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For the last couple of years, I have been part of Mocha Club, an organization that exists to fund relief and development projects in Africa. They work in five main project areas: Clean Water, Education, Child Mothers + Women At Risk, Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children, and HIV/AIDS + Healthcare.

The premise is very simple: Every month Mocha Club receives $7 from your bank account–the price of 2 mochas. That money is then used to make a huge difference in Africa.

How much can $7.00 do? $7 can feed person for a month. $7 can educate 2 children for a school term. $7 can save 1 person’s life from malaria. $7 can provide clean water to 7 Africans for a year.

My team, Won’t Stay Silent, has been supporting a Clean Water initiative. There are 300 million people in Africa who do not have access to clean drinking water. Mocha Club’s clean water solutions are freeing individuals from this devastating situation by providing water that is safe and free of disease. Through our giving, we are helping building wells in the Sudan for refugees of the Darfur genocide, who are often forced to live in wilderness areas where they have to drink muddy water, if they are able to find any water at all…

Due to the lack of clean water, diseases run rampant. Each new well is designed to serve 500 people, but our experience on the ground in these remote, insecure areas, is that they end up serving more than 1,000 people.

Once again, the premise is very simple: You only have to give $7.00 a month. In fact, once you sign up, there’s nothing else you have to do. The money is withdrawn from your bank account each month, and I can almost guarantee that you will never miss that money or even notice it’s gone.

$7.00 doesn’t sound like much, but as you read above, it makes a huge difference. Plus, when people working together, incredible things happen. Our group, Won’t Stay Silent, was started in September 2008. Since that time, our group has combined to donate over $1000.00.

If you’re interested in finding out more information, click on the following link, one of the Mocha Club pictures, or send me an email at david.jones@randallhouse.com. Click here to access Mocha Club

At best, I’m a casual soccer fan. I played soccer for in 4th grade and ended my career with an amazing stat line of 0 goals. And no, I wasn’t the goalie.

I can name about 5 players on the US team. I can pronounce about half of the last names of guys on the US team. I know who Henry (France), Messi (Argentina), Rooney (England), Kaka (Brazil), and Ronaldo (Portugal) are, and I know that the vuvuzela is annoying! However, that’s about the extent of my soccer knowledge. I can’t tell you a thing about the MLS and I still know David Beckham as the husband of one of the Spice Girls (okay…maybe that’s an exaggeration).

However, when the World Cup comes around, I really get into it. It doesn’t matter who’s playing, I love sitting down and watching the games. In a way, it’s similar to the Olympics for me. While I care nothing about men’s figure skating, mix in the Olympics and Evan Lysacek and I’m hooked.

Am I a “once every 4 years” bandwagon fan? Yeah probably. But I still enjoy it.

What about you? Do you care about the World Cup?

(Btw, in case you missed the USA vs England game, you can watch a recap above…with Legos!)

Several years ago when I had my first opportunities to speak/preach, my dad gave my some wise advice: “Don’t speak to the giraffes.”

Ummm…what?

Yes. Don’t speak the giraffes.

Sounds kind of crazy, right? Well, not exactly. The idea actually came from one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons:

“A farmer one day, after he had listened to a simple sermon, which was the very opposite of what he generally heard, exclaimed, “O Lord, we bless thee that the food was put into a low crib to-day, so that thy sheep could reach it!” Some brethren put the food up so high that the poor sheep cannot possibly feed upon it. I have thought as I have listened to our eloquent friends, that they imagined that our Lord had said, “Feed my [giraffes].” None but giraffes could reach the food when placed in so lofty a rack. Christ says, “Feed my sheep,” place the food among them, put it close to them.”

When it comes to preaching and teaching, one of the most important elements is knowing your audience. So often we either preach and teach above or below our audience. In my own case, I had just come back from a year of biblical training at college. My dad’s warning was a good one. It reminded me not to let what I had learned turn into arrogance. While I wanted to sound profound, I had to make sure I was seeking to lead God’s sheep and not try to impress people with big words to which I barely knew the definition. Let’s face it: the only reason I knew those words or concepts was because I had to memorize them for a Systematic Theology test the week before.

This concept is an ongoing struggle for myself and many others, and will always be a struggle as long as we are teaching and preaching God’s Word. We are called to lead God’s sheep; not try to tickle the ears of people who are much smarter than we are by reciting what we read in our Study Bible a few days earlier.

Understanding God’s Word shouldn’t be like trying to understand quantum physics or ace Jeopardy.

Teachers and preachers, let’s lead the flock that is hungry for the Word.

(Special thanks to blogofdan.co.uk for the Spurgeon quote)

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.”
- President John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961, Inaugural Address

When I read the words from John F. Kennedy’s famous speech, I cannot help but think that today’s church can learn a great lesson from the principle.

There are some in the church today that believe the church is all about them. They jump church to church looking for a church that will suit their needs, provide them with luxury service, and will serve them. In essence, they expect the church to treat them like a fancy restaurant would. They come in and expect to have everything laid out before them. From there, they can decide what they want based on what meets their needs/appetite. However, unlike a restaurant, don’t expect them to pay much money or leave a tip for using that “service.” They think the church is all about them. They only get involved in what sounds appetizing and never lift a finger to serve anyone else.

However, there are others who seem to “get” the principle. They realize the church isn’t about them. They realize the church doesn’t exist to fit their needs and the church’s purpose isn’t to serve them like the restaurant down the street might do. They are interested in serving the church, serving others, and serving Christ. They don’t look to see what the church can do for them; they look to see what they can do for the church to serve the body of Christ for the glory of God. They’re willing to do the dirty work and the things that never get noticed. They’re willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and money to better serve the church.

Which category do you fit into? Are you looking for the church to meet your needs and desires? Is your church attendance and drive in ministry based on recognition and what seems “fun” at the time? Or are you seeking how you can better serve the church? Do you constantly ask, “How can I be a better servant?” and “How can I serve my church, my God, and my community?”

How important is church attendance? Should Christians be there every time the doors are open? Should believers make it a habit to attend Sunday School? Is Wednesday night attendance important for believers? Have we put too much of an emphasis on being at the church facility?

Give me some feedback…

Jack Bauer’s series of bad days is finally over (at least on the TV screen) as Monday night brought us the series finale of 24. In honor of the series, here are Signs You’re Too Addicted to 24:

- You named your first child Tony, but then kicked him out of the house after he turned on Jack

- Despite believing he was a good guy, you hoped Tony would die in Season 1…because of his Cubs mug

- You refuse to acknowledge Obama as the first black president because David Palmer was first

- You know the scene in which the camera guy becomes visible in Season 1

- You still think Victor Drazen is alive

- You believe The Unit was a prequel to 24

- When you hear the word Cougar, you instantly think of Kim Bauer…and the actual cougar that tried to eat her

- You brag that Daniel Dae Kim had to be killed on 24 before he could die on Lost

- You sat in silence for days when you found out Teri Bauer was actually dead

- You found Chloe to be really annoying, then kind of attractive, but then back to really annoying

- When your neighbors ask if you stole their mail, you tell them you want full immunity before you’ll talk

- You think it’s actually possible to travel across Los Angeles during rush hour in 10 minutes

- You were confident Aaron Pierce would show up in the season finale, and kind of letdown when he didn’t

- You were bothered to see Reiko Aylesworth on Lost and shouted, “We had her first!”

- When someone asks you how your day went, you preface your answer by saying “The following events took place between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.”

- You believe Nina took down the Pinta and Santa Maria

- You shot a coworker in the knee to find out who ate your yogurt

- You’re still confused how the gay computer analyst became the evil villain on Heroes

- Shock value is no longer in your vocabulary

- You remember Kyle Singer and how his involvement in Season 3 had absolutely NOTHING to do with the show

- You avoid commitment out of fear that every girl you date will end up being a terrorist

- You stopped taking the show seriously when Freddie Prinze Jr. showed up because no one who starts in She’s All That could ever work for CTU

- You got spit on every time Edgar spoke

- You actually know how to pronounce “Rajskub”

- You realized that Jack killed Curtis on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

- You still want to know what happened to Behrooz

- You hate Russia

- You have the CTU ringtone and always answer a call by saying your last name instead of “hello”

- You view torture as a recreational activity

- You find no need to argue if Jack Bauer could defeat Chuck Norris because Bauer already put Chuck in a sleeper hold before you could finish reading this statement

- You blame Silver Spoons for messing up Season 6

- After getting pulled over for speeding, you told the cop “Get me a direct line to the President!”

- You’ve actually uttered the phrase, “Jack Bauer could find Osama bin Laden”

- You saw The Sentinel…and liked it

- You’ve actually considered chopping off your boss’s finger…just in case the locks in the building get replaced with fingerprint entry

- You try to go 24 straight hours without sleeping, eating, or using the bathroom

- You agree with Arizona’s immigration law because every terrorist on 24 is either middle eastern or Russian

- You have a strong desire to only drive Fords and use Sprint phones

- You bought the 24 game for Playstation 2 just to find out what happens between Seasons 2 and 3

Lost finally has ended. After many years of wondering, fans of the show finally have all of their questions answered…or not. Anyway, it didn’t take long for Lost addicts to come out and eagerly defend or blast the finale. Some of these people seemed crazier than the folks on the island. In honor of those people, Jeremy Crittenden and I have put together a list: Signs You’re Too Addicted to Lost:

(Warning: Spoilers present)

- You change your phone number to (481) 516-2342

- When you see actors from Lost five years from now movies, you still call them by their Lost names

- You call Child Services to make sure Ji Yeon is taken care of

- You actually know who Ji Yeon is

- You cried harder during the final scene than at your grandmother’s funeral

- You’re not at work today because you’re too depressed to leave the house

- You claim to actually understand the show

- You look like Hurley, unintentionally, but now you embrace it

- You ask all Koreans if they know Sun and Jin

- Your ringtone is “You All Everybody”

- When you hear a train you hide in fear it’s the Smoke Monster

- One of your theories involved Richard having a long lost son, Adam Lambert

- You pray for a spin-off comedy about Hurley and Ben’s wacky adventures as Island caretakers but you’d even settle for a show about Nikki and Paulo

- You were actually disappointed when Michael shot Ana Lucia

- You started watching Fringe in hopes that J.J. Abrams would do a time warp crossover

- You replicated the four-toed statue in your backyard out of chicken wire and paper mache

- You won’t shut up about Walt [Guilty!]

- You call every female convict “Freckles”

- You find Hurley attractive

- You became a commercial airline pilot just so you could freak people out saying, “This is Captain Frank Lapidus speaking, welcome to Oceanic Flight 815″

- You felt robbed when you found out Daniel Dae Kim could actually speak English all along

- Before putting away your groceries, you paste Dharma labels over all the can goods

- You have no idea Nestor Carbonell (Richard Alpert) was in The Dark Knight

- You haven’t cried this much since Zack and Kelly’s wedding

- When a promotion comes up and your boss tells you you’re a “candidate” you kill the competition and mark their names off your office wall

- You sleep in a khaki jumpsuit in between Vulcan sheets

- You started a Sawyer’s Book Club in you neighborhood

- You actually waste half a day sitting on Facebook creating a list about Lost addiction

- You can’t wait to re-enact the finale with your cats

- You develop an attraction for all escaped convicts guilty of murder

- You called your airport to see when Lapidus’ plane was arriving

- You accuse William Shakespeare of thievary for using the name Juilet

- You try to summon the Smoke Monster when someone speaks badly of the finale

- Every time you see a Virgin Mary statue you smash it thinking there may be heroin inside

- You call your friends Boss, Doc, Chief, Mr. Miyagi, Lardo, Staypuff, Deep Dish, Jungle Boy, French Chick, Sweetcheeks, Puddin’, Shortcake, the Hero, Cowboy, Mr. Clean, Moonbeam, Freckles, Jumbo Tron, and Chachi

- Instead of a Bible, you carry a large stick engraved with Scripture to church

- You’re convinced the Man in Black also won the 1st season of Survivor

- You still sport a jheri curl hairdo with mutton chops just in case time travel does exist

- You think the Lord of the Rings trilogy is just Charlie’s flashback

- You tattooed Not Penny’s Boat on your hand

- Every time you and your roommates have an argument you boldly remind them “If we can’t live together, then we’re going to die alone”

The following is an excerpt from Shannon Primicerio’s article “Bold Is Beautiful: Learning to Stand Out in a Fit-In World” from the Fall 2010 editions of Horizon and Direction magazines:

Choosing Your Celebrity Friends Wisely

I used to believe that what I watched wasn’t a big deal, but most of us could probably quote more movie lines than Bible verses, a talent that doesn’t exactly come in handy in the middle of temptation.

When I was in college my friends and I were into a popular sitcom. Every week we piled into one dorm room just in time to watch the unfolding events in the lives of our favorite characters. From the very beginning my friend Jen was opposed to the show. She thought the characters led immoral lives. Many times she chose to sit out in the hall and do homework while we used her roommate’s TV.

Over time, Jen lost her willpower and began watching the show with us. When some of the storylines got old to the rest of us, Jen found them fascinating because they were new to her. She was hooked. About a year later she started making poor choices. It was like she became a different person.

Our friend Jill decided to talk to her about the drastic change. Immediately Jen was defensive. “Wait a second,” she said. “For years you watched the characters on our show do things like this and you didn’t have a problem with it. So, don’t tell me you have a problem when I do it.”

Although Jen’s actions weren’t justified, she had a point. Inviting similar behaviors into our dorm rooms each week (via our favorite show) was hypocritical. If we wouldn’t live like those characters, we shouldn’t have been willing to watch them make poor choices week after week.

First Corinthians 15:33 tells us evil company corrupts good habits. That’s just as true with the company we keep through our television sets and movie screens. Choose the TV shows and movies you watch the same way you choose your friends—wisely and with godly discernment. They really do matter more than you think.

Check out the rest of the article in the Fall 2010 editions of Horizon and Direction magazines.

On Monday’s Brink Podcast (which you can listen to by clicking HERE), we discussed the following question: Is it necessary for a Christian to be a committed member of a local church?

Many Christians today (especially twentysomethings) attend several different churches at the same time (i.e. Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, Tuesday nights, Wednesday nights, etc.). Is this a good thing? Is it a bad thing?

Also, church membership doesn’t seem to be as important as it used to be. Is church membership overrated today?

What are your thoughts? Is it necessary for a Christian to be a committed member of a local church?

I would love to get feedback from pastors, youth pastors, teachers, young adults, teenagers, etc.

There’s a dilemma between today’s generation of Christians and the church.

We like being involved in fun activities in the church. We like leading activities in the church. We like being on stage in the church. We like being noticed in the church. We like being told we’re doing a good job in the church. We like talking about the need for relevancy in the church. We like speaking in the church. We like preaching in the church. We like leading music in the church. We like teaching in the church.

However…sometimes we don’t like being the Church.

We like things that benefit us. If a church program, ministry, or event entertains us, motivates us, or benefits us, we’re all for it. If it gives us a chance to hang out with our friends, add to our egos, or do what we want to do, it sounds great.

However, when we’re asked to actually be the Church, many in our culture want no part. Being the Church isn’t about entertainment, fame, or power. It’s about glorifying God and serving others. Unfortunately, we so often miss the point. Instead, we gripe about the church’s budget, without ever opening our wallets to tithe or give generously to the church or others. We complain that we’re not “being fed,” yet we neglect to focus on our spiritual life outside of the church walls, forgetting that only babies are spoon-fed. We compartmentalize our faith, acting like we’re a dedicated Christian on Sundays when it makes us look good, yet living completely different on the other 6 days of the week. We constantly talk about the ministries we would like to start at the church, yet we refuse to help out with other ministries because we’re always too busy with our own stuff.

We like what the church provides for us; yet many times we don’t like being the Church.