Jon Acuff's Blog, page 188

Is "Restore Stephen Baldwin" a real ministry?

I feel like we as Christians have to develop a healthy way to dialog about things. I hate that you either approve 100% of all things Christian or you're labeled a judgmental jerk. Somewhere in our faith we need room for criticism and sharpening and growth. Which brings me to today.

Restore Stephen Baldwin is a ministry that aims to financially restore bankrupt Christian actor Stephen Baldwin in the same way Lot was restored. But I'm not sure if it's real. In fact, I have 5 reasons it might be ...

Fearing we'll out sin grace.

A few weeks ago, someone emailed me a question about you.

That's right, it was about you. Readers, folks who comment, people who peruse the halls of Stuff Christians Like. And it was nice to have a question that wasn't about me. I get those sometimes. A person once asked me, "Do you have a theologian read what you write on your site before you post it?" I want to be honest, with over half a million words on the site, that would be one generous theologian. So I replied with, "Yes, I have a...

Should little kids be allowed in big church?

Whoa, hot topic. Hot. Topic. The few times I've written about bringing kids to church there's been a lot of heated debate about the subject. For the most part, I think it's a decision the parents make with their kids. But then I saw this video that the hilarious team of  Tripp Crosby and Tyler Stanton made. They showed it at our church because we had a bajillion babies storm service like a SWAT team. Slight exaggeration. Check it out after the jump. And let me know what you think of the...

Icelandic Volcano Christian References

I have to something to confess. Something disappointing. Something a smidge whack. Something geographical.

I made a spiritual reference to the Icelandic volcano the other day.

I didn't want to. No one ever plans these things. Those cheesy bursts of Christian topographical relevance. They just kind of happen and with me it was pretty simple. I told my uncle, "We like to think we're in charge, until something like a volcano reminds us how utterly tiny we really are."

And this was after I teased...

Snakes, ice cream and the video from LA.

Last week I had the chance to hang out with the folks from the Foundry at Bel Air Presbyterian. After the jump is the video of my talk. I covered why God leaves snakes, the difference between two big words and one of my favorite things to talk about, the mustard ice cream. Check it out if you get a chance.

Be Sick, Be Loved from Foundry LA on Vimeo.

New album I love.

Carlos Whitaker is the godfather of Christian blogging. And now, he's got a great new album. I hung out with him last week and got a copy. I love it. He's one of the most honest, talented folks I know and I'm really excited about the release of this album. This isn't a sponsored post or a paid ad, just one friend proud of another. Here's the new album "Ragamuffin Soul" on itunes. Check it out.

The Daniel Fast.

I don't know if a fast can be considered "hot," but dang, that Daniel Fast is on fire.

It kind of feels like saying a book of the Bible is blowing up. Like out of nowhere Joel is getting ridiculous buzz. But it's true. The Daniel Fast is like the Lady Gaga of fasts right now. Non stop hits. I'm not sure if it is competing against other fasts but if it is, game over. Game over Daniel Fast.

I haven't done it yet but it seems pretty simple. It's a fast where you attempt to mirror the type of diet ...

1 thing that changed the way I chase dreams.

Yesterday, I asked you what "your thing" is.

I asked what was that activity or art or passion that you chase. And there were some really fun answers and it was exactly the kind of thing I like to discuss on the weekends on Stuff Christians Like. I try to stay faithful to the concept of the blog all week, but on the weekends, all rules are off.

So today I thought I would share one thing that forever changed the way I chase one of my "things," which is writing.

It is not dramatic. It is not...

What's your thing? A short Saturday question.

A friend of mine wants to be an illustrator, but right now he's a salesman. Another friend wants to be an actor but works in PR. A girl I know wants to be an abolitionist but is currently a school teacher. We are a generation of people working on other things while we wait for "the thing."

So that's the question today, what's your thing?

What's the thing that makes you feel alive, that talent or gift or art or activity that feels handcrafted for you? Is it something you're already doing all...

Does Donald Miller want to be your friend?

Tripp Crosby and Tyler Stanton are hilarious. They believe that lots of people read Donald Miller's books and think inside, "I bet Donald and I would be really good friends if we ever met." The result of their experiment is a hilarious video after the jump.