mars hill

Zondervan publishing sent me this clip to push Rob Bell’s new DVD of his “Everything is Spiritual” tour. I’ve heard good things from friends and I’m going to order it (if they don’t send me a free copy for hocking it here).

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Poi3imQkQsQ]

For more go here.  

There’s been so much buzz around Joel Osteen lately. Some love him, others hate him. While I don’t hate him, I think he’s seriously off course.

The Gospel of Joel Osteen comes down to this (read with his southern drawl for full effect): “Life is like an ice cream sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top…. if you have Jesus.” I’ve said this before, Jesus didn’t come to give us the American Dream, he came to kill it. It’s not about what God can do for us, it’s about what we can do for Him. And I believe that that statement is directly contrary to what Mr. Osteen preaches. Osteen’s Jesus is a vending machine, here to serve us to live a victorious (i.e. wealthy and prosperous) life. If you listen to Osteen, you begin to believe that Jesus is all about the bling!

I’ll leave you with this, Mark Driscoll’s opinion (to which I subscribe):

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IuiUOapK1w]

If you don’t already have iTunes you really should get it (and it’s free). There are so many speakers, pastors, and churches that podcast their services and are available for download weekly. It’s great for daily commutes or popping in your iPod. Just listen and go.

One I’m currently enjoying is Mars Hill Bible Church’s (Rob Bell) current series on God is Green. The thing I love about Rob Bell is that he’s not into himself. They’ve had so many different speakers come in and fill the pulpit week after week. His heart is getting the message out there, no matter who needs to speak it.

This series has really challenged my views on the environment. I had always prided myself on being pretty ecologically good, but I realize,  we have a ways to go as a family.

I also love the fact that they’re emphasizing that as Christians we should be green. The Bible calls us to do that. It amazes me that this is one area we’ve sorely dropped the ball in. It’s gotten politicized so much that the environment has been left on party lines. I mean, Jesus is of course a Republican and Republicans could care less about the environment, so I should be like Jesus and not care about the environment either. Isn’t that the rationale?

You can either download them via iTunes directly or go to the Mars Hill website here. They’re free, they’re good and they’re worth your time.

“This is not a religion, this is a way of acting out your love for the creator” – Matthew Sleeth (speaking at Mars Hill Bible Church 7/7/07)

This quote has quickly become one of my favorites. It articulates what Christianity is simply about. If we lived like this, what would the world see? Boy, how far have we gone from this…

buy this or other videos in the NOOMA series here.