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What Kind of Jerk Drives While Texting?

donknoup — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:31:14 +0000

From time to time people do things that annoy me. I’m sure this never happens to you, but on occasion I’ve been known to get angry at complete strangers. Today as I was rolling down the street I looked over and the guy in the lane next to me is holding his phone in one hand sending a text message or calling someone and then steering with the other hand.

As I said to myself, “what a jerk!”…I then moved the hamburger from right hand to my left hand (which was holding the steering wheel by the way) and then I reached down and grabbed some french fries. About the time I was wishing I had a third hand to reach the napkin with, it occurred to me that I’m an even bigger jerk.

To make matters even worse, I started to recall all of the times when I was sending or receiving a phone call or text message while I was driving. (Please don’t tell my teenager daughter, she thinks texting while driving is totally off limits LOL). Of course I can justify to myself by saying how I have speech to text and a speaker phone….but it’s really time to own up and just admit that I’m guilty.

I’m guilty of doing the same things that I myself despise. I’m guilty of doing things that annoy people around me.

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” – Colossians 2:8 NKJV

I am often put off by those who try act as though they are so deeply philosophical as they debate at such great lengths about “important” matters of life and spirituality. They press in with their agenda to win whatever argument is they have seen fit to debate. And it sometimes infuriates me when they take worldly ideals and principles to try to prove their point.

But then I stop and think and then realize again…I’m guilty. How many pointless arguments have I had (even some in the name of defending my Christian beliefs) about “important” things that really in all honesty meant nothing in the grander scope of life.

The problem is that when we try to use our own philosophy, traditions, and ideas; rather than the word of God to build our case….well let’s just say that’s destined to fail. The bible says that we are “cheated” when this occurs.

We must remind ourselves every day that real truth comes from God. Real truth is found in His word…..oh and maybe Don should go easy on that guy in the next car.

You Asked For It Week #4

donknoup — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:33:19 +0000

You Asked For It Week # 4 at nxt.lvl

Bread Week 3 – Next Level Service

donknoup — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:05 +0000

January 27, 2010 Next Level Service

Should Church Be Boring?

donknoup — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:11:21 +0000

Check out this post from Tony Morgan as he comments on a book by Skye Jethani. In my opinion church should definitely NOT be boring.

Wasted Part 2

donknoup — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:30:26 +0000

In my last post I talked about how we waste our time watching movies that are terrible. Two hours of your life are history. They ain’t coming back. Since time travel is probably still a few years off…maybe what we really need to do is stop the waste before it begins or at least before it consumes 2 hours of our lives.

What can you elminate from your life which just robs your time? Is there something in your life that is unnecessary? unproductive? un-Godly?

In Mark 5:24-34 we find the story of the woman who had a blood disorder for 12 years. One of the things that sticks out to me in this passage is this, “She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.” Despite all that she had done, it was all a waste of time until she came to Jesus.

How often do we waste our time on unimportant things negelcting the one thing that really matters?

Darkness Week # 4

donknoup — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:57:41 +0000

Week 4 for our series at nxt.lvl called Darkness.

Relevant

donknoup — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:03:26 +0000

Relevant [rel-uh-vuhnt]
–adjective

bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark.

It’s probably no suprise but this word appears nowhere in the bible. Yet, this word is one that I believe is so important for the “church” today. You might even say that this word is relevant for us. We have spent way to many years becoming irrelevant. We spend too much time doing things that make us disconnected. I think it’s time for us to focus on getting connected again.

²² to the weak I became as^[a] weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1 corinthians 9:22

There is a reason it’s called the “great” commission. It’s great because it’s great in importance. If we are going to reach people then we need to be connected…relevant. That means that we need to concentrate more on the eternal and less on the temporal. While I’m at it, let’s stop using words like temporal.

I can be so guilty of this. As the church we often use a language that only we understand. We have a way of thinking that only makes sense to us. Instead of being so disconnected, we need to make sure that we make the gospel message relevant for the people we are trying to reach.

Darkness Week 2

donknoup — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:45:41 +0000

Week 2 for our brand new series at nxt.lvl called Darkness.

I’m Full Gospel

donknoup — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:52:26 +0000

I heard an expression recently which I have heard many times in the past. I heard someone say, “full gospel” while they were talking about a church. To me that phrase is just one of the many weird things that we Christians say. Think about it for a moment, what’s the alternative? Are there some churches out there that are claiming to be half gospel? Are there more levels like 1/4 gospel or 5/16 gospel? If you go to a 1/2 gospel church what does that look like. Would they be like yes, we are a 1/2 gospel church…we believe that Jesus saves…he just doesn’t save you.

Seriously this just doesn’t make any sense. If you are a follower of Jesus than you ought to be full gospel. We should believe the bible 100%. We can’t take the parts that we like and leave the rest. We need to take it all.

Check out what John wrote in the book of Revelation 22:18-19. I believe the bible is the Holy Word of God and it is wholly inspired by Him. I Am Full Gospel.