Book Review: PRIMAL by Mark Batterson

Over this past week, I had the privilege of reading PRIMAL by Mark Batterson. This book challenged me in ways that I can not describe. Mark brings the reader on a journey to rediscover the most incredible part of the Christian faith; the Great Commandment. The reader is challenged to gain a new perspective on Jesus's greatest commandment as they journey through the pages of this book. While reading through the pages of this book, Mark's insight brought me back to a place that I have not thought about in a long time.

I was 16 years old at a Senior High christian camp ground in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. There is a spot in the middle of the gymnasium at that campground that I will never forget. On times that I travel back to that place, I am filled with a flurry of emotions as I think back to what happened in that very spot. It was the place that I met with God. It was the place where God began to reveal his incredible plan for my life.

Mark's words resonated with me in a deep way. As he talked about the catacombs, I could not imagine the great lengths that some of the first believers went to in order to maintain a relationship with God. They were a true example of what it is to live in the great commandment. PRIMAL really sparked a fire that had been dwindling inside of me to explore all that God has for me and to realize the incredible story that I am apart of. It dates far back and there are many that God has used throughout the centuries. I believe that PRIMAL places the reader in a place where they can have a new perspective on what this Christian faith is really all about. I felt greatly encouraged to see a reformation in my heart and life as I rediscover the lost soul of Christianity. As Mark points out in the book, God's commission in Genesis was to explore this world. God has birthed in us a spirit of exploration and adventure. It is time to embrace Him and the life He has called us to!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to take their relationship with God to a new level in 2010. Pick up a copy for yourself or a loved on by clicking here.

Sermon Series: The Games of Life

Wow! I have taken quite a break from blogging. A lot has been going on since the new year has started. We started a new sermon series in January called "The Games of Life". Each week we have been walking through a different game and seeing the connections between these games and our lives and then going on to explore the connections between our lives and God.

It has been an incredible journey!

Here is the list of games that we have gone through.

Week 1: The Game of Life
Week 2: Perfection
Week 3: Monopoly
Week 4: Jenga
Week 5: Twister
Week 6: Don't Break the Ice
Week 7: Don't Wake Daddy
Week 8: Operation
Week 9: Trivial Pursuit
Week 10: Battleship
Week 11: Guess Who
Week 12: Clue
Week 13: Hungry Hungry Hippos
Week 14: Chutes and Ladders
Week 15: ??? You will have to be there to see!

If you would like to listen in to some of the sermons, check out our podcast at www.thewellnj.com

New Years Eve

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone out there a Happy New Year! I pray that 2009 is filled with many blessings!

Weekend Wrapup: Life in the Kingdom

We spent this week at The Well to get geared up for our brand new sermon series starting on November 16th. The title of the series is "Thy Kingdom Come". Until the end of 2008, we will be taking a deeper look at the Lord's Prayer and our goal is that God would show us not only how to pray, but more importantly how to live as we follow Christ with our lives.

This week we talked about "Life in the Kingdom". Throughout the gospel accounts, we see Jesus teaching and talking about the "Kingdom of God". There were some times that Jesus talked about those who would or would not "inherit" the Kingdom of God. At the end of his time on Earth, Christ carried a cross up a hill to die on it so those who believe in Him could step into that kingdom. As Christians, we live here on earth, but we also live in the Kingdom of God. Paul says that our ultimate home is in heaven. C.S. Lewis once said "I find in myself desires which nothing in this earth can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.

Even though we are citizens of a kingdom that will never end, often times, we put more hope, focus and effort the kingdom of this world than in the kingdom of Heaven. Our goal this week was to explore life in the Kingdom of God. We ended the night by looking at which kingdom we are living for. Are we more worried about the this kingdom that will one day fade away than about the kingdom that is eternal? Do we find ourselves making choices that go against the kingdom of God because we give in to the pressures of this world.

As we step into our new sermon series "Thy Kingdom Come" we are going to take steps towards living the Lord's Prayer. As we live as true citizens of the Kingdom of God, we are taking part in advancing the kingdom that Jesus died to bring the world into. We look forward to the journey!

A Week in Disney...

I just got back from the Newark International Airport after vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida. It was great to have some time away from the busy-ness of life. This was my first ever trip to "the happiest place on Earth." It was amazing for me to hear the stories of Walt Disney and his dream of a kind of place where families could escape the pressures of this world and step into a different kind of world where the worries of life don't matter as much as the fun that awaits them.

It really had me thinking alot about when Jesus would talk about about this Kingdom that was like nothing in this world. Throughout the gospel accounts, Jesus refers to the "Kingdom of God" or the "Kingdom of Heaven". Next week, we will be starting a new sermon series at The Well called "Thy Kingdom Come". Each week, we will be walking through the Lord's Prayer line by line and find out how we can not only pray those words, but how we can also lives in a way that would help advance the kingdom of God though our lives. Our goal is that our "creed" (the things we profess) matches our "deed" (the way we live). Keep an eye out in future blog posts for more info.

Here are some pics from my time in the Magic Kingdom:

DEATH BY LOVE by Mark Driscoll

Check out the trailer to Mark Driscoll's newest book, "DEATH BY LOVE: Letters from the Cross"

Changing the World.... One ARK at a Time!

About a year ago, we were trying to think of a way to show the love of Christ to those around us. That idea turned into the ARK card. (shown above) Since then, myself as well as other young adults have been finding creative ways to share the love of Christ with others using these cards. It has been awesome to hear all of the different ways these cards have been used.

One of the guys at The Well bought a homeless guy lunch and sat and ate with him! Another one gave away a ticket to Six Flags Great Adventure. I encourage you to find new ways to love and serve others.Here are a few pics of other ways that the ARK cards have been used.