These posts are going to be a huge collaboration of my frustrations, opinions, and my "state of the union" for our faith currently. It will encompass numerous posts and probably take us into the new year.

I have been extensively researching this topic as this is one of my biggest issues and concerns with Christianity currently.

"What has happened to Christianity and why are we seen as the enemy to many of the younger generations."

Please understand, I am going to quote a lot of data and research from people looking at our faith from the outside and much of it will make you feel uneasy and even angry. I am not writing this as a means to anger my fellow Christians but as a wake up call from the generations that most need our help and support.

It's time we got honest and looked in the mirror.

If we want to reach the younger generations and moreover our own children, then we need to look at this data and make some decisions about how we are going about our faith and how our churches are projecting their image to the world.

I have been frustrated in 2008 by the amount of people I have met that were former Christians, raised in a Christian home or those who view Christianity in a negative light mainly because of the Christians they have encountered or how they were treated by other Christians.

Some will look at this post and say it is blasphemy. Some will simply let it cross their computer screen and not give it a second thought. But, I hope a few of you will really read these posts and empathize with the thoughts of people looking at Christianity from the outside and why they think present day Christians are very far from the early church and the teachings of Christ.

We, the believers, are the ones to blame and we need to wake up if we want to reach our children and their generation.

Much of the research and opinions are based on the data from two generations:

Generation Y - born between 1984 and 2002.

Generation X - born between 1965 and 1981

These posts are not Black and White, meaning that I will quote research but it, of course, does not represent each person or Christian but a majority of opinions and views. If the shoe fits.

This work is not all my own but the labor, research and foresight of many Christians and Christian leaders. Here is a list of all those involved:

David KinnamanJim HendersonRob BellAndy StanleyGabe LyonsGeorge BarnaDan KimballThom RainerMichael FletcherEd StetzerThe Barna GroupThe Fermi Project

Thank you all for your guidance, help and research. May God help us change lives.

Part 1

November 22, 2008

General

True Confidence: Final

November 22, 2008

General

We finish our discussion on True Confidence (Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four ,Part Five)

So what do we place our confidence in?

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

This is what makes all the difference. God makes all the difference.

In the 2000 Olympic Games, a young female diver named Laura Wilkinson was not expected to do very well. The Chinese have dominated the sport and were looking at taking home more Olympic Gold Medals. On top of that, before the Olympics, Laura had broken a bone in her foot and was not expected to be in top form. Also, her father had a stroke and her mind was also on his health during the games.

During the Olympics, Laura fell back into 8th Place and it looked like a done deal for the Chinese divers who had won 7 of the last 8 Olympics in diving.

But all of a sudden Laura started hitting her dives, she started diving more perfect than ever before and on her final dive, she landed in first place and won the Gold Medal.

Laura jumped up, hugged her coach and soon after a reporter came over and ask her about her performance.

Laura didn't say "I knew I could do it." "I believed in myself." She didn't say "I've worked so hard and now it has paid off."

She said "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

You can go to her website at http://www.laurawilkinson.com/
Click on Dive Videos, 2000 Olympics and then "Interview From the Heart" and watch the interview.

When you go back and watch her dives from the 2000 Games, you can see her mouthing some words on the platform before each dive and in fact she was saying "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Now, can we simply recite a verse and go and win a Gold Medal? No.

But what Paul is talking about in this verse is a much deeper Confidence. A confidence that frees us from worldly failure. A confidence that lets us know that no matter what challenges in life we may face, we can overcome them by putting our faith in God. It does not come from within but from our faith and trust that having a relationship with God will help us overcome anything in life.

You cannot give this type of confidence to people, it has to be earned through faith. I am living proof that it works.

Paul tells us to set aside all these worldly metrics of false confidence and put our faith in Jesus.

Recently, a lot of people lost large portions of their retirements, their home values and some even lost their jobs. We are in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But we will overcome.

No matter what you face in life, no matter how dark your future looks, no matter what the world stakes up against you. You can do all things when you put your faith and trust in God.

November 21, 2008

General

The World's Investment Portfolio

November 21, 2008

General

The World's Portfolio:

The Savior's Portfolio:

DO NOT WORRY: MATHEW 6: 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

November 18, 2008

General

Who is the Richest Man that you know...

November 18, 2008

General

As I am concluding much needed vacation with my family and spending some time on the beach with them and then with Mickey Mouse, I found myself totally wrapped up in a book that I want to recommend you all to read. I have a mentoring relationship with a friend in my church, where I am the mentor and he is the mentee (but I must tell you that in his walk he actually mentors me a lot of the time). One of the things that I have encouraged him to do is read a chapter of Proverbs a day, correlating to the day (so today we would read Proverbs 18 and so on). This book, by Steven Scott, puts a little more insight to Proverbs and gives you good insight to King Solomon's Proverbs. Questions that I have been asking while I read this book is, Who is the smartest man you know? Who is the wisest man you know? Who is the richest man you know? Are they the same person? If so, are they mentoring you? Are you emulating them?

Let us take this a different way. Who is the most kind-hearted man you know? Who is the most generous man you know? Who is the most patient man you know? Who is the man of God that you look up to and want to follow? Is he the same man? Is he mentoring you? Are you partnering with him in life?

Every day is a different day and brings with it its own set of problems and controversies that need to be resolved and/or conquered. Whether we are at work trying to meet a deadline or beat the competition; whetherr we are at home trying to be the Spiritual Leader of our home, or in some cases are trying to save a marriage- we have to realize that life was never meant to be easy. If we truly believe God and his Son, Jesus Christ, then what are we doing by trying to do it alone. This logic is a lie. We are given great wisdom when we are told to carry each other's burdens. Whose are you carrying? Who is carrying yours?

We are the body. Our legacy is that which we leave with our children and what type of man or women they will be. Will Christ be at the center of their lives. Will they look for a mate who shares their same faith. Will they be actively serving God? This is our legacy and what God is calling us to do- Go and make disciples. Mathew 28:19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

November 11, 2008

General

Wordless Wednesday: From God

November 11, 2008

General

November 7, 2008

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Raising Resilient Children : Fostering Strength, Hope, and Optimism in Your Child

November 7, 2008

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