Category Archives: Review

Book Review, Discipleship, Ministry, Resources, Review

Book Review: Hero

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Every man’s battle is not so much a fight for your purity as it is a fight for your manhood, a fight for who you are and who you intend to be. Sexual sin, then, is not your ticket into manhood after all- it’s your ticket out.

Fred Stroeker has co-authored some of the most well-received and challenging books on the market today. Along with Stephen Arterburn, the Every Man’s Battle series has been a game-changer and life saver for many men struggling for sexual purity in their relationships. Stroeker’s latest, Hero: Becoming the Man She Desires continues this challenge by focusing on single men and helping them take a stand for truth and purity in a world that makes it easy to compromise.

“You’re a greater man than I ever dreamed of being, Son.”
Hero is co-authored by Fred’s son, Jasen Stroeker. The opening chapters make it clear that Fred Stroeker is proud of his son – not because of anything Jasen has accomplished but because of the man he is. Jasen took a stand for his purity early in life and by the grace of God held on to it for dear life. How? Fred explains that the “secret” to living the pure life is that the true make of manhood is a “complete willingness to embrace social pain for a higher cause.”

Make no mistake this isn’t a call to martyrdom. This is the challenge for every aspect of being a disciple of Jesus Christ in every arena of life. We are to be different- no matter the cost, no matter the setting, no matter the issue. “Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his god pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

It’s Never Too Late To Demolish Your Strongholds
The Sroekers believe that there are a set of myths that the culture wants men to believe that lures them into sexual sin. These myths excuse behaviors and mindsets that lead to and trap men in sexual sin. They call them “Stronghold Myths” and the book features 9 of them. Some of these myths lead to chapters that seem right out of I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Others though are powerful and transformative. The strength of these myth-busting chapters lay in the fact that they are written from different perspectives. The chapter entitled “Her Desires” is co-written with the help of Jasen’s wife, Rose. Rather than have some dudes talk about women’s desires we get the perspective direct from a female source. I liked this aspect. The chapter “Sparks” finds Jasen and Rose listing ideas to help couples build chemistry together. Again, having chapters written from different perspectives was a nice touch that give the book a very personal feel.

Rethink What We’re Capable Of
So, who would benefit from reading Hero?

I think this would be a great book for a Father and Son reading. The back-and-forth between Fred and Jasen is a great feature of this book. I can see where Fred’s honesty about past mistakes could open a door of honesty between fathers and sons and Fred’s words of encouragement and admiration for his son could lead to that level of intimacy between fathers and sons. Fathers of teenage sons would definitely benefit from reading this with their boys.

Another group that could benefit from Hero would definitely be college age students. Whether a dorm room Bible study or a Sunday morning church group or a week night get together there is a ton of material to discuss and work through.

Hero is a great book and I would recommend it to any brother who wants to do the right thing- the heroic thing- and own his sexual purity for the glory of God.

Summary (from the publisher)
You already know it’s not easy being a single man in this culture today. But it is easy to be overwhelmed, to feel helpless and hopeless about living by God’s high standards for singles. It’s easy to cave in to the pressures of this sex-soaked world and accept defeat—blaming the media, the culture, even girlfriends who don’t know how tough it can be.

But many men have read books like Every Young Man’s Battle and Tactics and have committed themselves to stand strong and pure in the power of God, and to go on the offensive against the onslaught of negative stereotypes. Some have suffered. Some have fallen. But many have experienced victory—and you can be among them.

What makes those committed men so desirable to women? Be Her Hero is their motto. From best-selling author Fred Stoeker, along with his son Jasen, come the straightforward insight and real-life examples you’re looking for to help you take personal purity to its logical conclusion. Here’s straight truth with irrefutable evidence of what makes an ultimate hero to women who long for men of faith—men who stand by their convictions and make their world a safer and better place.

Are you ready to accept the challenge?

Buy HERO by Fred & Jasen Stoeker HERE

D'oh!, Live Music, Music, Popular Culture, Review

Forth Time Is Not The Charm

For the fourth year in a row my Grammy predictions were off. Maybe next year I’ll just keep my thoughts to myself. Sorry Coldplay.

But hey, if you’re gonna lose the big show you might as well lose to the woman with the angel voice and the ragged rocker from Led Zeppelin, right? Rising Sand is a great album with a great vibe straight out of the past. Click on the picture for a good wrap-up of the night

I’m just glad that Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter III lost. I think I might have had to write a letter if that tripe had won. What a waste!

There were some good performances too. U2 rocked out a good live version of their latest single “Get On Your Boots” which allowed Whitney Houston a chance to show everyone some leg. Jay-Z joined Chris Martin on stage for “Lost+” which moved straight into “Viva la Vida.” The stage also saw BB King, Paul McCartney, John Mayer, and Keith Urban rockin’ out some sweet guitar licks. Finally, Justin Timberlake (who is quickly becoming our generation’s hardest working man in show business) pulled double duty on an early performance with the Rev Al Green and then with T.I. toward the end of the broadcast. Speaking of T.I., his latest single “Dead and Gone” is trying to place him as the hero of his own life as he faces felony weapons charges next month. It is a haunting track and JT has a great hook but hopefully this song is more truth and less swaggar. Time will tell.

Well folks, so much for Grammy predictions. We’ll see if I try picking the Oscars. 🙂

Music, Review, U2

Live Blogging “Get On Your Boots”

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Good morning folks. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

As I type this the first single off U2’s No Line on the Horizon is downloading on to my computer. I am super excited about hearing it for the first time. Ready, set… GO!

Live Reactions to “Get On Your Boots”
What the hoo-haw?!?!?! Crazy drums to kick start the track
Driving beat. Heavy guitar.
The future needs a big kiss
Satan loves a bomb scare but he won’t scare you
Laughter is eternity if joy is real
(You don’t know…) Was that the bridge or the chorus?
Guitar squelches drive the beat
(You don’t know…) Must be the chorus
Oh! There’s the bridge!!!
Yes! Let me in the sound!
Great guitar solo
Get on your boots!
And we are out.

Initial Reaction
Get On Your Boots is… the ADD kid sister of Vertigo. It is loud, it is all over the place, and is an all-out assault on your senses. You think it is going in one direction and then it punches you in the ear and takes your wallet. Structure and free form dance side by side for almost 3 1/2 minutes as you try to keep up. The first listen was jarring but I quickly caught up. But just then the “Let me in the sound” bridge kicked in and I was left standing there with my mind on the floor. I really like that bridge. That should translate well to the stage in the arena (stadium?) for the tour. Speaking of the tour – “GOYB” would move quite nicely into “Mofo” or “Gone” for what it is worth. This is a very strong effort and is, in my mind, the organic progression of sound from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. It is good to hear a band that has been going for this long continue with forward momentum.

I’m a little biased though. What do you think? Have your heard the track?

2008, Music, Popular Culture, Review, Twitter

Song of the Year Tweets

I spent most of Friday on the road heading out to see family. As I rode in the back and listened to my iPod I posted a series of tweets about my favorite songs of the year. I had fun trying to condense my thoughts down to only 140 characters. Enjoy the tweets and leave me some comments about your favorite songs of the year!

Love Lockdown– Kanye, keep your live performances of this track on lockdown (see SNL) but keep releasing these heart wrenching and intense songs. I’ll keep buying.

Shadow of the Day– Linkin Park gets all sentimental and balladesque. Great song and a good hook

Say– John Mayer says what he needs to say… now go get his “Where the Light Is” LP.

Lost!– Coldplay’s second appearence on the list. Check out Lost+ with Jay-Z. So good. Viva la Coldplay! 11:48 AM yesterday from mobile web

American Boy– Hey Estelle. English sista it’s really really nice to meet ya.

Better in Time– No need to wait. Leona was pretty great from the word go. The best breakup song of 08

Pork & Beans– Dance to a happy tune while Weezer tells their record comp to suck it. Red is the new Blue.

Pocketful of Sunshine– This earful of sunshine will most definately take you away. Nat Bedingfield is my guilty pleasure.

I’m Yours– Jason Mraz manages to out Jack Johnson Jack Johnson. Summer all year round with this track.

I Will Possess Your Heart– the album version is an 8 min plea from a stalker to his obsession. A slow burn about smoldering love.

Live Your Life– I have a bit of an audio crush on Rhianna right now. Turn this to 11 and just Live Your Life: Hey!!!! Ohhhh!!!

Paper Planes– All I wanna do (blam, blam, blam)is put this song on repeat (click) and thug out. (ching!)

Who’s Gonna Save My Soul– the eternal question gets the deep soul slow jam treatment from Gnarles Barkley.

Viva la Vida– Jerusalem bells toll for thee. A lonely king roams his former kingdom in search of meaning and an elusive legacy.

Follow me on Twitter!

2008, Music, Popular Culture, Resources, Review, The List, Worship, Wrestling With Scripture

What I’m Listening To (10.27.08)

51e5yel1vwl_ss500_.jpgGossip in the Grain
Ray LaMontagne

I had the opportunity to see Ray LaMontagne live and in person over the weekend. It was a rare treat for me to sit during an entire concert and to just allow myself to marinade in the sounds and lyrics. By himself, Ray is an incredible talent but the backing band really completed the picture. I really enjoyed hearing some of these new tracks live. All in all he played about 9 songs from the new album. It was a great concert and I would definitely pay to see him again.

Ray LaMontagne has quickly become one of my favorite voices out there due to his deeply touching lyrics and scruffy vocal delivery. This new album, which at first listen felt a little over-produced, has after subsequent hearings crept into my subconscious. There really is very little difference between this album and Ray’s other two, Trouble and Til the Sun Turns Black. My initial reaction to cry, “Over-produced!” to the new album was due in part to the fairly charismatic first track, You Are The Best Thing which finds Ray and a horn section gushing with exuberant praise for his beloved. Two other tracks, Meg White (yes, of the White Stripes) and Hey Me, Hey Mama seem out of place on a Ray LaMontagne album but are nonetheless good tracks. The great tracks though are forged from the same stuff that make Ray such a great voice and talent. Songs like Winter Birds, Let It Be Me, and I Still Care For You showcase great lyrics, haunting vocals, and amazing instrumentals. Rather than existing outside of the catalog, this group of tracks seek to push the catalog forward into new and familiar territories. No small feat indeed.

You owe it to yourself to at least check this album out. Now that the days are shorter and the temperatures are lower, this album would make a great soundtrack to curling up on the couch with a good book or playing in the background as you shared a nice romantic dinner with your significant other. 4 out of 5 stars.

61csdred-al_ss500_.jpg Limbs and Branches
Jon Foreman

It takes a unique artist to take Isaiah 1:10-20 or Amos 5:21-24 and turn the harsh words of these prophets into a worship song. Yet here is Jon Foreman, the voice of Switchfoot, doing that and much more. In this one song Foreman puts our focus exactly were it should be- off of the programs and on to the Savior.

I hate all your show and pretense/ The hypocrisy of your praise/ The hypocrisy of your festivals/ I hate all your show/ Away with your noisy worship/ Away with your noisy hymns/ I stomp on my ears when you’re singing ‘em/ I hate all your show/ Instead let there be a flood of justice/ An endless procession of righteous living, living/ Instead let there be a flood of justice/ Instead of a show

No this isn’t a Derek Webb album. This, in my opinion, does Derek one better.

Throughout 2008, Foreman released 4 EPs- Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter- each filled with mostly acoustic ballads driven by a sense of discovering God in the midst of our lives. The lyrics are challenging, the music is challenging, and the format seemed challenging. So Foreman asked fans to pick their favorite tracks from the EPs and that he would release a long play “album” with their picks pluse 2 new tracks. The result is Limbs and Branches a not-quite-perfect collection. Instead of a Show is here. So is The Cure for Pain and In My Arms. Unfortunately you’re missing out on some real gems (Baptize My Mind, My Love Goes Free). I would forgo this collection and plunk down the extra money for the individual EPs. You won’t be sorry. Limbs and Branches: 3 out of 5 stars; Jon Foreman’s EP collection (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter): 5 out of 5 stars

Music, Review

Hearing Music In The Air

I think you can divide serious music lovers into two distinct camps:

Those who prefer John Lennon and those who love Paul McCartney.

I am a Paul man myself.

That is why I have been very excited to hear Paul’s latest, Memory Almost Full. I greatly enjoyed Chaos and Creation in the Backyard but I felt that it fell short of his past efforts. Everything that I was hearing about this new album though lead me to believe that Memory Almost Full would deliver the goods.

Make no mistake, Memory Almost Full does indeed deliver. I pre-ordered it from iTunes after Scott sent me a link to the video for the first track, “Dance Tonight.” There is nothing particularly special about the song except that is it a simple toe-tapping romp complete with whistling and a mandolin.

The second track, Ever Present Past sums up what I think Sir Paul is trying to say with this whole project.

I’’ve got too much on my plate
Don’’t have no time to be a decent lover
I hope it isn’t too late
Searching for the time that has gone so fast
The time that I thought would last
My ever present past

I’’ve got too much on my mind
I think of everything to be discovered
I hope there’s something to find
Searching for the time that has gone so fast
The time that I thought would last
My ever present past

The things I think I did
I d.i. d.i. did
The things I think I did
When I was a kid

I couldn’’t understand a word that they were saying
But still I hung around and took it all in
I wouldn’’t join in with the games that they were playing
It went by it went by in a flash
It flew by it flew by
In a flash

This soon-to-be 65 year old has looked back on his life and realized that it flown by right before his eyes. Life is like that. One minute you’re in your early 20s taking the world by storm and the next you’re an elder statesmen. Where does the time go?

Ever Present Past isn’t the only song to tackle life and legacy. The End of the End is, right now, my favorite track. You could call this track Yesterday Part 2. It is hard to believe that McCartney wrote Yesterday at the age of 24. In that song Paul is singing about what has gone on before him. He is stuck looking backward.

Forty years later Paul now looks ahead. In The End of the End he sings about the end of his life and even gives instructions about his funeral. Nothing macabre here though just beautiful images and rich lyrics.

At the end of the end
It’’s the start of a journey
To a much better place
And this wasn’t bad
So a much better place
Would have to be special
No need to be sad

On the day that I die
I’d like jokes to be told
And stories of old
To be rolled out like carpets
That children have played on
And laid on while listening
To stories of old

Stunning. It is with that last image that I see McCartney coming to grips with his place in history. His stories aren’t the first nor the last. What has been will be again. He just desires a place on the carpet where they can be unrolled again and again as generation after generation share stories and songs and life. It is a great reminder to us that we will leave a legacy. Is your legacy one that you would want sung on “blankets that lovers have played on/ and laid on while listening/ to songs that were sung?”

At the end of the end Sir Paul says that there is “No reason to cry/ No need to be sad.” I’m sure that when that day comes there will be a few tears and a few sad faces. Radio stations will play Yesterday, Let It Be, Hey Jude, Maybe I’m Amazed and all the rest. I just think that they could and should play anything from this album as well.

I believe Memory Almost Full will stand the test of time. It could very well be Paul’s best solo work to date.

Download: Ever Present Past, Only Mama Knows, House of Wax, The End of the End

Books, Church Planting, Discipleship, Ethos, Ministry, Popular Culture, Religion, Review

Beginings

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..all God’s people carry within themselves the same potencies that energized the early Christian movement… Apostolic Genius (the primal missional potencies of the gospel and of God’s people) lies dormant in you, me, and every local church that seeks to follow jesus faithfully in any time. We have quite simply forgotten how to access and trigger it. This book is written to help us identify its constituent elements and to help us (re)activate it so that we might once again truly be a truly transformative Jesus movement in the West.

The first book I decided to tackle in 2007 is The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch. Although it looks like a regular book it is dense and thick and that makes me all excited inside.

In the introduction Hirsch asks the $64,000 Question:

How did the early church grow from being a relatively small movement to the “most significant religious force in the Roman Empire in (just) two centuries?”

Hirsch explains that by most estimates the early church had grown to about 25,000 people at the close of the first century. Two hundred years later, conservative estimates put the church at 20 million strong. That is incredible growth. Hirsch throws a wrench in your answering of that question by reminding you that this growth happened in spite of the follow:

  • Christianity was an illegal religion at this time
  • No church buildings like we know them
  • The cannon was being put together during this period
  • No institutional or professional forms of leadership
  • No seeker-sensitive, youth groups, worship bands, seminaries, commentaries, etc.
  • It was actually hard to join a church

Ok, can you answer the question? How did they do it? 25 thousand to 20 million in 200 years?

Before you answer Hirsch adds this:

But before the example of the early Christian movement can be dismissed as a freak of history, there is another, even more astounding manifestation of Apostolic Genius, that unique and explosive power inherent in all of God’s people, in our own time- namely, the underground church in China.

When Mao took power 1949 the Chinese church was estimated at 2 million. Mao set out to wipe China clean of all religion focusing explicitly on Christianity. Those in senior leadership were executed, church property was nationalized, missionaries and foreign ministers were deported out of China, and public meetings were banned by threat of imprisonment and death. This still occurs even today.

When foreign missionaries were finally able to return in the early eighties they expected to find a severely diminished church. The found that the church in China had grown to 60 million.

Hirsch says that by looking at the growth of the early church and the Chinese church we find that elements such as “the strange mixture of the passionate love of God, prayer, incarnational practice, appropriate modes of leadership, relevant organization and structures, and the conditions that allow these to catalyze” allow something remarkable to take place.

I am very much looking forward to reading this book. If the inrtoduction is any indication than I am in for a wild ride through these pages. One can only hope.

TheForgottenWays.org
Discreet and Dynamic: Why, with no apparent resources, Chinese churches thrive.

Music, Popular Culture, Review

Friday Run Down

It is Friday.

What I’m Listening To Today
Marvin Gaye is so much more than “Let’s Get It On.”

His prophetic album, What’s Going On still give me chills whenever I listen to it. Although it has been 35 years since he recorded it, the album is just as relevant and as stirring.

From “What’s Happening Brother” (War is hell, when will it end, When will people start gettin’ together again) to “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” (Crime is increasing, Trigger happy policing, Panic is spreading, God know where we’re heading, Oh, make me wanna holler) Gaye sense of social justive will always shine brighter than his sone sexual freedom. The entire album puts social justice firmly at feet of the broader spirtiual contexts.

His song “God is Love” is a great homily about our Father and what he expects from us.

Don’t go and talk about my Father
Cause God is my friend
Jesus is my friend
He loves us whether or not we know it
Just loves us, oh ya
And He’ll forgive all our sins
Forgive all our sins
And all He asks of us, is we give each other love.

If you haven’t ever listend to this album you haven’t lived. I mean it. Without being too melodramatic, this album will change your life. You can’t listen to it passively. It demands action.

So, wow, this weather…
It is currently 68 degrees outside today. I think once my laptop charges I’ll head to the great outdoors to finish the day.

5 days to go…
and then I’m off to Atlanta. I look more forward to the Catalyst conference than any other conference I’ve ever been too.

Andy Stanley always blows me away with his grasp of leadership ideals and his skill at apply the Word to my life. This year I am looking forward to hearing from Rick McKinley (Imago Dei), Gary Haugen (International Justice Mission), and John Stott.

Catalyst truly lives up to it’s name. Check it out!

4 days until…
The new Killers album. Oh, you know you liked the first one. Don’t lie to yourself. The new one looks to rock harder than their new-waveish freshman release. I hope to check out their performance on SNL this weekend.

Sam’s Town drops on Tuesday.

i hope everyone has a great weekend. Peace out!

Ministry, Review

Peer Review

3 Comments

At best, I am a novice at using Photoshop. I enjoy playing around and learning new things but I am far from being an expert at it. This coming week we will launch our weekly Bible study for our high schoolers called Chi Alpha (Christ First). Over the course of the next few weeks we will be studying about who the real Jesus is. I wanted to print up a poster to advertize the study and, more importantly, to get my students talking.

Here is what I created:

poster.jpg

I did an image search on Google and came up with a vast array of different pictures of Jesus. One image that didn’t make it on the poster but did make the desktop wallpaper I created was a native American Jesus. Another is a haunting line drawing of Christ on the cross. (See below)

I want to hear from you. What do you think? What is good? Where could I improve? Any other ideas?

Desktop Wallpaper (1024×768):
whoisjesus1.jpg

Books, Ministry, Religion, Resources, Review, The Word, Theology

New Testament and the People of God 1

Even though we haven’t We have now officially kicked off the group read. I have completed the first chapter of Wright’s The New Testament and the People of God and, as expected, was blown away. Just a hint of the gold that I have been busy mining:

The New Testament has not been around as long as the land of Israel, but in other ways there are remarkable parallels. It is a small book, smaller than anybody else’s holy book, small enough to be read through in a day or two. But it has had an importance belied by its slim appearance. It has again and again been a battleground for warring armies. Sometimes they have come to plunder its treasures for their own use, or to annex bits of its territory as part of a larger empire in need of a few extra strategic mountains, especially holy ones. Sometimes they have come to fight their private battles of neutral territory, finding in the debates about a book or a passage a convenient place to stage a war which is really between two world views or philosophies, themselves comparatively unrelated to the New Testament and its concerns. There are many places whose fragile beauty has been trampled by heavy-footed exegetes in search of a Greek root, a quick sermon, or a political slogan. And yet it has remained a powerful and evocative book, full of delicacy and majesty, tears and laughter. This book is a book of wisdom for all peoples, but we have made it a den of scholarship, or of a narrow, hard and exclusive piety. (3-4)
What ought to be done with this strange and powerful little book? A volume of Shakespeare may be used to prop up a table leg, or it may be used as the basis for a philosophical theory. It is not difficult, though, to see that using it as the foundation for dramatic productions of the plays themselves carries more authenticity than either of these. There is a general appropriateness about using Shakespeare as a basis of plays, which justifies itself without much more argument. (5-6)

The New Testament, I suggest, must be read so as to be understood, read within appropriate contexts, within an acoustic which will allow its full overtones to be heard. It must be read with as little distortion as possible, and with as much sensitivity as possible to its different levels of meaning. It must be read so that the stories, and the Story, which it tells can be heard as stories, not as rambling ways of declaring unstoried ‘ideas.’ It must not be read with the assumption that we already know what it is going to say, and without the arrogance that assumes ‘we’- whichever group that might be- already have ancestral rights over this or that passage, book, or writer. And for full appropriateness, it must be read in such a way as to set in motion the drama which it suggests. (6)

I felt that the first quote was escpecially pionant due to the recent turmoil that has erupted in and around the country of Israel over the recent weeks. Too often our arguing and debates over scripture turns to war almost as quickly as the real thing. Casualties take their toll on both sides of such conflict and leave those still left in the battle with a bitter taste in our mouths. We were not born to kill, it is something that we learn.

Again, I have been amazed at Wright’s ability to write ith both lofty, eloquant, doctarial prose and then everyday, run of the mill conversation. Brilliant.

I can’t wait to acctually begin sharing with the group. hear what others have to say. We have to have the first five chapters read by the end of the month so keep looking for my thoughts and reactions. Great stuff!!!