tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327157712011-04-21T18:59:54.632-06:00Pastor John student ministries pastor at The Rock of Southwest addresses issues related to theology, living in culture, church culture, and whatever else is on his mind.John Byrnenoreply@blogger.comBlogger1291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-68222984899352369672009-01-20T00:13:00.002-06:002009-01-20T00:58:23.934-06:00

I have heard numerous people recently suggest that tomorrow when President elect Barack Obama is inaugurated he will become a hero and our country would have accomplished something great. Tomorrow will certainly be a historic day, but how much have we really accomplished? Is Barack a hero? It is true that Barack has accomplished something great by being elected President of the United States

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-77752421683844613202009-01-04T22:37:00.002-06:002009-01-04T23:00:30.274-06:00

While I don't really think Christmas itself is stupid, I do grow tired of it by Thanksgiving every year. It seems the holidays are not as peaceful as the Christmas Carol would suggest. The new year in many ways brings peace. Life becomes normal again at least to some degree. A new year brings many things most of them I am looking forward to. New challenges. I like most challenges. This

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-55060975954194026052008-12-16T12:21:00.004-06:002008-12-16T12:36:00.149-06:00

This has become somewhat of a tradition. Here it is for the third year in a row (with some minor edits):Call me scrooge, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, or your favorite Christmas villain of all time. I don't care. Christmas just gets in the way most of the time anyway. I have things to do, messages to preach, and money I would rather spend on myself (at least I would get what I wanted that way)

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-46341748224427780602008-12-01T11:28:00.002-06:002008-12-01T11:37:19.479-06:00

I know it sounds crazy, I have a three year old. He is well, he is three. Last night he threw the most severe tantrum I have seen his throw. Today he asked mommy why she was doing devotions and after some explaining and trying not to put words in his mouth he decided that he needed to ask Jesus to come into his heart. Does he understand? I don't know, but as a daddy I want one thing more

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-64248616642835863822008-11-04T23:05:00.002-06:002008-11-04T23:45:13.747-06:00

It seems like every presidential election I get asked whether a particular candidate is THE anti-christ. Let me start by saying I do not believe Obama is that guy (or gal to be fair). Jesus talked about there being many "anti-christs" not just one. Some people believe there will be one that will bring a false peace to the world, I am not so sure. In the end Obama is just another guy!! He has

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-49996979217685892642008-10-17T12:18:00.002-06:002008-10-17T12:26:31.586-06:00

Yesterday my wife was told that Catrina would not be able to sing "Jesus Loves Me" with her ventriloquist doll for the talent show. She had worked on a whole bit that included this song. I should tell you that originally she basically wanted to get up and simply share the gospel. My wife helped her figure out a little better way to tell people how much Jesus means to her. For the record

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-40398466675306305132008-10-13T18:46:00.003-06:002008-10-13T19:39:45.103-06:00

Does it matter? It seems Christians have a tendency to go from one extreme to the other when it comes to politics. Some think it doesn't matter. What difference is one vote going to make? Still others would die on a hill for their particular issue or candidate. Politics is important. Whether we like it or not they make decisions regarding the life of unborn children, how much of our own

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-43503657315831750022008-10-13T13:16:00.002-06:002008-10-13T13:33:51.894-06:00

Being a parent is hard enough, but passionately desiring to see your daughter and your son grow up to be servants of Christ is even harder. How do you handle a situation where your child is planning on doing something that will probably cause some waves, but it is a good thing to do? My daughter is apparently an evangelist. Of this I am proud!! Still I am a little nervous. She is planning

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-37532820030432715712008-09-07T14:53:00.002-06:002008-09-07T15:19:30.389-06:00

So what is the protesting all about? Recently we started construction on the new parking lot we will be using until the Youth Center addition to the church is built. Unfortunately there are a lot of prairie dogs in the field where the parking lot is going. We (the church) has tried repeatedly to find a new home for these animals, unfortunately we can't take them out of Jefferson County and no

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-9762440394532769522008-08-06T08:02:00.002-06:002008-08-06T08:12:10.120-06:00

There are very few sure things in life, but there are a few. One of them is that life will end. Sooner or later. When it is sooner things hurt!! When it is later and expected it still hurts. Recently the family at The Rock of Southwest lost one of there best, Ryan Roberts. I did not know him well though I have spoken with him a couple times. By all accounts he was a man of God. He was

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-88265727336185518642008-08-01T23:28:00.002-06:002008-08-01T23:48:10.509-06:00

Tonight I finished a week of speaking to Senior High students at Big Sandy Camp. I had an amazing time speaking to these students, hanging out with them, and getting to know a few of them. I have spoken at camps, retreats, and conferences all over the place, but this week I learned something new. Actually it isn't entirely new.My ego is fragile. I don't mean I am offended easily or that I

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-37527444084817792922008-07-25T14:51:00.003-06:002008-07-25T15:23:52.836-06:00

The Dark Knight was an interesting movie. I definitely do not recommend taking young students to see this movie. Even some 13 and 14 year olds may not be ready for the kind of violence that is at times simply alluded to. I had to turn my head a couple times because of where I thought they were going to go. They didn't go to those places, but the illusion was almost too much. There are some

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-17495485456541583892008-07-12T21:02:00.002-06:002008-07-12T21:19:49.475-06:00

My theology should be described as reformed or Calvinistic. I and others who believe in the five points of Calvinism:Total DepravityUnconditional ElectionLimited AtonementIrresistible GracePerseverance of the Saintsare often accused of belittling free will. Or sometimes those who appose Calvinism set up free will as if it is apposed to the five points previously listed. It dawned on me today

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-28727434788242125192008-07-04T09:33:00.003-06:002008-07-04T10:00:44.578-06:00

I want to warn you, this will get a little political. On this fourth of July we went out to breakfast with my dad (John Sr.) our kids and my niece. I took this opportunity to talk to my daughter about Independence Day. She did really well. She remembered that this day celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-19617753234812046882008-07-02T19:54:00.002-06:002008-07-02T20:05:22.436-06:00

For the past 6 months or so my family has been in transition. It finally looks like things are going to settle down for us. We have gone from closing the church plant to doing construction for my in-laws to doing decks to doing siding to finally now finding a good student ministries position. We also spent significant time living with my in-laws and my parents in Florida. We rented out our

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-79538300648721671832008-05-19T11:14:00.002-06:002008-05-19T11:52:24.848-06:00

I love to watch movies, I love to see the stories that are told. What is funny is I can usually remember who the main star is of the movie I have seen, but I can rarely remember even one of the supporting actors. I certainly can't remember the characters with smaller parts.If you see a Tom Cruz, Jackie Chan, Chris Rock, or (God Forbid) something with Hannah Montana in it you remember the stars.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-91555045147282325652008-04-24T17:32:00.002-06:002008-04-24T18:04:29.167-06:00

I got my hair cut today. I have an interview on Monday, so I thought I would make myself presentable (insert joke here). There is something you should know about me, I hate getting my hair cut. It just seems like a waist of time. I don't like sitting still, and I don't like trying to have a conversation with someone I barely know. Most of the time I don't know them at all. It alway come

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-34855075557485745582008-04-21T21:16:00.003-06:002008-04-21T21:39:33.231-06:00

I was recently asked a question regarding Jesus and politics. The question went something like this, "Would Jesus be a Socialist?" This is not a question that can simply be dismissed, nor can it be assumed the answer is a resounding yes. Without too much depth I think we can come to some important conclusions about this subject.Many believe that since Jesus was so concerned about helping the

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-74445995601979324672008-04-14T16:43:00.002-06:002008-04-14T17:35:26.729-06:00

Last night was one of the coolest nights I have had in a long time. My pastor from when I was in High School was having a retirement party. He has served that church for 27 years. Not only was it fun to see him, it was also fun to see my youth pastor. I haven't seen him for almost 13 years. I was also able to see some great friends from back in the day. The day when things were simple, no

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-87696547611686498592008-04-11T23:31:00.003-06:002008-04-14T16:34:23.226-06:00

In the interest of full discloser, I am, by nature, a very competitive person. Over the years my competitive nature has gotten the best of me more times than I can count. My tendency is towards competition. To be honest, I hate it that I am not the best at everything I do, I have had to come to terms with this since there are probably people who are better than me at almost everything (I have

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-12880397474920703262008-04-05T11:07:00.004-06:002008-04-05T21:46:12.497-06:00

Predestination...that word evokes such emotion and it is almost entirely viewed as a word owned by those who call themselves Calvinists even though it is a biblical word. The funny thing about this word is the assumptions immediately made upon its utterance. The other funny thing is that many Calvinists would not consider this the primary doctrine on which everything else rests. I am somewhat

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-44529921582175813282008-03-26T10:29:00.002-06:002008-03-26T11:08:54.619-06:00

I don't often do book review, but I thought in this case I would. The book UnChristian has been selling like crazy. Perhaps most recently to me. Out of five stars I give the book three, but more important than the rating is the reasoning behind the rating. This book comes out of the Barna Group which has been a very helpful group in understanding culture overall. Their research is very good

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-37786587689488691122008-03-19T08:12:00.002-06:002008-03-19T08:31:02.961-06:00

I don't know if I can remember all the child dedications I have seen or done for others. On those days the sanctuary is usually full with family and extended family. There is an energy in the room, almost as if a star had been born, the cameras are flashing people leaning out into the isles to take pictures of the beautiful baby. If your lucky the baby makes some noise (not the screaming kid

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-39568968325399144732008-03-11T20:23:00.001-06:002008-03-11T20:23:25.157-06:00

The older I get, the older the books I read get. I am going to do something rare and recommend a book, but before I do I want to suggest something else. Read the dead guys!!So much of the time we are flooded with books to read. If I read every book recommended to me I would have to read a book every day for the rest of my life. That doesn't even count the books I see in the book store that I

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-41718227758064299022008-01-11T14:05:00.001-06:002008-04-14T16:41:14.956-06:00

I am going to come out of the closet, I am an Ultimate Fighting fan. I like to watch these guys fight. On occasion I have struggled with this. Is ultimate fighting wrong? Two guys get into a ring or octagon, as the case may be, with intentions of beating the other person into submission.When I say that I pause for just a moment. There are rules in ultimate fighting. These rules are in place

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-87426460661481350042008-01-09T11:45:00.000-06:002008-01-09T22:41:38.283-06:00

There is more evangelism methods, books, and seminars than I can shake a stick at. Heck I even have my own method of evangelism. In the end evangelism is only one thing, it is telling sinners who need to repent and be forgiven the true story of Jesus death and resurrection. The gospel is the atonement, it is the cross, it is the resurrection. I have noticed that my story doesn't supply

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-8513273852847981992007-12-04T13:34:00.000-06:002007-12-04T13:46:04.762-06:00

Last year I bloviated about Christmas. For the fun of it I will post it again as it still reflects my general feelings toward Christmas:Call me scrooge, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, or your favorite Christmas villain of all time. I don't care. Christmas just gets in the way most of the time anyway. I have things to do, messages to preach, and money I would rather spend on myself (at least I

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-8035175922836348412007-11-21T09:38:00.000-06:002008-01-09T22:44:03.985-06:00

One of the lessons I learned while attending Northwestern Bible College here in Minnesota (Northwestern can make the check payable to John Byrne) is how to accurately exegete the meaning of Scripture. I learned that historical context can play an important role in understanding a particular text properly. That said, there is a limit to how much historical context can help. Because of this,

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-14094123085517813552007-11-17T19:45:00.000-06:002007-11-17T20:35:01.624-06:00

The fact that there is a site called "Toy Safety" is bad enough, but they have come up with a list of the ten most dangerous toys of 2007. I thought it would be prudent of me to pass on their message and offer a few comments of my own. Here is the list:Aqua DotsThis toy is dangerous because the dots could be swallowed and possible cause a child to choke. When I was a kid I didn't mess around

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-29213731462834314212007-10-04T08:23:00.000-06:002007-10-04T08:47:06.399-06:00

Recently congress has seen fit to take valuable time they should be spending debating some important issue regarding our liberties or the defense of our country and instead censer Rush Limbaugh. I don't know what you think of Rush, and honestly I don't care. This is not intended to be an apology (not the sorry kind) on behalf of Rush. Instead I want to pose a much more important question.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-20993566334863105922007-10-04T08:21:00.000-06:002007-10-04T08:23:23.000-06:00

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-39851490098061172282007-09-24T15:39:00.000-06:002007-09-24T16:09:30.875-06:00

I have been working on something for some time, and I had an opportunity to try it out the other day. I want to share the idea (in a limited way) and suggest a new approach to apologetics that I think is better than anything I have seen (I am not trying to blow my own horn, I stole the idea from a great book called the Bible).The idea is simple, perhaps so simple it has been overlooked by a lot

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-80722173812602872412007-09-06T14:09:00.000-06:002007-09-06T14:30:28.643-06:00

I love the U.S. I believe it is the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet apart from perhaps the nation of Israel when it was a true theocracy. I want to hang on to this nation as it was established as long as I can. Still I am under no illusions. This great nation will likely not be great forever. Its greatness may last another 5 years or maybe another 500 years. However long it

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-32455663501654455212007-09-04T10:22:00.000-06:002007-09-04T10:32:11.928-06:00

I never took an economics course in school, not in high school and not in college. Still, I managed to understand what the economy was all about. Basically your provide a service or good and you get paid based on what the market says your service or product is worth. This seems so basic, yet so many students are graduating from high school without this basic understanding.In my part time job

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-38879585705242442662007-08-31T12:20:00.000-06:002007-08-31T12:33:29.582-06:00

I have always been told that gambling is bad, that God hates gambling, and that gambling leads to poverty. I have listened to preachers (ones I highly respect) do gymnastics from behind the pulpit in an attempt to show that gambling is a sin. After all of this I remain unconvinced. I will admit that gambling can lead to poverty and that excess gambling is certainly sinful. Of course eating

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-82045961707582565312007-08-30T17:10:00.000-06:002007-08-30T17:25:34.652-06:00

I work at Caribou Coffee part time. For the most part I enjoy the job. I like talking to people and the coffee is pretty good too. Recently, however, I was informed that there are several people who don't like to work with me because I like to debate. I have to admit, I like to debate and have important conversations. When I heard this I wasn't sure what to think, for most of my life I have

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-63673781500077308262007-08-28T22:52:00.001-06:002007-08-28T22:52:58.679-06:00

I like the outdoors. Last year I loaded my pack and headed into the Rocky Mountains. There is a place called lost creek that has some really cool rock formations. I thought it would be a great place to get lost from the world and perhaps focus on Christ with more intensity than normal. Unfortunately I started later than I had planned on. As I was heading into the mountains I had to travel a few

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-38568252766895763742007-08-25T22:34:00.000-06:002007-08-28T22:37:15.561-06:00

Usually when I get pulled over it is for speeding (it doesn't happen that often, but it has happened on occasion). This time was different, I guess I was pulled over for DWI. I have to admit this was a new experience for me. I guess at this point I should offer up some kind of explanation. I actually was pulled over for an "illegal lane change." The truth is the cops were pulling everyone they

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-66095011207062034972007-08-16T19:13:00.000-06:002007-08-16T19:22:54.637-06:00

This is completely insane!!! A catholic Priest suggesting that Christians call God Allah is perhaps the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. What is worse is the Priest on Hannity and Colmes is actually suggesting that this guy has a point.It has become very trendy of late to buy into universalism. Christians who demand that Jesus is the only way and that the 10 Commandments actually mean

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-23176241704175922982007-08-16T14:10:00.000-06:002007-08-16T14:34:24.500-06:00

Fire and brimstone, sulfur, suffering... When I was in High School I was trying to witness to this guy and convince him that hell was bad and heaven was good. Once I convinced him he was going to hell ( it took all of 10 seconds to do that) he simply looked at me and said, "At least I will be with all my friends, why would I want to go to heaven?" I guess hell isn't that bad after all. At

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-22241385363690074562007-08-14T14:10:00.000-06:002007-08-14T14:59:42.680-06:00

The comments left regarding the previous post on this subject have motivated me to leave another post on the same subject. Let me be clear, it would be ridiculous to think that the actions we take in life will not impact our children, their children, and so on. Generational sin, however, is often understood as something more then simply cause and effect.The fact that children of divorced

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-54616645509473998472007-08-13T12:19:00.000-06:002007-08-13T13:10:07.753-06:00

Some of you have already written me off for even asking the question. I think questions are good and this one is especially good. I have been taught repeatedly that generational curses are real, but that they can be broken. I am not convinced that they are real and even if they are, I am not sure what makes us believe they can be broken. Let me explain:Now I know some of you are already

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-25968023381066917962007-08-08T13:08:00.000-06:002007-08-08T13:27:26.809-06:00

Funerals are always senseless. There is no good reason to have a funeral, only unfortunate ones. Still funerals can be redemptive. In my last post I vented about the sadness that I needed to proclaim regarding the death of my friends 2 hour old son. In some ways it made me want to punch God in the face. Of course we all know how short that fight would be. In spite of how difficult funerals

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-71273823500196333632007-08-03T13:10:00.000-06:002007-08-03T13:51:09.597-06:00

Funerals are a part of life, at least attending them is a part of life. Still the one I attended yesterday was particularly difficult. This funeral was for a child, a baby. This baby was born too early, he didn't have lungs that were developed enough to survive. The parents are friends of ours whom we love dearly. I respect and honor their strength. I would not have been so strong, I would have

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-63331573792863377202007-07-28T19:49:00.000-06:002007-07-28T21:18:27.113-06:00

A few weeks ago we (www.wechurch.com) had a free car wash for people in our community to get their cars washed. It was great, we had a good time and made some good connections in the community. The week before our car wash was an interesting week. I saw a few other car washes and talked to several people about the car wash we were going to do. Now, let me explain the title.One week before our

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-81500892325351627082007-07-25T14:31:00.000-06:002007-07-25T15:18:41.848-06:00

Spanking used to be a given, it was part of culture. I was spanked a lot. Actually I was spanked lots and lots. I was spanked by my parents, grandparents, aunts, principle, and probably a few others along the way. I was spanked with belts, spoons, hands, sticks, hangers, and probably some other objects I don't recall. I say all of that without feeling like I was abused or unjustly punished.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-63497315410091125532007-07-06T11:43:00.000-06:002007-07-06T12:50:03.640-06:00

Do you want to be Spirit Led? I used to wish I was Spirit Led!! Now with the help of Spirit Led: Ten Techniques in Becoming Spirit Led I have accomplished my goal. I am now 100% Spirit Led 100% of the time. You too can accomplish this great and spiritual feat. Start by evaluating yourself based on the 10 descriptions:You see people and instantly know how SPIRITUAL they are.You receive IM's from

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-78547506380016122412007-06-28T10:15:00.001-06:002007-06-28T11:43:15.955-06:00

It's amazing isn't it. I never thought of it before this moment, but the title of America's favorite reality show is about worship. What good is an idol if you don't worship it? Ironically I don't think most Americans worship the singers, although I am sure there are some who do. Maybe the American Idol has nothing to do with singing at all. Israel (or as Hosea like to call them Ephraim) made

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-47367969867510775902007-06-26T11:15:00.000-06:002007-06-26T11:32:37.003-06:00

I have to admit that I have gone through a transition. I have flipped and flopped on this. I have been all over the map, been on both sides of the fence, and even tried to walk on top of it for a while. Unfortunately my balance isn't that good. It seems like such a weird question, but I want you to stop and consider for a moment when the last time you heard a preacher deal with this issue in an

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-82927862428779976162007-06-15T22:18:00.000-06:002007-06-15T22:41:59.655-06:00

This post is not about homosexuality, it is not even about moms. Instead it is about dads being dads. I heard a statistic about the amount of time dads spend with there kids on a daily basis. Of course the statistic was used to show how dads in our society are horible at being parents. Time magazine published an article basically taking a shot at dads as well. According to this article human dads

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-55641873323530840092007-06-14T09:44:00.000-06:002007-06-14T10:04:59.413-06:00

In most states it is legal, once you have jumped through the appropriate hoops, to carry a concealed weapon (usually a gun). Recently there was a shooting not too far from my house (the shooting took place in Coon Rapids) between an officer and a civilian who was carrying a gun. In spite of how this blog entry has started it is not necessarily about guns, but instead about being armed in another

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-70736642679841280072007-06-06T14:05:00.000-06:002007-06-06T15:11:54.050-06:00

It seems there has been a negative reaction to "The Religious Right" by other Christians over the past several years. In some ways this attack is very much warranted, still we must be careful what we wish for. The religious right has been on the anti-gay, anti-abortion war path for some time. It seems they would rather put a bumper sticker on their car that says, "Abortion is murder!" rather

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-44765834034403083432007-06-03T16:49:00.000-06:002007-06-03T19:36:21.912-06:00

I know Chris Angel has been around a long time, but it wasn't until today that I watched any of his shows. I have to admit he is pretty amazing!! I saw him walk on water, walk through glass, and escape from a watery grave. All of those were pretty amazing to watch. Still the most intriguing thing I saw was the hypnotisms. Chris attempted (and pretty much succeeded) in hypnotising a room full

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-82333559494552274642007-05-22T18:56:00.000-06:002007-05-22T19:18:42.309-06:00

Memorial Day is around the corner and we should remember those who have fought for our country. Still there are others we should remember as well. We should remember those who have come before us spiritually. I want to take this post to honor one who has deeply impacted my life.My Grandpa is the person who has influenced me spiritually as much as anyone. I have had the opportunity to be with

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-34506112540715277542007-05-17T10:56:00.000-06:002007-05-17T11:16:48.479-06:00

Not long ago I heard about a family that was asked to get off an airplane because they refused to make their kid behave. Recently my family and I flew to Florida for vacation and Council (a national event for the C&MA). I was a little nervous about how my 22 month old boy would do.He runs everywhere he goes climbs everything he can (at about 18 months I found him sitting on the kitchen table once

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-39089580721372155702007-05-10T20:34:00.000-06:002007-05-10T21:15:56.508-06:00

It seems like no one really wants to say what is on every one's mind. The war on terror is essentially a war on Islam. I hate to say it, but Islam seems to breed terrorists. I know there are peace loving Muslims and most of them are not terrorists. Still after authorities stopped the attack on Fort Dix it seems the fight is broader than just organized terror groups.These men were Muslims and

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-60195680073926552212007-05-09T13:07:00.000-06:002007-05-09T13:33:54.424-06:00

Some people don't like to debate theology. I think that is unfortunate. If that is you then don't read this post. I think theology is important and should be debated. So often those who hold to an Armenian understanding of Scripture will point to evangelism and simply say, "why should we evangelise if God predestined?" This is a question of ignorance as the answer is simple and biblical.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-79125315356076248412007-05-03T11:55:00.000-06:002007-05-03T12:03:58.866-06:00

Everyone wants to be free from something. Christians want to be free from the bondage of sin, people in general want to be free from oppression, and I want to be free to do the work of God. Unfortunately that freedom is at risk. I want Muslims, JW's, and Mormans to all be free to evangelize people to their religion and to stand up for what they believe good morals are!! Unfortunately we have

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-47404558558436050762007-05-03T10:20:00.000-06:002007-05-03T13:45:45.992-06:00

Mark Driscoll may not be your favorite person in the world, but this church planting video he put together is flat out inspiring. Of course it was banned from a church planting conference (click here for the story).No matter what you think about this guys theology he is by far the most inspiring preacher and teacher I have ever listened to. I bet he sounds a lot like Paul did when he preached. He

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-14222077631891359092007-04-30T20:42:00.000-06:002007-04-30T21:37:38.551-06:00

This shouldn't be a surprise, but I am still a little dumbfounded. I don't even know where to start. I guess the first question I have about www.herchurch.org is what kind of self respecting man would attend such a church.The name of the web site alone should be enough to run off a real man (there I go making judgements about people I have never met). Of course after actually visiting the web

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-89552092981201059372007-04-25T12:03:00.000-06:002007-04-25T12:49:10.513-06:00

With the earth warming and man running around destroying everything it seems there is a simple solution. The solution is Carbon Credits (hereafter called indulgences). Rather than actually doing something to limit the "Carbon Foot Print" of mankind we can simply write a check to Al Gore or whoever it is that is planting trees in an effort to "offset" the treasure chest of grace in our favor.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-56932871053594409642007-04-23T13:54:00.000-06:002007-04-23T13:57:29.925-06:00

What a great title!! I wish it was original with me. Sometimes perspective is everything and this title alone gives us perspective on the infanticide that has been taking place in America since Roe v. Wade. Thank God for at least 5 sane minds on the Supreme Court!!Click on the Title to see the article that originally used this title.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-111557552739513342007-04-23T13:45:00.000-06:002007-04-23T13:54:06.893-06:00

I have to be honest, the title of this post is worded very carefully to make a specific point. Evangelicalism and certainly the Alliance holds to a very high view of scripture. We believe it is the word of God, but do we really believe it is sufficient? Think about this for a minute. When God speaks His word is infallible and authoritative, right? So no matter who God speaks to or in what

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-47000856018706991942007-04-21T16:51:00.000-06:002007-04-21T17:42:29.702-06:00

The presidential election is a long ways off, but it isn't too early to start asking ourselves some tough questions. As a Christian I believe that if Mit Romney was to die his eternal destiny would not include entering the pearly gates. Should that really stop me from voting for Mr. Romney? Who knows what will happen between now and November of 2008, we may not ever have an opportunity to chose

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-52058860992438454372007-04-19T11:08:00.000-06:002007-04-19T11:09:58.148-06:00

A student in St. Johns County Florida was arrested for a plot to kill 100 students.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-27561631485848283102007-04-19T10:36:00.000-06:002007-04-19T11:12:19.846-06:00

I am as curious as anyone about the state of mind the shooter had at Va Tech. I want to know what caused him to do such a horrible thing. I watched the video on TV because of my curiosity. Still I am not so sure it was good for me to see it. Perhaps this is the very kind of thing that should be voluntarily edited.The networks have the right to do whatever they want with it. It was given to them.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-76265236649501776542007-04-18T12:39:00.000-06:002007-04-18T20:15:39.100-06:00

I hate to say it, but my mom was right again. Before I elaborate on what exactly she was right about let me make some things clear. Guns scare me. I love hunting and I enjoy shooting guns of all kinds. Still I have witnessed guns going off accidentally. Fortunately care was being taken and the gun was pointed in a safe direction! The only thing that got hit was the dirt. Of course one of my

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-55525162207694130772007-04-17T11:15:00.000-06:002007-04-17T11:43:33.201-06:00

I don't care what your political views are! Actually I do, but not for the moment. Whether you are liberal or conservative this is a big deal. The Fairness Doctrine (some of you may remember this idea from the mid 80's) is making a comeback. Basically this doctrine says if you propagate a conservative view you MUST also provide a liberal view on public airways. The reverse is also true.At

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-65138330871413237442007-04-11T14:37:00.000-06:002007-04-11T15:02:33.363-06:00

In a society ruled by consumerism and ME, ME, MEness I am amazed at the lazy attitude so many teens and twenty somethings have toward their job. You would think those who demand so much of the world to revolve around them would understand something as simple as customer service. No longer does anyone really need to be good at there job in order to keep it. All they have to do is show up on time

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-29806476700726536662007-04-10T08:30:00.000-06:002007-04-10T08:40:37.124-06:00

I don't intend to make light of the issue, but if you think words are not powerful, think again. A pastor's wife in Tennessee decided enough was enough. Her husband evidently criticized her too much. Evidently divorce was not an option, but murder was. This is a tragic story and it should remind us of several things starting with how powerful our words are and ending with our need to be real

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-41983672939837752232007-04-05T09:28:00.000-06:002007-04-05T09:58:48.480-06:00

Growing up I learned about cars. I can find my way around a car and fix most problems. I know enough to avoid getting ripped off by crooked mechanics. I don't particularly like working on cars, but I am glad my dad taught me. In many ways I feel sympathy for those who don't know much about cars. When something goes wrong with their car they probably feel pretty hopeless. Many of them

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-36980788754260809162007-04-02T20:02:00.000-06:002007-04-03T15:00:40.578-06:00

The "church" is the culprit of many things. It is the church that has, at times, done such things as support Hitler, performed witch hunts, used political power for unworthy causes, protected pedophiles, and probably other horrible things. When the church does perpetrate evil, it should be held accountable!Many evils the church is given credit for perpetrating are not really the church's fault at

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-74859629240873312052007-04-02T15:59:00.000-06:002007-04-02T16:17:26.484-06:00

For many years I was pretty much scared of the Old Testament. It intimidated me! Still does some times. It seems to depend more on the historical context than the New Testament. It also seems to require a better memory than God has given me. Still over the past few years I have developed a longing for the Old Testament and a better understanding of it. My theology has morphed and changed

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-79387489088778296372007-03-29T10:51:00.000-06:002007-03-29T11:28:12.303-06:00

Palm Sunday has long been a tradition of the church celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem only to be crucified only five days later. Really though what is the point? I don't think the church has done a good job of teaching the significance of this celebration. Sure, Zechariah will be quoted and this entry will be looked at as a fulfilment of prophecy, but is that really all

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-72955802141409756492007-03-21T13:41:00.000-06:002007-03-21T13:56:46.276-06:00

My IPOD goes everywhere with me. This world of technology we live in is almost addicting. Still I love my IPOD. I can listen to anything in my library any time I want. My calendar, my contacts, my music, everything is right there. My IPOD is personal, if you were to get your hands on my IPOD there is a lot you would learn about me. For example: You would learn that I don't only listen to

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-25441471640457917082007-03-18T18:00:00.000-06:002007-03-18T18:29:09.570-06:00

I love to watch football, basketball, the UFC, and almost any other sporting event. My son on the other hand is different. I can't even get him to sit still long enough to watch anything. There are only a couple of exceptions. His favorite movie isn't Veggie Tales or Blues Clues ( he will usually only watch about half of one of those movies). He will watch a John Deer movie we have. It

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-89084938094341182942007-03-16T13:49:00.000-06:002007-03-16T14:03:29.509-06:00

Sorry if the title offended you... Actually, I take that back. I'm not sorry, but I would put myself in the same category. I have been preaching through the book of Hosea (we are on chapter 4). I love this book (except for the part where I am like Gomer). This book has driven home the doctrine of depravity in a way that no other passage in scripture seems to. Every time I read it I begin to

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-26189168623031709322007-03-14T14:38:00.000-06:002007-03-14T15:22:25.488-06:00

Today I met with a bunch of pastors in my area. One church has been having revival meetings. Of course revival meetings probably bring all different kinds of thoughts and emotions for people. These meetings are being portrayed as building the body and "unifying" in nature. I am all for revival as long as it doesn't mean I have to go brain dead in the process. Let me explain.The "Revivalist"

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-13802343568003123532007-03-13T11:02:00.000-06:002007-03-13T11:12:18.593-06:00

I love Jesus, and I grew up with him. My life growing up was hard for a variety of reasons, but Jesus was always there. I can honestly say I don't really know much about life without him. It is for that reason I need some help. I work (Caribou Coffee) with a lady in her mid 20's. She is primarily conservative in most of her beliefs (The Christian Right might even be proud), but she has no

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-26290083492630733032007-03-13T10:50:00.000-06:002007-03-13T10:59:35.811-06:00

A while ago I took some time off from the blog world to work on a couple of other projects. One of them was a Youth Ministry book called Youth Ministry Lemonade. The book is finished. I was one of ten authors including Kent Julian (The C&MA National Youth Director) and a bunch of great youth ministry veterans. The book is great for youth pastors and volunteer staff. Each of these youth

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-14277706137066983912007-03-08T17:35:00.000-06:002007-03-08T18:43:30.079-06:00

I want to be free to hate. You should be free to hate me (of course I am such a great guy I don't know why you would). Pastor Phelps (Careful his site is hateful) should be able to hate whoever he wants to hate. Since when did it become a crime to hate anyway?The truth is hate is a word with all kinds of violent connotations. We hear the word "hate" and we immediately think of racism or

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-61676414172056663232007-03-05T17:04:00.000-06:002007-03-05T17:24:47.282-06:00

We have had a lot of snow recently. To be honest it's about time. I love the snow. Snow removal can be a little annoying, but at least I justified the space my snow blower was taking up in the garage. This year I got a new snow blower. The New one isn't as powerful as the old one, but it will become more powerful the longer I have it. These particular snow blowers tend to become more

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-58396415560515406562007-03-04T20:18:00.000-06:002007-03-04T20:20:43.060-06:00

This is not something I do a lot of, but after my last post on this topic I thought I should follow it up. The guys over at Stand To Reason have seen the documentary and have given a response. These guys are good thinkers and were smart enough to wait untill they have seen the evidence before they responded.Click Here

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-8788300129256837072007-02-27T11:16:00.000-06:002007-02-27T21:56:15.876-06:00

Recently there has been a claim that the bones of Jesus and his family have been found. Sounds crazy, but I wonder if our response to this kind of news is appropriate. If you want to read more about the claims being made, click here. My purpose is to consider what would be an appropriate response.So often when I hear things like this I immediately write them off. I ignore them and pretend they

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-78248231795837523612007-02-22T11:20:00.000-06:002007-02-22T12:00:11.813-06:00

About a year ago I was asked to do a seminar for students dealing with evangelism. The tile of the seminar was "How to Share Jesus Without Freaking Out!" There has been a natural and understandable desire to make sharing the gospel easy; unfortunately it is the desire to make it easy that has lead to a lack of proclamation of the gospel by "Christians."This may sound weird and unnatural, but so

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-11416404094358500582007-02-16T17:26:00.000-06:002007-02-16T17:43:35.834-06:00

I want to make this short and I want it to go away fast so my wife doesn't see it. I wrote a blog a while back called "Christmas Is Stupid." Upon further reflection, so is Valentines and probably a few other holidays.It is obvious that some evil female executive of a major retailer that sold flowers invented Valentines Day to torture all men who have a significant other. It is bad enough that

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-2238196159794966552007-02-16T16:04:00.000-06:002007-02-16T16:52:07.046-06:00

One of the most famous sermons ever delivered was delivered by Jonathan Edwards. It was called "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." In today's world, and in toady's culture would this sermon be effective? Maybe we should preach a loving god one who will accept us as we are. What does our culture need?Being sensitive to our culture and ministering to it is vitally important for effective

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-4053521956344922882007-02-15T08:36:00.000-06:002007-02-15T09:05:53.792-06:00

Homosexuality brings us such difficult emotions, it can quickly be fruitless to try and have a conversation with someone you disagree with. Hopefully this post will be helpful. Here are a few suggestions: Start by making sure you are not becoming too emotion with this issue. Some times we get so wrapped up in the emotion of it we cannot practice good self control. We become the people who

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-82829217782807869192007-02-12T17:02:00.000-06:002007-02-13T10:20:15.362-06:00

The amazing thing about tolerance and pluralism is that the intended effect is the opposite of what actually happens. The problem with tolerance is it becomes its own god. In other words if you don't worship at the alter of tolerance, inclusiveness, and pluralism, then there is no tolerance for you.Being inclusive sounds good, but what does it actually accomplish? Tolerance is touted as "the" way

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-39398926889736164282007-02-07T14:54:00.000-06:002007-02-07T15:07:32.800-06:00

Today was a landmark day for my daughter. She had her first quiet time. Since she was little we have been reading Bible stories to her. We have memorized scripture with her. We have been priming her and preparing her for a relationship with Christ since she was born. She put her faith in Christ at the age of 3. She loves God and she prays often. She has a pretty good understanding of who Jesus is

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-54507926611976973502007-02-06T13:50:00.000-06:002007-02-06T15:16:39.136-06:00

Is this the question we must answer? The goal of the church is to reach the world, to make disciples. How the church answers this question might well determine what road we travel and if that road leads to a dead end.It seems like this is the question the church has focused on. The church growth people of the 80's and 90's tell us we must find out what peoples "felt needs" are and meet them.

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-55009209344784684182007-01-26T14:58:00.000-06:002007-01-26T17:32:47.777-06:00

There is a difference between having a discussion about what the Bible says about homosexuality and a discussion about the political decisions being made in our country regarding the same issue. Before we go on and speak about the biblical arguments I want to suggest that none of these are good arguments regarding political decisions. Most people who would like to see the marriage laws changed so

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-69673430240580385462007-01-24T16:18:00.000-06:002007-01-24T17:02:56.471-06:00

In my previous post on pro-gay theology I said I would post a series dealing with the pro-gay theology. This is the first of two or three posts on this issue.I have to be honest this issue does not interest me that much apart from the significance of its relevance in culture today. There are several passages that deal with homosexuality. Some of the traditional passages are not very good

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-25517352012891743362007-01-20T13:34:00.000-06:002007-01-20T21:12:29.573-06:00

I don't know if I have ever really had a favorite author, but I do now. I love John Calvin's confrontational style, Piper's love for God and clear biblical message, Ravi's intelligent yet easy to understand distinctions, and Irwin's unique perspective. That said Mark Driscoll from Mar's Hill (Seattle) is clearly my new favorite.If I could model my writing after anyone it would be him. He is

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-52792351939098841052007-01-18T14:42:00.000-06:002007-01-18T15:34:01.736-06:00

Some of you are no doubt going to get upset with me. You will probably think I am equivocating in my theology or I have lost all common sense. I have been known to make a blunder from time to time and some of them have been pretty significant. This certainly had the potential to be one of those, but things turned out well and about as good as I thought they could. Now that you are wondering

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-81545786789277803062007-01-11T19:16:00.000-06:002007-01-11T21:49:14.626-06:00

I was playing poker on Tuesday night with a few friends and a bunch of people who may become friends at some point. I was sitting next to another church planter and we began to talk shop. We talked about a lot of things, but one question stood out. It is a question I get all the time and I never really know how to answer. He looked at me and said, "What kind of church are you?" I wasn't sure

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-58789125664573154352007-01-10T10:28:00.000-06:002007-01-10T12:20:14.136-06:00

John Calvin said, "People generally understand a free will to be one which has it in its power to choose good or evil..."It seems to me most Calvinists aren't really Calvinists and some Arminians are more Calvinistic then they think. While I find this debate amussing, I hardly find it worth spending a lot of time on. That said, I am amazed at the number of extreme Calvinists and Arminians

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-82899189463045277832007-01-04T14:22:00.000-06:002007-01-04T14:55:57.792-06:00

Does it really matter whether I believe we are in the millennium or it is yet to come? If the C&MA is a movement more then a denomination then why do we take a stand in our doctrinal statement on premillennialism? This has bothered me for some time.What is our goal as a movement? It is my understanding the C&MA seeks to evangelize the nations, to fulfill the great commission. This appears to be

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-708794343983232472007-01-02T10:56:00.000-06:002007-01-03T13:47:49.687-06:00

The Home School thing seems to bring up all kinds of emotions. Those who are for it generally think there is nothing better. Those who are not for it tend to think Home School Students are missing something that everyone else is getting.Truth be told, both sides have some good points. I have blogged about bad and good reasons to home school but kept my thoughts relatively vague. I will be much

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32715771.post-27358374609385078382006-12-29T10:44:00.000-06:002007-01-04T09:39:01.328-06:00

I have decided, but I am still coming to grips with my decision! I have had some difficult decisions to make in life, but this one (for me) ranks in the top five for difficulty. For years as a youth pastor I apposed the idea of home schooling and private school for most kids. I don't think I would completely back down from those beliefs, but for now my wife and I have decided to home school.There

John Byrnenoreply@blogger.com5