Changing the world, one breath at a time
Posts tagged christianity
Free Porn Show
May 21st
According to Anne Jackson (Flowerdust or @Flowerdust), her statistics show that whenever she mentions “porn” or “boobies” her traffic increases a lot.
I have never used either of those words (until now), so I can’t really back that up.
Anyway, Mike Foster, founder of XXXChurch and Anne Jackson recently had the opportunity to speak at Christian Community Church in “Chicago to about 600 high schoolers & junior high students (AND their parents….) about porn, sex, and we even threw out words like “homoeroticism” and “masturbation” and “boobs”…and there may have been talk about cows mating as well.”
Christian Community Church was kind enough to record it.
Below is the video:
What do you think?
How big of an issue do you think pornogrophy in the church is today?
For those of you that live around Delaware, OH, would you be interested in having them come?
Anyone have any other thoughts?
When I go down…
May 7th
Watch this vide and the lyrics within:
“I’ve thrown away, so many things that could’ve been much more
“When I go down/I go down hard/And I take everything I’ve learned/And teach myself some disregard/When I go down/It hurts to hit rock bottom/And of the things that got me there/I think if only I had fought them”
“Any control I thought I had/Just slips right through my hands”
“Yet you love me/And that consumes me/And I’ll stand up again/And do so willingly”
“And from my lips/The words I choose to say/Seem Pathetic/But it’s a fallen man’s praise/Because I love You/Oh God, I love You”
“When I go down/I lift my eyes to You/I won’t look very far/Cause You’ll be there/With open arms/To lift me up again/To lift me up again”
Wow.
I love that song.
Basically, that’s how I feel right now.
My last post (Am I a bad sponsor?), makes me really feel this song.
I just need to lifted up again.
But…
…It hurts.
I feel like Paul in Romans 7:15-25
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
I do what I don’t want to, but I know it’s wrong.
“For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members”
God,
I want to honor you with my life.
Take away my sinful desires.
I don’t wanna go down anymore.
I want to honor you with my life, not disappoint you.
Please, Father, please.
Your unworthy son,
Zach
Why I…Livestrong
Dec 26th
…wear a Livestrong band.
Lance Armstrong is an amazing athlete. After fighting testicular cancer, he came back and won seven (yep, that’s right 7) Tour de Frances.
Like numerous other athletes, Lance Armstrong took advantage of his opportunity to share about something they feel is important (see Baron Davis, Steve Nash, and Dwayne Wade. Those are just the first ones to come to mind). As most of you know, Lance Armstrong created the Livestrong foundation in 2004 and consequently launched the Livestrong band in May of 2004.
When the original campaign launched in May of 2004, the goal was to raise $25 million toward cancel research. That goal was reached in 6 months. Since May 2004, over 70 million bands have been sold. With the bands making appearances on Oprah, John Edwards, Katie Couric and many other athletes during the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, the band gained a source of fashion and not just a source of support for the cure of cancer.
I loved the Livestrong bands. I remember shopping at the mall one afternoon and finally coming across a store that was selling Livestrong bands. I went outside, asked my mom if I could buy one and did. I owned something that so many other people have, so many influential people. What will other people think about me, now that I have a Livestrong band?
Well, it didn’t really change much, until I received an email from a family member directing me to a Celebrity Athesist site. On this site, it listed quotes from his book that showed his apparent distrust in God. Read a few of the quotes below.
I asked myself what I believed. I had never prayed a lot. I hoped hard, I wished hard, but I didn’t pray. I had developed a certain distrust of organized religion growing up, but I felt I had the capacity to be a spiritual person, and to hold some fervent beliefs. Quite simply, I believed I had a responsiblity to be a good person, and that meant fair, honest, hardworking, and honorable. If I did that, if I was good to my family, true to my friends, if I gave back to my community or to some cause, if I wasn’t a liar, a cheat, or a thief, then I believed that should be enough. At the end of the day, if there was indeed some Body or presence standing there to judge me, I hoped I would be judged on whether I had lived a true life, not on whther I believed in a certain book, or whether I’d been baptized. If there was indeed a God at the end of my days, I hoped he didn’t say, “But you were never a Christian, so you’re going the other way from heaven.” If so, I was going to reply, “You know what? You’re right. Fine.”
-From Lance Armstrong’s book It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life, published by G.P Putnam’s Sons 2000.
pp. 116-118 via Celebrity Atheist
After I read that, I was shocked. Here was a man, who so many looked to as an inspiration and hope in their fight against cancer saying that he was fine going the other way from God. Instantly, I took off the bandage and threw it in the trash, never to really think about it again.
Until…
…my grandma passed away. After a 4 year fight with lung cancer and a multiple year fight with Alzheimer’s, my grandma passed away roughly one year ago. Both have made giant steps toward being solved in the past year…
…Then, a few weeks ago, Bekah and I were shopping in the mall when we entered shoe store. I saw the bands and instantly thought about grandma. So I bought one.
After I bought one, I was reminded by my mother about Lance Armstrong’s lack of belief toward God.
That got me thinking about a few questions:
1. Does cancer care if you are a Christian or not?
2. Does cancer look for your views on God?
3. Are all of the items we buy only from those who profess a faith in Jesus Christ?
My answers…
1. Does cancer care if you are a Christian or not?
A. Nope, not at all. There are plenty of occurrences in our church (DGBC) of people who have fought cancer.
2. Does cancer look for your views on God?
A. Nope. Plenty of people that profess faith and those that don’t have had cancer.
3. Are all of the items we buy only from those who profess a faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Nope. In our house, we have plenty of items that were not bought by those who profess faith and I imagine it’s the same in yours.
Do I agree with Lance Armstrong’s views on God.
Absolutely not!
I believe that the true source behind Lance’s hope is Jesus Christ. I believe Jesus healed Lance for a reason. I hope and pray that Lance Armstrong will find that hope in Jesus.
Would you pray that he sees hope found only in Jesus Christ?
Do I agree the purpose behind the Livestrong band?
Absolutely!
With losing a grandmother and knowing of multiple people in our church family who suffer from (or have suffered from) cancer, it hits close to home.
For me now, the Livestrong band is no longer a fashion statement.
For me now, the Livestrong band is just a little way to remember my grandma.
I wear it all the time. At work. At home. At school. At church. In the shower. I see it and it reminds me of my grandma.
And you can do the same for someone in your life who has fought (or is fighting) cancer. You can wear it on your wrist and remember those close to you.
Will you join me in wearing a Livestrong band?
Buy a band. Remember those you love. Save a life.
Buy your Livestrong band today.
Remeber This
Nov 5th
First off, let me say congratulations to Mr. President Obama. I hope that you pick Godly men and women for members of your cabinent and follow through on the promises that you made while you were campaigning.
Also, I must say that John McCain gave a wonderful concession speech. He really did a great job silencing the boo’s whenever President Obama’s name was mentioned. He was very graceful. He mentioned some very important things to remember.
One of my friends from high school, Larry posted this as his status on Facebook: “Well we got what we wanted. Do we want what we got?” Very insightful. Very good thought. I guess we’ll find out in a few months…
Here is something to remember:
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still guide His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.
Isn’t it GREAT to know who is really in control?
I’m also reminded of a great hymn “In Christ Alone”.
In Christ alone my hope is foundHe is my light, my strength, my songThis Cornerstone, this solid groundFirm through the fiercest drought and stormWhat heights of love, what depths of peaceWhen fears are stilled, when strivings ceaseMy Comforter, my All in AllHere in the love of Christ I stand In Christ alone, who took on fleshFullness of God in helpless babeThis gift of love and righteousnessScorned by the ones He came to save‘Til on that cross as Jesus diedThe wrath of God was satisfiedFor every sin on Him was laidHere in the death of Christ I live There in the ground His body layLight of the world by darkness slainThen bursting forth in glorious DayUp from the grave He rose againAnd as He stands in victorySin’s curse has lost its grip on meFor I am His and He is mineBought with the precious blood of Christ No guilt of life, no fear in deathThis is the power of Christ in meFrom life’s first cry to final breathJesus commands my destinyNo power of hell, no scheme of manCan ever pluck me from His hand‘til He returns or calls me homeHere in the power of Christ I’ll stand
I’m also reminded of another hymn, “My Hope is built”
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Please, please, please remember this. We do not depend on the country to provide for our needs, but rather Jesus Christ.
Remember that Jesus is still in control.
To anyone that reads this blog, please remember these things.
**Please note that the views expressed here on my website are views of the author, Zach Younkin, and are not the views of any organization, business, or churches mentioned in this blog either before or after this post**