The Universe on a Knife-Edge? Sounds a lot (to me at least) like Intelligent Design

Ethan Metzger's poem "My Parent's Brainwashed Me"

Mac at Carleton Ravens October 19th 2013

MAC Game Haiku:

Overcast game, lost

Oh and Eight Fifteen Year Wait

Now, Work Outs Count Most 

Small Group Questions for John 7 - Sunday October 20th 2013

Can you be a pessimist and a Christ-follower?

Can you be a pessimist and a Christ-follower?

No you can't.

See John 6:1-15 and Hebrews 11:6

In the first verses Philip is "tested" by Jesus when asked what should be done to buy bread for the 5000 men coming to see him up on the mountain. Philip only sees the fact that "It would take 200 denarii to buy bread for all these men!" The glass was half empty for Philip.

Whereas Andrew says "Hey look, we've got 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish, but how will they feed so many?" Jesus showed them all how a "half full" glass could go when one has a little faith in Bread of Life.

In Hebrews we are exhorted that we can't please God without believing not just in "God" but in a God that "rewards those who earnestly seek Him." God is looking for ways to bring blessings into your life. How can you be pessimistic about your future, the future of your family, the future of your church etc,etc with a God like that on our side?

To say nothing of these verses as well Romans 8:28-39.

Teaching at Triple C again next summer

So next summer - August 24th to 28th 2014 - I'll be speaking at Triple C Bible Camp near Simcoe, ON again. A new addition this year is that my beloved Heather will be leading the worship at each of the 10 sessions! I am so excited to be ministering with her in this way.

So book your family into Triple C and lets study the Word together next summer. Here are some recent pictures from the camp of the improvements they have made to the children's play area and the pool.

Our fav welder Elder Jimmie S. standing beside the new play ground equip. Great work James! 

Small Group Questions based on the Sermon from October 13th 2013 - John 6

CU Ravens Football gave versus Guelph and their new TV Advert

7th game haiku:

seven down, one left
ran all over guelph, mac next
bird battle is on!

Ravens 1st lead in 2013. 

Pizza Oven in the Community Garden

The US Debt Ceiling and Your Finances

Speaker of the House John Boehner was quoted yesterday as saying:


"We can't raise the debt ceiling without doing something about what's driving us to borrow more money and to live beyond our means."


I mean without getting political - hahaha - that is exactly the place that every financially struggling family that comes to see me or talk to me finds themselves in: the bank or daddy or the loan store will lend them more money... should they take it instead of dealing with either a) their lack of income or b) their too high expenses.


What should the US do? I don't know. But is your family struggling with "money issues"? You aren't alone. Here are 5 or 6 tips from this lowly Pastor's desk to help:


1. Don't change anything, track your expenses and income for 30 days.

JUMP Study Questions - Exodus 20 Part 2

Couldn't make it to JUMP last night for our 2nd discussion on the 10 Commandments? No problem.

Here are the questions. Enjoy the podcast from Dr. John Piper.

Israel - Iran Dynamic : The Chances for Peace?

Back to Israel November 14 to 24

Well i am headed back to the Holy Land from November 14th to 24th as part of the Christian Journey's team supporting the trip organized by Living Truth Ministries - Dr. Charles Price.

I'm excited and looking forward to serving the team from Living Truth, working with my friends at Christian Journeys and - of course - hearing what God has to say to me from the Land and His Word as we travel around Israel for 10 days.

Andrew Murray Quote for the Week of October 6th 2013

"As the second Adam, Christ came and brought about a new nature for all the members of His body. This nature is His ow life, perfected through suffering and obedience. In thus being perfected Himself, His perfect life, is ours. And it is that not only judicially, or by imputation, but as an actual spiritual reality, in virtue of our real and living union with Him." page 79 of The Secret of God's Presence.

My Hope With Billy Graham Training Sunday - October 6th 2013

Here are the small group questions based on the My Hope With Billy Graham Training Sunday.

Exodus 20 Study Questions from JUMP 10/2/2013

The Panda Game October 5th 2013

Panda Game Haiku:

Fifteen years waiting
Adeleke, to the house!
No parking, what gives?

Tim and what's his name do a great job from SportsNet360... except tagging #13 with a hold late in the 1st half... but who's keeping track? 

Oh Canada sung in both official languages. One thing I noticed is that Gee Gee's field has no permanently installed Canadian flag... what? They have a large Ontario Francophone flag but no Canadian one. Hmmm.... 

Capacity crowd. Well behaved for the most part. Gee Gee fans are... a bit on the quiet side. 

Coaches coming out for the 2nd half. 

Players emerging for another half of battle. 

Lining up for the Panda presentation. 

Prayer after the game. 

35-10 for the GeeGees. Why don't they just call themselves Le Garnet et Gris like all the other Francophone teams? That's better than a GeeGee. 

#13 and his mom. 

Earlier in the day i was cycling in the Byward Market. I stopped by the same bake shop Obama did. I didn't buy an Obama cookie... but i certainly could have. 

I finished my sermon Saturday morning at the Montreal Bagel outlet in the Byward Market. They bake their bagels in a wood fired brick oven. Amazing. 

The 2nd V in the IVVSS Strategic Planning Process

In the middle of your planning process is your Vision. It isn't the "end" of what you are engaged in as a church, non-profit or commercial enterprise. As has been said so well by Thomas A. Edison:

“Vision without execution is hallucination.” 

We'll get to execution later. But if you want to jump to matters of execution in the local church there is no better source than UnSeminary a blog and podcast published by my brother Rich. 

Vision's oft quoted definition is "a picture of the preferred future your enterprise is attempting to bring about" or something thereabouts. I like what Bill Hybels said about Vision at the WillowCreek Leadership Summit this past summer:  

Andrew Murray Quote for the Week of September 29th 2013

"In the Church of our day it is to be feared that the great majority of believers have no conception of their calling to be perfect. They do not have the slightest idea that it is their duty not only to be Christian, but to be as eminently spiritual, as full of grace and holiness, as it is possible for God to make them."

Top 10 Reasons it was great to go to Bible College in the 90s

I went to the 20th reunion of my Bible College graduating class this past weekend.

Hearing and seeing and encountering the ups and downs of everyone I spent those 3 "hot house" years with affected me more than i thought it would.

It was a wonderful, inspiring, tragic and powerful day. Thanks to the folks at Tyndale UC from putting it on. Great stuff.

Top Ten Reasons It Was Great to Go to Bible College in the 90s 

10. It was affordable. 3 years at OBC will cost what roughly 1 year of university will cost my son today all in. No kidding. It was more expensive than university at the time, but looking back it was the best $30,000 my parents ever helped me save and that I ever spent.

9. It was confident. I graduated from within the Bible College movement at the height of their enrolment nationally. They knew what they were, where they had come from, who they were serving and how to get the job done. Sure, sure there were concerns and lots of questions. But OBC had confidence in their mission and method and it showed. You could transfer your credits to U of Waterloo but that was about it and that didn't worry any of them cause what they were doing - they knew- would stand up to anyone's scrutiny; academic or otherwise.