by Brian Hobbs | Mar 17, 2013
With four children under the age of 10 in our household, the VeggieTales movies are a somewhat a staple of our entertainment diet. The series was begun in 1993 by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki (who provide some of the voices for the characters).
VeggieTales is popular with Christian families because they have no bad language. My favorite character is Larry the Cucumber, and my favorite movie has to be Larry Boy (a Batman spin-off). My favorite silly song is Pizza Angel.
Some Christians, however, say VeggieTales teach Bible stories the wrong way, which is a valid concern to raise. Some critics, such as writer Cathy Mickels over at the Christian Post, have even stronger words concerning the movies’ potentially corrosive effect on kids and biblical accuracy in general.
While VeggieTales creators feel at liberty to take creative license with biblical stories and add a “creative twist,” parents cannot take a chance that their children can discern the difference. Because of this reason, we typically stick to the episodes that are spoofs other movies or storylines, such as Indiana Jones (Minnesota Cucumber) and Lord of the Rings (Lord of the Beans). Parents whose children watch the Bible story episodes would need to make sure the children know that Gideon’s band did not drink “slurpies” and that David did not take someone’s rubber duckie but his wife.
Be that as it may, one advantage to VeggieTales is that it is entertainment for the whole family. There are references in the movies that are subtle that parents can understand and enjoy, but they are not gross or inappropriate. VeggieTales offers a light hearted way for families to laugh together.
I simply would admonish the creators of VeggieTales to keep focused on the Bible’s values and Jesus Christ Himself. While entertainment for families is good, we all need the Gospel in the end, not just a good laugh. I, for one, continue to be a fan in large part and hope the next 20 years of creative work is as good as the first.
by Ryan Smith | Mar 15, 2013
(Editor’s note: Within Evangelical circles, there is great division as to how to respond to the election of Pope Francis I. In this analysis, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, offers thoughts on the papacy in light of this week’s development. Blogger Ryan Smith offers some reactions below. Feel at liberty to send your writings, opinions and comments on this or other topics to baptistmessenger@okbaptist.net, or make use of the comments section below. The views of contributing writers do not necessarily represent those of The Baptist Messengerof any its affiliated publications.)
Like most people, I spent last Tuesday and Wednesday going about my normal business of weight-lifting and charity work. However, for millions of Catholics across the globe, these two days not only were spent in anticipation and excitement, but in preparation for a possible new direction for one of the world’s largest religious denominations.
As a born-and-raised Southern Baptist, the papal conclave seems intriguing, yet wrapped in a bit of pomp and circumstance I would be fine without. The robes, secrecy, white smoke, it all seems somewhat extraneous. However, this is the method of a church that genuinely believes they are seeking God’s will in finding a leader in the line of St. Peter.
As Baptists, of course, we do not answer to the pope. Often times our biblical doctrine comes into conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church. As Christ-followers, there are tremendous implications wrapped in the selection of Jorge Bergoglio as Pope Francis I. Here are a few reasons why this selection could have major ramifications not only for Catholics, but for the world at large:
1) SEXUAL MORALITY. In a move that may have more cultural implications than anything, the papal conclave chose not to cave to public trends or cultural waves in regard to sexuality, but chose a man who has been unwaveringly orthodox on sexual morality issues. He is outspoken against abortion, so-called same-sex marriage, and contraceptives. With over a billion Catholics worldwide, a pope taking such stands will likely keep sexual issues on the front lines of the cultural battle for years. For pro-life and sanctity of marriage advocates, this will be viewed as a huge win.
2) JORGE BERGOGLIO IS A JESUIT. While you may not know about the Jesuits or Ignatius of Loyola, their founder, Jesuits are a pretty imposing brood. Ignatius founded the Jesuits to be “Soldiers of God” in 1534. Known also as “God’s Marines,” this group takes a sincere vow of chastity, poverty, on-call mission, and strict obedience to the pope. If you are wondering why all the news outlets and media are so surprised by Bergoglio’s low-key and relatively bare lifestyle, this may be why.
3) THE PLIGHT OF THE POOR. As a Jesuit, Pope Francis reportedly will focus much of the Catholic Church’s attention on the poor and disadvantaged. Jorge Bergoglio himself is noted for going to a hospice center for AIDS patients in 2001, washing and kissing the ailing feet of twelve patients. He was also a key figure in the Argentine economic crisis. He noted in 2007, “The unjust distribution of goods persists, creating a situation of social sin that cries out to Heaven and limits the possibilities of a fuller life for so many of our brothers.”
4) MAN ON A MISSION. Jorge Bergoglio has been noted for his evangelistic efforts. He recently stated, “It’s true that when you get out into the street, as happens to every man and woman, there can be accidents. However, if the church remains closed in on itself, self-referential, it gets old. Between a church that suffers accidents in the street, and a church that’s sick because it’s self-referential, I have no doubts about preferring the former.” If you thought the Lou Holtz commercials about “Coming Home” were pushing the envelope, just wait.
While the ideals of Pope Francis are just that—ideals—his focus and direction will no doubt have impact on the 1 billion-plus Catholics across the globe. Despite the Catholic theology, methodology, or church polity, as those of us who are mission, it is important for us to know what this major religion teaches and the direction they are headed. This not only has implications for the Vatican, but for our neighbors, co-workers, family and friends.
Regardless of where we agree or disagree, we should pray for all those in a leadership role. Finally, it is important to learn our distinctions, and be ready to make a defense for the exclusivity of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and biblical orthodoxy.
by Brian Hobbs | Mar 14, 2013
Al Mohler
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, analyzes the papacy and offers thoughts on how Evangelicals should respond.
Listen to Dr. Mohler’s podcast here.
by admin | Mar 14, 2013
Since planting Love & Justice Church, I have frequently had the blessing (and the curse) of interacting with other guys in my church who are praying through the possibility of planting a church. I have sat down with dozens of young guys like myself who have a desire for church planting but don’t know where to start or how to move forward.
Looking back at myself when we launched Love & Justice Church, I now know that I didn’t have a clue what I was getting myself into. I’m writing to spare men from some of the heartache and pain I have experienced along the way.
1. Be a good Christian
If you are wrestling through a ministry calling and feel pulled towards church planting, perhaps the best area to start examining is your own relationship with Jesus. Lousy Christians make lousy pastors. And lousy pastors make really lousy church planters.
Before you are called to be a church planter, you are called to be a Christian. Before you are called to “do stuff” for Jesus, you are called to regularly enjoy and drink deeply of what He has done for you at the cross. Work at becoming a good Christian before you attempt to be a good church planter.
2. Be a good church member
I loved my church. I was committed. I was serving 5 of the 6 weekend services that my (old) church was doing. I volunteered in the kids ministry, teaching kids about Jesus. I volunteered as a greeter, welcoming people in the door. I volunteered out in the parking lot, driving people up to the doors in a golf cart. I volunteered on the media crew, running sound and powerpoint slides. I volunteered in the youth group, leading a small group of teenagers. I met new people and brought all my friends. I started a small group that met throughout the week to study the Bible and worship. I loved the church and bought into the vision.
Sadly, most of the guys that I interact with that tell me they want to plant a church have never been as committed to the church as I was before I started pastoring. They think church planting means “preaching”. They love the thought of being at the helm where everyone can see, but they don’t like the thought of scrubbing the floors where nobody can see. The best church planters faithfully served their local church well before they started their own.
If you don’t love and serve the church that does exist, how can you love and serve the church that doesn’t exist?
3. Know your role
One of the biggest errors I made early on was assuming that preaching and being the “lead guy” in a church plant was basically the same thing. I loved to preach, and people seemed to enjoy my preaching; therefore (I thought), I can be the lead guy in a church plant. I was wrong.
Being the lead guy in a church plant is so much more than merely preaching. Sure, preaching on a Sunday morning is an important part of what I do, but it isn’t the biggest part. A church planter needs to be able to gather a core team, plan and work the vision, lead other leaders, make tough decisions, oversee every aspect of the church, and much much more. The best lead guys that I have observed have a strong preaching gift, a sensitive pastoral heart and high organizational skill.
Spend time praying and evaluating yourself to figure out if you are, in fact, called to be the “lead guy” in a church plant. If God has called you to pastoral ministry, you need to wrestle through how God has specifically wired you to function. It takes a unique gifting to be the go-to guy for everything.
If God has called you to pastoral ministry, you only have 3 options:
(1) Become an elder at an existing church
(2) Become the lead guy at an existing church
(3) Become the lead guy in a new church plant
4. Have a clear, compelling vision
When I started Love & Justice Church, I only knew what I was against. I didn’t know what I loved or what I was for. I just knew that I wasn’t going to be like “those churches”. We would be different. We would be unique. We would be “more biblical”. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Knowing who you don’t want to be isn’t a healthy way to start a church. It’s similar to an engaged guy who knows all of the wrong things to do as a husband, but hasn’t a clue how he should love his future wife. Know what you want to do, who you want to be and how you plan on getting there.
5. Determine a healthy timeline
When I prepared to launch Love & Justice, I felt like I knew what I was doing. We had 50-60 people showing up to a Bible study I was leading. Jesus was saving people and we were baptizing them in a swimming pool in the backyard. Further, people even started giving money and calling it “my church”. We were ready to launch. Or so I thought.
It wasn’t long before I realized that I didn’t have a clue what church planting was all about. It wasn’t as easy as I thought. I lost 25 pounds in the first year due to stress (and I’m already a small guy). I wasn’t the only thing that started to shrink; so did my core group. We went from running an average of 50-60 people down to 20-30 people. In my second year, I buried a 2-month old who was murdered by her father. In my third year, I buried a stillborn child and a non-Christian who committed suicide. I saw tons of people walk away from Jesus, backstab my wife and me, and become angry with the church I was pastoring. Things started to fall to pieces.
The only thing that kept me going was God’s incredible grace. Despite my unwise decision to rush into church planting, God faithfully reminded me of my calling and sent older, wiser men into my life; had it not been for these men, I doubt if I would still be in ministry to this day.
6. Get assessed
Church planting is tough work. And much of the ministry frustrations and problems I am still dealing with stem from my bad decision to rush into it. I’ve never met a church planter that wished he would have moved faster. Slow down and get plenty of wisdom. Let others speak into your timeline. Even Jesus waited for a long time to start His public ministry.
One of the most difficult things about blind spots is that you can’t see them.
The problem is that we always think we are further down the field than we are. We tend to consider ourselves to be ready for the task of church planting, much like a young guy signing up for the military considers himself “ready” for war. If we fail to get assessed by trusted and vetted men who have “done it”, we will fail to see the blind spots that we possess. You must assess yourself, but you cannot stop there.
One of the best decisions I have ever made was to sit under a group of men and allow them to assess me on every area of my life. Find a healthy network or a group of trusted godly men who have done what you want to do and ask them to speak into: your life, your walk with Jesus, your marriage, your calling, your giftedness, your vision and timeline, etc. Don’t just ask them to speak into those things – listen to what they say! Humbly and wisely submit to their leadership and discernment. Let other men push against you, point out weaknesses and strengths, and help you wage the war that you are about to start fighting. This is absolutely vital to your own health, the health of your marriage and the health of your future church.
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22
“Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.” – Proverbs 20:18
by Jeremy Davis | Mar 13, 2013
Do you know that you have influence? If you call yourself a Christian, you have set yourself apart from the world. Therefore, anyone who claims Christianity has influence. But really it’s not a matter of if you have influence; it’s a matter of how you use your influence. As Christians there is a standard of living set for us. Throughout the Bible we see stories and example of how we should and shouldn’t live our lives, and as we all know, “actions speak louder than words.”
Second Chronicles 17 tell the story of Jehoshaphat and his reign over the land of Judah. He was the King, and he definitely had influence. Chapter 17 shows us how Jehoshaphat lived and the principals he lived by, making the most of his influence. Can the same be said of you?
Verse 1, Strengthen yourself. You must learn how to study and apply the Word of God to your life, job, family, marriage, relationships, struggles, etc. before you can have a positive influence on others. How can you be light in a dark world if you don’t apply God’s Word to your life?
Verse 2, Always be ready for battle. Notice the Bible doesn’t tell us that Judah is under attack, but Jehoshaphat still has his guard up. It’s a lot easier to defend yourself if your defense is up before an attack comes. This is why we train troops even when we aren’t in a time of war. For example, whether you struggle with internet pornography or not, go ahead and put parental controls on your computer and phone. That way you’ll be much less likely to run into a problem.
Verse 3, Learn from the best. Don’t listen to just anyone. Go back a couple chapters and read about Jehoshaphat’s dad, Asa. Jehoshaphat isn’t following his example for good reason. Instead he looks to the early way of his relative King David, before David got into a bunch of sin. Before you follow the advice of someone or follow their lead, do your homework and make sure he or she is someone you really need to be following.
Verse 4, Don’t let the world control your heart. Jehoshaphat didn’t follow the practices of Israel or the world around him. He was focused on God and the things of God. Set yourself apart from your friends at school or work. Romans 10:1-2 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Luke 16:15 says, “And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Following the world will get you nowhere!
Verse 5, Let the scope of your influence come from the Lord. Jehoshaphat wasn’t concerned about was following the world, making everyone happy or living like a celebrity. Jehoshaphat simply followed God. And because of that, God blessed him abundantly.
Verses 7-9, Use your position and resources to spread the Gospel. Jehoshaphat didn’t stop with his kingdom – he wanted everyone to hear about the Lord! The most important thing we can do is share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others! Jehoshaphat didn’t use his wealth on himself but used it to send out missionaries.
How do you live? And what does your influence look like? Are you mission-minded? These principles can be applied at work, school, in your community and anywhere else you might be. Jehoshaphat set a great example for us. Now take it, and use your influence to reach the world for Christ!
by Chris Forbes | Mar 12, 2013
Writing for WordSlingers has me feeling like a 25-year-old again. I haven’t felt that young since 1988, when I was 25.
Then, I did the math and realized that people who are now 25 were born in 1988. That then got me thinking about sinking into a box of Samoas Girl Scout cookies to drown my feeling of lost youth.
I have mission trip t-shirts that are twenty-five years old!
When I was 25 I had just quit trying to be a stand-up comedian in the amateur night comedy shows and decided I better get back to college (I graduated high school in 1982). While returning to university, I got involved in BCM (then BSU) and became very interested in mission trips and ministry. That was also the year I started praying about being “in the ministry.” But I used to struggle, why would God take me out of stand-up comedy and put me into the ministry? Then someone suggested, “Well, maybe He saw your act!”
That was a long time ago, but it feels like yesterday. What were you doing when you were 25? Maybe you’re 25 now. Aren’t we all really just a bunch of 25 year olds?
There are several generations of twenty-five year olds all around you. And if you care to, you can teach yourself to see the world through the young eyes of the older.
Speaking of missions, when missionaries begin working with people groups, they study and understand each group. Knowing who you are trying to reach is the starting place for good ministry. Every day in ministry you are serving people, so you should take it upon yourself to become an expert on them.
Presently, there are five generations of twenty-five year old people in the marketplace. Which one do you belong to?
- Silent Generation (born: 1925-1945) Age: 68-84. When they were 25: 1950
- Baby Boomers (born: 1946-1954) Age: 59-67. When they were 25: 1971
- Generation Jones: (born 1955-1964) Age: 49-58. When they were 25: 1980
- Generation-X (born: 1965-1979) Age: 34-48 When they were 25: 1990
- Millennial Generation (born: 1980-1996) Age: 17-33 When they were 25: 2005
These generations each have perspectives and needs that differ from each of the others. In the next few posts in this series, I will write about these generations of 25 year olds, what they are like now and suggests ideas to be successful in reaching them. I hope you will read along!
by Jaci Greggs | Mar 12, 2013
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” “When you can’t see where the train is going, trust the Conductor.”
We’ve all heard them, the altruisms that tell us to hold on and have faith during times of uncertainty. And while they are inspirational, they don’t always measure up during times of serious or prolonged uncertainty.
I met my husband when we were 13 years old. When we grew up, we had a plan. Finish college, get married, buy a house, work for a few years, have some kids, raise them around our families. Maybe get a dog.
We had a plan.
Then things changed. My husband felt drawn away from his profession and to joining the Army. And after a year of praying and exploring options, he swore in on July 17, 2009. Less than 6 months later, we had sold our house and were living in different states while he attended training. We had no idea where we would be living or even what his actual job would be once that training was completed.
We waited to find out where we would be stationed. We waited to find out what his job would be. We faced constant changes to training schedules that ultimately resulted in him being absent for more than ¼ of the year before he deployed. And then we waited for deployment, not knowing exactly when he would leave almost until he did.
Now we are in the midst of a deployment and we have a good idea of approximately when it will end, but not an exact one, thanks to factors outside our control like federal budget cuts and adjustments to military goals. And we still don’t know when we’ll be able to start a family.
During all this, God has allowed us to learn what it truly means to walk by faith and not by sight. I’ve never said the words “I don’t know” as much as I have the last couple of years. At first it was stressful. Now, I can say “I don’t know” and feel assurance. “I don’t know” simply means “I’m letting God decide.”
Oh, I’m not saying there’s no more worrying, no more doubt, no more difficulty giving up my own plans. I haven’t mastered patient waiting. At the same time, I’m lengths ahead of where I used to be.
The funny thing is, the only way I was able to learn how to trust God in uncertainty is to walk into uncertainty. Maybe that’s just me, maybe I’m a slow learner. It wasn’t something I could learn first and then say, “Okay God, I’m ready to give up making plans and knowing what my life will be like 6 months from now.” It’s strictly on-the-job training.
But that’s why it’s called faith.
by Brian Hobbs | Mar 12, 2013
Every now and then I come across Christians who are either indifferent or opposed l to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia books series. The first group, I think, does not fully appreciate the quality and meaning of the books. The second typically dismisses them out of hand simply because the books deal with magic. It is to these groups I now wish to speak.
To the indifferent: Good stories matter
Stories matter to us as people. Stories, however, are especially important for children. Lewis understood this and, to his credit, sought to weave Christian ideals into one of the most beloved and memorable set of children’s novels in history.
Lewis said, “I thought I saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had paralyzed much of my own religion in childhood. Why did one find it so hard to feel as one was told one ought to feel about God or about the sufferings of Christ? I thought the chief reason was that one was told one ought to. An obligation to feel can freeze feelings. And reverence itself did harm. The whole subject was associated with lowered voices; almost as if it were something medical. But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday School associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency?”
As Professor Robert C. Newmon has said, “By transferring the Gospel story to another world, where humans are not the only rational beings, where animals can talk and the various figures of classical and northern mythology have real existence, Lewis allows us to see things from a different angle. Here God is the unseen emperor over the sea, and the lion Aslan is his son and the Christ-figure of Narnia. This transfer to another world also allows Lewis to use some of the figures and symbols of the Bible as hints for his readers, just as Jesus does in His parables. So Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, becomes the Lion of Narnia.”
The Narnia characters are memorable and fully developed. They face real dilemmas and help us understand the nature of good and evil. The Narnia stories do not in any way replace the biblical narrative. It simply predisposes children toward the biblical stories. Except for certain families who only delay the inevitable, children and young people eventually will be exposed to fiction stories. Kids are going to want to read and hear stories outside the Bible, so what kind will they pick?
The fairy tale is a popular genre and children, in general, are going to pursue one of the available options. Will they choose anti-Christian literature, like the Golden Compass? Or how about Harry Potter? These two newer series are wildly popular and are not amoral. The writers are not seeking to smuggle in Christian theology into the stories, like Lewis. Christian parents would do well to steer their children toward a class in the Narnia series. In choosing fiction, parents should pick ones that favor the biblical worldview, as does Lewis.
To the opposition: A distinction with a difference
The Bible very clearly prohibits the use of magic, especially divination (see Deut. 18 and Exodus 22). Why, then, would Christians be okay with the Narnia series, which has magic in it?
The key distinction is real magic versus make-believe magic. Lewis, in creating Narnia, has invented another realm that operates in a different temporal scheme. In other words, when Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are transported from England to Narnia, the realities in which they operate change. The children (and adults) reading them are also whisked away to another time and place.
Yet even in Narnia, the biblical understanding of magic is underscored. Those who use magic for evil intent (the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the Magician in The Magician’s Nephew) are the bad guys and looked down on for doing so. Even when the good guys (such as Lucy in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) who dabble in magic to manipulate for their own gain, they are rebuked by Aslan.
In the opening scene of The Silver Chair, the boy Eustace wants to go back to Narnia where he had previously been. He wonders if they could use magic to get there. Notice the dialogue between him and Jill, who also wants to go there by using magic:
“You mean we might draw a circle on the ground – and write in queer letters in it – and stand inside it – and recite charms and spells?”
“Well,” said Eustace after he had thought hard for a bit. “I believe that was the sort of thing I was thinking of, though I never did it. But now that it comes to the point, I’ve an idea that all those circles and things are rather rot. I don’t think [Aslan] would like them. It would look as if we thought we could make him do things. But really, we can only ask him.”
Magic in Narnia not something to master like at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Quite the opposite. Magic is something to be feared and learn to make you more obedient to the Divine. Moreover, Lewis goes out of his way in book one of the Narnia series to explain that magical powers of Narnia are not available on earth.
While a committed fundamentalist never will fully embrace the Narnia series, he or she at least owes Lewis fans the dignity of not lumping his works in with secular fantasy literature.
In summary, C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia are the best available writings of that genre and have helped millions of Christians (including the writer of this post) to better understand the grace and power and salvation offered only by Christ. May the series continue its popularity for many centuries to come.
by Chris Doyle | Mar 11, 2013
Well, I confess. The Bible Part 2? I didn’t enjoy it as much as last week’s show.
Last week, I mentioned that a popular criticism of this mini-series is that it leaves out elements of the Bible stories. This week, I am a culprit of my own remarks.
The show began with Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. The two spies snuck into the city, climbed the great wall and ran into an elderly woman. I don’t know why, but this woman cracked me up. There was something about her initial neutral stare, and then suddenly yelling, “What are you men doing here?!” It seemed spoofy to me.
The rest of the story is unmemorable. I expected more, and maybe a different portrayal involving the experience of Rahab with the two spies. There wasn’t a rooftop scene, hiding the spies under the flax, and I expected Rahab to reveal more of a genuine faith when she spoke to the spies.
“I know that the Lord has given you this land,” Rahab is supposed to say, based on Joshua 2:9-10. “For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt.”
Rahab is a major part of the whole Jericho story, and The Bible mini-series, in my opinion, did not give her enough significance.
The scene of Joshua approaching the commander of the Lord’s army was interesting. One glaring flaw in the conversation would be the commander telling Joshua that God would “split rock” and making a comparison to the parting of the Red Sea.
The Samson story was a MAJOR disappointment. I admit I’m not a Biblical scholar, but it occurs to me they may have gotten the ethnicity of Samson wrong.
Let me be clear, this isn’t an interpretive story inspired by the Bible. They are claiming to retell or dramatize the Bible. Therefore, they should stick to the facts. After all, the script was written for them.
This mistake, for me, messed up the whole story. I had a hard time picturing Israelites and Philistines communicating with someone who looked like they just got off the set of filming Cool Runnings 2.
Oh, that’s another thing. How do you pronounce “Philistines”? I grew up with the pronunciation “Phil-a-STEENS.” I never heard it pronounced “Phil-a-STINES,” as the characters were saying the word. Granted, this pronunciation reflects the English spelling, but it was odd for my listening ear.
Samuel, Saul and David finished off the rest of the evening’s show. This was a fair portrayal. Some parts were left out, but this whole section of Scripture would be challenging to present. They could dedicate the whole 10-hour series on David alone and still find it difficult to give his story justice.
I did like Saul’s depiction. The man was definitely insane, and the actor did a good job revealing Saul’s insanity.
The actor playing David didn’t seem to fit. The guy who played Thor in the recent Marvel Comics movies is more like who I would have in mind to be David. Someone who is full of life with strong, handsome features (see I Sam. 16:18), has a booming baritone voice, would stand out in a crowd – this is who I think should play David.
The story ends with David discussing building a temple, but he is told that his infant son Solomon would be the one in charge of building the temple. Next week’s show should lead off with the wisest man who ever lived.
Once again, I welcome your thoughts. I realize I was quite harsh this week, but tell me how I am not accurate, if applicable.
Read all reviews of The Bible here.
by Angela Sanders | Mar 11, 2013
The best advice I ever heard regarding evangelism came from Dr. Ted Kersh, pastor of South Tulsa Baptist Church. He said, “Talk to them like they are Christians until they realize that they aren’t.” This advice comes from one of the most skilled cold call evangelists I have ever known, and he’s right.
We often miss opportunities to share the Gospel while waiting for the perfect moment to do so. While it’s a good thing to rehearse a testimony, practice opening questions, and memorize Scripture sequences, it’s perhaps an even better thing to talk about Jesus in casual conversation with non-Christians on a consistent basis without set-up or apology, just as you would discuss the blizzard that never happened or the federal budget cuts that did. In doing so, you give others ample opportunity to realize that they are missing something, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Let me illustrate.
I have spent a lot of time on WebMD, but that doesn’t make me a doctor, a truth that is very evident when I spend time in my doctor’s office. Now, I can hold my own with terms like asthma and anemia, but when he starts talking about anything ending in “oma” or “itis” and the procedures he has performed, I see very clearly that he is the professional and I only know enough about medicine to give myself an ulcer. In all my time with the man, never once has he asked me, “You know you’re not a doctor, don’t you?” He doesn’t have to.
The same thing happens when Christians talk about their Savior, showing intimate knowledge of someone most people only know a little about. So, go ahead and tell everyone about your new puppy, your mother’s surgery, and the Pinterest idea you can’t wait to try, but make time to talk about Jesus as well. If he gave you the strength to kick a bad habit, the patience to deal with a difficult customer, the compassion to forgive an enemy, or the resolve to take charge of your finances, say so. Be transparent. Speak the Truth with authority. Let people know that Jesus is not only real, but the reason for the joy that you have. Then, when they realize their need for your Savior, help them pray and accept Him.
You may never get the chance to ask any of the opening questions you learned in EE or FAITH training, but that’s okay. If you let the Spirit lead, you may not have to.