We’re working on a human video to “Lighthouse” by Anthem Lights…
With our A.L.I.V.E. Drama Team…
Powerful song!
I’ll walk you through my choreography!!
We’re thinking of adding lights for each lighthouse
(cell phone, flashlight, etc.),
a big light behind Jesus,
a fog machine for the ship scene,
and perhaps a black light!)
“Many of the songs on the record
speak about being the light of Christ in this world,
to how essential His light is in this dark world.
“Lighthouse”
is a metaphor for we are in this world.
Ours is a brave task:
“Climb to the highest point,
scream in your loudest voice,
there’s a lifeline waiting for you…
Strike up the brightest fire,
fan the flames and let it burn,
let it burn…
the world is waiting.”
It’s up to us to be the lighthouse,
to tell hurting people that they’re not alone
and there is more for them”
–ALAN-Anthem Lights–
Scene 1: Have 4-6 kids form the front of a ship by kneeling at an angle, so there’s a point, and linking arms, have them rock and shake when the waters get rough, and have the ship “sail” (move) closer to rocks
Have 1 kid be the captain of the ship, loading his gear on board, and then standing inside ship, steering, reacting to danger, and seeing the lighthouse as a place of refuge & rescue
Have several kids kneeling with head & legs tucked in to form rocks in the water
Have kids on their backs with arms & legs moving, like pedaling a bicycle, to be rough waves in the water
Have 1 kid stand with hands touching over their head as a Lighthouse, add light, if desired, have them turn as the light would on a lighthouse
Have 1-2 kids kneeling with their palms together on their foreheads as the fins of sharks in the water
Like ships bound for shipwreck
Most people just simply drift along
And miss their destination without knowing anything is wrong
No direction and without a care
Feels so good and then you’re lost out there
Don’t you remember how it felt ’til someone showed you the way
Chorus: Have Jesus come out to tell everyone to be a Lighthouse
It’s up to you, it’s up to me
To be the lighthouse
They should know they’re not alone
So shine so they can see the lighthouse
And find their way back home
Scene 2: Have everyone leave their position…and reposition as a church setting
Have 1 kid be the preacher, waving a Bible
Have 2-3 kids kneel as church pews
Have 2-3 kids sit on the backs of kneeling kids to face the preacher, who is preaching passionately
The seated “congregation” while “numb” at first, gets the message, and praises the Lord in agreement
Have 1 kid off to the side be the Lighthouse that the preacher is talking about
Tragically we’ve forgotten
The reason we’re even here at all
Worst still, we remember it’s just that we feel so comfortable
Do we notice, do we even care
All the people that are lost out there
Don’t you remember how it felt ’til someone showed you the way
Chorus: Have Jesus come out to tell everyone to be a Lighthouse
It’s up to you, it’s up to me
To be the lighthouse
They should know they’re not alone
So shine so they can see the lighthouse
And find their way back home
Scene 3: Have your 2 strongest kids kneel next to each other, so your lightest kid can climb up on them, as if climbing up rocks, then act as if they’re screaming in their loudest voice
Transition to make a line of kids, pull as in a tug-of-war to make a Lifeline, preacher will pull them in
Have kids come together in a U-shape. and wave arms over their head as the flames of a fire
Have kids separate, and all become a separate Lighthouse,with hands touching over their head to look like a Lighthouse, add light, if desired, have them turn as the light would on a lighthouse
Have Jesus, come from the back, to touch and light each Lighthouse with His Presence, when He touches them they raise their hands higher, so we can see they are burning brighter with His Light to reach others
So climb to the highest point
Scream in your loudest voice
There’s a lifeline waiting for you
Strike up the brightest fire
Fan the flames and let it burn
Just let it burn, the world is waiting
Chorus: Have Jesus come out to tell everyone in the audience to also be a Lighthouse
It’s up to you, it’s up to me
They should know they’re not alone
So shine so they can see the lighthouse
And find their way
It’s up to you, it’s up to me
To be the lighthouse
They should know they’re not alone
Scene 4 (Ending): Have 2-3 kids wandering as lost, see the Lighthouses, and because of a Lighthouse, they are directed home to Jesus…then they kneel & praise Him
So shine so they can see the lighthouse
And find their way back home
Try the drama with your kids/teens!!!
I know you can do it!!
Any questions???
Let me know!
When we minister with this, I’ll blog some photos!!
John 8:12
“When Jesus spoke again to the people,
He said,
‘I Am the Light of the world.
Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the Light of Life.”
Psalm 43:3
“Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!”
Psalm 27:1
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?”
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
As I write this, I’m sitting in the makeup aisle of our local Target store. A friend recently texted me from a different makeup aisle and told me it felt like one of the most oppressive places in the world. I wanted to find out what he meant. And now that I’m sitting here, I’m beginning to agree with him. Words have power, and the words on display in this aisle have a deep power. Words and phrases like:
Affordably gorgeous,
Infallible,
Flawless finish,
Brilliant strength,
Liquid power,
Go nude,
Age defying,
Instant age rewind,
Choose your dream,
Nearly naked, and
Natural beauty.
When you have a daughter you start to realize she’s just as strong as everyone else in the house—a force to be reckoned with, a soul on fire with the same life and gifts and passions as any man. But sitting in this store aisle, you also begin to realize most people won’t see her that way. They’ll see her as a pretty face and a body to enjoy. And they’ll tell her she has to look a certain way to have any worth or influence.
But words do have power and maybe, just maybe, the words of a father can begin to compete with the words of the world. Maybe a father’s words can deliver his daughter through this gauntlet of institutionalized shame and into a deep, unshakeable sense of her own worthiness and beauty.
A father’s words aren’t different words, but they are words with a radically different meaning:
Brilliant strength. May your strength be not in your fingernails but in your heart. May you discern in your center who you are, and then may you fearfully but tenaciously live it out in the world.
Choose your dream. But not from a department store shelf. Find the still-quiet place within you. A real dream has been planted there. Discover what you want to do in the world. And when you have chosen, may you faithfully pursue it, with integrity and with hope.
Naked. The world wants you to take your clothes off. Please keep them on. But take your gloves off. Pull no punches. Say what is in your heart. Be vulnerable. Embrace risk. Love a world that barely knows what it means to love itself. Do so nakedly. Openly. With abandon.
Infallible. May you be constantly, infallibly aware that infallibility doesn’t exist. It’s an illusion created by people interested in your wallet. If you choose to seek perfection, may it be in an infallible grace—for yourself, and for everyone around you.
Age defying. Your skin will wrinkle and your youth will fade, but your soul is ageless. It will always know how to play and how to enjoy and how to revel in this one-chance life. May you always defiantly resist the aging of your spirit.
Flawless finish. Your finish has nothing to do with how your face looks today and everything to do with how your life looks on your last day. May your years be a preparation for that day. May you be aged by grace, may you grow in wisdom, and may your love become big enough to embrace all people. May your flawless finish be a peaceful embrace of the end and the unknown that follows, and may it thus be a gift to everyone who cherishes you.
Little One, you love everything pink and frilly and I will surely understand if someday makeup is important to you. But I pray three words will remain more important to you—the last three words you say every night, when I ask the question: “Where are you the most beautiful?” Three words so bright no concealer can cover them.
Where are you the most beautiful?
On the inside.
From my heart to yours,
Daddy
Like the last letter I wrote to my daughter, I wrote this first for her and the day I’ll eventually read it to her. But I also wrote it for every woman who needs to hear the words of a father. Women, no one else can define your beauty for you. But they’ll try.
My daughter is four years-old now. If her awakening to the makeup aisle comes at the typical age, I figure we have about five years to radically alter the arc of history and the subjugation-by-image of the female gender. We’ve got a lot of work to do. And it begins in the heart of each and every woman.
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Next Post: “The Key to a Man’s Heart (and Why He Gets Road Rage)”
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Kelly is a licensed clinical psychologist, practicing at Alliance Clinical Associates in Wheaton, IL. He is also a writer and blogs regularly about the redemption of our personal, relational, and communal lives. Kelly is married, has three children, and enjoys learning from them how to be a kid again. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
To believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in our life.
To know that nothing we do in life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made.
True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity.
This whole swimming-upstream, pursuing-Christ, taking-up-your cross, counting-the-cost thing isn’t easy.
The road is narrow and few will actually find it!
We can’t afford to just assume we’re one of the few on the narrow way.
Be totally in love with Christ.
Even Heaven would be a desolate place without Christ.
Don’t just let life happen.
Love and desire Christ, for when we love, we are free!
Let God change us.
We need to let Him in our life.
We need God to help us love God, and if we need His help to love Him, a perfect being, we definitely need His help to love other fault-filled humans.
Don’t hold back, be consumed with Christ.
We need to show a “Love” that is crazy to the world.
True love, a kind found nowhere else, but through Christ.
Don’t be lukewarm, be obsessed with Christ.
People obsessed with Christ…
Love people and are friends to all…
They’re crazy risk takers for Christ…
They’re humble…
They serve…
They give…
They think about eternity…
They’re engrossed and delighted with God’s Word…
They’re passionately in love with God…
They’re unguarded and open with Him…
They meditate, are nourished by, and are rooted in the Word…
They’re dedicated and faithful to Christ.
They know they’re a child and a friend of God.
Let’s evaluate our lives…
Is what we’re doing, what we want to be doing, when Christ returns????
Taken from: Crazy Love by Frances Chan
Lukewarm is completely useless…
Neither like hot water (as in a comfortable bath)…
Nor like cold water (as in a refreshing drink)…
Interpret “hot” and “cold” in light of the historical context of Laodicea…
It had no permanent supply of good water…
Efforts to pipe water to the city from nearby springs were successful…
But, it would arrive lukewarm…
Located close to both natural hot springs by Hierapolis…
Often used for medicinal purposes…
And a cold, pure stream by Colossae…
Both hot and cold water are desirable…
Both are useful for distinct purposes…
All believers can be used of God…
The spiritual state of this church…
More closely resembled the tepid, lukewarm water…
That eventually flowed into Laodicean pipes…
Neither hot nor cold…
It was putrid!
The metaphor condemns Laodicea for not providing…
Spiritual healing (being hot)…
Or, spiritual refreshment (being cold) to those around them…
Revelation 3:15 is a condemnation of their lack of works and lack of witness.
They spread spiritual disease…
What disease?
They believed they were spiritually rich…
When in fact they had gone bankrupt…
They thought they could see…
But they were blind…
They thought they were healthy…
But they were corrupt….
They thought they were fully clothed…
But they were naked…
The difference was in their opinion of themselves…
vs reality…
They thought they were well off…
But they were starving to death…
They were spiritually content and self-satisfied…
Although actually they were wretched and pitiful…
In Revelation 3:17, they had the audacity to say…
“I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.”
The problem with being lukewarm…
And the case against Laodicea…
Revolves around the idea of self-deception…
They were self-deluded…
The church at Laodicea was made up of Christians…
Who were trusting in themselves and their wealth…
Or, what they thought their wealth could buy them!
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, says,
Lukewarm…
Useless and self-deceived…
They thought they were of great value…
But were hypocritical…
Promoting themselves, as those who saw the truth…
When in fact they did not…
Actively covering their sins with a cloak of religious observance!
Lord…
Help us to be obsessed with You…
Show us where we’re lukewarm…
Give us the strength to deal with these areas…
Do whatever it takes…
For us to please You…
We need constant infilling of Your Presence…
A constant love relationship…
Constant prayer…
Constant worship…
Constant renewing of our minds…
With the Word of God…
We don’t want to be lukewarm:
A believer who isn’t a threat to satan’s kingdom,
A person who is unable to accomplish anything for the Lord,
Who no longer brings God glory,
Who no longer accomplishes His will,
Who no longer builds His kingdom.
Refresh!
Rekindle!
Our lukewarm hearts…
Restore!
Us to a heart perfect in its commitment to You!
Amen!!
Lukewarm is not enough…
Try Crazy Love!
Ahhh…
My new non-lukewarm refrigerator!!!!
Cold and Colder!!
To match my repaired non-lukewarm dryer…
Hot and Hotter!!
Forget lukewarm!
If a dryer’s not HOT…
Or, a refrigerator’s not COLD…
They’re useless…
And so are we!!
Amen!
Don’t sing these Top Ten Songs Of The Lukewarm Christian!!!
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do – See more at: http://diggingtheword.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-ten-songs-of-lukewarm-christian.html#sthash.IJf1kito.h1RhYzKB.dpuf
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do – See more at: http://diggingtheword.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-ten-songs-of-lukewarm-christian.html#sthash.IJf1kito.h1RhYzKB.dpuf
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have in my hands a copy of today’s top ten list.”
“Today’s list is top ten songs of the lukewarm church.”
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do
Let’s be fired up this Sunday when we sing. Our Savior was passionate for us and we need to be equally as passionate for him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have in my hands a copy of today’s top ten list.”
“Today’s list is top ten songs of the lukewarm church.”
1. Blest Be The Tie That Doesn’t Cramp My Style
2. Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
3. I Surrender Some
4. I’m Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
6. What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
7. Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
8. He’s Quite a Bit To Me
9. Oh, How I Like Jesus
10. It Is My Secret What God Can Do
Let’s be fired up this Sunday when we sing. Our Savior was passionate for us and we need to be equally as passionate for him.
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven
and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire
that separated and came to rest on each of them.
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues
as the Spirit enabled them.”
Romans 8:2-6
“…because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit who gives life has set youfree
from the law of sin and death.
For what the law was powerless to do
because it was weakened by the flesh,
God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
to be a sin offering.
And so He condemned sin in the flesh,
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us,
who do not live according to the flesh
but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:9
“You, however,
are not in the realm of the flesh
but are in the realm of the Spirit,
if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.
And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
they do not belong to Christ.”
Interview with Joel Parisen:Newworldson
What has God been teaching you lately?
Joel: “How to not be a lip-service Christian. How to talk less and to let my life be my message, which is incredibly hard to do. How to not say one thing and be doing another. Some people struggle with surrender and trusting that God has a plan; that part’s been easy for me. My problem is knowing that in my partnership with Him, I have work to do too. It’s not all sit back and enjoy the ride.”
Behind the Song:
“We were coming to the end of a full day in the studio when I decided to sit down at the piano to unwind. I just started playing these chords when Mark came over and said, ‘We’re recording that tomorrow.’ And that was that. I wrote my lyrics and Josh wrote his right on the spot.
I’ve been the one to shake with fear And wonder if You’re even here I’ve been the one to doubt Your love I’ve told myself You’re not enough
I’ve been the one to try and say I’ll overcome by my own strength I’ve been the one to fall apart And start to question who You are
You’re the One who conquers giants You’re the One who calls out kings You shut the mouths of lions You tell the dead to breathe You’re the One who walks through fire You take the orphan’s hand You are the One Messiah You are I AM You are I AM
I’ve been the one held down in chains Beneath the weight of all my shame I’ve been the one to believe That where I am, You cannot reach
The veil is torn And now I live With the Spirit inside The same One The very same One Who brought the Son back to life! Hallelujah, He lives in me!
You are the One Messiah You are I AM Hallelujah, He lives in me! You are I AM Hallelujah, He lives in me!
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