Final Answer Friday --- The Next Number

Well, nobody got the answer I was looking for, but there were a few correct possibilities and semi-correct possibilities that we can award points.

Jerry/Janet/Joni --- You found a correct possibility with the single/double/single/double/etc. along with the 3, 5, 4 pattern. So although it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, it works, so 1 point each!

Steve/Jen --- You are correct that 6 could be the next number as you saw the 3-4-5-? in the double digits, but it doesn't account for the single digits (what would come after 6-6?), so it doesn't make a complete pattern...but I'll still give you .75 points.

Any ways, the answer I was hoping someone would come up with deals with counting the number of letters in the numbers 1 to 10. Check it out...

The Pattern: 3, 3, 5, 4, 4, 3, 5, 5, 4, ?

ONE - 3 (number of letters)
TWO - 3
THREE - 5
FOUR - 4
FIVE - 3
SIX - 3
SEVEN - 5
EIGHT - 5
NINE - 4

So the next number would be 3 (T-E-N) and 6 (E-L-E-V-E-N), etc.

CURRENT STANDINGS:
Jen - 3.75
Joni - 3
Steve - 2.75
Dana - 2
Jeff - 2
Jerry - 1.5
Jason - 1
Janet -1
Julie - 1
Jill - 1
Ron - 1
Renae - .5

Theological Thursday --- Homosexuality and the Church (Part 4)

Well, just this week, homosexuality was in the news again with the liberal crowd screaming "intolerance" (though no mention of their intolerance toward anyone who thinks differently than they do). Now we should be "shamed" to stand up for what God's Word says. This is why I have spent the last 4 weeks on this topic...it is hot in the news and will only get hotter in the coming months/years. So to recap what the Bible says about homosexuality:

1) It is a sin

2) It is not wrong to call it a sin

3) We are all sinners and born with a sinful nature

So that brings us to the final point...how should the church react to this issue? Should homosexuals be treated differently within the church since we are all sinners? Well, the answer is yes...but it has nothing to do with "homosexuality", it has to do with "unrepentant sin". Consider Matthew 18...

If one of my followers sins, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever.

So there you have it...from the mouth of Christ, speaking to those who call themselves believers. (if someone is an unbeliever, they really have no motivation not to sin...believers do out of profound gratitude for what He has done for us). So if a homosexual walks into the church and they call himself a believer, the sin should be confronted 1-on-1...and if they refuse to listen it should be taken to the church leadership, and if they still refuse to repent, they should be treated like an unbeliever.

This is where a lot of churches go wrong..."treating someone like an unbeliever". It does not mean we push them out the doors or throw them on the street. We see them as someone in need of God's love and forgiveness. Embrace them...pray for them...ask God to change their hearts. Based on Paul's letter to Timothy, they should not hold leadership positions nor membership until they are willing to repent.

Again, I said this is an "unrepentant sinner" issue because this isn't just limited to homosexuality (although unfortunately many churches make it that way). If someone is living in sin (premarital sex) it should be handled in the same way. If someone is known to be cheating people in their business...same thing. If someone is in any sin that they will not repent and give to God...same thing.

Yes, we all sin. But those who call themselves "believers" should be seeking after God and repenting of their sins. Those in the church that don't seem to want to acknowledge they are a sinner...as Jesus says...you must assume that they haven't truly come into a personal relationship with Him.

What Is It Wednesday --- The Next Number

This Week's Question:

What number comes next in the following sequence:

3, 3, 5, 4, 4, 3, 5, 5, 4, ?

Post your guess (1/2 point) and explanation (1/2 point). So even if you are totally clueless, at least take a shot it the dark! The correct answer and explanation will be posted Friday.

Talking Point Tuesday --- An Ode to Peanut Butter

It was a very busy weekend! We started out with Swing Dancing Friday night at the seminary. One of my friends that was a student with me years ago gave lessons with his wife to current students in the Student Center. It lasted probably an hour and a half, and probably only 40% of the people there even danced, though Jen refused to stop the entire time because this was "exercise time". We concluded by playing a game in our neighbor's apartment called "Compatibility" which measure how well you know your spouse. Jen and I took second, but embarrassingly we were defeated by a couple that has only been dating for 2 weeks.


Saturday morning I went to Akron to take the MENSA test. During my counseling classes, we had to take an IQ test and my results qualified me for MENSA (the group is made up of people with IQ's in the top 98% of the population). So I was encouraged to take their test years ago but never did...but now I thought I would try just for fun. The test was actually pretty easy (especially the math and logic)...but it was very quick. There were 8 different tests within the test and you would only have 4-5 minutes on each section and couldn't go back, and it was impossible to get through every question. So the majority of the ones I answered were right...the question will be whether or not I was fast enough to answer as many questions as needed. I'll find out in about 3 weeks and will include one of the math/logic questions from the test I am confident I got right on tomorrow's "What Is It Wednesday"...and you can see how you do.


Saturday night we went to our annual Valentine's Celebration with our class from church. That's where the title of this Blog Post, "An Ode to Peanut Butter" came from. We have a competition where we wrote a poem with our spouse. Jen and I won 1st place for the funniest poem called "An Ode to Peanut Butter". I am sure it made Jen's heart stop when she read the title to this post making sure that I didn't actually post our poem (she would be WAY too embarrassed). The only thing she'll let me say is that it was a poem about a romantic rendezvous in the park gone terribly wrong. The title of the poem has nothing to do with it...we were required to have certain words and phrases throughout the poem and when we finished we realized we forgot to put "Peanut Butter" (one of the required words) in our poem, so we thought outside the box and just made it part of our poem title. You can all beg Jen to see it if you want, but I don't think you have much of a chance!


Sunday morning I taught a special class at church on Calling. After church we went and taught at the detention home on the house that is built on the rock, and where the foundation of your life should be. The kids responded really well to it this week. Then Sunday night there was a special meeting for all the leaders in the church, and I taught for about 45 minutes on Core Identity, which went well too based on many of the leaders asked for my notes so they can teach it as well.


Today we head up to Cleveland for Jen's cancer Dr. check-up. It's been almost 4 years since she has had cancer and God has blessed us so much in so many areas over the last 4 years. Please pray for good test results and that our lives could continue to glorify Him!

Media Monday --- Political Cartoon Uproar

Last week the cartoon pictured above created a "racial uproar" (led by "Rev" Al Sharpton of course). They (along with many others) were completely offended that Obama was being portrayed as a Chimp. Now take a look at these past cartoons...

This whole media circus with the "Obama Chimp Cartoon" is completely idiotic, and here is why...

1) Where was the uproar when Bush was made out to be a monkey/chimp/etc? Nobody cared.

2) This cartoon is an obvious poke at the stimulus plan...saying even a monkey could have created it...that's the whole point of the cartoon.

3) Even IF this cartoon was directed at a person, Hello...Obama didn't write the stimulus, Pelosi did. So she would be the chimp, not Obama.

4) This cartoon is in bad taste because a woman is fighting for her life after the attack, and I am sure her loved ones don't want to see this cartoon in the news over and over and over, yet nobody seems to care about the effect it has on the family of the person who was attacked. That should be the real issue, but Sharpton and clan do not seemed too concerned about that.

So here is the real issue...the so-called "tolerant group" is being very intolerant (they are tolerant only when you agree with them). And above all else, I think those with the real racism issue are those who looked at this cartoon, saw a chimp, and immediately assumed it was Obama (even though he didn't write the plan). Automatically equating the chimp to a black man Mr. Sharpton is where the real race problem is..

What do you all think?