RIDGE MEN'S
READER
June 25, 2008
The Men's Ministry e-mail newsletter of
North Ridge Community Church
Our mission: Turning Ordinary People Into
POWER-Filled Followers of Christ
www.northridge.org
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“For you know that it was not with
perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty
way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:18,19 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the
cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for another;
it was the life of God poured out to redeem the world.” Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)
DAD
OF TWINS + SEXTUPLETS COUNTS HIS BLESSINGS
Jon Gosselin has 8 reasons to feel blessed,
not just on Father's Day, but every day.
"Every day I thank God I have healthy kids," says the father
of twins and sextuplets whose forthcoming book with his wife, Kate, is Multiple
Blessings. Their family is the star of
the TLC series Jon & Kate Plus 8. The show is the most-watched on TLC, and
kicked off its 4th season with a 1-hour special Monday, June 16....
Watch the TODAY SHOW interview at
GRINS
AND CHUCKLES
A sidewalk preacher stood on a soapbox
downtown and started a rousing sermon on salvation, ending with, "Brothers
and Sisters, if you want to go to Heaven, come stand by me!"
Half of those standing around joined the
preacher, and he went on, raising his voice and fervor, again with the call,
"Brothers and Sisters, if you want to go to Heaven, come stand with
me!"
Half of those left came over and the
preacher continued, ending again with the call to Heaven. This time, all but one man came over.
"Brother!" the preacher called,
"Don't you want to go to Heaven when you die?"
The man said, "Oh sure, when I die. I thought you were taking a load up
now!"
HEALING
THE CHEATING HEART
by Brian Bohrer
In “Your Cheating Heart,” by Hank Williams,
one of the lines is, “Your cheatin' heart will tell on you.” I know that it’s just a song, but isn’t that
the truth? We may think that we can
keep sexual sins a secret, but eventually they come to light. Recently we’ve seen many prominent men
fall. We will always remember the
Elliot Spitzer debacle....
DRAMATIC
GAINS IN DADS' INVOLVEMENT
Fathers have increased their involvement in
their children's lives over the past decade, according to a new survey. The study compares fathers' involvement in
their children's education with a similar survey conducted in 1999. Overwhelmingly, the survey shows a positive
trend among fathers. Dads are more
involved in every area examined by the research. The greatest increases in father involvement are in "walking
or taking your child to school," "attending class events," and
"helping your child with extracurricular activities." Significant
gains are also seen in "helping your child with homework" and
"visiting your child's classroom"....
THE
TRUTH ABOUT MEN & DEPRESSION
by James Childerston and Doug Rosenau
It's not a sign of weakness, and it isn't a
'feminine' problem. If you're one of
the millions of guys who struggles in secret, take heart. This is a battle you can win ... but don't
go it alone.
"His mind is somewhere else. He's not even interested in sex!" Jenny
wondered: "Where is the man I married.
He is just so unavailable that I can't reach him. When I try to talk to him, he gets reactive
and yells at me." Bill and Jenny had come for marriage counseling, and she
was describing her concern about and frustration with Bill's recent behavior. He
had become increasingly picky and verbally abusive. He wasn't sleeping well; he was eating less; and he was avoiding
intimacy. Bill responded angrily with:
"She just wants more than I can give, and I'm maxed out. ... I just want
to run away and hide." Even though
Bill couldn't recognize it, he was depressed and it was dramatically affecting
his life and marriage.
Millions of men struggle with some form of
depression. According to the American
Journal of Psychiatry, in a given year, about 8% of American men over the age
of 30 exhibit major depressive disorder and millions more experience chronic
low-grade depression. Sixty to 80
percent of depressed adults never receive professional help, according to
organizations such as the National Institute of Mental Health. Men are at the top of this list....
DR.
KWAME BEDIAKO: IN MEMORY
Dr. Kwame Bediako, who recently passed
away, was a remarkable senior African leader.
He had a surpassing level of scholarship (2 doctorates -- 1 in English
and 1 in French). He had a range of
knowledge of the history of the church in Africa (and Europe). And he had a most profound understanding of
the relationship between the gospel and African culture. He also had a huge passion to bring African
Christians together to affirm their Christian identity in authentic ways that
would overcome some of the worst legacies of the colonial era. And yet he wore all this learning with such
a light touch. His twinkling eyes and
sparkling humor and laughter were a constant tonic....
FATHER
AND SON BRIDGE ROUGH ROAD
When they wrote Father & Son: Finding
Freedom , Walter and Matthew Wangerin didn't discuss what to include. Neither one read the other's manuscript
until he was finished writing. The book
tells the story of a prodigal and his parents.
When Matthew entered his teens, he began to run with boys from the neighborhood. He ignored his curfew, sneaked out of the
house at night, ran into trouble with the police, and -- although very
intelligent -- allowed his grades to suffer....
MORE
CHURCHGOERS ARE CARRYING GUNS
Denver-area church representatives have
been warned that churchgoers are more likely to carry guns following 2 fatal
church shootings in December. The El
Paso County Sheriff's Office saw a spike in concealed-weapons permits after
Matthew Murray's attack on New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the Youth
With a Mission campus in Arvada....
NEW
ONLINE BOOK SUMMARY
A detailed summary of The Mind on Fire is
now online. This is a contemporary
edition of the classic Pensees by Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) published
posthumously in 1670. In The Mind on
Fire (David C. Cook), editor James Houston has organized Pascal's meditations
into a logical progression of thought that contemporary readers can enjoy. The book's message: Mankind is wicked and
full of contradiction. Finding no
relief, he encounters Jesus Christ and the Scriptures and he comes face to face
with his limitations, his wickedness, and his need for faith. Then, interacting with Christ's claims and
recognizing his own frailty, man finds the answers to his greatest dilemma.
PASSION,
PURPOSE, AND EXCITEMENT FILL ‘ONE MINUTE MANAGER'S’ LIFE
Ken Blanchard, the best selling author of
The One Minute Manager and management guru, says he was lucky "in my
Christian walk to have so many great mentors," and he cites such mentors
in his life as Bill Hybels, Bob Buford, and Rick Warren. It was through the influence of these men
that Blanchard came to accept Christ -- at age 48. Blanchard tells the story of these men's influence on the faith
of he and his wife, Margie, in an interview that speaks to how churches might
relate to entrepreneurship....
COLTS
COACH DUNGY CHALLENGES PASTORS
Tony Dungy, coach of the Super
Bowl-champion Indianapolis Colts, addressed the Southern Baptist Pastors'
Conference June 9 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, saying it
was "a pleasure and an honor to be here" and "it is great to
welcome you to our city."
Dungy's pastor, Ken Whitten of the
Tampa-area Idlewild Baptist Church, introduced the coach. "Let me tell
you, if you ever get the opportunity to be senior pastor of an NFL coach, you
just pray that God lets you be the pastor to a man, and a family, like Tony
Dungy," Whitten said.
Dungy will direct recreation for Idlewild's
Vacation Bible School this summer, Whitten said, and Dungy's wife Lauren works
in the nursery at the church.
"I want you to know [Dungy] is the
real deal," Whitten said, adding that Dungy "won the Super Bowl
because he is a super man, and he is a champion."
LEADERSHIP
TIPS (BUSINESS, FAMILY, LIFE)
Ben Carson Receives the Presidential Medal
of Freedom
(USA TODAY) Dr. Benjamin S. Carson Sr., a
groundbreaking pediatric neurosurgeon, is among this year's recipients of
America's highest civilian award.
President Bush honored the recipients of the 2008 Presidential Medal of
Freedom in a White House ceremony June 19.
Dr. Carson, author of Take the Risk, performed in 1987 the world's first
successful operation separating twins joined at the back of the head. He is director of pediatric neurosurgery at
Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.
According to the White House, Dr. Carson "has worked throughout his
career to improve the lives of those suffering from neurological disorders. His
groundbreaking contributions to medicine and his inspiring efforts to help
America's youth fulfill their potential have strengthened our Nation."
The Medal of Freedom was established by
President Truman in 1945 to recognize civilians for their efforts during World
War II. The award was reinstated by
President Kennedy in 1963 to honor distinguished service. It's given to those deemed to have made
remarkable contributions to the security or national interests of the USA,
world peace, culture, or other private or public endeavors. Dr. Carson holds over 40 honorary degrees
and the Library of Congress has declared him one of its "Living
Legends." He sits on the boards of
numerous corporations, including Yale. In 2001, TIME magazine and CNN named him
among the nation's foremost physicians and scientists....
See
Ben’s new book, Take The Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with
Acceptable Risk
VERSE
TO PONDER
"’Is not my word like fire,’ declares
the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’" Jeremiah 23:29 (NIV)
CONSIDER
“O eternal Godhead, O sea profound, what
more could you give me than yourself? You are the fire that burns without being
consumed; you consume in your heat all the soul's self-love; you are the fire
which takes away cold; with your light you illuminate me so that I may know all
your truth. Clothe me, clothe me with yourself, eternal truth, so that I may
run this mortal life with true obedience, and with the light of your most holy
faith.” Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
FEELING
FRAZZLED? MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR A
"TECHNOLOGY SABBATH"
Mark Glaser says the "Technology
Sabbath" concept -- one day a week away from the Internet and tech devices
-- is becoming more widespread, both in religious circles and among bloggers
and media people who are overwhelmed with the always-on nature of the
Internet. "And that overwhelming
feeling is exacerbated by instant messaging, social networking and services
such as Twitter, that allow us to do more informal communications
electronically rather than in person."
Read
this blog post in full at
KINGDOM
COME: THE PUBLIC MEANING OF THE GOSPELS
by N. T. Wright
In his new book, The Great Awakening, Jim
Wallis describes how as a young man growing up in an evangelical church, he
never heard a sermon on the Sermon on the Mount. That telling personal observation reflects a phenomenon about
which I have been increasingly concerned: that much evangelical Christianity on
both sides of the Atlantic has based itself on the epistles rather than the
Gospels, though often misunderstanding the epistles themselves. Indeed, in this respect evangelicalism has
simply mirrored a much larger problem: the entire Western church, both Catholic
and Protestant, evangelical and liberal, charismatic and social activist, has
not actually known what the Gospels are there for....
VATICAN
KNOCKS FUNDAMENTAL, LITERAL READING OF THE BIBLE
A tendency to read the Bible through the
lens of "fundamentalism" threatens to undermine Catholics'
understanding of Scripture, says the Vatican.
The statement appears in the agenda for the next general assembly of the
Synod of Bishops, which will bring prelates to Rome in October to consider the "importance
of the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church." The 86-page document emphasizes the need to
increase Catholics' knowledge and understanding of Scripture. While encouraging the faithful to read the
Bible either alone or in study groups, it stresses that all interpretation must
be in light of church teaching....
In
other news: “Evangelical Leaders Survey: NIV tops list of preferred Bibles”
LIVING
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
reviewed by Warren Rachele
The Sermon on the Mount has challenged
Christians and non-Christians alike with its call to a way of living that was,
is, and always will be contrary to the status quo. Christ’s words were
astonishing enough in the first century, but they are particularly foreign to
21st-century ears accustomed to messages of self-empowerment and personal
gain. Some may dismiss the challenge as
purposely inflated, taking the view that Jesus overstated his kingdom
requirements in order to give humankind an ethical standard to work
toward. Disputing the ethic position in
his new book, Living the Sermon on the Mount: A Practical Hope for Faith and
Deliverance, Glen Stassen issues a bold call to the church to recover an
understanding of this sermon as a message about God’s presence and the
deliverance for a vulnerable people who need God as much today as the
Israelites once did on the edge of Egypt....
WORD
MEANINGS:
ADULT:
A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the
middle.
BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye.
CANNIBAL:
Someone who is fed up with people.
CHICKENS:
The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
COMMITTEE:
A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
DUST:
Mud with the juice squeezed out.
EGOTIST:
Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.
HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.
INFLATION:
Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO:
An insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISIN:
Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET:
Something you tell to one person at a time.
SKELETON:
A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.
TOOTHACHE:
The pain that drives you to extraction.
TOMORROW:
One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.
YAWN:
An honest opinion openly expressed.
WRINKLES:
Something other people have, similar to my character lines.
CONSIDER
“In church, question marks straighten out
into exclamation points, the baffling day-by-day complexity of things becomes
simple, the stubborn world falls into step with man and his aspirations, his
individual efforts become significant as part of a larger plan.” Robert & Helen Lynd
VERSE
TO PONDER
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. A nd be
thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you
sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to
God.” Colossians 3:15-16 (NIV)
ON
PRAYER
“God is always present, always
available. At whatever moment in which
one turns to him the prayer is received, is heard, is authenticated, for it is
God who gives our prayer its value and its character, not our interior
dispositions, not our fervor, not our lucidity. The prayer which is pronounced for God and accepted by him
becomes, by that very fact, a true prayer.”
Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), Prayer and Modern Man
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Biblical Words
Pronunciation Guide
All links to websites are provided as a
service, and do not imply endorsement by our church.
If being disgruntled is a bad thing, should I be gruntled?
Winn L. Sammons
Editor
Wsammons1@cox.net
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Ridge
Men's Reader is a periodic newsletter of announcements, news, recommendations,
articles, and other information helpful to men in our spiritual growth. Thanks for welcoming Ridge Men's Reader into
your in-box!
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The
mission of North
Ridge Community Church is to Turn Ordinary People Into POWER-filled
Followers of Jesus Christ. The Men's
Ministry Team offers a variety of activities for men to interact with other men
on our journey of faith in Christ together.
Large group, small group, and one-to-one events encourage relationship
building and spiritual strengthening that result in maximizing the potential we
all have in Christ. Contact Tom Murray
at 2agingrockers@cox.net if you'd like to participate in a men's discipleship program.
North Ridge Community Church is
located at 6363 E. Dynamite Blvd, Cave Creek, AZ 85331. Tel: (480)
515-4673. Visit our website at www.northridge.org
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