Got Church?

Cool fact:

A new survey has found that three-quarters of Americans who haven't gone to church in the last six moths say it is "full of hypocrites". About 44 percent said, " Christians get on my nerves."
However, the LifeWay Research study revealed that more than 75 percent said they would be willing to listen to a Christian talk about their faith.

So what are we (you) waiting for...

2 Timothy 4:5 (Message version)

3-5You're going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They'll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant.

--fact taken from March-April Relevant Magazine (emphasis added by Blake Strozyk)

Middle School Mania

This week is middle school mania. A couple of buds and I were asked to lead worship for this youth retreat at this private school. The kids are very energetic and that is very surprising for 8 o'clock in the morning. I am definitely feeling the affects of waking up at 6 in the morning. My wife is happy because she can now turn all the lights on. FYI: My wife is a school teacher. Anyway, Tommy Oaks is speaking and it is pretty good stuff. The theme of the week is freedom. Its a pretty general theme but I think freedom is one of those things we need to be reminded about. We have freedom in Christ and Christ frees us from sin. Did I mention that Tommy Oaks is speaking.

Have a good week!!

The WALL (and not Pink Floyds)

I was looking at this website, http://www.picturesofwalls.com/, that has a bunch of pictures of vandelism and I was wondering when these people write on walls. Most of the signs are on billboards or they are in public places. I never see people writing things on walls or spray painting. I have to give them a little credit for being so stealth like. Most of the pics below are from the UK. All of them are pretty random and less offensive.

Good point.

I did not know that...yeaaaah

Ok, this one is in India. Give them a litte credit.

Like I said earlier. How do they get up there?

I dunno?

I thought you voted at like schools and court houses.

Kinda.

Old School

Yep.

***WARNING: If you go to the website, there is some profanity.

TOYS!!!

These are all my toys ,
I make a joyful noise,
with all the boys.

Thats my little poem. Anyway, I was bored and I needed to re-organize my music closet so I thought I would take a couple pics of all my stuff. I don't know if this blog worthy but at least the pics are good for insurance purposes and you all can be my eye witnesses. Thanks guys.

BIG NEWS: Knox-Vegas Forever!!!

Amber and I have decided to stay in Knoxville until ??? I can't leave Crossings. I feel that is where Amber and I need to be. I have applied at many churches around the country but church planting has been on my heart the whole time. I felt like what Mark(pastor) said at Crossings, gave me the final push to stay. I want to step up even more and become a leader. This is a huge step of faith for Amber and I. I have talked with a friend about church planting and we have built a relationship which will hopefully lead us to plant a church in the future if God leads in that direction. Right now I need to develop and pray hard. I feel so relieved and scared about the decision. I know God will pull through. Amber is very supportive and her parents are happy as well. So, there is the news. I am here to stay.

Sushi on the Water (Just watch it!!!)

Word's cannot describe what is going through my head right now. Wow! Go Japan? Wow!

Smoke on the Water?? I think? Wow!

Praise or not to Praise that is the Question

- Praise is the culmination of our enjoyment of anything.
- C. S. Lewis

Why call praise music - praise music? Why not thank you music or I love you Jesus music.

The widely trusted Wikipedia says:

In Christianity, the word takes on a new meaning, and is understood as a command to either describe God or give a testimony of what God has done.In religion, praise is an impassioned exaltation of God (ie. a Supreme Being, or Creation), typically as an expression of gratitude for one's life or being. In other cases,praise may be tied to more situational aspects such as health and prosperity.In its common usage praise is the act of making positive statements about a person, object or idea, either in public or privately

Praise is just one element of worship and praise is something we have done since birth. Christian or not we praise. When we were youngwe looked up to a certain individual, in most cases our parents or siblings. We gave these individuals praise for simple things because at the time we didn't know better. For example: I used to praise my brother for being a good baseball player but now that I'm older I know my brother stinks at baseball.

God (Yahweh) is praised everyday through what we see, taste, and hear. When we look at the mountains in East Tennessee and we say, Wow! That is praise.The book of Psalms is a rich resource where most of our Worship leaders and hymn writers are inspired to write about praising God.

David Crowders' book, Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi, gives us some questions to be thinking about.

" Remember how effortlessly we sang the praises of things we enjoyed? It was so easy and fluid and natural. What if this kind of praise freely leaked from us in delightful response to God? What if life were like that all the time? What if we were so moved by who God is, what He's down, what He will do, that praise, adoration, worship, whatever,continuoustly careened in our heads and pounded in our souls? What if praise were on the tip of our tongues likewe were a loaded weapon in the hands of a trigger-happy meth addict and every moment might just set us off? Thisis what we will do for eternity. What makes us think out time on earth should be any different?What keeps it from being so?"

This is what praise may look like: