The megachurch and vanishing evangelical young people, per Michael Spencer’s original post February 11, 2008.
iMonk Radio Podcast #88
Author Archives: Clark Bunch
Satur-deja Vu
Let’s start with the NFL Draft. Last Saturday the draft was still underway. When all was said and done, Georgia sent 15 players to the draft and all 15 were picked up by NFL teams! The Bulldogs 2021 Championship is worth more than bragging rights. Winning a championship is an excellent recruitment strategy as graduating high school seniors consider where to play next. It’s good for the school (proud alums make better donations, advertising revue, merchandising rights, broadcasting) and the school can afford to spend more on athletics as a result, meaning better equipment and more scholarships. The record number of players drafted by the NFL means that UGA has a lot of spots to fill but also increases their ability to do so. If you’re looking at colleges, or thinking about a transfer, the headlines about Georgia’s record number of players drafted are very attractive. First he beat Nick Saban, then won the National Championship, and now Georgia sets a new draft record. This continues to be a banner year for Kirby Smart.
Continue readingSatur-deja Vu
Then he bought Twitter. Maybe it’s my age, the rural setting I live in or the fact I’m not a celebrity type with a million followers but I just don’t get people freaking out about his acquisition of a social media platform. Jameela Jamil said in what she vows is her last tweet: “I fear this free speech bid is going to help this hell platform reach its final form of totally lawless hate, bigotry, and misogyny. Best of luck.” George Takei pledged to stay, Tweeting “Should this place become more toxic, I pledge to strive even harder to lift up reason, science, compassion and the rule of law. The struggle against fascism, misinformation, and hate requires tough fighters.”
Continue readingiMonk Radio Podcast #87
Preaching at First Presbyterian of London, KY; discussion of false assurance; Here’s the quote: Think about who you are this weekend. Be in the Lord’s house with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day and let your assurance be challenged because unless your assurance is changing you, unless it is putting your treasure in things which cannot rust and thieves cannot steal, you have a false assurance. -Frank Turk
Satur-deja Vu
Good News Food News – Taco Bell is bringing back the Mexican pizza. It has been rumored, then “confirmed” rumored, but we now have an official announcement and a date from the chain. The fan favorite will return May 19th with select locations getting a one or two day early release. Above right is the spicy Chick-fil-A biscuit which is only available for a limited time. While that news could be better is the first time since 2016 that is has made a comeback. The official date is April 25th but our local Chick-fil-A has them on the menu already. Last year movie makers gave us a new Ghostbusters sequel and all three Spider-Men (from the last 25 years) in a film together. Now fast food has decided to give us what we want. It’s like consumer sovereignty is actually a thing again.
Continue readingiMonk Radio Podcast #86
Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book, the second in a seven part series on spirituality; high praise for Peterson’s methods and approach for entering the Bible and listening to it rather than demanding it give us answers. It’s hard to talk about Peterson without addressing The Message.
Satur-deja Vu
Sometimes I look at the banner at the top of the page and wonder if first time visitors are confused by the tagline “God honoring, Christ centered.” I used to write two or three long form blog posts each week. Back then we served in a ministry that was geographically isolated. Today I pastor a small SBC church and all that that entails. I keep letting people appoint me to leadership positions in things. And we have a middle schooler that joins things and needs carried places. Each and every item entry, if you dissect a Satur-deju Vu or Happy Monday post, may not be directly related to sharing the Gospel in some way. But taken on the whole each post is meant to enrich and inform the Christian believer. Happy Monday always has verses of scripture and inspiring or informative quotes, at least one of those quotes from a recognizable Christian leader. The Satur-deja Vu posts are about the intersection of faith and real life. Some days are a struggle and I hope the things I write and share are able to help someone along. We are about wrap up Holy Week and celebrate Easter Sunday tomorrow. Some days make it real easy to walk the Christian path. Some days are rough and for some those turn into rough seasons. In the upper left-hand corner are links to sermons. They are steeped in scripture. Sometimes you need something else. An encouraging word, a laugh a smile, or just the knowledge that others are in the same boat. A single website cannot be all things to all people. But if I write a post on the empty tomb or share a pic of a dog wearing sunglasses and a hat that makes your day, then maybe that post was just for you.
Continue readingiMonk Radio Podcast #85
New intro that Michael was proud of at the time. Steve Brown is still producing radio and online content but the archives do not go back that far. Here is an archive post on why Michael does not use the word “inerrancy.” Discussion: 1 Timothy 6:6 on contentment.
Satur-deja Vu
We opened the skatepark that I wrote about last week. Pictured left to right above is city council member Ray Black, Mayor Jim Miller, council member Clark Bunch, council member Jim Treglown and the namesake of the park Joe Young. The mayor can be seen holding a giant pair of golden scissors, yes there really is such a thing. By the way, I thought everyone would holding onto the ribbon; it was only tied at one end just long enough to take the picture. The day was a qualified success, drawing a huge crowd that hung around all day. Joe’s dad grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and later smoked a few chickens. The skate park is the latest upgrade to our parks and rec center. If you don’t give kids something to do they will find something to do and you might not like it. We will know where the kids at the skatepark are, in a safe controlled environment. If you don’t plan it then you can’t control it. That’s the thought process behind building skateparks, ball fields, creating teams, opening the gym on weeknights… it’s why James Naismith invented basketball. When you invest in the community you get a better community. (The same principle applies to churches.)
Continue readingiMonk Radio Podcast #84
I do not seem to have podcast #83 in my files. I did not realize that until I was ready to preview it and write copy but I have checked the numbers and verified that we can finish the run and get back to #105 without interruption.
Welcome back Great Big Stupid World by Randy Stonehill. The Gothic Catalog is still in business, Choral Treasure Radio is not. Discussion of Bill Maher and Religulous: “You can’t be a rational person six day of the week, and put on a suit and and make rational decisions and go to work and on one day of the week go to a building and think you are drinking the blood of a 2,000 year old space god. That doesn’t make you a person of faith, it makes you schizophrenic.”
The Master's Table 