The Rodeo

…but words can cause permanent psychological damage.

Chadd gave a talk at church yesterday on James 1:19-27, with a few main points that struck home pretty hard.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.
Ever noticed a dog’s ears prick up at the slightest noise out of the ordinary - they are quick to listen. We need to be slow to speak - once out of your mouth words cannot be called back. Stop. Think. Speak.
Before snapping at someone, think about what they said, what you heard, what they meant and what you took them to mean. Before you lose your head, make sure you aren’t the one who is wrong.

Words come from the overflow of the heart.
What you say reflects pretty accurately who you are - ever met a ‘Christian’ with a vicious tongue? All you want them to do is stop calling themselves Christian. Fill yourself up with good stuff, so good stuff overflows.

Words have the power to kill.
Most of us can remember a harsh word from years ago - we hold the things people say for decades. And the random comment of a stranger can affect the way we see ourself for the rest of our life. A stinging remark can hurt people. Words can drive people away from Christ. Words can damn.

Words have the power to heal.
We have been given the words of eternal life. What we say can save people’s lives, in this life and for eternity. A kind word, an encouragement, even a smile can change a life. Words can introduce someone to Christ. Words can heal.

RodeoClown: Stopping. Thinking. Posting.

All men who go to church need to read this: Man Laws for Christians.

Church Man Law 1: Men should not hold hands with other men while praying.

I second this motion. Also when singing. I was once bugged because I didn’t want to stand in a circle and hold hands while singing a song at church… sorry, not for me thanks. And think of any visitors who might have come in then, how would they feel?

Back to the post, there’s gold in them thar’ comments. This one had me in stitches:

Perhaps some kind of “Pound it law” where instead of holding hands, men can simply pound their fists together after the prayer is finished as an expression of both unity and awesomeness.

Also:

1. No “groin to groin” hugs with another man.
2. All complements are followed by a loving insult (this of course, is never to be practiced towards a lady).
3. No high fives ever unless it is somehow part of a joke.
4. Crying is allowed in three possible scenarios a) you’re alone with your wife (bonus points!) b)you get kicked in the family jewels or c) Guinness brewing company shuts down.

The one true man hug^TM consists of a chest-bump combined with three pats on the back. I’m. Not. Gay.

Although predominantly funny, there are some really important points made there too. What do you think the Man Laws of Church should contain?

RodeoClown: a manly man.

… is the title of Richard Beeston’s new CD.

I’ve heard a few singles on the website, and he sounds pretty good. Also heard a few positive reviews from people who have heard him live.

Pretty rock-y, but not rockin’ out. More contemplative rock. Great lyrics.

Check him out.

RodeoClown: loves the logo.

A quick tip if you want to do a bible search in firefox, create a new bookmark to http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%s
and give it a keyword like bible.

Now any time you want to do a quick bible reference you can just type it into your address bar like so:
bible romans 3:10

And it will link you to the verses you wanted.

RodeoClown: found it.

Mark, a friend from uni, recently wrote this blog entry: Willingness to Change.

He gives a few (very real sounding) examples and then this:

Compromise starts with one step in the wrong direction. But where does compromise end? In the act of trying to ignore God’s prompting, and ignoring your own conscience, what happens to your heart or your spirit?

How long do you need to be nagged before repenting?
If you know something is sin but refuse to stop, are you mocking Christ’s death?
Is struggling with sin and losing the same as wilful sin?
What’s the difference?

Many questions, and they all hit close to home.

Another friend pointed out that as we mature as Christians it often feels like we are sinning more often (and this can be extremely discouraging), when we are just more aware of the sin in our lives.

Things to consider.

RodeoClown: convicted.

David hit me up with two audio files that are well worth listening to. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that you should grab them both right now and listen to them today. Together they are only forty-five minutes long, so you can easily find the time to fit them it, but they will have a measurable impact on your life:

 - The Poddy Renaissance 10 - Happy Reformation Day
Why the reformation was (and is) important, and what the 95 theses (not faeces) were all about. A good explanation of salvation by faith.

 - C.J. Mahaney - Cravings and Conflicts
What is the root cause of all conflicts? The answer is here. The best talk I’ve heard for a long, long time. Applicable to anyone who is in a relationship of any kind with another human (which covers pretty much everyone bar hermits).

RodeoClown: listen to them.

I’ve been holding onto this image all year.

The run-down: some guy doesn’t like the religion of Santa Claus and so puts up a billboard to make people think about not lying to their kids. People get all crazy and angry because someone dares to suggest that we shouldn’t tell our kids about Santa. Click the picture to read the story.

Note: as far as I can tell, this guy isn’t a Christian, so it’s not even some religious wacko who thinks it’s wrong.

The whole deal with Santa kind of makes me sad - we give presents to one another at Christmas to celebrate Jesus’ birth and it should be a time of joy and thanksgiving. Instead it becomes a huge consumer-fest with people having to buy the right presents, and kids getting upset because they didn’t get the latest toy they wanted.

I also hate the idea of lying to my kids - telling them about an imaginary fat man who gives them presents if they are good. This subverts the whole reason why Jesus was born and died - it was grace, not deserved in any way. The whole concept of Santa is kind of distressing to kids too - there is someone who judges them and watches every thing they do, just waiting for an excuse to give them a lump of coal at Christmas (kind of like some people’s view of God…). Although even this view has been subverted - everyone gets presents now, even if they have been naughty. Rich kids get more and better toys… why is that again, parents?

I’m not going to be lying to my kids. Ruth lists a good way to broach the whole topic with your own kids, and basically outlines what Jen and I have been planning to do anyway. Santa won’t be visiting our house this year - or any year. We celebrate Christmas, and will be giving our kids gifts from us to them in recognition of Christ’s free gift to us. They won’t have to earn it - just accept it.

I love my kids and don’t want to lie to them - I’d urge you to do the same.

RodeoClown: seeing red.

Over the past two months I listened to a series of sermons by Josh Harris on purity. There is a series of six sermons, with the first three focusing on sexual purity and lust, and then pulling out to provide a greater view on holiness through the final three talks.

The series was fantastic, I’ve been re-listening to it over the past week, and I think it is well worth downloading and paying attention to. Especially for married couples (the first two talks focus on sexual purity for spouses, but they are good for single people too).

You can download these talks (and a series of others) from Covenant Life Church. They only have the first five talks listed at the moment, but hopefully they’ll link the last one there soon - you can download it from their talks archive in the meantime.

RodeoClown: go listen.

A friend of mine (who happens to have a truly awesome name) worked at Disney for the better part of 20 years. When they decided to shut down all their two-dimensional animation studios, he found himself without a job.

So Ian (told you he had a great name) did what any lead animator in the same situation would do - started his own studio and set about seeking funds to create an animated series aimed at 9-12 year old boys.

The studio is located in Western Sydney and Ian and his crew are looking for $3,000,000 in funding to produce (initially) 13 episodes of Real Heroes. The show is taking Bible stories and putting them in a context that not-quite-teenage boys will respond to, with humour and modern themes. It’s not just Bible-bashing though - the stories also relate to common situations that these kids find themselves in.

You can purchase shares in Moving Word Pictures (click on the logo to visit the site, where you can find a prospectus and samples of the animation style they are aiming for). The Heroes project has received certification as an Australian Film, and there are tax deductions available for investors (although you’ll need to check those out for yourself).

The initial offer closes on May 31st, so if you are interested in investing in the company, you’ll need to apply before then. There are contact details at the site too, where you can contact Ian and his cohorts for more information.

Ian is a top bloke, I think he has a great idea for a show, and the animation looks great. Check out the site and the samples therein.

RodeoClown: not a financial advisor.

The iMonk posted a great essay. Go read it.

Newsflash: The gospel is Jesus, it is not making people moral or having a great life in the here and now.

Well worth the listen.

UPDATE: You can hear a (short) sample of it here.

Lost The Plot
Newsboys

When you’re coming back again
would you bring me something from the fridge?
Heard the rumor that the end is near
but I just got comfortable here.

RodeoClown: plotting

Sam and Soph have followed my lead, and are running through the 40 day Adultitis escape plan.

Sam has been whining on Facebook that no-one has linked to their latest video (he’s acting like a child already!) showing the artist within being outed. In order to appease him, please, follow this link. Recording the outcomes of their daily escapism is a great idea.

They also write lots of other great stuff, and for that reason you should read their archives and subscribe to their RSS feed.

That link again: this link.

RodeoClown: fellow artist.

I thought this was quite insightful: Andrew Barry’s Blog: Matthew 5: Jesus on adultery.

I’ve pasted the entire post here (it’s pretty short).

Read Matthew 5:27-30.

I think Jesus wants us to link two words together: adultery and hell. If we think of adultery the first word that should come to our minds is hell.

If we ever think, “will I commit adultery?” (of the heart or otherwise)then we should ask ourselves, “do I want to go to hell?”

RodeoClown: doesn’t.

When I say ‘God‘, I don’t mean a nameless, impersonal ‘god’, or ‘the force’, or ‘the universe’, or ‘mother nature’, or Allah, or Krishna, or anything or anyone else that is worshipped by men.

When I say ‘God‘, I am referring to Yahweh, the God of the Bible, the father of Jesus, the creator and sustainer of everything that is. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God who sent his son to die in my place.

When I say ‘God‘, that is who I am talking about.

“I am Yahweh; that is my name!”

- Yahweh, [Isaiah 42:8a]

RodeoClown: clearing things up.