I got this in e-mail the other day. Everyone and their mom has probably already seen it (probably because your mom forwarded it to you). But I have to finish up preparing for a sermon today...so I am going to be a tad lazy with this one. This are however funny. These are real sentences that have either appeared in bulletins or have been said in church:

• The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
• The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight:'Searching for Jesus.'
• Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.
• Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
• Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
• For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
• Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
• At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
• Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
• Scouts are saving aluminium cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
• Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
• Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
• The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may beseen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
• This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
• Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.
• The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
• Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
• The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
• Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
• The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.'

To the person that just searched this blog to find the answer to this question: What is the meaning of life?

To know and to be known by God through Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

You could sum it up a few other ways--but that's the gist of it.

"Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer,
the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they
laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask
alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into
the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him,
as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them,
expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and
gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:1-6)

I think I lost 75 bucks. Saturday night my wife and I decided to go to a neighboring town to buy some things for my son's room. Before we went I had hoped to go to the bank to cash two checks totalling $75. The banks was closed, I stuck the checks in my pocket, that's the last time I saw them. No clue where they are now, probably in a parking lot somewhere or in another guys bank account.

Needless to say I have been a tad bummed about "throwing away" 75 dollars like that. And to be honest a tad stressed about financial things. Then I read this, "When covetousness seeks to chain the heart to things passing away, grace empowers us to enjoy the One who is not only necessary, but enough. And not just barely enough but overwhelming joy and satisfaction." (Dave Harvey in Worldliness, page 115-116).

After reading this it hit me in a tangible way how fleeting money and "stuff" is. I can drop $75 out of my pocket and it is gone forever. I can't drop Jesus out of my pocket and He is gone forever. Jesus is eternal and because of this He is also sufficient for all things. Yeah, maybe I could use the $75, but in 150 years I doubt it will even be a passing thought.

Rewind some 2,000 years. A man that is crippled and confined to begging asks Peter and John for that which fades--money. He does not ask for healing. He does not ask for a changed life. He certainly does not ask for Jesus and being swept up in the grand purpose of praising God. His "felt need" is a few coins (who knows what he intended to spend it on) to get him through the day. He will be back at the gate tomorrow asking for more of that which fades and it seems he is content with that.

Notice what Peter and John do. Instead of answering his fading desire they answer the depths of his soul--the desires he never even thought about desiring. Two very different thoughts were happening as the apostles gazed at him. The beggar thought he was getting alms. The apostles wanted to give him something deeper. And here is essentially what they say to him, "We do not have the temporary, but we do have the eternal, and just so you know that get up and walk".

Perhaps you are wondering what "rise up and walk" has to do with the eternal. Look at the result of this...it shows us that "rise up and walk" is not the end. Here is the aim:

"And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his
feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:7-10)

The aim was worship in the temple. The aim was proclaiming the excellencies of the God that causes a lame man to walk and a dead man to live. This is the eternal which the "rise up and walk" leads to. Money would have faded. Even walking fades. But worship endures forever.

Here is the lesson for our mission: follow the example of Peter and John and give what endures forever. The people that we minister to have a ton of felt needs; some legit and some immature and silly. Yes, we minister in love. Yes, we love people and do what is best for them. And sometimes what is best for them is losing 75.00 to see the beauty and eternal worth of Jesus.

I close with this quote from John Piper:

"People are starving for the greatness of God. But most of them would not give this diagnosis of their troubled lives. The majest of God is an unknown cure. There are far more popular prescriptions on the market, but the benefit of any other remedy is brief and shallow. Preaching that does not have the aroma of God's greatness may entertain for a season, but it will not touch the hidden cry of the soul: 'Show me thy glory!'" (Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching, page 13)

For those of you that clicked a link from somewhere thinking this would be a really deep spiritual post....sorry...it's not. It's about football and my need to vent. As soon as Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage got the axe (which I was sad about in both cases) and as soon as I found out Eric Mangini was fired by the Jets I had hoped the Brownies would hire him.

Now in the midst of free agency with the Browns having George Kokonut (can't remember how to spell his last name) as the GM I am wondering why in the world I had hoped for this. Through a very busy weekend as many of the top free agents are gone the Browns made one move: Trading Kellen Winslow (amazing TE) for a second round draft pick and a 5th rounder next year. That's it. They've lost one player and gained--well, that's yet to be determined.

At least pursue Derrick Ward. Another year with Jamal Lewis as the primary back will be another season under .500. At least get another wide receiver (especially since they traded K3). Why rebuild a team that was 10-6 two years ago and 4-12 with the hardest schedule? I trust they are smarter than me, and it works out. Only time will tell.

Venting done.

CJ Mahaney wants us to meet Ligon Duncan. Read part 1, 2, and 3.

Excellent article by Timmy Brister: The Gospel Our Greatest Common Denominator. Be sure to read this one.

Along those same lines here are some great thoughts by Nathan Finn: The Conservative Resurgence and Great Commission Resurgence.

Be sure to read this excellent quote by McCheyne.

Russell Moore has written another thoughtful piece on adoption: Adoption as Cosmic and Missional.

It is officially free agency in the NFL. To track the activity go to nfl.com. To watch a team doing nothing go to Cleveland Browns.com

I have seen a few more links to Shane and Shane recently. I really hope more people begin listening to them--you'll be blessed by this:


(HT: Jared)