Disqus - Latest Comments for jbstansel

Re: Gate Cottage Burns Down

jbstansel — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:01:13 -0000

HA me too!

Re: Gate Cottage Burns Down

jbstansel — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:12:38 -0000

Thanks for the prayers...I ran into a few of my Counseling/Psych professors today on campus and they were looking around at options for office and classroom space on campus. Those guys lost a lot!

Re: Gate Cottage Burns Down

jbstansel — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:45:40 -0000

haha it was two when i googled it! its rediculous, isn't it? check out ricky spaulding's pictures man...they are INSANE

Re: Gate Cottage Burns Down

jbstansel — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:28:43 -0000

They think it was started in the kitchen, I think...but I don't know how. I'll add you...but I rarely ever use it!

Re: Gate Cottage Burns Down

jbstansel — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:27:41 -0000

I know! It was unbelievable. Thanks for your prayers!

Re: Gate Cottage Burns Down

jbstansel — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:36:27 -0000

Yeah...I'm sure the professors had a lot of personal things in their offices and you can tell the whole building was destroyed.

Re: Gate Cottage Burns Down

jbstansel — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:33:07 -0000

I know, it was unbelievable. Thanks for praying though...we need it!

Re: Galatians 6

jbstansel — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:04:23 -0000

Hey man...been a while, eh?

I read your blog about "The Point" and have to say that yes, I feel like the church has its eyes fixed on the wrong things. Comfort, security, routine, and the ever-present "bigger and better" mindset seem to pervade the minds of most "suburbanite" Christians instead of service, love, and devotion. This is why I have such a difficult time going to a lot of churches around me.

My idea of the "perfect Church" looks more like a community of people serving, living, loving, learning, and sharpening than it does a place people go once a week to look pretty and smile a lot. I don't know...just my thoughts. What do you think?

Re: So Tired of School + New Phone + The Economy

jbstansel — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:50:40 -0000

new body? i'm confused.

Re: The Church Needs to Scrub Terds

jbstansel — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:40:23 -0000

you are awesome

Re: “You Just Joined The Group”

jbstansel — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:29:07 -0000

Of course it isn't wrong to want to put "Christ back into Christmas", but you're right...it's a little rediculous that people run around screaming "Christ into Christmas!" and treat the people around them like crap.

The problem is that not everyone who celebrates Christmas believes in the messiah, so I don't know why we would put a facebook group up like that and try to champion that cause with such bitterness and anger. Instead, we should just live as an example and celebrate the coming of the messiah in our own communities of believers.

Re: Welcome to First United Church Of 192.168.0.1

jbstansel — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:02:17 -0000

that's all good but it can't stop there. we need to be physically connected. like I said before, i can't help but think online church shouldn't be anything more than supplementary

Re: Welcome to First United Church Of 192.168.0.1

jbstansel — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:11:55 -0000

I haven't read through all the comments, so I may be repeating an idea someone else has already brought up :P

BUT...I agree with the both/and scenario in a sense. I really cannot imagine a church that exists solely online. What an awful community! To only be able to read what a person is going through? I'd much rather be there with them, and honestly I think common sense answers this question.

Real community happens in just that....reality. Online community is but a shadow of the real thing. I think we are meant to experience church with each other in a real, tangible way. I want to be able to laugh, cry, dance, sing, and live life with people in a way that isn't behind a computer screen. And I think anything other than that is cheating yourself out of some real fellowship.

On the other hand, I think online church could be an -ok- supplement to real church. Can you imagine only being able to have church online, and then being able to step into reality and experience church face to face with other believers? It would be overwhelming! Yes, there is no substitute for face-to-face church and community.

Also, just because the same problems exist in both the offline and online church doesn't logically mean that they are equal. I see the problem being that you can't really, definitively solve the problems with the offline church that are glaring you in the face.

Re: I’m Not the Best, and You aren’t Either

Fellow inhabitant of 213. — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:22:54 -0000

Agreed.

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

jbstansel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:03:53 -0000

I apologize for making it seem as though you said those things. My only intention was to show that no matter what the term, handouts or gifts, whatever you call them, can be a beautiful way of pointing the brokenhearted heavenward and showing them by action that God's people care about the lowly.

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

deliveredjude — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:47:27 -0000

good to know. Thanks. :)

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

jbstansel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:40:32 -0000

haha no more than i sounded to adam, i guess. all in the spirit of sharpening and learning and....shtuff. or something. anyway, you aren't an ass.

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

deliveredjude — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:37:19 -0000

ah, then please excuse me for sounding like an arrogant ass. :)

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

jbstansel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:25:55 -0000

I understood what Andy was saying. My comment was in response to Adam, I just didn't hit reply. Woops

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

deliveredjude — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:47:40 -0000

I think that you missed the point a little. I think what's being said is that giving someone a handout is good...but is it the best? Is that dollar or that shirt really the best we have to offer? Can we as individuals, families, church fellowship, communities, states, and nations not produce better ministries and programs that empower people rather than condemn and oppress. I mean Thanksgiving for example: How many churches have canned food drives? Tons! and that's GOOD! But how many churches are starting vegetable gardens and pooling their resources to give to everyone. Few to none, but that's what they did in Acts.

I think your point is very valid, but I think you missed the overall message a little. And, amen and amen, we should be pointing them to the Ultimate provider above all.

Re: I’m Not the Best, and You aren’t Either

jbstansel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:12:56 -0000

that's funny...I almost made "you take the weight from my shoulders" the title of the post. enter the worship circle is awesome.

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

PastorT — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:46:27 -0000

I do not know you, but AMEN brother!! Nothing wrong with giving. Sometimes your gift may get wasted, but we're not giving to go track how our gift is utilized. We give because we are trying to be Christ-like.

Wow...duty and privilege!!! I wish we could read those words more often, in the same context. Awesome comment bro!

Re: Repave the Road to Jericho

jbstansel — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:34:35 -0000

personally, I think giving handouts is exactly what we are supposed to do. As disciples, it is our duty and privilege and to be able to serve the downtrodden and oppressed. I say give every handout you can muster! The last thing people in a hard spot need to hear is "get a damn job!" or "it's your fault you're in this mess in the first place!" No, we should instead reach out a hand of compassion and supply them whatever we are able to. And then we point them in the direction of the Ultimate provider.

Re: New Buckhead Stage Design

jbstansel — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:17:39 -0000

Yeah, I think it's just two ways of worshiping the same God :D

Blessings.

Re: New Buckhead Stage Design

loswhit — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:10:43 -0000

Yea. Sucks that we have such different takes on the same verse.
I think it applies to what you said and what I said.
And the perception of failure is sin.
We are all failures.
I don't think we need the world to show us that.
We just need look in the mirror to see failure.

I think it is important as people challenge excellence to be careful what they are challenging.
Challenging "shine" is what I think we should challenge.
But to challenge our best is dangerous.
The death of excellence and the rise of authenticity should always be the norm.
But the death of excellence for the sake of it's death should not.