Top 5 Silly Songs with Larry-No. 4: School House Polka

March 10, 2010 Leave a comment

In honor of my What’s in the Bible? Giveaway, I am counting down the Top 5 Silly Songs with Larry of all time.

Number 4: School House Polka.

Top 5 Silly Songs with Larry-No. 5: Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything

March 9, 2010 Leave a comment

In honor of the What’s in the Bible? Giveaway I announced yesterday, I am counting down the Top 5 Silly Songs with Larry (the “Silly Songs” are my favorite VeggieTales skits).

I will be posting one a day for the next five days with a break on Sunday, and on Monday I will announce the winner of the giveaway and post my reviews of the first two DVDs in the What’s in the Bible? series.

I know people are passionate about their favorite Silly Song, so I hope yours made the list. Check back daily to find out.

Number 5: Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.

Giveaway-What’s in the Bible? DVDs

March 8, 2010 9 comments

VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer and Tyndale have a new project: What’s in the Bible?

As the proud parent of a 20-month old VeggieTales addict (and as a 36-year old “Silly Songs with Larry” addict myself), I can honestly say I was tremendously excited when asked to review What’s in the Bible? It’s a welcome break from the stack of books on Genesis that have been looming, awaiting their review.

What’s in the Bible? is a new DVD series from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer designed to walk kids and families through the entire Bible. The 13 DVD-series will release beginning March 1, 2010.

I have been asked to review the first two episodes, and I have gift certificates for the first two episodes to giveaway. If you have kids, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or if you are just a kid at heart, you should enter to win these videos.

I will post my reviews on Monday, March 15, 2010.

The rules:

  1. US residents and mailing addresses only.
  2. All you have to do to enter is leave your name in the comment section below. I will post the winner on Monday, March 15, 2010 at 5:00 pm (CST). The winner will then contact me with their mailing info and I will ship the gift certificates.
  3. You can earn extra entries by linking to this contest on facebook, twitter, or in a blog post about this contest – one extra entry per link up to five. Let me know where you have linked to this contest so I can verify it and give you extra entries.

Good Luck!.

I’m Back, The Primary is Over, and On to November

March 8, 2010 2 comments

It’s been a while since I last posted anything. I haven’t completely fallen off the face of the earth, and I hope to catch up on some stuff here.

As many of you know, I am in the middle of a campaign for County Judge, and, now that the primary election is over, I expect life to settle down a little bit until September, October and November when we will start campaigning again for the general election.

I want to thank everybody for the love and support.

Romans Bible Study

January 14, 2010 8 comments

Our Wednesday night Bible study (which was Hebrews last semester) got a second act. This semester we will be studying the book of Romans.

For those following the Hebrews Bible Study online, I realize I haven’t posted the concluding chapters, which I will do when I get a little spare time, but I invite you to follow our Romans Bible Study. Last night we kicked off this semester with a lifegroup party before we dig into Romans starting next Wednesday.

Our group experienced some pretty cool stuff last semester, and we were presented with one ministry opportunity after another, after another. And it sure is fun watching all of that continue to unfold. So, I think we will be expanding even more the ministry aspect of our lifegroup, but without shortchanging the Bible study itself. I’m hoping we can make the ministry stuff our extra-curricular activity, so we can have the study element, the ministry element, and the testimonial element, without having to cram all of it into 1.5 hours a week.

This will be the repository for all of the Romans Bible Study posts for now until the semester is over and I can compile all of the posts into one master post, so bookmark this page. The chapter links below will become active as the semester progresses.

Any suggestions regarding commentaries, extra reading, etc. would be much appreciated. I’ve ordered two commentaries (Stott’s Romans: Encountering the Gospel’s Power and Kuhatschek’s Romans: Becoming New in Christ), but they have yet to arrive.

It’s going to be another great semester!

  • Romans Chapter 1
  • Romans Chapter 2
  • Romans Chapter 3
  • Romans Chapter 4
  • Romans Chapter 5
  • Romans Chapter 6
  • Romans Chapter 7
  • Romans Chapter 8
  • Romans Chapter 9
  • Romans Chapter 10
  • Romans Chapter 11
  • Romans Chapter 12
  • Romans Chapter 13
  • Romans Chapter 14
  • Romans Chapter 15
  • Romans Chapter 16

Ode to Texas

January 7, 2010 2 comments
Texas, fight. Texas, fight,
in the title game.
For it is a BCS championship
that you shall claim.
To Colt, Mack, Bevo
and all the rest,
all that is expected
is your very best.
So that when it is all over,
and the stands have cleared,
may it be to Alabama,
the worst they could have feared.
Not because they are unworthy,
or likely cheating again,
but because I’m a selfish fellow,
and I really want UT to WIN!

Jesus: Creator, Created, Both or Other

January 6, 2010 41 comments

We had an interesting discussion yesterday during our church’s Revelation Bible Study (we meet weekly, and it’s led by a good friend of mine who blogs about it at The Watchman’s Gaze).  I didn’t at all mean to derail the discussion, and I think I only sidetracked us for a few minutes, but I want other opinions.

Revelation 3:14 provides:

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this… (NASB)

Now, I don’t mean to call into question the divinity of Jesus, or his role as creator, but as “the Beginning of the creation of God,” was there a point in time where the manifestation of God as Jesus came into existence or did the representation of God as Jesus always exist?

Our discussion leader and our pastor (who blogs at the Monday Morning Review) were  adamant (in a very friendly and cordial way-both are experienced in indulging my quirky rabbit trails) that Jesus always was. I, with very little other support around the table (except for possibly our pastor’s wife-who doesn’t blog yet), however, continue to be nagged with the metaphysical question of Jesus as “the Beginning of the creation of God” and as “…the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…”

I certainly do not see it as heretical to think of Jesus coming into existence in some way as other reflections of God must have, His Word for example. I think we got hung up on the word “created.” And I don’t care if we use “created” or some other word to describe it. Physicists spend an awful lot of time and energy trying to figure out the moment of creation, but I want to know your thoughts about the time before that, specifically the moment of the creator.

Thoughts? Ideas? Scriptural Authority?

Top 50-Official and Unofficial

January 5, 2010 Leave a comment

In case anyone missed it, like me until today, the Biblioblog Top 50 for December is out, officially and unofficially.

Personally, I prefer the unofficial rankings which have BOB at 11 (down 5 slots from #6 in November), while the official rankings have me at 17 (-11). Considering I took 3 weeks off in December, I can live with either.

Does God Ever Answer Prayer, “No!”?

December 30, 2009 12 comments

I threw my Hebrews Bible Study group for a loop when I raised this question.

I suggested that scripture says He does not. I also confessed that my initial reaction to this question is to say, “Of course He does,” but I cannot find scriptural authority for that answer. I should also say that just about everyone who I have ever asked this question also says He does. I’m just not so sure. I realize this goes against everything that is rational and against everything we have ever been taught, but it is something I’ve been mulling over for quite some time now.

Now, my assertion, or suggestion really, requires several caveats (just to name a few):

  1. God can only do what God can do. I don’t think God is able to answer a prayer that would harm one believer in favor of another, for example. Nor do I think God is able to answer prayer that is made sinfully (translated selfishly, impatiently, etc.).
  2. God will not go against His Word. If a prayer is contrary to scripture, or requires something unscriptural of others, it cannot be answered.
  3. God cannot heal, relieve you of, or deliver you from certain conditions brought about by unforgiveness, for example, or willful sin, without the requisite forgiveness or confession and repentance.
  4. God’s answers aren’t always the answers we expect. For example, an answer to prayer for financial breakthrough might include learning about budgeting, or saving, or giving as prerequisites to God handing someone a big fat check; but, if the one praying just wants the check without the means to handle the funds, whose really saying, “No”?

There are others, of course, but, rather than simply tell me how wrong I am, I would ask that you think about the example(s) you come up with and see if they do not fit into one of these categories first. Our group raised a few interesting examples, and I will try and treat the categories of answers in a later post, but I want to know what you, my dear reader, think.

I’m Back

December 23, 2009 9 comments

It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to post anything. Between work, campaign stuff, church, family, and infrequent internet access, blogging has taken a back seat. I’m looking forward to getting back in the groove, though.

I appreciate everyone continuing to comment and read (traffic was surprisingly steady), thanks. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and wonderful new year.

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