Bryan's Blog

Allison Jolee Wiles

2006-12-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Well the moment of Truth is finally here yesterday at 3:02 pm we had a little baby girl! She was 6 pounds 15 oz, 19 inches long and her name is Allison Jolee Wiles. In my humble, unbias opinion she is the cutest baby ever! Anyway thanks for all your prayers. If you want to see pictures you can go to our website http://picasaweb.google.com/bgtownie8.

No Baby Yet

2006-12-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that we still have no baby yet? The kid was suppose to come on Tuesday now it is Saturday and he or she is still not here. This kid is stubborn (just like his or her mom :)). The good news is that on Monday we are getting induced, so either way by Monday we will have a new baby boy or girl. We are patiently awaiting the arrival. It has actually been pretty fun, during the past week Sarah was completely off work and I worked less than usual so we have been spending a lot of time together watching movies, reading, and just hanging out. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and concerns. We will post pictures as soon as the baby is here!

Pictures

2006-11-21T18:39:00.000-08:00

We have a new website now so that we can share pictures. Eventually we will use this site to post pictures of the baby. The link is http://picasaweb.google.com/bgtownie8. Hope you enjoy!

Evolution

2006-11-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Recently at one of our Thursday night services I got the opportunity to talk about the subject of evolution. I certainly do not claim to be a scientist, and yes I have to admit that I am a little bias towards a Creator because I am a Christian. But, it seems to me that Darwinian Evolution has some holes in it. Especially on a college campus this is a heated issue, people love to debate the subject and there are high emotions on both sides. This is a little ironic considering evolution is "science" and technically speaking there should be no emotions in true science. But, for whatever reason this issue gets people fired up. In fact, at our church service there were some people that strongly disagreed with what I shared. This was a good thing in my mind, I was just glad they were there. For me this is not an emotional issue at all, I don't believe in Darwinian Evolution, but if some how we were ever able to prove that it is true (which incidentally is impossible by everyone's estimations) then I would still have the same faith in a creator and in Christ...but that is just me. So here are some of the questions I asked in my teaching.

Question #1- Where are the fossils?
If we did truly evolve from species to species then why do we not see fossils of half bird and half reptiles. Or why do we not see living creatures that are in these in between stages? In fact, Darwin himself said this was the biggest problem with his theory. Darwin stated, "Why, if species have descended from other species by insensibly fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms? Why is not all nature in confusion instead of the species being, as we see them, well defined?"

Question #2- How can life resulted from non-life source?
Even the simplest form of life consists of billions of parts working together for the basic functioning of the organism. Mathematicians have figured out the odds of 200 amino acids forming on their own from a non life form are about 1 in 100 million to the 123 power! It would be like a tornado going through a junk yard and forming a completely working, perfectly formed 747 jet!

Question #3- Why do we have morals?
Macroevolution does away with the dignity of man. If Darwinian Evolution is true there is no difference between us and monkeys, then we should and have the right to behave in the same way as these animals. In fact, we should expect that we behave the same way as animals, we should not punish people for the crimes they commit, they are just living out their evolutionary instincts. But, every culture throughout the history of humanity has had certain morals that are common to all humans (don't kill, don't steal, etc)

Question #4- Why do we have a desire to create?
Why do we crave beauty? There is no evolutionary function to art or creativity. Yet, every human culture has valued it. We pay ridiculous amounts of money for valuable art because we are in awe of creation. That desire has to come from a creator, it has to come from God.

These are just a few thoughts I had on the topic, thought you might enjoy them.

I want to GETAWAY

2006-10-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Every year our church takes a retreat the last weekend of September and every year it is an awesome time. Here are some pictures from the getaway!

Remembering 9-11

2006-09-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of one of the most tragic events in American history. I was asked to give a small message at an all campus memorial service last night. It was a moving ceremony that received much attention around Northwest Ohio. Below is a link to an article about the ceremony and a portion of what I shared.

B.G. News Atricle

"...The events that unfolded on September 11th certainly brought out the worst in humanity. We saw evil first hand. Recently, I saw an interview with a New York fire fighter that was in tower 1 when tower 2 collapsed. He was speaking of 9-11 and he said, “the events of that day confirmed a fact that I have been trying to deny my whole, evil exist and people can take part terrible acts of evil.” On September 11th many of us had that realization. We could not escape the reality of sin.

But, in the middle of that amazing tragic event in the horror of that day we also found good and hope. The response of our country of the brave men and women was overwhelming. And even now as I watch the stories and hear the accounts of Americans and others around the world, I see hope.

Because of the tragic events of that day some lost hope in God, some could not believe in a creator in a God that would allow something so horrific to happen. For now their pain is too deep to even try to have faith again.

But, for many more the tragic events of that day somehow gave them hope in God. When many in this nation and around the world were at their lowest emotionally and spiritually they turned to the only place they could think of. They embraced the God of love, who comforts and heals. They found hope they even found life.

I personally do not believe that 9-11 was as event that God caused that God desired to happen. Yet it happened, somehow he allowed, for some reason it happened. Why? As long as we are on this earth we will never know.

The prophet Issiah tells us about God, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. We serve a God who is beyond our comprehension.

But, even though we can not know why we can still trust. We can still have faith. Because the Bible tells us, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..."

Growth Spurts

2006-08-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

Two things in my life that I love very much have been growing. Two things that have made a major impact on the person that I am today have hit a sudden, rapid, and large growth spurt. The first of these two growing phenomenon’s (as you might of guessed) is my kid! Our child is growing at a rapid pace. You can feel him or her moving around constantly now, he or she weighs around 2 pounds and is about 14 inches long from head to toe! The nerve pathways in the baby’s ears are developing, which means his or her response to sounds is growing more consistent. The lungs are developing more now, too. It is pretty cool for Sarah and I to witness this growth spurt first hand, to experience the stronger kicks and a bigger belly (for Sarah that is).

The second thing that has hit a growth spurt is our church. Every year at this time we experience growth on some level, but this year the growth has been more rapid and large than usual. There are over 100 new students that have been coming which, means there are well over 250 students that make h2o their church. It is pretty cool for Sarah and I to witness this growth spurt first hand, to see the new faces and meet many college students who want to know God better.

20th Week

2006-07-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sarah is now in her 20th week of pregnancy so that means our second and final ultrasound! When we went in this morning it was a pretty cool experience. Everything looks good and normal. We decided not to find out the sex, so that was a little hard, but we are glad that we can wait and be surprised. We also got to see the baby in 4 dimensional imaging. That was a different experience, I am still not sure exactly what the difference between 3-D and 4-D is but it was pretty cool. The baby did not look exactly like what we thought it would, the skin is still developing so the face does not look exactly like a human face, but they said it was completely normal. So here are some of the pictures.

If you look closely at the picture above you can see the bladder (black spot on the right), heart (black spot in the middle), and kidney (between the bladder and heart).The baby is looking right at you!

See what we mean about the 4-D looking a little strange? This is a shot of the face, the baby has its hand in its mouth.Just a shot of the little foot. Hope you enjoyed!

Back In B.G.

2006-07-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I are finally back in B.G. after our long vacation. It was a lot of fun. It was a little rough getting back into the swing of things, but now I think we are adjusted. I thought I would post some of my favorite pictures from the second week of our vacation. We also have our second ultra-sound this Friday so be looking for pictures of that soon!

Vacation

2006-07-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

We are having a great time in Colorado. Unfortuantely, we have to leave in a few days, but I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures with everyone. Hope you enjoy!

Preaching to the Fam

2006-06-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

To the Top: Is a picture of the dock that we had our church service on. On the Right: Is a picture of the family that was there.

This weekend Sarah and I took a trip to Iowa to visit her Dad and his side of the family. It was a lot of fun. We did a lot of eating, playing bag board (corn-hole), and just having a good time on the Mississippi River. It was also Grandma Pearl's 86th birthday, so we got to celebrate that with her!

One of the highlights for Sarah and I was Sunday morning. Since most of the family was in town we all decided to have a church service of our own. So we went down to the library boat dock in Camache (Iowa that is) and had our own Duncan family church. I got to preach which was a lot of fun, and everybody stayed awake for the whole service. Overall is was a great weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend

2006-05-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I had a great Memorial Day weekend. Friday we went out with the Slack’s and celebrated us both being pregnant. Then Saturday we went to a Toledo Mudhens game and enjoyed a firework show afterwards. Sunday, I gave the teaching at church from Joshua 4:1-9, I spoke about remembering what God has done in our lives. I really love the summer atmosphere at our church and in the town of Bowling Green. Things are much more laid back and relational.

Then after church Sarah and I headed out to go camping. When we got married we thought we would go camping a lot because we both enjoy it. But, in our 3 years of marriage we have still never taken the time to head into the great outdoors. So we decided that this weekend would be the prefect time. We headed north to the little town of Port Clinton, Ohio, right on Lake Erie. We found a nice camp ground and set up our tent. It was a great time of roasting smores’ and brats and enjoying the 90 degree weather! Since Sarah is pregnant we decided to sleep on an air mattress, I know that is a little disappointing to you hard core campers, but marriage is all about compromise.

Then on Monday (Memorial Day) we went into the town of Port Clinton. We watched the parade, and then went to their Memorial Day service. It was a really touching service they honored the veterans of the town and told the story of their heroes. One of the most impact moments came when they were talking about World War II. The small town sent 42 young men to serve in the Pacific theater of the war with Japan only 10 men returned. And all 10 of them were prisoners of war in harsh work camps in the South Pacific. Now it really felt like memorial day. Sarah and I talked about our grandfathers, between the 2 of us we have 5 grandfathers and all of them served in World War II or Korea (my grandpa Wiles actually never made it to Europe because the war ended right as he was about to leave). It was neat to think of the sacrifice that the generations before us made so that we can be free.

Overall, it was a great weekend... relaxing, thoughtful, and fun.

The News

2006-05-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I had our first ultrasound today! It was really crazy and really exciting! We saw our kid for the first time! He or she actually was moving around having a good time. We found out our official due date is December 5th. The heart was beating really fast and you could actually see it beat. The rate was 147 beats per minute, which I guess is completely normal at this stage. It was a relief to find out that as far as we know everything is going great. I posted the pictures here but they don't really do justice to what we could see. Hope you enjoy!

King of the Hill

2006-05-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

I came across this interesting and insightful video clip from the show "King of the Hill." It gave me some comedic insight into how pop culture views the church in America. Hope you enjoy!

The Psalms

2006-05-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

This week of my life revolves around one thing...the Psalms. I am taking an intensive seminary class on the book of Psalms. I have been eating, drinking, breathing, and sleeping Psalms (at least that is what we all joke about in the class, including the professor). So far the class has been really cool. It is taught by a man that is extremely qualified to teach the class. In fact, he is known around the world as an expert scholar in many of the Old Testament books, although he would never tell you that because he is an extremely humble man.

The overall point of the class is that life does not always make sense. There are often times bad things that happen to good people, and good things that happen to bad people. In the Psalms we hear of many of these bad things happening and the writer will often cry out to God in anger, or fear, or frustration, or sadness. The bluntness and honesty of the Psalms is really cool and it should be an example to all of us in life. When hard things in life happen they should drive us to God, because for some crazy reason he has allowed those things to happen. It doesn't mean that he made them happen, or even that he wanted them to happen, but that he allowed them to happen. But, here is the kicker, in spite of all the complaining and anger and emotion in the Psalms they almost all end the same way… in praise.

That is what I have been learning. No matter what is going on in our life, no matter how bad things seem to be out of control, no matter how bad things seem to suck! There is one constant, and that is that God deserves praise. No matter whether we understand him, no matter whether we like what is happening in our lives, we must keep praising God. It takes our eyes off of ourselves and puts them on the only true thing that matters in the universe and that is God.

I will close with one of my favorite examples of this Psalm 13.

1 How long, O LORD Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him, "and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Another One Bites the Dust

2006-05-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that another school year has come and gone. As I am writing hundreds of students at BGSU are cramming for finals while others are packing up to head home for the summer. It seems like just yesterday, that I was living in the dorms and cramming for finals. But, I just realized that this marks the end of my forth year in ministry! I can't believe how fast those four years have gone. And this year like all the others Sarah and I have scene some awesome things happen on the campus of BGSU. That is what keeps me coming back for more. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping a college student experience God, and watching their lives change forever! I am looking forward to the summer, to a change in pace, maybe even a little more realization, but I am also looking forward to next school year. And seeing what God has in store for year number 5!

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ~Hebrews 11:6

The church

2006-04-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of writing a paper right (actually I am taking a break to update this blog) and I have come to realize some interesting things. The paper is actually a book report for a class I am taking. The book is called "Ancient Future Faith" by Robert Webber. It is a little heady but really good in many ways.

His goal in this book is to help the reader realize how much ones culture affects their faith in Christ...very interesting topic. And so I am realizing something about my faith that I like and honestly some things that I am having to struggle through.

The bulk of my paper is going to be written about the church and how modernity has affected the church. If we are honest many Western churches have become very individualistic and materialistic. And much of the time we don't even realize it because the culture and the world around us is individualistic and materialistic. The Western church has many consumers who just church shop. "This church is not meeting MY needs" "I like the worship here, but the teachings here, which church can serve ME best?" And honestly that is sad because church is a community of people, not a program or a building.

But, with all that said I am realizing something. I love the church. Not a church, not a denomination, but the church. Sure she has some imperfections, some blemishes, and in some cases some major issues. But, God has chosen to use her to reach the world! The church is the hope of the world and I pray that she listens to the callings and to the words of Christ in all that she does.

Invisible Children

2006-03-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

I knew it was going to happen. I have to admit I even tried to prevent it, but of course it happened. It is really not that bad of thing, but it just makes me a little uncomfortable, actually it makes me really uncomfortable... I started doing a little research on a film I heard about called Invisible Children, and now I can't stop thinking about it. Basically three guys my age got on a plane flew to Africa to make a film about these Invisible Children. Children that were being kidnapped, by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and forced to become warriors, killers for an army that is claiming to fight in the "name of God." All this is going on in Northern Ugandan on a daily basis!!!

It is so removed from my every day life. I don't have to worry about anything close to the terror that these families face on a daily basis. I sleep in a nice comfy bed, I have plenty of food, I just really can't imagine what it is like to worry about issues this serious and terrifying on a daily basis. So now I have to bring some discomfort into my life, my wife and I have to ask what can we do for these people who are suffering half a world away?

http://www.invisiblechildren.com

The Madness

2006-03-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

I love March Madness, it is something I look forward to every year. I love rooting for the underdogs, seeing seniors play their hearts out, watching the intensity of each and every game, and trying to pick the right winners...there is just nothing like it.

I think it is funny when you sit back and look at it from the outside how little the ncaa tournament means to my life. I know 0 players personally (on the men's side), I have not paid much attention to the rest of the season, and really it is just a bunch of guys running around trying to put a ball in a hoop. The outcome of every one of these games affects my life in no way whatsoever. But, I can't help being drawn to watch every minute I can of this non-stop excitement.

And I guess that is ok. There have been times in my life where I have even felt a little guilt for loving to watch this type of event so much. After all there are much more important things in life….work, family, God, people, my marriage, church, etc. But, now I have come to the conclusion that spending a little time doing a useless task is not always a bad thing. In fact, sometimes it even helps to remind me of what is really important in life.

The Big Question

2006-02-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

On Monday Sarah and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary of my propasal to her. Three years from the day when I got down on one knee and poped the question. Will you marry me? She said yes and life has never been the same.

Over the last three years we have experienced every range of emotion with each other, and it has been great! We can not imagine our lives without each other. When the Bible says, "the two shall become one" it is amazing how accurate that really has been in our lives. Strangely, I have noticed even when I talk about myself it is often in the plural, just out of habbit. When we are happy we are usually happy together, when we are sad we are usually sad together, when we are mad we are mad together, and when we are content we are content together. Becoming one is a strange mystery filled with joy and trials, but we would have it no other way. Even when we are upset with each other, in the back of our heads there is no one else we would rather be upset with.

We know it has only been three years and we have a lot to learn and a lot more of becoming one to do, but that is part of the fun. We feel blessed to have each other and are thankful to be together as one.

Generosity???

2006-01-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

I don’t want to be one of those people who complains about stuff all the time and has a habit of being negative, but on this subject I just can’t keep my mouth shut. I was reading an old issue of Time Magazine and saw on the cover how Bill and Melinda Gates were named people of the year, and I just have to be honest---that bothers me.

I’m sure they are very nice, fine, outstanding people, but just because they give a few million dollars away doesn’t mean anything to me. I’m pretty sickened that we make heroes out of people who give away 1% of their annual income when they make in the BILLIONS. I mean let’s be honest how hard is that to do? Don’t get me wrong I am glad for their contributions to humanity, but person of the year?

Or take Oprah, for example (now I am picking a fight with American royalty). I saw her on a talk show, and someone asked her what are you doing in Africa? Her exact answer, “I am doing all I can…” Are you serious, if you wanted to you could probably buy one of the smaller countries in Africa, don’t tell me because you throw a few extra bucks over there that you are doing all you can.

I know people who make far less then them who give away 30-50% of their income, now we are talking sacrifice. They are my people of the year. Sometimes we get so caught up in the quantity that we lose sight of the quality of an action.

All this to say I hope Oprah, and Bill Gates, and Donald Trump and any other billionaires keep giving millions away. But if you want to see someone who really has a heart to give, we have to look for people who are giving up comfort in order that others might have a better life. We have to look for people who sacrifice and give not out of their wealth, but out of their poverty.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." ~Mark 12: 41-44

Bad Blogger

2006-01-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

I realize that lately I have been slacking on my blogging responsibilities, and for that I have to say I am sorry. I have had a few complaints so I am going to try to write more consistently. One of the ways I intend to do this is through stealing material from other blogs. I was on another blog and the guy had a test that you could take to find out your level of Biblical proficiency. So I thought I would post that test and tell you my results. I did pretty good on the New Testament part (averaged about 86%), but I did pretty bad on the Old Testament part (averaged about 58%). At least I know where I need to grow. Have fun with the test, I know it has motivated me to study the Bible more, after all it is the most important book in the world.

http://www.whitneyhq.com/cgi-bin/bible_exam_with_hints.pl?year=2005&category=

He also had another link on his site, this one was a global wealth indicator. The site said this, "Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world. Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But, where would you sit on one of those lists? Here’s your chance to find out." If you are brave enough to do it you will probably be shocked. I know it has got me thinking more about others and less about myself. Check this site out it is quick and easy.

http://www.globalrichlist.com

Destruction

2006-01-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of some of the things we saw on our trip to New Orleans.

Hope

2005-11-30T05:21:00.000-08:00

My friend got me thinking when he told a story of his 3 and a half year old son. He told about how his son made a decision to follow Christ at the age of three and a half. Then he asked the question is that even possible (you can read about it and my answer @ http://amsterdamasp.blogspot.com/2005/11/what-do-you-think.html)? So I started thinking and I was reminded of how simple and yet how entirely deep and complex the gospel really is. If a 3 and a half year old can accept the gospel it must be pretty simple. A relationship with Christ simply put means we must acknowledge our shortcomings and failures; recognize Jesus' role in allowing us to be clean and pure in front of God; and then make a decision to follow Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

In some ways that is so simple, but it is also so complex. I have to believe the last part is the hardest for most of us, to recognize Christ is one thing, but to follow Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That is not so easy, it means sacrifice, it means making tough decisions, it means dying to our own desires and living for His, it even means being uncomfortable at times.

But, when you make that decision there is not greater joy then knowing that you are child of the God of the universe. That all of your sins have been washed away and you stand pure before Him. That no matter what you do God is for you. That is the gospel and that is something worth living for.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:38-39

Respect

2005-11-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

What do I have in common with a 92 year old black woman? Not much, other than the desire for all of us to be united. I have been inspired over the past few days of listening to the stories of Ms. Rosa Parks. She was truly a woman who personified dignity and she is a hero in my book.

Race issues are so touchy; no one wants use the wrong terms of course we have to be politically correct. All I know is I'm tired of segregation. On our campus even in 2005 there is still separation based on race. It is not forced, but chosen and both black and white are equally guilty.

At our church we are hoping to be an exception to the segregation that takes place at BGSU. Sure the people that come to h2o are mostly white, but so is most of the campus. This fall for the first time in a long time when I show up on Sundays I see a diverse group of people; Black, White, Asian, and Latino, and that makes me happy---it also makes God happy.

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." ~Galatians 3:26-29

Traveling Fool

2005-10-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

In the past week in a half I have spent time in Buffalo with 22 of my friends, Pittsburgh with 11 of my friends, and Jacksonville with my brother. In fact, I got home from Florida at 2 a.m. last night. Today I am catching up on work but I needed a break so I am letting you know what my last 10 days have looked like.

The trips to Buffalo and Pittsburgh were to check out campuses that we might plant a church on in the future. Both of the cities and campuses had some really cool aspects to them and a few down sides, so we are still praying about where to go.

The trip to Jacksonville was fun, I helped my brother move down there because he got a job with the Jacksonville Sheriff�s Department. It is a really cool area and we hung out on the beach so that was a blast.

As you can see I have been a traveling fool. All across the east side of the country, luckily I love to travel and see new places so it has been fun. That is all I have for now got to get back to work!

2005-10-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

At church this sunday

Katrina

2005-10-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Some cool and crazy things have been happening in our church lately. Check out this article in the Toledo Blade to see what we have been doing for 10 victims from Hurricane Katrina. I will try to keep you updated on how they are doing, but please pray for these 10 people. They are experiencing a little culture shock as you can imagine since they have moved from New Orleans (the big easy) to Bowling Green (home of the national tractor pull). Here is the article.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051003/NEWS17/510030346

Also check out our church website to read more as well. www.h2ochurch.com

2005-09-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have been speaking a lot at h2o (my church) lately and this Thursday I get the honor and privilege of talking about the subject everyone loves to discuss, no not algebra, sex. I don't know about you, but for a lot of people talking about sex in church seems a bit strange, I mean isn't that personal? But, when you really think about it, what better place then church to talk about one the world's most misunderstood subject. All this thinking about sex has really got fired up about a few things.

1. why do we think Hollywood knows more about sex then the church and God for that matter?

2. how many young people have bought into the lie that sex has no strings attached and no consequences?

3. why do people think sex can't be talked about at church?

The Bible is clear sex is a great thing created by God, and it is to be done well and done often. But, only in the right context, and that is in a committed marriage. Outside of that context, sex can be devastating and it can damage your soul in a way that our mind can't comprehend.

It is kinda like fire. What an awesome discovery, where would the world be without fire. We cook with it, heat our homes, sterilize things, burn unnecessary items, and a lot more it is great. But, when it gets out of control, look out. It can ruin lives, burn down homes that have taken years to build in a matter of seconds, it can even kill. Both sex and fire are extremely dangerous in the wrong context.

But, here is the good news, God can restore a person who has let sex ruin their lives in a matter of seconds. No matter how many mistakes we have made God can wipe our slate clean because of his great mercy. Like the Psalmist tells us �as far as the East is from the West so far has he removed our transgressions from us" ~Psalm 103:12. Sure there are still consequences here in this life, but our standing before God can be completely pure when we come to him and ask for His forgiveness.

If we can't talk about sex in the church then we have a problem, because we can't separate parts of our lives from our faith. Besides God may know a little bit about the subject, after all he did create it in the first place.

Love

2005-09-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

I met my first communist yesterday. Sure I have met people before that claim to be communist, the hippy professor�the angry teenager�the radical college student. But, yesterday I met a true red card carrying communist from China. It was the most interesting, sad, stimulating, confusing, and meaningful conversation I have had in a long time.

My friend and I met Jan (that isn�t her real name) on a trip that we took. It soon became apparent she wanted to learn about Christianity. When we sat down I knew it was going to be a great conversation, she was sweet and polite and full of questions and so were we, full of questions that is.

So we asked he about China, what was she raised to believe? What was life like? How did she end up in America? And after talking for a while we got to the good stuff, her faith. She told of how she was always taught to believe in Materialism. That there is nothing more to life than what you see. There is a logical explanation for everything, and if you want something you have no one to rely on but yourself to make it happen. O.K. I thought, that is not that weird many Americans believe the same stuff.

But, she ended her statement with something very interesting. Jan explained, �that is what we are taught to believe, but there is something missing, I know that not everything can be explained, there has to be a supernatural side to life.� I told her that is what we believe and that in fact is what the Bible says. So I went into my explanation of Christianity she said she didn�t know much about the Bible but she had read the whole New Testament, more than a lot of Christians can say. As I was sharing she said, �that reminds me of a story, where Jesus forgave a adulterous woman even though many wanted to stone her. (John 8)� Right, I said, that is exactly what I mean.

Then as I was sharing she told to the two professors she had in China who were from America and who were Christians, she was very impressed by them, and one of them even gave her a Bible. She told of the �little white church� she went to in Connecticut with her friend and how impressed she was by the faith of those who worshiped there. �It was nothing like the church I went to in China that was run by the government, she said, they seemed to really be worshiping.� She told of the Christian organization that helped her get settled into her new home and gave her free furniture with no strings attached, and she said I am just really impressed with Christianity.

For myself, someone in ministry, I was proud of the people who had ministered to Jan. This is amazing, I thought, what a story, now I have the easy part just share Christ with her, and all the love and sacrifice of the others before you will help lead her to Christ. If there is ever someone who is ready to become a Christian it is Jan, she understood, she experienced, and she was open to all Christ did for her.

So I finished explaining the gospel, all that Christ had done for her, and how she can have forgiveness for her sins and enter into a relationship with the God of the universe, if she just puts her trust in Christ. I said, �Jan if you want you can make that decision right now, you can become a Christian right here with us at this moment, if it is what you desire.�

She looks at me with big brown eyes, �right now?� �Yes, I say,� �You don�t understand she replies.� �To become a Christian for me is not that easy.� �What do you mean,� I inquire. �Here in America it is easy and it is great for the Chinese people who live here, but for me I would have to give up everything. I would affect many people around me, my family would be very angry, I would have to leave the Communist party which means I would not be able to get good jobs or promotions. It is just not that easy.�

Wow, what do I say, she is right I have no clue how hard it would be. So we talk a little more, and I try to let her know how important of a decision she has and I ask her to continue reading the Bible and to keep thinking about if it is worth it for what Christ did for her. She said she certainly will and she wants to get together and discuss the Bible whenever she can and meet other Americans. We said that would be great and if we were ever in the area we would talk, and of course we can e-mail.

As the conversation ends and Jan leaves I am in shock, my faith is not so cozy anymore. In fact, it seems pretty radical, I just asked a girl to give up all the comfort that someone can have in China and embrace a sacrificial life. I can�t help but ask myself and my wife if we are sacrificing in the same way I asked Jan to. I can�t help but go home and ask, Am I an American Christian, or am I a global Christian, would I be willing to trust in Christ if I was in Jan�s shoes. I hope and I hope that she is too.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple.� ~Luke 14:26

I'm Sorry

2005-08-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

To all three of my faithful readers, I have to apologize. I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything, and for that I beg for your forgiveness. I have been a little busy with all that is going on around campus. BGSU is crazy right now, but I love it. Our church has had a great week! A lot of new people are really interested in what we are doing, our first big service is tonight so we will see what happens. I am speaking for a little bit, should be fun. I should probably go figure out what I am going to say. I'll right again soon, I promise.

Go Team Go!!!

2005-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

What a Team! Our staff team had a retreat this weekend and it reminded me how lucky I am to work with such cool people. We talked business, prayed, laughed, played sports, sung, and much more. It is so cool to work with some of your best friends, not many people can say that. We now have 12 full time staff members at our church! Sounds like a lot but we will need averyone when 6,000 new students come to campus on Thursday. Thinking about the team leaves me with just one question? Do the chickens have large talons? ~Napoleon Dynamite

Reporter

2005-08-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

So I was watching T.V. tonight and there was a tribute to Peter Jennings on. It was a really cool show and I really respect him a lot. But, some thing stood out to me. It was the title, which the viewer was reminded of every 15 minutes by the guy with a cool voice. The title was short, simple, and telling- Peter Jennings-Reporter. That was it, and it occurred to me they had one word and one word only to describe this man’s 67 years here on earth, and the word that they came up with was reporter. Now there are certainly many worse words to describe ones life, but at the same time it is really sad to think that his whole life was wrapped up in that title, wrapped up in his work. So that got me thinking what is the one word that describes my life. When it is all said and done what will be my one word description: husband, son, leader, follower, Christian, jerk, liar, or worse? I’m not sure what the word would be right now, and even if I had one it wouldn’t be fair for me to pick it. But, I know some things I don’t want it to be. I don’t want it to be about my job, I love my job, but my life is so much more than work. I don’t want it to be about my wealth, money is temporary. I don’t want it to be about my looks, looks fade like my hair line. I don’t want it to be about my hobbies, they are kinda boring anyway. So what do I want that one word to be? I guess I will spend the rest of my life figuring that out. Because the word comes from how we live not what we say. It comes from putting our faith into action, its that simple.

Break Time

2005-08-09T23:26:00.000-07:00

So I like to break stuff. It is true there is nothing that makes me feel more like a man then when I have a crow bar or a sledge hammer in my hand swinging away at a wall. I don�t know what it is about destruction that makes me so content, but getting the chance to take out my aggression on a house, it is priceless. So when my friend and pastor Matt needed help �fixing up� his new house this week I agreed under one condition�anything that needed broken or torn down was my job. So it has been a lot of fun the past few days helping out a friend. I just hope when I get finished the place looks better not worse!

Influence

2005-08-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

As I sat in Conklin Hall last night I listened to story after story that Tom had to share. Some of them were funny and others almost made me cry. I just thought to myself, "here is a guy that has given his life to something that matters; something that he really believes in." His words and his faith somehow made mine stronger. He wasn't the most eloquent speaker, although he spoke well; he wasn't the funniest guy I ever met, although I laughed; and he wasn't always that relevant. He is a 50 year old man that has kids my age, so he can't be that cool. But what he said made my wife and I want to change the way we live our lives. Not out of guilt or sympathy, but out of conviction of how life should be lived. He had dedicated his life to helping people find truth, and after 30 years he is going stronger than ever, what an example. He influenced us in a major way, not so much by his words but by his actions.

Then I read Eric's blog this morning. (http://amsterdamasp.blogspot.com/) He posted about his daughter, Olivia, and the health problems she has had since she was born. In her short few years here on earth she has been plagued with hemangioma, a physical deformity. And unfortunately, over the past year instead of disappearing like the doctors have hoped, the large red lump on her forehead has just grown bigger and bigger. Now, you are probably wondering why am I telling you this fact? “I don't even know Eric and his family,” you may be thinking. But what amazes me most about his post on Olivia is not his openness and honesty, not his amazing love for his daughter, but the responses he got.

People from all over the world posted comments about their feelings, and people from all over the world got to read about Eric and Marci's amazing attitude and love for their daughter. From what I hear, because of Eric’s one post about Olivia, hundreds of people are now reading Eric's blog. Why?

It is the power of influence. It is amazing to think of the impact that we have in life without even knowing it. It is even a little scary. That has made me think how do I influence others? Do I make them happier, more reflective, angrier, sadder, do I push them towards God, or do I push them away from God? All this talk about influence has made me think a little harder about the decisions I make, about the words I speak, and the way I use my time. I guess I just want to influence people like Tom and Eric have. That is the ultimate example of influence…. imitation.

Perspective

2005-08-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hallets is the mountain in the middle. It is the same mountain as in the picture below, but it looks a lot different in this picture. Funny, how where we are in life can change the way things look. When we were up on top of that mountain we had a totally different view of the world, and from down in the city of Estes Park we had another perspective. They were both amazing in their own way, just different. Kinda like life, it makes me think of how differently I have viewed the world at different points in my life. Much of how I view things is based on where I am, not where I am physically, rather where I am spiritually and emotionally. When I am walking closely with God things seem much clear, even more beautiful, and at the risk of sounding clich�, even easier. When I am farther from him everything is just heavier, and a touch more... i guess boring. That makes me realize what Jesus meant when he said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." ~John 10:10

Vacation Hike

2005-08-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

To be in the mountains again! This is a picture of a recent hike that Sarah and I did when we were in Colorado. It was such a relaxing vacation and such a beautiful hike. This is an up close and personal picture of Hallets peak. Almost 13,000 feet high!

Am I Cool Now???

2005-07-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

So everyone is telling me that blogging is the wave of the future. "All the kids are doing it" they say with passion in their eyes and voices. I have tried to resist for about a year now, yet something inside of me says, "they are right, I would be alot cooler if I blogged." So here I find myself, having no clue where this crazy ride will take me, I am posting my first blog. I must admit as I am writing I do feel a little younger, smarter, better looking. I guess the best word to describe it is post-modern. Way beyond modern, into the post modern realm. Now I know why this "wave of the future" is taking the world by storm, it is all much clearer now.