en-us http://www.intensedebate.com/users/699693 Comments by christianjimmy http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/chilean-miner-sermon-illustrations/#IDComment104011683 Dang. you're so right. I had my sermon for sunday all ready prepared with illustrations, but using the miners and their situation just works better as illustrations on every level. now everyone will think I've stolen the idea from you. Darn you Acuff... Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:50:20 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/chilean-miner-sermon-illustrations/#IDComment104011683 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/letting-go-of-the-barns/#IDComment101497833 Amen brother. And (if it isnt out of place given what you've said about burning the barns of self-approval) I want to give you a manly (side)hug to affirm you. You do an amazing work - and God is using your ministry for His kingdom purposes. Thankyou. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:12:08 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/letting-go-of-the-barns/#IDComment101497833 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/elbowing-someone-during-a-sermon/#IDComment101340260 Awesome. everything in this post dovetails with me! I have felt "guided" to end a relationship afetr a church thing, and I am both an elbower, and an elbowee on multiple occasions. Definitely gonna adopt the beard move, sounds like a winner to me (though the plank move sounds fun too!) Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:08:07 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/elbowing-someone-during-a-sermon/#IDComment101340260 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/having-a-black-belt-in-worship-crowd-control/#IDComment100186210 I'd say the real black belt should be reserved for the worship leader who can wrest control of the "spontaneous" song that wont ever end (Y'know the one where they repeat the same simple chorus over and over, and every time you think its over someone else from the congregation just restarts it... eg Our God is an awesome God - has been known to go on for days. Some churches have been found by archeologists, perfectly preserved in position singing the chorus and never ending it, covered in dust and unable to break the cycle...) Found particularly at big events and conferences, the spontaneous song from the crowd can be a real killer. For my money Tim Hughes mastered the art of taming this rogue beast while at Soul Survivor, by joining in on the a capella sing-a-long, joining in with his guitar and then very deliberately slowing it all down and bringing it to a definitive ending. Kudos of a heavenly worship eagle variety for saving us all from an interminable deathly never-ending chorus! Now thats black belt standard! Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:36:49 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/09/having-a-black-belt-in-worship-crowd-control/#IDComment100186210 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/professional-athletes-who-quit-sports-and-become-pastors/#IDComment93657879 I'm such an Arrested Development fan that I actually carefully re-read your reply Jon to check that you said illusions rather than tricks... but fair play, you got it right! "they're illusions, tricks are what whores do for money... or candy" Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:13:35 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/professional-athletes-who-quit-sports-and-become-pastors/#IDComment93657879 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3442/#IDComment90324015 Congratulations. who is dave ramsey though and what does he do? Mon, 2 Aug 2010 15:04:15 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/08/3442/#IDComment90324015 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/cause-and-effect/#IDComment89336257 Be sick, be loved. Awesome. Love it. Out of interest, what did you say to McRae in response? Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:58:13 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/cause-and-effect/#IDComment89336257 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/having-a-spiritually-competent-conversation-or-at-least-the-impression-of-it/#IDComment86973324 Or if you go to a charismatic church, the old fall-back option is to start babbling and make out like its tongues. That way you get the double whammy of not needing to say anything constructive that will add to the deep conversation, but you also out-spiritual them by praying while they're jibber-jabbering away... Of course, its a bit more tricky to slip into praying in tongues in the middle of a conversation, but if you can pull it off it may be a useful technique. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:35:44 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/having-a-spiritually-competent-conversation-or-at-least-the-impression-of-it/#IDComment86973324 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/overcommitting-to-god-in-worship/#IDComment85806194 Yes. So true, but what about the flip side? Every time we sing the Matt Redman song with the line "and I'll become even more undignified than this," I look around the congregation to ascertain just how undignified people are at that precise moment. I have never seen anyone giving it large in their underwear - and so suspect that this is a song which while we may be truthful in our sentiments (after all its not hard too be even more undignified than the classic sway and dignified clap) definitely falls into the dishonest category in terms of us not really thinking what we're singing about! Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:26:13 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/overcommitting-to-god-in-worship/#IDComment85806194 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/when-christians-try-to-convert-christians/#IDComment85533178 yes. a miraculous knowledge of the bible would be an awesome thing to pull out of the bag. you could really pull some some freakiness by pulling out some old sunday school memory verses in a the-Lords-just-told-me stylee "yeah, and it feels like... that Gods saying... just... that his word if going to be like, a lamp to my feet, and a, sort of, like, just a light to my, y'know... feet. well thats what it feels God is saying... does that sounds right?" I too wish for opportunities to do just that, but am also held back by what probably amounts to the Holy spirit telling me to not be such a jackass! Thu, 8 Jul 2010 15:51:19 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/when-christians-try-to-convert-christians/#IDComment85533178 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/when-christians-try-to-convert-christians/#IDComment85514961 Genius. "the only way to fix an awkward situation is to make it even more awkward... front hug them" Love. It. Or you could always pretend to be quickly converted in such a dramatic way that it provides your converter with such great testimony that they'll be able to write books about it, and never bug people in book-stores again, cos they'll be too busy marketing the "I converted Jon Acuff..." t-shirts and wrist bands around the world. Thu, 8 Jul 2010 13:31:14 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/when-christians-try-to-convert-christians/#IDComment85514961 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/06/having-faith-like-robert-pattinson/#IDComment81682930 True. And if you have a good life for a while then God will call you to be a missionary somewhere you hate amongst people who are the exact opposite of you and you will suffer years of pain... God does love us, and is much better at it than we sometimes give credit for. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:11:39 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/06/having-faith-like-robert-pattinson/#IDComment81682930 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/06/4-ways-to-febreeze-the-song-blessed-be-your-name/#IDComment80247136 I'd love a Lady Gaga version, where the worship leader has to dress up in some weird costume and sit at a giant piano. Or something. Or maybe a Glee version, where it starts with the worship band as per normal but then the rest of the church gradually gets involved in turning it into a song and dance number with choreography and moody looking teens dancing all over the church. But no. 2 is my favourite, mini-Redmans all with little guitars and singing in unison. Awesome. Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:01:22 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/06/4-ways-to-febreeze-the-song-blessed-be-your-name/#IDComment80247136 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/06/3188/#IDComment79463387 As a simple Brit who has to really concentrate to understand baseball (I think I get it, but there's a lot of numbers and initials that are bandied about which overwhelm me after a while,) even I was blown away by this story. Grace in action? You betcha. If more people over this side of the pond understood baseball I'd SO use it in a sermon illustration, and yes I too wouldn't use the sink hole illustration. It'd be too tempting to make it try to say something that actually it simply wasn't about - it was simply a massive tragedy for the people who lived there. End of. No clever links to 2012 or end times, or the sinking inequities of sin, just a plain, horrible life sucks event. If we're more concerned at what it could illustrate than at the horror of what happened then we're in the wrong job. (btw I cant help being astounded by simply how round that hole is... its crazy to a level that I cant even articulate!) Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:43:59 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/06/3188/#IDComment79463387 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/04/2732/#IDComment66393941 Awesome... "what if (Gods) a better father than Jon Acuff?" Genuine truths, all wrapped up in a neat little package of actual clever humour. Nice. Wed, 7 Apr 2010 13:59:46 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/04/2732/#IDComment66393941 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/2615/#IDComment65014810 Awesome. That comma is going to represent my anchor of grace this easter. Every time I feel I'm drifting I'm gonna come back to that little dot with a tail... Thanks Jon Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:03:27 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/2615/#IDComment65014810 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/plague-finger-puppets-go-ahead-read-that-again/#IDComment65014261 Man, you americans got it all! Nothing that exciting over on this side of the pond (uk). As a youth worker myself I wish I had these bad boys to teach with... (imagine what happy, fun stories you could do with the dead firstborn finger puppet... oh, wait... yeh... maybe not) Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:58:55 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/plague-finger-puppets-go-ahead-read-that-again/#IDComment65014261 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/funniest-video-of-the-year-so-far/#IDComment61492003 Gee. Knee. Us. hilarious. Made me laugh inappropriately loudly when I was meant to be doing something way more productive. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:46:35 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/funniest-video-of-the-year-so-far/#IDComment61492003 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/2443/#IDComment61146156 Excellent perspective on that passage. God doesnt always take away the snakes, but He does ultimately provide the saviour. Always worth remembering, always worth hanging onto when those pesky critters are biting - its Friday, but Sunday is coming... Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:17:05 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/03/2443/#IDComment61146156 http://stuffchristianslike.net/?p=2392#IDComment59899032 thanks clover! Fri, 5 Mar 2010 15:30:48 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/?p=2392#IDComment59899032