We need 1,500 more people to sign the HungerPledge by noon today in order to send food to 560,000 people…please forward this to everyone you know!  It’s a simple way to add your voice and help the poor.

Here’s the easiest way to do it…click on the line below that says ‘Pledge Now.’   On the site, pledge to either give/volunteer/share and fill out your name, etc.  Pick a random state!  Then post this link to your profile to share with others…thanks!

I watched Unleash online with about 800 other people.

Unleash is a church conference hosted by Newspring Church in Anderson, South Carolina.  I’ve been there twice and love what God is doing to that area through His people.

While Mark Batterson is the most quotable writer, I think Perry Noble is the most quotable speaker…

Wake up and smell the Starbucks…the church is falling apart and its our fault.

God uses people with leprosy..he uses people that are falling apart.

We’re gonna die…so we might as well die trying.  Change.  Your church is 1 or 2 decisions away from doubling in size

If it was your money, you’d do something about it.  When the church becomes as important to us as the stock market, they we’ll change.

You’d die for your grandkids to come to Christ.  Would you change your style of music for them?

CHANGE OR DIE.

Newspring is full of passion.  One of our greeters witnessed a funny experience:  a 4-year-old was having a hissy-fit in the parking lot because he wanted to go back inside.  “I just wanna go back to the damn church!”

You gotta preach on giving.  “But people will leave.”  Only the people that aren’t giving.  Same with adultery.

Hire a godly, anointed youth pastor, fund the youth ministry, and get out of the way.  Triple your youth budget.

Churches fighting…stop competing, start completing.

Ignore the jackass.  In Greek, that means ‘blogger’.  Stop paying attention to them.  Start casting more vision.  Soar above.

You’re only as deep as the last person you served.

Our church likes being missional.  Duh.  That’s like a fishing saying ‘I like water! I like water! I like water!’

The reason I’m obsessed with numbers is because I was one of those numbers.

Who’s mad about numbers…God or Satan?

The church has so much power under the hood, they just gotta STOMP IT.

For those of you who missed it and want to watch the main sessions, you can do so right here baby.

We’re having a little virtual Bible study up in here!  You can catch up here:

1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 4

V1- Who do I hold in such high regard?  Am I becoming a servant of Christ entrusted with the secret things of God?

V2- What has been entrusted to me?  Am I being faithful?

V4- People can have clear consciences, but it doesn’t mean that we haven’t sinned.  “My conscience is clear, but that does not prove I’m right.”

V5- The kind of judgement he’s talking about is who is a ‘good’ Christian.  God will judge intentions…that’s not for us to do.  (vs 6 backs this up…don’t take pride in 1 man over another.)  When we treat megachurch pastors and famous worship leaders differend from any other person, we’re not doing right.
Pride in our leaders causes church division.  The believers in Corinth all have a favourite preacher (Paul, Apollos, and Peter) and believed they possessed the whole truth, which made them spiritually proud.

V7- If God has gifted you, turn it back to praise.

V9- What a huge sacrifice it takes to be a great servant of the faith.  Am I willing to be made into a spectacle?

V9-13- Describing words for “Fools for Christ”
-men condemned to die
-weak
-dishonoured
-hungry and thirsty
-in rags, brutally treated, homeless
-work hard with our own hands
-cursed
-persecuted
-slandered
-scum of the earth
-refuse of the world

V17- Who do I have who reminds me of Jesus Christ’s way of life?
Does my life agree with my teaching anywhere and everywhere?!

V20- Am I living in this power?
Does my life reflect the power of God beyond my words?

Here’s a story to illustrate Paul’s point here:

A few years ago, I was in a coffeeshop with my friend Jenna.  We were planning a big youth group event. Randomly, this guys walks over and sits down.  He goes “hey, you guys are Christians right?“  We were like “yeah, you?!“  He then proceeded to drop a massive load of verbal diarrhea on us.  For at least half an hour.  Telling us how we didn’t understand our faith fully.  How we weren’t as good as he was.  How our belief was incorrect and how we needed to say it his way.  We honestly felt like we had been spiritually abused.

So that was a few years ago.  I see him in there every few months, and he gives me the serious creeps.  Religious people scare me.  So last week, Michelle and I were in the same coffeeshop, and I went to grab a copy of a newspaper and had to walk by him.  He stops me, and instantly starts all over again.  “How do you know God is real?“  I state my belief.  He tears it up with some statement involving huge words and little sense.  “How do you know the Bible is real?“  I try to explain my thoughts on that, to which he sorta laughs and launches into the ‘real’ reason.  He asks a third question.  I suddenly realize that this isn’t going anywhere- that this man is a fool who cares more about TALKING than learning how to live in the power of God’s love.  So I walked away.  Because my life isn’t about talking about the word- it’s about doing the word.

ARE YOU READY?!

Thanks to Brad Ruggles for getting the word out on this one.

So here’s our proposal:

Over this Valentine’s Day weekend, if you donate $5+ through the Sex Rev to this cause, we will personally match the total up to $250.

The goal:  If 50 people donate just 5 bucks each, then the Sex Rev matches it, WE WILL BRING CLEAN WATER TO 100 PEOPLE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

On Monday we will send the whole pot to the ministry, and we’ll post everyone’s name on this blog next week.

Do not let anything stop you from helping others this weekend!!!

So who’s in?!!  Let’s live like Jesus and spread the love this weekend.  Do it now-  You can donate here: Sex Rev Support Page

Sunday Update:

You guys have been rocking it so far!  We’re gonna extend this for Family Day Monday.  We’ll post the results on Tuesday.  In the mean time, please click on the “Email to Friend” to send this to everyone you know!

Every hump day at the Sex Rev, I will post a few good links I stumbled upon in the past week. It’s the Wednesday Weekly Wire!

I love how many people come out to watch this!

Some people are SO creative!

Wanna know how old people think you are? Hold Old are You.net

Brandon Heath got Grammy-nominated for this song…but who cares? If we all lived like this, I know God would approve!!! Watch this video. Pray its prayer. I love this song

WE ARE IN TROUBLE! Your Future Comes From Your Free Time (ps. I love Ben Arment)

You are worth more than that. Seriously

Are you guilty?

FUNNY stripper pic here

Read the links and feel free to comment on their blogs…and please mention that you found out about them through Sexrev.org!

Have a great day,

Jay

It’s Bible study time!  Bust out the word and head to 1 Corinthians chap-a-tor deuce.  If you missed last’s weeks, you can catch up at  1 Corinthians 1.  We’re having a little online Bible study, working through 1 chapter per week.  Read it, take notes, compare it to ours, and then post your comments and thoughts…we want to learn from you!  Like I said last week- 1.) we don’t have all the answers…probably more questions! and 2.) if you don’t read the passage, this post will make no sense to you!

1 Corinthians 2

V2 Why did Paul come in weakness and fear?  Because he wasn’t gonna smooth talk and was worried he wouldn’t be well-received.  He was gonna let God a miracle, and that meant stepping out in faith.  Wayyy uncomfortable)

He decided to “know nothing but Jesus.”  He didn’t come to argue or engage in politics.  Maybe I should do the same!

V4 What was the demonstration of the Spirit’s power?

V5 Interesting, Paul speaks about godly “how-tos” to mature people.  Why not the immature?  Because they might try to do it in their own strength.  But without God, it’s a dead end.

V7 Why is it a secret?!  I’m thinking of three big reasons:
-people refuse to accept it
-people choose to ignore it
-people haven’t heard about it.

Focus mostly on the third group of people if you want to be the most effective in the spreading of the gospel.

What is the secret wisdom/how-to?
That we, as humans, can know and do God’s will- by knowing the mind of Christ which is revealed by the Spirit.  AMAZING!!!

V8 If they didn’t understand it, they wouldn’t have killed Jesus- they would have known he was the Messiah.

V9 A reference to Isaiah 64:4-5…read it…Paul actually paraphrases Scripture (take that, everyone who hates ‘The Message!’)  That God acts on behalf of those who wait/trust/love Him.  Dude, I wanna live RIGHT THERE!

V10 But we know it and feel it!
What are the deep things of God?  (vs 12..the Spirit knows, and we have the Spirit)

V12  Mohammed.  Buddha.  Joseph Smith.  The Pope.  They all claimed God just spoke to them…but God speaks freely to ALL!  WE have the Spirit and WE understand.  ONE is dangerous, WE is/are accountable!

V13 We can learn without ingesting information!
What are spiritual words?  They are words taught by the Spirit, not by man.  Seek those words for your life!

World learning: Input - Process- Output.

The spirit’s wisdom does not require information transfer.  This provides hope for the mentally handicapped, those of another language, and to those who have never been reached with the gospel.  Yessss!!!

V15 What does it mean to make judgements about all things?  (second half of verse) It doesn’t mean people won’t judge him, just that he’s not subject to it…IT DOESN’T STICK!  He’s not under the authority of it.

V16 I can do this with my wife and best friends, but can I do this with God?  Am I close enough to read His thoughts/know His mind/know what He’s thinking.

May God bless you richly with His words today.  You are LOVED!

Jay