Travis Johnson

Halloweeeen! Halloweird! Hoallowfun!

Yahoo! Halloween is Hallowfun.  I know. I know...it's the devil's holiday.  Its also a cultural opportunity to be leveraged for the cause of Jesus.  So, there you have it.

Anyway, I was torn between two events tonight.  Ultimately, I chose the Halloween Party shared between my life group and Paul and Anne's life group.  We threw down on a raucous game of Apples to Apples, ate food, lit Kourtney and McKenna's pumpkins, and gave away Life Pointe candy bags.  I'd like to say I dominated Apples to Apples. But, I won't say it.  If I did, it would be true.

Before I left for our old folks bash, I left Casey, Jesse, Alex "the beat machine," and my old friend, Brent Maloney getting ready to kick off the Halloween MaqueRave with the Awakening and The Saturn Project.  Casey is a heck of a missionary, slamming concert after concert. Pillar and Decyfer Down are just around the corner...going to be good.

Still, there's no doubt tonight had to be interesting over there.  As I pulled out of the parking lot, I saw the first two people walking up to the church...two guys cross-dressed as hookers in costume for the concert I guess.  Hmmmm.  I'm glad I was kickin' it like an old man playing Apples to Apples.

Pictures from Sunday, Flickr, and eNews

Every week in our email newsletter, we include pictures from the most recent Sunday.  Jesse, Rich, Reina, or someone from the Creative Arts team takes the pictures (email Jesse if you're a photographer and want to get in on the action).  We share them because we have several people who cannot physically be in our worship gathering with us.  In addition to them being able to follow the service on audio and video, we want them to be able to see and be there as much as possible.  We also want to capture the moments so we can look back and see the stages God brings us through.

We store the pictures on our Flickr accounts.  We've found that sharing our pictures and service is key in helping people see in the window before they come to a service.  To many, that's one more barrier removed.  Enjoy the pictures from Sunday and subscribe to the weekly email here.

 

Book Review: Slandering Jesus

"Slandering Jesus" is a great book by Dr. Erwin Lutzer.  Seemingly, it was written in response to some of the discussions following the DaVinci Code Book/Movie.

In this book, Dr. Lutzer lists and answers the six lies people tell about the man who said He was God.  They are:

1. Jesus' family tomb has been discovered.
2. Jesus was not crucified.
3. Judas did Jesus a favor.
4. Jesus was only a man.
5. Jesus had a dark secret.
6. Jesus is only one way among many.

Lutzer does an excellent job of fairly and effectively answering each question using historical data.  The thing that stood out most was how Lutzer framed up a motive behind many questions, especially those questions coming out of The Jesus Seminar and the strategically timed National Geographic exposes on the Gnostic Gospels.  How is it that we conveniently dispose of corroborated historical writings by multiple authors in the New and Old Testament Scriptures and embrace historically flawed writings and imaginative findings of people hostile to the message of Jesus and whose writings were not published until two hundred years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?

Perhaps, one of the greatest responses to these 6 questions of who Jesus is can be found inscribed on the corner of a downtown Chicago block where D. L. Moody knelt and dedicated that city block, the same city block of the church where Erwin Lutzer pastors, to the training and sending of ministers of the Gospel of Jesus into the world.  Slandering Jesus is an excellent book that will cause you to better know the Jesus you love.

Sunday Wrap-up

• Jack Bauer has nothing on Zeke.  He was at the 9 AM service today and was protecting the Dalai Lama earlier this week (Zeke is the agent on the left).  Word is Zeke a.k.a. Jack Bauer will be serving as one of the Kids Life team leaders.  That rocks.
• I didn't speak this morning.  So, I came in and hung out with the guys and gals that make the lobby gleam each week.  In addition to doing a great job, these are some committed, excellent people who love Jesus in a really practical way.
• The videos were great today.  Jesse is a beast.
• I loved how people cheered each baptism in the 10:30 service.
• I also loved how Joe was wearing a Pink Floyd shirt during baptism...baptism seriously rocks.  So does Floyd.
• Someone told me that they came back to our church because we weren't overly happy.  That's what I'm talkin' about!!! That's my kind of compliment.
• Speaking of emotions, Reina has a killer quote on her blog.
• Paul did a great job sharing about how to seek God and that seeking God is like a walk...walking not for the exercise but for the friendship, the connection, the devotion.
• Last week, one of our new families had a brother in Caracas, Venezuela get shot during a car-jacking.
• This week a pastor we are connected to visited with him.  He's recovering and I'm amazed at how BIG the Church of Jesus is.
• It was great sitting with Kelly and Blake today...coolest thing in the world.  I love being a dad.
• After church, we took over El Nachito's.  I love that place.  The Seafood Enchilada with a Lime Jarrito is a seriously good lunch.
• Flagship Cinemas is still looking for a new GM.  If you're a good manager and can take care of a really great place, you should check these guys out.
• Someone commented about how they loved communion today and also asked why we take communion every week.  We do it to remember Jesus (Luke 22:19), to announce His death and look for His coming (1 Cor. 11:26), to directly confront our sinfulness and to receive the grace of Jesus (1 Cor. 11:27-29), and to remind ourselves we have received Jesus and are to take Jesus to the world.

The Potential Podcast

Troy Gramling just kicked off a new leadership podcast called Potential.  Check it out.  The first podcast is here. First takeaway? "To build a team means we'll be slower today so we can be faster tomorrow." Great stuff!

Church Rocks!

Southbound US-1 just north of Home Depot and Wal Mart. 

iBlake

My boy digs a Mac.

4 Reasons Why We Don't Give with a Good Heart

Four Reasons Why We Don't Give with a Good Heart (6 minutes - audio)

1. We don't believe Jesus is who He says He is.
2. We think we know better than Jesus.
3. We don't really know about his teaching on giving.
4. We are in development and this is the day God has chosen for us to embrace His redemption of the finances He has entrusted us with.

This is an excerpt from the first message in likeus.tv on Giving Your Best.

Midweek Mind Dump

• I got back in the office yesterday.  Wanted to be home...missed Blake.  He was home mowing the lawn.  So, I decided to stay at the office until 5.
• I felt disconnected from the Jesse and Paul so we hit Sal's Italian Ristorante and Starbucks at Southland today.  Talked.  Planned.  Dreamed.  Walked through the theater...hmmmm.
• Jesse is turning out some great vids.  This Sunday is going to be awesome.
• I hate that I missed baptism Sunday...awesome seeing some great guys and gals going public with Jesus (more guys than gals.  That's awesome!)
• My message is done for next week.  I'm pressing ahead and really enjoying ministry now more than ever.  The message from this past Sunday needs to be heard by every person at Life Pointe.
• Kelly is incredible.  She gave birth Sunday night.  She's in a pair of blue jeans, looking cute.  What the heck?! 
• We took Blake to his first doctor's visit this morning. He's a strong kid...holds his head up by himself.
• Paul is wearing a UNC Tarheels shirt.  He looks like a fruitcake.
• Likeus.tv is my favorite message series we've ever done.
• Life Pointe Bloggers are cool.  Ela should be a blogger.  She's cool too.
• I got a really great MySpace message from a girl that used to attend Life Pointe.  She moved a little north.  I wish we had her back (hope she's reading this).  See you at the Pillar concert at Life Pointe.
• Dan's video hit home with people.  I love that guy and wish that everyone was as passionate about giving as he is.
• One thing that makes Life Pointe such a great place is the love.  I can feel it.

Undermine Gossip by following the Scriptures

"Where two or more of you are gathered in my name, there shall be gossip." Isaiso 9:11

How is it that it seems like church and gossip go hand in hand?  I have no clue. But, put bored church people together and that's what they do.  They excuse it, cloak it, call it a prayer request, call it a concern, and use a ton of other stealth gossip techniques.

I know first hand.  I grew up in church and have heard some of the most hurtful things in church parking lots coming from the mouths of people I had previously thought highly of.  I struggled through my college years with bitterness for things I had seen in the church.  Ultimately, I realized that people are human.  The Church is filled with humans and humans do stupid things. 

Regardless of a persons reason for it, the Bible says not to do it (Lev 19:16).  Here's what I've learned about gossip:

• When someone brings some juicy soap opera detail to you, ask if they've talked to the person directly (Matthew 18:15-17).  They haven't.  That's too straight forward and it undermines the real purpose behind the gossip.
• Habitual gossips live boring and dysfunctional lives.  They want yours to be also. 
• Tell them that you don't listen to gossip.  That will freak them out and they'll tell you they weren't gossiping.
• Listening to gossip is deciphered as agreement.  Don't be a silent bystander because they will leave that conversation and say, "I was talking to (your name) and he agrees with me that...."
• When someone says, "People are saying that...", ask them who.  They won't tell you.  The reason is because "they" are the "people."
• If you can get the name of their gossip target, pick up the phone and say, "Let's get them in on this conversation."
• If you shut down and gossip once, you shut them down from bothering you a thousand times.  The best thing I've ever done is to politely but directly tell good people who gossip that I don't want to hear their mess.  They leave me alone and go bother someone else.
• People who are active in ministry and vested in mission typically don't gossip.  It isn't on their mind because they have more important things to do and a bigger mission they are responsible for.