10 Reasons Why Your Church Should Seriously Consider Google Apps

As technology becomes more vital to the church world each day, communication within the church organization is critical.

Not only is there plenty going on but the people who need quick access to their important services, like email, calendaring, and documents are also on the go. Many churches do not have the resources to employ a full time IT staff and churches could cause volunteer burnout if those loyal servants are constantly having to do tech support.

There is a solution for that. It is Google Apps.

Google Apps is “cloud computing.” Rather than having all of your data stored on a server within your organization, it’s all located on Google’s own scalable server environment. Google Apps includes email, calendaring, document sharing, intranet websites, instant messaging, video and groups.

Essentially it’s a complete package.

Below are 10 reasons why you should consider making the switch:

1. Cost – It’s free. That’s right. Free. Churches and non-profits with less than 3,000 users qualify for the education edition of Google Apps which has no cost. This comes with Google’s own support which is also free.

2. Easy access – You can access your email, calendar or documents from any computer with an Internet connection. You can also have your email and calendar synced with your mobile device.

Continue reading: ChurchCrunch.com
Written by: JayCaruso

Please encourage CBS officials to stand their ground with Tim Tebow advertisement

Feminist groups want CBS to pull an advertisement planned for the Super Bowl which will feature Tim Tebow and his mother. Tim Tebow shares in the ad the story about his mother being so sick when she was pregnant with him that doctors recommended an abortion. Tim shares his appreciation for his mom’s decision to choose life.

This is an honest, very powerful ad paid for by Focus on the Family about how one woman confronted a very trying situation.

The ad drives home the point that abortion extinguishes a life a point which pro-abortion feminists hate and want to censor.

These same feminists don’t have a problem with GoDaddy advertisements that regularly appear during Super Bowls. GoDaddy is an internet provider that is well known for hosting hundreds of porn sites and promoting the same.

Terry O’Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women, calls the ad featuring Tim Tebow “extraordinarily offensive and demeaning” as well as “not being respectful.”

Tim Tebow has been described as “perhaps the best college football player of all time.” He is well known for walking the walk, living his faith and giving glory to God. How is this man’s life, which has been about faith and football, which he owes to his mother’s decision to choose life, “extraordinarily offensive?”

Florida Family Association has prepared an email for you to send to encourage CBS officials to stand their ground regarding plans to air the advertisement about Tim Tebow and his mother.

To send your email, please click the following link, enter your name and email address then click the “Submit Email(s)” button.

Please click here to send your email to encourage CBS officials to stand their ground regarding plans to air the advertisement about Tim Tebow and his mother.

Thank you.
Floridafamily.org

Believing the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas

My buddy, Christian, forward this article to me and thought that it was an awesome read so I figured to share it with you all as well.  Enjoy!

How do our most cherished doctrines fare when tested in the blistering fires of real life? In 1995 my wife Debbie had the flu. When it didn’t go away as quickly as it should have, we were sent to the hospital for tests. The first sentence I remember the doctor uttering was, “You’ve got some serious problems here.”

My heart sunk into my stomach and both turned instantly to water. I had to sit down. Little did I know that my belief in Jesus’ resurrection was about to be severely tested by the sting of pain and grief. Debbie was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Four months later she passed away at the age of 43 years, after just celebrating our 23rd anniversary.

I had lost my best friend. Companionship became my most noticeable lack, sometimes seeming unbearable.

Further, all four children lived at home. Witnessing their pain was another huge hurt. Did they have to suffer like this? Would watching their mom die leave extended scars? Would they blame God? I was suffering a double dose of grief. I often thought that I could not have experienced any worse pain.

During Debbie’s suffering, I regularly took refuge in the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. It had been my major research area for 25 years. So I appreciated the student who asked, “What would you do now if Jesus hadn’t been raised from the dead?” I knew this event had a historical, theoretical side, but I wasn’t fully aware of its practical power. I had much to learn about applying the resurrection to life.

Jesus’ bodily resurrection occupies the very center of the Christian faith. After His death to pay for our sins, Jesus was raised from the dead. He appeared to many in His own, physical body that was now immortal (I Cor. 15:1-20). This is not only the theological and evidential core of Christianity, it is intimately related to our daily walk with God. Paul fearlessly asserts that our faith is vain if Jesus was not raised (15:14, 17). He adds that the truth of this event insures the resurrection of our loved ones, too (15:18-23). Without it, we may as well seek pleasure as our life’s goal (15:32).

The resurrection of Jesus is supported by an awesome array of historical information. Even skeptics who reject the inspiration of Scripture typically admit a number of crucial facts. For example, they almost always agree that Jesus died by crucifixion. His earliest disciples believed that they had seen Jesus afterwards. Their lives were transformed by this conviction. They proclaimed this message shortly afterwards in Jerusalem.

Modern critics additionally concede that Paul (Saul) and Jesus’ brother James had both been antagonistic to Jesus’ teachings. But they, too, were later convinced that they had also seen the risen Jesus.

Virtually all contemporary scholars recognize these and other facts, whether or not they believe the Gospel message about Jesus. They also grant that attempts to invent alternative scenarios have failed. In other words, they usually realize that those who have tried to explain all of this in natural terms have failed to prove their case.

Here we must note that these facts are not true simply because the critics say so. The best reason for believing them is that there is plenty of historical confirmation for each one.

What are some of these reasons? Today, most scholars think that Paul provides the key testimony for Jesus’ resurrection. We have a number of unquestioned writings from his pen. In them he passionately explains that he was converted by an appearance of the resurrected Lord (I Cor. 9:1; 15:8; Gal. 1:16). Jesus also appeared to many others (I Cor. 15:3-7), and His apostles were giving the same report as was Paul (15:11-15). Later, Peter, John, and James specifically approved Paul’s Gospel message (Gal. 2:1-10).

In explaining the content of his Gospel preaching, Paul chose words from ancient Jewish tradition. The message he had “passed on” to his listeners was precisely what he had “received” (I Cor. 15:3). It is widely held that Paul obtained this material from Peter and James during his first trip to Jerusalem about 35 AD. Paul got “acquainted” with Peter while staying with him for fifteen days (Gal. 1:18). Paul’s term here means that he questioned or examined Peter, and the immediate context indicates that the subject was the Gospel message.

So Paul was in a great position to know what happened after Jesus’ death and he provides an excellent historical trail for us. He had met the risen Jesus. Later, he questioned other eyewitnesses who had also seen Him. They examined Paul’s teaching, too, all very soon after the events. Then Paul reported the message to his audience: Jesus had gloriously risen from the dead!

How did all of this help me during my greatest suffering, while my wife Debbie was dying? Why was this happening to us? Like Job 38, I imagined God confronting me with His answer. And I knew immediately what He would ask me: “Gary, did I raise my Son from the dead?”

“Of course You did, Lord,” I would respond. (I had to be true to my nine books on the subject!) “But why is Debbie dying?”

“Gary, did I raise my Son from the dead?” the ominous question would come again.

“Yes, Lord, but . . . .”

“GARY . . . DID . . . I . . . RAISE . . . MY . . . SON . . . FROM . . . THE . . . DEAD?”

I imagined God repeating the exact same question until I got His point. If God raised His Son then there was an answer to Debbie’s suffering, even if I didn’t know what it was! But I did know this much: if Jesus was raised, then Debbie would be raised someday, too (I Cor. 6:14; Phil. 3:21).

It was sufficient to know that, because of Jesus’ resurrection, we would be together again, and for all eternity! This is the force of resurrection faith for all who trust in Jesus Christ. This answer was sufficient in 1995 and it remains so today. Through all of my pain, this truth has never failed to comfort me, providing tremendous peace.

Written by:
www.garyhabermas.com

About Gary Habermas

Dr. Gary Habermas is the author or co-author of over 30 books and 100 articles and reviews in journals and magazines. In the last 12 years he has given over 1500 lectures in about 100 universities, seminaries, and colleges. He holds a PhD in History and Philosophy of Religion from Michigan State University as well as an MA in Philosophical Theology from the University of Detroit. He currently acts as ‘Distinguished Research Professor and Chair’ in the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University, where he has taught for the past 26 years. His main areas of research include the philosophical study of miracles, near-death experiences, the historical Jesus, and the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.

To Save A Life

TO SAVE A LIFE is an indie movie about the real-life challenges of teens. In the movie, Jake and Roger grew up as best friends. But in high school, Jake becomes a star athlete who has it all: a college scholarship and the perfect girl, an ideal life that comes at the exclusion of his childhood friend. Meanwhile, Roger no longer fits in anywhere and becomes tired of always being pushed aside. He makes a tragic move that spins Jake’s world out of control. As Jake searches for answers, he begins a journey that will change his life forever.

This event hopes to not only provide a great evening of entertainment, but also hopes to raise awareness about the film, and inspire teens to reach out to their friends who may be hurting, or to seek help if they are feeling lonely or helpless. We also hope to inspire youth leaders and mentors to open up discussions with teens and help encourage them to not give up.

“When we heard about the film, we just had to be involved,” states Joseph Rojas, lead singer of Seventh Day Slumber.  “TO SAVE A LIFE really motivates you to be a better person. You never know who is hurting around you. I really believe this film will touch a lot of people, and it is built around the same things our band is about — saving lives and seeing lives changed.”

TO SAVE A LIFE will be in theaters nationwide January 22, 2010. The film is rated PG-13, was created by New Song Pictures, Outreach Films and is distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films.