SynerJack

To Fight or Not to Fight

Jul 2nd, 2008 by J in Faith, Family, Growth (Spiritual), Prayer

When I was 13 my family began doing something together that we would continue the entire time I lived at home. We would watch movies together. I am not talking about your occasional family flick. We began to watch many many movies together. A movie every night, some nights two. These time of excess film viewing usually occurred around thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring, and Summer breaks from school. One of the things my father had the opportunity to do was to show us movies that he thought were meaningful, that conveyed a message that he thought was important. One such movie was The Mission. (more…)

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Fightin’

Jun 18th, 2008 by K in Uncategorized

All of us SynerJack guys are a little tied-up right now, with Metroplex stuff, new puppies, giving daughters for wives, and getting married. But, having found a Starbucks and somehow wrangling my way through all of the hoops you have to jump through in order to coast the information superhighway, here we go…

Part of our namesake is the nickname of the brilliant man C.S. “Jack” Lewis. All four of us guys (as well as anyone else posting on here!) enjoy Lewis’ works in huge ways. They’re not Scripture, but we like reading them almost as much.

In his great work “Mere Christianity,” Lewis has this to say - “Christianity has always been a fighting religion.” In a society that has lost most of its grit (we’re more whiney, now, and think we’re entitled to more than ever), and a Church that, for the most part, goes the way of society instead of vice-versa (please don’t read too much into that… I LOVE the Church!!!), what does this statement say to us?

Chew on that for the next week and let’s see what you guys think. Or, you can hold up your hands and just “get along.”

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Work, Waiting, and Wives -

Rhett Burns on Answered Prayer

Jun 13th, 2008 by A in Prayer

(Our buddy Rhett Burns, host of Avoid Being an Idiot, in answer to our request for stories of answered prayer, offered the following guest post. Enjoy!)

Our God is certainly a God who hears and answers the prayers of His people. I have experienced this truth numerous times in life. However, when Andy asked me to write a guest post on God’s answer to specific prayers, I did not know exactly what to write. Which really makes me regret not keeping a journal or list of things I’ve prayed for and how God has answered them.

With that said, I’d love to share with you some examples of how prayer has impacted my life. Some are more important than others, which just shows that Jesus is Lord over all of life, not just what we deem spiritual.

God cares and answers prayers about your work

I work as Sports Information Director at North Greenville University. Two football seasons ago, our 25 second play clock malfunctioned several times during the season, but managed to work adequately throughout the regular season. But it quit just before we hosted the biggest football game in school history—the NCCAA’s Victory Bowl.

So I shipped the controller off to Canada to get fixed. It was supposed to arrive via UPS on Friday (the day before the game), but it did not. So I’m praying I will get the controller back by game time on Saturday. It arrives two hours before the game. Great! Not really, it still didn’t work. So I’m trying everything I know to do. We’re taking it apart. We’re praying. I’m telling coaches and referees that it’s not working. They’re mad. I’m still praying.

Five minutes before the game starts, I try one last thing as I’m still praying. I hit it as hard as I can.
Praise God, it worked. The coaches weren’t mad anymore and we won the bowl game. Jesus showed me that day that I need to trust my work to Him.

God cares and answers prayer in His own time

We joke with my sister about her seven years of tribulation—the years she spent at college and then living in the city where she went to school. She went through a lot. Much of it self-inflicted, unfortunately. As a family we prayed for her. A lot. A whole lot.

But she was blind to the life she was living. And would not change.

Honestly, I got mad at her and quit praying. I don’t think my parents did though.

And then, in 2004, God changed her. She moved in with me and I got to see the transformation take place up close. Here I was, the one who quit praying and I got to be on the front lines of seeing Jesus change her life.

It wasn’t on my time. But God nonetheless answered our prayers.

God gave me a wonderful wife

I know it sounds kind of sappy, but growing up I longed to be in love with someone. I remember praying for a wife. For someone to love and to love me. I chased that feeling of love in many wrong places and it caused much sin.

Then , I met Shannon. And I fell in love. We got married last December. The depth of love between us is a beautiful glimpse of the depth of love Jesus has for us.

So there are just a few examples from my life of the power and purpose of prayer. Pray hard. Pray often. Pray specific. And if you think about it, pray for me. Shannon and I are making some big decisions right now that require us to rely on God answering the prayers of His people. God bless.

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Specifically Unspecific Prayer

Jun 9th, 2008 by A in Prayer

Matt Dalton is a brother in the Lord, a blogging friend, and a devoted Christ-follower, husband, and father. He lives in North Carolina, in the little town of Benson. He’s a musician and worship leader, and a gifted writer.

In answer to my request for guest bloggers to share their stories of specific answered prayer, Matt has graciously written a poignant and powerful article that has grown out of his current and real experience. Like Christ in the Garden, he was torn between the specifics of his prayer and the faith he knew God wanted to draw out in him.

Do yourself a favor. Read Mattie’s post (here). Then share his incredible insights with someone you know who may be facing a similar challenge.

(While you’re at it, check out Matt’s insights on how wonderfully created you are here, and a powerful new look at Jesus and the money-changers here.)

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Yale-ing for some Clarity

Jun 6th, 2008 by K in Faith, Family, Prayer

In high school, I was smart and I really enjoyed butting heads on the football field. That’s not to say that I’m not smart now (I like to consider myself as quite an academician) or that I don’t like to bust heads (love me some rugby), but that’s beside that point.

When I was in high school, I prayed and prayed that God would send me to an Ivy League school (Yale, Dartmouth and Brown being the front-runners) to play football. I loved the idea of ivy covered walls and playing fullback up in the beautiful northeast, as well as moving on from there to some prestigious career in medicine or international law where I would make tons of money.

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How

Has God Answered YOUR Prayer?

Jun 5th, 2008 by A in Prayer

We needed $370.00. That’s what I figured up after looking at the bills.

Why was this important on this day? Because I was leading a “praise revival” at a small church in north Texas. Because we were newly-married. Because we were short on cash. Because this was the last day of the conference, and the love offering check would soon be coming in.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that preachers prayed about such things.

Anyway, on this day, we needed $370. I could have asked the Lord for more; after all, it’s nothing to God to see to it I got $1,000, or $10,000 for that matter.

I could have asked for nothing, and said, “Lord, whatever your will is – that’s fine with me.”

But I sensed the freedom to ask – not big, but not small either. The need was for $370.00, so that was what I asked the Lord for.

That night, after the last service was over, the pastor handed me an envelope with a check in it. Per proper ministerial etiquette, I slid it into my inside coat pocket (they teach you these kinds of things in seminary). Later, on the way out the door, a guy walked up and handed me a check for $20.00, saying he hadn’t had time to write the check prior to the offering.

As soon as I got in the car and made sure no one was looking (they didn’t teach that in seminary – I just learned it on my own), I opened the envelope. You guessed it – the check from the church was for $350.00. God not only answered a specific prayer, He did so in a way that called attention to the fact that HE was the one providing it.

Nearly 25 years later, it remains one of my favorite stories of answered prayer.

How about you? How has God answered specific prayers for you in the past? Click on the comments below, or fire me an email if it’s longer, and I’ll post your story as a guest writer.

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The nothing….

May 28th, 2008 by C in Children, Faith, Growth (Spiritual)

As a boy, I grew extremely curious of God mainly because I did not know Him, or anything about Him. Death always scared me because, to me, there was nothing there. When you died, it was over…nothing…zip…nada…

But when I became a believer, it was very hard to picture this image of God in my head. I never had anyone to share what he looked like. Of course he had a long flowing beard…but that was it. God was completely abstract and formless. I would pray to nothing…this nothing that controlled all the stars in all the galaxies and even the very muscle that helps me to breathe. The image was void. There was not an image that encapsulated God in any sense of the imagination. (more…)

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Where Did You Get That Image

of God?

May 26th, 2008 by A in Children, Faith, Growth (Spiritual)

Today Prodigal Jon was talking in Stuff Christians Like about the images we present of God as being big, bad, and ugly.

My vision of God was of an angry, old man with powers beyond my understanding and punishment beyond my creativity. His favorite activities, beside Frisbee, were smiting people and striking people down where they stood for their transgressions. The only reason He wanted me near was so that I was close enough to hit with a big, holy hammer. He was forceful and ominous.

Jon’s understanding has changed over the years, thankfully. But he got me thinking about some of my early visions of the Almighty, and reminded me of the Lego God video presented below - a reminder that sometimes our images of God remain the stuff of childhood.

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Come Join us on a

Grow! Journey

May 22nd, 2008 by A in Growth (Spiritual), Resources

A couple of months ago, Brent (my associate and partner at Turning Point Community Church) and I were in a “Sez Who” mood and we confronted the question:

Who sez you have to have a slump in the summer?

So we began exploring ways to make summertime a growth time – corporately, spiritually, and in every other way. The result was a spiritual growth campaign we just started called Grow!

I’d like to invite you to join us.

Feel free to include your small group, youth group, bridge club, antique car collectors group, prayer circle, missionary society, civic club, blog network, softball team, church, or small nation.

Here’s the way the Grow! campaign works. It has four components:

1. The Grow! Manual
This is a 13-chapter growth manual that can be used in a variety of ways. It is PACKED with scripture-based discussion starters, spiritual foundation/formation truths, and opportunities for you to apply the principles in each chapter to “write your own story.”

You can download the manual in .pdf format by clicking here. If you would like the manual in hard copy, spiral-bound format, email me for details in how to get it.

2. The Grow! Podcast
You will have the opportunity to hear a motivational message via the TPCC or iTunes Podcasting (or, if you’re in Lubbock, you can join us in person May 18-August 10).

3. Grow! Groups
Consider starting a group – even if it’s a group of 2 – to discuss what you’re learning, how you can pray for each other, and how you can apply the principles discussed in each chapter.

4. Grow! Online Forums
We’re in the process of establishing some online discussion forums – primarily through blog networks. The central location for this for starters is our church’s Nfusion Blog. I’ll also be doing some here. But we’re interested in establishing a participating bloggers network. If you have a blog of your own, consider helping us, and we’ll link people to your site.

There are two types of Grow! forum formats. The first involves posting insights related to the current chapter. This could include additional verses, questions, etc. The second involves establishing discussion forums that ask people to respond to specific questions.

If you’re willing to be included in the Grow! network – even if it’s just occasionally – please reply to this post below or contact me via email.

A very dear friend who lived thousands of miles from me, who by God’s grace I helped influence to become a follower of Christ, wrote me afterward and said these amazing words:

“Let’s pray together and grow together, even though we’re mere earthly miles apart.”

I issue to you the same invitation.

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