Foundation Leadership Structure

Ok, so here is a diagram of the newly created Foundation Leadership Structure that was revealed at the Strategic Planning retreat. Take a look, ask questions, and share what you think. I'll post more information regarding individual parts of the model later. Enjoy!




(click image to enlarge)

Professor's Movie Review - Rocky

Ok, so I know I have no credentials to be a movie critic. However, I wanted to give a review on the new Rocky movie in case you have not seen it yet and might want to. My advice is this - if you have seen the other Rocky movies, great, you'll know what's going on. If not, it wont make as much sense to you. To be honest, its not the best movie in the world, (its no Forest Gump or Saving Private Ryan), but you get to see all the classic Rocky stuff like him drinking raw eggs and running up the steps. Plus, homeboy is still stout to be like 60 years old and the fight scene is classic Rocky action. As a Christian, this movie doesnt contain too much bad material, maybe just a few curse words, with even a few faith references through out the movie. I think its important to be conscience of the material we let into our minds through our eyes. Rocky is a good movie, go see it! Two thumbs up!

For another great review by Christian blogger Ben Witherington click here.

Church Needs Dudes

I ran across this video today and found it interesting. Pastor Mark Driscoll of this church in Seattle shares what he thinks is one of the problems with churches today...not enough men..and that most of the men that do go to church are wimps. "The problem in the church today: its just a bunch of nice, soft, tender, chickafied church boys." (start the video about 1:30 in)

What do you think?

NCSU Engineer Explains the Physics of Santa

Well I already knew that I graduated from the greatest university on the planet but this definitely has to seal the deal...an Engineering professor over at NCSU has explained the plausible science behind how Santa can deliver millions of presents around the world in one night...

"Based on his advanced knowledge of the theory of relativity, Santa recognizes that time can be stretched like a rubber band, that space can be squeezed like an orange and that light can be bent,” Silverberg says. “Relativity clouds are controllable domains – rips in time – that allow him months to deliver presents while only a few minutes pass on Earth. The presents are truly delivered in a wink of an eye.”

Read the entire article here.

This guy looks a lot like someone I know...

Have you ever seen an elf dance? Click the picture to see what Professor Webb has been doing on the side in order to pay the bills...just think how many kids he's made happy on their annual visit to the mall to see Santa. Doing it for the kids...what a guy!

(sorry Webb, I couldn't resist)

Strategic Planning Retreat

Sounds like a fancy name huh? Well that's what we hope happens from Thursday to Saturday of this week as our leadership team will be in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee planning for upcoming ministry. Be in prayer this week for our leadership team as we will be traveling with a chance of snow, but mainly for what God will do while we are up there. We will be reflecting on the last year of ministry and then dive into the big question; What's next? It's going to be a really important series of meetings that is going to directly impact the future of The Foundation...so remember that this week during your prayer times.

Reminder: Keep checking the blog, but we will begin slowing down here during the holiday season with the number of posts, so my apologies for that. However, expect to see a big turn around in post frequency starting in January! So stay tuned...

Thursday HangOUT

Thursday's HangOUT will be the last one until the new year...so be sure to come. There will not be a HangOUT on Dec. 21st or the 28th...but we are working on a pretty cool idea for a back to school bash in January, so stay tuned....

HangOUT @ the Center: Thursday 7pm (directions)

Blog Template Stuff

Must We Believe the Virgin Birth?

I ran across this today and thought I would post it since we kind of talked about the same thing on Thursday. It is from Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.,who is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. There is supposed to be a three part series, so I will post them as he writes them.

Friday, December 08, 2006

In one of his columns for The New York Times, Nicholas Kristof once pointed to belief in the Virgin Birth as evidence that conservative Christians are "less intellectual." Are we saddled with an untenable doctrine? Is belief in the Virgin Birth really necessary?

Kristof is absolutely aghast that so many Americans believe in the Virgin Birth. "The faith in the Virgin Birth reflects the way American Christianity is becoming less intellectual and more mystical over time," he explains, and the percentage of Americans who believe in the Virgin Birth "actually rose five points in the latest poll." Yikes! Is this evidence of secular backsliding?

"The Virgin Mary is an interesting prism through which to examine America's emphasis on faith," Kristof argues, "because most Biblical scholars regard the evidence for the Virgin Birth ... as so shaky that it pretty much has to be a leap of faith." Here's a little hint: Anytime you hear a claim about what "most Biblical scholars" believe, check on just who these illustrious scholars really are. In Kristof's case, he is only concerned about liberal scholars like Hans Kung, whose credentials as a Catholic theologian were revoked by the Vatican.

The list of what Hans Kung does not believe would fill a book [just look at his books!], and citing him as an authority in this area betrays Kristof's determination to stack the evidence, or his utter ignorance that many theologians and biblical scholars vehemently disagree with Kung. Kung is the anti-Catholic's favorite Catholic, and that is the real reason he is so loved by the liberal media.

Kristof also cites "the great Yale historian and theologian" Jaroslav Pelikan as an authority against the Virgin Birth, but this is both unfair and untenable. In Mary Through the Centuries, Pelikan does not reject the Virgin Birth, but does trace the development of the doctrine.

What are we to do with the Virgin Birth? The doctrine was among the first to be questioned and then rejected after the rise of historical criticism and the undermining of biblical authority that inevitably followed. Critics claimed that since the doctrine is taught in "only" two of the four Gospels, it must be elective. The Apostle Paul, they argued, did not mention it in his sermons in Acts, so he must not have believed it. Besides, the liberal critics argued, the doctrine is just so supernatural. Modern heretics like retired Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong argue that the doctrine was just evidence of the early church's over-claiming of Christ's deity. It is, Spong tells us, the "entrance myth" to go with the resurrection, the "exit myth." If only Spong were a myth.

Now, even some revisionist evangelicals claim that belief in the Virgin Birth is unnecessary. The meaning of the miracle is enduring, they argue, but the historical truth of the doctrine is not really important.

Must one believe in the Virgin Birth to be a Christian? This is not a hard question to answer. It is conceivable that someone might come to Christ and trust Christ as Savior without yet learning that the Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin. A new believer is not yet aware of the full structure of Christian truth. The real question is this: Can a Christian, once aware of the Bible's teaching, reject the Virgin Birth? The answer must be no.

Nicholas Kristof pointed to his grandfather as a "devout" Presbyterian elder who believed that the Virgin Birth is a "pious legend." Follow his example, Kristof encourages, and join the modern age. But we must face the hard fact that Kristof's grandfather denied the faith. This is a very strange and perverse definition of "devout."

Matthew tells us that before Mary and Joseph "came together," Mary "was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit." [Matthew 1:18] This, Matthew explains, fulfilled what Isaiah promised: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name 'Immanuel,' which translated means 'God with Us'." [Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 9:6-7]

Luke provides even greater detail, revealing that Mary was visited by an angel who explained that she, though a virgin, would bear the divine child: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy child shall be called the Son of God." [Luke 1:35]

Even if the Virgin Birth was taught by only one biblical passage, that would be sufficient to obligate all Christians to the belief. We have no right to weigh the relative truthfulness of biblical teachings by their repetition in Scripture. We cannot claim to believe that the Bible is the Word of God and then turn around and cast suspicion on its teaching.

Millard Erickson states this well: "If we do not hold to the virgin birth despite the fact that the Bible asserts it, then we have compromised the authority of the Bible and there is in principle no reason why we should hold to its other teachings. Thus, rejecting the virgin birth has implications reaching far beyond the doctrine itself."

Implications, indeed. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, who was His father? There is no answer that will leave the Gospel intact. The Virgin Birth explains how Christ could be both God and man, how He was without sin, and that the entire work of salvation is God's gracious act. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, He had a human father. If Jesus was not born of a virgin, the Bible teaches a lie.

Carl F. H. Henry, the dean of evangelical theologians, argues that the Virgin Birth is the "essential, historical indication of the Incarnation, bearing not only an analogy to the divine and human natures of the Incarnate, but also bringing out the nature, purpose, and bearing of this work of God to salvation." Well said, and well believed.

Nicholas Kristof and his secularist friends may find belief in the Virgin Birth to be evidence of intellectual backwardness among American Christians. But this is the faith of the Church, established in God's perfect Word, and cherished by the true Church throughout the ages. Kristof's grandfather, we are told, believed that the Virgin Birth is a "pious legend." The fact that he could hold such beliefs and serve as an elder in his church is evidence of that church's doctrinal and spiritual laxity -- or worse. Those who deny the Virgin Birth affirm other doctrines only by force of whim, for they have already surrendered the authority of Scripture. They have undermined Christ's nature and nullified the incarnation.

This much we know: All those who find salvation will be saved by the atoning work of Jesus the Christ -- the virgin-born Savior. Anything less than this is just not Christianity, whatever it may call itself. A true Christian will not deny the Virgin Birth.

David "the Hoff" Hasselhoff

Well you just never know what kids will show you these days. I had some kids in before school today programming their video games and one of them wanted to show me a music video on Google. Well shortly thereafter I watched the video you are about to watch, and needless to say my childhood hero has let me down. You see, growing up in the 90's as a young boy in a small town, David Hasselhoff was an everyday name, common to all boys my age. He was the star of Knight Rider, driving KITT, his smooth operating black 1982 Trans Am around battling the forces of evil as a lone ranger. But he is most revered for his days on the glorious "Baywatch." As a 12 year old boy it is hard not to look up to a man who is loved by mobs of women and runs around on the beach with the most beautiful women on TV saving peoples lives. A man that stars in a show that has the same plot every single week but you still want to watch it anyway (I wonder if it was CJ and not "the Hoff" that kept us watching). Anyways, enough drama, the Hoff has released this music video "Jump in My Car." Somehow I just don't see the "Hoff" the same anymore, and come to think of it, Baywatch really was a pretty crappy show. Things always seem better when you were a kid. Enjoy the show! (*disclaimer* The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of The Foundation or its participants and have absolutely nothing to do with ministry.)

Facelift

Hey yall, the blog is undergoing a facelift during the next couple days. Let me know if you find any bugs or glitches in any of the links or pages. Let me know what you think about the new look and anything else that you would like to see added to the site.