Newsflash - As I See It

Does God Like Movies?

nospam@example.com (Benjamin J. Everson) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:31:32 -0500

This was the question that I posed to Miles, my 7 year old.

In our family, we have a rule that we don't talk about movies, cartoons, etc. on Sunday until after the evening service. For my 4 kids, this will be a pattern that we have as long as they are in the house. They know its a rule, but as a matter of course my wife and I try to check up to make sure that our kids are getting the why's as well as the what's.

Miles told me he thought that God didn't like movies.

We had a good laugh and then I explained to him that if God didn't like movies, we wouldn't ever watch them, because it doesn't mean that we can "get away with" things God doesn't like as long as its not Sunday. We never want to do something that God doesn't approve of no matter what day it is! There are two points: first, that God does care about what we watch, so it needs to always be something that God would approve of, no matter what day it is. And the second point is that the reason for the rule on Sunday is for US, not God. It is a way to help us be thinking about the Lord in an extra special way that day without the normal distractions.

We don't believe that Sunday is the "Sabbath"; the Sabbath was Saturday and for us in our ministry family, it definitely is not a day of rest! It is the busiest day of the week. But it IS the Lord's day, a day set aside for us to worship Him and to concentrate more on Him, kind of like a tithe of our time. It doesn't have to do with whether or not God likes movies!

What do YOU think? Are there things you do differently on Sunday than the rest of the week? If so, why or why not?

TF: What is Faith, Anyway?

nospam@example.com (Benjamin J. Everson) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:04:22 -0500

Soooooooo………

What is faith, anyway?

Last time in youth group, we talked about the fact that faith is
simply trust. It is trusting that there is something there you can’t
see. People think about faith as a religious thing, but there is much
more to it than that. Have you ever seen electricity? The truth of the
matter is, probably not. I don’t know how you would see electricity,
except maybe some static electricity as you scuff your feet in order to
scare somebody to death when you shock their ear!

But really, no, you can’t see electricity. But you know it exists.
You trust that there is something running through the black cord
connected to the wall, which in turn powers the fan, or the toaster, or
the TV. You trust that by faith.

God says that if you want to come to Him, you have to believe
that He is there. It’s a matter of faith. Once you by faith trust
that God is there, you’ve done the first step! Will you always feel like He is there? No. But faith is believing, and believing is a choice, it’s a matter of deciding, not what you feel like.

What do you think? Do you think about faith on a regular basis? In
what areas of your life do you think you exhibit trust in something you
can’t see?

Jesus Paid it All

nospam@example.com (Benjamin J. Everson) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:52:00 -0500

Part of our new ongoing series on rediscovering our hymns of the faith. With some ignoring our hymn history, and others misrepresenting it, maybe its time we took a closer look at the doctrinal content behind some of our favorite hymns of the faith.
Continue reading "Jesus Paid it All"

To God Be the Glory!

nospam@example.com (Benjamin J. Everson) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:47:34 -0500

Continue reading "To God Be the Glory!"

Dealing with Despair

nospam@example.com (Benjamin J. Everson) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:44:00 -0500

The story of a depressed Elijah has truth for today.

Continue reading "Dealing with Despair"

Spurgeon Wasn't Against Revival

nospam@example.com (Benjamin J. Everson) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:57:51 -0500

There seems to be a thought that Charles Spurgeon was against revival. Such is not the case. While he spurned "counterfeit" revival, he longed for the real thing. Read here his short sermon on the subject and see for yourself.

Continue reading "Spurgeon Wasn't Against Revival"

Biblical Basis for Music Philosophy

nospam@example.com (John Tracy) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:29:00 -0400

I didn't write this article, but I agree with it whole-heartedly and thought it was well-worth publishing on our site. Read Pastor John Tracy's good writing on this issue.
Continue reading "Biblical Basis for Music Philosophy"