Shout out to Tim for the link!

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• Perry Noble on following Christ - spot on!
• Tim Stevens on Donald Miller - Go Poets!
• Sobering stats from Mark Driscoll
• Mark Waltz reminder of God's kingdom agenda

• Do I give life to others or do I drain life from others through my negativity?


• In my relationships do I leave a person feeling a little better or a little worse?


• Am I in the habit of offering to others what they need most for their lives - a word of encouragement?

• There is not only a narrow gate, there is a narrow way. What is the biblical evidence for the assurance of salvation? The church says, "Did you pray a prayer?" The Bible says, "Examine yourself..." Is your life in the process of being changed?


• The evidence of our salvation is that we do, as a style of life, the will of the Father... that we practice the will of the Father... and when we veer from that, the Holy Spirit comes and puts us back on the path again.


• The most important thing in life is not that you know Jesus, it's that Jesus knows you. I will not get into the White House because I say, "I know George Bush." In order to get into the White House, George Bush would have to say, "I know Paul Washer."


• Jesus is utilizing Hebrew parallelism in this passage, repeatedly making the same point in different ways. There are two gates, two ways, two trees, two types of people (those who obey and those who do not), and two foundations (saved and counterfeit).

• Counterfeit faith can have the right theology. Do you think the demons know who God is? Do you think they are confused about that? Not a chance. In fact, they are monotheistic. They probably know God's Person better than we do! They've seen more of God's work than all of mankind combined. They have a knowledge of the visible and invisible realms, so they have a lot of knowledge, but it is not a knowledge that saves.


• Counterfeit faith can fear the reality of judgment. James acknowledges that demons believe and tremble. When they encountered Jesus while he was on earth, they often cried out in terror, "Don't send us to the pit!" So they represent a type of "belief" that is accompanied by knowledge and a genuine fear of judgment.


• Counterfeit faith can even include a lot of religious experience. It's been in the church from the beginning, masquerading as false teachers and leaders, disguised as angels of light. (II Cor. 11:3-15).

The Ten Funniest Church Leadership Moments Ever!

It depends on whether you accept the Bible.

The Bible says of Christ that "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) In John 14:6 Jesus was very clear when He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

That has caused some in our culture to say, "Hey, that's not very tolerant... that's exclusive!" -Yes it is. In fact, I cannot preach the New Testament Gospel and not be exclusive.

• "Well, that's pretty narrow-minded!" -Right again! In Matt. 7:13-14 Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."


• "Now, that's just being down right close-minded!" -Absolutely! Jesus Christ has shut my mind to certain things. Col. 2:8 says, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." I've come to Jesus and found the truth and that truth has set me free!


• "For crying out loud, you're brainwashed!" -Yes! He's washed my brain and He's washed my soul! Again, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Dear Abby: Can I wear my swim trunks to church?

10 Career Metaphors Guaranteed to Destroy Your Church

1. Traffic Cops. These individuals are well meaning dragons that come to church not to serve, but to control the serving. You're certain one day they will show up with white gloves and a whistle so they can direct traffic.

2. Seismologists. These are walking Richter scales, gifted in the art of fault finding. If they don't feel a quake, they'll shake the room.

3. Umpires. These individuals enjoy calling the shots. They expect hustle from the team while they watch with a critical eye. Usually umpires have no interest in dialogue once they have made their call. Issues are black and white, and truth is as true as they see it.

4. Taxidermists. These individuals enjoy taking dead controversies and issues and stuffing them with artificial importance to make them appear lifelike. Instead of letting things die, the taxidermist will attempt to preserve a matter as long as possible.

5. Stenographers. These individuals are often friends with seismologists and taxidermists. They are very perceptive and record every discussion in earshot for the purpose of reproducing their notes without the expressed written consent of the one giving their testimony.

6. Town Criers. These individuals take it upon themselves to make announcements or proclamations either by speaking loudly in public places or simply shouting in the streets. Town Criers are often very committed to the church and assume their role is irreplaceable. Who would know anything without them?

7. Morticians. Morticians are often friends with taxidermists. These individuals thoroughly enjoy dressing up corpses. They revere pastors who served before you and subtly communicate that you'll never be as attractive until your dead and under their care. Morticians attempt to hide decay and death behind a façade of rosy-cheeked make up.

8. Curators. Curators are guardians and superintendents of minor religious artifacts. They spend their entire life dusting and polishing insignificant secondary doctrinal issues and can not understand for the life of them why others don't have the same passion. Curators prefer time alone with their rapture theories or theonomic plans to rule the world. Please be advised, curators are often socially awkward and may resort to theological turrets and blurt obscure passages of scripture while using multi-syllabic words that end in "ism," "logy" or "ist."

9. Astronomers. These individuals often find themselves gazing at far off issues that don't seem to have much relevance at the moment. Astronomers are usually more concerned with what might happen at another church while forgetting their call to serve the one they attend. So interested in otherworldly matters, they often have difficulty connecting to people on their own planet.

10. Synchronized Swimming Coaches. These individuals were left last because their event is often given the 3 am time slot for the Olympics. Next to the wildly popular Canadian sport of curling, this may be the most unimportant activity in the history of mankind. However, these coaches are confident that their particular ministry has just not received the right support, but if they did, the entire globe would be changed by the mere sight of their pinched-nosed water ballet. SSC's are constantly on the lookout for ministries that are completely irrelevant to the vision and mission of the church. SSC's politicize their case persistently until someone gives them their much needed attention. Shortly after they make repeated attempts to convert every other ministry and absorb all additional resources to their pet cause. If their ministry fails to deliver the global impact it promised, blame is immediately assigned to the church leaders and administrator for not granting a larger line-item on the budget.

*Disclaimer: These metaphors are in no way intended to diminish the value of thee careers mentioned (with the exception of the synchronized swimming coach).

(Click on the picture for more pictures)

Parson to Parson,

The time has come for us to restate the position of Calvary Chapel on a number of issues. We do this because Calvary Chapel has become known to represent a fairly definable entity in its approach to sound biblical teaching and approach to biblical doctrine. It's not that we believe we have the "best" or "only" way; it's simply the way we approach God's word within Calvary Chapel. And likewise, if a different approach is to be taken, then all we ask is that the name Calvary Chapel not be attached to it.

First of all, Calvary Chapel is not a denomination; but rather a movement. We often receive inquiries as to whether or not Calvary Chapel has some kind of relationship with a national or international group. We answer such inquiries with our stated position that each church is independent and has established its own set of bylaws. We seek to identify with the true body of Christ in many denominations. We are ministers who hold basic common beliefs, and maintain them within a varied range of practices. We believe that every minister is responsible to Jesus as the chief Shepherd, and will ultimately answer to Him for his ministry and not to us. We love and respect each other and rejoice with those that rejoice, and weep with those who weep. As with the Apostle Paul, we do not feel that we have apprehended that for which we were apprehended, neither are we perfect, but this is what we seek to do. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching for those things that are before, we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Secondly, we hold to the supremacy of Jesus as the head of the body, His church. We look to the Holy Spirit to guide and direct each decision in the building up of the body of Christ. Having begun in the Spirit, we do not seek to be made perfect in the flesh, but seek to continue to be led by the Spirit. We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and is infallible and the final authority for our faith and practice. We believe that God established infallible and the final authority for our faith and practice. We believe that God established the model for the church in the book of Acts, and seek to follow that model as much as is possible. We feel that church history is for the most part a sad commentary of the failure of men who sought by human genius and resources to perfect that which was begun in the Spirit. The messages of Jesus to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 show how early in the history of the church problems developed for which they need to repent. So much for church history, but something that we must not simply disregard. We must realize that it shows us so clearly how the enemy has, is, and will continue the attacks upon the church and upon our individual ministries. How our heart grieves for the many who have started the race but have failed to complete it.

In the book of Acts we see that the activities of the church were described as:

1. Continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, which we understand to be a systematic teaching of the Bible.

2. Fellowship, which we understand to be a loving and caring relationship with each other. As John wrote, "That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ."

3. The breaking of bread. This to us is a tangible representation of the unity that we share in Christ for we understand that the bread speaks to us of the body of Christ which was broken for us, and as we all eat the bread and it is assimilated into our bodies, we are spiritually united through Jesus with each other; in the fact that the bread that is nourishing me and is becoming a part of me, is also nourishing you and becoming a part of you. Thus, we are united together in Christ. He dwells in me; He dwells in you.

4. Prayer. Through prayer we unite our hearts with the heart of God that we might see His will accomplished in the church and throughout the world.

We believe that when the church will make these four things the major activities of the church, that happened in the book of Acts, the Lord will add daily to the church such as should be saved. Thus, we do not look to the myriad of church growth programs that are being promoted for the building of the church but to Jesus Himself, who said that He would build His church. We do watch as the many programs come and go in which man by his wisdom tries to do the work of God more effectively, but rather than entering into the programs of man, seek to continue to be led by the Spirit of God. We realize that the Scriptures warn us of aberrant doctrines that would come into the church, even going so far as to deny our Lord Jesus. Second Peter chapter 2, verse 1 tells us, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." Likewise in Jude, chapter 1, verse 4 we read, "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

We see a tendency toward this in what is commonly called the "Emergent Church" teachings. Some of the concerns that we have are with the speculations and positions that they are suggesting:

1. That Jesus is not the only way by which one might be saved. It seems that they are postulating a broader gate and a broader path to heaven, a sort of "all roads lead to heaven." That good people by every religious persuasion may be received into heaven. We feel that this goes against the plain teaching of the Scriptures and negates the need of the cross for the expiation of our sins. Paul wrote of those men in his letter to the Philippians and called them enemies of the cross of Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man can come to the Father but by Me." This is not relative truth, but absolute truth.

2. The soft peddling of hell as the destiny for those who reject the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. There are suggestions of universalism in their teaching, that all will ultimately be saved.

3. We have difficulty in their touchy-feely relating to God. Where the experience of certain feelings become the criteria for truth rather than the word of God.

4. We have great problems with the use of icons to give them a sense of God or the presence of God. If they want to have a tie with the historicity of the church, why not go back to the church in Acts, which seems to be devoid of incense, candles, robes etc., but was filled with the Spirit.

5. We do not believe that we should seek to make sinners feel safe and comfortable in church. Is it right for me to speak comfortable words to a man who is going to hell unless he turns from his sin? If I fail to warn him of the consequences of his sin, and he dies and goes to hell, will God require his blood at my hand? When is godly sorrow and conviction of sin such a wrong thing?

6. Should we seek to condone what God has condemned, such as the homosexual lifestyle? Should we tell them that their problem is a genetic disorder rather than a blatant sin that God condemns over and over in the Bible? How long before they tell us that they have discovered that rapists, pedophiles, and adulterers have a genetic disorder and need to be understood rather than condemned?

7. Should we look to Eastern religions with their practices of meditation through Yoga and special breathing techniques or repeating a mantra to hear God speak to us? If this is needed to enhance our communication with God, why do you suppose that God did not give us implicit instructions in the Scriptures to give us methods to hear His voice? Is it the position of my body or my heart that helps me to communicate with Him?

8. The great confusion that exists in the divergent positions of the Emergent Church results from their challenging the final authority of the Scriptures. When you no longer have a final authority, then everyone's ideas become as valid as the next person's, and it cannot help but end in total confusion and contradictions.

There are those who say that Emergent movement has some good points, but so does a porcupine. You are better off if you don't get too close!

So, let us not turn to our own understanding, but rather return to our own first love; and teach that the Bible is indeed the true word of God; and teach it in its entirety; nothing less and nothing more.

Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowships
3232 West MacArthur Boulevard,Santa AnaCA92704
714.540.4155 • Fax714.540.4160 • E-mail ccof@calvarychapel.com

Click here to read the original letter on Calvary Chapel's website.