marshallochs.com

I love a good story.

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Watching this machine cut trees is unbelievable

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I have seen this resilience during my own research at a device-free summer camp. At a nightly cabin chat, a group of 14-year-old boys spoke about a recent three-day wilderness hike. Not that many years ago, the most exciting aspect of that hike might have been the idea of roughing it or the beauty of unspoiled nature. These days, what made the biggest impression was being phoneless. One boy called it “time where you have nothing to do but think quietly and talk to your friends.” The campers also spoke about their new taste for life away from the online feed. Their embrace of the virtue of disconnection suggests a crucial connection: The capacity for empathic conversation goes hand in hand with the capacity for solitude

When I was a youth pastor we would take phones away during summer camp. It was amazing to see the kids connect face-to-face with each other when their phones were gone.

I saw many kids look stressed out at the end of the week when they got their phones back. It was like the weight of connecting digitally was a burden they no longer wanted to carry.

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Wow. 

+1 for this guy’s talent and the camera angles.

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Looking for a good commentary on Acts? I highly recommend John Stott. @redhillschurch

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It’s like riding a bicycle...

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Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

Psalm‬ ‭61‬:‭1-3‬ ESV

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Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ESV

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Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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I couldn't help myself. Christmas decorations came early this year.

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Good theology starts at home.

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Be There to Respond

Since I’m a worship pastor it’s not so often that I have the opportunity to stand beside our people in worship. On a typical weekend, I’m holding a guitar and leading in worship upfront. However, a few weeks ago, I had the morning off from leading. . . .

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Dinner time with grandparents

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My kiddos are growing up so fast.

[lookandseejournal]

Recently I’ve been struck with the thought of God. Not God as I relate to him, but God as God.

Prompting this thought is Piper’s The Pleasure’s of God: Meditations on God’s Delight in Being God. The simple, and oh-so-complex idea being, that God has a passion for his own glory. I started...

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God's glory! Amen!

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Enable AirDrop on Older, Unsupported Macs

I have an older iMac that does not support Airdrop and a newer Macbook Air that does. When I updated to Mavericks I was bummed that the iMac didn't Airdrop. 

This hack solves that problem. Thought I should share in case you are in the same predicament. 

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The Greatest Leader of All Time

I've been teaching a message series at Red Hills Church called, "Follow the Leader." It is a study on 1st and 2nd Timothy. The main focus is: Jesus is our leader and we follow. As we follow Him, we lead others to Him. We are leaders because we are followers. I've been pointing the church to submitting to Jesus' leadership and then modeling that in life. It is difficult to point people to Jesus when you don't live like Him. 

While reflecting on Paul's view of strong leadership, one theme continues to bubble to the surface, Jesus. Every guideline for leadership in Paul's writings points to the king of leaders. Jesus leads and we follow. As we follow, we lead others to Jesus. It's an amazing cycle of servant leadership that is filled with the Good News of redemption.

Paul mentions Jesus as the ultimate example of leadership in Philippians 2:5-9.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Jesus is God. While He walked the earth He could have had a better story, the right answer, the best motives, and a greater attitude than everyone. He had every right to claim equality with God and get special treatment, but He didn't. He CHOSE to humble Himself by being born a man and submitting to death on a cross.

Imagine that. Before Jesus had a body, He was part of the Trinity. He chose to save mankind and was locked into human flesh forever. He can never go back to the way He was in the Trinity, He is forever Jesus...God in human flesh.

This is mind blowing. For centuries, mankind has been trying to become like God. We try to live longer, be better, create things, and judge people. However, while we were trying to be like God, God became like us. He humbled himself and became a man so we could be reconciled with God! Jesus took the punishment he didn't deserve, restored a relationship He didn't break, and healed the wound of sin that He didn't cause.

Why? Because Jesus is the greatest leader of all time.