Many people ask, “Why would we do a series that leverages Hollywood to teach Biblical principles?” Well, Hollywood pours millions of dollars into marketing their product and they capture the attention of our culture. We get to piggyback on that interest to teach something deeper that can really change lives. But also, movies are modern-day parables. Matthew 13:34 says that, “Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.” Jesus used the power of a good story to teach a more important spiritual truth.

This is the perfect time to invite your friends to check out what’s happening. Trust me, they’ll be interested!

This Summer, you can either glide through, or you can make the choice to grow in your walk with God like never before. I look forward to seeing you this week as we get behind the blockbuster movies to find the spiritual truths that can lead us to have a stronger connection with God and with others.

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The fact is, no matter what these people say, the Bible certainly does not “guarantee” anything about May 21^st, 2011. This same organization has predicted previous dates with the same unimpressive results. And according to the Bible, the test of a real prophet is that they have to be 100% right 100% of the time (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

Secondly, Jesus was very clear when He was asked when He would return that, “No one knows the day or hour, not even the Son of God Himself.” (Matthew 24:36) It’s funny how many of these so-called prophets can explain away such a clear teaching from Jesus.

The fact remains that Jesus will return one day, when He chooses. You can read about it in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. But it’s not meant to cause Christ-followers to be afraid. Instead, Paul says we should encourage each other with the reminder that this life isn’t all there is. Jesus is coming back and has a place prepared for us where we will be with Him forever (and that’s a mighty long time).

It blows my mind to consider how much money was spent on this ridiculous ad campaign that in the end will do more damage than good. But it also fires me up to reach out to people who need to hear the truth now more than ever! Many people wonder why it’s taken Jesus so very long to return. He isn’t slow, He is patiently waiting so that every single person who will respond to Him will do so. “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) In the meantime, He wants us to spread the word and bring as many people with us as possible!

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Here is the picture of the letters G-O-D in fried salami and the image of Jesus on toast. It looks like someone took a bite. This gives a whole new meaning to what Jesus said about being the Bread of Life. Then you can see the Jesus Cheeto, otherwise known as Cheesus (soon to be available on eBay).

What if all those people got their food together? It would make a heavenly lunch

If you missed this week’s kickoff for One Prayer, stop by theconnectionchurch.tv to watch the message. I promise you this: God was in the House today at TCC!

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Kris Allen Singing “God Of This City” {American Idol} from Rick Smith on Vimeo.

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When we were given the chance by The River 102.3 to host Chris’s first Austin, TX appearance, I jumped at the chance. It fits right in line with The Connection Church’s strategy of sharing our faith through pop culture. Who better to bring in for our first major concert than the guy who gained attention by telling off Simon Cowell?

So we’re going to celebrate “Back to School” with Chris Sligh and his band performing on Friday night, August 15th at 7pm at the PAC. Tickets are only $10. To buy tickets online, click here.

You’ve heard Chris’ first single “Empty Me” on The River. If you want to buy his cd, you can download it on iTunes here. I’ve got a banner up on the side of my blog so you can order tickets anytime. This would be a great event to bring a friend to that you want to introduce to TCC.

Update: I just read this on Chris’s blog and it got me even more pumped: You need to find a way to come to a Back to School date. The show is
going to be incindiery. Your face will melt off and your heart will be
melted. We’ve got some big plans.

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Since not everything I turned in to Tim made it into our article in the book, I thought I’d give you what was left on the cutting room floor. Tim asked a few questions and here are my answers:

How do you see your
role in the culture?

We are intentional about helping people in
our region make the connection between the world that they live in everyday and
the spiritual principles in God’s Word. As a pastor, I see myself as an
ambassador from the church to the real world, presenting the message of Jesus
in simple terms that people can own and apply.

The question we should be asking is, “How much do I believe people
matter to God?” If I whole-heartedly
believe that God loves people, then I have to care about their interests, what’s
shaping their souls, and the source of their values, which in most cases is pop
culture.

Why do you use pop
culture in your church services?

We use pop culture to help people relax. Most people come to church with their guard
up. Sometimes, this is due to a bad past church experience or cynicism about “religion”
in general. Without any sort of medium to relate through, it’s hard to make a
connection. Without connections to real life, you forfeit your chance to see life
change happen. But when you relate to people with something they are already
familiar with and bring down the walls a little and show them that it’s okay to
laugh, even in church—that this they’re in a safe and fun place—people are more
willing to listen and respond. Many times, a familiar piece of pop culture can
help people understand a Biblical truth.

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Tim is an influential church strategist, leader, Executive Pastor at Granger, and author. In fact, his Simply Strategic books with Tony were some of my go-to books when TCC was started. I have run into him at a few conferences, exchanged a few emails, and read his thoughts and ideas everyday. He’s given us an open window into the development of his new book Pop Goes the Culture since its inception.

The cool thing is, he’s chosen several leaders to read and review the manuscript and give their input on the book. (He just finished this draft yesterday.) And I now get to read it over the next couple of days. I can’t fill you in on the details until the book is officially released, but as a fan of pop culture and a lover of the church, I’m excited about this book and how it’s going to impact the church.

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I was just at the mall where I saw this: a vending machine for iPods. Just pick your pod, pay and go. If they’d only had an iPhone, I might have had to pick one up. How many of these do they sell this way?

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The bad: Tony Bennett and Bette Midler. I am so thankful for TiVO!

And the winner is: 17 year-old Jordin Sparks. Jordin closed out the night with her first single "This Is My Now" which was chosen by a national competition this year. The winning song was written by Christian singer/songwriter Scott Krippayne. Jordin has sung bgv’s with Michael W. Smith for a couple of his Christmas tours and came in second in 2004 at Music in the Rockies (which was founded by Cam Floria, if that name sounds familiar to you, think "Bram" Floria and you’ll get the Connection connection). I’m excited about her winning because she has an awesome platform to be a roaring lamb in our culture. Let’s pray that she will make wise decisions and keep her focus on Jesus as her career takes off. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer, or more gifted, girl.

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