shawnw

Stop trying to change the world

Shawn — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:37:36 +0000

What would happen if the church (the church = you and I, not a building) stopped trying to block legislation, stopped protesting, stopped persecuting every category of person it feels is “sinful,” stopped keeping all of its money for itself, (I could go on and on)…

…and started loving our neighbor?

What if we stopped worrying about the world, and each of us simply focused on our immediate sphere of influence?

The world’s population: nearly 7 billion. The Christian population? 1 billion.

We each have 7 friends we can talk to about Jesus, right?

Christians, it’s not you or I that changes the heart of those far from the Creator.

We need to get over our egos and realize it’s Jesus that changes hearts. The Christ, the savior of the world, the word made man, he does the work. It’s just that sometimes, He chooses to do it through us.

We are to be messengers of the gospel, the Good News. We are to carry the glorious message of our salvation to the world. It’s a message unparalleled by anything created by our hands.

It’s time to stop broadcasting our message, and start broadcasting His message.

Amen?

Yair needs you #compassionthurs

Shawn — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:57:54 +0000

Every Thursday a group of bloggers highlights a child in the Compassion program that needs sponsored. You can help change Yair’s life forever.

The details on Yair are below. $38 a month will change his life forever. How? By giving him access to a Compassion project that offers education, food, and a chances that he’d never have otherwise.

Even if you can’t sponsor Yair will you please tweet about Yair or put a link to this post on your Facebook wall? There’s buttons to the left of this post (click here if you don’t see them) that make it super easy.

You can save his life, today.

Name:
Yair Laureano Morales (ME9380113)

Birthday:
December 5, 2005 Age: 4

Gender:
Male

Region:
Central America and Caribbean

Country:
Mexico

Program:
CDI Transformacion

Personal and Family Information:
Yair lives with his father and his mother. His duties at home include working at various household chores. There are 2 children in the family. His father is sometimes employed as a farmer and his mother maintains the home.

Yair is not presently attending school. Playing with cars and playing ball games are his favorite activities. He also attends Bible class and Vacation Bible School regularly.
Your love and support will help Yair to receive the assistance he needs to develop his potential. Please pray for him.

Death in His Grave

Shawn — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:01:39 +0000

Death In His Grave (Performance Video) from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.

The video above and lyrics below were blatantly stolen from ShaunGroves.com. I’m sure neither he nor John Mark McMillan will mind.

John Mark’s album, The Medicine, was re-released today and includes this song, Death in His Grave. John’s the writer behind the magnificent worship tune How He Loves.

So, take five minutes, sit back, turn up the volume, focus on the song, and worship the King. This song simply rocked my day. Nay, my week.

Though the Earth Cried out for blood
Satisfied her hunger was
Her billows calmed on raging seas
for the souls on men she craved
Sun and moon from balcony
Turned their head in disbelief
Their precious Love would taste the sting
disfigured and disdained
On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave
So three days in darkness slept
The Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throes of death
And over turn his rule
Now daughters and the sons of men
Would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent
When the day rolled a new
On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke holding keys
To Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave
On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave
He has cheated
Hell and seated
Us above the fall
In desperate places
He paid our wages
One time once and for all

Thanks Shaun.

Happy Interdependence Day!

Shawn — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:02:25 +0000

Shane Claiborne has written a fantastic article on how we can take care of each other this Independence Day. Here’s a snippet:

23) Visit a worship service where you will be a minority. Invite someone to dinner at your house, or have dinner with someone there if they invite you.
24) Confess something you have done wrong to someone and ask forgiveness.
25) Serve in a homeless shelter. For extra credit, go back to that shelter and eat or sleep there and allow yourself to be served.
26) Go through a local thrift store and drop $1 bills in random pockets of clothing being sold.

You can find his whole list here.

Click here to post some of your ideas in the comments. Go!

Hello Chicago (deets plus an invite!)

Shawn — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:51:16 +0000

My wife and I try to get away once a year to Chicago for at least a couple days. It’s like our home away from home. We spend as much time as we can downtown, taking in the sights and sounds, hoping it’ll hold us over until our next visit.

It rarely does.

If someone offered me a job in Chicago, I’d take it in a heartbeat. There’s just something about that city!

Anyway, we’ll be staying at Aloft and visiting Gordon Biersch Brewery, IKEA (of course), Giordano’s, The Bongo Room and more. We also plan on doing the Chicago Championship Gowalla trip on Saturday.

A quick note about Giordano’s… we’d love for you to join us! Brad and Scott will be there so feel free to stop by. We’ll be eating at 6pm CDT at the Giordano’s on W. Jackson Blvd.

So, how can you keep up or connect with Wendy and I?

Follow her or I on Twitter
Watch my Posterous and Twitpic for pics
Friend her or I on Facebook

Have a great holiday weekend!

Gadget evangelism

Shawn — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:09:44 +0000

Raise your hand if you’re a gadget junkie.

Yeah, me too.

Remember when you got that awesome new gadget that you just couldn’t get enough of? You know the one. You ran the battery down by noon every day because you just couldn’t put it down.

Everyone you knew heard about (and probably saw) your new gadget. How many times did you say, "dude (or dudette), you gotta get one of these?" Too many times to count, right?

It didn’t take long before everyone you knew – friends, family members, coworkers – heard about your new favorite toy.

Why is it, then, that we can share all about our newest little obsession but we can’t share about the saving power of Jesus? Isn’t he more valuable than anything we can own or hold in this world?

The most effective church marketing campaign ever

Shawn — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Thanks to Lend Me Your Eyes for the image.

Refute it. I dare you.

Church Music

Kelsie graduated

Shawn — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:20:38 +0000

Not that I was ever in doubt, mind you.

But she graduated high school.

Kelsie has had her fair share of ups and downs.

Some by chance.
Some self inflicted.

But she’s growing. And her mom and I are seeing it, watching it unfold in real time, right before our eyes.

It’s times like these where I wish time would slow to a crawl.

Just so we could sit in it, before she’s fully a woman, and enjoy the last light of innocence that immediate post-high school offers.

Your mom and I love you, kid.

-Dad

You are not Jesus

Shawn — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:14:00 +0000

And neither am I. (I figured it was best to get that out of the way immediately.)

The following is from Claudio Oliver’s article titled “Why I Stopped Serving The Poor:”

The only way to remain with the poor is if we discover that we are the miserable ones. We remain with the poor when we recognize ourselves, even if well disguised, in him/her who is right before our eyes. When we can see our own misery and poverty in them, when we realize our own needs and our desperate need to be saved and liberated, then and only then will we meet Jesus and live life according to His agenda.

and…

Jesus calls us to become incarnate and to see ourselves in the other and to place ourselves under him or her as powerless dependents. He calls us to give up in trusting our own capacity to impart goodness and to change our direction in order to encounter and recognize our own wounds, weakness and pain. From there, we discover the power that lies in being less and not more.

It’s impossible for you and I to BE Jesus.

It’s a term I’ve used in the past when serving, and I hear others use it. We need to stop elevating ourselves to His position. His position is unattainable. He is Most High.

It’s time to get low. “Forehead on the ground” low, if necessary. And to share in the sufferings of Christ.

Are you ready?

Lawan needs you #compassionthurs

Shawn — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:18:23 +0000

Everything Thursday a group of bloggers highlights a Compassion child in need of sponsorship. This child has been waiting to be sponsored for six months or more. Will you be the one to help rescue Lawan from poverty, in Jesus’ name? If you’d like to sponsor Lawan, you can click here.

Name:
Lawan De Marins Pereira (BR4160231)

Birthday:
August 31, 2005 Age: 4

Gender:
Male

Region:
South America

Country:
Brazil

Program:
Projeto Hope

Personal and Family Information:
Lawan lives with his stepfather and his mother. His duties at home include running errands and cleaning. His stepfather is sometimes employed as a laborer and his mother maintains the home.

s part of Compassion’s ministry, Lawan participates in church activities. He is also in kindergarten where his performance is average. Soccer, playing with cars and singing are his favorite activities.

Please remember Lawan in your prayers. Your love and support will help him to receive the assistance he needs to grow and develop.