I know what you did last... Easter

Here's another Sneak Peak of a video we're showing this weekend.

It's a recap of last year's easter service to get people pumped up for this easter.



I used music from the Passion and tried to give it a movie trailer feel. By the way I edited this using Sony Vegas 7.Any thoughts or suggestions?

Greg Laurie Bloopers

This weekend we have the honor of having Greg Laurie teach at our church.

I love that despite all the notoriety he gets he still has a great sense of humor.

Check it out...


This Sunday is April Fool's day. I wonder if he would pull any pranks. Come and see!

Christians need to "come out of the closet" too

Don't hide your faith from your friends and family. Be who God made you to be.



To Quote Jack Black in School of Rock
"No, You're not Hardcore! Unless you live Hardcore! And the Legend of the RENT was way Hardcore!!!!" :)

Remember when YOU got baptized?

I'm putting the finishing touches on the Baptism Video we're showing for this weekend's services. I thought I'd give you guys a sneak peak. We always video our baptism events and show a recap of it the next week. We also give a DVD copy along with a certificate to everyone that gets baptized. As I edit I always think back to what a special time it was for me (and also wish someone had filmed it). :)



Any thoughts or suggestions on the video or your own baptism experience?

Why Muslim Women are more open to Christianity

I was talking to my buddy Pedro Carrion on my way to lunch yesterday and in the car we happen to hear a message on 1360am about a Muslim woman that converted to Christianity. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These poor women can be beaten by their husbands and it's perfectly fine. Pedro went on to expand on some of his experiences in the Middle East and I was shocked. So I did a little research and I found the following video...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6OkavkWpgQ

That is Wild! I hope that's not part of a recruiting video for women to convert to Islam.

Anyway, please pray for Muslim women to be open to the Gospel. Especially in Bethlehem, where Pedro will soon be a missionary. :)

Putting All Pride Aside

1 Peter 5:5-7
5Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxyrw6XQK3g

May we never be too proud to take advice or input that can make us better people. And may Ryan Newman win the Nextel Cup this year. :)

Christianese if you please...

Ever notice how Christians talk "different".



If you don't speak Christian here are some phrases to get you started...

Christianese: "If it's God's will."
Translation: "I really don't think God is going to answer this one.

Christianese: "Let's have a word of prayer."
Translation: "I am going to pray for a long, long, long time."

Christianese: "That's not my spiritual gift."
Translation: "Find someone else."

Christianese: "Fellowship"
Translation: "Organized gluttony."

Christianese: "The Lord works in mysterious ways."
Translation: "I'm totally clueless."

Christianese: "Lord willing . . ."
Translation: "You may think I'll be there, but I won't."

Christianese: "I don't feel led."
Translation: "Can't make me."

Christianese: "She has such a sweet spirit!"
Translation: "What an airhead!"

Christianese: "I have a 'check' in my spirit about him."
Translation: "I can't stand that jerk!"

Christianese: "Prayer concerns"
Translation: "Gossip"

Christianese: "In conclusion . . . "
Translation: "I'll be done in another hour or so."

Christianese: "You just have to put it in God's hands."
Translation: "Don't expect me to help you."

Christianese: "God wants to prosper you!"
Translation: "Give me all your money."

Be all Things to All people

1 Corinthians 9:19-21
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncirovhlQcw

Are You trying to Kill me with that cell phone?!

Hospital Equipment Unaffected By Cell Phone Use, Study Finds

March 12, 2007
Although cellular telephone use has been prohibited in hospitals because of concerns of interference with medical devices, a new study by Mayo Clinic researchers shows that calls made on cellular phones have no negative impact on hospital medical devices, dispelling the long-held notion that they are unsafe to use in health care facilities. Three hundred tests were performed over a five-month period in 2006 using two cellular phones, which used different technologies from different carriers and 192 medical devices. Not a single problem was found. The study's authors say the findings should prompt hospitals to alter or abandon their bans on cell phone use.

Mayo Clinic leaders are reviewing the facility's cell phone ban because of the study's findings, says David Hayes, M.D., of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and a study author.

Cell phone bans inconvenience patients and their families who must exit hospitals to place calls, the study's authors say.


Well that makes me feel a lot better. :)

They need to do another Study when the iPhone comes out. It should make hospital equipment perform better just by proximity!

Satanic Billboards

LifeChurch.tv has a new Billboard Campaign. It's a spin off of the old God Speaks Billboards. Only this time it has Satan doing the speaking. Or should I say... Trash Talking. :)


Check out all the different Billboards...
http://www.satanhateslife.com/

Pun-tastic!

My love for Puns is only exceeded by my love for Parody Movies.

Some love 'em... Some hate 'em.

Here are some puns for you to look through. Your reaction to them should tell you what side of the fence you're on.

A good pun is its own reword.
Energizer Bunny arrested. Charged with battery.
A man's home is his castle. In a manor of speaking.
A pessimist's blood type is always b-negative.
My wife really likes to make pottery, but to me it's just kiln time.
A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.
Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.
I used to work in a blanket factory, but it folded up.
Sea captains don't like crew cuts.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
A successful diet is the triumph of mind over platter.
A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumor.
Without geometry, life is pointless.
When you dream in color, it's a pigment of your imagination.
Reading whilst sunbathing makes you well-red.
When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.

7 Things Pastors And Leaders Must Do in 2007

As Posted Here on Outreach Magazine

By Phil Cooke
1. Start the project you’ve always dreamed of creating.
The clock is ticking and you’re not getting any younger. Remember the book manuscript in the desk drawer you’ve always wanted to publish? Or the radical new ministry you planned on the back of a napkin? Or the media outreach you always believed would change the community or city? Stop dreaming and start doing. There’s no better time than now.

2. Understand the power of a compelling brand.
In a media-driven culture, a compelling brand is the key to breaking through the clutter and getting noticed by your audience. A successful brand is the story that surrounds a product, organization, or person, and it’s much more than just a logo. It’s a promise you make to your community, congregation, or partners, and it powers the connection that transforms organizations, and revolutionizes fundraising. Don’t end 2007 without creating a strong brand identity for your church or ministry.

3. Carry a small notebook and pen everywhere you go.
Ideas are fragile, and your memory doesn’t always work. Write it down. Ideas come in the strangest places, and if you don’t write them down, you’ll lose the idea that could transform your church or ministry. Many people type notes on a handheld PDA and then download them into a computer. Either way, if you don’t record your ideas, you’ll regret it later. Phone conversations, meeting notes, spiritual insight, breakthrough ideas – write them down.

4. Read more novels.
Because most pastors and ministry leaders deal with reality – preaching and teaching - we often forget the power of drama. Make a commitment to explore more fiction this year, and learn the art of storytelling. You’ll never be a great preacher or teacher without the ability to tell compelling stories. As my old writing teacher told me, great fiction may not be “true” but it’s “truth.”

5. Spend less time on what’s urgent and more time on what matters.
Think about your epitaph. Will they praise your great ability to handle e-mail, or your genius with church budgets? Or will they honor the time you spent as a husband and father, or how you accomplished great things for the kingdom of God? Eliminate the distractions and focus on real priorities. Whoever invented the “open door” policy for leaders never accomplished much. Be accessible to your ministry team, but don’t be afraid the shut the door and achieve the big picture priorities in your life and ministry.

6. Explore the media.
The latest study indicates the average American family watches TV and surfs the Internet an average of 10 hours each day. Compared to your time in the pulpit of a couple of hours each week, who has the most influence? Unless pastors and ministry leaders learn the power of the media, and how to use it effectively, we’ll continue our not-so-slow slide into oblivion. Discuss movies and TV programs with your congregation, and teach them how to properly prioritize the media. And think more about your media outreach – even the smallest church or ministry can create an effective website, or energize their graphic design. The battle for influence in your congregation’s life has begun, and you’d better get into the fight.

7. Remember the reasons you chose the ministry as your life’s calling.
It’s so easy to get caught up in advancing technology, paying the bills, preparing sermons, and the daily grind, we often forget the reason we decided on the ministry in the first place. Chances are, you had a dream and calling back then, and the question is – was that vision ever accomplished? In 2007, cut through the clutter, and get back to the heart and soul of why you do this for a living.

The most valuable practical asset you have right now isn’t money or even knowledge, it’s time. Time is the currency of the most successful people in the world, and you can always identify influential leaders by how they value their time. This year, use 2007 to re-think your priorities, cut away the junk, and get back to the heart of your ministry.

You’ll never have another chance to re-live 2007, so let’s invest this year in what potentially could change the world.


I could do without the Novels, Thanks Phil... :)

That's Life!

2 Thumbs up for Central Christian Church for the Following Video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4zJb9uRsdw

John 10:10b ... I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.