gdp's Comments

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Sex.

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:29:26 +0000

Sex AFTER marriage is awesome? Shoot. I thought abstinence was supposed to end at marriage, not after it. I've been enjoying sex DURING marriage for 10 years. Wow, our premarital counselor was way off...

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Win 5 free copies of a great new book.

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:20:08 +0000

Montana Grizzlies - Up with Montana boys, down with the foes...

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : The power ballad worship song.

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:56:41 +0000

Shout to the Lord has all the quintessential elements of the Church Power Ballad/Anthem. 1. The mild-mannered, sweet, sappy, Jesus-is-my-boyfriend" verse: "My Jesus, My Savior, Lord there is none like you. My comfort, my shelter..." (cf. "More Than Words" by Extreme) 2. It's an all-and/or-nothing song: "There is NONE like You. ALL of my days. Let EVERY breath, ALL that I am, NEVER cease to worship You. ALL the earth." (cf. "You're the Best" by Joe Esposito) 3. It's got powerful butt-kicking words. Words you'd find in song about Chuck Norris. "The WONDERS of your MIGHTY love. TOWER of refuge STRENGTH. SHOUT to the Lord. POWER and MAJESTY, praise to the KING. MOUNTAINS BOW DOWN AND THE SEAS WILL ROAR AT THE SOUND OF YOUR NAME." Seriously, it's like the words were taken from www.chucknorrisfacts.com. 4. The mild-mannered verse steadily ramps up to an anthemic chorus. Every time. Without fail. (cf. "The Reason" by Hoobastank - which is a band name that still sounds like something slightly kinky) 5. There's usually a key change. Key changes are anthemic because they create anticipation. You actually have to pay attention to what's going on, even though you've already sung it a thousand times. This month. And now, 5 real proven Power Ballads that somebody should probably sing in a church that is much hipper than mine: 1. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica 2. My Immortal - Evanescence 3. Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx 4. More than Words - Extreme 5. Faithfully - Journey

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Forgetting 1 geography lesson.

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:07:41 +0000

A Bible College professor of mine used to say "it's impossible to flee sin and be entertained by it at the same time." He was speaking about the entertainment industry, but I think the application here is the same. Flee from sin, don't flirt with it. Great post.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : What are you reading? A Short Saturday Question.

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 01:29:55 +0000

Reading a 3-books-in-1 by John Maxwell: The Winning Attitude, Becoming a Person of Influence, and Developing the Leaders Around You.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Having a "life verse."

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 01:23:21 +0000

During my sophomore year at Bible College, where I learned to be a spiritual smart ass: "Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die." - Genesis 27:4, NIV But for real...it's 2 Corinthians 5:20 - "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us..."

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Hipster Christianity - Win 5 copies.

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:15:27 +0000

Wow. You just set a really high bar.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Hipster Christianity - Win 5 copies.

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:07:53 +0000

Can I please enter my wife? She's a dork. When she puts her shirts away in the closet, she does her best to match the color of the shirt and the plastic hanger it hangs on. Teal shirt on teal hanger. Burgundy shirt on burgundy hanger. Yup, really.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : One letter that changes everything.

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:29:16 +0000

Wow, terrific post. I am reminded of something singer/songwriter Derek Webb said on his "House Show" album: "We should have no fear in being honest with each other about who we really are – not just offering up the sins that we feel safe confessing, but being completely bold, being completely forthcoming about who we really are. And saying, 'You know what? I am going to stop hiding from you, and I’m going to tell you who I really am because I believe the gospel is true. I can only admit to you who I really am to you because I believe that Jesus is who he really is as well.' And you’re never going to be truly filled with joy unless you truly know yourself for who you really are. And until you are a real sinner with a real Savior, you will be a hypothetical and theoretical sinner – and therefore, with a hypothetical and theoretical savior." I apologize for the long quote, but it's worth hearing in its entirety.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Becoming an expert on Africa after a 6-day mission trip.

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:00:27 +0000

Oh, I love Tim Horton's. There is nothing like it. I miss Canada.

Stuff Christians Like - Jon Acuff : Iffy Prayer Requests

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 19:36:24 +0000

Reminds me of growing up in youth group and the high number of "unspoken" prayer requests that would come forward during times of prayer. The "unspoken" request was usually an icebreaker that would loosen everybody up. One "unspoken" request would usually prompt a chorus of other "unspokens" from other students in the group who were embarrassed to admit that they actually needed prayer. "Unspoken" was typically used as a cover up for one of two things, I think. First, it was used by kids who were clearly and obviously struggling with some sin, but they were too embarrassed to admit it in public. Ironically, all the kids in the youth group already knew that she was sleeping with her non-Christian boyfriend, because high school youth group communication is built on gossip and judgment. But her request would be "unspoken" anyway, just reaffirming the gossip in everyone's mind. The second thing the "unspoken" request would cover up were sincere prayer requests that would get a student labeled as a holier-than-thou or a self-righteous fake. These requests were for things like God's guidance, a physical ailment or the need for strength in a time of temptation. These were legitimate prayer requests, but fodder for judgmental teenagers nonetheless. I think the fact that we feel as though we can't be honest about our weaknesses is a terrible sign of the spiritual condition of the Church. We are all sinners saved by grace - and nothing more - yet we reserve the right to sit in judgment of one another's sins. The most refreshing and powerful times of prayer I have ever had were when I had the guts to admit to my peers that I was controlled by lust, or losing the battle against my temper, or that I was scared to death of failing at marriage or parenthood. I have often thought that the "forgive us our trespasses" aspect of the Lord's prayer is the most neglected in our prayer circles. And while I am far from a model of an exemplary prayer life, I truly feel sorry for those who don't have the assurance they need to confess their weaknesses before their brothers and sisters in Christ. The situation can certainly be humorous when someone makes a request that others know is a cover up, but to me it usually seems too sad to be funny.