Mark Driscoll in Peoria

Today i went to related leaders 1 day conference at riverside community church in peoria to hear Mark Driscoll speak on preaching to today's culture. Here are my notes from 2 out of 3 of the workshops. I didn't understand half the words he said, and neither did google.

Cross Centered Preaching
1. Jesus is our penal substitution on the cross.
2. Jesus is our victor
3. Jesus is our redemption
4. Jesus is our new covenant sacrifice
5. Jesus is our justification
6. Jesus is our propitiation
7. Jesus is our expiation
8. Jesus is our ransom
9. Jesus is our example
10. Jesus is our reconciliation

mark driscoll's blog: the resurgence
mars hill church seattle
mark driscoll's books

and the land of the free

the other day i watched Home of the Brave.
i really enjoyed it.
its about the effects that the Iraq war has on the soldiers coming home.



the human cost of occupation

Did i really say the S word?

ok. so i helped speak sunday am at first assembly.
and a couple of our youth staff said that i said the s word.
what do you think?



did more running yesterday

this creeps me out

Ryan P. Butler

Man. Here i am again. I grew up with Ryan, we actually both lived on the same street, but several blocks down from each other. Ryan was incredible guy, fun to be around.

When we were in jr. high, a group of us boys started a small 1 on 1 basketball tournament, that we did for several years. I think the first year we did it, it was hosted at Ryan's house, and so we called it the 1st annual rockway invitation. Due to Ryan's driveway being rock, not concrete. Each of us, came to the tournament with a self designed jersey. I remember when Ryan was getting ready to play his match; he came out on the court (the rocks) and played some song thru the boombox, and rips off his warmup shirt, and exposes his homemade Jalen Rose jersey. It was sweet, he had drawn this rose on the back of this tshirt that had its sleeves ripped off. I remember thinking to myself, "who is jalen rose?". I had come with a jersey my mom made of Shaq with puffy paint.

As you will see below, Ryan was an incredible pitcher and ball player. I always hated to be on his team, because that meant in practice I had to bat against him. Ryan was left-handed and I bat left-handed. Not a good combination.

PAWNEE - Ryan P. Butler, 30, of Pawnee died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, in Meredosia.

He was born Sept. 1, 1977, in Springfield, the son of Laurel Deon and Billie Sue Clements Butler. He attended Pawnee High School, Marissa High School and Lincoln Land Community College.

Ryan was a member of Pawnee Assembly of God Church. He also played in the CIL League. When he was 16 years old, Ryan received special invitations for tryouts with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves major league baseball teams.

Survivors include his parents, Laurel and Billie Sue Butler of Pawnee; a brother, Tracey D. Butler of Mount Vernon; a sister, Lisa S. (husband, Jerry) Newquist of Auburn; a niece; three nephews; and aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family will meet friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, at Pawnee Assembly of God Church. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008, at Pawnee Assembly of God Church, with the Rev. A.B. Bennett officiating. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Taylorville.

Memorials may be made to the Butler family to assist with funeral expenses or to the Pawnee Food Pantry.

Curry Funeral Home in Pawnee is in charge of arrangements.

ryan's state journal register guestbook
wand tv article
state journal register article

Out of gas.

Let's just say that I'm not going to Beijing 08.

my nike runs
tune your run

Installed New iBook Battery

Before - Cycle count 593


After - Cycle count 1


iBook battery storage life
calibrating iBook battery
apple notebook battery care
maximizing notebook battery charge
$79 iBook battery

Free wii remote jackets

Wii got ours today.
Get yours.

the office day two

still having router problems

my new office

whenever the church's wifi is down. all of our routers went down except for the main one coming into the building, so i had to tap right into it, and broadcast wifi from my iBook for the rest of the office.

I laughed. I cried. I hurled.

What an incredible read!

I just finished Pop Goes the Church: Should the Church Engage in Pop Culture authored by Tim Stevens. Tim is an executive pastor at one of the most innovative churches in the states, Granger.

When I first saw this title, I immediately thought it would be all about putting on a rock show, and firing up the HD projector for a blockbuster movie and popcorn in a state-of-the-art auditorium. But the truth is Tim Stevens so wonderfully challenged me to take a look at the needs of the people in my community, and for me to meet them.

I took an emotional rollercoaster while reading this, from being inspired, to being frustrated. I laughed. I cried. I hurled.

Talk about research. Tim has studied pop culture and how to minister to a pop culture saturated people. He also takes a look at how some of the most incredible speakers of time used pop culture. Speakers you might be familiar with. Jesus. Paul. Tim just didn’t go to the local used record store and pull from a cd from the hottest hits, or the grab a movie from the Blockbuster Video's Employees favorites. He has researched his thoughts both with society and biblically.

Tim is so in your face, in a good way. He inspires the Christian community & churches from pulling out of the culture, and challenges them to instead engage in it.

Pop Goes the Church…
Challenges the boring church.
Addresses the problem with evangelism.
Connects the gospel to the community.
Gives practical help of how to avoid the art of being boring.

I can’t wait to get this book into the hands of our staff and leadership team.

this is why i work with students

A 14 year old boy in Iraq has been getting together with some of his friends, where they have been creating "Messages in a Bottle". The messages are statements asking and promoting peace in Iraq. Him and his friends then take these bottles and put them in the euphrates river, so that other Iraqis will get them and read them. He says he wants to create peace, because the adults don't seem like they can.

this is why i work with students.
Incredible vision.
great heart.
wants to see peace.
motivated.
thinks he can change the world.


Message in a Bottle: Iraq - Video for you RSS feeders

Reuters Article - Iraqi schoolboy delivers peace message in a bottle
Police Message in a Bottle

ive always been amazed

with google's holiday logos, but todays was incredible.


Here are my top 5.
Louis Braille's Birthday - January 4, 2006


Mother's Day - May 8, 2005


Season's Greetings with a Google Doodle


Beta Version


World Cup - June 9, 2006

my body hurts.

not sure my body is designed for a 6am monday morning book club

every man god's man

Superbowl Party

The Pipeline is having a Superbowl party at the Mattoon Bowl this year.


We will probably show this Tom Brady video of him being interviewed on 60 Minutes, and then talk about God wanting to fill the void in their lives.

Isn't Technology Great

It started off with a tweet sent out from a request from a friend youth pastoring in Michigan that said "anyone want to play settlers online". Then i responded by saying that I was interested, and then 2 other friends got the tweet and responded and joined the game. One lives a couple blocks from me, while the other lives in Georgia.

I immediately begin googling "settler strategies", because last night, i got destroyed.

We all get in the game, and started setting it up. Then to improve the game play, we all logged into Skype for some smack talk thru voice chat.

Isn't technology great.

Settlers of Catan Online
My Twitter
Skype Me: Mufan96

If you can't say it in 60 seconds.

I've heard it said, if you can't say it in 20 minutes...

When I saw this video, I just had to laugh. Especially after my last post.
Is there a future in sunday am messages, being put in this format?



I'm speaking sunday am at first assembly on feb 3. Any suggestions on topics?

What Preachers Can Learn from Steve Jobs

I just finished watching the SteveNote. As I was watching, I noticed how Steve Jobs had the audience eating out of his hands. I had the thought, what if preachers could present like that.

Characteristics of Steve Job's presentations

• Shows success by numbers
• Let them know they (apple customers) aren't alone, that others have "buy-in" too.
• Inspires
• Makes the features seems do-able
• Leaves the audience with the feeling of "I want to buy everything!"
• Talks about the product features
• Demonstrates the product features (how it works, how it applies to their life)
• Talks about the product features again
• Shows how this will change your life and productivity
• Doesn't use acronyms
• Knows his stuff. No TelePrompTer. Has checklist of what he wants to cover.
• Rehearses: Practices timing & delivery
• He knows what is coming up next in the present
• Comfortable & relaxed. 
• Invites others on the stage
• Uses humor
• Repetition: says the same thing, over and over

Top Ten Best (and Worst) Communicators of 2007

How to Wow 'em Like Steve Jobs

Steve Job's Greatest Presentation

How to Present Like Steve Jobs

I'm Reviewing a New Book

Tim Stevens, the executive pastor at Granger Community Church, has written a new book titled Pop Goes the Church: Should the Church Engage Pop Culture? Tim posted on his blog, asking for 10 leaders willing to read his book, and review it. I applied and I was selected.

I'm super pumped.
I will be posting more about the book as I'm reading it, but I can't quote any parts of it.

Also my name will be mentioned in the book.



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If It Don't Make Dollars, Then It Don't Make Cents

Pastor shared this thought the other day.
That the things we buy, cost money, and we get money by working, which involves our time.
So before you buy something, think about how much time you had to work to pay for that item.

I thought i would figure up how much stuff i normally buy would cost, in time.
I will use the federal minumum wage is ($5.85), instead of my hourly rate.
I'm on salary, and I learned long ago as a pastor to never figure up what you make an hour.

Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock - $50 or 8hrs 32mins
Starbucks Carmel Apple Cider - $4 or 40 mins
iTunes Music Album - $10 or 1hr 42mins
Monthly Verizon Cell Service - $100 or 17hrs 5mins
Ford Escort Tank of Gas - $36 or 6hrs 9mins
Yahama Scooter Tank of Gas - $2.50 or 25mins
House - $70,000 or 11,965hrs 48mins

January Prayer Series

Our graphic work for our 3 weeks series on prayer for the adult service.

I thought laptops were portable

until I unloaded my incase sling today, and realized I needed all this stuff.



iBook 14" G4
True Power Adapter
120 GB External HD
60 GB External HD
Two USB cables for External HDs
20GB iPod
iTrip
Earbuds
iPod Wall Adapter
Apple VGA Adapter
Apple Video Adapter

What did you GIVE for Christmas?

Once I got back to Mattoon after Christmas vacation, whenever I saw a student I hadn't seen since Christmas I have been asking them the question, "What did you give for Christmas?"

Immediate responses have been: xbox360, wii, iPod, shoes, clothes, cds, ect. Then I would re-ask the question, "What did you give for Christmas?" Some would process it that time, others I'd have to ask a third time. I loved doing this. It made them process it in their head, that "this life isn't about me." "What did you give for christmas?" wasn't a natural question. It was unfamiliar. It seemed easy for the things that "we got" to roll off of our lips, and sometimes minds would have to search to come up with the answers of "what they gave."

I become what I consume. If I become consumed with giving, I become generous. When I consume it, I become it.

Last year Americans spent $455 billion during the holiday season.
Consumer credit debt is now at $2.4 trillion.
26 million Americans are addicted to shopping.
It takes the average American 6 months to pay off the credit card debt from holiday gifts.
The average American spends 5 hours shopping a week during Christmas.
The average American only spends 1 hour a week on spiritual things.

I spoke on consumerism the sunday after thanksgiving. Lucky me! Listen here.
I posted some artwork for the message a while back. I am consumed.

An Inconvenient Truth

Kt and I just finished watching it. Well, kt watched the first 20 minutes then started dozing off. I thought it was an ok documentary. All documentaries have their agenda and are weighed one side. It gave me the same feeling i had when some evangelist came to Pawnee Assembly and talked about the doomsday of y2k.

Gore didn't really need to spend 90 minutes trying to conveince me of the global warming problem. I mean, come on, it was over 65 degrees today in the middle of winter in Illinois. I thought of riding my scooter to work, which would have been thinking green, but I havent put my new plates on it yet. I was looking for more of a, "here is what you can do", but it was a lot of politics and saying that the current administration is more concerned about money and oil, instead of the existence of human life. I was really hoping that it (politics) would have stayed out of it, there was even shot of the 2000 elections, and he saying that he was the "ex president-elect".

The credits were the best part of the documentary, because it gave me some action points. I actually found them on YouTube.
An Inconvenient Truth - Credit with Special Effects Video


Climate Crisis
How to recycle everything

From A to Z part 1

We started a series at The Pipeline last night that deals with the virtue of orderliness.

We read Genesis 1, where it gives a very descriptive account of God creating the universe in 6 days. If you think about it God could have created it all in a -poof!. But God created it an orderly 6 days not for his benefit, but for ours. God was giving the ultimate example of orderliness. We challenged the students to write down their 2008 spiritual goals on 4"x6" cards, and then list orderly ways that they can achieve that goal.

Here are some elements we used.
Forest Countdown Video - Free
Bowl of trivia powerpoint Game - Free
Luke and I did a skit borrowed from Conan O'brien, that we titled "In the Year 2008". I've done different versions of this skit, the first youth service of the year, for years and years. Thanks for the past inspiration Mikey.
Chaos Video - $15

Here is a great video we got off of YouTube called What Song is It?, that deals with doing things in order.


In the Year 2008 script.
Luke: It’s time, once again, to look into the future.
Evan: The future, Luke?
Luke: That’s right, Evan. Let’s look to the future, all the way to the year 2008!
Evan - "Kevin Federline will score a number one hit when Fox ranks the top ten white trash moments on 'Cops.'"
Luke- "Barry Bonds goes on national television to admit for the first that the he injected himself, not with steroids, but with cajun spices.”
Evan - "Americans will be enthralled when 'Survivor' joins forces with 'The Apprentice' and 16 people see how long they can look at Donald Trump's haircut without laughing."
Luke - "When it is discovered that it takes exactly 437 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, it will be announced that science is officially over."
Evan - "A strange virus will kill every man in the world except Luke Greer, and every woman in the world except Hannah Montana. The marriage will last 32 days."
Luke - Atheists will win a landmark court battle making it illegal to say god bless you after someone sneezes. Instead, the law will require us to say, "Yo, zippy, you just sprayed me with some nasty."
Evan - A movie will be made about all the people who find Travis Spencer funny. The movie title -- "The Fantastic Four."

My 2008 Blogging Goals

I post my blog at 3 different places. Listed below are my current stats for them.

2007 blog.myspace.com/mufan96 blog stats
15 views/day
8 subscribers

2007 xanga.com/mufan96 blog stats
28 views/week
23 subscribers

2007 evancourtney.com stats
10 views/day

2007 twitter.com/mufan96 stats
38 followers

Here are my 8 6 blog goals for 2008
1. 500 twitter followers
2. evancourtney.com up to 100 views/day
3. evancourtney.com 50 feedburners
4. start a parenting blog with travis
5. setup stancourtney.com "the bigfoot blog" with ads, and profit enough to pay for the hosting and domain name
6. find my blogging niche. and create a profitable blog. (comment me some ideas)

While you're reading this, while don't you go ahead and bookmark my blog and add my rss feed and follow me on twitter.

The Kingdom

*Spoiler alert*

Last night kt and I rented The Kingdom from Redbox. I fell and in out of sleep towards the middle of the movie, due my sleeping pattern change (got 6 hours of sleep tuesday night, and 11 hours monday night). It was your typical, you did something to us, so we are going to do something to them. See Myth of Redemptive Violence.

An FBI Agent is killed by Muslims in Saudi Arabia, and the FBI sends a team to "investigate", and obviously it turns into a shootout.

The final lines of the movie were incredible.

The muslim grandfather, as he was dying from being shot by an FBI agent, told his grandson, "Don't worry, we are going to kill them all"
Meanwhile, it flashs back to a scene earlier in the movie, when the FBI learns that a muslim killed one of their agents, Jamie Fox's character comforts another FBI agent with the words, "Don't worry, we are going to kill them all."

The movie stressed a connection between the Middle East fighting for what they think is right, and the Western culture fighting for what they think is right.

Happy new year

Happy new year, originally uploaded by mufan96.