Ben TerryTag Archive -
Don’t Waste Your Life Sentence Film Premiere
This Friday, Bethlehem Baptist Church and Desiring God will be showing the film premiere of “Don’t Waste Your Life Sentence” in Minneapolis August 20 at 7:30pm CT), Desiring God will also be streaming the whole thing live on the Don’t Waste Your Life Sentence webpage.
If you are confused as to what is going on and what “Don’t Waste Your Life Sentence” is all about then here is a short summary from DG’s site:
The Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, is the largest, and historically, one of the bloodiest maximum-security prisons in the
United States.In 2009, John Piper and Desiring God were invited to Angola to learn about prison life, hear from men who have been radically changed by the gospel and minister to many of the 5,000 inmates.
In “Don’t Waste Your Life Sentence,” meet men who have lost their lives of freedom but seem to have a greater grasp on the concept of eternity than those on the outside.
The “Don’t Waste Your Life Sentence” premiere will be held at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN on August 20 at 7:30pm. After the screening, well host a live Q & A with crew members and production staff, offer refreshments, and invite you to connect with groups and individuals who are interested in local prison ministry.
Since my dad is a Prison Warden in Georgia, my family and I are really excited about the premiere of this film and I ask that you continue to pray and get involved in helping spread the gospel in your local prison!
Below is the trailer for the film:
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In Case You Forgot
To graphically illustrate that we, those who have been redeemed by Christ and put their hope and trust in Him, are the Church.
(via Sojourn Church)
In The Night My Hope Lives On
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
In Andrew Peterson’s song, “In the Night My Hope Lives On,” he has turned Romans 15:4 into poetry and put it to music that will stir the soul.
The song is on the new album, Counting Stars. There’s a nice write-up on the album over at Andrew-Peterson.com.
In the Night My Hope Lives On
by Andrew Peterson
I am weary with the pain of Jacob’s wrestling
In the darkness with the Fear, in the darkness with the Fear
But he met the morning wounded with a blessing
So in the night my hope lives on
When Elisha woke surrounded by the forces
Of the enemies of God, the enemies of God
He saw the hills aflame with angels on their horses
So in the night my hope lives on
I see the slave that toils beneath the yoke unyielding
And I can hear the captive groan, hear the captive groan
For some hand to stay the whip his foe is wielding
Still in the night my hope lives on
I see the armies of the enemy approaching
And the people driven, trembling, to the shore
But a doorway through the waters now is opening
So in the night my hope lives on
Like the son who thought he’d gone beyond forgiveness,
Too ashamed to life his head–but if he could lift his head
He would see his father running from a distance
In the night my hope lives on
I can see the crowd of men retreating
As he stands between the woman and their stones
And if mercy in his holy heart is beating
Then in the night my hope lives on
I remember how they scorned the son of Mary
He was gentle as a lamb, gentle as a lamb
He was beaten, he was crucified, and buried
And in the night, my hope was gone
But the rulers of the earth could not control Him
They did not take his life–he laid it down
All the chains of death could never hope to hold him
So in the night my hope lives on
I can see the Son of Man descending
And the sword He swings is brighter than the dawn
And the gates of Hell will never stand against him
So in the night my hope lives on
(via Jim Hamilton)
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When A “Single Man” Struggles With Pornography
A great post from Brian Croft on this subject:
“One of the most obvious consequences is how pornography perverts a single man’s understanding of God’s good purpose for sex in marriage. God said that it was not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18). Man has a God-given desire to have a helper, companion, and lover in a wife, and this desire is good. Specifically, sexual desires from this one flesh union (Gen. 2:24) are to be fulfilled and enjoyed solely and completely in a wife (Prov. 5:19). This is affirmed in many places in the Bible, including an entire book (Song of Solomon) dedicated to the enjoyment and pleasure that is to be experienced between a husband and wife within the confines of marital intimacy.
Yet, if someone continually fills their mind and heart with a perversion of God’s truth like viewing pornography does, he will eventually believe and apply that perversion. Pornography causes men to see women simply as objects for their own pleasure and not beautiful human beings who are to be cherished, honored, and respected. The longer a man exposes himself to an evil, selfish perversion of God’s design for sex, the more likely that man will bring that understanding into bed with his wife and not experience what God has intended for a husband and wife. This misunderstanding also inevitably leads to the naivety of most men to think that this struggle suddenly vanishes once married.”
To read the rest of the article click here.
Church Crosses Get Updated as Cell Towers, But What Message Does It Send?
Does God like cell phones?
For a couple of churches in the U.S., some churches have updated the cross with high-tech function, and that sends quite a message. Rolling Hills Moravian Church in Longwood, Florida partnered with T-Mobile last month to propose a cross-shaped cell phone tower, although it’s still under debate by the county. Even more recently, St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Parsippany, New Jersey got a new steeple (that happened to be embedded with a cell tower, also provided by T-Mobile) to replace the one destroyed by a storm 30 years ago.
The Longwood cross/tower had residents up in arms, but not because the 130-foot structure would have a religious icon dominate the skyline; neighbors are more worried about the aesthetic of a massive cross, and what it would do to their property values. Seriously!?
The St. Gregory’s steeple is minuscule in contrast, and the parishioners are more than happy that T-Mobile would pony up the cash in exchange for a little bit of cell phone radiation.
I wonder if there isn’t some unintentional symbolism conveyed with cell-tower-powered crosses. Does it mar the purity of an icon to imbue it with quotidian function? Would a smaller object, like a cross-shaped fork and knife set or Virgin Mother USB drive, be considered sacrilegious for relegating the divine element to a common piece of consumer detritus? I think Luis Eslava’s Maria USB is intentionally and cheekily blasphemous, but can a radiation-emitting steeple be considered wrong, or are people justifying it as a modern take on how to do good within the community by helping people have better cell phone signals?
Thoughts?
Passion Awakening Album $5
Amazon has Passion: Awakening album on sale for only $5 this week! So if you still don’t have it yet this is a great deal! Below is the list of all the songs on the album:
Track listing:
1. Awakening – Chris Tomlin
2. Say, Say – Kristian Stanfill
3. Our God – Chris Tomlin
4. How He Loves – The David Crowder*Band
5. Healing is in Your Hands – Christy Nockels
6. King of Heaven (Isaiah 61) – Charlie Hall
7. You Alone Can Rescue – Matt Redman
8. Where the Spirit of the Lord Is – Chris Tomlin/Christy Nockels
9. Rise and Sing – FEE
10. Like a Lion – The David Crowder*Band
11. Chosen Generation – Chris Tomlin
12. With Everything – Hillsong United
One of my favorite songs from the album is Matt Redman’s, “You Alone Can Save”. Check it out below:
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John Piper on Free Will
Are You Using Google Reader Yet!?!
One of the greatest ways to read your favorite blogs or websites is through google reader! Google provides a sweet video that describes exactly what Google Reader will do for you.
If you want to subscribe to my site via Google Reader then click on this link, Ben Terry’s Blog, and choose the Google icon.
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LOST Fan Promo
Many have created LOST fan promo videos, but only few are worth watching. Seth Worley who makes the videos for FUGE camps created an awesome LOST promo! Love it!
Follow The Blog?!
It seems everyone comes up with some new way you can follow a blog or website or even on twitter!
I came across Bloglovin.com through a friends site today and I figured I would set it up for my site as well. There are so many ways you can keep up with a blog. Usually, the more nerdstrong people would use an RSS but it seems Bloglovin.com is another new option for following your favorite blogs.
Personally, I would recommend using Google Reader, but if you prefer Bloglovin.com you can now follow my site there as well.
Here are couple of ways you can follow my blog:
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