Movie Review: Persepolis

“I had survived a war, and a banal love story nearly killed me.” –Marjane Satrapi This is my favorite line in “Persepolis”, spoken in narration since the film is a retrospective of her younger years and begins and end with her as an adult; the film is based on a graphic novel by Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi, and tells the tale of her growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1978. This film is available on DVD, and was released last winter in limited theatres across America, nominated for various foreign film awards. I realize I’m writing this …

I Went to Work Today…

Today I had the privilege of getting in my car and driving to work today. Now, I realize that for most of you that sounds about as obvious as saying, “Hey, I breathed oxygen today”. However, since moving to Sandpoint to pastor Hidden Valley Worship Center a year ago I have been working out of my house. We have now finished the new sanctuary and church offices and I finally have a place to concentrate-something that is difficult for me to do-and a place to get work done.

When Tempted, Realize Your Vulnerability

Don’t carelessly place yourself in tempting situations. Avoid them. Proverbs 14:16 (TEV)   *** *** *** ***   When you’re tempted, keep your vulnerability in mind and work out ways to protect yourself. God warns us to never to get cocky and overconfident about our ability to handle temptation; that’s the recipe for disaster.   In fact, the prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV).   That means we’re good at fooling ourselves. Given the right circumstances, any of us are capable of any sin. We must never let down our …

beautiful traps … deadly results

Recently I played golf at the Medinah Country Club. You know … the PGA course where the big boys play. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Beautiful woods, lakes, flowers, grass, hills, and sand traps. Deep sand traps. I played in the sand a lot that day and it was not by choice. Standing on the tee box … before swinging the club … everything looked so picture perfect … so harmless. Then when my golf ball strayed into the trap … it was horrible. It became an ugly pit and at times I thought I would never get …

When Tempted, Seek Support

You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone . . . . If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (CEV)   *** *** *** ***   When you’re tempted, reveal your struggle to a godly friend or support group. You don’t have to broadcast it to the whole world, but you need at least one person you can honestly share your struggles with.   The Bible says, “You are better off to have a friend than to …

check your kid's foundation

As a former basketball coach for 31 years, I taught players that everything in this sport starts with the feet. Solid footwork comes from consistent practice, practice and more practice. There is no short cut to victory. Ignore the basics and you’ll face defeat. The apostle Paul addressed this same theme in his second letter to Timothy. Your child’s eternal relationship with God (and yours as well) depends ONLY on a solid foundation. And that foundation was established more than 2,000 years ago in Jesus Christ. “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription:The Lord knows those who …

Resist the Devil

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NIV)   *** *** *** ***   After we’ve humbled ourselves and submitted to God, we’re then told to defy the Devil. We don’t passively resign ourselves to his attacks. We’re to fight back.   The New Testament often describes the Christian life as a spiritual battle against evil forces, using war terms such as fight, conquer, strive, and overcome. Christians are often compared to soldiers serving in enemy territory.   How can we resist the Devil? Paul tells us, “Put on salvation as …

We Move toward Our Focus

Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts . . . but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. 2 Timothy 2:22 (LB)   *** *** *** ***   Have you ever watched a food advertisement on television and suddenly felt you were hungry? Have you ever heard someone cough and immediately felt the need to clear your throat? Ever watched someone release a big yawn and felt the urge to yawn yourself?   That is the power of suggestion. We naturally move toward whatever we focus our attention on. The more you think about …

Defeating Temptation

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NIV)   *** *** *** ***   There is always a way out.   You may sometimes feel that a temptation is too overpowering for you to bear, but that’s a lie from Satan. God has promised never to allow more on you than he puts within you to handle it. He will not permit any temptation that you could not overcome. However, you must do your part too by practicing biblical methods for defeating temptation.   First and foremost, you want to refocus …

Movie Review: Tropic Thunder

It’s August, so that means it’s the end of the summer blockbuster period, and now we get close to what I call the Dead Zone of the movie season, heading into fall with movies that were shelved by studios because they knew they wouldn’t make any money against the bigger films. But before we enter into that, we’re given one final treat as the summer closes. One last glimpse at the sun before it sets. “Tropic Thunder” easily for me is the funniest comedy of the entire summer. More focused and playful than “Pineapple Express”, a bit more soulful and …