Jesus, Servant of All (Via Zack Blair) |
This Saturday is our membership class at 19north, 1 of two things our college students and 20-somethings need to do to join the 19north team. As the time quickly approaches, I can’t help but to stop and be thankful that Jesus, the servant of all came to serve us.
He said in Matthew 20:24-28, ”You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When Jesus said, “their great ones,” he was specifically talking about several groups of people who viewed leadership completely differently than each other. To the Greeks, leadership was about intelligence, to the Romans, leadership was about authority, to the Jews, leadership was about religion, to us, leadership is often about what we get people to do, but to Jesus, leadership was about serving.
In this Scripture, Jesus, refferring to himself says “the Son of Man came to serve and not be served.” He created us so He could serve us, and we’re called to take part in that.
If we’re all honest, we’d admit that we all ask the question “what’s in it for me.” When it comes to serving, there’s always more in it for other people than for you and me, but Jesus introduced a new style of leadership that would change the world forever. He taught us that true leadership is not about what we gain, but what we give… not about how many people serve us, but how many people we serve.
I’ll leave you with a couple thoughts:
- If we come to church like Jesus came to the planet, things would change. It’s easy to look at going to church like going to WalMart… “What’s in it for me?” As leaders, we don’t get to ask “What’s in it for me,” rather, we get to ask “What’s in it for others.” We’ll never be more fulfilled than asking that question in every situation of our lives.
- In the kingdom of God, not everyone is saved, but everyone is served. If Jesus, the servant of all served those who would reject him, I’m called to serve those who would reject him, too. If they reject him, they’re probably going to reject his representation (me), so I shouldn’t get shaken up. It’s easy to let a fear of rejection stop us from loving and serving people… I’d love to say, “Don’t fear! Everyone will accept you!” but we all know that’s not true.
- Servant leadership doesn’t work because of a blog post or because a church uses it, servant leadership works because it is the very nature of Jesus. I want it to be my nature, too… I want to listen more than I speak, ask more questions than I have answers, desire to give more than I have, give acceptance rather than looking for it, and the list goes on. Jesus put his interests aside, and laid down his life to serve us… That’s the example we’re called to follow (not with perfection, but with consistency).
If you want to learn a new way of leadership, a way that really works, I’d ask you to consider being a part of the 19north team. Come to the 19north membership class this Saturday. If you aren’t with us anymore, ask your church how you can be involved.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Toban’s Review) |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Tim’s Score: 5/5 (aka OUTSTANDING)
Rise of the Apes is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man’s own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. (via Metacritic)
Positive Moments
This movie contains so many positive depictions, its difficult to remember them all. Will’s love for his dad, as well as Caesar is refreshing to see in a lead character of a modern summer blockbuster. The entire story is fueled by this love, as well as Will’s lessens to Caesar about right and wrong.
Spiritual Content
None, but that is not something to be discouraged by. This film is pure fantasy set in a modern world.
Sexual Content
Will and his girlfriend kiss and we see the pair in bed. (Due to timeline progression it’s never stated whether they married or not.)
Violent Content
Trailers for Rise of the Planet of the Apes make it appear that this is a man-vs.-ape war movie. That could not be farther from the truth. There are some intense moments of violence, but what set this story up differently is that there is hardly any death. Monkeys fight each other, a finger is bitten off, a helicopter explodes mid-air (possibly killing one rider), and monkeys fight people near the films conclusion. This last example is not what it appears to be however. I use the term lightly because the monkeys do not kill anyone on purpose, they’re leader won’t allow them. However, this does not stop a particularly vengeful monkey from killing a main antagonist due to a “kill-be killed” scenario. Another death is present in the movie as an accident and is played for sorrow and surprise rather than a meaningful act of aggression. Again it is a means of self-defense.
Crude or Profane Language
God’s name is combined twice with “d‑‑n.” 1 or 2 uses of “a‑‑”. A man is cut of before finishing the sentence “what the …”
Drug and Alcohol Content
The drug variations ALZ112 and ALZ113—the medicines being developed in the film—are injected and/or otherwise transmitted to both apes and humans.
Conclusion
This movie is a must see for any fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise. The movie is the purest of any that captured the screen this summer and I, myself, have seen it 3 times in theaters. There is surprisingly nothing to worry about seeing in this film and I gladly watched it with my entire family.
I apologize this review has taken so long, now that school has started back up I plan to review the top 2-3 movies that come out every week. I would greatly appreciate getting requests of what you guys would like me to review. What are you planning to see this fall?
Movie Review “Cowboys & Aliens” (via toban) |
COWBOYS & ALIENS
Tim’s Rating: 8/10
1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig), Jake Lonergan, with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Its a town that lives in fear.
But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.
Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents, townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors – all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival. (via IMDB)
POSITIVE MOMENTS
Jake and Dolarhyde come to respect each other’s strengths and are able to bring the Apache and a gang of cattle rustlers into the fight too. Self-sacrificial action is taken on just about everyone’s part to protect and defend. Jake, in particular, gives the effort his all. Ella does her part too, for the record, and becomes an instrumental player in saving the day. Likewise, the town’s preacher, Meacham, stands between an armed gunman and the townspeople. Dolarhyde teaches us that overcoming prejudice, while difficult, is foundationally important, not to mention liberating. I leave out the details because they are riddled with spoilers.
SPIRITUAL CONTENT
Meacham tells the saloonkeeper that things will go well if they can have faith. The man, known as Doc, retorts, “God ain’t done much for me.” To which the preacher says that we can’t expect God to do everything. “You gotta earn His presence,” he says. “Then you gotta recognize it, then you gotta act on it.” The preacher also tells Jake to help the others, encouraging him with, “God don’t care who you were, son. Only who you are.” Meacham tells Jake, “Whether you end up in heaven or hell, it’s not God’s plan, it’s your own.” The Apache perform a chanting ritual to help Jake regain his memory. Early on, the townsfolk find it hard to understand what the aliens actually are, and a young boy named Emmett suggests that they’re demons—an idea that frightens the others, but sticks. Overall the good of this content outweighs the silly movie elements it contains.
SEXUAL CONTENT
Ella, during a very brief scene, appears naked in front of a roaring fire, however, only partial bare back is visible. There’s one crude reference to masturbation in the form of a campfire joke.
VIOLENT CONTENT
This film is very violent. So much in fact, that someone with me did not enjoy the movie, stating, “It was too violent, I can’t justify the good in the end, after all that happened to the people fighting.” During large battle scenes, rifles and pistols blaze, arrows zip, and spears impale as men do anything and everything they can to bring down the seemingly unstoppable aliens. We do see several well-placed blasts from rifles and shotguns hit the right spot and obliterate aliens’ faces or limbs. One guy slams his knife through lit dynamite and into an alien’s head. The resulting explosion obliterates him and the creature. A cornered Emmett pulls out his large knife and thrusts it deep into an alien’s exposed heart. Men carry the scalps of Indian victims. All the while, the alien energy-blasting weaponry delivers another level of mayhem. Those blasts explode on contact like grenades, sending earth, rocks, buildings and often people flying in all directions. On several occasions an alien plunges its sharp claw-like appendages into a human chest or bites through a jugular—rising afterward with blood splashed across its face. We see one woman reduced to a pile of ash by a laser beam. A large splash of blood hits a window pane. A man is punished by being stretched between two horses. He’s then cut loose at one end and dragged away by the horse on the other.
CRUDE/PROFANE LANGUAGE
Two s-words. Jesus’ name is misused twice, and God’s name is combined with “d‑‑n 3-4 times. We also hear at least a dozen uses of “h‑‑‑” and a half-dozen more uses of “d‑‑n.” “A‑‑” ,”b‑‑ch” and ”w–re.”
ALCOHOL CONTENT
A group of men drink beer and hard liquor in the saloon. And Jake throws back three or four quick shots of whiskey while standing at the bar.
CONCLUSION
Cowboys & Indians is a pretty interesting film. Many are turned away simply by its silly name, which is taken from the graphic novel upon which the movie is based (but hardly follows). I would definitely recommend this movie, as it seems to be the last of it’s kind for the summer. I myself enjoyed almost every aspect of the film. Whether it be the fighting, effects, or even the message itself, everyone will like some aspect of this movie. However, as previously stated, its is quite violent and, upon my questioning, I have found that some girls do not enjoy the film as much, due to this. Overall, Great movie for a get together of friends, such as what some 19northers do occasionally on Mondays, and well worth seeing to make an entrance into the final stretch of your summer movie experience.
Movie Review: “Captain America” (via Tim Hoban) |
Captain America: The First Avenger
4.5/5 Stars
Based on the Marvel Comics character from World War II. A brave, yet mild-mannered young soldier named Steve Rogers, volunteers to undergo a series of experiments for a US army Super Soldier program. The military succeeds in transforming him into a human weapon, but quickly decide that their Super Soldier is far too expensive a creation to risk in combat. So, they decide to put him to use as an army celebrity and parade him across Europe to boost morale by performing in USO shows for American troops. He is even given a costume that bear the colors of Old Glory for the stage. Then, when a Nazi plot reveals itself Rogers must rise up and and become the First Avenger, in order to save his country. Steve Rogers becomes Captain America and he earns his way into the hearts and souls of every American, bringing hope and justice to a war-weary nation. But will he be able to rise to the challenge and stop his archenemy – The Red Skull, from launching rockets at the allies? This movie answers that questions as well as setting up the vents of its sequel coming out next May, THE AVENGERS (for which a trailer is shown following the credits).
POSITIVE ELEMENTS (3/5)
Captain Americais as pure and honest and obvious a hero as you’ll find in theaters today. Everything that made Steve heroic was already inside him before they pumped him full of experimental serum. He stands up to bullies. He throws himself on (what he thinks is) a live grenade to save his fellow soldiers. He’s polite and generous and self-effacing and … really, he’s the sort of guy you’d like to represent your country in times of trouble. The moral of the film is repeatedly spoken, as “The weak man knows the value of strength,”
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS (2/5)
Really all you have here is made up occult myth and relic. Schmidt is in possession of an energy cube of awesome power. We hear several times that the cube is a power that comes from “the gods.” “And the Fuhrer digs for trinkets in the desert,” Schmidt says dismissively—a nod to Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which the Nazis dig for the Ark of the Covenant, and perhaps to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, too, where the Holy Grail is the object in question. Those who saw Thor earlier this year know that the cube comes from Thor’s home planet of Asgard, and that he and his kin actually aren’t gods, they were just perceived to be such by ancient humans.
SEXUAL CONTENT (.1/5)
I say .1/5 because there is absolutely nothing to worry about in this movie, however some may be annoyed at a repeated reference to “fondue” which is misinterpreted as a sexual invitation. Other than that, the only kiss in the whole movie is shared between the Cap and some receptionist.
Violent Content (3/5)
This is a superhero movie, people. Violence is the means of driving the story. That makes this especially noteworthy: Captain America is more violent than many of its peers. Perhaps this is because the film serves as a war movie too. This movie, however, sees its foes die in a puff of blue electricity rather than blood and guts, making it so detachable from reality that there is no real feeling for the amount you see off’d onscreen.
Crude or Profane Language (1/5)
The profanity is limited to “h‑‑‑” “b‑‑ch,” “d‑‑n” and a few misuses of God’s name.
Drug and Alcohol Content (1/5)
Captain America owes his entire existence to drugs, but not the type we’re used to, and, really, this is a movie so it doesn’t really matter. We can’t find any superhero serum to juice up on before our big game, so the drug content of this film is given a 1, as is the alcohol content of the film. The Cap is seen drinking heavily, but due to his cells regeneration rate, he is unable to get drunk.
Conclusion
Captain America was a very good and extraordinarily clean movie. It’s ideal for a guy’s night out or a date at the drive-in. It is a must see for any Marvel fans out there, as well as anyone who has seen Iron Man, Thor, or the Hulk, since it sets into motion the events of their collaborative sequel, THE AVENGERS. There is basically nothing you have to worry about in going to see this movie, making it a very refreshing and carefree night for someone in any situation going to the cinema, I wish I could say the same for the next movie I’m reviewing FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS.
Movie Review: “Friends With Benefits” (via Tim Hoban) |
Friends with Benefits
(WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT)
2/5 Stars
Hot shot media art director Dylan has had it pretty good. He’s been able to excel at his craft in an uncertain journalistic world. And now he’s gotten a call to fly from L.A. to New York to interview for a big job at GQ magazine. But, honestly, he’s having second thoughts. He just went through an ugly breakup with his girlfriend, so there’s not much tying him to the West Coast. In fact, flying away and leaving any mention of a “relationship” behind sounds kind of appealing. Still, signing a contract and moving to New York is a pretty big commitment. And Dylan’s not so big on commitment. His attractive Manhattan-based corporate headhunter, Jamie, however, can be pretty persuasive. And not only does she convince him to take the job, she and Dylan become fast friends. Of course, they say men and women can’t really be friends. But Jamie just went through her own relationship train wreck, and she’s not in the market for a new love interest either. So it’s settled: They’ll just have fun and be good pals. So why not try a little physical interplay along with all the hanging out?
Positive Elements (0.5/5)
The film doesn’t illustrate any kind of moral grounding for either of its central characters, but it does point to their very different familial relationships and the impact they had. Dylan states that he has a very close connection with both his sister and his aging dad, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. He talks of his love and protective feelings for his father, going as far as to state that they are one of the rare families who “don’t lie to each other.” Dad tells Dylan not to “waste a minute” of life. However, that seems to be negated when it’s suggested that Dylan’s fear of commitment stems from his mother deserting them.
Spiritual Content (0/5)
While setting the ground rules for their new “sex with no relationship” relationship, Jamie and Dylan decide they need to take an oath. So Jamie pulls out her iPad and pulls up a Bible app that they lay both hands on. Not classy stuff here.
Sexual Content (5/5)
In multiple scenes the camera lingers on Jamie and Dylan as they move around to various sexual positions, caressing, kissing passionately and indulging in intercourse. They don’t display full-frontal nudity, however, we see rear nudity and the two of them naked and pressed up against each other. Each performs oral sex on the other to climactic endings. (Explicit visual detail is strategically covered by a sheet; explicit movements and sounds are not obscured at all.) During these scenes, they talk and talk and talk—in graphic terms—usually about their sexual preferences and how to do certain things. Jamie sleeps with another guy. Dylan makes out with a one-night stand who licks and sniffs his armpit and places his hand on her T-shirt-clad breast. Dylan fondles Jamie’s clothed breasts. A woman mixes a bowl full of batter with her bare breasts. We see both Dylan and Jamie in their underwear. Dylan’s sis displays quite a bit of cleavage. Dylan’s co-worker Tommy is very aggressive about his homosexuality, repeatedly quizzing Dylan on his sexual preferences and openly ogling or chatting up nearby men. Jamie’s mother is very open about her sleep-around past and present. And she readily gives her daughter kudos for the no-strings sex she’s experimenting with. She repeatedly states that she doesn’t remember who Jamie’s father was. And she and others deliver a steady stream of jokes involving raunchy references to both male and female sexual anatomy, anal sex, oral sex, gay sex and straight sex. A quip is tossed out about having sex with President Obama.
Violent Content (1/5)
Famous snowboarder Shaun White instantly takes a disliking to Dylan and threatens to rip off his ears and staple them to his neck.
Crude or Profane Language (4/5)
Almost 30 f-words and 35 s-words are joined by 15 or so misuses of God’s and Jesus’ names. As mentioned, crude and vulgar references are made to sex and sexual body parts.
Drug and Alcohol Content (2/5)
Beer, wine, and hard liquor flow freely throughout the film, mostly in a social setting.
Other Negative Elements (1/5)
Several times it’s stated that Jamie is emotionally damaged. Her problem? She believes in “true love,” something obviously out of sync with the world around her. This really doesn’t make sense in a film in which she is in a Friends-with-Benefits relationship.
Conclusion
I know there are some people out there who will like this movie, however, I would never recommend it. It’s careless view to God’s gift of sex in marriage is disheartening, yet what I’ve come to expect in such films as these. I will admit that I, personally, find the jokes to be funny as long as there are no visuals attached them. Sadly, this film always backs up its jokes with visual examples, making it basically unsafe to see with a date or group of friends that show any sign of awkwardness towards the situations depicted in the film. Seeing as I’m writing this for a 20-something Christian audience, I do not believe it is worth wasting and of the time God has blessed you with. Go see Winnie the Pooh (great nostalgic movie) or Captain America instead.
Tim’s Movie Reviews |
Tim’s Movie Reviews
Hey guys! I am writing to introduce a little ministry that’s been on my heart for a while. I will begin it through the 19north website and will be posting movie reviews (wait for explanation) each week for EVERY movie rated PG-13 or R. I will be doing this for a reason of course.
You ever notice that more and more is slipping through the cracks in our PG-13 rating today? So much, in fact, that a simple date could turn into an awkward situation? Even married Christians can find awkwardness in watching some of the “blockbuster” hits that come out each year. My goal is to help you avoid these situations, of course leaving the final decision up to your own discretion.
Each week I will review every movie that comes out with the rating of PG-13 or R. I will rate the quality of each movie, on a scale of 1-5, and give a brief summary of each movie. Following this I will dive into the content areas of film. These include Positive elements, Negative elements, Explicit language Content, Sexual Content, and Violence.
Each area will be rated in intensity (out of 5 again). I will then explain the content in detail, no simplifying. It is for this reason that you may occasionally see a warning under the title of my review. This will say “WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT!” and means that I will explaining, in detail, the sexual content of the film and that some will want to avoid that review all together. Hopefully they determine from that that they should avoid the movie as well.
I am doing this because I wish someone did it for me, and have noticed over the years that many movies that are being marketed to families now contain some not-so-family content. A movie I remember that did this was Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which I was unfortunate enough to take a first-date to. Had I read something like the following example (how my page will be):
SEXUAL CONTENT (3/5)
Let’s start with Alice, an apparently beautiful college student with an eye on Sam. Alice tries every way possible to seduce the lad. She dresses in the sultriest of outfits and makes sure Sam gets the best possible look at her attributes. When that doesn’t work, she straddles him on his bed—obviously intent upon having sex—starts kissing him and “reveals” more of herself, but Alice’s reveal is not what I expected. A metallic appendage snakes out of the bottom of her dress (we see Alice’s underwear) and later out of her mouth (her tongue is still attached to the end). She’s a Decepticon with rather freakish sexual intentions. Elsewhere, a huge robot displays two dangling orbs that are meant to resemble testicles. Another smaller critter wraps itself around Mikaela’s leg quite suggestively. Speaking of Mikaela, one particularly gratuitous camera shot zooms in on her backside as she works on a motorcycle. When Sam goes off to college, he and Mikaela talk about having Internet dates—complete with candles, music, special outfits and the suggestion of X-rated hanky-panky. At college, where Sam spends the beginning f the film, walls are papered with posters and pictures of beautiful women (including one whose hair just covers her bare chest. A college party features some scantily clad girls dancing seductively. Also, randomly in the film, the Witwicky family dogs are twice shown having sex (”You’ll see a lot of that in college, too,” Sam’s dad guffaws). His mother talks about how she heard her son lose his virginity. She also fantasizes about skinny-dipping, assumes a garbled call is an obscene prankster and refers to her husband as both a “dirty old man” and a “college professor” (”I’ll do anything to get an A,” she coos). For his part, Sam’s father slaps Mom on the rump. Characters also make crass references involving testicles, pubic hair and other intimate body parts. A guy crudely propositions a college girl by comparing his anatomy to the meat pizza he’s carrying. A professor flirts suggestively. Leo, Sam’s roommate, asks if he can watch Sam and Alice have sex. A store sports a neon “Porn” sign in the window. And we see a character’s nearly bare backside while he’s wearing a thong.
Had I known these would be in a film that I, at the age of 21 at the time, thought was easily safe, I would never have taken someone to it. But that’s just it. All movies are marketed the same and no one reviews them with the age group of 20-somehting in mind. Many people think that when you’re old enough to see R-rated movies, you are free to see whatever there is out there. This is not true. As Christians we are called to guard our eyes and thoughts, but how can this be accomplished if we must first see a movie before we are aware of the stuff that shouldn’t be seen? That’s where I hope to come in. My reviews are meant to present the content of each film for the purposes of guarding you, your girlfriend, your spouse, and your integrity. I hope that each of you uses these reviews, whether you believe it is important or not, to the best of your ability and that you are able to avoid some of the degenerative content Hollywood would like to present to you as normal.
God Bless You All,
Timothy Hoban
| Man’s Creation vs. God’s Greatness | by Sarah Weaver |
The other day I visited a beach here in Beira, Mozambique that has an old shipping vessel shipwrecked at the point where high tide meets the sand. As I was standing there trying to figure out the best angle to capture this unique photo opt, the 5 foot high waves were relentlessly beating against the rusty ship. In that moment, I thought about God’s greatness.
I imagine when this shipping vessel was created it was meant to withstand the temperament of the sea. It was probably a source of pride for the person who created it. They probably thought, “Look what I’ve created! It’s the best, the fastest, the most reliable of its kind,” but now this source of pride is abandoned and rotting away. People often think what they create with their hands will last forever as some sort of memorial to their accomplishments, but nothing created by a person is immune to destruction.
As I looked at those waves crashing against that once great, but now rusty ship, I thought about how God has never changed. The ocean He’s created has not rusted away, but it remains as constant as the tides that come and go. His glory is seen in what He has created; it testifies of His unchanging, unending greatness.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things htat are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
“God Can Use You” (via Andy Caffro) |
God Can Use You
“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17
God holds us accountable for what we know. One day, every Christian will stand before the Lord and give an account of his or her stewardship in life. The degree to which we follow God’s plan for our lives, i.e. how faithful we are with the gifts/talents/resources He gives us, determines our respective degrees of reward in Heaven.
In light of this truth, I have very high standards of personal conduct. I’ve been in relationship with Jesus for some time now and have learned many things. With the Holy Spirit’s help, it is my responsibility to apply this knowledge in everyday life.
When failure happens, it’s easy to beat myself up about it and feel condemned. Can anyone relate? Condemnation is no way to live.
As I pondered along these lines recently, God reminded me that even those servants of His who made it into the Bible committed massive errors in their lives. Let’s look at a few examples:
- Moses was a murderer and ran away from the people he was called to deliver for 40 years. He was 80 years old before he answered God’s call on his life!
- David committed murder and adultery (Uriah and Bathsheba, respectively). These actions led to the deaths of several of his children and an attempted coup by his own son Absalom (who also died). Yet, in the end, David was called “a man after God’s own heart”!
- Solomon was called the wisest, wealthiest man who ever lived, yet he kept countless foreign wives who drew him away from God to pagan idol worship.
- Peter denied his allegiance with Jesus three times after being with him for three years, yet he became the leader of the early church and writer of several New Testament books.
- Paul was a zealous Pharisee who made a living persecuting/killing Christians, but God used him to reach the entire known world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Scripture contains many more examples, but these are enough to illustrate my point: no matter how you’ve failed in the past, God can and will use you to accomplish great things for His kingdom if you ask for forgiveness, put the past behind you, and pursue Him daily.
God excels at using imperfect people. They are the only things He has to work with, after all. No one who was ever used mightily of God has any unfair advantage over you or me. God doesn’t play favorites – choose to obey Him, refuse to give up, and He will take your life to a level you never imagined possible!
Sarah Weaver Update |
Please read the paragraph directly after the first picture… We completely celebrate the Grace of God on Sarah’s life, and we’re so thankful for our time serving at 19north. We know so many of you know her, support her, and pray for her regularly, so we wanted to encourage you to keep it up! God’s doing and will continue to do great things in and through Sarah!
St Mary’s is a Township about 25 kms outside of Harare the Capital City of Zimbabwe. We just finished the First Night of our Crusade here.
I asked my Team-mate Sarah Weaver (from my dear friend John Nuzzo’s Victory Family Church in Cranberry Twp, PA) to preach. She did a good job, and thousands of people responded to the Altar Call for Salvation. Then I prayed for the sick.
The Lord confirmed the Gospel Message with His Miracle-Working Power. A woman who was totally blind received perfect sight. Another young girl who was more or less blind and could only see fuzzily about three feet in front of her received perfect sight. Quite a number of deaf ears were opened, one of these was a young man who had been totally deaf in one ear since birth; yet another was a man who had lost his hearing after a surgical procedure. After this there were others who testified about healing from other diseases and infirmities including a young woman who had a severe non-stop headache since she was born and experienced relief for the first time tonight!
What a Wonderful Jesus we serve!
Thank you for your Love, Support and your Prayers,
Christopher Alam
www.pentecostalfire.com <http://www.pentecostalfire.com/>
Dynamis World Ministries
2384 New Holland Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
Impact to Impact |
Someone asked me the question the other day, “What are you going to do about all of these leaders who are leaving 19north?” The first thing I thought was, “What leaders? I didn’t know we had leaders leaving!” Then we began to discuss more specifically about whom this person was referring.
“Ben Rath and Laura Steidel are helping with a church plant, Sarah Weaver is in Zambia for long-term missions, Mindy Melton is having a baby…” they said, concerned. I then added, “Shannon Oster has begun her magazine, Jeff Melton is helping with a church plant… and the list goes on.”
As this person had a sense of concern, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction… I mean, this is why the church exists, right? When God does something in someone’s life, it’s not usually for that particular church; rather, it’s for the mission of Christ.
19north exists to greatly impact young adults, that they can make a great impact in their world.
Though it’s a temptation to look at these leaders as a “loss” to 19north, we’re looking it as a gain to the mission of Jesus. I can’t tell you how excited we are that not only they are fulfilling the call of God on their lives, but also that people are rising up to take their place within the ministry… great leaders desire that their ceiling is the next generation of leaders’ floor, and that’s what I’ve seen in these transitions. Young leaders are rising up to take very important roles at 19north, and they’ll take their areas further.
But what about you? Where’s God calling you? Children’s ministry? Missions? Youth Ministry? A church plant? If what God does in our hearts in Victory Family Church does not impact the world around us, then we’re missing the point… God isn’t just calling Sarah, Ben, Laura, Mindy, Jeff, Shannon, and the young leaders who are taking their place; also, God’s calling you. At 19north, we have 5 steps we feel anyone can take to finding and impacting the world around them…
- Invite: It all starts by making the effort to come to church… not just once, but over and over. We really believe that if you continue to come to 19north, you will…
- Experience: Experience God. The next step is that you begin to get a hold of what God has for you personally. Learn about worship, learn to navigate through the Bible… Learn to understand what it is to walk with God in everyday life.
- Connect: Connecting with the ministry, connecting with Victory Family Church, and connecting with the great people at 19north will provide accountability so you can begin to…
- Grow: Jesus called us to “make disciples of every nation.” When someone is converted to Christianity, it doesn’t stop there. I often question if our failure to make disciples is stemmed from a failure to be disciples… We’re not just called to experience God once, make good friends, and die; rather, we’re called to follow Jesus. Once we begin to grow spiritually, we’ll naturally begin to…
- Impact: That is the outcome of some amazing leaders who are moving on from 19north to a more specific call on their lives… They’re impacting Africa, 20-somethings, Beaver County, and more, but it’s directly a result of their spiritual growth…
How can someone Impact the world if they haven’t grown spiritually? How can someone Grow spiritually if they haven’t made the right connections? How can someone Connect if they haven’t experienced God? How can someone Experience God if they haven’t been Invited?
Our mission isn’t to start a following, it’s to start a movement–A movement in the 20-somethings of Pittsburgh. That’s what God’s up to at 19north and Victory Family Church.
