Ministry Spotlight – Upper 90 Ministry

29. September 2009

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Ministry Spotlight – Upper 90 Ministry

The way that Jesus reached people always took on a different form. For some, He reached them through healing. For others, He reached them through a parable that revolved around where they were in life. He told parables about fishing when He came into contact with fishermen. He told parables about various walks of life, hoping to tie in the lessons of God to something that they could understand. Upper 90 Ministry is seeking to do the same thing, using the most global sport in the world to open the door for the message of Jesus.

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When Love Means War

20. September 2009

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When Love Means War

Eight years ago, September 11, 2001, America was attacked by Islamic terrorists. Shortly after, our nation went to war against those who perpetrated this evil. It has been a long and costly struggle. And today, as then, those of us who follow Jesus continually weigh that cost and wonder, “What is the Godly response to [...]

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Right Makes Blight

29. August 2009

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Right Makes Blight

Being ‘right’ is a commodity that drives people to do some asinine things.  Self-righteous ‘street preachers’ blast pedestrians with cold-hearted theology, generals and commanders march their ranks off to demise for a cause they see as right, and relationships fail with conviction because one party refused to back down on principle. Rightness is something I hear constant [...]

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Hitched Hiking

19. August 2009

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Hitched Hiking

I must admit I was less than thrilled about it.  I mean, c’mon, I don’t normally do these things.  It’s not my favorite thing to do.  In fact, I would rather save our time and do something…I don’t know…a little less “natural.” Now don’t get me wrong, I was happy when my wife suggested we [...]

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Fight Like Jesus III – Free E-Book

13. August 2009

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Fight Like Jesus III – Free E-Book

“Be quiet!” “Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God!” Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. [...]

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God, are You ignoring me?

6. August 2009

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God, are You ignoring me?

There are a lot of things in life that I don’t know, and each day I discover brand new reasons that I’m not as smart as I thought. However, one thing that I have learned in 30 years of life and 3 years of marriage is what a conversation looks like. One person talks while the other listens, and then they switch places. Pretty straightforward, really. Except when it comes to God.

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Fight Like Jesus II

20. July 2009

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Fight Like Jesus II

But early on Mark had run scared. We don’t know details, but something happened to set him off. Fear of being mocked or worse? Fear of losing the security he felt from familiar surroundings? Fear of not knowing how to fight to win? Whatever, Mark went AWOL. We piece together Mark’s story from Acts in the New Testament, a reference in a letter from Paul, the Gospel that bears his name, and from Church tradition. By the end, Mark makes a remarkable recovery and lives and dies, living up to his name - “Warrior.” As a young man Mark joined Paul and Barnabas when the community of Jesus-followers in Antioch commissioned then to plant churches around the Mediterranean. It proved dangerous adventure that Mark couldn’t endure. Shortly after the mission began Mark turned tail and headed home. Only he could explain why.

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Fight Like Jesus

8. July 2009

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Fight Like Jesus

Say something, for God’s sake! When Jesus shows up things happen. When he shows up he uses words and the world is recreated. Words are Jesus’ weapon of choice and his tool of design. He could hurl lightning bolts, or split mountains with his fist, or with a wave of his hand toss the armies of the planet into the sea. Instead, Jesus says things. For words, when they are the right words, spoken by the right messenger, are enough. At the start of his ministry Jesus explained his mission in words that Isaiah the Prophet had borrowed from God:“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” Luke 4:17-19.

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Jesus: Truth, Legend or Conspiracy?

22. June 2009

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Jesus: Truth, Legend or Conspiracy?

As someone at my local church, described the crazy details behind the religion of Scientology, about the levels of knowledge you master and the history of the sci-fi book from which much of the theology came from, I pondered on my own beliefs. Almost as quickly as I said, “how can people believe that” I quietly thought to myself, “you know, this is some crazy stuff we believe in too”, is this whole Bible thing really logical. To an outsider that has not grown up in the church his whole life, the story must sound a little outlandish. A baby comes to this Earth from a virgin mother, is born in a stable along side 3 wise-men, and is not only the perfect being but also the Son of God. He performed miracles, healed the sick, made water into wine, died on a cross along with all of my sins, and then rose from the dead to be seated at the right hand of God. Wow, I mean if I step back from it, it sounds a lot like the epic Star Wars story I just went too. It seems like a large tale, a beautifully mastered Hollywood script, with the underdog heroes coming through in the end. Is this really just a legend? Did stories of Jesus get exaggerated over the years and the breaking of bread for a few people turned into food for hundreds? Did his praying for the sick, turn into healing the sick? The information in this article is summarized from a sermon by Dr. Greg Boyd, Head Pastor of Woodland Hills Church in Maplewood, MN. Click here for the entire sermon. If you do not take the Bible story to be true, you have to either think it is a lie and a conspiracy, that the Disciples made it all up in a plot to deceive the world, or it has to be a legend, in which the true story has been changed and exaggerated as it was passed down from generation to generation. Our faith has to go beyond the evidence, but for the critical mind, the Christian faith is also based on historical truth. There are 6 fundamental problems with the Legend theory.

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Ride for Purpose

20. June 2009

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Ride for Purpose

We’re riding at 6700 feet today, and the air is noticeably thin, like someone cut the oxygen to separate the sheep from the mountain goats.  As I poke through the sharp turns, the walls of the red canyon remind me I should have ridden more this spring.  This week, I’m accompanying the Ride:Well Tour leaders [...]

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