Friday's Weekly Rap Up - July 31, 2015 - "Sweet Victory" - Trip Lee

This past Tuesday, Trip Lee and Reach Records released a music video for "Sweet Victory" from Trip Lee's "Rise" album.  Keep in mind the imagery used throughout the video. The video opens on an old, beat up Cadillac Eldorado. To the eye, there is nothing redeeming about its appearance. This Eldo isn't on 24's. It doesn't have the white-wall tires old Eldorados used to have. The windows are busted. The oil is leaking. The tires are a little flat. The hood ornament is stuck on with some duct tape.

But you know what? Turn that key it still runs. That exhaust pipe might be dragging a bit, but it's still rolling. But then we get a few things thrown at us. Now the car's struggling a bit. It's tougher to press on. It takes a bit more gas to move. Things slow to a limp; a crawl. But it doesn't stop moving.

Friday's Weekly Rap Up - July 10, 2015 - "I'm Gone" - Trip Lee

Trip Lee - "I'm Gone" (Lyrics)



Our church has been in a series of teaching the past few weeks from the book of 1 Timothy, labelled "The Household of God." In this book Paul is instructing Timothy, one of the young church planters of the day. Paul starts his letter by first warning against much of the false teaching that had been persistent in the city of Ephesus, then in later chapters instructs Timothy and encourages him in being bold even though he was young, what the organization of his church should be, how church leaders are to function, and standing firm in doctrine.

Friday's Weekly Rap-Up - September 26, 2014 - "ITWNOI" - Sho Baraka

"ITWNOI" (In This World, Not Of It) - Sho Baraka (lyrics)



This past week I started to think about the name of my blog and how its name was formulated. I intended to keep my blog only to update friends and family of my experiences, as well as what I was learning in my faith. I originally started the blog back in 2009 while preparing for a mission trip to Colombia with an Athletes in Action basketball team. It was a while ago, and I've never felt like changing it, even as I began to write more of my thoughts. It's probably a good thing in the end. It's a good reminder of my standing in this world.

As time has gone on, I've included thoughts about athletics, rap music, the Christian faith, and mostly urban planning in Houston. Within the last couple of months I have had many blog posts linked to a variety of planning and development websites, and circulated on social media. It's been a great reminder about the call that Christians have as being on this earth.

Friday's Weekly Rap-Up - September 5, 2014 - "Self-Sufficiency" - Timothy Brindle

"Self-Sufficiency" - Timothy Brindle (Lyrics)



This past Sunday at Sojourn Heights we closed out our series through some selected Psalms. "Dust to Dust: Songs for Every Season" was a great time of rest and replenishment. The Psalms offer us songs and prayers for all seasons of life, teaching us how to pray, sing, grieve, praise, think and respond. The Psalms communicate truths of God's character. They display many of God's attributes, some that we are able to reflect as his people, and others that simply call us to thankfulness in our Creator.

As we closed our series, we examined Psalm 121, a song for hope. As noted in our sermon series companion guide, we must recognize that as humans, we constantly long for protection and safety. As we live in regular uncertainty, we "search for almost anything upon which we can find sure footing. It’s no wonder that most of the world’s best stories tell of rescue. The psalmist assures us that our true place of help, protection, and keeping is not found in anything created but only in the One who created."

Friday's Weekly Rap-Up - May 23, 2014 - "Darkest Hour" - No Malice, Lecrae - CNN, Bill Weir, Interview with No Malice

"Darkest Hour" - Lecrae, No Malice

Earlier this week I came across a post on Rapzilla chronicling a CNN Tonight interview from host Bill Weir that took a behind the scenes look at two rappers, Pusha-T and No Malice, brothers who once performed as The Clipse. As Rapzilla points out regarding the rap culture, "Few media outlets have embraced the challenge of looking deeper into the complex struggle of right and wrong that has always been the invisible narrative of the culture." Rappers are usually glorified for their lyrics and actions, especially when it comes to pushing and using drugs, drinking, violence, sex and making money, without any question of motives, or the impact they have on culture.

Wier asked both brothers about their lives. Pusha-T showed off his fashion boutiques, clothes and business ideas, while No Malice showed Weir the Virginia Beach home where he and his brother began selling crack cocaine and started rapping. No Malice was a bit uncomfortable talking about his past, as one might be when admitting to selling crack on national television.

No Malice said “When I think about my infidelities…the heartbreak that I caused my wife, that I caused myself. When I think about her forgiveness, how the Word of God repaired us and nothing else. When I think about that; to me, it’s a no brainer. I can’t return to that lifestyle and that kind of way. I don’t have a choice.” When asked about returning to rap for a Clipse reunion, No Malice is adamant that he is not interested. It seems that he is satisfied in his life in Christ, rather than performing for crowds and raking in cash and notoriety. His decision just doesn't make sense to a watching world that does not see Christ as their ultimate treasure. It surely doesn't make sense to those reading XXL. It doesn't make sense to those watching MTV. And it surely won't make much sense at BET's 106 & Park. Jesus tells us that those who know him will be hated and mocked.

In the book of Colossians, Paul reminds the church at Colossae, as well as Christians, that before we are in Christ we were all alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds. But now, Christ has reconciled sin for us through his death, making us holy and blameless before our father. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds us that we are new creations in Christ.

When we hear interviews like this with No Malice and see fruitfulness of the Spirit, it is an encouragement to all who are struggling with some form of sin, not just pushing drugs or promoting cash, women, cars and clothes. We can be sure that Jesus is better. We can be sure that Jesus uses different art forms and methods to bring glory to himself, and to encourage others in faith.

Following Jesus certainly won't make much sense to those who find comfort in fame and material possessions. Through his testimony, we can be sure that pushing rocks is of no satisfaction compared to standing firm on the rock of our salvation.

"Darkest Hour" - Lyrics

Bonus: "Lord Have Mercy" - Lecrae, Tedashii and No Malice

Friday's Weekly Rap Up - February 7, 2014 - "Testify" by Shai Linne

This past weekend Sojourn Heights was graced with a visit from Steve Timmis, the Lead Pastor at The Crowded House in Sheffield, England, and Global Director of Acts 29, a church planting organization.

Steve brought us some thoughts regarding the mission of the church, centered on the study of Acts 4:32 to Acts 5:17. Mission was defined as "the word of God extending." This passage in Acts shows just that. Steve summarized this account of the early church using three adjectives. The mission of the church during this time was stunning, sobering, and spectacular. The snapshot of the church in Jerusalem being of "one heart and soul" is stunning. As you move into Acts 5, the account of Ananias and Sapphira is sobering, in that it is a reminder that the Lord desires our holiness. And finally, the spreading of God's word was spectacular, seeing that many people were being healed and also believed in the Lord.

It is not much different now:

• When a body of people is of "one heart and soul" in our time, it is seen as surprising and compromising. How could anyone forfeit their personal agendas and be united in all things?! It doesn't make much sense to most of our modern world.
• Most people are not concerned about their holiness much anymore, but that there is a portrayal of holiness to others in the world. We're more fearful of the consequences of our sin, as opposed to fearing the presence of that sin itself.
• And, finally, there are many signs and wonders happening today. But, I suppose these things are not seen as spectacular, as we now seem to find almost anything to be "spectacular". The adjective seems to be used too liberally, and maybe we lose sight of the small, but miraculous acts happening within our midst.

As a reflection, Steve asked the question, "What would be sensational, inexplicable, or spectacular in our neighborhood parishes?" It got me thinking throughout the week, and our parish had the ability to think through that question on Wednesday. It is sometimes easy to overlook the seemingly small changes in people's lives without thinking about the fact that one's acceptance of the Lord's grace can impact families for generations to come.

In our parish there are some of us that have been Christians for almost all their lives. There are some of us that have been raised in the church, but only had head knowledge about the Lord, refusing until later to allow that knowledge of his grace to soften our hearts. There are also those that were not raised in the the church, and are new to the faith, being challenged by long standing practices, patterns of thinking and routines. People's motives and thoughts are questioned, not for the sake of correction, but for the sake of growing in holiness and understanding of the Lord's work in our lives. When we look a bit closer, these changes in all of our lives are spectacular.

These accounts reminded me of Shai Linne's song, Testify, which chronicles the story of Mike, Sue and Cece, three characters that lived incredibly different lives, but still came to the same saving understanding of the Lord. This is a parallel of what the members of our parishes and churches have experienced. There are spectacular changes in some lives, and spectacular graces evidenced in the Lord sustaining the lives of believers.

Let us be generous so that we have more and more in common. Let us be pursue holiness so that we can be impactful in mission. And, let us not lose perspective of the truly spectacular works that the Lord is working within us, and within those close to us. Let us testify!

Call Your Grandparents

Grandpa at my cousin Jenna's wedding

My grandfather Norman Casimer Andrews went to be with the Lord today. It's been a tough day to say the least. A flood of memories comes back as I remember my time with him, but we should take comfort in the Lord's sovereignty. I can assure you that my grandfather was surrounded by our family, and my grandmother.

My grandfather was ready to go. This past weekend he told my parents and grandmother that he was "..ready to be with the Lord." It is amazing that God has created us with this recognition, but it is a further comfort in the truth that this Earth is not our home, and that we will never see death. We were made to be with the Lord. Jesus came at Christmas that we might have eternal life. “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Paul, the author of Corinthians encourages us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, that God is our comfort.

Admittedly, I've struggled with the idea of death over the past month or two. I think the fact that my grandfather was nearing his passing was one of the reasons. There were days within the past few months where my eventual death was the first thing on my mind in the morning, paralyzing me from true fellowship and instilling fear in almost everything I did.

It was a dark week and a half, and I am still wading through many of my thoughts. I plan on heading to Michigan to be with family, and can relate to the words of pastor John Piper when he speaks about returning home, and especially when seeing family. Piper says,

"Do you feel restless for home? I have family coming home for the holidays. It feels good. I think the bottom line reason for why it feels good is that they and I are destined in the depths of our being for an ultimate Homecoming. All other homecomings are foretastes. And foretastes are good."

 There are very few times that I can remember my grandfather instructing us in something of great depth, as it was normally something trivial or to do with fishing or horse racing, but in these past few days I probably learned the most from him. It was apparent that he did not fear death and that he knew it would be his time.

The Lord graciously gave my grandfather many years, surrounded by a loving wife, four successful sons and their wives, and all of us grandchildren. In his final days he got to be near, or speak to, many of us.

I was able to speak to Grandpa Andrews yesterday for about 30 seconds. I made sure to tell him that the Lord loved him and that I loved him. With that, he briefly told me two things. First: That "We love you too". After being married for so long, it really does become your mentality that you and your spouse are a unit! And secondly, he wished that Emily and I would have a wonderful wedding. That one struck a chord. It's a great final memory of my grandpa, and the fact that we were on his mind during his last few hours of life brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes. I would have loved to have celebrated our marriage with him. I was able to celebrate their 50th anniversary by singing their wedding song to them, "Let Me Call You Sweetheart". I will be thinking of him on March 16th as Emily and I are married. It's my hope that our family will be able to look to death, not with fear, but with comfort, knowing that Christ's death and resurrection destroyed the power of sin and death. Oh how freeing! It's my hope that we can remember this truth, and look to the Lord for our eternal rest.

Singing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"

I always enjoy calling my grandparents, and even more so after having moved to college and then away from Michigan. Their wisdom and experience are invaluable, even when we find it pretty intolerable as children. Their stories remind us of much simpler times. We heard about the numerous jobs my grandpa seemed to hold, selling copiers and having served in the Coast Guard. He would always tell us about the time when he was allowed to steer a ship into port. And for the record, I will never believe this one! Us grandchildren remember his Mobil coffee mug that he used in the car to take us all up north to our cottage. Or the time he had to come get us grandkids from the Detroit Zoo because our Grandma had locked her keys in her car, while it was running!

I will continue to call my grandmother, hopefully even more often now. We'll talk about the weather, how her garden is doing, and most importantly, how the Tigers are doing. And, I'll be sure to comfort her, tell her I love her, and that the Lord loves her, just as I did with Grandpa. Our grandparents are gifts of great treasure and a grace from the Lord, so, go ahead, call your grandparents.

Friday's Yearly Rap-Up - December 27, 2013 - A Defense of Christian Hip Hop

As the year comes to an end, I have noticed my drop-off in Friday's Weekly Rap-Up entries (It became more like a "Friday's Semi-Monthly Rap Up"). But, at the end of the year, there is a reason to celebrate and reflect on the gift that music is for the Christian, and the Church as a whole. There are many men and women who produce quality, scripturally-centered hip-hop, which allows Christians to learn, and to be encouraged and built up in their faith.

Many great things happened in the world of Christian hip-hop, including the release of many mainstream albums, such as Derek Minor's Minorville and Lecrae's Church Clothes Volume 2. Both of these albums continue to allow Christians to be salt and light in the normally dark world of hip-hop.

Without a doubt, one of the most interesting moments came in late November, when the National Center for Family Integrated Churches held a worship conference, where a panel discussed the merits of Christian, and more distinctly, Reformed hip-hop. It did not go well. The answers of the panels ruffled the feathers of many within the Christian community, both young and old, and black and white. It was clear that a continued dialogue needed to be had, and that there were many misconceptions about the Christian hip-hop genre. Panelist Geoffrey Botkin (who has since apologized) went as far as to call Christian rappers "disobedient cowards" and most panelists seemed to expose themselves as being fairly inexperienced in the form of Christian hip-hop, aside from Toby Mac (who is on the fringe of the Reformed hip-hop scene at best). The entire panel discussion was taken down, but there are some clips of it below. It was not an instance that built up the body of Christ, and only helped to raise more questions.



Nonetheless, what followed was a thorough discussion between panelists and hip-hop artists, producers and supporters. The best may be the response from Rapzilla's Philip Rood. Rapper Shai Linne also has engaged with Scott Aniol, one of the panelists, in a discussion about Christian rap. The introduction is here, followed by many days worth of questions and rebuttals. Folks at the Gospel Coalition also weighed in, complete with reactions from all over the country and from various denominations. Finally, many panelists have issued apologies and clarifications regarding their comments.

It was refreshing to see the reaction of the hip-hop community, with an eagerness to seek clarification from the panelists, instead of seeking their condemnation, and for the panelists and those unfamiliar with Christian hip-hop, to desire to learn about the motives and ministry of Christian rappers.

As someone who frequently listens to Christian rap, and has learned a great deal about the Lord and His character through the medium of Christian rap, I am glad to see clarification sought by those who originally had disparaging remarks for Christian rap. Having once listened to a great deal of secular rap, I was attracted to the form of hip-hop, and found a great deal of comfort in a familiar art form. Much is the same in college athletic ministry. Having previously taken Christ and my faith for granted, the encouragement and ministry of those within college athletics, and specifically college basketball, helped foster an appreciation and love for the gospel. However, as much as I search, nowhere is the athletic form of basketball found in scripture. This is analogous to the question of hip-hop in ministry. Many have benefited from Christian hip-hop, and many have been exposed to doctrine and scripture. Many rappers address weighty topics in songs that are saturated with scripture, and bring a challenge of the light of the Lord in what is normally a rather dark hip-hop picture. For that, we can be thankful.

Finally, here is a list of the 30 most downloaded songs on Rapzilla this year. Check out some tunes. Happy New Year.

Friday's Weekly Rap Up - October 18, 2013 - "The Greatest Story Ever Told" by Shai Linne

We are all a part of someone's story. In one form or another you and I have influenced someone's life, for larger or smaller. But we normally don't remember this on a daily basis. As a Christian, I forget that I play a role in the biblical narrative and the spread gospel.

The story of the bible is pretty long, but Shai Linne does a great job of condensing it into a brief four minutes in "The Greatest Story Ever Told". It's one of my favorite songs from Shai Linne, and a great reminder of the plans that the Lord has put in place, and has been faithful to fulfill.

Last week, Sojourn Heights celebrated the establishment of Sojourn Montrose, commissioning Marshall Dallas as pastor. Before Marshall was sent out, he spoke on the reality of planting a church, and hoped that we would gain a greater appreciation of the greater story that we find ourselves in. It's true that it is difficult to be a part of a church body, and then seemingly overnight be divided from those who you have walked alongside. Friendships drift and the dynamics of relationships change.

Sojourn is committed to making disciples, multiplying neighborhood parishes, and planting churches. In order for these things to happen, we, the Church, must go; go to those that do not know the Lord and have not heard of Him. It's uncomfortable to leave. But that discomfort is actually out of line with the call of Christians to go forth and make disciples that Jesus gives us in the Great Commission. We are not the first to experience this discomfort, as Paul, responsible for a great deal of the growth of the Church, splits with Barnabus, when both had once served as missionaries together. These splits have nothing to do with arguments, but are a result of judgments made in light of the continued spread of the gospel.

We forget that we are a part of this story, a commission of Christ to make disciples and contribute to the greatest story ever told. This story of God's glory encompasses every other earthly story. Again, this is a reality that I lose sight of on most days, and would like to remember much more often. When we see our lives an mundane, as opposed to an extreme gift, there is no concern to make much of our lives. Paul reminds us in 1 Peter 2:9-10 that we, as Christians, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation set to proclaim God's excellencies!

Back in February, Matt Chandler came to Houston to speak at a church-planting benefit dinner, where he laid out the path that was taken from the original churches formed after the resurrection, to those churches that were later planted in the United States, then in Texas, and eventually how his church, The Village Church, came to fruition. Marshall, in the same light, laid out the path that resulted in the planting of Sojourn Montrose. Each person that contributed to Marshall's growth in Christ, and the growth of those that will call Sojourn Montrose their church body, is part of a greater story. Sojourn Montrose was planted for God's glory, not the glory of a pastor or a group of people.

It's easy to forget that there's a larger story at play in my life. I can be thankful for those that laid the foundation for both University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan and South Church in Lansing, Michigan, who were faithful in ministering to students, who then in turn shared their lives with me and led me to a greater knowledge of our Lord. I can then be thankful for the sovereignty of the Lord leading me to Marshall University, where I befriended Luke Strimer, Todd McClure, JR Harris, Gerhard Esterhuizen, and Joe Stanton and his family, and settling into River Cities Community Church, and being sharpened by fellowship through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where I met Tyler Warner. Tyler came to know Christ, has learned deeply of His grace, and now ministers to student athletes at the University of Kentucky, and other Kentucky colleges. Now, for each athlete that comes to know Christ through Tyler's ministry, or is encouraged by Tyler and his leadership, I can say I am a part of their story.

The story of being led to Houston through Virginia is a great story as well, but even greater is the collection of these that leads to bringing glory to the Lord. Our relationships may seem unimportant and insignificant at the time, or we may think that our achievements and accomplishments as a church are the best things to ever happen. Either way, they simply lead to someone else being a part of, and bringing light to, the "Greatest Story Ever Told".

Friday's Weekly Rap-Up - July 12, 2013

Gemstones - Fire In My Heart

This may come as no surprise, but rappers and musical artists aren't always worth as much as they claim. I saw an interesting graphic from Business Week that depicted the actual net worth of a select few rappers and musical artists, compared to their actual net worth. (This graphic has been criticized for its accuracy, but it does a good job helping explain this larger issue.) The research seems a bit suspect, as it estimates each artist's wealth based on lyrical content, and the boasting of the artist. It should make us ask ourselves though, "How honest are any of these artists?" I'm afraid that too many of us, and too many younger, more impressionable kids, get caught up in these claims of success, money, lifestyle and luxury.

This graphic was created in response to an article regarding some of the lyrical content of Jay-Z's song Versus, which will be featured on his forthcoming Magna Carta album. Rolling Stone featured a story linking Jay-Z's claims to the BusinessWeek graphic. In actuality, Jay-Z is actually one of th more honest artists out there, actually earning near what he says he does. Jay-Z is more skeptical about the financial claims of others artists.

Demarco Castle, once rapping under the name Gemini, and now known as GemStones, is a rapper from the south side of Chicago. He worked his way up through the rap scene, gaining some notoriety after performing with Lupe Fiasco and being signed to Lupe's record company. I won't pretend like I know the background of all of this, but in an interesting article with Rapzilla in 2010, GemStones is quite candid with his past, and shares his acceptance of Christ and how it changed his musical pursuits.

The larger questions that we must look at in this case, are whether or not we can take these artists for their word in how they portray themselves, and more importantly, whether others can trust us to genuinely portray ourselves. Artists unashamedly put their worth and self-value in material things, most notably money and relationships. As Christians, we must hold fast to the fact that we receive immeasurable riches in Christ.

As Sojourn continues to work its way through the book of Ephesians, we are reminded of the riches we inherit through a life in Christ. This is not a physical richness, but that of peace, unity, freedom from the penalty of sin, and eternity in bringing God glory. Let us be reminded of Paul's letter to the Ephesian church.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7, ESV)

Gemstones was honest about his status and experiences. He realized he was dead in sin, but would be made alive in Christ. It is this humility that can lead others to see the richness of life in Christ. That is something that I admire and hope encourages others that can wield testimony of Christ within a celebrity culture. In Christ, we do not need to live lives claiming to be someone that we are not. We can be confident that the Lord will redeem, renew and resurrect our lives to himself.

I first learned about GemStones through Rapzilla's listing of the top 30 free albums of 2012. Immediately, the Adele-inspired Fire In My Heart stuck with me, but the furiously-paced track stuck with me even more after understanding the lyrics and their origin. From what I can gather, it is GemStones' honesty and conviction that moved him to produce Elephant In The Room, calling attention to the lies and inaccurate portrayal of lifestyles of those in the rap game. Many times, the same can be said for how we carry out our own lives. Let's ask ourselves, what is our elephant in the room?

Be sure to grab GemStones' Elephant in the Room album from the Rapzilla site here, as well as his latest single, God Is My Rock.

Friday's Weekly Rap-Up - July 5, 2013

Shai Linne - Fal$e Teachers

An article on the Gospel Coalition website this morning announced that a new show will air on the Oxygen network this fall titled "Preachers of L.A." Prosperity teaching will no longer be limited to time slots between midnight and six in the morning on local networks. It's coming prime time this year.

This article troubled me, especially entering a time when seemingly every action and claim of the Christian church is called into question or as seem as hypocritical. No one should be surprised that there is now a show that chronicles the lives of pastors, especially those within the "Prosperity Gospel" arena. These pastors are generally energetic and commanding personalities, and have the ability to generate a great deal of positive thinking and hype. However, that's probably the most saddening thing about them as well. As pastors or bishops, they are responsible for teaching and administering the revealed Word of God to their congregations. Based on the clips, they seem to be more like celebrities, even needing bodyguards, as shepherding a church is apparently a physically dangerous job.

In a trailer for the show, Bishop Clarence McClendon declares that "The Bible says 'I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers'. I believe that." This verse (3 John 1:2) is his basis for what is known as the Prosperity Gospel. One with a broad biblical knowledge should find it tough to insist that the Lord desires for us to indulge and be prosperous in money, which is the very thing we are told, that if we love it, is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

If you're a Christian, there's no arguing that most of these men have less than stellar doctrine concerning prosperity and suffering. But, what makes me more disappointed than anything is that this show, or the clips of preachers much like the recent viral clip showing a pastor verbally attacking members of his church in front of their congregation, will continue to shape the opinions of those outside the church. These examples do nothing at all to make God look glorious. These actions are all about self.

Here in Houston, Bishop, I.V. Hilliard of the New Light Christian Center, recently asked his congregation to "sow a seed" into a transportation fund to by new helicopter blades for his personal helicopter. This "seed" that is sown is promised to bring financial prosperity within 52 days or 52 weeks. How anyone can know that is beyond me, and should come as skeptical. It's incredibly false, and takes advantage of those that are already experiencing some sort of physical or financial distress. But, sadly, this practice continues in churches, while "pastors" continue to increase their bankroll.  Even those that aren't Christians and can crack open a bible can discern that this call for "sowing a seed" or giving money to these guys is taking advantage of their congregations. This video I happened to stumble upon is from someone who does not seem to be a Christian from what I can tell, (and uses some vulgar language here and there), but he hits the nail on the head and is actually pretty refreshing to listen to!

Rapper Shai Linne recorded a response to those that thought his song, Fal$e Teachers, went too far as to attack the character of the men and women featured in his song. Shai's response is wonderful, saturated with scripture.

There's nothing wrong with being a pastor and having a comfortable lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with being able to finance a home, be a part of a neighborhood or enjoy nice things. But this type of lavish spending should honestly call into question the desires of these pastors, and their ability to steward their gifts.

The old saying goes, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." Prosperity through greed, guilt and manipulation, all gussied up and disguised as the gospel, does nothing to bring glory to God, but instead serves one's self. These men seem to set out to make the gospel more attractive through the use of money and promises of blessings and wealth. As Christians, we are not promised a life free from ailments or suffering. Actually, Paul lets us know that we should expect suffering. The gospel doesn't need promises of money or financial blessing to make it look more glorious. It should be amazing enough that while we yet sinners, Christ died for us, allowing us to enjoy life with God, free from eternal suffering. To quote Al Mohler,"In the end, the biggest problem with prosperity theology is not that it promises too much, but that it promises far too little."

I hope that this show fails so that people are not exposed to this dangerous teaching. These guys are pretty much just False Teachers.

Caution: Some NSFW language in this one!

John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel