principle
of the Gospel in mind: we who were undeserving
received the greatest gift. The Gospel, thank God,
is not merit-based.
So whether or not you plan to leave a booklet that
speaks of God's generosity, your waiter had better
see it reflected on the tip line. This is the heart
of what Jesus said in Luke 6:35-36:
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But love your enemies, and do good, and
lend, expecting nothing in return, and your
reward will be great, and you will be sons
of the Most High, for He is kind to the
ungrateful and the evil.
Be merciful, even as
your Father is merciful.
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11.24.2009 |
Time Travel Tuesday #17
Here's one of Tricia and I in Gatlinburg with the
youth on Xtreme Winter. We were standing outside the
Log Cabin Pancake restaurant, which is
quite yummy (though it is no Pancake Pantry,
if you know what I'm saying). Now you want pancakes,
don't you? I know I do:
In other news: I will be preaching at Parkwood this
Sunday (11/29) on the topic of Hope as the advent
season gets underway. Please pray for me as I try to
prepare my sermon during this short work week, and
also consider this your personal invitation to come
to church!
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11.23.2009 |
How did my favorite football teams fare this past
weekend? Let's find out:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcomed
the 9-0 New Orleans Saints, who left with a 10-0
record after drubbing the Bucs 38-7. But everybody
kinda saw that coming, right? Even with the beatdown,
I'm still optimistic about Tampa QB Josh Freeman,
who might be the franchise quarterback for the next
several years. If so, maybe Tampa can use the
offseason and draft to surround him with skill
players and shore up the defense. Who knows? Maybe
next year we can win 2 or 3 games! Up next: at
division rival Atlanta Falcons (5-5).
Games left: 6
The Louisville Cardinals
also continued their season-long struggles with a
34-22 loss to South Florida. Among
other things, this loss means that the Cards cannot
go to a bowl game this year (although that was
assumed much earlier in the season it is now
mathematically confirmed). This loss also probably
means the end
of Steve Kragthorpe's tenure as head coach, but fans
who are calling for his firing should be cautious
for two reasons: (1) finding a replacement will be
tougher than they think, since Louisville is not the
elite football program some pretend it to be, and
(2) next year's team is likely going to struggle
just as much as this one has regardless of who's
coaching. It might be time for a change, but
bringing in a new coach won't be a magic pill that
fixes everything overnight. The final game of this season is a home
game on Friday (at 11:00am) against Rutgers.
Games left: 1
PRP Panthers:
(3-7) Season Completed
Here are the new overall standings:
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11.22.2009 |
God has spoken. Take a moment to think about the
depth of that statement. Although He was under no
obligation to do so, the Almighty Creator and Lord
of the universe engaged His creation and revealed
Himself. So when we go to church, our main focus
shouldn't be on ourselves, but on God and His
message, as Martyn Lloyd-Jones ( The
Gospel In Genesis, 43) points out in this quote:
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The church is not a philosophical society, nor a cultural society. Its
business is to expound and proclaim the
message of the Bible. It is not interested,
primarily, in anything else. That is why a
meeting, a service, at church is unique.
All services thus held in the name of Christ are unique in the sense that
we start by making the claim that we come
from God with a message from him. We do not
start with ourselves. We are not involved in
an endeavor to arrive at God or at anything
else. We come to consider a message from
God.
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While it is certainly true that God has revealed
Himself in His creation (see Romans 1), the created
order does not give us the clearest picture of God.
And while the ultimate revelation of God to us is in
His Son (see Hebrews 1), Jesus is no longer
physically on earth. This means that the clearest
revelation of God that we have with us is His Word,
the Bible.
So, if you want to know God or want to learn more
about God, find a church that loves His Word and
faithfully preaches and teaches from it. Find a
church that is interested in proclaiming God's
message to us -- not just telling us what we want to
hear. And then go to that church to, along with
others, hear and respond to God's message. He has
spoken.
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11.19.2009 |
One Way Only
When speaking to His disciples, Jesus made this
claim: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me.”
[John 14:6] With this statement, Jesus is making a
claim of exclusivity. In other words, there is only
one way to God, and that is through Him – all other ways are, by
necessity, excluded.
 Some people think that God should accept
any way
that people come up with to get to Him. As long as a
person believes sincerely or is comparatively moral,
they argue, that should be good enough. Why wouldn’t
a loving God be pleased with such efforts?
The answer is found in Scripture:
“Who shall
ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has
clean hands and
a pure heart…”
[Psalm 24:3-4] The sole
requirement for approaching God is clean hands and a
pure heart or, said another way, righteousness. Only
those who are pure in their motivations and thoughts
and clean in their actions can stand before God and
live.
The problem with this, of course, is that we are not
righteous. We may consider ourselves good in
comparison to others, but we don’t have to meet
our
standard of righteousness, but God’s. And His Word
says clearly that
“None is
righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one
seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they
have become worthless; no one does good, not even
one.” [Romans 3:10-12]
No human is righteous, and
“all our
righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”
[Isaiah 64:6] Just to give you an idea of what
Isaiah was talking about: the polluted garment
(or "filthy rags" in other translations) refers
to a menstrual cloth. It's a graphic picture of how
our best efforts fail to make us clean.
And don’t miss this: that's how God sees our
righteous
deeds; our greatest attempts at good. Can you imagine how He views our sinful thoughts and
actions?
 If you’re starting to feel inadequate, or beginning
to think that it is impossible to get to God, then
you’ve got it. That’s the whole point: we
can’t get
to God. We are guilty and unrighteous, and
nothing—absolutely nothing—that we say or do can
change our standing or gain us access to Him. We are
rightfully condemned, helpless and hopeless before
God.
Now let’s go back to where we started: Jesus Christ
is the only way to God. Why Jesus; why not other
ways? Because Christ alone is righteous. Only
Christ, by living a sin-free life, has met God’s
standard of righteousness. Because of this, the
author of Hebrews tells us,
“by means of
his own blood…Christ has entered, not into holy
places made with hands, which are copies of the true
things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God on our behalf.” [Hebrews 9:12,
24] Christ is able to approach God directly because
of His righteousness. No one else, no thing else,
can do so.
So how does that help us? Because in the same way
that Christ takes the sins of those who place their
faith in Him, He also gives those people His
righteousness. So those who are no longer ‘in Adam’
but are now ‘in Christ’ can also approach God,
“since we have
confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of
Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for
us…” [Hebrews 10:19-22] Those who are ‘in
Christ’ share the same access to God that He has.
That’s why Jesus is the only way to the Father. He
is the only one who has the right of approaching
God, and only those who are in Him can share in that
right. Think of it this way: You can leave
Louisville on I-65 South and get to a lot of places:
Nashville, Birmingham, even all the way to the gulf
coast in Florida. But one place you won’t get to is
Indianapolis. The analogy isn’t perfect, but you get
the idea: the destination determines the direction.
If you want to get to Indianapolis from Louisville
you have to go north. If you want to get to heaven,
you have to be made right with God. That's something
only Jesus can do.
 One last note to those who
still might think that God should honor
any of the ways we would choose to get to Him: God is gracious to make
any way at
all. We each stand before Him guilty of rebellion
and treason against His sovereignty. That God would
even offer one way is an amazing act of mercy, and
that He would do so even at the cost of His own
Son’s life makes it all the more a genuine
demonstration of His love.
There is only one way to God; only one way to
heaven. Do not ignore what God has done to make
salvation possible. In the words of Hebrews 2:1-3:
“Therefore we
must pay much closer attention to what we have
heard, lest we drift away from it…how shall we
escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”
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11.18.2009 |
For today's post, I thought I'd point you toward
some other new and/or updated websites you might
want to check out:
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Jeremy Chappell has entered
the blogosphere! He's just starting out, so
there aren't many posts yet, but he plans to
cover media, sports, and other things that
interest him in the unique Chappell style! |
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Carri Duke (along with
Joshua and Samantha Grace) have started
their very own bakery business! She already
has a wide selection on her menu and, best
of all, you can have it shipped right to
you! |
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This is new initiative that is still in the
developmental stages, so the website is
still under construction. It has plans to be
a solid resource for news, Bible study, and
more from a Baptist perspective. |
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Kenny Montano has changed
his blog to the new Lost & Found as
part of the True Baptist group. He doesn't
post all that often, but when he does it is
worth the read. |
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DJ Williams has also
changed his blog as part of the True Baptist
effort, and he continues to post
consistently (and enjoyably) on a wide
variety of topics and resources. |
All of these have been added/updated on the
links page, which also
features several other sites that might be worth
your time online. Enjoy!
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11.17.2009 |
Time Travel Tuesday #16
This week's photo features Tricia and her brother
John posing on a tractor:
You know, I'm still not getting any better
at figuring out accurate dates for these pics, so
this one gets the generic "1980s" tag since I don't
think Tricia was 12+ in this picture. But who knows?
I'm really starting to have some respect for those
guys at the State Fair who guess your age just by
looking at you...
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11.16.2009 |
Another Monday = another football update from the
weekend. Here we go:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled
another late-4th quarter comeback, but this time
fell short as the Dolphins kicked a game-winning
field goal with :10 left and edged the Bucs by a
score of 25-23. Tampa had some miscues (both
turnovers and penalties) that cost them, but Freeman
played well in the second half. While I'd much
rather have a win, it's nice to see Tampa stay
competitive in some games as well. Of course, that
could all come to an end next week as the Bucs
welcome the 9-0 New Orleans Saints. That could be
ugly...
Games left: 7
The Louisville Cardinals
notched a win by besting the visiting Syracuse
Orangemen 10-9, thanks to a touchdown pass with
under two minutes to go! This marks the Cards first
Big East conference win in their last 10 tries.
There's a lot of local chatter about this season
being the end of the road for Coach Kragthorpe, and
I imagine these last two games will either make or
break his future with the Cards.
Up next: a road trip to South Florida.
Games left: 2
PRP Panthers:
(3-7) Season Completed
Here are the new overall standings:
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11.15.2009 |
Why do you go to church? If you don't go, why not?
In either case, the way we answer that question can
reveal a lot about our focus. Many people go to
church because of something it can give them (social
networking, good feelings, etc.) and many people
don't go to church because they either think it has
nothing of value to offer them, or that they can
easily get the same things elsewhere.
Both approaches are equally wrong, as this quote from
Ted Kluck ( Why We Love
Church, 196) helpfully explains:
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Go to church. Don’t go for the coffee, the presentations, the music, or
the amenities. Don’t even go for the
feelings you may or may not get when you go
because, no offense, these feelings may or
may not be trustworthy most of the time. Go
for the gospel. Go for the preaching. Go to
be near to God’s Word.
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Our reasons for going to church shouldn't be
primarily about ourselves in the sense of what we
can get from it. And our reasons for avoiding church
likewise indicate that we are mainly concerned about
our own convenience or feelings. Either way, let's
stop and consider that there may be something of
higher value than we have considered: God and His
Word.
God has established and built His church to be one
of the means by which people come to know Him, grow
in Him, and serve Him. We've said it before, but it
bears repeating: To neglect church (or to neglect
God when we get there) is very dangerous. We do so
at great risk.
One other note: thanks to everyone
who attended, and/or prayed for the youth lock-in.
We had a great night, and the small groups had great
discussions about the Gospel and what Jesus Christ
accomplished through His sacrifice. Our numbers were
very low this year, but our message was very clear.
As long as we continue to have lock-ins, we will
continue to proclaim Christ and pray that the Spirit
will draw people to Him. Thanks to everyone who made
this year's lock-in possible!
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11.13.2009 |
Top Ten Lock-In Pictures
Tonight is the 14 th
annual youth lock-in at Parkwood! Since I’ve had the
lock-in on my brain for the past few weeks, I’ve
also been thinking about all the previous
lock-ins, which are conveniently archived on the
Parkwood web site ( check it out here). There are 200+
pictures from past lock-ins on that site, but
I’ve narrowed it down to my top 10 of all
time. Enjoy!
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10. Piling On
Outbreak (2002)
Ah, nothing like a pile of screaming
teenagers to get you in that lock-in mood,
is there?
I think this was supposed to be a
human pyramid, but it turned into more of a
human blob. Nick’s not even facing the right
direction!
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9. Justin
Time
Game Over (2004)
I can honestly say that I’ve never seen
anyone more into a game of Leap Frog than
Justin is in this picture. Frankly, it’s a
bit scary, isn’t it?
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8. High
Risers
Shockwave (2000)
Trying to get an entire group to fit into a
small square of masking tape on the floor
usually requires some creative thinking –
and climbing. But this group was not only
clever enough to beat the game, some of them
were savvy enough to find the camera as
well. Multi-tasking at its best.
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7.
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Sweet! (2007)
A classic lock-in game is Bananarama which
involves a relay race with a banana and then
trying to eat it before the other team does.
It’s a fast-paced game, and…well, the
expressions on these faces tell the story
better than I can.
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6. Mega
Madness
Battlezone (2005)
The final event of each year’s lock-in is
the Mega Relay. This picture gives you a
small idea of what it’s like to have dozens
of teenagers competing in close quarters –
but nothing compares to the real thing.
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5. Human
Shield
Sweet! (2007)
The game is called
Protect the President, so Leticia is
supposed to keep the balls from hitting
Marcy. I guess Marcy decided to take matters
into her own hands (literally) and just use
Leticia as a human shield instead. The
reactions of the people in the circle are
priceless.
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4. Hair's to
the Night
Sweet! (2007)
This is just a great action shot of Krystal
jumping over Ashleigh in the Leap Frog
portion of the Mega-Relay. It’s even better
if you imagine that she’s playing guitar
during a rock concert!
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3. Whip It
Good
Shockwave (2000)
It sounds simple enough: find the piece of
bubble gum in the bowl of whipped cream,
then chew it up and blow a bubble. Easy,
right? Tell that to Justen – if you can find
him beneath the topping.
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2. Hoop
Springs Eternal
RockStar (2008)
Some years, the Mega-Relay is a blowout.
Other years, like last year, it comes down
to the very last event and the very last
person. Which team can get the last person
through the hoop – and actually remember to
sit down – first? There was a one second
difference to determine the winner.
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1. Take a
Bite out of Slime
Outbreak (2002)
A long-standing lock-in tradition is IronGut.
Basically, we mix any and every ingredient
we can find in the kitchen (plus a few
special surprises) and have the kids
volunteer to taste it and try to guess an
ingredient. Not only does it taste awful (so
I’ve been told), it looks like slime and the
smell is horrible. But, as you can see, Sean
not only tasted IronGut every year, he
actually
ate
it – chunks and all.
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Well, I hope you enjoyed that
trip down amnesia memory lane! Who knows,
maybe something from this year’s lock-in will make
it into the top 10!
Of course, all of these pictures
are from games and activities, but the real purpose
behind the lock-in has always been sharing the
Gospel, which we do through small group Bible study
times throughout the night. Please pray that the
message of Jesus Christ will be clearly proclaimed
and heard at this year's lock-in! And if you have
ever taught at or otherwise helped with a lock-in: thank
you for your partnership in the service of the
Gospel!
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11.10.2009 |
Time Travel Tuesday #15
So here I am leaving my Grandma Jackie's house on
Christmas morning. You can see my dad in the
background holding a lot of presents, and you can
see John rocking a sweet Snoopy toboggan. Also be
sure to notice the corner of the orange Oldsmobile
that was the family car for many a year -- and by
virtue of its color was entered/exited Dukes of
Hazzard style in the driveway many a time:
I'm calling this one the "mid 1980s" because John is
clearly older than a toddler (he was born in 1982)
but I'm not wearing glasses (which stared sometime
in third grade, the 1984-85 school year) so I can't
be entirely sure on the date. That's a problem I'm
running into on a lot of these Time Travel Tuesday
pictures, but I'll try to get as close as possible.
If anyone ever has a date correction on any of these
pictures, please
let me
know!
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11.09.2009 |
Welcome to Monday, which means (among other things)
that it's time for the weekly
football update! Here are the new win-loss records for each
of my favorite teams:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost
again...no, wait a minute...they actually won a
game! Not only that, they did it by scoring 21
points in the last 11 minutes of the game to beat
the visiting Green Bay Packers by a final score of
38-28.
It was rookie QB Josh Freeman's first NFL start, and
although he had some miscues early, he led the team
on some nice scoring drives. It also helped the the
defense showed up to play, racking up 3
interceptions and 6 sacks. Even the special teams
got involved by blocking a punt (which Ronde Barber
ran back for his 14th career touchdown) and a huge
kick return late in the game. Tampa is still a young
team overall, so I don't expect them to win every
week now, but it was a huge step in the right
direction.
 The
best part was that I actually got to see most of the
second half. The Arizona-Chicago game turned into a
rout early, so FOX switched to this "Battle of the
Bays" (thanks, FOX!). The only downside to this
whole victory was that Tampa was wearing their old
jerseys as a way of commemorating the 1979 Bucs, who
were the first playoff team in the franchise's
history. I've included a picture just so you can see
how hideous these things are. (They are also known
as the "creamsicle" uniforms. Can you guess why?)
Of course, now that they've won their first game of
the year while wearing these old school duds, maybe
they should switch back for good. Hmmm... would you
rather win in an ugly uniform or lose in style?
Tough call. Up next: an in-state trip to face the
Miami Dolphins.
Games left: 8
The Louisville Cardinals
went to Morgantown, West Virginia to take on the
Mountaineers and came away with a 17-9 loss. I
honestly expected the final margin to be much wider,
so there is some good to be said for the way the
Cards hung in there against a tough opponent on the
road. However, there are no "moral victories" in the
win-loss column, so this week's loss adds another
"L" to the total. The Cards' bowl hopes are all but
gone, requiring them to win their final three games
in a row to become eligible. Up next: Syracuse.
Games left: 3
PRP Panthers:
Season Completed
Here are the new overall standings:
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11.08.2009 |
This week's quote is a bit lengthy, but it raises
some good points about many of the excuses that
people have for not attending church. Think
carefully about some of the reasons you don't like
church, and then read what Kevin DeYoung ( Why We Love
Church, 88) has to say about them:
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Consistency is not a postmodern virtue. And nowhere is this more aptly
displayed than in the barrage of criticism
leveled against the church.
The "church-is-lame" crowd hates Constantine and notions of Christendom,
but they want the church to be a patron of
the arts, and run after-school programs, and
bring the world together in peace and love.
They...
...bemoan the over-programmed church, but then think of a hundred
complex, resource-hungry things the church
should be doing.
...don’t like the church because it is too hierarchical, but then hate it
when it has poor leadership.
...wish the church could be more diverse, but then leave to meet in a
coffee shop with other well-educated thirty-somethings
who are into film festivals, NPR, and carbon
offsets.
...want more of a family spirit, but too much family and they’ll complain
the church is “inbred.”
...want the church to know that its reputation with outsiders is
terrible, but then are critical when the
church is too concerned with appearances.
...chide the church for not doing more to address social problems, but
then complain when the church gets too
political.
...want church unity and decry all our denominations, but fail to see the
irony in the fact that they have left to do
their own thing because they can’t find a
single church that can satisfy them.
...are critical of the lack of community in the church, but then want
services that allow for individualized
worship experiences.
...want leaders with vision, but don’t want anyone to tell them what to
do or how to think.
...want a church where the people really know each other and care for
each other, but then they complain the
church today is an isolated country club,
only interested in catering to its own
members.
...want to be connected with history, but are sick of the same prayers
and same style every week.
...call for not judging “the spiritual path of other believers who are
dedicated to pleasing God and blessing
people,” and then they blast the traditional
church in the harshest, most unflattering
terms.
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Kinda takes some of the wind out of the sails of
those arguments, doesn't it? People will always
differ over preferences and expectations, but that
it hardly a reason to avoid church altogether. You
probably disagree with your boss every now and then,
but you still go to work because you understand the
importance of it. You might see things differently
than your spouse from time to time, but you don't
file divorce papers because of it.
It's time to see the church as important. Important
enough to not only attend, but to connect with and
invest in. Stop clinging to flimsy excuses and start
honoring God by going to church.
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11.04.2009 |
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Deceitful Schemes
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul reminds
his fellow Christians that they must mature in their
faith. Part of the reason for this is so that they
can detect and reject the "deceitful schemes"
of the Devil. [Eph 4:14]
Satan, of course, has been deceiving people since the Garden of
Eden, where he made bold claims about what God had
said and who God is, which Eve (and then Adam)
believed without questioning. They failed to use
discernment and, as a result, were ensnared by sin
and death.
What was true in Eden and Ephesus is also just as
true for us today. Peter tells us to "be
watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
[1 Pt 5:8] How do lions hunt? They follow pack
animals and wait for one to straggle behind or
wander off. Once that animal becomes separated from
the protection of the herd, they are an easy target.
If we are not alert, if we are not maturing in
Christ, if we are alone; we will fall victim to Satan's lies.
One of the Devil's craftiest schemes is actually
encouraging Christians to mature -- but just a little
bit. Then he tries to tell us that we are smart
enough. That we have learned enough to withstand
temptation and discern false teaching. He wants us
to think that we are more secure than we are; that
we are smarter than we are; that we are stronger
than we are.
Let me give you an example of this: A few weeks ago,
Ethan climbed up into the drivers seat of the car
while it was in the driveway. He took the keys from
Tricia's hand and stuck them up toward the ignition!
From watching us drive, he also knows to grab the
steering wheel with both hands and look out the
windshield. Now, I'm sure that in Ethan's mind, he
thinks he knows everything he needs to drive the
car. But he doesn't. And if he were to
try...disaster!
We face the same danger. We become familiar with
Bible stories or are surrounded with a mostly
God-friendly environment, and we think that we have
it 'good enough.' As long as we feel like a
mature Christian, we must be, right? Do not fall for
the deceitful schemes of the Devil, who seeks
"only to steal and kill and destroy." [John
10:10]
So how do we mature in Christ? How can
we learn to detect and reject falsehood?
1. Study the Word.
God has chosen to use His Word as a means to grow
us. To the degree that we neglect the Scripture, we
also neglect our own growth. We must approach the
Bible with a heart that seeks to hear what God has
to say, and we should ask Him to teach us what He
would have us to learn. Studying is work, but the
alternative is far too risky.
2. Stand alert.
Satan is a deceiver and the "father of lies"
[John 8:44], and he will say or do anything
to mislead you. Don't accept any ideas blindly.
Check them against the Word of God. Listen to the
Holy Spirit. Like the watchmen on ancient city
walls, stay awake and vigilant. Keep your eyes open
and do not let deception sneak in -- it could be
your ruin.
3. Stay together.
Just like the lion, Satan preys on the weak and
isolated. Are you surrounded by Christians who can
help you spot the dangers in your life? Are you a
regular part of faithful brothers and sisters that
share in studying the Word, standing alert, and
staying together? Although one string can snap
easily, "a threefold cord is not quickly
broken." [Ecc 4:12]
Keep in mind that, although this can be a difficult
process, it is one God wants you to do. Because of
that, He will help each of us so that we might grow and mature
“attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”
[Eph 4:13]
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11.03.2009 |
Time Travel Tuesday #14
This week's picture has a great deal of sentimental
meaning to me. As you can see, it's certainly not the best quality (it was
taken on a cell phone) and I didn't even give Tricia
a chance to pose, so she's in the middle of saying
something to me. So what makes it so special? I took it
on our first date:
Back in July 2005, Tricia and I started dating. Our
first date included eating at McAllister's Deli and
then seeing Batman Begins at the Stonybrook
Cinemas. Tricia hated the movie. The funny thing is
(as I found out later) is that she knew she was going to hate it
before we
went, but liked me enough to go anyway. She's been
just as amazing ever since. I love you, sweetie!
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11.02.2009 |
It's Monday, which means it's time for the weekly
football update! Here's the new win-loss records for each
of my favorite teams:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were off
this week, taking their scheduled bye. They also
announced that they would be going with a new
quarterback: Josh Freeman. Freeman was Tampa's
first-round pick in last year's draft, and while I'm
hopeful that he can develop into a solid
quarterback, it's a bit much to put on a rookie. On
the other hand, it's not like he can screw things up
much worse, so maybe this is a good time to get him
some reps. Up next are the Green Bay Packers, who
are probably mad that they lost to Brett Favre and
the Vikings at home yesterday. Great.
Games left: 9
Finally chalking up another win, the Louisville Cardinals
took care of business against visiting
Arkansas
State by winning 21-13. It was an ugly win, but I'll
take an ugly win over a loss any day.
With the win, the Cards keep their slim bowl hopes
alive, but they'll need to win 3 of the last 4 to
become eligible for post-season play. However, their next
game is a road trip to #20 West Virginia. So much
for that, eh?
Games left: 4
It was equally rough for the PRP Panthers
who finished off the season with an
18-0 loss on the road to Central. The
Courier-Journal article said that PRP "never threatened to score."
Ouch. Well, at least the misery is over for this
year. Maybe next year the Ridge can rebound and put
together a winning season. Below is a recap of the
full schedule rundown for the Panthers.
Season Completed
| PLEASURE
RIDGE PARK PANTHERS 2009 VARSITY FOOTBALL |
|
DATE |
OPPONENT |
W/L |
SCORE |
RECORD |
|
8.21 |
Ballard |
L |
20-48 |
0-1 |
|
8.28 |
@
Valley |
L |
12-21 |
0-2 |
|
9.04 |
@
Doss |
W |
14-7 |
1-2 |
|
9.11 |
@
Christian Co |
L |
14-21 |
1-3 |
|
9.25 |
Bryan Station |
L |
12-21 |
1-4 |
|
10.02 |
Madison Central |
W |
33-0 |
2-4 |
|
10.09 |
DuPont Manual |
L |
0-35 |
2-5 |
|
10.16 |
@
Butler |
W |
28-13 |
3-5 |
|
10.23 |
@
St. X |
L |
8-38 |
3-6 |
|
10.30 |
@
Central |
L |
0-18 |
3-7 |
So, with one team finished, the
overall total stands at:
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11.01.2009 |
Did you remember to "fall back" last night? Daylight
Saving Time has ended, so you should have set your
clocks back one hour already. If you haven't, do it
now -- and hurry up and get ready for church!
Or were you thinking about skipping church this week? Lots of people
avoid church (usually citing one of the church's
perceived flaws or their own preferences) and choose
to sleep in or catch up on chores around the house
or watch pregame football shows. But think about these quotes from
Kevin DeYoung ( Why We Love
Church, 171 & 226) before you decide:
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We need to recapture a broader vision for what we are doing on Sunday
morning. We are not coming together for a
few songs and an ill-conceived oration. Our
gathering for worship is an exercise in
covenant renewal, a weekly celebration of
the resurrection, and a foretaste of the
heavenly banquet to come.
The church is not an incidental part of God’s plan. Jesus didn’t invite
people to join an anti-religion,
anti-doctrine, anti-institutional bandwagon
of love, harmony and reintegration. To be
sure, He showed people how to live. But He
also called them to repent, called them to
faith, called them out of the world, and
called them into the church.
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So think carefully about skipping out on church. You
may not see it as a big deal, but God certainly
does. His only Son died for the church and is the
one who builds up the church. You might think you
can blow off the church because of its shortcomings,
but Christ doesn't. In fact, the Bible calls the
church the bride of Christ, so you can be sure He
loves it.
This isn't some kind of guilt trip to get you to go
to church (although if the Spirit is convicting you,
you should listen to Him). If you have discounted or
neglected church, stop and consider exactly what it
is that you are doing, and how it affects you. Every
choice has consequences.
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10.30.2009 |
NOTE: I'm leaving this post
from last month on the November page in case anyone
is looking for the pumpkin pictures. All other
previous posts can be found in the
archive.
Halloween is tomorrow! My brother John, who
is talented in many areas, also happens to be an
awesome carver of Jack O' Lanterns. I thought I
would share some of his masterpieces to help get you
in the Halloween mood.
The first one is this year's, and it's a picture of
Gavin, John and Kira's dog. I don't know many dogs
that get their likeness carved into a pumpkin, do
you? You can also see logos for Purdue (2004) and
Louisville (2005) as well as Gizmo from Gremlins
(2008), John's former employer Allied Automation
(2007), and even Aerosmith
frontman Steven Tyler (he's one of Kira's favorites)
that was carved in 2006.
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2009 / Gavin |
2008 / Gizmo |
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2007 / Allied Automation |
2006 / Steven Tyler
(Aerosmith) |
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2005 / Louisville |
2004 / Purdue |
Pretty amazing, huh? I honestly have no idea how he
does it, but the results speak for themselves. Some
of the pictures are a bit grainy, but as a person
who has tried to photograph jack o' lanterns before,
let me tell you that it can be tricky. But all of
these turned out well enough to see what they are --
and to see my brother's carving skills!
Happy Halloween, everybody!
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A B O
U T M E
>
My name is Mark and I was born in 1976.
> I am
married to my beautiful wife and best friend, Tricia.
> We
have an 18-month old son named Ethan.
> We have
another son due in February 2010.
> Tricia
also has a
blog.
Hers is better than mine.
>
I'm Associate Pastor at
Parkwood Baptist in Louisville, KY.
> all
content is (c) 2003-2009
se7enty6ix.com |
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NOV 2009 |
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