Blue Ridge Bible Church

Five Ways Movies Communicate

One of my daily-read blogs linked to this helpful Christian article on movies: Motion Picture Messages. It explains five ways movies communicate a message.

1. Imagery
2. Story
3. Dialogue
4. Identification of Heroes
5. Overall Composition

Very helpful to read as the summer blockbuster season starts. Not that we can’t go to the movies, but we should be aware of the messages being preached rather than blindly absorbing it. We should also be able to answer some basic questions of the films we watch:

1. What is the overal message of the film?
2. Is that message consistent with God’s Word? Why or why not?
3. Does it correctly identify (maybe even just partially) the condition of man and his need for saving? If so, what is the savior it provides?

Read the article and think about it with the next movie you watch.

Kids and Sermon Notes

I was recently inspired by an article I read by a well-known pastor and his wife on parenting and the Sunday morning church service. In the article, they shared a vision for making the Sunday morning service meaningful for children rather than just an experience to be endured. They gave many practical tips to help parents mentor their children into a richer understanding of the service.

One of the ideas they shared was for parents to encourage their children  to  take notes during  the sermon.  My  first  thought was how hard  this would be  for my kids  (who are ages seven, nine, and ten) because it’s hard enough for me! But I decided to give it a  try.  I  gave  them  some basic  instructions  and  encouragement and we tried it out. Read the rest of this entry »

Idolatry

Sermon May 31, 2009

Follow link to view PowerPoint online. Read the rest of this entry »

 

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A New Hallelujah – Video

From the Praise Night on March 13, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

The Secret of Contentment

Ian Charleson as Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire

I’m reading through The Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley with another man in our church. It has been recommended to me many times over the years and I am so glad that I’m finally taking the time to read it. Fantastic book and I recommend it to all men.

Here is a short excerpt that I really liked. It hits the issue of contentment which is something many guys struggle with in our culture. Chariots of Fire is my favorite movie so it made me want to share it. Read the rest of this entry »

Jeremy Horn was Awesome!

Whisper to a Roar hosted their first full concert at the church this evening. Everyone had a great time and Jeremy Horn was great. They put on a great show and it was a very worshipful time of enjoying good music and praising God. I look forward to the next Whisper to a Roar event!

Good job Andre for the whole event and Tom running sound and Carter on the the lights. Read on to see a good sample of Jeremy Horn’s music. Read the rest of this entry »

Justified Through Faith Alone

Sermon February 22, 2009

Rich Shipe

 

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Roe v. Wade Anniversary

On this day in 1973 the Supreme Court declared that unborn babies may be destroyed before birth. Since then an estimated 50 million children have legally lost their lives in the United States of America. Remember this issue in your prayers today and beg our father in heaven for mercy and revival in our nation.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139:13-14

Blinded by the god of this age

I was chatting with some guys last night about Mormonism and other cults. What struck me is how intellectually blinded people are that are trapped in Mormonism and other cults. In the case of Mormonism there is plenty of information available about its sordid past and its founding on deception and sin. That information is not hard to find with a little research. Here is one example on Mormonism about how the “Book of Abraham” came to be. How could anyone base their faith on that?!

But it isn’t just Mormons… read on. Read the rest of this entry »

The Power of the Gospel at Work

He did, he does it! God loves us beyond what we can understand and his work changes our lives. The below video is a presentation of the Gospel at work. It is from an excellent website I just discovered called IamSecond.com.

Last summer I wrote about Josh Hamilton. He’s got a video on IamSecond.com too.