Author: pastorjonathan

Christian,Husband, Dad, Pastor, Mentor, Volunteer.

Avatar: 3 Things I’d Tell My Teenage Son After Watching Avatar

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Ok before I start its only fair to say that my son isn’t a teenager (he’s almost 2 months old) and I’m really not a fan of Avatar.  But because I had the opportunity to see the movie and I work with teenagers (and I can imagine my son being a teenager one day), I went to the movies with the eyes of a father.  I posted something similar earlier in a post entitled, 3 things I’d tell my Teenage Daughter After Watching New Moon.

Here are three things I’d tell my son after we watched Avatar together…

1. Amazing Story (telling)  Does Not Equal Truth

The movie Avatar was one of the most amazing special effects movies I have ever seen (Especially seeing it in 3D).  Not only was the cinematography convincing, but the story line drew the viewer into the movie.  There were actually people clapping and cheering around us at different parts.  It was amazing, but it wasn’t true.

I know, I know your saying, “Duh! Dad, That’s the point.” But I want you to hear me out on this one.  We can see things projected on a screen that amaze us.  We can allow our imaginations to be invited along on a journey such as this, but we have to understand that this is fantasy.   Fantasy can’t inform our logic.  Remember, I told you a story about a kid who said he believed that all the miracles of the Bible could be explained by aliens.  His interest in science fiction had lead him so far as to believe it more rational for aliens to manipulate us than to believe that God could work in His own creation.

You are an intelligent young man.  I am proud of your ability to reason.  As I have told you countless times before the faith I hold is my own.  I have taught you truth about God, but you must use your own mind to engage the truth about God and come to your own place of faith in Him.  It is not enough to blindly follow me on the path I tread.  You must seek wisdom for yourself.  Your eyes must be open.

2. We Don’t Have to Look to the Movies to See Injustice

You have grown so much from the little infant that once peed on me.  I can see you becoming a man more and more each day.  You are taking on responsability and helping others.

Do you remember how people were cheering in the movie during the battles scenes?  The director did a great job of creating a sense of injustice.  Did you see the look on the alien faces when their home was being destroyed?  There was so much sorrow and so much anguish.  But that was just a movie.  In parts of our world today, even in our city, there is injustice.  People are being taken advantage of and hurt many times just because of their ethnicity or their beliefs.

It is our responsibility to challenge injustice when we see it.  Ultimately all injustice will find its day in the court of our high King who will call for a reckoning of the living and the dead.  Every evil dead or act of wickedness will be exposed and called into account.  Hell is not a doctrine contrived so that people would conform to faith.  Hell is the reality and logical end God’s justice.  It is also what makes his love and mercy poured out in Christ so amazing.

That is why we seek to go out of our way to tell others about God.  Not only because He is just, but because He is loving.  All of us have sinned against others and been sinned against.  We all need justice and forgiveness that can only be found in Jesus.

3. Living Vicariously Doesn’t Equal Real Living

I am proud of you for the work ethic that you have developed.  I know at times that it was difficult when your mother and I limited the screen time that you absorbed.  The truth is that football games, movies (like avatar) and video games are all entertaining, but there is so much more to life than entertainment.

There is a whole sense in this movie where Jake becomes the Avatar.  At first its like a video game, but then the lines between his world and the rest of Pandora blend.  This may fit well for a movie plot, but it does not bode well for real life.  As you grow older and take on the responsabilities of being a man you will have to choose for yourself how you spend your time.  My desire is that you would choose to engage in this life fully.

I knew guys who flunked out of college because they stayed up late playing video games.  In the end the video games and TV won’t last.  The exercise we get from watching SEC football games doesn’t count for us like it does for they guys who are in the game.  My prayer for you is that when it comes to how you will live your life and the decisions you make, that you are fully engaged.

While there is more that could be said and discussed about the movie.  I thought these three points were worth talking about briefly.

    • How to Get Free Books (Part 1)

    On By pastorjonathanIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

    If you are a blogger there are several publishing companies through which you can get free books.  For the next few weeks I will share my experiences with a few of these companies and how you too can get free books in exchange for a book review.

    I review for BookSneeze

    I first learned about the BookSneeze program through Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt’s Blog.  I signed up and was soon getting free books for review.  The BookSneeze program in my estimation is one of the easiest programs to use.  Basically you log on to the main page, enter in your information, your interest, and request a book to review.  A week or two later you receive the book, read it and write a brief review.  Reviewers are asked to post on their blog as well as a consumer website like amazon.com.  After you have completed your review and posted a link to both your blog and your review on a consumer website you can request another book.

    Strengths

    You get Free Books

    You have plenty of time to review the book

    The program is easy to use

    You can view other blogger reviews

    Weaknesses

    You can only get one book at a time

    You get books after the have already hit the market

    Thomas Nelson has streamlined the process and made it easy for even beginning bloggers to log in and figure out how things work.  I highly recommend the BookSneeze program if you are new to writing book reviews or new to blogging.  So far I have received and written reviews for 8 books through Thomas Nelson. Compared to the other programs I give it a 4 out of 5.

    How to Get Free Books (Part 2)

    How to Get Free Books (Part 3)

    Book Review: “Tea With Hezbollah” by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis

    On By pastorjonathanIn Uncategorized3 Comments

    Tea With Hezbollah: Sitting at The Enemies’ Table, Our Journey Through The Middle East by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis is by far one of the best books I have ever read.  The authors take the reader on a thrilling real life adventure through the Middle East to have tea and discuss what it means to love your neighbor with many of America’s greatest assumed enemies. This book is full of eye-opening encounters that show a softer side of the Middle East not often portrayed in the West.

    The interviews and introspection provided in this book are key in understanding the life experiences and mindset of those who live in the Middle East.  The book is faithful to seek varied perspectives along the way.  The insight gained from this book is key and has helped me personally understand and gain an interest in Middle Eastern affairs. I would highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in Middle Eastern issues.

    This is a very timely and well written book that engages the reader every step of the way.   Tea With Hezbollah is a must read for 2010. The retail price is $22.99 (Hardcover) and is worth twice that. It is also available at places like Amazon.com for $15.51. I give it 5 Stars and would give it more.  It truly is a great book.

    Disclaimer: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.

    Book Review: “Where is God,” By Dr. John Townsend

    On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

    Where is God by Dr. John Townsend is not all that I expected it to be.   Quite frankly there are better books on the topic available in the market.   The author does an excellent job of taking the reader through a series of questions and shares great clinical insight from years of practice.  However the real insights don’t begin until near the end of the book.  It seems as though I was sitting down with a friend to hear his latest thoughts on why God allowed suffering.

    I enjoyed the wisdom I gained from Dr. Townsend’s years of clinical experience, the few references to scripture, and the stories of practical expression of the question, “Where is God?”  A book like this aimed to be, needed to be grounded in scripture, up to date on relevant study and written by a man with years of clinical experience.  In the end I felt as though only the last requirement was satisfactorily answered.  Though Dr. Townsend has a well respected name in his field of work, I fear that is all that was driving this book.  Though I agree with him in many areas he left too much unfounded and unsaid. I have a hard time recommending this book to anyone.  For a topic this large a more complete treatment was necessary.

    Where is God? is a book to read for anyone very unfamiliar with the scriptures and searching for a starting point. The retail price is $22.99 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $15.63. I gave it two stars.

    Disclaimer: As a blogger I received a free review copy from the Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program  (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ ).  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for the reviewer to call it like they see it.

    3 Things I Learned From My Mentor

    On By pastorjonathanIn Uncategorized2 Comments

    Early on in my ministry I had the privilege of being mentored.  It all started when I told my old youth pastor that I was going to college to become a student pastor.  He told me to find someone doing student ministry that I could sit in with and learn the ropes.  I quickly found an old friend who had been a counselor at camp and started helping him do student ministry.  At the time I didn’t realize that I was being mentored.  I would stop in his office for about 4 hours each Monday afternoon and talk to him (like he didn’t have anything better to do).  He graciously poured into me and helped me grow in my walk with God and as a pastor.  Here are 3 things I learned from having a mentor and I hope to pass on to those I mentor…

    1. The Importance of Shepherding and Not Just Planning Events.

    Lots of times young student pastors will fall in the rut of planning events with no real end game in sight.  It’s easy to plan what is cool or what will get kids motivated, but difficult to sit through strategy and scrap cool ideas for ones that will help you bring kids closer to God.  I was given pretty free rein, but the questions that came out of those mentoring sessions really helped me gain a shepherding perspective early.

    2. To Remember that  Parents are Still the Number One Influence in a Students Life

    I had several great ideas that would have made most parents sweat.  Lots of young student pastors make mistakes with parents early on.  They either take the kids off and forget to tell parents, talk bad about parents, or simply forget to include parents in the information process.  Parents are a vital part of genuine students ministry.  At the end of the day the students in my ministry aren’t coming home to my house for a Thanksgiving feast, they are coming their home.  Parents for good or for bad are primary disciplers in a students life.

    3. Doctrine is Important

    I was 18 when I started as a student pastor and while my doctrine was sounder than most 18 year-olds I knew, it wasn’t always completely sound.  It was important to have a mentor who could easily spot holes in my teaching method or in my thoughts about God.  I was often confronted gently with scripture and reminded that true thoughts about God have their origin in the Scriptures.

    Book Give Away!

    On By pastorjonathanIn books11 Comments

    I have an extra copy of Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis’  new book, Tea With Hezbollah.  Quite frankly it is one of the most eye opening an amazing books I have ever read.  (I’ll post my review next week on the 25th when it comes out).

    In the mean time if you would like a chance to win my extra copy of the book, just leave a creative and convincing comment about why you want the book. I’ll pick the most creative and convincing comment and announce the winner on January 25th.   If you win I will need to be able to contact you via e-mail (so make sure you fill that part out when leaving a comment).

    Since my review is not out yet.  Here is a tidbit about the book…

    Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.

    Book Review: “Dug Down Deep,” By Joshua Harris

    On By pastorjonathanIn books1 Comment

    Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters by Joshua Harris is a great book  for anyone interested in knowing God.  Harris brings the reader along on his own personal journey through the world of evangelicalism to the places and times in his life when he learned the most about God.  He humbly presents theology and doctrine where they meet at the cross-road of life.  Harris shares his struggles to not only to know God, but to live the faith that he professes providing a very vivid and practical edge to the book.

    I appreciated the author’s writing style.  When reading Dug Down Deep I couldn’t help but come away feeling as though we had met several times over coffee and he was just sharing about his life.  I got a glimpse not only into theology and doctrine, but into how he practically seeks to walk with God.  The chapters were very readable and put complex issues on a simple and easy to understand level.

    This is one of the most practical books on theology and doctrine I have ever read.  I really liked this book and would highly recommend it to anyone.   Dug Down Deep is an excellent resource. The retail price is $19.99 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $13.49. I gave it five stars.

    Disclaimer:  This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.  There was no requirement to give the book a good review.  Just to review it and tell you what I really think.

    5 Tips for Becoming a More Disciplined Reader

    On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

    So you haven’t done so well at finishing a book once you start.  Or you are a little sporadic in your reading.  Here are a few tips to help you become a more disciplined regular reader.  Whether you are reading a book a day or a book a year, hopefully these tips will help drive you further along in the process.

    1. Set a realistic deadline.

    I found the syllabus in college very helpful in providing a daily or weekly schedule of reading.  If you have trouble starting and finishing a book, why not take a few minutes, flip through the book you want to read and set out a realistic reading schedule.  Maybe a chapter a day or a chapter a week.  Figure out a deadline and work your way back from there.  When you find yourself getting behind, double up until you have caught up.

    2. Read at a set time.

    Maybe you have time in the morning before work or Tuesdays at Lunch or for an hour on the treadmill in the gym.  Find a time and place that work best for you and fit into your regular schedule and start reading.  Incorporate reading into your daily routine

    3. Read good books.

    Check out a few book reviews before you read a book.  See what other readers thought after reading the book.  Try and find both favorable and unfavorable  reviews to read.  Once you have found a good book that still piques your interest after reading the reviews… read it.

    4. Don’t move on until you have finished.

    If you are an undisciplined reader, don’t start a new book until you have finished the last book you were reading.  This will help you press on through the later chapters of the book once you have already been well introduced to the topic.  Otherwise you will end up with several half-read books.

    5. Have a reading list at least 2 or 3 books deep.

    This will motivate you to finish the book in front of you.   Go ahead and plan the next book or two out.  That way when things begin to lag, you will have an incentive to finish the book you are reading to get to the next book that you are highly interested in.

    MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Tangle Christian?

    On By pastorjonathanIn Uncategorized1 Comment

    The video above is from a friend of mine.  He has a different version out now.  Its a great call for followers of Jesus to wake up and realize some of the contradictions in their lives.  We claim to know Jesus and want to demonstrate love toward others, but how often does that  stop at the window of Social Media (Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)?

    I am constantly disappointed by people who claim to follow Jesus but consistently live like they do not know him in how they interact on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  For example… I consistently see a “Christian” teenager type up a rant about someone else or even a “Christian” adult make an ambiguous jab at someone in their status update only to have a nosy friend ask, “what happened?” and they spill the beans about how selfish they really are and how wronged they feel about something or someone.  This is the kind of thing that should be done in private (Matthew 18) between the offended and the offender… not all over Facebook.

    What are some ways that you have seen Social Media (facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.) be used to proclaim the message of Jesus?

    What are some ways that you have seen “Christians” act in unappealing ways on Social Media?

    What are some basic guidelines you would recommend for living your faith out on the internet as well as in person?

    Don’t forget to view the video above and listen to the song.

    Theology is Important for a Relationship With God

    On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, spiritual disciplinesLeave a comment

    Theology.  A brief defanition is, “The Study of God.”  A simple explanation is that theology answers the question, “What is God like?”

    The key to any relationship is knowing something about the other person.  Fathers try to spend time with their children. Spouses try to find time away from the children. Young couples go on a series of dates before they settle into a marriage.

    Usually at the beginning of a relationship we tell ourselves all kind of lies about what the other one is like.  To put it milder, you may say we have differing expectations.  We paint a picture of what the other one is like, but we don’t really know what they are like until we get to know them.    Sometimes our expectations are exceeded by the character of another, sometimes we are let down.  That is why we need to spend time getting to know people.

    New dad’s dream about what their kids will be.  However, they soon realize that children have a will of their own.  It is the same way with the young couple that have fallen deeply in love.  They don’t really know anything about each other, but they “love” each other.  Then months or years down the road they realize the real nature of the other person (for good or for bad) and accept that for months they were in “love” with their version of this person and now they must decide if they truly do “love” this other person. That’s why it is a good idea to take the whole courting thing a little slow and know what you are getting into. (You can check out how I dated my wife and married the most wonderful woman in the world… here).

    The point is that at the beginning of relationships we fill in missing information about the other person with what we want to put there.  I think many people have false ideas about God simply because they don’t know Him and have filled in false information about Him.  Many of us have created a picture of God based upon what we want Him to be rather than what He is really like.

    Some of us picture God like a Santa Claus type figure.  Others have pictured him as an angry judge.  To be honest, some people don’t think He exists at all.  Still others think of him as a passive grandfather who lets everything go.

    The challenge is to really know God.  To put all of our preconceived notions on the table and read what God has revealed about Himself in the Bible.  Feeling are a good thing, but I’ve been mislead by feelings.  Isn’t it better to know God?  That happens by learning about Him.  The way you learn about God is by spending time reading the Bible and talking to him.

    Theology is answering the question, “What is God like?”  Do your answers come from the Bible, where God had revealed things about Himself or do they come from how you picture Him in your mind based mostly off your feelings?

    What tools have helped you dig into the Bible and learn more about who God really is?  Here are a few that have helped me along the way.