Redeeming. Restoring. Renewing
Great video from NewPointe Community Church in northeast Ohio.
This video communicates clearly something that has been on my heart as of late: the big picture of what the Bible communicates as the Good News. The good news of why God has created us and what he is doing to ensure a current and ultimately future return to his intended purposes for the created universe, the earth, and human life.
The Bible communicates that the Creator God made the universe, earth, and humans that his creation might “teem” or flourish with vitality and perfect, loving communion with him (Genesis 1-2).
It also reveals how our first human ancestors started an ingrained trend that has been shared at some level by every human being since – making choices that break this communion with God and that bring about this chaotic thing that we know as death (Genesis 3).
From Genesis 3:15 up to Matthew 1 we follow the story line of how God chooses a group of people on earth from whose line he would raise up a male who would crush the problem of sin.
We learn in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John who this savior from Jewish decent is: Jesus of Nazareth. The male was God himself incarnate in human flesh. God became a man and he had come to live the life that we cannot live, to die a death that he would accept as a substitute punishment for all human sin, and to raise from the dead, forever demonstrating his power over this most dreaded portion of human existence – the wage he had assigned to sin: death.
From Acts 1 to the end of Revelation, we receive highlights of how, through Christ, God is working in and through human life to redeem, restore, and renew all of his creation.
This world can be a cruel, confusing place. Amidst these conditions, God has been and is making constant demonstration of his good, redeeming, restoring, and renewing will for his creation.
Lives transformed, marriages restored, communities rebuilt, diseases healed, enemies forgiven, innocent victims protected, the forgotten cared for. He regularly communicated that this type of redemption is what his kingdom is about and is why he came:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” Luke 4:18
If you haven’t already: Stake your entire life and eternity on Jesus. Make the decision to trust Him on all of this. Receive his offer that His life, His death, and His resurrection secured a renewed, restored life for you. Choose to be a part of History. Choose to receive the Good News of Christ.
Abortion: Practicing What We Preach?
Great video to raise awareness of the realities of abortion, even within Christian churches throughout America. Here are a couple of stats from the video to get you thinking:
80% of unmarried evangelicals between the ages of 18-29 have had sex.
32% of unplanned pregnancies among evangelicals end in abortion.
This is not a teenage/inner city problem, it is also a young professional problem. It is not just a non-christian issue, it is a full cultural issue.
There are many ways you can help: honoring God with your body by not having pre-marrital sex, mentor someone to help prevent pre-marrital sex or encourage parenting/adoption, volunteer with or support a pro-life crisis pregnancy center, adopt a child from a unplanned pregnancy, support legislation and legislators who are working towards an end to legalized abortion.
I know most of my readers live in Ohio, here is a site that is a great place to start: http://www.ohiolife.org/
FAMILY: Shane 2YR Birthday Video
We have a family tradition of producing a high-quality short video for each of our son’s birthdays from 1-18 years old. This particular video chronicles the journey of our youngest son (Shane) from 1 year – 2 years old.
Identity Book Project: Table of Contents
I am venturing out to author some book ideas that I have, via my blog. The concept is called Writing a Book One Blog-Post at a Time. To read more about the concept click here. One of the main strengths to this approach is the feedback that I can get from you along the way. So as I venture out into this, please read the posts and leave me some comments so that I can fine-tune my concepts along the way.
The first project will be a book on identity that I want to title IDENTITY: Who Are You Man? You can read an initial summary of the book concept here. Below is the table of contents that I will be using to guide me as I research, write, and post material to this blog. As I work through this project one blog-post at a time, please give me your feedback via comments.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Who Are You?
Discovering Your True Identity
Chapter 1: You’re a FORGIVEN MAN
Chapter 2: You’re a DIFFERENT KIND OF MAN
Chapter 3: You’re a CALLED MAN
Chapter 4: You’re a SECURE MAN
Chapter 5: You’re GOD’S SON
Epilogue
General Index
Having a degree and tons of experience in exercise science and physiology, I am compelled to share this video. It contains some great basic review of how to increase the overall health of your body. I hate health and nutritional gimmicks, but love researched based techniques and approaches. This guy is solid, and most importantly his advice is scientifically sound and mature.
Take the time to take notes while you watch this. Beginning to implement some of the basic advice he mentions in this video, will start changing the functioning of your body almost immediately.
For more information check out Dr. Hyman’s website, as well as another site he contributes to called The Daniel Plan.
Read the Bible This Year?
Cool new video that explains one of the links that has made the list at the bottom of my blog: YouVersion.
YouVersion is a ‘Bible App’ compatible with any mobile device. I believe it is the best Bible App out there. This is how You Version explains their purpose:
We developed the YouVersion Bible App to help people engage with Scripture. Having the Bible on our mobile devices places it at our fingertips throughout the day. Tens of millions of people are using YouVersion Bible App to make God’s Word a part of their daily lives.
So if you’re looking for a way to make reading the Bible part of your daily life this year, check this video out, download the app, and enjoy!
