"Things Honorable" skit

This was our skit for today. The preacher was speaking on thinking on whatever is honorable.

Setting: Two teenage guys sitting down to lunch with brown bags.

Anthony: Hey, Brock, did you see the Eagle fly last night?

Brock: You talking about Cole Davis?

Anthony: Yeah, man! They call him the Eagle because his talons never miss a catch and he soars across the field like he's got wings!

Brock: Yeah, I know. I saw the game. He played well.

Anthony: He played well? Man, it was all Davis, all the time. He caught three TD passes, and even managed to throw one on that surprise option! He was awesome!

Brock: He had a great game.

Anthony: Man, I'm gonna be just like him! I'm gonna be...the Hawk!

Brock: You can do better than that.

Anthony: You're right—not the Hawk, the Vulture!

Brock: No, I mean you can find someone better to try to be like.

Anthony: You're crazy! He's got the best record of any receiver for the last ten seasons!

Brock: That may be true on the field, but what about the rest of his life?

Anthony: What are you talking about?

Brock: Dude, his personal life is a mess. He left his wife when she was eight months pregnant so he could date some dancer—I think that lasted about a year, and then he was on to another girl. He's had two DUIs. He got drunk and threw a tv out a hotel window last month! He's just not an honorable man. He may win games, but he doesn't win my respect.

Anthony: [considering]So who do you like?

Brock: Well, I like a few players a lot, but my favorite is Curtis Holden. He's a solid lineman, but what I really like about him is his Christian witness. He and his wife have been married for fourteen years, they have three kids, and Curtis takes them all to church every week. He stays away from drugs and alcohol. He does volunteer work in schools and children's hospitals. He's a great guy on and off the field. That's someone who deserves honor and respect, someone I want to be like.

Anthony: [finished with his lunch, getting up] Cool. I see what you mean. I'll have to watch Curtis play this weekend. I might even take down my Eagle poster. Thanks for the info! [exits]

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Friendship Skit

This was from back in November, for a service on friendship:

Scene: Psychotherapist's office: chair and “couch”

PATIENT has just entered and is shaking DOC's hand.

DOC: Well, Mrs Planter, why don't you have a seat on the couch and tell me why you are here.

PATIENT: [reclining] Well, Doc, I've been having trouble sleeping. When I'm laying in the bed I worry that something is under the bed and it's gonna get me, so I move under the bed to prove to myself that there's nothing to worry about. Then after a while I start worrying that there's something on top of the bed and it's gonna get my husband and so I move back on top of the bed. By the time morning comes, this has happened several times and we have gotten very little actual sleep.

DOC: Ah, this kind of persistent delusion stems from long held feelings of insecurity, repressed in your early adult years by the facade of success, but now coming to light as you begin to question the choices you have made, similar to the common male mid-life-crisis. It often takes months of therapy to dig back into your childhood and discover what events led you to feel inferior, and months more to learn to positively re-evaluate your personhood through mature analytical processes rather than childish emotional reactionism. Or, you can solve your problem in about 20 minutes.

PATIENT: How, doctor, how?

DOC: Cut the legs off your bed.

PATIENT: [wait a beat] But that's not all, doc. Even when I do sleep, I have disturbing dreams. One night last month I dreamed I was a set of curtains.

DOC: You've got to pull yourself together.

PATIENT: And last week I dreamed I was a deck of playing cards.

DOC: We'll deal with that later.

PATIENT: And last night I had two very strange dreams. First I dreamed I was a wigwam. Then I dreamed I was a teepee.

DOC: I think I am beginning to see the problem. You are two tents!

PATIENT: And doc, sleep issues aren't my only problems, according to my husband. He thinks I'm crazy because I like sausages!

DOC: Why that's not crazy! I like sausages also!

PATIENT: Really?! That's reassuring. [beat] You should come over and see my collection some time. I have hundreds.

DOC: [does doubletake] Hmmm...self esteem issues, stress, overinvestment of time in sausage collecting...I think I am ready to make a diagnosis. You need to experience the benefits of friendship. How long has it been since you had a good friend?

PATIENT: Oh, doc, I do have friends, 1234 on MyFace.com alone!

DOC: No, no. I mean REAL friends! People you actually spend time with!

PATIENT: Well, I was at a class reunion recently. I spent time with over a hundred of my old friends from the good old days. Does that count?

DOC: No! You need friends that you do things with on a regular basis, not every 10 years!

PATIENT: Ok, what about my friends at work? I see them every day!

DOC: Do you see them outside of the office?

PATIENT: Those jerks? Of course not!

DOC: Ok, let's try again. Do you have any friends that you share your inner thoughts and feelings with?

PATIENT: Ummmm.....Hey! I'm doing that with you. Does that make me your friend?

DOC: Goodness no! I want to forget about you the minute the door closes behind—I mean, unfortunately we have to maintain a professional distance in our relationship.

PATIENT: Well, doc, it looks like I don't have any real friends besides my husband. Where can I get some?

DOC: You know, our mothers always used to say, to have a friend, be a friend.

PATIENT: But how can I learn what it means to be a true friend?

DOC: Have you ever heard of the Bible?

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Penn and Teller demonstrate the seven basic principles of magic.

But He Has Done More

The last time I preached I looked at the Holy Spirit's work throughout God's plan. I fashioned it after the Dayenu model.

These are the last notes I had typed for that sermon. Some of it I didn't flesh out on the computer, but in my mind, and then as I spoke.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. [Gen 1:1-2] There in the blackness, God's Spirit was an awesome wind blowing over the face of the Earth. He was present in creation from the first moments, changing formlessness into beauty, emptiness into glory...and if that's all He ever did, we would praise Him and seek His presence in the gentle breezes, and in the mighty hurricanes that blow across creation today. But He has done more.

Pharoah said to his servants, “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has the spirit of God in him?” [Genesis 41:38] The Holy Spirit guided Joseph, and gave him wisdom and insight, leading him from slavery and imprisonment to freedom and royal power. Through Joseph He shaped the destiny of Israel, bringing the family of Jacob to the fiery sands of Egypt, in which to forge a new nation that should bear the both the oracles and the lamb of God...and if that's all He ever did, we would worship Him and declare His wisdom in leading Joseph and his people from defeat to victory. But He has done more.

The LORD also spoke to Moses: “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with God's Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft to design artistic works in gold, silver and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft. [Exodus 31:1-5] Who could possibly create a tent worthy to be the dwelling place for the Presence of the Lord? Who could represent His glory in wood and cloth, or even precious metals and gemstones? The Spirit of the Lord gave a man such wisdom and skill. Through the fingers of Bezalel God's Spirit crafted the holiest of spaces, filled with majesty and wonder and beauty and the violence of redemption, a doorway through which to glimpse both the wrath and the mercies of the Judge of Israel...and if that's all He ever did, we would wonder at the ark and the altar, and the promise of salvation sewn into the veil. But He has done more.

When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God descended on him, and he prollaimed his poem. . .Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, “I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times.” [Numbers 24: 2, 3a, 10] The Holy Spirit watched over His people, turning cursing into blessing, protecting His sheep from the wolves who would feast on them. For forty years He shepherded them, bringing them surely to the Promised Land, the land to which the Messiah would come centuries later...and if that's all He ever did, we would rest easy today in the care of that same Spirit, trusting Him to guide and protect us as well. But He has done more.

The LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission him in their sight.” [Numbers 27: 18-19] As God prepared to take Moses away from His children, He would not leave them without inspired leadership. The Holy Spirit was in Joshua, to guide him as he led the conquest of the Promised Land. God's Spirit had protected them on their journey thus far, and He would lead them to victory in Canaan...and if that's all He ever did, we would praise Him for His grace and pray for His presence in our own leaders' lives. But He has done more.

The Spirit of the LORD was on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the LORD handed over Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him....The Spirit of the LORD enveloped Gideon, and he blew the ram's horn and the Abiezrites rallied behind him....The Spirit of the LORD came on Jephthah, who traveled through Gilead and Manasseh, and then through Mizpah of Gilead....The Spirit of the LORD took control of him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed 30 of their men. He stripped them and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. In a rage, Samson returned to his father's house. [Judges 3:10, 6:34, 11:29, 14:19] After leading His people to inhabit the Promised Land, the Spirit of the Lord watched His people turn aside from the path He was leading them on. Time and time again, they worshiped other gods, the Lord disciplined them through the armies of other nations, they cried out to Him in repentance, and He raised someone up to lead them in throwing off their oppressors. God's Spirit empowered these judges and used them to bring mercy to His people, despite the human weaknesses of the individuals He chose to lead...and if that's all He ever did, we would continue to tell the tales of Gideon, Samson, and the others, certain that if God can use these men He can use us as well. But He has done more.

The Spirit of the LORD took control of David from that day forward....Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul...The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded...In the midst of the congregation, the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel...The Spirit of the God took control of Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God says: 'Why are you transgressing the LORD's commands and you do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, He has abandoned you.' ”...The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners. [1 Samuel 16:13b, 14a, 2 Chronicles 15:1, 20:14a, 24:20, Isaiah 61:1] After the Judges came the Kings and the Prophets; the Spirit's work continued unabated. He blessed, guided, and spoke through them, declaring judgment and mercy. God's Spirit moved through each phase of Israel's history, guiding individuals, nations, and events, moving ever closer to the moment when it would be God not merely in Spirit, but also in flesh, who spoke to His people...and it that's all He ever did, we would be confident that the Spirit of God could carry us through each phase of our own journey as well. But He has done more.

The angel replied to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you,and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God....The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. [Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:18]

After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him....Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil....If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. [Matthew 3:16, 4:1, 12:28]

The Spirit is the One who gives life....Jesus Christ...was established as the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness....And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you... [John 6:63a, Romans 1:3b,4b, 8:11a]

Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech. [Acts 2:2-4]

Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders.”...When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness....When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing. So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers. As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have called them to." ...Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. [Acts 4:8,31, 8:39, 9:31 13:2,4]

Inspiration of Scriptures—2 Peter 1:21
Empowerment of preachers—1 Peter 1:12
Illumination of hearts—1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Conviction of sinners—John 16:8
Regeneration of souls—John 3:5-8
Sealing of salvation—Ephesians 1:13
Indwelling of believers—1 Corinthians 6:19
Joining of members—1 Corinthians 12:13
Giving of gifts—Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12
Sanctification of saints—2 Corinthians 3:18
Production of fruit—Galatians 5:22-23
Creation of intimacy—Romans 8:14-16

The most powerful words you can speak

In Youth last night, one of the verses we looked at was Romans 1:16.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

James talked about how powerful the tongue is.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God’s likeness.

But when I think about it, I realize that most of the words we speak are limited in power. We may be able to (1) convey information, (2) change opinions, or (3) lift up or bring low emotionally. But when we speak the words of the gospel, the words we speak have the power to transform hearts!

There are plenty of aspects of this power: God promised His word would not return to Him empty, the word is sharper than a double-edged sword, the Holy Spirit illumines the hearer. There's plenty going on when we share the gospel. But the bottom line is, when you share the gospel, you are sharing the most powerful words you will ever speak. Your words can impact the eternal character and destiny of the person you are speaking to, and by extension, to all they may speak to, and all they may speak to, and so on.

So Paul wasn't ashamed of the gospel. He knew that no matter where he went, or whom he met, or what they had to say, the words he was bringing were the most important and powerful thing they would ever hear. It's still true today. God make us unashamed, and as Paul says in verse 15, eager to preach the good news!

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Biblical Experts Wanted

The story of Larry Burkett inspires me. I can't find the more detailed version of the story right now, but as I remember it, he was motivated to search the Bible for every reference to money (I don't remember what got him started). By the time he had studied hundreds of direct and indirect references to money in Scripture, he had become something of an expert in what God had to say on the subject. Of course he went on to become an author and radio personality, among other things, but it all started very simple--he studied what the Bible had to say.

I think there's room for lots of "experts" in our churches. In a sense, every time I prepare to preach on a topic rather than a single passage, and I look up all the verses about that topic, I am becoming an expert on the topic, and that's why I'm qualified to speak on the matter in a sermon. But the church is not supposed to be about one or two staff pastors and a handful of Sunday School teachers doing all the teaching in the church--we all are called to build up the body in some way, and I suspect if more of us would do more learning, then more of us could do more teaching.

Ok, so maybe you don't want to start off by jumping into the deep end like Burkett did. To become an expert on "love" in the Bible, you'd have to study over 500 verses with the word "love," about 60 with "loves," over 100 with "loved," and a few with "loving." But there are plenty of more bite-sized topics to chew on. Here are some examples; maybe you can try one of these to start with.

about 60 verses with the word "disease"
about 55 verses with the word "ear"
about 12 verses with the word "hell"
about 35 verses with the word "lament"
about 40 verses with the word "naked"
about 60 verses with the word "pride"
about 95 verses with the word "rich"
about 80 verses with the word "tongue"
about 20 verses with the word "value"
about 75 verses with the word "witness"

This was just a random selection of searches in the Holman Christian Standard Bible. How about it? Are you ready to become a Biblical Expert?

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Two Services With No Drama?!

Hard to believe, we didn't have a skit in either service this past Sunday. I can barely remember when a drama was an unexpected, even daring element in a Morning Worship service at Eastern Heights; now the skits are a regular, expected segment of the 11:00 hour (or hour-and-fifteen). But we try not to get into ruts too deeply, and aim to craft each service independently around the message of the sermon. This Sunday morning he was speaking on "whatsoever things are true," and rather than a drama, we did a demonstration based on some statistics from Barna. Their updates are always interesting. The one we culled from this week is called

Most American Christians Do Not Believe that Satan or the Holy Spirit Exist

Then, for the evening service we crafted a service that was dramatic in a lot of ways, but it didn't contain "a drama." People arrived and were directed downstairs where they got a "round trip ticket" and a "temporary passport" to heaven. Then they came up to the sanctuary, where we had a "throne" set up with a couple of large banners, and their ticket was collected. After an introduction, the service intertwined scripture, exposition, and congregational singing. At the end, in lieu of casting down crowns, which none of us have yet, everyone had a card on which they could express what they were giving to the Lord.

I got to do the intro. It was inspired by something Steve Harvey did on his DVD Don't Trip, He Ain't Through With Me Yet. If you watch it on Netflix you can go to about 1:12 or so and see him do what it would be like if he got to introduce the second coming. I didn't do his, but I tried to get the flavor of it similar!

So no drama? Maybe that's not exactly true, but no skit, and that's unusual these days.

Further Testing the System

My SpiritForceMagic blog is feeding to MyChurch. Now I have to figure out how to blog to the system from Flock!

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Testing the system

I'm trying to feed this blog to MyChurch, so I can then blog to MyChurch from Flock!