Crossroads

The Oscar-winning film maker James Cameron has produced a documentary that claims that they have found the tomb of Jesus (You can read more about it here). My initial reaction to this was to dismiss it as utter blasphemy, but as I thought about it, I realized that I should be "prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks" (1 Peter 3:15). This documentary will be aired this Sunday on the Discovery Channel, and I’m sure some people at your school or work will be talking about it on Monday. So here are some resources:

Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, appeared on Larry King Live last night and faced the producers who made this documentary. You can read the transcript of the conversation here. 

Ben Witherington, Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, responds to this news on his blog here.

Monergism.com is a website that has hundreds of articles, sermons, and other helpful resources for Christians. It has been recently renovated and it’s very nice… You should check it out! You should know that our very own Mark Mullery has made it on the website with his message ‘How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself Everyday’. Way to go Mark!

As you probably know, our next ESL class will start on 2/20. Many of you are serving in the program, and I thank you for it. As I was sitting and listening to Randy’s evangelism seminar last night, I kept thinking, "ESL would be a perfect place to apply what we’re talking about!" All you need to do is to show up and eat free dinner and talk to our international friends and make friends… What a great opportunity! So, if you’re free on Tuesday night, consider serving in the ESL! I would do it personally, but being an ESL myself, I’m afraid that whoever I might teach will become like THIS MAN.

Randy Newman is coming back tomorrow night for part 2 of Questioning Evangelism Class. The session starts at 7:30pm in the basement auditorium. Come early for coffee at 7pm! I was so encouraged by the last class, and I trust the Lord will use this class to help us once again in our effort to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I think we all should be grateful that the church has asked Randy to come instead of this guy…

I’m sure many of you will be joining the rest of America in watching the Super Bowl this Sunday with family and friends. And we may have a great opportunity for us to glorify God if you are watching the game with your non-Christian friend. Let me explain.

The ad below ran in today’s USA Today, and the two coaches who will be playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday are professing faith in Jesus Christ. Tony Dungy, who lost his 18-year old son in 2005, believed that God was working all things for the good of those who love the Lord, even in the midst of an unimaginable suffering. And how his relationship with God carried him through this trial is widely known. (You can read about it here.) Both of the coaches seem to have a genuine relationship with the Savior, and the media talks about their character, integrity, class, etc. So, there is a great chance that their relationship with God might be mentioned at some point in the coverage of the game. This could be an easy opportunity for you to turn your conversation into a spiritual one. "So what do you think about their relationship with God?" "Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?" "Who do you think Jesus Christ is to them?" "Who is Jesus Christ to you?" These are questions that can easily lead you to sharing your faith with non-Christians.

I’m not saying you have to watch the game with non-Christians, but if you do, let’s think about how we might be able to take the next step in our relationship with them by having a spiritual conversation with them.

The weather forecast said it was going to snow a lot today, and I know you’ve been told to check the church website before you come so see whether the meeting has been canceled or not. But I’m looking outside and there’s no snow… So we’ll have our CG meeting tonight! However, if you think it’s not safe to go out tonight, please feel no obligation to come. I hope to see you all tonight! 

Do you use a computer? The Internet? Cell phone? If you say yes, then you may want to consider reading this article written by Alex and Brett Harris. In this thought-provoking article, the authors talk about how our media use could affect our relationship with God and others and point out potential dangers that our technology-saturated generation faces. You may not agree with everything they say, but I’d encourage you to read it and be challenged.