Two great sermons to end his series on Philippians:
The first goes into great detail about the Divine Accountant understanding of God and how it really is the trinitarian relationship we need to have in all our relationships. VERY VERY POWERFUL
The second sermon goes through the entire series as only Rob can. Beautiful, poetic.
GRACE AND PEACE
Friday, December 19, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
A Butler Well Served by This Election
Please read through this entire article. Real Life Real People to whom the election of Barack Obama means so much!!
My prayers are with Gene Allen today.
My prayers are with Gene Allen today.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Articulate Reason to Believe in Obama
Brain McLaren has written a brilliant analysis of why he is voting for Barack Obama. I believe in the same narrative interpretation of why Obama is a better solution or America
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Randy Pausch, Known for his "Last Lecture," Dies
Randy Pausch, Known for his "Last Lecture," Dies
I saw this on Friday, and I felt very sad. I am in the middle of finishing his book, and I can only say what a very insightful man he was. The world was better off for Professor Pausch being here!!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Why I Support Barack Obama
I have been asked by a lot of people recently why I support Barack Obama, and I honestly struggled for a reason. The same way I struggled to explain why I believed in Bill Clinton. I read both their books and there were a lot of ideas in both. To many ideas to explain in two or three sentences.
I cam across this web site today that I will point people to going forward. This is why I believe and Support Barack Obama
I cam across this web site today that I will point people to going forward. This is why I believe and Support Barack Obama
Friday, May 16, 2008
Court Overturns Gay-Marriage Ban
I have to admit I am a big proponent of pictures telling a thousand words, so take a look at the sign and the couple. I can't imagine their overwhelming joy
Grace & Peace!
Rob Bell Answers Critics
Please see above above for anyone wondering what Mars Hill is about. The whole sermon was 50 minutes long, but it is no longer available on line
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Catch of the Day Bill Buckner Edition
Catch of the Day
Confessing is easier than forgiving
by John Fischer
Someone turned me on to some old news today, at least old to some. Apparently the Boston Red Sox began their home opener a few weeks ago by having Bill Buckner through out the first ball. Yes, that would be the same Bill Buckner who became the goat of the 1986 World Series that the Red Sox lost to the Mets. It usually takes a whole team to blow a lead, but because Buckner made the last error -- the one that allowed the winning run to come home for the Mets in the ninth inning of game 6 -- he got the brunt of it for the last 22 years.
I know enough about Bill Buckner to know that his life didn't grind to a halt after that. He settled in somewhere in Idaho with his family where he is a successful businessman who coaches his son's little league team and teaches Sunday school class in the local Baptist Church. When you've had a career as he has, you learn to take the low points along with the high ones. Life is like that. Every infielder that has ever played the game has had numerous balls roll under his glove and die in the outfield. It happens to the best of them, and Bill Buckner was one of the best. His career stats rival a number of Hall of Fame players, but Buckner will never see the Hall of Fame. And he's okay with that.
I know this because I have heard from someone who is a fellow Christian and goes to Buckner's church -- the same friend who passed on my article about him, "Thank You, Bill Buckner!" (http://www.fischtank.com/ft/articlesdetail.cfm?articleid=5) and collected an autographed baseball for me in return. He says that Buckner has made peace with his 22-season baseball career, and only hopes that the grilling he took from the media and the city of Boston hasn't discouraged some kid from trying for fear he might screw up. I understand that. Was that error the low point in his life? Not even close. That would be when his dad died when Billy was only 14.
So what was that 4-minute standing ovation the Boston fans gave him a few weeks ago all about? I really don't think it was for him. It was for them. With over 20 years and now two world championships between them to ease the pain of that lost Series, the city was ready to acknowledge how silly the whole thing had been. So what's the bottom line on all this? Confessing is easier than forgiving. Bill Buckner has been just fine for the last 22 years. Poor Boston is only now beginning to heal.
Forward this catch
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Copyright © 2008 by John Fischer
If you would like to comment on this "Catch of the Day" go to www.fischtank.com/ft/inthetank.cfm.
To subscribe go to www.fischtank.com.
Click here to unsubscribe.
Confessing is easier than forgiving
by John Fischer
Someone turned me on to some old news today, at least old to some. Apparently the Boston Red Sox began their home opener a few weeks ago by having Bill Buckner through out the first ball. Yes, that would be the same Bill Buckner who became the goat of the 1986 World Series that the Red Sox lost to the Mets. It usually takes a whole team to blow a lead, but because Buckner made the last error -- the one that allowed the winning run to come home for the Mets in the ninth inning of game 6 -- he got the brunt of it for the last 22 years.
I know enough about Bill Buckner to know that his life didn't grind to a halt after that. He settled in somewhere in Idaho with his family where he is a successful businessman who coaches his son's little league team and teaches Sunday school class in the local Baptist Church. When you've had a career as he has, you learn to take the low points along with the high ones. Life is like that. Every infielder that has ever played the game has had numerous balls roll under his glove and die in the outfield. It happens to the best of them, and Bill Buckner was one of the best. His career stats rival a number of Hall of Fame players, but Buckner will never see the Hall of Fame. And he's okay with that.
I know this because I have heard from someone who is a fellow Christian and goes to Buckner's church -- the same friend who passed on my article about him, "Thank You, Bill Buckner!" (http://www.fischtank.com/ft/articlesdetail.cfm?articleid=5) and collected an autographed baseball for me in return. He says that Buckner has made peace with his 22-season baseball career, and only hopes that the grilling he took from the media and the city of Boston hasn't discouraged some kid from trying for fear he might screw up. I understand that. Was that error the low point in his life? Not even close. That would be when his dad died when Billy was only 14.
So what was that 4-minute standing ovation the Boston fans gave him a few weeks ago all about? I really don't think it was for him. It was for them. With over 20 years and now two world championships between them to ease the pain of that lost Series, the city was ready to acknowledge how silly the whole thing had been. So what's the bottom line on all this? Confessing is easier than forgiving. Bill Buckner has been just fine for the last 22 years. Poor Boston is only now beginning to heal.
Forward this catch
CLICK HERE to keep the Catch coming!
Copyright © 2008 by John Fischer
If you would like to comment on this "Catch of the Day" go to www.fischtank.com/ft/inthetank.cfm.
To subscribe go to www.fischtank.com.
Click here to unsubscribe.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Olivebranch Interfaith Peace Witness 03/07/08
Olivebranch Interfaith Peace Witness 03/07/08
Please watch
Please watch
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
A Very Good Reminder for me
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."
Then he told the following story :
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning , Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
How ever, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second bas e, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Shay, run home! Run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, " the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things." So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."
Then he told the following story :
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning , Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
How ever, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second bas e, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Shay, run home! Run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, " the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things." So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Barack Obama Iowa Caucus Victory Speech
Barack Obama Iowa Caucus Victory Speech
GREAT SPEECH
HOPE is Alive!!
Additional video that tells the story of his life. Very Inspirational
GREAT SPEECH
HOPE is Alive!!
Additional video that tells the story of his life. Very Inspirational
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