If you grew up in church, think about all the things you did that made church, church! If you did not grow up in church, you have a different and fresh view of church. Sometimes I wish that I could have those eyes, simply for the perspective of knowing what to do or NOT to do. However, I would never trade my upbringing. I loved knowing God all of my life. Anyway. Have you thought of some? You have to join something before you can be a part of making decisions. You can start giving MONEY right away, but we don't want your decisions until you join. WOW! Then we have this insider language. If you are new to church or God, you hear some of the words we use and you are clueless, again NOT your fault, but ours.
This past week I was reading a blog of a church that does NOT have any members. There are those who have Christ and those who are pursuing Christ. Once you accept Christ you become a part of the Family of God. Once you do that, hopefully you will give, serve and do your part for the local church. I love thinking through all the things and thinking about all the rungs we take off the ladder for those outside of a relationship with Christ. Why do we do that? Why do we make it so tough to know and follow Christ? Think about your relationships with the world. What do you do or say that potentially keeps someone from accepting this relationship? Busy schedules, sports activities, job, chores! Do these things keep me from helping someone know Christ? Challenging insights on this Wednesday. Read Acts 15 again. Rock your socks off!
Philip Thurman
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
What Could You Do?
Check this video out. Pause the play list music so you can hear the video. What could you do?
Benched from Brandon McCormick on Vimeo.
Benched from Brandon McCormick on Vimeo.
Anyone Reading This?
I want to see if anyone is really reading this or NOT. So I'd like to do a brief test....this is a test of the emergency managament..........just kidding. I enjoy being able to connect with you, but don't know if anyone is reading this. Writing is NOT one of my strengths, but I like to try it often. Please shoot me an email at philip@mylifebridge.com and let me know if anyone is reading this or not.
If I get NO replies, I'll probably stop for now.
More later, maybe!
Philip Thurman
If I get NO replies, I'll probably stop for now.
More later, maybe!
Philip Thurman
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
What About The Back Door
A few days ago I was in conversation with two of LifeBridge Staff Team about the back door. If your not familiar with that term, it is the term us religious professionals (haha) us for people that don't stick. They come in and see what your about and then slide through the back door, drop out etc. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, so I began doing some interviewing with some folks about why they dropped away.
We like to think that they are not coming because we're NOT friendly, or the music is not clicking, or the speaker is not bringing it, or our coffee is NOT Fusions, or the kids program stinks. Well, I think all of those things for us are working well. Could they be improved, well sure they can. But does that stuff matter? Sure it does, but think about it. People can go to ITunes and down load the best music available. They can down load for FREE the greatest communicators in the world.....yes world. They can go to Fusions and get the best coffee in town. What would help us close the back door. I'm convinced it is one thing and one thing only.
It is the very thing everyone wants, but is NOT willing to pursue. It is a struggle to make time for it, it cost a ton in emotional energy and we have so little margin in our life. It could make us healthy, but we will choose to be unhealthy as opposed to live in this. This one thing is RELATIONSHIPS. I am convinced that the greatest healer, connector, fullier in Life is the relationship with have with God. I also believe the human relationships are the second greatest. If we could have genuine relationships with people in small groups we would see the back door closing. How do we do this with a culture that is moving so fast or doesn't see the need........? Maybe another blog for another day.
Philip Thurman
We like to think that they are not coming because we're NOT friendly, or the music is not clicking, or the speaker is not bringing it, or our coffee is NOT Fusions, or the kids program stinks. Well, I think all of those things for us are working well. Could they be improved, well sure they can. But does that stuff matter? Sure it does, but think about it. People can go to ITunes and down load the best music available. They can down load for FREE the greatest communicators in the world.....yes world. They can go to Fusions and get the best coffee in town. What would help us close the back door. I'm convinced it is one thing and one thing only.
It is the very thing everyone wants, but is NOT willing to pursue. It is a struggle to make time for it, it cost a ton in emotional energy and we have so little margin in our life. It could make us healthy, but we will choose to be unhealthy as opposed to live in this. This one thing is RELATIONSHIPS. I am convinced that the greatest healer, connector, fullier in Life is the relationship with have with God. I also believe the human relationships are the second greatest. If we could have genuine relationships with people in small groups we would see the back door closing. How do we do this with a culture that is moving so fast or doesn't see the need........? Maybe another blog for another day.
Philip Thurman
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Life Sucks! You gotta read!
I have heard comments lately from people who have evacuated from their homes because of Gustav and said things like, life sucks! This is not fair, why are we always the ones to get slammed? I understand their frustrations to some degree. But I also don't understand it, because the choice is theirs to stay or go. We are going to always have hurricanes and they will come to land and destroy tons of stuff. It is just a fact of life. I truly empathize with our neighbors and friends and am willing to help any way that I can.
But as I think about unfair, I was reading about it this morning. In Acts 16 these two guys Paul and Silas are going from place to place and there is this annoying lady that follows them and saying out loud, these guys on on God's team. They are here making noise.....(my paraphrase) So Paul turns and cast the evil spirit out of her. Her owner is now p oed! His income (she was a fortune teller) is now shot. So what do they do, throw Paul and Silas in jail after they get a beating. NOW THAT IS NOT FAIR! No trial, no attorneys nothing. It's one thing to be thrown in prison for a crime you did, but to be thrown in cause you cast an evil spirit out of someone. How would you like that, stand before the jury and say guilty or NOT Guilty. uh sir or ma'am, I am guilty. What is your crime? Uh casting out an evil spirit.....WHAT? Is that not hilarious! I think so....the Bible is awesome. The rest of the story is incredible, check it out!
Philip Thurman
But as I think about unfair, I was reading about it this morning. In Acts 16 these two guys Paul and Silas are going from place to place and there is this annoying lady that follows them and saying out loud, these guys on on God's team. They are here making noise.....(my paraphrase) So Paul turns and cast the evil spirit out of her. Her owner is now p oed! His income (she was a fortune teller) is now shot. So what do they do, throw Paul and Silas in jail after they get a beating. NOW THAT IS NOT FAIR! No trial, no attorneys nothing. It's one thing to be thrown in prison for a crime you did, but to be thrown in cause you cast an evil spirit out of someone. How would you like that, stand before the jury and say guilty or NOT Guilty. uh sir or ma'am, I am guilty. What is your crime? Uh casting out an evil spirit.....WHAT? Is that not hilarious! I think so....the Bible is awesome. The rest of the story is incredible, check it out!
Philip Thurman
Sunday, August 31, 2008
My Prayer
As I have been preparing this week and the news of the hurricane coming, all I could think to do was to pray instead of being overwhelmed. So below is an excerpt of my prayer from my journal.
Well, we're all bracing for what Hurricane Gustav will decide to do. Right now things are projecting just west of New Orleans. Our local shelters are starting to fill up with people moving north. It is times like this that we many times get to experience the goodness of mankind. I hope we will show kindness to many who may be displayed over the next few days and weeks.
Those of us who are at home in the safety and comfort of our own homes should find time to serve and encourage those who are away from their safe place. Find time to serve, encourage and love on someone who may need it this week. Don't listen to the twist that our enemy will try and whisper in to your ears such as "you can't do that, you don't have anything, don't smile, your inconvenienced as well...etc etc." Take some time this week to bless others who are being displaced.
May they see Jesus in your kind actions. This is my prayer for all of us these next few weeks.
Philip Thurman
Well, we're all bracing for what Hurricane Gustav will decide to do. Right now things are projecting just west of New Orleans. Our local shelters are starting to fill up with people moving north. It is times like this that we many times get to experience the goodness of mankind. I hope we will show kindness to many who may be displayed over the next few days and weeks.
Those of us who are at home in the safety and comfort of our own homes should find time to serve and encourage those who are away from their safe place. Find time to serve, encourage and love on someone who may need it this week. Don't listen to the twist that our enemy will try and whisper in to your ears such as "you can't do that, you don't have anything, don't smile, your inconvenienced as well...etc etc." Take some time this week to bless others who are being displaced.
May they see Jesus in your kind actions. This is my prayer for all of us these next few weeks.
Philip Thurman
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
No Food or Drink For Three Days
Stop and think about that for a moment. Three days with NO food. I don't know about you, but I wake up thinking about food and while I am eating breakfast, I'm thinking about where I will be eating lunch, etc. So to go three days with NO food or drink just blows me away. I cannot imagine anyone doing that unless it is some type of fast. In this case, it was NOT a fast that we know off.
What am I talking about? Two days ago I was reading in Acts 9:9. The story is the conversion of Saul. He is traveling down a road and is blinded by a light and is told to go to a city and someone will help him there. So he goes and for three days he sees nothing, eats and rinks nothing. What is that about. I wonder if that was his desire, or God's desire. I wonder if he was so in awe of God that he lost track of time or that all he could do was think about his life that he couldn't eat. I don't have a clue, but it caused me to pause and think....how'd he do that? I believe it was God sustaining him completely.
I'd love to get to that point that I did not have to worry about eating and drinking, but that I would fully rely upon God to be my provision. I want that type of faith.
Philip Thurman
What am I talking about? Two days ago I was reading in Acts 9:9. The story is the conversion of Saul. He is traveling down a road and is blinded by a light and is told to go to a city and someone will help him there. So he goes and for three days he sees nothing, eats and rinks nothing. What is that about. I wonder if that was his desire, or God's desire. I wonder if he was so in awe of God that he lost track of time or that all he could do was think about his life that he couldn't eat. I don't have a clue, but it caused me to pause and think....how'd he do that? I believe it was God sustaining him completely.
I'd love to get to that point that I did not have to worry about eating and drinking, but that I would fully rely upon God to be my provision. I want that type of faith.
Philip Thurman
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