Evangelist Earl Ankrom - Street Preacher!

We've had the privilage of having Brother Earl Ankrom at our church this week and it has been a real blessing! This guy is on fire and if you're not careful, being around him will cause you to catch it too.

We've had a lot of guest preachers come through, but not too many are fired up like this guy. Sometimes I think that the people who truly recognize what they were saved out of are the ones who are truly grateful. Would to God we had more Earl Ankroms! AMEN! AMEN!! AMEN!!!

Neil Smith

Evangelist Neil Smith and his family visited our church this week, traveling from Austrailia for an 8 week tour of the United States in between preaching engagements. He preached some fiery, challenging sermons which the Holy Spirit used to really convict my heart. I have truely appreciated his sacrifice and willingness to spend his vacation time edifying the churches of America. Please pray for him that he would continue the work and his family would be encouraged.

101 Youth Activity Ideas #3: Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate Frisbee is a great option for a fun, hassle-free activity. It requires minimum adult involvement and can provide hours of fun for the youth group. Also, those who are not as athletically inclined can usually learn to throw and catch a frisbee fairly quickly so there is more involvement among the teens.

The rules are simple. Two teams, two goals (a soccer or football field works well), and a frisbee are all that are required. One team begins by a "throw-off" (similar to a kick-off in football). The frisbee is then passed from team member to team member up the field, but when a team member has the frisbee he or she cannot run. They must keep one foot planted and pass the frisbee to an open member. A goal is scored when the frisbee is passed and successfully caught inside the goal line. The opposing team must try to knock the frisbee out of the air (no physical contact is allowed). If the frisbee falls to the ground whether it was knocked down or simply not caught, it is turned over to the other team and they work their way to their goal. Another throw-off is only required upon scoring.

If you have a large park or sports field, try this for a summer evening of fun with your teens. I guarantee they will LOVE it!

101 Youth Activity Ideas #2: Sound Scavenger Hunt!

Plan a scavenger hunt for sounds! Gather a bunch of small tape recorders (PDA's and cell phones might work if they have a recording feature), and send the teenagers out in teams of 3 or 4. Their job is to record sounds you designate like "A Baby Crying", "A Fog Horn", or "A Dog Barking". If you have parents that are willing to volunteer, give each team a driver and let them use the entire city. They must be back before the deadline, and the team with the most sounds wins!

101 Youth Activitiy Ideas #1: Baseball!

Youth leaders are always looking for good youth activities, and it's a challenge to keep them fresh, interesting, and affordable. I'm going to give you 101 ideas that you can use right now!

Number 1:

Plan your own baseball game. Don't just play baseball, but plan on creating the whole experience. During the "7th inning stretch" plan on having hotdogs, nachos, and ice-cold drinks. While the batting team is waiting, they can be enjoying cotton candy, peanuts (in the shells), garlic fries, etc. Create tickets that each teen can buy for $5.00 (to cover the food). It may be advisable to play "rag-ball" instead of baseball since it's easier to hit, doesn't fly as far, and doesn't require everyone to have a glove. Play ball!

Don't Major On The Minors

An old saying goes, "Don't major on the minors". In other words, don't focus on the petty stuff. With all the talk of the impending election it's easy for Christians to become wrapped up in the flurry of political talk radio, voter registration initiatives, and campaign events out of a desire to keep the really bad people out of leadership. The truth is that un-saved Republicans in the White House are just as bad as un-saved Democrats, and we need to understand that true change starts with the change Jesus makes in an individual heart when that person gets saved. While I believe Christians need to be pro-active in the community, politics, and leadership; I think we must always remember that souls need to be saved and that is the real reason we are here. Soul-winning should be our number one priority as that is where true change will begin.

We All Do Dumb Things Sometimes...

I love the Geico commercials that were on the radio stating, "We all do dumb things sometimes, but paying too much for car insurance doesn't have to be one of them." It's true that we all do dumb things, but I would suggest that hurting your testimony and Jesus' reputation doesn't have to be one of them.

I was out with some business people yesterday, two of which are Christians and one who is lost. The two Christians were both smoking, I heard one of them swear on a few occasions, and the other suggested that we all go get some booze. What must the lost person's opinion of Jesus been after seeing the behavior of these Christians who supposedly have been saved out of sin? My experience is that lost people know that Christians shouldn't drink, smoke, or cuss and that the Bible commands them to be Holy, so this behavior reinforces the view that Christians are "hypocrites". Hey, we all do dumb things sometimes, but hurting your testimony in front of those who need Christ doesn't have to be one of them.

1Pet.1
[15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
[16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Julie's Jewels

Hey, if you haven't been to Julie's Jewels recently, check out the new plaid re-design! I think it adds a nice touch and I want to thank Julie for being so consistent with keeping the posts coming. It's not easy to do when you have other responsibilities but somehow she manages to keep pushing forward and putting up great content. Keep up the good work, Julie!

Special Forces?

What if Churches had SWAT teams? You know, like teams that they dispatched for "special situations"? Maybe a church member has kids getting involved in a gang, drugs, and/or crime and some intervention is necessary. Maybe a lady has a husband that is hardened and bitter toward Christians, and he's about to make a mistake that will impact his life forever. Maybe some lost family member is on their death-bed and needs the Gospel. Wouldn't it be cool if Pastor could send out a dispatch and when all the team members' beepers went off, they dropped what they were doing, grabbed their bibles, tracts, and pepper-spray (for dogs) and responded?

So why don't we? Simple. Too few volunteers. Few people are willing to be available at a moment's notice because serving the Lord is too low on most everyone's priority list. Sad, isn't it? It shouldn't be an annoyance when our day is "interrupted" by the Holy Spirit prompting us to witness to a lost soul, or we realize that someone is in need of help. This should be our focus, our purpose, and our direction. We should be Christians first and employees/bosses second. Let's purpose to have a willing attitude and enlist in God's SWAT.

My First Soul-Winning Experience

When I was 14 I went to Oklahoma City for six weeks to teach a Character training curriculum in the public schools there. I was on a team with about 6 other teenagers, all of whom were from various parts of the country. One night before dinner a bunch of us decided we wanted to go for a walk and, after getting permission, set off down the street. We came across a homeless man who was sitting on a bench and I remember one of the older girls (I think she was 17) suggested we share the Gospel with him. I was terrified...

We sat down on the bench with him and this girl pulled a tract from her purse. I remember thinking that if it were me, I would have no idea how to share the Gospel with this man, what verses to cover or where to start. Then I watched as she went to the back of the tract and began reading the verses listed there, and explaining what each one meant. Why didn't I think of that?! Is it really that easy? It was. The Holy Spirit was working and the man accepted Christ as his Saviour on that bench.

Now, 13 years later, I still feel nervous when I approach someone to give them the Gospel but I don't worry about whether I will "cover all the points" or "miss anything". Instead I tell them what Christ has done for me and I try to be as real as possible. I think soul-winning plans, techniques, and programs have their place, but we should be careful to not become rote by dryly reciting a script and reading verses like a robot. Be real, and if you get lost, grab a tract.

A New Bible

I lower my nose to inches above the surface of the text and slowly inhale, taking in the scent of fresh leather, ink, and paper. The new black Scofield Study Bible in my hands feels firm, heavy, and resolute. I drink in the sight, the feel, the smell, the sound of the pages as they whisper when I turn them. I carefully run my fingers over it so as not to bend a corner or mess up the beautiful gold trim on the edges of each page. There is nothing quite so wonderful as a new Bible.

My old one was wonderful, but was worn out. More than one page on which resided verses of the Romans Road had been ripped from heavy use, and then there were the ketchup stains from the Children's Church sermon where I preached on Sisera, Barak, Deborah, and the tent peg through the temple (my Bible was a casualty when the tent peg caused the ketchup to violently squirt, as was the white dress of a little girl in the front row). Ah yes, a Bible which carried with it memories, stories, and legends. But now I have a clean slate. A new tool for my use in the service of the Saviour. A fresh blade with which to behead the forces of darkness and free captives from the bondage of sin. A sharpened blade. And I will keep it sharp, clean, and ready. Always ready.

I was taught in the Marines to never allow my weapon to be more than arm's length from my body. I ate with it, slept with it, and lived with it. It was part of me and as comfortable in my hand as my right arm in my shoulder socket. And when the enemy attacked I was ready to fight with it.

May we never take our weapons for granted. I will treasure this one.

Tearin' it UP

Wow, I've been a posting machine today! I completed 3 PayPerPost opportunites totaling $55.00! If I do this everyday (except Sunday of course), I would earn $1,430/mo which would pay for the car AND the gas! I can practically smell the new leather...

Am I Still Spiritual?

You may be wondering if I am still going to post things of a spiritual nature on this blog. The short answer is...probably. Here is the complicated answer:

I started EarnSpareChange.com for the sole purpose of making money, and writing about making money. The problem (as I've mentioned before) is that PayPerPost requires that I complete ten opportunities before I can add another blog to my profile. I'm up to 7 with them right now, so once I can migrate to the other blog, I'll use that for my money making ventures as much as possible.

That being said, this blog has a better Google Page Rank, and PPP rates it higher with their rating system. I've never had many readers on ESC so it only has a PR of 1 (all of which mean I won't qualify for as good of opportunities).

The long and short of it is time will tell. I don't have as much time to post spiritual stuff, and search the web for funny yet tasteful videos like I used to, but I still hope to be of some value to those who stumble by. Thanks.

An Update On The Twins

I figured anyone who reads my previous post will want to know some more details about the twins, so here they are. Their names are Daniel Giles and Jenna Michelle. Both were born July 31st (they were born early at 32 weeks), and were both 17 inches long. Daniel weighed 4 lbs 9 oz, and Jenna was exactly 4 lbs. They are still at Kaiser, but doing well and we are expecting them to come home in a couple of weeks. So there you have it. I now have four kids under the age of 4, and three are still in diapers. Yay!

Update

Hello to all you who have stopped reading my blog. As you know, I put the brakes on writing because of school, and now my wife just delivered twins! Life comes at you fast. Good thing there's Mastercard (I heard that somewhere).

Anyway...I'm starting up again, but this time for selfish reasons. I want this:

PayPerPost.com, iHype.com, and PayU2Blog.com are all going to get me there. Since this is a $50,000 vehicle, I figure I can finance it for $1,000/mo. Now since I can afford a $1,000/mo car payment, I've come up with a plan to earn the money via "unconventional" means. If I can earn $39.00 per day from blogging opportunities, I will have my $1,000 car payment! While you may see posts here, watch my EarnSpareChange blog for updates on my progress.

A Check From Google!

I received a check in the mail from Google yesterday for $114.00! I knew it was coming, but it's so exciting to finally get the money since it's been almost 9 months from when I first started using AdSense. I guess it really works!

Job Market 2009

I LOVE THIS!

Web Design in the Ministry

Recently I've realized that more often than not, smaller churches and ministries have websites that don't do them any justice. I'm also realizing that more and more people are using the web to find out about churches before they visit, and are forming opinions based on what they see on the site. If these churches want to convey a message to their potential future members, they are going to need a web presence that is attractive and hopefully tells people what they can expect when they visit. The worst case senario is a website that gives people a negative impression about the church and causes them to not want to visit.

That being said, I just finished my first "Designing Webpages" class at the Junior College and will be starting my second this week (the great thing is that they are online classes, so I can work in the comfort of my home after the kids are in bed). I was thinking it would be really cool to get some traction by volunteering to fix some websites that are broken (I know of a few), and improve some that are just plain terrible (I know of a lot). After completing a couple of these projects I could be a web design hero! I might need a cape…

Anyway, web design is a skill that you can learn on your own. I'm taking classes because it's giving me a great jumpstart, but the class is nothing more than working through some lessons in a book. I could've done that 100% on my own, and so can you if you are interested. The book is Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML and it walks you through learning HTML, XHTML (which are extremely similar) and CSS from the very beginning. I've found it extremely easy to use and understand, and very entertaining. It's not a dry textbook but more of an interactive, hands on experience.

Also, there are a ton of free resources on the web. One of the best is W3 Schools, which has up to date info and free tutorials that walk you through how to properly write HTML, XHTML, JavaScript, HTML DOM, XML DOM, PHP, XSLT, XPath, XSL-FO, WML, and CSS (don't worry, I don't know what most of these are either). I want to learn this stuff because there is a huge value in having computer skills in the workplace today, but this is also something that could be beneficial in the ministry. I would encourage anyone who is interested in having more to offer their local church to consider learning at least the basics of web design. If you can increase your church's web presence, you could potentially reach thousands of people with the Gospel who otherwise may never know your church exists.

My Hero

Do you think his wife whispers sweet nothings in his ear?

AAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!

'GASP'.......BURIED....IN.... HOME-WORK..... eeeehhhhhaaaaaeeee!!!!!! (that's the sound of me suffocating)

The Most Incredible Job Opportunity Ever!!!

I do a lot of thinking about work, jobs, opportunities, education, etc. because I'm always trying to find a way to make tons of money and still have time to spend it doing the things I enjoy, or find a position that I enjoy (in which case I wouldn't need tons of money). While contemplating these deep and pithy ponderings I have come to an interesting realization: I think I've discovered the perfect job!

For someone who is self motivated and enjoys a flexible work schedule, doesn't like doing the same thing every day, likes to be out and about instead of stuck in an office, enjoys a wide variety of tasks instead of specializing in the same thing all the time, wants unlimited potential for increased responsibility and leadership opportunities, would like to travel nationally and internationally, likes people, wants to have a fulfilling and rewarding job, and wants a job where all these benefits and rewards are not necessarily tied to experience or training, this is the perfect opportunity!

What job could offer so many appealing benefits you might ask? You may be stunned by my answer, but hear me out. How about full-time Christian Ministry? No really. Think about it. You can pretty much create a position for yourself if you are motivated enough. If a Pastor knew that by bringing you on board, you would increase the church attendance by a healthy percentage through personal soul-winning, building your Sunday School class, and mentoring subordinate leaders to do the same it's a no-brainer! If you decide the Lord would have you be a Pastor or Missionary and start your own work (or take over one) you will have even more opportunity to use those creative juices and grow. No matter what your position is, you have the opportunity to grow that ministry, train up new subordinate leaders, and replicate yourself creating unlimited potential for more responsibility and higher leadership positions. Travel is a big part of the ministry whether it is visiting the church's missionaries on the mission field, taking the youth to youth conference or youth activities, going to pastor's school, or driving across the country to purchase a new bus for the bus ministry. Reno Likins from Uniquely Youth Ministries built his teen ministry to the point where they could afford to take snomobiling trips to Colorado, rent limos to go to youth conference, and go on all kinds of really cool trips. Often we don't think the ministry can be this fun and exciting because we are thinking too small. The truth is, a ministry leader is only limited by the amount of prayer, time, and effort he or she is willing to put into their work. I would encourage all of you to reconsider what you are planning on doing with your life because there is nothing out here in the world that is nearly as fulfilling as serving God.

On Specialization

"A Man should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert A. Heinlein

Five Ways To Gain An Extra Hour

You're not alone. Everyone struggles to find time for all the things they know they should do, and typically only accomplish the things which have deadlines. This is why we can get to work in the morning, but often fail to read our Bibles, or why we can get homework assignments done ontime, but fail to spend substantial time in prayer. Without a deadline, your most important tasks get bullied, pushed around, and shoved into the corner by less important, time-sensitive tasks. Instead of trying to rearrange tasks, change schedules, and cut activities, wouldn't life be easier if you just had an extra hour? Maybe 25 hours in a day instead of 24? I'm here to tell you its possible, and you don't need to stop time! I'm going to find you an extra hour, and I'm going to do it NOW!



1. Stop wasting so much time sleeping!

I've found that 5 hours of sleep is plenty for me to function at 100% throughout the day, and this level of rest is sustainable. While I've gone for a couple of months on 2 - 3 hours per night, there is no way I could sustain that level of sleep and stay awake in church, in school, and at work. I can handle pulling an all-nighter once or twice per week, or a 3 or 4 hour night a few times per week, but I need to have some catch-up nights in between. If you know your limits you can work out a routine and use that extra time to get stuff done. Everyone is different, but if you are getting 7 or 8 hours per night right now, I would suggest staying up one hour later or (even better) getting up one hour earlier. You would be surprised how productive you can be when the rest of the house is sleeping. I know most of you are grimmacing right now, but trust me this works!

2. Man shall not live by bread alone...

We all eat. Some more than others. Did you ever consider how much time you spend sitting in the lunch room/break room at work? How about breakfast in the moring? This is a prime opportunity to pull out your New Testament and read. Hey, you may be able to recover an hour or more right here!

3. Turn off the tunes.

Got a car? Do you drive it? Most of us spend at least some time on the road commuting to and from work, the store, church, etc. Download the Bible and use your CD player, tape player, or MP3 to listen to God's Word. It's free, and it would be a great use of otherwise wasted time.

4. Wash the dishes, and your mind.

Few people hate doing dishes as much as I do, but once again its a fact of life. Use the Bible on MP3 (see the previous point) to fill your mind with scripture while you fill the dishwasher with plates. It's not like you would be doing anything else, right?

5. God's Word is sowed in the commode.

Once again, there are certain times of the day that we are all a captive audience. Why not strategically position a Bible in your bathroom? Take a few minutes while you are there to spend with the Lord (He sees you anyway, so don't worry about Him being offended). For some of you, this idea may add 3 hours of Bible reading time to your day!

The bottom line is, nothing is going to happen unless you make it happen. Try one of these suggestions and see if it works for you. If it does, let me know! Also, if you already have a system in place that works I would love to hear about it. Stay young, and stay fundamental!

Don't Stay Knocked Down

Sometimes you have just enough time to get the ball in the air before you get hit, and sometimes you just get sacked. Either way, you're down, in pain, and wondering why in the world you subject yourself to this kind of suffering.

Whether in sports or in life, we all have ups and downs, and it's how we handle getting tackled that defines what kind of person we really are. The next time you get hit by the devil, take it to the Lord. Don't try to carry the burden yourself because it's too great. God didn't design you to handle all of life's problems on your own. If He had He wouldn't have sent His Holy Spirit to help us. Secondly, get back up. When you're down, the best that can happen is you get stepped on. When you get beat, stand back up and go at it again. Remember, Prov.24 [16] For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Discontentment

Phil.4
[11] Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Ever wish you were someone else? Somewhere else? Are you ever discontent with the circumstances God has put you in? Often while I was in the military I would get fed up with life on base, training, rules, and leadership and I would gaze out at the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean just a few hundred meters west of the freeway, wishing I could be out there on ship. Deployment was an escape for me and I loved it. I loved seeing nothing but water for weeks, visiting foreign countries, and the simplicity of life that I experienced when I was on ship. What I didn't remember was the frustration that would set in because of cramped living quarters, limited shower hours, inability to get away from annoying people, missing loved ones, not being able to enjoy simple pleasures like good food and a comfortable bed, and all the other negative things that went along with living on a ship for six months. Now, often I find my self looking back on my experience in the military overall and missing it (well, parts of it anyway).

The truth is that all of life's seasons have good times and not-so-good times, and it's natural to remember only the good. What we need to remain conscious of is that we are creating those good times right now and will look back on this season of our life with fondness someday. Instead of pining for the past or waiting for the future, purpose to live today in such a way that you will remember it with fondness, and be content with the circumstances God has given you.

Remember the Marines

While recently digging through some boxes that we had in storage, I found one that had some of my gear from the war. Among the gear was an Iraqi notebook. I wrote the following in April 2003 somewhere south of Baghdad in the notebook which I found during one of our missions.

When you eat your evening meal tonight
Though it came a little late
Don’t become ungrateful
Because you had to wait
Because you may not see it
Still without a doubt
Somewhere there’s a Marine
Who tonight will go without

Though his stomach’s growling
And his hunger’s very real
Somewhere that Marine
Will go without a meal

When you pull back your clean sheets
And climb on into bed
And on your fluffy pillow
You rest your tired head
Just know that far away
As you doze so deep
Somewhere there’s a Marine
Who will go without sleep

And though he dug a fighting hole
Without the aid of light
And he’s been up for 24 hours
Still he’s on watch tonight
So though you must rise early
Remember what I’ve said
Somewhere there’s a Marine
Who never went to bed

When you drive your car to work
And all the traffic stops
And drivers cut you off
Unnoticed by the cops
Don’t become exasperated
And spew profanity
Somewhere a Marine today
Has been walking constantly

He carries everything he has
In a pack upon his back
And on his head and body
Wears a helmet and a flak
No vehicle will drive him
With no shelter from the rain
His leather boots are all he has
Though he’s in constant pain

In the safety of your home
You kick back and relax
You’ve got everything you need
You know nothing lacks
You read of other countries
And see them on TV
And hear of suicide bombings
And shooting constantly

You know no one will harm you
For doing as you please
For you live in America
And you can rest at ease
Just remember why you have
The liberties you do
And who it is that pays the price
For others just like you

That Marine holds constant vigil
And stands in harms way
Lives with bare necessities
And does it every day
He sacrifices for he knows
What freedom means to you
He makes that sacrifice
For the Red, White and Blue

-written by Sgt. David Scott, squad leader

3/1 India Co., 1st Platoon - April 2003

Hook Line and Sinker, by Cary Schmidt

Hook, Line and Sinker: How the Enemy Is Dividing and Destroying the Christian Family

Hook, Line & Sinker by Cary Schmidt is a Sunday School curriculum written for teens and their parents. I have personally found it to be a phenomenal resource in my teen boys' class, and would highly recommend it to any youth director.

Schmidt begins by drawing an analogy between a fisherman trying to use lures, hooks, and bait, to catch fish; and the devil who is using the same to "hook" teenagers. He then begins to explain in detail the four most common hooks that the devil uses in our teens lives, how they can identify and avoid these mistakes, and what parents need to be doing to make sure their children stay protected.

This curriculum contains a lot of practical application and wisdom drawn from years of experience in the ministry, and clearly shows Schmidt's dedication to helping teens through their journey to adulthood.

Do You Have A Titus?

II Cor 7:[6] Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

In this passage, Paul speaks of being cast down. He was clearly discouraged with all that he had been through, and understandably so. It's interesting that he was comforted by something as simple as the arrival of a friend. I want to suggest however that Titus wasn't just any old friend, but the type of friend who had been through a lot with Paul and understood his problems. Titus was a friend who was there for Paul through thick and thin, and when the going got rough, Titus had Paul's back. It's no wonder that Paul was encouraged when his buddy arrived to comfort him during his time of need.

I've had a lot of friends throughout my life, but I can only think of three that I would consider to be in this catagory, and one is now with the Lord. These were guys I could call during the worse of times and they would be there for me. I could tell them my struggles, and they could tell me theirs. Often just by being around each other we would be mutually encouraged and rejuvinated. Friends such as these should never be taken for granted. If you have a friend like Titus, thank God for him or her. If not, pray that God would send you someone who would encourage and challenge you to live for Him, and comfort you when it gets hard. Also, purpose that you will be someone else's Titus.

The Curse of the Saloon

"The saloon is the sum of all villainies. It is worse than war or pestilence. It is the crime of crimes. It is the parent of crimes and the mother of sins. It is the appalling source of misery and crime in the land. And to license such an incarnate fiend of hell is the dirtiest, low-down, damnable business on top of this old earth." -Billy Sunday

Sadly, it's rare to hear a preacher speak out against any sin this boldly for fear of offending, losing members, or being viewed as a "closed minded hell-fire and brimestone preacher". Maybe we need more hell-fire and brimestone preached from our pulpits to melt the icecubes in the pews. Billy Sunday wasn't afraid to call a sin a sin, and because of it his impact is still felt to this day. Praise God!

For Billy's entire sermon on Saloons, visit The Curse of the Saloon at Jesus-is-Savior.com.
SHAKE THAT TREE, BILLY!!!

A Note on Blogs of Note

You know, I was looking through the Blogs of Note that Blogger publishes, which is simply their random pick of a blog to highlight every month, and it struck me that most are poorly compiled. I don't want to pick on or critisize the bloggers (authors), but I'm a little surprised that Blogger (the company) doesn't exercise a little bit more prejudice in who they pick. I mean, wouldn't you think they would highlight a blog that has incredibly awesome content (like this one), totally cool pictures (like this one), an extremely knarly banner (like this one), truckloads of traffic (like this one), and an uber-cool author (like...well you get the point)? Hey, I'm not trying to brag, but we consider ourselves to be on the cutting, no, bleeding edge of blogger here at Young Fundamentalists, and if Blogger can't see it we may just have to note ourselves. So there. Consider me noted...as a blog...of note. Okay. Bye.

The Christian Reading Room

Have you ever been to a conference, heard a recorded sermon, or listened to someone talk with admiration about one of their favorite preachers and wished you could glean the wisdom that some of these great men have? Reading what they wrote is a great start to understanding how they think. The problem most of us have is that we can't afford to buy a lot of books. Let's face it; reading is awesome but shelling out $20.00 or more for the book of your choice is painful at best. If you feel like me then you will appreciate this incredible find. You HAVE to check out the Christian Reading Room! This website has ebooks, sermons, and resources which are completely free and available for you to read, download, and distribute! So if you want to be one of those guys with the wisdom, start reading.

SUCCESS!!!

WE DID IT!!! This week our earnings from Google Adsense topped $100.00 (we've been using it since June of last year), which means they are finally going to send us a check! I'm so excited because I've been watching the balance for so long now, just waiting for it to hit $100. I originally started using Adsense because our church was financially struggling, so it will be fun to put money in the plate that was generated through this blog. Thank you all for your loyalty; I'm excited to see what will happen this year.

Bible College - Distance Learning

Bible college is a great place to learn more about the Bible and Christianity as well as pick up some important skills. Unfortunately, if you are older than most of the teens that attend it can be challenging to uproot your family and move close to the Bible college of your choice, find a job that can support you and your dependents (wife, kids, that buddy from high school that won't leave your couch). Now you don't have to. Landmark Baptist College has a distance learning program that my Father-in-Law is going through where they send you the lectures and coursework through the mail. If you are interested, visit Landmark Baptist College's website for more info. Don't let your responsibilities get in the way of your education.

Cool MSN Group for IFB Teens

Hey guys, just a quick note to say that I found a really cool MSN Group for Independent Fundamental Baptist Teenagers! There are lots of links to other sites, so check it out!

The Devil is Waiting

1Pet.5 [8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

A picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it? Often we don't realize the danger before us when we give in to seemingly "innocent" sins, or yield to temptations that we consider small. The devil is a hunter, and he has had thousands of years to perfect his technique. Just as a seasoned game hunter knows how to surpress his scent, hide himself, and "disappear", the devil is extremely talented in his ability to camoflage those things most dangerous to us. Only through pray and being led by the Holy Spirit are we able to dodge the crosshairs of the enemy. Don't be a casualty of war. How can we fight such a sly and talented enemy you ask? We can't, but God is on the other end of our radio, waiting for us to call in an airstrike and blow Satan to bits. Don't forget to use the power that's available to you.

Are You a Lot Like Lot?

I preached tonight to the teenagers and my message was called, "Do You Live in Sodom?" I drew parallels from Lot's life, and how it's easy for Christians to set their eyes on the world and become ineffective for Christ.

I think often God uses the opportunities I get to preach to give me something I need. I probably came away from that message more convicted than any of the teenagers did. Funny how that works...

Wow, tons of hits!

Hey ya'll, when I announced that I wouldn't be posting for a while, I expected my traffic to drop off. Instead, today I had 132 hits, and yesterday 110. Either you all don't want me to quit, or the idea of me not posting is more popular than the idea of me posting. Anyway, since right now I'm inspired by the interest in this blog, you're getting a freebie post.

While I'm at it, I'll tell you about a project I'm working on. I'm going to create a page where I can post the sermons our Pastor preaches. The cool thing is they won't be just audio, they will be video! I'm going to see if I can upload them so they are available for viewing. Also, I'm taking a class on HTML and learning a lot! By the end of this semester, I should be able to do all sorts of tricky stuff with webpages, so be looking for some really trick changes down the road!

Thank you all for your loyal support. You may just inspire me to keep this blog alive. After all, someone needs to stir the pot of lesbians, liberals, and limp-wristed loonies out there and I'm just the guy to rile them up!

Have a fantastic evening!

Not Quite Back in the Game

For those of you who are wondering where I am...I died. Just kidding. I wrote my "Back in the Game" post before this school sememster started, and now I'm completely buried in homework. I'm going to take a break from blogging for a while.

I've also been wondering just what exactly I contribute to the blogging community. If my blog is mostly entertainment, then I'm not sure it's worth my time or yours since there are much more entertaining sites out there. If it's going to be a resource for finding information, then I have a lot of work to do. If it's going to be a community with which Baptist young people can identify and feel a sense of belonging, then again I have work to do.

So until I decide what to do with it and have the time and resources to act on my decision, I hope you will all still stay in touch (my email address is in my profile). I will enjoy keeping up with all your blogs.

Two Old People

Special thanks to Spencer for the following joke:

Gas station attendant: "Can I help you?"

Old man: "Fill 'er up."

Old Woman: (asks the old man) "What'd he say?"

Old Man: "He asked if he could help us."
Old Woman: "Tell him to fill 'er up."

Old Man: "I told him to fill it up."

Gas station attendant: "Where are you two headed?"

Old Man: "We're going to Disneyland."

Old Woman: "What'd he say?"

Old man: "He asked us where we're headed."

Old Woman: "Tell him we're going to Disneyland."

Old Man: (disgustingly) "I told him we're going to Disneyland!"

Gas station attendant: "Where are you two from?"

Old Man: "We're from Hudsonville."

Old Woman: "What'd he say?"

Old Man: (angrily) "He asked us where we're from!"

Old Woman: "Tell him we're from Hudsonville."

Old Man: (very angry) "I TOLD HIM WE'RE FROM HUDSONVILLE!"

Gas station attendant: "Hudsonville, I've been to Hudsonville before. The women there are DOG UGLY!"

Old Woman: "What'd he say?"

Old Man: (looks at the old woman, then at the gas station attendant, and then back to the old woman and says) "He said he's met you before!"

Back in the Game!

Hello all, I'm back! I took quite an extended break from posting over Christmas, and now am returning with vim and vigor, ready to post for the new year! To get started, let me ask you a question: what is so special about January 1st that we feel like we can make HUGE life-changing decisions that we've otherwise failed at in the past? The truth is, there is nothing special about it which is why so many of us fail.

I'm not bashing new years resolutions, but I'm suggesting that if you really want to make some changes, try some of the following tips to make sure they stick:

1. Write down your goals. If you just say, "I want to lose weight" or "I'm going to read my Bible more often", you're going to have a tough time. Write down what you want and make the goal quantifiable. Decide how much you want to weigh, and by what date.



2. Make a plan. Once you know where you are going, decide how you will get there. Don't just give yourself a longterm goal, but also create some shortterm goals that will keep you motivated and give you early successes. Most of the battle of creating new habits is right between your ears.



3. Get a partner. Find someone with similar plans and conspire to keep each other on track. It's a lot easier to stay focused when you are exercising with someone, eating healthy together, comparing results, sharing Bible reading schedules, etc.



4. Reward yourself. Establish small rewards that you can look forward to for each of your shortterm goals, and a larger reward if you have a final goal (if you are establishing an ongoing habit, reward yourself at intervals throughout the year, and at the end of the year if you've stuck to it).

Don't let 2008 be another year that you tried and failed. Purpose to make this year count!

Advertise on Young Fundamentalists!

Become a Premium Sponsor of Young Fundamentalists and have it seen by thousands of visitors.
Young Fundamentalists is viewed by thousands of readers every month and is considered to be one of the leading blogs in its niche.

As a result it represents a unique opportunity for those wanting to give their product or service the chance of being sneezed quickly throughout the blogosphere in a viral manner.

Thousands of page views per month (contact us for details)

Number 1 on EatonWeb Blog Directory in the Religion/Christian category.

If you’d like to partner with Young Fundamentalists and reach our audience contact us and we’ll come up with a campaign package to suit your needs.