Archive for the ‘In the News...’ Category
Sorry Doc… God Makes a Better Physician
August 18th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in » In the News...
Newsflash… according to a recent survey, 57% of people indicated belief that God could still save a terminally-ill patient, even if doctors declared further treatment to be futile.
The story? People apparently still believe the Great Physician makes a better doctor than any human being.
And the news here is?
The Trick to Pranking…
July 23rd, 2008 | 1 Comment | Posted in » In the News..., Just For Fun...
… is to make sure you get the right house.
(Quote from this absolutely hiliarious news story.)
Update on Pesina Family…
April 17th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in » Church Stuff..., God at Work, In the News...
Quick update… we held our first informational meeting tonight in regard to our vision of helping the Pesina family. Details can be found here.
HelpThePesinas.com
April 12th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in » Church Stuff..., God at Work, In the News..., My Life, Prayer Requests
After quite a bit of thought and prayer (and a lot of encouragement from Jodi Brager’s contagious enthusiasm!), we’re launching an effort to help the Pesina family. Please check it out at HelpThePesinas.com.
We’ve heard a lot of encouraging things today, as Jodi has made a LOT of phone calls. We’ve heard that the landlord of the home the Pesinas lived in likes the family so much that they’re considering selling the lot to the Pesina family at a very reasonable price (if not flat-out donating it) to help the family get into a home of their own. We’ve heard that local media is willing to help promote our efforts to get them into a new home. We’ve heard from pastors in the area who are willing to share this need with their congregations and help out where possible. We’ve even had people come up out of the blue to give money to help!
It’s just amazing to watch God work.
We wait with anticipation to see what He’ll do each moment. Tomorrow will be an exciting day, as this need will be presented in churches across our area. To be honest, I’m not sure how we’ll handle it if we’re overwhelmed at the outpouring of support… but that’s the kind of problem we’d LOVE to have.
Anyway, news about the effort will shift to the new site from here forward.
Fellow bloggers? I hate to beg for help, but please promote this effort on your site if you’d be so kind!
Help for the Pesinas…
April 11th, 2008 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Church Stuff..., God at Work, In the News..., Prayer Requests
As I mentioned yesterday, a tornado touched down in St. Joseph last night, destroying the home of a family whose children have been attending our church. Today, my friend Jodi Brager and a number of others (including my wife Nancy) have been rallying to help them out.
It’s time to dream big, Christians. Be in prayer about this, but here’s something Jodi and I talked about tonight…
Ever seen Extreme Home Makeover? Or the work Habitat for Humanity does?
Why can’t we do this as the church? We have a need… a home for the Pesina family… we have a large number of people wanting to help… why can’t we rally to meet this family’s need and provide not just a place to live, but a home of their own? If ever there were a family in need, this is it… a husband, wife, and nine beautiful children.
Pray about it with me, Jodi, and others here in St. Joseph, and let’s see where God leads. Check back here or at Jodi’s blog for more as plans develop.
For now, here’s a few things of interest:
Donations are currently being taken to support the family. Southside Youth Outreach is coordinating this:
Southside Youth Outreach
P.O. Box 4382
St. Joseph, MO 64504
(816) 383-4315
News coverage:
- KQ2: “Family Escapes Toppled House”
- KQ2: “A Family Recovers Whatever’s Possible”
- St. Joe News Press: Strong Storms Pummel St. Joseph’s South Side
- St. Joe News Press: “Picking up the Pieces”
- (more to come later… KQ2 did a story on their 10:00 news that is not yet available online)
Raised from the Dead!
March 27th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in » In the News...
This is a very cool news story… a South Florida man, dead for nearly an hour following a massive heart attack, was revived after his doctor felt a need to pray for his healing. Check it out here.
HT: Alan Cross.
Baptists Going Green…
March 10th, 2008 | 3 Comments | Posted in » Baptist Issues, In the News...
So, Southern Baptists are going green.
This will probably make me unpopular amongst Baptist bloggers (maybe even with one of my closest friends), but suffice it to say that I think this initiative (however well-intentioned), AS WORDED, is a mistake.
I’m all for environmental stewardship, but please… let’s stay out of the global warming / climate change debate!
Why? Let’s take a couple sentences from this group’s declaration to start…
We recognize that we do not have any special revelation to guide us about whether global warming is occurring and, if it is occurring, whether people are causing it. We are looking at the same evidence unfolding over time that other people are seeing.
We recognize that we do not have special training as scientists to allow us to assess the validity of climate science. We understand that all human enterprises are fraught with pride, bias, ignorance and uncertainty.
Here’s my suggestion. If you’ve got no “special revelation”, “special training”, or the like that allows you to assess “whether global warming is occurring and, if it is occurring, whether people are causing it”… stick to the theological issues and principles that lead Christians to a position of environmental stewardship, and leave climate change out of your statements.
After all, isn’t human-influenced climate change covered by environmental stewardship?
Of course it is. So why hit the hot button issue?
Political expediency and media coverage. At least that’s what it looks like to me.
If that was your goal, I extend my congratulations… you made top story on MSNBC.com for a while, and are sure to receive plenty of publicity for the cause.
Barack, What Bible are You Reading?
March 3rd, 2008 | 3 Comments | Posted in » In the News...
I really don’t like to focus on politics here very often, but I had to highlight this item as it simply left me baffled.
Apparently, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama seems to think civil unions (code for same-sex marriage, of course) are justified based on Christ’s Sermon on the Mount:
“I believe in civil unions that allow a same-sex couple to visit each other in a hospital or transfer property to each other,” he said, referring to unions that grant all the legal benefits of marriage, minus the name. “I don’t think it should be called marriage, but I think that it is a legal right that they should have that is recognized by the state. If people find that controversial, then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans. That’s my view. But we can have a respectful disagreement on that.”
(Source: Baptist Press).
What Bible have you been reading, Barack?
A word of advice… don’t try to use the Bible to support something it doesn’t. A LOT of people listen to you and believe what you say (regardless of how outlandish your statements may be), and when you start giving misguided spiritual advice, you’re jeopardizing a lot more than just votes.
You did catch what that sermon you’re so fond of says about false prophets, right?
THEY DID IT!!!
February 3rd, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in » In the News...
THE GIANTS DID IT! THE GIANTS DID IT! HOLY COW, THE GIANTS DID IT!
I Triple Dog Dare You!
January 26th, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in » In the News..., Just For Fun...
A scene from the movie “A Christmas Story” became reality yesterday morning when not only one, but two Indiana fourth-graders got their tongues stuck to a flagpole.
It’s not clear if the local fire department was called to rescue the boys. Neither has word been forthcoming on whether whatever friends that put the two up to it have confessed to doing so. We do know, however, that those who did it know their blame, and we’re sure that the guilt they feel is far worse than any punishment that they might receive.
