Jon Acuff's Blog, page 128

SCLQ – Third World Symphony

Did Hillsong United acquire the David Crowder Band in some sort of merger like situation? That's just one of the many topics I talked about with Shaun Groves in a video interview. Who's Shaun?

Well, Shaun Groves is a musician/humanitarian/Compassion International Guru/good friend. He just released a new album called "Third World Symphony." He's doing a blog tour and recently talked to the brilliant Ann Voskamp. Today, he's talking to us. For some reason, when I talk on this video, the audio cuts out a little. In the first few minutes I kind of sound like Lil' Wayne on the Video Music Awards where every other word was bleeped for profanity. Just imagine that I'm swearing. A lot. But of the two of us, I'm glad Shawn's audio is perfect because he's got a great new album and a great message to share. Check out his album and watch the video after the jump:

Jon Acuff & Shaun Groves Interview (edit) from Shaun Groves on Vimeo.

SCLQ – Dinner

What an ineffective communicator Jesus was by our modern standards of platform building.

He could have spoken to hilltops of thousands of people each night, but instead he wasted time at dinner with a handful of tax collectors and strangers.

Want to change the world? It's easy.

Have a long, time-wasting, friendship-generating dinner with someone.

Please review Quitter on Amazon today.

If you've read my new book Quitter, would you please take 60 seconds and write a review on Amazon? It can be long or short, serious or funny, reference otters or not reference otters as long as it's honest. That would really mean a lot to me and would be awesome.

Click here to write a review.

If you were waiting until late August to buy the book, possibly in triplicate because you know some folks who are unemployed or at jobs they don't love and you're generous like that, well today is your lucky day. It's August 31.

You can buy Quitter in Hardcover or in Kindle.

Thanks!

Jon

When things add up in unexpected ways.

(Every Friday is Guest Post Friday on Stuff Christians Like. But today, for the first time ever, I'm posting a guest post on Serious Wednesday. Why? Because Scott Jamison blew my mind with this idea, and I thought you might dig it too. For more great content from Scott, check out his blog.)

Every Wednesday, Jon Acuff puts out a serious post (he still manages to stick in quite a bit of humor in these, too) and some time ago I started to compile the last sentence or phrase from each of them. Here they are:

 

Everything I Ever Needed To Know I Learned From Stuff Christians Like Serious Wednesdays' Last Lines

You are found.

God loves you.

Are you packing?

I can't handle near.

God cares for the lonely

He knows the way we take.

I don't want "at least" faith.

Yeah, but God is on our side.

God's love is ridiculous to me.

"I cannot do it, but God will …"

Let's retire the idea of failure.

Death to better, long live new.

We all get the comma of grace.

Look for a savior, not a solution.

Today, quit being lazy for the Lord.

Let's stop giving God our last fruits.

The reason for the season is a rescue.

Today, God says, "I know, my son, I know."

God doesn't want your solution. He just wants you.

Give up the horses. The King is near. Love has arrived.

In God's economy, the impossible is a gift, not a curse.

Let's put the apples down. We've already got the orchard.

Because he loves us. In his arms. In the pigpen. He loves us.

I've got God, right now. I don't need the idol of what's next.

Jesus always plays with the kids no one else plays with on the playground.

God's bigger than that thing you worried about or dreamt about. I promise.

God is doing a new thing. In me, in you, in us. The old has gone, the new has come!

He's God. I'm me. When I remember that simple arrangement, life goes so much better.

The God who loved Judah and David and Paul, loves you. And that's a very redeeming thought.

Sometimes the stranger you meet has a story to share, if, you'll take the time to ask a question.

Your identity is set. That debate is over. Today, don't be a shy work of art. Be a loud work of art.

You've been with Jesus – A savior who loves doing extraordinary things with ordinary people like us.

Rescue is a one way trip. There will be no going back. For you, for me, for all the imperfect people.

More banners. Less guns. More grace. Less works. More boasting. Less hiding. Want to come with me?

You and I can rest in the truth of that and be bold in the risks we take and the hope we have. Because our identity is not at stake.

What does He call us? What phrase or words does he give us instead of "Real Christian?" Son. Daughter. And it turns out, those two words are enough.

 

(For more awesome stuff from Scott, check out his blog, The Responsible Puppet.)

SCLQ – Who is our Kanye & Jay-Z?

Recently, Kanye West and Jay-Z teamed up for a new album. You probably don't know about it if it's on your TISKE list. But they did.

And when their record came out, it made me think:

Who is the Kanye & Jay-Z of Christianity?

Who are two different Christian musicians you'd love to see partner together for a big project?

Who are two different pastors you'd love to see team up to create some sort of superhero duo?

I'd love to see Andy Stanley and Matt Chandler write a book together. Musically speaking? I personally would like to see Michael W. Smith and Jon Acuff release an album titled "Riding horses together cause we're best friends," but that's me. But how about you?

Name 2 musicians or bands you'd love to see release an album or 2 pastors you'd love to see connect on a project.

Secretly hating to journal.

Let it out. You're amongst friends.

You might have to front and fake in your small group. You might have to bring your journal to church and talk about it like an old companion on the road to glory, but this is a safe place.

Admit it: You hate to journal.

The idea of getting up at the crack of dawn, opening your notebook, and writing down your thoughts and prayers makes you mad. You don't want to scribble down prayers in your journal. You want to punch that journal in the face.

I'm with you. I am.

As a writer, I go through seasons where I love to journal about what's happening in my life and others where I can't stand it. The funny thing about all of this is that, somewhere along the way, journaling became the 11th commandment.

"Thou Shalt Journal" might not be technically written in the Bible, but we act like it is.

I once even heard a pastor brilliantly challenge this belief by saying, "Remember how often Jesus wrote in his journal in the New Testament?

He's right! Remember all those verses about Jesus going off by himself to journal? His two favorite activities were walking on water and journaling. There was nothing he loved more than grabbing a cup of coffee (Father, Son and Holy Roast), picking up his journal, and sitting by the Sea of Galilee. And when he called the disciples, wasn't that his initial message? "Come journal with me and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus Christ? Huge journaler!

That's how it feels sometimes in church, but not today!

If you hate to journal, let's hear it in the comments!

If you love to journal, shout that out too!

An acceptance speech about acceptance.

Let it be known that I initially tried to post this video a long time ago before less than 50,000 people had seen it.

Let is also be known that apparently I gain some sort of ego boost by posting videos that have a low number of views. (Probably need to unpack that one with a counselor.)

Recently, NBA rebounding legend Dennis Rodman was inducted into the hall of fame. What happened when he took the stage ended up being a shockingly honest 13 minutes about brokenness, fathers who leave, hope and regret. Here's his acceptance speech about acceptance.

 

The "Church bathing suit."

(It's Guest Post Friday! Today's post is from Chloe Semones.  Chloe, newly graduated and newly in debt, is hopeful of great things while wandering through the desert of unemployment; an enjoyer of most things typical of twenty somethings, while always debating she is not; raised in the church, which allowed many years of observation on habitual and bizarre things we followers of Jesus do. If you want to write a guest post for SCL, here's how.)

The "Church bathing suit" By Chloe Semones

Phew, thank goodness bathing suit season is coming to a close. Why?

Because the summer is the time of year where every youth and college related gathering is at the judge's stand, the pool. Many different churches and denominations have a particular view when it comes to the bathing suit standard. For women this can be the testing of one's reputation, God forbid you are the only one wearing the two piece!

I found myself changing before my first weekly college gathering at the pool and thought, "I didn't get the warning that this is a one piece only kind of group, what if I am the only one in a two piece?" I walked out luckily clothed, bathing suit under, and assessed my peers. "Oh geez, I am the only one."

It happened to be an abnormally humid day and all I wanted was a refreshing dip in the pool. Nope, I was the only one. I spent what could have been a potentially thrilling experience with my legs over the side and shirt on. I was that girl. When this sort of incidence occurs it often leaves you feeling like the young adults modern day Rahab. It is always a gamble going to a pool party with a new crowd, best advice: go with the one piece.

There are indicators however that can save you from a terribly humiliating experience.

First off, survey the male female interaction. This is a simple gauging exercise that will most accurately determine the standard. If the group closely resembles an elementary school lunch table with boys on one side and girls on the other, this is most definitely a one piece wearin' crowd.

The correlation?

My guess is the gentlemen are far too concerned with water basketball while simultaneously dunking anyone in their radius, to carry on any sort of conversation with the opposite sex.

Another clue that may be related to what the masses are wearing is the pool party's music mix. I will say this particular test is a bit iffy, as it was in my case. Generally speaking though, if there is secular music on the line up, chances are the two piece is socially acceptable.  From my experience these have been the two patterns I have noticed.

Granted, tankini wearers (this is the modest version of a bikini) are trying to push the boundaries, not committing to a full blown one piece. Not only does this mean they most likely own a bikini, but to be absolutely certain take notice of the patterns and colors. If the suit is mix matched, you know the bottom portion of the suit was taken from their bikini. I can say that with certainty because I am guilty of this one.

I'm learning that my peers all have the "church" bathing suit and the separate recreational suit, funny how that goes. I believe Christians often designate different areas of their life as church appropriate vs. out in the world appropriate, we are always looking to compartmentalize.

From my perspective, other than the "swimmer's snowsuit," something I just invented, no women's bathing suit is particularly modest. So, I have never formed an opinion on which I will stand behind and rally for. Honestly, I just want to swim and not think to hard about it, which I have already proven to have done. Sometimes it's hard not to over analyze the insignificant.

There you have it folks everything you didn't care to know about when it comes to bathing suits and the church.

Question:

Am I the only one that has ever thought about "church bathing suits?"

 

(Today's post is from Chloe Semones.  If you want to write a guest post for SCL, here's how.)

Earthquake sermon illustrations.

Last weekend I attended my first ever "Women of Faith" event. It was awesome. Now I know what you're thinking, "Wait Jon, you're not a woman."

I know, I thought about that too, but I still found it a lot of fun. I got a ton out of it and really only had one awkward moment. What was it?

The dancing.

Unbeknownst to me, during the praise and worship sessions, lots of people were dancing in their seats. Don't believe me? Here's what I tweeted as I stood in the aisle, trying to figure out what I, as one of 4 guys in an arena full of 10,000 women, was supposed to do:

"No one told me there'd be dancing at Women of Faith. Wasn't planning on doing any pop n' lock tonight, but sometimes the gift chooses you."

I tweeted that because it's true, sometimes you don't pick the gift, the gift picks you. You don't choose the moment, the moment chooses you. Pop n' Lock is like that. And sometimes so are blog topics.

At the start of the week, I had no intention of writing about Earthquake sermon illustrations and yet … here we are. Thrust into the topic by the Spotsylvania Fault. (Totally googled how to spell that.)

More importantly, some earthquake sermons illustrations are about to hit your church this Sunday. Here are four you can expect.

Earthquake sermon illustrations

1. Pop Culture Potpourri

Two words, "Kardashian wedding." Want to score a 10 on the relevance richter scale? Blame the whole thing on Kim Kardashian getting married. I'm not sure how you can tie them together, but I do know she recently lost an earring worth $75,000 in the ocean. I'd start there. Might have landed in an underwater volcano. Something to think about.

2. The End Times.

The earthquake was close to Washington D.C., the heart of American politics. Boom! That one practically writes itself. It's been a while since we had a good end of the world scare and nothing gets your sermon going like the shifting of some tectonic plates under America's capital.

3. The Narrow World View

Perfect chance to shame the entire sanctuary and say something like, "While you were worrying about the Kardashian wedding and that tiny little East Coast earthquake, 42 other real earthquakes were happening around the world. You have such a narrow world view." I'm not going to lie to you, this one will not be fun to deliver, but it's got some punch.

4. The West Coast.

Know want pastors on the West Coast are going to preach about on Sunday? Grace. Why? Get out of here with that little tremor you're calling an East Coast earthquake. 5.8? That's adorable. You know what we call that on the West Coast? Tuesday. Get over it.

Sometimes I wonder if I should charge money for this type of wisdom. Would you use the word "wisdom" or "resources?" Both? That's kind of you. Really it is. But it's the least I can do, given the hurricane of earthquake sermon illustrations we're all about to face. (See what I did there? Double natural disaster references. We call that a win-win.)

Question:

Do you think your pastor will reference the earthquake this Sunday?

 

The perfect formula for God.

God keeps refusing to fit into my formulas for him.

Just when I think I've got him figured out, he throws a curveball.

For years, I've secretly believed that if I do my quiet times the "right way," God will be happy with me and bless me and not smite me.

What's the right way? What's the recipe for a quiet time that "counts." I'll tell you:

30 minutes of prayer

Smidge of writing in a moleskine notebook

At least three pages of Bible reading

Debate all you want about the moleskine, but I'm pretty sure the book of Joel specifically mentions those notebooks are extra holy.

I used to set my timer on my iPhone to 30 minutes, sit down and then try to get my quiet time on. If for whatever reason I could only grab 15 minutes that day, I felt like God was 50% less happy with me. If I missed an entire day, I imagined he was picking out the right lightning bolt to get me with like a golfer picking a club.

My formula was:

"10 minutes of prayer + 10 minutes of writing + 10 minutes of Bible reading = Happy God."

That sounds so silly when you write it out. That God's heart is controlled by how I spend my morning is ridiculous, but I honestly thought that. That was my formula and for years I held on to it.

But the more you actually read the Bible, the more difficult it is to hold onto formulas about God. Especially when it comes to the thief on the cross.

Remember that guy? You should. Every time you mutate James' "faith without works is dead" into "works equals salvation," you should think about the thief on the cross.

He makes a brief, but spectacular, cameo in Luke 23. As Christ hangs on the cross, the two thieves next to him have a conversation:

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

The first criminal tried to use a formula on Christ. Here's what he was saying:

"The power of God + Threat of a brutal death = Get down off the cross."

I understand what he was saying. Why would you suffer the worst possible death if you had the power not to? That is so illogical.

The second thief responds to the first:

But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

He uses a formula too:

"Criminal deeds + justice = death on a cross."

They were getting what they deserved. The formula for that one was easy. He continues speaking:

"We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

That's his second formula. He's saying:

"The innocence of Christ + justice = freedom from the cross."

By all forms of earthly logic, it made no sense for Christ to be on that cross. We are criminals. We are exactly where we should be. This man hanging next to us, is not.

What does Christ say in that moment? When formulas are flying? When formulas are ruling the conversation? When formulas are loud? He breaks them all.

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Jesus Christ is the formula killer. He won't behave according to our formulas. He won't fit into our incredibly tiny expectations. He refuses to be controlled by our logic.

How do we know? Because the thief didn't get off the cross in order to pay for his grace. The thief didn't climb down and have the right types of quiet time. He didn't volunteer for 14 activities at his church that year. He didn't join a small group.

All he did was bump into Christ and receive grace.

At some point, a voice of doubt, the voice of the enemy, the voice of fear is going to try to tell you that you're not a good enough Christian. That there's a formula to God. That if you'd just try harder to be perfect and quit messing up, maybe, just maybe you'll be good enough.

But when you hear that voice, think of the thief, think of Christ, and think of grace.

Question:

Have you ever thought you're not a "good enough" Christian?