JonathanHerron.com

Phriday is for Photos

Child of the 80's

And yes, when you put 2 quarters in, it played the theme song to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 
Heroes in a half-shell!

Crawlin'

Caption for my little nephew Cameron:
"I'm outta here!"

This past Independence Day we took Josiah to his 1st fireworks display.  I captured the look on his face the moment they began - a combination of fear, disgust, and sheer awe:

And finally, remarkable for an iPhone snap:

The Prodigal Gospel

"Jesus's message, which is 'the gospel,' is a completely different spirituality.  The gospel of Jesus is not religion or irreligion, morality or immorality, conservatism or liberalism... it is something else altogether.

In its view, everyone is wrong,
everyone is loved,
and everyone is called to recognize this and change...

Jesus says, 'The humble are in and the proud are out (Luke 18.14).  The people who confess they aren't particularly good or open-minded are moving toward God, because the prerequisite for receiving the grace of God is to know you need it.

When a newspaper posed the question,
'What's Wrong with the World?'
the Catholic thinker G. K. Chesterton wrote in response:
'Dear Sirs: I am.
Sincerely Yours, G. K. Chesterton.'"

- Dr. Tim Keller, The Prodigal God

Confession on Patience

Can I make a confession?

In the midst of resumes, emails, interviews, and waiting,
God is teaching me to be patient. 

And I'm a poor pupil.

I'm ready to roll right now.
I'm fueled by a Jeremiah, burning fire passion.

God is saying, "Be patient."

My prayer?  That this season of life might echo Jacob's:

"So Jacob served seven years... and they seemed to him but a few days..."

Speaking of Speaking

I had a great time earlier today with Joel Strickland planning out my 5 evening talks for the TEXT Student Ministry Camp coming up in 2 weeks. 

Joel's passion for impacting both his sold-out, Christ-following students and teens burned out by sour past Christian experiences is contagious.  Excited my family can join me for the week in upper-Michigan!

Also looking forward to speaking at Momentum Conference a week from now in Pittsburgh, PA.  Looking forward to rubbing shoulders with and learning from some extraordinary communicators and student ministry leaders...

Rain, part one

"Noah walked with God" (Gen 6.9). 
When you walk with God, strange, compelling visions are given to you.
Unworldly plans are entrusted to your care.

God told Noah to build an ark. 
In the middle of the hot, sun-seared desert. 
For over one hundred years. 
And to preach repentance on the weekends.

Imagine being in Noah's shoes:

Constant ridicule from neighbors -
"There goes crazy old man Noah again..."
Ancient bloggers were having a
hey-day mocking Noah on the interwebs: 
"Flood Watch: Day 1,493.  Still no rain."
Not one convert.  Just Noah and his redneck family sitting in the pews.
Faithfully pouring his life savings and life into building a boat among desert-nomads.

All because of the vision given him by God. 
Rain was coming.  Get ready.
Even though, day after day and year after year,
it didn't seem like precipitation was in the forecast.
Even though the vision seemed too far off,
too unattainable.

"God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision"
- Oswald Chambers

By faith, Noah persevered.  Toward the coming rain.

"Noah was six hundred years of age when the flood of waters came upon the earth" (Gen 7.6).
When we walk with God, don't be surprised to endure a Noah experience...

Phriday is for Photos

More on my Flickr

The Prodigal God

Dr. Tim Keller is applying the Holy 2x4 to my life through his new book:

"Prodigal = 'recklessly spendthrift.'  It means to spend until you have nothing left.  This term is therefore as appropriate for describing the father in the story as his younger son."

"One of the signs that you may not grasp the unique, radical nature of the gospel is that you are certain that you do."

"The elder brother stayed close and 'never disobeyed.'  That was his way to get control.  His unspoken demand is, 'I have never disobeyed you!  Now you have to do things in my life the way I want them to be done.'"

"It's a shocking message: Careful obedience to God's law may serve as a strategy for rebelling against God."

"Religious people commonly live very moral lives, but their goal is to get leverage over God, to control Him, to put Him in a position where they think He owes them.