Blast From the Past: Cinderella Dressing Up?

I’ve decided to go through some of the older articles that I have written and pull them out of the vault.  Many of these articles are more akin to vaulting Snow Dogs than Dumbo.  Nonetheless, it is fun to look back and see some of the things the Lord was working in my heart. 

Occasionally, I have skipped across a blog post that was a turning point in my life, ministry, or writing.  The following article was written back in 2008 when Tony Kumner included me in the SBC Voices Blog Madness.  This caused me to seriously reflect on the place of blog promotion in the kingdom of Christ.  I am glad that I decided at this point to take writing more seriously. 

Enjoy:

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#16 seeds never win in the NCAA tournament. It's always cute to watch them try against the powerhouse schools. There are two major things that separate the big schools from the little schools that get a #16 seed: Recruitment and Talent.

I am a #16 seed in the SBC Blog Madness. (Be sure to vote) I have little chance to get past the first round. I am just being honest. I am in the same division as Ed Stetzer and Tom Ascol. They will easily make it to the next round. And in order to get one of the two remaining spots I would have to beat out Peter Lumpkins, Joe Thorn/Steve McCoy's subtext blog, Alan Cross, B21, amongst a host of others. No chance.

You know what separates me from the "big blogs"? Yep, you guessed it-- Recruitment and Talent. I have never been good at recruitment. It feels contrary to the gospel. It seems self-indulgent and prideful. Or does it? From the time I began blogging I have struggled with whether or not I should engage in a blog-promotion. Of course my intent would not be to promote myself (or secretly is it?). I have kind of had the Field of Dreams approach to blogging. If you blog it they will come. I have had about 15,000 hits in the last couple of years. I only have 8 google reader subscribers. And I think a few from other feed readers. Some people do read this blog. But I have yet to see Shoeless Joe Jackson as a visitor or in the comments.

Here is my question for all 8 of you: Is blog promotion wrong?

• More readers means better discussion. But better discussion means more time spent sifting through comments.
• In order to promote the blog it means being more involved in online discussions. This can be helpful but it can also be distracting from hands on ministry. But, is blogging a "ministry"?
• In promoting the blog am I promoting Jesus or trying to make a name for myself? (I realize you cannot answer this one).
• Am I even decent enough at blogging? I know that the more the blog is known the more my faults will be known--like when to use a comma, semi-colon, etc. I've seen these online discussions--they get ugly. People are nasty. People take your ideas and make them something they are not. Do I really want that to be a part of my life? Is it realistic to not expect that to be? Am I wasting my talents out of fear?

I think as I have been thinking through this it comes down to one key question--am I blogging for Jesus or am I blogging for myself? If I am blogging for myself then blog-promotion is stupid and prideful. If I am blogging for Jesus then blog-promotion is merely proclaiming the gospel. Paul did come in fear and trembling and he did preach Christ and Him crucified. But in order to do that he had to stand up in busy synagogues and start preaching. He had to believe that he had something to say.

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Push to the Final Four Book Giveaway!

Do you like fiction?  Win a copy of Frank Perreti’s new book Illusion.

Are you a fan of Matt Chandler?  He has a new book coming out in April: The Explicit Gospel.  Win a free copy.

 

Want a solid gospel-centered book NOW instead of waiting for Chandler’s?  Did you get excited when you read my review of Note to Self?  Want your own copy for free?  Win a free copy.

Fill out the entry form below and be entered numerous times into the drawing.  The biggest thing that I want to happen is you going to SBC Voices: Blog Madness and voting for Borrowed Light in the Midwest Region.  If you have already voted then I’m asking you to go the extra mile and share the SBC Voices page with your friends on Facebook and encourage them to vote for Borrowed Light.  Currently I’m 5 votes away from first place.  I need your help to push into the Final Four.  Once you’ve voted or shared simply leave a comment here letting me know that you voted/shared. 

The winner will get to choose 1 of the above books as his/her prize! 

Win Below:

Help Borrowed Light Make the Final Four and Keep the Terrorists from Winning

Thanks to your help Borrowed Light made it into the Sweet 16 in the SBCVoices Blue Collar Blog Madness.  What is at stake is a coveted spot on the Voices Watchlist.  Trust me you want Borrowed Light to be on that Watchlist and not those jokers that I’m going up against.  I already outed them as kitty haters.  You don’t want these type of writers to be featured on Voices. 

So here are the steps to follow. 

Step One: Go to SBC Voices Blue Collar Blog Madness Sweet 16.

Step Two: Scroll down to the Midwest division and vote for Borrowed Light.

Step Three: Share this page and/or the SBC Voices Sweet 16 page on Facebook and encourage your friends to vote for Borrowed Light. 

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To further motivate you I have found a little bit of dirt on my opponents in the Midwest Division:

The Truth about Joe Blackmon: This has been confirmed by both Jared Moore (of Harry Potter Bible Study fame) and snopes.com  Joe Blackmon is the inspiration for the Lord Voldemort character from Harry Potter.  I don’t watch Harry Potter but I hear he’s a bad dude.  Do you really want someone whose name ought not even be spoken to be on the SBC Voices Watchlist? 

The Truth about Frank Gantz: After slowly rewinding the Zapruder film I discovered what appeared to be a small child near the grassy knoll during the famous Kennedy assassination.  Through high-tech research and computer technology that you wouldn’t understand I was able to enlarge the photo and age it to see what this little tot would look like in our day and age.  To my shock it was a picture of Frank Gantz.  Yes a young Frank Gantz was the shooter on the grassy knoll.  You don’t want to vote for this guy.

The Truth about Andrew Wencl: After a rather lengthy and expensive research project on Ancestry.com I have been able to determine that Andrew Wencl is the nephew of Frank Stallone.  I’m not sure what this means but I doubt you want to vote for the guy.  I was hoping for something a little more sinister, but perhaps Andrew is so sneaky and devious that he bought off the folks at Ancestry.com.  Regardless, unless you want to see tons of posts giving homage to Frank Stallone I wouldn’t bother voting for this Andrew fella. 

How to Save Cute Little Kittens: SBC Voices Blue Collar Blog Madness

Last year you helped Borrowed Light make the Sweet 16.  And that was against powerhouse SBC blogs.  This year those powerhouse blogs are gone and the folks at SBC Voices are seeing which of the “little guys” should be moved up to the hallowed status of (queue James Earl Jones) FEATURED BLOG!!!! 

Here is how you can help Borrowed Light become a FEAUTRED BLOG on the SBC Voices watch list. 

Step One: Go to SBC Voices Blue Collar Blog Madness. 

Step Two: Scroll down to the Midwest region and vote for Borrowed Light. 

Step Three: Don’t bother voting for any of those other jokers.  I can assure you that everyone else in my division puts little baby kitties in wood-chippers*.  Not me.  I’ll never do that.  So only vote for the guy that would never do that.

Step Four: Let other people know about the Blue Collar Blog Madness.  Tell them to vote for Borrowed Light and save baby kitties**. 

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*This claim cannot be proven, but this is the SBC so it’s totally fine to assume that such crazy claims are true—that’s what we do. 

**If you abhor baby kitties and would actually cheer for people that put them in wood-chippers…first of all, shame on you…second of all, pretend it’s not baby kitties, pretend that they are Yankees fans, or Cowboys fans, or Hitler fans.

Sweet Sixteen!

Thanks to your voting Borrowed Light made it into the Sweet 16 of the SBC Blog Madness.  I am, to be honest, shocked and absolutely honored to be voted into the sweet 16.  I appreciate every vote that you cast and now gently exhort you to VOTE AGAIN!!!!!!!!

I’m going against Founders Ministries, Ed Stetzer, and B21.  The fact that I’m even considered in the same category as these giants is humbling to say the least. 

My goal for this round…don’t be dead last.  You can help me achieve that inspiring goal by going to SBC Voices (Round 2) and casting your vote for Borrowed Light in the Southeast Division.

Borrowed Light: Today in Blogworld 03/25-26

I have not gotten a chance to listen to this yet, but am looking forward to it later; Dan Kimball is interviewed by C. Michael Patton. He asks some really good questions, I am anxiously awaiting to hear Kimball's responses. You can listen here.

The Thirsty Theologian tells us the fourth reason that he is a Calvinist. Today he discusses the doctrine of the Atonement. This is probably the most rejected point in the TULIP, David does a wonderful job of explaining it.

Dr. James Galyon points us to J.I. Packer's discussion of Calvinism. You can read the Intro, Point 1, and Point 2.

Ben Stein, yes that Ben Stein, discusses Creationism with R.C. Sproul. Again, I have yet to view this video, but will try to later. I am interested in what Stein has to say though.

Great discussion at Pyromaniacs started by Dan Phillips. The discussion is centered around the question of Legalism.

I would like to personally thank all four of you that have voted for Borrowed Light in the SBC Blog Madness. Apparently, in the entire tournament field I am close to the least influential. Humbling. In case you have not yet voted, you can go here and vote. Be certain not to vote for me...I'm enjoying my thrashing.