For Richer or Poorer

Today I was asked to speak to the students of Hesston College for their chapel service and interpret their theme verse of Luke 4:18-19

 

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Lk 4:18-19). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

I always love speaking to college students, but I thought this theme would be challenging to all of us. My apologies to the diehards in our faith community. While the message is new, I’m sure you’ve heard all the stories if you’ve been in our church for years. (BTW – video quality is no good, but the message is there…)

 

 

 

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,
17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.a
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us reason together,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

a Or | rebuke the oppressor
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Is 1:15-18). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
What are some ways we rich people can embrace those in need:
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

  1. Serve in our churches
  2. Adopt a child through Compassion International or WorldVision
  3. Get involved in International Justice Mission
  4. Go on a personal mission (we’re going to Mexico, Turkey, maybe even Nebraska… come along)
  5. Don’t forget global rich list

We are rich, embrace those in need, lets live the life

 

Obama, McCain and Bears, O My!

  

 

As a former journalist I find myself pretty excited every four years when our national elections roll around. It’s pretty sick I know, but I scour the newspapers daily, trade in the ol’ IPOD music for talk radio for a few weeks and tap network news every morning like an addict jonesing for the morning hit.

Someone help me…

Dog eat dog politics, biting commercials and round the clock reporting all seem to get my juices flowing. There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as a super-revealing expose about the embarrassing third grade shenanigans of some candidate that you can only get on this network, you won’t want to miss it, tonight at nine! Continue reading “Obama, McCain and Bears, O My!”

On Vision

Last night I had the opportunity to speak to a small group of college students called Christian Challenge (check them out on line http://www.hutchchallenge.net/.

They meet every Monday night at Venue 302 in Hutch and it’s always awesome to be with them. On this occassion I had the opportunity to teach on the issue of vision (or God-given direction in life).

Hope it’s helpful to some of you. Many blessings.

(By The Way… this was recorded with my little FLIP camcorder sitting on the front row… so, sorry about the quality) Continue reading “On Vision”

Booya

Here’s a video-blog update on the issue of fear and courage. It focuses on one of my favorite verses from Isaiah 26:3.

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Is 26:3). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Make sure and leave your comment. I curious to see if you can figure out why I titled this blog the way I did…? Continue reading “Booya”

Thank God for theory of evolution

As one of my boys would say, “Today was super cool!”

This Monday morning I began teaching for Sterling College, a course called Servant Leadership, to about 200 incoming freshmen and transfer students.

I only had the chance to personally speak to about 15 or 20 students on this first day, but I was reminded how great it is to hang out with them.  Their  passion for life, their questions about all things spiritual and fundamental, their desire to leave a mark on the world, and their ability to live off the dollar menu at McDonald’s…  everyday!

They are amazing. Continue reading “Thank God for theory of evolution”

We all need it…

You are truly a child of the 80s if you immediately went Rick Springfield after reading the title of today’s blog and started singing… The Human Touch.

(Here’s the YOUTUBE video from 1983 if you really wanna go back to high school, but only go after you finish this blog and get your spiritual Wheaties!)

Today I had the opportunity to speak at Central Christian School here in Hutchinson for their weekly chapel service and I wanted to share it with the CrossEyedLife World. I spoke on the issue of the human touch in our Christian faith and was amazed at how well received this message was by those junior high and high schoolers. Continue reading “We all need it…”

What a wierd choice

I hate it when people make the wrong choice.

Especially when it’s just so obvious… you know, the smart decision, the right direction, the intelligent choice, the proven alternative…  The thing YOU would have done!

Just give me 15 minutes on a bench at the mall and I can fix half the pop culture injustices of the world:

  • That haircut should have never gotten out of a magazine
  • You really just bought an IPOD when you can’t afford two of the same shoes
  • Sister, quit holding that dude’s hand, he gives me the creeps
  • Seriously, pull your pants up
  • Hey there young mom, it’s called a pacifier, they’re used to pacify that intense screaming sound coming from that rolling buggy just in front of you which you have obviously somehow grown immune to
  • Wow!  It should be illegal to pierce that Continue reading “What a wierd choice”

You got IT goining on

What is your back to school bash?

Most families I have talked to in the last couple of weeks have had some kind of last ditch effort to hold onto summer before the old grind of fall rips into us: school schedules, fall sports, routine, mundane, salt mine grind.

So, people are headed to the lake, grandmas and Kansas City, but not the Addis’. No, we are way to classy for that.

For our back to school family affair we purchased four tickets to at a private table at the Cotillion Concert Hall to see Weird Al Yankovic. Continue reading “You got IT goining on”

Just For Fun

Wow… obviously, this post is nothing but the product of a dare.

Last night our Student Ministry (a bunch of midwestern, predominately white teenagers) had an all out Hip Hop Night.

I thought this was hilarious, but honestly… there were some students with some skillz (80s reference notes) and I was impressed.

I was really feeling left out since I had to speak at the Reno County Fair, so, I made them this love note and they used it to kick off their Hip Hop Night 2008.

It’s amazing what you can do with a green screen, a really old CD, way too much time on your hands and complete disregard for your own self-respect.

Hope you enjoy. Continue reading “Just For Fun”