What a prayer...

I've listened to this song a hundred times and its only this morning that I've really thought about how intense the words are, and how hollow I've made them by carelessly singing them without meaning it:

Help me live a life of love that pleases,

My one desire is to see you lifted,

Burn me up, burn me up

Until all we see is you

Jesus, you're all I've ever needed

Your joy will be the strength I live by

Burn me up, burn me up

Until all we see is you

Lead me on to a place where your glory is revealed

Burn me up, burn me up

Until all we see is you

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Random Quote - Chan

"Someone asked me recently why I don't save money for emergencies, or retirement. My answer was how can I justify saving for myself "just in case" something happens to me when something IS happening to so many already. 29,000 kids will die today of preventable causes. If I'm to love my neighbor AS myself, why spend so much time worrying about me?" 

- Francis Chan, June 08

A fairly challenging way to look at things, especially when I took a job that's main attraction is the pension scheme. Hopefully its not just a phase I'm going through, but the last few weeks (after reading Crazy Love) I been really starting to think more about where my money goes, and how much I really need for myself. 

The video below is by Sarah McLachlan - who made the video on a minimum budget, and gave what it should have cost to various causes - a total of $148,270. Visit world on fire for a list of recipients.

clip length: 4min 35sec

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Crazy Love

Out of the three people that read this blog, one has read this book, ones in the middle of it, an one's already had to listen to me harp on about it. However, its still worth a few posts, not least to keep me thinking about the themes and challenges it poses.

Simply put, this is an amazing book! 

Chan basically spends three chapters having us reevaluate who God is, and then the remaining seven examining our response to him. Every page has a challenge, and the impassioned, loving tone that Chan uses throughout makes it impossible to ignore what he is saying or to think that he has any ulterior motive other than love for God and His church.

As an accompaniment to the book he's set up crazylovebook.com that includes videos relating to each chapter. Below is the video introduction to wet your appetite if you haven't already got it [Pete].

Read Challies review and then get straight onto Amazon and order this book!

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Mustache March

Working shifts has a lot of downsides - but a plus is a lot of free time during the day to get lots of useful stuff done. Unfortunately I normally waste hours looking at rubbish on the internet.

It was on one such morning that I found these guys. They took it upon themselves to raise some money for charity, by spending the month of March growing mustaches - surely the most humiliating of all facial hair varieties!

They all shaved clean on March 1st, were allowed 7 days of full beard growth before shaving to reveal the 'tache without the comfort blanket of a beard and leaving it for the remainder of the month.

Because my job doesn't allow me to grow a beard I had to wait until holiday to attempt my own, although only going as far as the 7 day mark. The photos below show my glorious, if rather disturbing efforts!

This is the way we should be raising money to pay of building debts!

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(RED)

Just stumbled across this site when looking for a new wallpaper for the mac. I'd seen this stuff mentioned on places before but never really paid any attention. Basically its a project thats been set up with major brands including Apple, Gap, Armani and American Express whereby when a consumer buys a designated (red) product, they will donate a percentage of the profit to (red) who will then use this to purchase AIDs medication for Africa.

Check out the video clip and website. 

After reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan recently (which is amazing by the way - highly recommended - Homelio gives it a mention) started to think a bit more about what we can do in our privileged middle class lives! Things like this don't even cost us anything!

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Not at all "relevant?", but cool nonetheless!

Sam and I went to a major league baseball game on Sat night, whilst flying the flag for the green and white! And our team even won - amazing stuff. 

Obviously it wasn't as electric as the Kop, but it was a good laugh!

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Incidentally, whilst watching the Sweden v Spain match on US tv earlier that day, it only took the commentator 6mins to come out with the following;

"Spain, who were beaten in Belfast by Northern Ireland. [pause], as were Sweden"! ESPN know we exist!

I love the US y'all

I'm posting this from a MacBook Pro in the Apple Store in Florida.

Sam's about to buy this exact machine!

Hope its raining in Belfast!

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Hellooo Mickey!

I'm going on holiday tomorrow to the good ole US of A! Hopefully I'll avoid all things Mickey related for two weeks! 

Sayonara!

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I love proverbs!

Due to the title of the previous post, I thought I should even the balance by posting my favorite verse from proverbs, and proof that God made sex desirable for a reason and that Christians should enjoy it passionately (with their spouses!)

"Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love." 

Proverbs 5: 18-19

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No sex please - we're christians!

Sex and dating action night, this Wed night at 7.30. Hopefully plenty of people will come along, its something everyone complains that the church doesn't talk about - now that they are you've nothing left to complain about.

We'd posted some links to useful resources up here over the past few weeks - you can check them all out again by clicking on the tags down the right hand side of the screen - or below.

By the way - this is not in any way for couples only - everyone will be able to get something out of it. Hopefully see you there.

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SEX

DATING

Knowledge or Jesus?

Read an interesting post on Fools Gold talking about why it's ok if you can't remember last Sunday's sermon.

Quoting Jonathon Edwards as saying

“The main benefit that is obtained by preaching is by impression made upon the mind in the time of it, and not by the effect that arises afterwards by a remembrance of what was delivered”

the writer argues that remembering the 'five points' of a sermon at some stage in the future is no where near as important as whether or not it causes us to "see Jesus" at the time of hearing.

I think there's a problem within some circles (myself included in this) of seeing sermons at times only as an academic exercise, and rating pastors on their ability to essentially lecture on theology - neglecting to place any emphasis on the sermons devotional aspects. 

In todays 'myspace culture' its easy to sit under the teaching of high profile pastors like Driscoll, Piper or Bell whilst living on the other side of the planet. But when we're reading whoever it is we read and spending time downloading sermons etc. what are we looking for?

The same applies to those of us who preach a bit - when we're preparing our messages what are we trying to achieve? Are we trying to show people what we know? Or are we trying to show people Jesus?

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“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Sex sells!

A recent post on oral sex seems to have done an unintentional job in outreach! 

The hit counter I use tells you what link people have clicked on to get to your site. Some chinese guy (I'll assume it was a guy!) searched for "oral sex" on the chinese google, and after searching through 16 pages of results to porn clicked on the relevant? link - and instead of seeing some porn clip got Driscoll instead! 

Hopefully he read on down the blog and clicked on the X3 link too!

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SONshine Club Kenya Project

I asked Brenda Stewart recently would she mind contributing to the blog by giving a bit of an introduction to the SONshine club - she kindly sent through the following...

"The SONshine Club was formed in May 2006 after a visit to Kenya delivering school stationery and clothes to many extremely poor people (85% of the population in Tharaka, Turkana & Samburu regions are unable to earn £10 per month to feed their families). We set out to find sponsors for 40 children and dig 2 wells.... 

...we now have over 120 children sponsored, have opened & run a medical clinic, set up a medical sponsorship programme, have completed the 2 wells and dug a bore hole, completed the first 3 classrooms in Gaceuni! 

To get a better picture of what we are doing and how you can help, why not visit our website - SONshine Club Kenya Project"

Cheers to Brenda for the information, check out their site and try not to be convicted!

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Random, but funny!

This clip is called "if you watch this 100 times you'll still laugh". If you're an immature male who laughs at other peoples misfortune you will. I did!

clip length: 4sec

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Prayer Request - Steven Curtis Chapman

I just read the tragic news that Steven's youngest adopted daughter, 5 year old Maria, died yesterday when she was hit by an SUV driven by her teenage brother in the family's driveway. What a horrendous thing for the family to have to go through, not only losing one child, but for another to have to deal with being involved. 

Please pray for the family. 

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news report

The Shack - Review by Tim Challies

One of the recommended books in our Shefari widget is "The Shack" by William P Young. I haven't read this book myself but Pete read it recently and really enjoyed it. It seems to be this years, Purpose Driven Life, with people going nuts over it - either because they love it, or because they hate it! With blogs and websites seemingly dedicated to discussing it!

Tim Challies,  a guy I know only a little about - but who comes highly recommended has written a very substantial review of the book here - its about 15 pages long, but worth a look if your interested in seeing what all the fuss is about. I originally read a more condensed review that he did a while ago and would recommend you read this first if you just want a quick read. 

I've read a few of Challies reviews now and they are all extremely fair and well written, so much so that even if you disagree with what he's saying its hard not to respect it!

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Maximum term for abortion remains 24 weeks

MPs vote to maintain maximum age for abortion at 24weeks. BBC news article.

Homelio has an interesting post on this, along with links to various resources on the topic.

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"As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything" Ecc 11:5

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"Some things cost more than you realise"

Check out the below clip from Radiohead - All I Need. It follows two young boys for a day - one in a nice middle class school, the other in an oriental sweat-shop. Radiohead have produced this is partnership with MTV Exit (End Exploitation and Trafficking). 

I have to admit that child trafficking and exploitation is not something that I am particularly knowledgeable on, or even something that has been close to my heart for any length of time - I'm very much guilty of having the  "what I can't see..." attitude, and ignoring it. It is probably through the influence of Pete C that I've started thinking about this kind of thing a bit more, and considering what part we play in it. 

The LA Times have a pretty eye opening article on slavery in the 21st Century here. Maybe its about time we starting taking notice of these things and others like them that are maybe even happening a lot closer to home, but are hard to see with your head in the sand!

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Links to video and article courtesy of Eugene Cho 

Worshipping God with your body

In Sept 2005 worship 24/7 organised a weekend away down south. On the Saturday night Tim Millen gave a talk entitled "Worshipping God with your body". I remember getting up to lead worship when he had finished and feeling nothing but worthlessness - I think most people there felt exactly the same. In it he talks about guarding where your body goes, what it does and what it ponders, covering sex, gluttony, pornography, alcohol and clubbing.

It covers a lot, but does it really well - it should only take about 5-10mins to read. Read it in five parts here - remember to start at Part 1 at the bottom of the page and work up!

Sample quote "When we are in danger of such sin [sexual], we should not argue or debate or explain, and we certainly should not try to rationalise. We are not to consider it a spiritual challenge to be met, but a spiritual trap to be escaped. We should get away as fast as we can".

Cheers to Gary at Homelio for getting this up

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“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Cor 6:19–20