ONE Magazine by firstnet

INSIDE THIS VOLUME: Rob Wren reviews The Divine Conspiracy Jeff Lemarr’s New Hot Music Review Jeff reviews “Juno” We introduce two exciting new ministry features Gene goes off on…

1 “ignorapathy”

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Ig-nor-ap-a-thy (ig’-nur-ap’-uh-thee) (Noun) Meaning, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” ARE YOU IGNORAPATHETIC? F N

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News Page Number Church on the Run Mobile Podcasts are here!

Virchu The FNC Social Network

The Divine Conspiracy

Book Review

The Blood

Music Review

Juno

DVD Review

Ignorapathy

F-A-M-I-L-Y

Reviews

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Every speaker and writer, it seems, knows this feeling… You are in your car, or the restaurant, or in the middle of some mundane task when you suddenly have an epiphany, a moment of inspiration. You have an entire sermon, or article, or book, or [fill in the blank] - a premise worked out in your mind, but no pen, no paper, no palm pilot, no mini-recorder…no way to get it logged while your mind is on it, while the feeling is fresh. When you do get some place where you can record your thoughts, it’s gone!

“The Stuff of life from the road of life”

FirstNetChurch Pastor Gene Strother has found a way to combat that annoyance, through the miracle of the BlackBerry phone and a mobile podcasting service. Now, wherever he happens to be, whatever he is doing, all he has to do is dial a familiar number and – voila! – he is sharing whatever is on his mind with you! We call it Church on the Run. The concept is to deliver “the stuff of life from the road of life” in short, 3 to 5 minute, easily digestible messages. Subjects are as broad and varied as life itself.

“…uncut, uncensored, and off-the-hook”

Find the FirstNetChurch mobile podcast series at http://churchontherun.com . The messages are uncut, uncensored, and offthe-hook. Subscribe to our feed through iTunes™ or your favorite RSS reader. It’s easy. It’s free. It’s there for you!

The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard Reviewed by Rob Wren The title alone is intriguing. The 400 pages that follow are often daunting, especially if you are a newcomer to Dallas Willard’s offerings. Patient and careful reading are necessary skills when approaching the USC philosophy professor’s books and DC is no exception. However, like a gourmet meal of all-day preparation, each one of the 10 chapters serves as a delicious course along the way. If you are willing to sit down at the table you will enjoy a feast that will provide spiritual nourishment for years to come! This book is highly successful in provoking thought. Of course, this is what one would expect from a philosopher, and it is quite refreshing to hear a Christian philosophy amidst a slew of world-views that permeate our culture. One of Willard’s greatest contributions is his emphasis on Jesus as the master teacher. In fact, he refers to Jesus as “being the smartest human who ever lived.” From this perspective, he sheds light on an evangelicalism that often omits Christ as teacher. In chapter 2, his masterful contrast of the current gospels offered by the “right” and “left” of Christianity illustrates this point. After setting the table, Willard prepares a meal fit for a kingdom. The next several chapters delve into the familiar and often misunderstood teachings of Christ regarding the “kingdom at hand”. Willard reminds and informs of the present availability of the Kingdom of God. Take note, Willard’s “kingdom theology” is not to be confused with kingdom lingo often heard in prosperity based teachings. Sure enough, his definition of the kingdom, “the range of God’s effective will” finds its root in the rule of Christ which is probably more familiar language for some. With this in mind, Christ’s teachings are illuminated in a way you might not have experienced! The experience is a positive and refreshing one! Although his vocation is primarily in the secular university, Willard exhibits a prowess in Biblical exposition throughout chapter 4 “Who is really well off? -the Beatitudes.” He defies the misnomer of turning the “blesseds” into laws. As he points out, Jesus’ teachings aren’t rules for living, but rather evidences of “how things are” in the Kingdom of God. He cements his point in chapter 5 “The Rightness of the Kingdom Heart: Beyond the Goodness of the Scribes and Pharisees” as he contrasts the prevalent Pharisee thinking of the day to Kingdom reality. He encourages the reader to “put the idea of laws entirely out of our minds” in relation to what Christ was teaching. He characterizes Jesus’ words as illustrations of rightness that go deep “beneath the surface straight to the source of actions, good and bad”. The subsequent chapters continue in a description of kingdom living both individually and in the Christian community and include a natural progression to chapter 8 “On Being a Disciple or Student of Jesus”. Naturally, because of Willard’s view of Jesus the teacher, In regard to evangelism, Willard asks tough questions of Christian leadership. For instance, he states “If we have an intentional program to make disciples, can we simultaneously intend to make converts, or “members,” who are not disciples? Can we leave the latter to believe that they need never become disciples, and that this is actually

the heart of the true message of grace”? Willard’s questions often expose truths that Christians don’t want to think about such as the disparaging gap between “professing” Christians and apprentice Christians. In the closing chapters, Dr. Willard offers insight to true spiritual growth as he equates sin habits to sin bondage. He is a proponent of practicing spiritual gifts and is clear to point out that disciplines in of themselves are not spiritual, but are helpful in “placing God before us”. He is also quick to say that the scriptures do not provide details in regard to disciplines lest they become “works of righteousness”. Therefore, The Divine Conspiracy is not a how-to book. The final chapter “The Restoration of all Things” is an appropriately placed dessert to the meal that Dr. Willard has labored extensively to prepare. Willard’s primary message is defined nicely in the subtitle of this book, “Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God”. Willard’s masterpiece is a life changing work that helps us understand that life in Christ is far deeper than we have been led to believe!

Rob Wren is a tremendously gifted musician and singer. He serves as worship leader of Harmony Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. He and his wife Tina also lead an adult ministry there. Rob brings an eye for innovation and a cuttingedge approach to corporate worship to the FirstNet team.

Tired of fighting the filth on MySpace™ and FaceBook™? Ready to try something totally new, completely different…uniquely Christian? FirstNetChurch is excited to announce that we have rolled out our very own social networking platform! We call it VirChU. VirChu (pronounced "virtue"), a hybrid word we coined from the phrase "virtual church." It is a social network for the members, visitors, and friends of firstnetchurch.com. Here you can safely connect with fellow Christians. Share yourself! Make friends. Be a friend. Just like MySpace or FaceBook, you can… Upload photos and put them in albums. We even support Flickr® Photos! Upload music, either from your computer or from iTunes. Share videos from YouTube™ or Google™ Photos, or upload them from your computer. Establish and/or join private or public groups. Blog! And much, much more! We built this network for families, churches, bible study groups, youth groups, singles groups, and any other Christian organization looking for a wholesome environment in which to interact. It is totally free to join VirChU. Just go to http://virchu.com , take a few minutes to sign up, and begin building your own personal page.

Ignorapathy by D. Gene Strother

And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. 1 Chronicles 28:9 This is the unofficial launch of my halfhearted campaign to get a new word added to the dictionary. The word: ignorapathy The official definition: “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” I fancied myself to have coined the word, since I just thought it right up yesterday, but in this world of instant access to a world of information, a quick Google search told me I hadn’t come up with anything at all. Well, like Solomon said, “Nothing new under the sun.” Still, it’s a good word for defining the general attitude of today’s utilitarian, live in the moment and for the moment brand of Christianity. It isn’t just Christians, of course. It is pretty much, society in general. Not too many people under thirty concern themselves with “ancient history.” Understanding the roots of their belief system, their heritage, the trail of blood and tears leading to the freedoms and advantages we enjoy today just isn’t a very high priority. Too many Christians are content to be ignorant. They don’t know why they believe what they believe, other than that they were taught to believe it. This is problematic on so many levels. 1. First, how can you believe something, really believe it, if you have no idea why you do? A second-hand faith never saved a single soul. True faith in Jesus Christ is not an act of ignorance. I do not mean you have to be a theologian or a historian to believe…I simply mean faith in your mother’s faith or father’s faith or preacher’s faith is not the same as faith in Jesus Christ.

2. Second, how can you defend your faith against the onslaught of Satan? How can you reconcile it with the realities of a harsh world? How can you lean on it in times of difficulty. Lazy faith is too lame to support you in times of doubt or disillusion. 3. Third, how can you pass on a faith you have not owned yourself? Who will teach your children and your children’s children about the Christian faith, if you cannot? Ignorapathy: ignorance born of apathy. It is a debilitating plague that threatens the fabric of post-modern Christianity. It saps the strength of the individual believer and undermines the integrity of the Christian community at large. Don’t get me wrong: it is ok to say, “I don’t know.” There are so many things we DON’T know. But there is enough we can know to guide us through the stuff we don’t. Ignorance by itself isn’t always problematic. Mingled with apathy, however, it is destructive and deadly. May God deliver each of us from ignorapathy. A Prayer for Today: Father, I do want to know all I can about You, Your Son, and Your Holy Word. I pledge that I will not be apathetic about the things that pertain to my faith. I will seek to know You better, to know and to do Your will. Amen. Gene Strother is founder and pastor of FirstNetchurch.com. He writes the daily devotional, Java-Jireh, a feature of FirstNetChurch’s ministry. He also preaches the Sunday Sermon and contributes the mobile podcast, Church on the Run.

Did You Know? FirstNetChurch is now in its sixth month of existence Firstnetchurch.com has now had over 200,000 hits 3,275 unique visitors have spent time at firstnetchurch.com People from 35 countries around the world have visited firstnetchurch.com

Hot Music Review by Jeff Lemarr

The Blood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kevin Max Release Date: 12/26/2007 Label: Infinity Music Distribution Distributed By: MC ISBN-13: 829569803927 Product Code: 387684 In the nineties, you were hard pressed to find an act in the contemporary Christian circles more successful than dc Talk. Their infectious melding of rap, rock and soul was so unique that many worried that taking a hiatus to pursue solo projects was a mistake. Of the three members of dc Talk, Kevin Max seems to have had the hardest row to hoe. With dc Talk, he was always considered something of a bad boy, never one to jump through hoops for the Nashville gospel scene. I always admired that about him. I recall him

saying once that he never wanted to hide his mistakes and sins because sin only grows in the darkness. By refusing to hide his shortcomings for the sake of selling albums, he got saddled with an “outsider” persona that, in my opinion, isn’t just. Since his time with dc Talk, Max has proven to be one of the most innovative and thought-provoking artists in the industry today – and I’m talking about the entire industry, not just the CCM arena. His blend of euro-pop and rock with the most poetic lyrics in the biz have made him a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, he has yet to produce an album that grabs mainstream listeners by the throat, which means to most listeners he is still just “that weird guy from dc Talk.” Back in December, however, Max released The Blood, an album made up entirely of gospels songs that have impacted him personally in some way, shape or form. From the opening twang of “The Old Rugged Cross” to Andre Crouch’s “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,” Max takes us, song by song, through the journey of his faith. Each track is a sign post, marking a moment where God used the gift of music to leave an indelible imprint on Kevin’s soul. Max, as usual, finds some inspiration in unexpected places. “The Cross,” a track reuniting Max with former band mates Michael Tait and TobyMac, was written by Prince, yet, if I hadn’t told you, you would never have known. Stevie Wonder’s “They Won’t Go When I Go” also makes the list, a haunting song about those left behind in the Rapture. Chris Sligh, former American Idol contestant and recent addition to the Christian Music radio waves, joins Kevin on “Run On For A Long Time,” a catchy rendition of “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” covered most recently by Johnny Cash on his posthumous release. Amy Grant and Vince Gill join Max on “Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air,” with Gill sticking around to lend his signature guitar sounds to “People Get Ready,” which finds Max crooning a fine duet with Mary Mary’s Erica Campbell. To say this is not a typical Kevin Max release would be an understatement for certain, but it bears all the trademarks we’ve come to expect from him: strong vocals, great respect for the material and an originality that makes even these covers seem fresh and new. If you’ve grown tired of the glut of hymns projects in recent years, be brave enough to give The Blood a try. Below is the full track list.

"The Old Rugged Cross" – 1:33 "The Cross" (featuring dc Talk) – 3:23 "Run On for a Long Time" (featuring Chris Sligh) – 3:14 "Trouble of the World" – 4:49 "I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole" – 2:49 "Up Above My Head I Hear Music in the Air" (featuring Vince Gill and Amy Grant) – 2:55 "They Won't Go When I Go" – 4:46 "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" (featuring Ashley Cleveland, Judson Spence and Kim Keys) – 3:21 "People Get Ready" (featuring Vince Gill and Erica Campbell of Mary Mary) – 4:14 "One Way, One Blood" (featuring Joanne Cash) – 3:25

F-A-M-I-L-Y: YOU AND YOUR TEEN by Debbie Day F-First things First Do you remember this commercial? “It’s ten o’clock and do you know where your children are?” I don’t know what happened to that add but it always made me laugh because as a teenager listening to that ridiculous man every weekend assume my mom was a complete idiot, I often ran these questions through my head; “How can a parent NOT know where their children are? They are PARENTS for crying out loud! Who doesn’t know where their kids are?” Now, some 30 years later the ad is gone when it’s needed more than ever! Yes. I said it. As a parent WE are responsible for knowing where our children are! So, I would say to you, first thing is first-build a strong foundation of communication with your teen, GET INVOLVED! A-Ask don’t Assume I have a friend who will not let her daughter “text” unless she reads it first. She can use her cell phone only when mom or dad are present. WOW! You mean a fifteen year old girl needs to be “watched-over” that much? You bet. Questions like “who are you with”, “where are you going”, “who are their parents” are not so far fetched. It’s not prying. It’s simply letting your teens know that you love and care for them enough to take extreme measures. Ask and don’t assume your teens are choosing healthy relationships. M-Mom and Dad or Mentor I love it when I hear my name called. “MOM!” The moment my children were able to start gurgling I made sure they new that I was their mom, because every chance I got I told them. I wanted them to say my name first. Not daddy but mommy. I should have known then they weren’t going to listen to me because all three of my children said “daddy” first. I know one thing, neither mommy nor daddy signed up to be anyone’s mentor. However, the moment the Dr. laid our baby in our arms my husband and I took on the role of BOTH! They have never said it nor did I ever say it to my parents, but teens rely on their parents to mentor them. Surprise! You are one. You will mentor them. How? I-Inform or Ignore “Ignorance is bliss” would actually be my choice sometimes. I wish that I had been more informative with my teens. They can handle more than what we give them credit for. As a matter of fact, the junk, for lack of better words that I would rather use, they are informed of is far greater than what you would allow if you had control of what they heard. You

can be the one to give them biblical truth, moral truth, and practical solutions or they can rely on their peers to help them out. Teens are real people with real issues. Don’t ignore what they face, give them something “real” and reliable they can take to the bank! L-Learn to Laugh This is my favorite letter and sub-title. If you are around me for too long you will learn real quick that I am all about fun. I probably don’t take life as serious as some might think I should but, boy do I know how to have a good time. Thankfully, my husband and I both share that same trait. I attended my very first youth camp as a counselor when I was nineteen years old. I forgot I was a counselor! Oh my gosh! I had the best time. As I began to look around though, I scratched my head because most of the ADULTS had their faces pointed straight up in the air, they had on clean clothes, and they certainly weren’t as sweaty as I was. They probably thought I should have attended an adult camp first to learn how to be serious enough to be a counselor at youth camp. Nevertheless, through years of growth, and still trying to arrive, we have learned that there are certain things worth being serious about. For instance, the bills! It happens every month or rather let me say, it happens every time I open the mailbox. Before I can even get my arm out and close the lid I see this imaginary hand, palm up, waiting to take my money! That’s pretty serious, especially when you don’t have any. But even though we have learned that not everything is fun we have tried to let our kids see us laugh. Laugh with each other, laugh at each other, laugh at ourselves, and yes, we do it too, sometimes even laugh at someone else. As I said before, I could even get a good laugh at a voice coming from the TV reminding my mom to go check my bed. I am all about teaching teen’s responsibility and integrity. But I am also all about teaching teens to laugh. I see so many teens that look absolutely miserable and I wonder why? How could it be? They’re supposed to be laughing and having a great time. Then I meet their parents. All my questions have been answered. I have met many people in my forty……..(something) years and I have come to the conclusion that some of you out there need to learn to lighten up and just laugh. Oh, I know, you are probably thinking I am a totally irresponsible parent by now. I have been plenty irresponsible at times but I have allowed my kids to know that I mess up too. Have a good time with your teen. Let them know your are real. And besides all that, it gives you the right kind of wrinkles. Not

the ones that make you look like you hate living, but the ones that describe to your teens that a good laugh will help them keep their skin tight when they get old. Y-Yield to your Yes I am going to admit to something that is rather embarrassing but hopefully helpful to you as you may experience difficult times raising your teen. I realize I’m the only one that has ever been guilty of this but I just know, I am sure, there is a good reason in there somewhere. My husband and I raised three children and we ALL actually made it through the teen years and I am happy to announce they are all adults now. (thank goodness) Usually, at least twice a week, all ten of us get together at my house or my oldest daughter’s place and play games, cook-out, watch my “full-fledged boy” grandson jump off of anything he can find that measures six feet tall or above, be the audience for our grandaughter who is positive she will be the next four year old American Idol or a broadway dancer, and rollover laughing at our newest addition, who is sixteen months old, run through the house torturing and giggling because she has either stolen building blocks that the other grandchildren spent hours with building the tallest toy sky scraper I have ever seen or simply touched one of them. But you know, sometimes we really do just sit around and talk. I enjoy knowing what’s going on in their lives. The embarrassing part that I mentioned above? It hasn’t always been like that. I have not always enjoyed conversing with my kids. I have not always been real interested in what they have to say. They are just kids! Either it just wasn’t interesting enough, I was too busy, or just plain old tired. I cannot tell you how many times my teens would come to me, and of course it had to be while I was watching my favorite show or talking on the phone, ask me something, (God only knows what it was) or informed me of something they new I wouldn’t remember. Most of the time that happened, I just yelled out “YES, YES, JUST GO!” Sound familiar? Sometimes I would be looking for them, screaming their names, threatening them with their lives, just to finally find them outside playing with their friends. “What do you think you’re doing?” I would ask them. “I didn’t tell you that you could play outside!” “You know you can’t just come and go as you please!” “But mom”, they would plea. “You said Yes.” I knew I hadn’t but they always accused me of it and then convinced me that I did say YES. And since I wasn’t completely sure what I had just done I usually gave them the benefit of the doubt. As they became teenagers it stilled worked sometimes. But, it wasn’t just to go outside and play in the front yard. It was “Can I go play basketball?” “Can I take the car?” “Can I go out with him” “Can I, Can I Can I!” Honestly, I believe that somewhere along the way I just thought they would always make the right choices. I wish I could say that I always made sure, when they needed my undivided attention, I gave it to them. I wish I could say that when they wanted something I stopped what I was doing, sat down with them, looked in their ever-so-honest eyes and listened.

I told you we raised three. By the time the youngest entered her teen years we were pretty much worn out. We became less and less overly-concerned, because quiet honestly, the oldest two made it through ok. Without saying too much more, I wish I had of yielded instead of throwing out that old trusty “yes.” Take it from an old pro, what you don’t know and choose not to hear may influence who they become. So instead of making life easier for the moment, yield and listen before you just say yes. Debbie Day serves as Director of Women’s Ministries at Chapel Creek Fellowship, in Fort Worth, TX, where her husband, Keith is Senior Pastor. Debbie and Keith have three children, all grown, and three grandchildren…all great! Debbie is a faithful member of the FirstNetChurch social network, Virchu.com

JUNO Review by Jeff Lemarr Director: Jason Reitman Writer (WGA): Diablo Cody (written by) Release Date: 25 December 2007 (USA) Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance I knew from the moment that I saw the trailer for this film that Juno was something I had to see. It seemed quirky, fun, and had a cast that spelled “winner” to me. Now, I confess to being something of an oddball when it comes to movies. I like what I like, and no amount of praise or adulation from critics (or even my friends!) can make me like a movie that isn’t my cup of tea. The Godfather? No thanks. Brokeback Mountain?No. I am neither a connoisseur of trash nor a sheep to be led about by Academy nominations. I am all about characters – characters that connect with me, sometimes in ways I don’t fully understand. I was right about Juno. Ten minutes into the film, I felt like it was something more than it was. Oh sure, on the surface it’s all about a pregnant teen who, after deciding 15

not to abort the baby, must find suitable parents for the impending infant. Delve a tad deeper, however, and you’ll find a wonderful story of love. In fact, every character in the film is pursuing love in either a selfless or selfish way. Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is in love with Paulie Bleeker (the wonderful Michael Cera), the father of her baby. He is in love with her as well, in the most unselfish and caring of ways. Paulie sees the Juno behind all the linguistic gymnastics and punk rebel attitude. Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner), the woman who so desperately wants to adopt Juno’s baby, is madly in love with the thought of being a mother, forging that maternal bond with another human being, while her husband, Mark (Jason Bateman), is in love with his past and the idea of being young and carefree again. There was some discussion on a few online communities about JUNO being antiabortion propaganda, but that’s a sad interpretation. If people are pro-choice, how can they not be okay with her making the choice to not abort? Upon hearing that babies have fingernails, Juno identifies the baby as a person, and thus cannot go through with the abortion. Her dad (played brilliantly by J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney), though a bit rough around the edges are all about love, too. They love Juno, and throughout the movie, though all the characters falter from time to time, they all stay true to their loves. Juno is a very different kind of movie and you need to stick with it for the first ten minutes or so. Juno and her friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) have their own slang and cadence. You need that first ten minutes to assimilate it and settle in for the ride. With its unique soundtrack and brilliant performances, Juno won over audiences and critics alike – and I was right there with them, just like I was in line the day Juno hit DVD. Do yourself a favor and check out this funny, sweet, and endearing comedy from first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody. It may not be The Godfather, but that’s probably why I like it so much. Jeff Lemarr is a published author, middle school teacher, husband, expecting father, and Minister of Youth for firstnetchurch.com.

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