TSL

TSL is a broadcast and webcasting term used in determining ratings for radio and web stations. It stands for Time Spent Listening, and means just what it stands for: The amount of time the average person spends listening during a particular time period.

I'm preaching to myself on this one. But, let me ask you a question. In your relationship with God, what is your TSL? One of the biggest problems that Christians in America face shows itself in the amount of time we spend listening to God. Our culture is fast-paced, media-based, and has constant demands on our time and attention.

If we want answers to our questions and/or problems, we "Google" it, or seek the "Readers Digest" version. Our microwave society has moved over to the digital, information highway, and demands immediate satisfaction.

But, the Bible tells us that God doesn't work this way. Psalm 46:10 tells us to "Be still, and know that I am God." To hear from God, we must silence all the noise and pre-occupations of the world. Our TSL with God depends on this.

Kids Need Moms ... And Dads

I came across this opinion piece in the Washington Post recently. It's the story of a young woman, conceived with donated sperm from an anonymous man nearly two decades ago.

The saga of cyro-kids is turning out to be a tale that emphasises the importance of both mothers and especially fathers in the home. The gist of this article (and recent studies) is that kids need both of their parents in order to grow and mature properly. A mother and a father inside the home goes a long way toward raising well-adjusted children.

Moms and Dads, the Bible says that we are to train up our children in the ways that we want them to go. If one of you is missing from the picture, your children are only getting half of that training.

And, from what the article and the study I've linked suggest, these kids aren't too thrilled when we abandon them.

Monday Ten

1. It has been a wild couple of weeks, filled mostly with vacation time, hence the lack of blogging.

2. For our vacation, we went to Kansas City. Had good times at Worlds of Fun, The K.C. Zoo, Union Station, Crown Center and more.

3. We stayed in Overland Park, and while there we visited a dying shopping mall. It was a sad place. Two anchor stores were still there, and not much else. It reminded me of the North Town Mall before it closed down here.

4. One oddity in that mall. A woman was selling cats that she had rescued. They were presumed to be abandoned or abused. I say presumed, because for all I know, she might've picked them up off the street to sell in her store. Here's the odd part: A sign out front was requesting donations of cat food. But, inside the store, this lady ways trying to pawn cats for $100 - $150. Smelled like a scam to me.

5. It was good to get away from the house for a few days, but it was also good to return. Now, we're getting back into school mode and regular life.

6. I always post something about church from the past weekend, and this weekend was exceptional. North Point Church's 2nd Saturday event this month was a Back 2 School bash. A thousand kids from low-income homes were invited to get new shoes, socks, underware, a toy, haircuts, medical and dental exams and groceries. My oldest son and I worked the toy table. That was fun.

7. Also exceptional at NPC were this weekend's services. We're doing a two week vision series, and this past weekend saw the initial plans revealed for North Point's new video campus. It'll be located in an abandoned nightclub on East Sunshine Street in Springfield. Tentative launch date is the second weekend in January 2011.

8. My wife and I had the chance to take in a video campus service at another church recently. There isn't much different in a video campus than at the live campus. Some people like to make a big deal out of not having a live speaker, but the teaching is still the same, the Bible is still the same, the impact is still the same. It's good!

9. As we get set for another school year, I commented to my wife last night that I don't really like the school year. For the next nine months, we will be confined to a school schedule. Everything will revolve around it.

10. Finally, as I wrap the Ten for this week, I'm going to be a captain for this year's Pregnancy Care Center Walk 4 Life. I'd appreciate your financial support when the time comes to raise funds.

My Response to God's Love

As I briefly pointed out yesterday, God loves you. That's a wonderful thing. But, what am I supposed to do with that knowledge?

It would be one thing to just bask in God's love, and let that be all there is. However, Jesus gave us a clue about what we should do.

The Pharisees, trying to trip Jesus up on a religious legal technicality, asked him what was the most important commandment. With his response, Jesus tells us what we should do with God's love in Matthew 22:37-40: Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

In short, we are supposed to return God's love with all our being, much the same way that God loves for us. Plus, we're supposed to love those around us.

So, in our effort to become more Christ-like, this is a direct example on how we can behave just like Christ.

God Loves You

Just in case you didn't know, God loves you.

We live in a world full of pain and difficulties, and it is easy to get lost in all of our junk to the point that we forget this truth.

Jesus said in John 3:16 that God loves the world so much that he sent Jesus to pay the price for sin in order for us to have a relationship with God.

In Romans 8:38-39, Paul summarizes God's love this way: "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

That's an amazing love. And, it's a love unique to God alone.

Vacation Is Over

I know some of you had to be wondering if I had fallen off the face of the earth. But, my recent blogging break was due to an overdue vacation.

See you tomorrow.