AfricaStories

Check out this website I found today via Facebook. www.africastories.org

Here is a short video taken from the site about street kids in Nairobi. I found it very convicting because I have run into so many of these kids over the years. As a high school student I was not nearly compassionate enough. Compassion for hurting street kids was a characteristic better found in my brother Zeb. I want my heart to better reflect the love of Christ. James 1:27 is a verse that comes to mind while watching this.

Nairobi Street Boys from Africa Stories on Vimeo.

p.s. Thanks to all who prayed me through my speaking engagements these past few weekends. I think they each went fairly well. I appreciate your prayers and support.

20/20

I've attended SEBTS 20/20 Conference for the last 2 years and loved it! This year looks like it is going to be just as good. The theme is A City Within A City: Church, Culture and Counter-culture (Feb 5-6). Here is a short little promo video they did featuring one of the conference speakers, who also happens to be my pastor. Leslie and I are blessed to be at the Summit Church, outside of my family there is no one I pray for more than J.D.

J. D. Greear 20/20 2010 from Southeastern Seminary on Vimeo.

You should all consider attending 20/20 and if you lead a youth group or have college kids in your church consider bringing them along with you. This will sell out pretty fast. Not only is J.D. speaking but so is Matt Chandler and David Platt. These 3 guys plus Dr. Akin and you have 4 of my favorite speakers on one stage. It's gonna be fun!

Cool Videos and a Great Resource

I wish I was creative enough to think up something like this. Or a good enough writer to write something like this.

Perspectives from Peacemaker Ministries on Vimeo.

While I'm on the topic of recommending cool video clips...let me point you to this one. It's Tim Keller, from Redeemer, giving a little preview of Counterfeit Gods.



While I'm on the topic of Tim Keller let me point you to a brand new resource. I try to "redeem my commute" (work is an hour and twenty minutes, round trip) by listening to sermons. My favorites are Matt Chandler, David Platt, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and sometimes chapel sermons from other seminaries. But just this week Tim Keller began releasing his sermons for free. I'm excited. Check 'em out here.

[If you are reading this on Facebook click here to watch the clips.]

It's Lottie Time

In the little world that calls itself the SBC, the Lottie Moon season is nearly here. For many churches that means going out and finding someone who is really siked up to reach the world with the gospel and inviting them to come and speak. That may involve bringing in a retired missionary or a missionary on state side or a missions professor, etc. Well this year a couple of churches have bypassed all the other good options and invited me. Crazy, I know.
This Sunday night (10/25) I'm speaking at Central Baptist Church in Henderson, N.C. Then on November 15th I'm speaking Sunday morning at Antioch Baptist Church in Monroe, N.C.
If you are close to either one I would love for you to come. Regardless if you can come or not...PRAY FOR ME!!

I can say with much confidence that my talk will not be nearly as good as these few moments with Piper.

Convicted by an Atheist

I saw this video (the embedding feature is disabled so click on the link) about a year or so ago on YouTube and thought it was convicting. Recently, we were talking about it in small group and I've seen it mentioned on some blogs I read so, I thought I would post it. Watch the video and read this quote and see if it doesn't make you think. This quote is from Kevin Harney's book Organic Outreach for Ordinary People.

If we believe there is a real heaven and a real hell, we should be moved to evangelize and to reach out in the name of Jesus. If we love people, our hearts should propel us. I heard one of the most convincing arguments for this from an atheist. His name is Penn, the well-known illusionist in the duo Penn and Teller. On his video blog, Penn tells about a man who came to him after a show and gave him a Bible and tried to proselytize him. Here is a portion of his response to that encounter [the rest is Penn telling the story]:

He said, “I’m a businessman. I’m sane; I’m not crazy.” And he looked me right in the eye and did all this. And it was really wonderful. I believe he knew that I was an atheist.

But he was not defensive and he looked me right in the eyes and he was truly complimentary. It did not seem like empty flattery. He was really kind, and nice, and sane, and looked me in the eyes and talked to me. Then he gave me this Bible.

I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward–and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me along and keep your religion to yourself–how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?

I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.

I'm not going to lie to you, I struggle in this area. Partly because my classmates and co-workers are all believers; the current "Christian bubble" I live in forces me to be much more intentional...I rarely am. Pray for me!