Rob Bell knows how to hustle.

He started Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids. The church has grown to over 10,000 people, and they’ve helped over 175,000 people in Africa in the process.

He’s done a bunch of speaking tours which have been incredibly creative- The Gods Aren’t Angry, Everything is Spiritual, Poets/Prophets/Preachers, and Fit to Smash Ice.

And Rob’s a sharp writer too- Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Drops Like Stars… everything he’s written has created huge discussion, for the good of our faith, I think.

His most recent book about hell sparked a firestorm in Christendom. (see link, it’s funny that someone took the time to create this).

For all this, Rob was named to TIME’s 100 most influential people list. Crazy.

Do the math, and you wonder how he ever sleeps, let alone leads a church.

Now Rob has resigned at Mars Hill Church.

(Cue criticism from conservative church leaders)

And he’s joining up with the exec producer from LOST to create a TV show for ABC.

Excited? Thoughts?

I love a good football game.
Problem is, there’s not much football actually being played on Sunday afternoons…

“According to the Wall Street Journal, the average broadcast of a football game lasts 185 minutes. But here’s the thing – only 11 of those minutes are actual game play.

So where do the extra 174 minutes go in airtime?

-Players spend roughly 75 minutes in huddles
-17 minutes are devoted to replays
-Cutaway shots to refs and coaches get 13 minutes
-Cheerleaders get 3 minutes
-Up to 60 minutes are commercials.”

Yup.

Every year, Ben Arment challenges his readers to skip football games and bring their dreams to life.  That’s what Ben did, and the STORY Conference launched the next year, followed by Church in the Making. Then came Dream Year, and now One Thousand Premieres.

I wonder if he’ll ever go back to football.

Go watch COURAGEOUS this weekend. Seriously, it’s that good.

To be honest, I was more than a bit guarded going into it… I hate churchey things, bad acting, and the movie had been so hyped that I was sure it would be a let-down.

Sure, it’s got a bit of bad acting and way too many fade-outs, but man… it certainly wasn’t a let-down.

I’ve NEVER seen a movie that had the audience so wrapped around its finger. It’s not often that you hear genuine laughter in theatres, followed minutes later by sobbing. (even I may or may not have teared up…twice!)

And the message was important- we need godly fathers.

Consider…
There are 24 million children in the US – one in three – living apart from their biological fathers. 2 in 3 for African American children.

Why does this matter?
-Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor.
-Infant mortality rates are 1.8 times higher for infants of unmarried mothers.
-39% of jail inmates lived in mother-only households.
-Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

For more sobering stats on the link between fatherlessness and issues like childhood obesity, alcohol and drug abuse, maternal depression, and nicotene addiction, check out Fatherhood.org

So hat’s off to Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Their production company, Sherwood Pictures, has done a good thing: After a line of successful films- Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof- COURAGEOUS is their best so far.

And the box office reflects it- despite opening in just 1,161 theaters, it was the 4th top money-grossing film in the country, bringing in over $9M on its opening weekend. It’s done $21M so far… not bad for a $2M budget!  Congrats to Director/Producers (and brothers) Alex & Stephen Kendrick (co-authors of The Love Dare, a book which has sold over 5M copies), for another stellar flick.

They are changing the way we think about marriage and fatherhood, calling us all to a higher standard of love.

COURAGEOUS… go see it!

How’s that for serendipity?!

So after attending the oldest church (in Guelph) on Sunday, we headed to Salsateria. It’s owned by a Chilean, and when he found out that the two miners, Omar Reygadas and Frank Lobos, were going to be in Toronto, he convinced them to come do a Q&A at his place.

It was amazing.

33 dudes. 70 days. A km underground. No food for the first 17 days. 40 degrees Celcius. 80% humidity. Dust and debris in the air. Most of the men lost 40 pounds over the course of their ordeal. They drank muddy water and wrote goodbye letters to their families.

We asked them all sorts of questions…

How did you keep the mood light?
Chileans are like the Newfies of South America… we laughed and sang and made jokes. We danced and played checkers with rocks. But we expected the worst. The pain was inside. For some of the young guys, it was their first week on the job. We’re so grateful, to God, for a second chance. -Omar-

How many of the 33 men still work in the mining industry?
Only 3, but they’re above-ground. Omar does safety workshops and prevention education. I used to be a 20-year soccer pro in Chile, so I work with the minor league soccer farm teams now. -Frank-

Who’s to blame for the collapse of the mine?
Definitely the company. All the garbage and waste was piled above us. If there was copper in the support columns, they’d chip away at them. It was all very dangerous. Since we’ve been rescued, at least 38 men have lost their lives in mining accidents. Chile has a history of exploiting minors. There was once a massacre of 3000 miners. -both men-

How did you stay hopeful?
There was a 34th miner down there with us. His name was God. I think God planned the mine to collapse. Because, for a moment, the whole world was united, people all over the world were praying, everyone was hoping for the best. God wanted it to happen. I am very grateful to Him. -Omar-

I had a humorous conversation with some friends last week about the idea of renting a whole bunch of movies, waiting til the place closes down, and then never returning the DVDs.

Not a bad idea.

I joked “hey, and I even have coupons to get the movies for free!”  

I rented a classic this week, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman.  Definitely the kind of movie that you’d want to own, and watch every few years.  So I decided to keep it.

Then I remembered the Golden Rule.

You know, to treat others as you wish to be treated.

Don’t get me wrong- I hate big greedy corporations, those culture-crushing, money-sucking, urban-sprawling bottom feeders preying on cheap labour and market monopolies…  Blockbuster had it coming.  I love subverting capitalism wherever and whenever I can.

But not this time.   Because it’s not the right thing to do.  Because I wouldn’t want someone to do that to me in a moment of dire financial straights.  Because Jesus wouldn’t do it.

So I’m returning the DVD after work today.  And it’s not because of late fees!

Greatest. party. EVER!

Based on the book. Based on a true story. Starring Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jonah Hill. About the guys that transformed baseball forever.

I don’t know why we didn’t all think of this before (or maybe we did?!) but now Bill and Melinda are investing $42 million in self-powered toilets. Here’s why this is so important…

My friend Lindsay LOVES speed walking. It’s also the official sport of my wife’s home country, Finland. Check out this nail-biter…

There’s a new sport in India called Train Surfing. It’s stupid, foolish, and dumb.

Mike Tompkins has a new video out. Don’t watch the second half if you’re prone to seizures, but it’s definitely his best to date…

Best Superbowl commercial from last year, hands down. It tells a beautiful story without saying anything.  Except maybe “Google helps you get the girl.”

DON’T WORRY… the BBC will be broadcasting the Olympics… in 3-D.

Wanna see how much debt the USA really has?! WTFnoway.com

Greatest 404 page EVER. Visit Steve

I love Bloodwater Mission’s tagline for their lemonaid fundraiser… Make a Stand For Clean Water.  They do such pretty work.

Are you making a point or making a difference? Great message by Andy Stanley entitled The Seperation of Church and Hate.

More friends, or better friends? So beautiful.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” -2 Corinthians 9:8-

I heard a preacher totally butcher this passage a few months ago. He rolled it into a nice health-and-wealth theology… he should have just called it “In Defense of Stuff.“ (actual quote: “God wants you to have stuff. He knows that you can’t live without stuff.“)

His angle was that God loves us so much that it’s okay if we have lots of stuff and are totally comfortable, as long as our “heart is in the right place.” Which sounds lovely, and I wish it were true- that I could build my little earthly empire and forget about heaven- but it kinda flies in the face of Matthew 6:21, which pretty clears suggests that, where our treasure is… there are heart is also.

So what does this verse mean?

I think we’re emphasizing the wrong part of the verse. Most people think that since they’re so great, God will give them everything they need whenever they want it. The emphasis is put on “all things at all times.” Which, if you’ve ever lived in reality, is hardly the case. Rarely do we get what we want, let alone everything, always.

So let’s put the emphasis back where it belongs.

Here’s the clearest way I can say it:
There is always enough provision when you’re living out God’s vision.  God will always provide for the good work.

Church plant. Youth group. Mission trip. God project. Ministry. You name it. God seems to come through financially/physically/emotionally/spiritually whenever the calling is from Him, for Him.  I was 18 years old when I led my first mission trip of 16 people to Honduras.  We raised $27,000 is no time at all.  God is decidedly pro-vision.

I’m thinking back to when we made our documentary about sex trafficking In Canada. We felt called to do it. We knew it was the right thing to do, and we knew it reflected God’s heart of justice. So we stepped out in faith, without a cent or a clue, and here’s what happened…

We got a grant to buy a videocamera.
My friend Dave, a pro filmmaker, taught us how to use it, for free.
Our grade 8 teacher set us up with a place to stay in Regina.
Friends of family and families of friends opened their homes to us.
Gary & Leslie paid for our night in a hostel.
Mom and Dad helped with groceries and gas.
My accountability partner Aaron covered the rest of the fuel.
My loving in-laws covered our travel insurance.
My good friend Tyler let me borrow his car.
Our 40+ prayer partners covered us while we drove over 11,000 km in 17 days.
Dave, Karyn, and Iain stepped up to the ginourmous task of transcribing and editing for weeks, for free.
Dozens of leaders screened our films in churches, classrooms, film festivals, and awareness events.

The result? A humble documentary that’s been seen by over 25,000 people, including MPs, lawmakers, abolitionists, law enforcement, and a ton of young leaders with a heart for justice. And a human trafficking blog whose readership has totally exploded.

As Rick Warren once said, “where God guides, God provides.”

We believe it. And we’re sensing that He’s calling us to the next big thing… another the God-sized mission.  (cost: $80,000)  And we’re trusting that He will provide.

Because that’s what He does- provision for His vision, every time.

Where is He leading you right now? Are you ready to dream His dreams? When are you going to step out in faith and do it?

Ebooks with sound effects?… I’m not superbly interested, you?

Someone I’ve never met just donated $2500 towards our project.  Wow.  God is good, and we are blessed.  The vision people are giving towards?  Preventing human trafficking before it begins.

Steve Jobs resignation letter. Pray it doesn’t end like Jack.

This would help save water.

Next Year.
As Well.
Someday.

How to Clear a Blocked Nose. Hasn’t worked for me yet. Any luck?!

I’m loving RSA Animate lately…

Which “time zone” do you live in? I’m definitely past-positive.

Elevation Church is launching two new sites in the fall… on the same day. That takes some serious planning.

I just finished reading a great book on storytelling: Tell to Win.  Caution: the book reads like a massive name-drop.

Lol Perry Noble… “if it’s God’s will then it’s God’s bill.”

Anyone have a copy of Quitter that I could borrow?

I wouldn’t be able to do posts like these without Delicious. (current number of bookmarks stored: 6095)

John Stott’s death, from a secular perspective. Kristof is just such a sensible fellow.

Collectively, we spend 700 BILLION minutes on Facebook each month. That’s a lot.

Hamilton Light Rail… get behind it!

Probably my favourite website in the world.

I want to be this good at something.

“Burn fat, not oil.” Great idea for a t-shirt.

Speaking of walking, how “walkable” is your neighbourhood? Type in your address and Walk Score will let you know. I scored a 42…car-dependent. Dang suburbs. Cities could use this to improve their lives and save the planet. What did you score?!

Have a great day everyone!

You get to (hopefully) bless people,you get to practice your writing, and you get free books.   I’m part of this thing called Book Sneeze, which gives free books to bloggers in exchange for reviews.  Sweet!

The most recent book I received was Max Lucado‘s Cure for the Common Life.  I had never read a Lucado book before.  Which is saying something, because he’s written like 4000 books (truthfully, somewhere around 85).  He has over 100 million books in print (not a typo) and is one of the most-read living authors alive today.  So I was excited to read some Max.

It was a good read.  It’s written much like a series of blog posts… story after story, disconnected points, random quotes and Bible verses.

Individual sentences all on their own.

But all in a very endearing way, you know?  I felt like I was having a chat with an old friend.  The text moves fast and I blew through it in a few sittings.  The stories were incredible.  Two almost moved me to tears.  One made me shiver with delight.  (I’ll let you read them yourself!)

The book is about living in your “sweet spot.”  While I don’t believe that life is a cakewalk- our world is broken and full of sin- there’s certainly something to be said for doing what you love, what your gifted at, and what God is calling you to do and be.

Max offers a framework for discovering your STORY, and even includes a 60-page Discovery Guide to get you started.

The thrust of the book is this: “Use your uniqueness to make a big deal out of God every day of your life.”

The strength of this book is, undoubtedly, Max’s storytelling ability.  Full of great illustrations and stories, I bookmarked about every third page.

A good reading- certainly worth picking up if you’re trying to figure out your calling and purpose in life.

Get it on Amazon right here!

Why do we love local coffeeshops? Why do we gravitate to brands like Trader Joe’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and Steam Whistle? Why do we like indie music and undiscovered bands?

I just read a great business book by Bo Burlingham entitled Small Giants. It’s about “companies that choose to be great instead of big.”

Businesses like Zingermans in Ann Arbor, who started a food program that distributed over 5 million pounds of food last year.

Businesses like Clif-Bar, the organic energy bar company who turned down a nine-figure offer from some giant corporation because they wanted to keep their ethos.

Businesses like Anchor Brewing, the first microbrewery in the USA, who purposely capped their growth and have probably “lost” hundreds of millions of dollars in the process. (They still malt barley, use whole hops, brew in copper kettles, and air-cool the fermenting room.)

Businesses like Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records, which purposely built their headquarters in a rough part of Buffalo in order to stay true to their roots, despite missing the opportunity to expand their influence.

We live in an age of corporate mergers, hostile takeovers, huge buyouts, and growth by acquisition. What’s up with our obsession to be big? Companies, churches, people… we want more, we want to grow, we want to expand and increase.

Growth unending is a cancer.

Then you hear preachers say “if you’re not growing, you’re dying.”

Ummm… possibly… but what if life moves in seasons? In Rhythms?
It’s part of realizing our finitude… the fact that we all will, indeed, die.

Bigger is not always better. Better is better.

Now make it personal: “It is better to be a big person than to have a big name.”

Do you agree?