Salvation like a prostate exam.
“Prostate Cancer? A Blood Test Will Tell You.”
What a amazingly shocking and descriptive ad. This ad with one image portrays not only a fear, but a solution. The fear is one every man has, part of a doctors hand going up his butt, not fun sounding at all. The solution is that all you need now is your arm, just take some blood. One is a easy procedure that is non-invasive. And the other is a terrifying one that will make life very uncomfortable. So what one will you choose?
What will you choose for salvation?
When I saw this add the first thing that came to me was salvation. There are two ways we try and gain salvation. One is very simple, and takes no toll on us, we believe in the work of Christ. That is it, nothing is added do this. The other is a hard road that none can finish, we try and earn God’s love. We work and toil day after day trying to make our father love us with our so called “good deeds”. We will never earn God’s love by our own accord.
So why do we fight this? Why do we all tend to have a doctor put his hand up our butt and feel around, rather than just give blood? Why do we work to earn favor, rather then trust the one true God to save us? I would much rather give blood.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. —Ephesians 2:8-9
Filed under scripture, theology | Comment (0)Marketing & The Bible: Frequency
Frequency: The number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time.
MARKETING
Frequency is a time honored strategy in the marketing community. What it says is that you need to make sure you are in front of the consumer in a repeated pattern, or a determined duration. The goal is to have the target audience become so aware and familiar with you that you become second nature to them. Then when a need arises for your product, or even a hope for it, you are the first choice.
Now in marketing frequency is not an easy task, because the results are not automatic. To run one add will do nothing. And by the third, the client is getting jumpy, and wants to see some action now! Here is a great list dealing with how this looks.
1.The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it.
2. The second time, he does not notice it.
3. The third time, he is conscious of its existence.
4. The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before.
5. The fifth time, he reads it.
6. The sixth time, he turns up his nose at it.
7. The seventh time, he reads it through and says, “Oh brother!”
8. The eighth time, he says, “Here’s that confounded thing again!”
9. The ninth time, he wonders if it amounts to anything.
10. The tenth time, he asks his neighbor if he has tried it.
11. The eleventh time, he wonders how the advertiser makes it pay.
12. The twelfth time, he thinks it must be a good thing.
13. The thirteenth time, he thinks perhaps it might be worth something.
14. The fourteenth time, he remembers wanting such a thing a long time.
15. The fifteenth time, he is tantalized because he cannot afford to buy it.
16. The sixteenth time, he thinks he will buy it some day.
17. The seventeenth time, he makes a memorandum to buy it.
18. The eighteenth time, he swears at his poverty.
19. The nineteenth time, he counts his money carefully.
20. The twentieth time he sees the ad, he buys what it is offering.
The list you’ve just read was written by Thomas Smith of London in l885.
THE BIBLE
Now lets look at this approach from a biblical perspective. As Christians can we feel right in using this technique with biblical examples we have?
The bibles revolves around common themes that are repeated over and over again by profits, disciples, Jesus and God himself. Sin, Redemption, Love, Judgment, and Salvation are brought up time and time again so that we might know our sin and place before God, and that Grace would reign in our life. These truths are repeated from generation to generation so that they will become apart of our lives.
We use frequency when dealing with Scripture memorization. We will go over a verse multiple times until it becomes like family to us. God himself told of his love and patience with his people here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. I see frequency in the life of Jesus, his message redemption, his healings, and his call for repentance.
Conclusion
Using the bible as my guide I do not see a problem with using Frequency as a church marketing strategy. Our message as a church is redemption and love. We offer hope in Christ in a world where hope does not exist. Our marketing should be powerful and frequent. We need to be in front of our community daily and understand that the Spirit will use that for the glory of God.
How do you see this marketing strategy being used?
Thanks to Pete for the research. You are the man.
Filed under marketing, scripture, theology | Comments (5)Work & Worship
I’ve heard it in church, read it in the bible, and even seen it talked about on this very blog, but I think I’m finally understanding it today! I’m talking about the idea that all components of our life (church, social, alone time, work, play, etc.) are to be lived out in worship to God.
I know I’m guilty of compartmentalizing God. Telling Him what part of my day he can have, and what part of the day is for me. It’s ugly and wrong, but too often it’s true for me, especially when it comes to my work.
This morning I was reading My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It was talking about this idea of worship, and relating it to Genesis 12:8 where Abraham “pitches his tent” between Bethel and the city of Ai. Chambers points out that in this story Bethel, which literally means “House of God,” symbolizes fellowship with God, where Ai represents the world. It was this illustration that has brought me a deeper understanding of how God calls us to live our lives. By “pitching his tent” between these two places, Abraham was putting his entire life right smack in the middle of God’s house and the world.
Chambers goes on to write, “There are not three levels of spiritual life—worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God’s idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony.”
With the start of the new year this is a great reminder for me that every ounce my life, every second of my day, and especially every annoying revision from a client, should be done as an act of worship to our Lord.
Filed under other, scripture, theology | Comment (1)POWER (in weakness)
As Americans we strive to be comfortable. We grasp for power and knowledge for our own personal gain. The American church has even embraced this concept, and that scares me. It also scares me that I wont risk pain or hardships for Christ’s glory. I want to be safe behind a computer telling the world how great our God is. But read this verse. Christ did not want that for Paul. It was God’s will that Paul have pain and weakness in his life. And in that weakness was the power of God.
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
(if you like the font in the graphic, grab it from bitbox)
Filed under other, scripture, theology | Comment (0)No Words Are Good News
“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”
These words are typically (and potentially incorrectly) attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, a thirteenth century merchant’s son who left his privileged home and family to share the gospel and live alongside the poor. They remind us that we are called to live out our faith everyday, preaching the gospel through our acts of love, service, worship, and grace.
As ones who are involved with church marketing, I think this quote is a good reminder that as creative as we can be, and as cool of art as we can produce, there is no better marketing for the good news of Christ than the lives we live.
My question to you today is, how is your church preaching the gospel without using words?
Filed under other, theology | Comments (4)Why I Hate Religion
The Bible only speaks of religion in a positive way in one place. Religion is generally a bad thing, which is why on my facebook my religion sections says: Jesus warned me about religion. This is a great list from Mark Driscoll, though many of these seem to be inspired from a Tim Keller series called Preaching from the Heart. Check them out.
From Dustin From Irish Calvinist.
- Religion says, if I obey, God will love me. Gospel says, because God loves me, I can obey.
- Religion has good people & bad people. Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.
- Religion values a birth family. Gospel values a new birth.
- Religion depends on what I do. Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.
- Religion claims that sanctification justifies me. Gospel claims that justification enables sanctification.
- Religion has the goal to get from God. Gospel has the goal to get God.
You get the gist… Read the whole thing at Irish Calvinist. You won’t be dissapointed and I don’t want to jack his from him—so read it there.
Filed under other, theology | Comment (0)Ed Marcelle: Theology of Art
Beatnik-poet and Buffalo Troy, NY church planter, Ed Marcelle, is one of my favorite artist-theologians alive today. Ed speaks at many of the Acts 29 bootcamps for church planters (Listen to the Audio), his words widen the minds of rookie church planters to see that art can be one of the best methods to communicate the glories of God.
This is a film on advent that you must see. Ed doesn’t use art as a cleaver skin just to draw people in, like a Geico commercial. Rather, he uses art to expand on the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO WATCH THIS VIDEO!
It would be amazing to see what the artists of the worlds churches could do if pastors told them that their skills are a gift from God and can be used to worship him.
Filed under spotlight, theology | Comment (0)
