Monday Conversations: Chicago & Violence, the church & the LGBT community

My Monday was rather interesting, if I do say so myself. 

In the morning I joined in with some other New Life pastors to attend a press conference with the Chicago Clergy Coalition. The violence in Chicago has been beyond epidemic. The press conference was to announce the coalition's call for a weekend of peace in the city of Chicago. The tribune did a nice job reporting on the event; you can read their article HERE.

One pastor who spoke at the event made the comment, "12 people are killed and almost 60 wounded in Colorado and it is called a tragedy. In Chicago that is called Saturday night." It was really amazing to see so many church leaders from varying faith backgrounds in one place to stand before God for the city of Chicago.

Check out the Chicago Clergy Coalition's website for information on upcoming events that are planned in regards to addressing the violence in Chicago: www.chicagoclergycoalition.org

I left the press conference to head to Moody to be interviewed along with my friend Christopher Yuan on Moody Radio. We were on the Midday Connection program to talk about how the church can interact with the LGBT community. It was my first time doing something like this so I really had no idea how it would go, but it seemed like things went well.

You can listen to the interview by CLICKING HERE.

There were a lot of good comments/questions that came up on Midday's Facebook page(some not so good). My plan is to go through and write up a blog post this week responding to as many of them as I can.

Two issues close to my heart in one day. Not a bad way to start the week.

Praying for peace in Chicago - in more areas than one.

Keep the altar of private prayer burning

For New Life Lincoln Park peeps who are participating in the 50 Days of Prayer (info HERE), this is awesome reading from Charles Spurgeon on the need for daily private prayer:

“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”

— Leviticus 6:13

Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here, therefore let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer, of vital and experimental religion.

I'm going to be on Moody radio this Monday

This Monday I'm going to be on Moody Radio participating in the program Midday connection. I'm joining my friend and colleague Christopher Yuan in a conversation about the church and homosexuality. 

Here is the program description for Monday from the program's website: 

Living in a fallen world means we encounter issues we are sometimes uncomfortable with. Homosexuality is one such issue, and on this Midday Connection, Moody Bible Institute professors Christopher Yuan and Bobby Moss join us for a discussion on how to interact with those who are living a homosexual lifestyle and those who struggle with same sex. It’s about homosexuality on this Midday Connection.

Should be interesting.  =)

The program is at noon on 90.1 FM. For more information CLICK HERE.

5 simple steps to get the most amazing study Bible on the planet right now (for free)!!!

One of the most important things for someone who loves Jesus to be engrossed in is the Bible. Not to merely read it but to study it, learn it, and live out its message. That type of study takes time, work, and resources. For the last 10+ years the best tool I've found and used for my own study is Logos Bible Software. It is the most amazing resource that actually saves me time and makes the work of studying fun and easy.

I'm incredibly pumped about a new resource that Logos has recently released, a brand new study Bible called Faithlife. There really isn't anything else out there like it and it has the potential of empowering the church for Bible study like never before. Check out this short video that gives an overview:

Dream Builders: Nuggets of wisdom from Walt Disney

When the family is in Orlando while it is your son's birthday, Disney World is in some ways a no-brainer. So last Friday the Moss fam celebrated Jaxon in the land of the mouse. 

They are in the process of building a new "Fantasyland" (which we had thought/hoped would be done). Though there are tons of rides in the theme park heavy duty construction vehicles are normally viewed as inappropriate for the general public, so there are walls up blocking off the construction. 

Of course just having plywood walls or chain fences isn't Disney's game, so a blue castle-like wall went around where the work was taking place. Spread out around the wall were these shields (remember, it's Fantasyland) that each depicted quotes from the late Walt Disney. Leave it to Disney to make a construction barrier interesting.  

Each titled DREAM BUILDERS, the shields were a great collection of soundbites from the famous creative. Yes, I made the family wait while I took pictures of them all:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Just heard that Stephen Covey passed way today at 79. He was the author of many books, but two that I feel are must reads for anyone really but all leaders for sure: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit.

The 7 Habits are:

- Be proactive

- Begin with the end in mind

- Put first things first

- Think Win/Win

- Seek first to understand, then to be understood

- Synergize

- Sharpen the saw

As a student leader at Moody we read the 7 Habits together and it was incredibly impacting, becoming one of my all-time favorites. Even typing them out I want to go back and again reread the book.

If you've never read these books just go to Amazon and get them NOW!

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• The 8th Habit

This is a video clip of Stephen Covey teaching on "Do the Big Rocks first" - a concept from the Put First Things First habit. One of my favorites:

50 Days of Prayer

We've been doing strategic planning at New Life Lincoln Park this summer and one of the things that has become apparent is that we want to become a church that highly values prayer. We don't want to be people who pray just because it's one of the Jesus things to do. We want to be people who have prayer as part of our core DNA. We are not going to be a church that does a bunch of stuff and then asks God to give it an OK. We are going to seek Him, follow Him, and join Him in what He is doing!

The only way to become a people like that is to develop a daily habit, a daily discipline of prayer. In light of this, today at church we kicked off "50 Days of Prayer"

Who is 3yrs old today?

This guy is!

 

So thankful for my little man! He is growing up to be such a fun, smart, and super caring little boy. I couldn't be more proud or grateful - so glad I get to say I'm Jaxon Zion Moss' daddy!

My Chevy Cavalier: February 1998 - July 2012

The first and sole car I've ever purchased and it only had 11 miles on it when I pulled out of the dealer's lot. That was in February of 1998. This past Sunday we put my beloved Cavalier to pasture.

Last summer I ran into a friend that I hadn't seen in quite awhile and he laughed when he saw the Cav, "You're still driving that thing?!?" Laughing along with him, "I haven't had a car payment in years and it gets me where I'm going with good gas mileage. Why get something else?"

I'm not a "car guy." In my worldview they are just a means to get from Point-A to Point-B, so I've never really cared about them or been overly impressed by any. Yet 190,000+ miles later I have a ton of great memories with this car. Youth group rides, family stuff, late night drives up and down Lakeshore blasting the Pumpkins, and road trips to Indy, St Louis, Florida, Cleveland, Bair Lake Bible Camp (countless times) and a ton of other places from over the last 12 years. My favorite memory is definitely when Jeannette and I drove to South Dakota to see the Badlands and Mt Rushmore.

But on Sunday it was laid to rest. It's in Indiana now at my dad's to be used for parts. The AC doesn't work, the parking brake is shot, the drivers seat doesn't stay up on it's own, the trunk won't open, the cigarette lighter is broke (hence no phone charging option), the headlights only stay on if you keep the control bar on the steering shaft pulled back slightly and even then the front left headlight was out, oh...and this is all separate from the fact the car was actually declared totaled after someone pulled out and hit me back in November. I'll be curious to see what parts dad is able to pull off it.  =)

A few weeks ago Baylee was getting into the car with me and said, "Daddy, your car is nasty." 

"Yes baby, yes it is. It's old and beat up, but it's done us good. Lots of good trips in this car."

"Well why don't you get a new car and we can take that on a trip?"

Pretty soon. Pretty soon. 

Anyone have a good story about my car to share in the comments?

Spider-man and my hilarious daughter

Tonight Baylee and I went to Target so she could pick out a birthday present for Jaxon. Of course we get to the point while walking the toy aisles that I realize she isn't behind me anymore. My assumption is that she got distracted at the Brave endcap. 

"Baylee, come here!" 

The shouted reply, "I can't - I'm stuck in a web!!!" 

"Baylee, please come by me. I don't want to lose you."

Mind you that we're having this conversation from across aisles, she comes back a little louder, "I can't dad! I'm stuck in a web!"

As I'm coming around the corner to see what in the world she's talking about this is what I find:

Thoughts on The Amazing Spiderman

LOVED IT! 

Just going to cut the chase there. The Amazing Spider-man lives up to the title's adjective. 

Random thoughts about the film: