Can We Just End This Lockout?!?

This was a pretty funny spoof video. I hope you enjoy. Go Team Jacob!!

Field of Dreams 2: NFL Lockout with Taylor Lautner from Taylor Lautner

Tim Tebow On The Daily Show

As much as I would like to dislike Tim Tebow, I am finding it very, very hard to do so. Trust me...I've tried! As someone who is trying to follow Christ, I want to hate him because of his over-the-top Jesus-talk in every interview and press conference he gives...but yet, he actually seems to be legitimately faithful and a genuinely nice guy. I want to hate him for how the Conservative Right has latched onto him as their poster child, but it's tough when he's frickin' running and sponsoring orphanages in the Philipines. It's like trying to hate Oprah!
In the area of football, as a lifelong Denver Bronco fan, I was crushed on draft day two years ago to watch our idiot coach throw away three draft picks to trade up and take Tebow in the first round of the draft. While he had been a very successful college quarterback (perhaps the greatest ever), most football experts were convinced he would never amount to much in the NFL. I agreed with them...and perhaps still do. He had thrived in college on his speed, heart, and will to win, despite his terrible throwing mechanics and inexperience in a pro-style offense. Those kinds of players are fun to watch in college, but typically do not transition well into the NFL.

But nevertheless, my team has invested much of its future into this young man, so I am trying to be supportive and hope for the best with Tebow as the leader of the Broncos. And so far he's doing all the right things to win my approval (not that he really needs or wants it). As last season was drawing to a close and 'missing the playoffs' was a foregone conclusion for the Broncos, Tebow was given the opportunity to start 3 games and actually played pretty well. And now, during the lockout of this terrible offseason, Tebow has taken the intiative to fly his receiving corps down to Jacksonville (where he lives) and put them up in a hotel so that he can practice with his guys and begin to develop report and timing. As a fan, you've gotta love that!

All that to say, it felt appropriate to write a few thoughts on Tim Tebow in the wake of him appearing on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show last night. I thought Tebow did a great job. He was witty and sharp and sarcastic. He didn't allow Stewart to bully him around, but also didn't try to fight back with Stewart as many guests do, which doesn't go over well because 1) the guest ends up looking mean, and 2) Stewart is brilliant and will most likely win any debate he is in. So congratulations Timmy Tebow: congrats on your new autobiography that was just released, congrats on probably winning the starting quarterback job for the Denver Broncos, and congrats on beginning to win me over to your side. The latter may be the most difficult of all.

The Daily Show - Tim Tebow
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

P.S. It is pictures like this that make it hard for me to like Tebow as a Christian. And it's not even Tebow's fault. Come on people...I'm positive that Tim would not endorse you making this kind of weird picture, trying to turn him into some sort of messiah figure. Unbelievable. Just quit it!

Rob Bell's Confession of Faith

Many of you may know that the pastor, speaker, and author, Rob Bell, has taken incredible criticism over the past month for his latest book, Love Wins. The unfortunate fact, however, is that much of the critique was offered prior to the book's actual release, by people who had not yet read the book. Many assumed that Rob was going to say something heretical and claim to be a universalist, which he did neither. I know this because I have actually read the book, which is a great introduction to healthy conversation about heaven and hell.

The following video is a statement he made at his church on Sunday. I hope you enjoy it. I hope others will stop slandering this brother in Christ. At least read the book first before you do it!

HT: Homebrewed Theology

I Deny the Resurrection

This video is BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL, and COMPELLING. I was in the audience when Peter Rollins gave this talk at Rob Bell's Poets, Prophets, & Preachers conference. I was in tears as he finished. The last 30 seconds are what I see as the heart of the good news of Jesus. I hope you enjoy his words as much as me. AMAZING!

I Deny the Resurrection from Peter Rollins on Vimeo.

HT:  Peter Rollins

A Helpful Documentary

The following is a short documentary on the prosperity gospel and how it is taking root in Africa in an unhealthy way.

HT: Christian Nightmares

A Hell (of a) Series...Pt. 3

I thought this post might be the conclusion of this series, but it may not be after all. Here are 2 more videos about hell for you to watch. The next few posts on hell will be my own thoughts. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go down that path on here, but I think I will. Hell is such a controversial subject that I find myself vulnerable and exposed when sharing my opinion. Hopefully you are gracious people. Look for those posts in the near future.

Mark Driscoll on Hell




Greg Boyd on Hell



HT: Out of Ur

A Hell (of a) Series...Pt. 2

Here is part 2 of the series on hell as promised. Enjoy 2 more videos on the difficult subject.

Tim Keller on Hell




Erwin McManus on Hell



HT: Out of Ur

A Hell (of a) Series...Pt. 1

The website Out of Ur recently did a series on hell where they included six different videos from six different theologians with thoughts on the controversial subject. I found each video interesting at worst, and helpful at best, so I thought I would share these theological snippets with you. I definitely find myself resonating with a few of these speakers more than the rest (if you know me and my theology you may be able to figure out which ones), but this does seem like a fair representation of many sides of this issue. I will divide this series into three different posts, offering two videos for each post. I will be listing the videos in the order that Out of Ur listed them, so these are in no specific order and are not necessarily listed based on my agreement with the opinion. Enjoy!

Bishop N.T. Wright's Thoughts on Hell




John Piper's Thoughts on Hell



HT: Modern Worship

Worst Worship Ever

I came across this video of worship today and was laughing from the first second. Train-wreck...so weird!

HT: Jesus Needs New PR

Stinkin' Amazing

In July I was privileged to attend a preaching conference in Grand Rapids, MI sponsored by Rob Bell. Along with an incredible amount of interesting and helpful information, we also got to see a number of sweet videos before the sessions. One of the videos was an amazing clip of bike stunts. I tracked it down on Google today and thought I would share it with you today. Enjoy!

Inspired. Danny MacAskill from dave on Vimeo.

Let Hysterical Laughter Commence

While I do watch a decent amount of television, it is mostly in the form of sports. There are few TV shows that I watch weekly, but one that I never miss is The Office. Tomorrow night marks the beginning of season 6 and I couldn't be more excited for the insane humor that awaits. Here is a brief preview of the season premier.

The Immaculate Deflection

As a life-long, die-hard Denver Bronco fan, I was crushed to not be able to watch the Broncos first game of the season yesterday. Mandy and I are serving in music ministry at a small church about 45 minutes from our home so I could not watch any of the morning football. That means that I missed seeing the end Bronco's miraculous game. As we were blocks away from our house my friends were texting me in unbelief about the amazing catch in the video below that won the game for the Broncos.

I am well-aware that the Broncos are very lucky to leave week 1 with a victory, but that's alright because we are going to need plenty of luck this year. After a terrible offseason, the Broncos are in the midst of a rebuilding year, so I will take all the luck we can get all year long. Enjoy this video of an incredible 87 yard catch by Brandon Stokely to take the lead with 11 seconds left in the game.

Simply Amazing...

Check out this video for some amazing feats of athleticism. This is good stuff.

Some Christian Controversy

One of my favorite musicians over the past few years has been Derek Webb. He became relatively popular through being one of the founding members of Caedmon's Call, but has been doing solo work now for about 5 years.

Derek is a prophet for our current church culture, and has been criticized in similar ways as many of our biblical prophets. His lyrics have a beautiful way of calling out the negative issues of the church while still revealing his obvious belief in, and hope for, the church. Musically, he could probably be categorized as a bluegrass singer/songwriter, with powerful lyrics and strong acoustic guitar.

His newest album, Stockholm Syndrome, has received a great deal of scrutiny. Musically, this cd is a departure from his usual style, incorporating various genres of music including dance beats and a 50's doo-wop ballad called "Frankie, Please." The primary criticism has been aimed at the song "What Matters More." The song is critical of Christian culture for saying they affirm certain things but not backing up their words with real, practical actions, for not giving a "shit" about the "50,000 people who die everyday." Obviously it is the use of that sort of language that is receiving the negative press. I highly recommend this album and any other work that Derek Webb has done. His music has greatly impacted my life and challenged the way I approach the church and ministry. Enjoy this video of "What Matters Most."

God of Justice

I recently stumbled upon a new blogger that has quickly made his way into my blogroll. I was fascinated by his thoughts on the new Derek Webb cd (which is great by the way...check it out) but was simply amazed by his post on justice. Check out the blog entry HERE and enjoy this video of the song "God of Justice" by Tim Hughes, which has become my new favorite worship song over the past few weeks.



HT: Brad Ruggles

A Creative Re-Mix

My favorite musical artist over the past 2-3 years has been Mat Kearney. He's a singer-songwriter who lives in Nashville but is originally from Oregon. He has an incredible voice, plays some great guitar, and his lyrics have been deeply meaningful to me. The following video is a creative rendition of his great song "Closer to Love", the highlight of his new cd "City of Black and White." Enjoy!

Funny Commentary from Colbert

While watching the Colbert Report this morning, Stephen was once again brilliant in his comedic and prophetic way of drawing attention to the world's news. Enjoy this clip from the show.

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Seth Godin on TRIBES

I just watched this video this morning and loved Seth's thoughts on tribes. He is not specifically talking about church community, but I think his thoughts definitely apply to this area of our culture. As I think about leading a faith community in the future, I hope that these sorts of thoughts permeate our group's thinking. I understand that this is a long video (17+ minutes) but it is well worth your time.



HT: The Corner

Awkward Questions about Jesus

This is a hilarious clip from a British comedy show called Outnumbered. The questions these kids ask are incredibly funny.



HT: Brian McLaren

Reality TV at its Best

With but a few exceptions, I tend to avoid Reality TV, seeing very little entertainment value or benefit in the genre. Every so often, though, this type of programming provides a stage (sometimes literally) for those who have never had a shot. This video serves as a voice for the voiceless, offering an opportunity to shine for one woman who has, no doubt, been ostracized and marginalized her entire life. YouTube has disabled the embed function on this video, but please follow the following link to hear Susan Boyle amaze the crowd, the judges, and the world on "Britain's Got Talent."

Susan Boyle Singing Les Miserables