Not my idea of a great ad.  Looks like they are trying to reach Justin Timberlake:)

Just another diversion and amusement by trying to use sex as a hook to draw people in.  Nothing out of the ordinary here.

Although, this church in question has been having a bad run recently of plagiarizing other sermons and content outright.  Just google, “Pine Ridge Church plagiarism,” and see what comes up.  Even this sermon series appears to have been borrowed from Gary Lamb’s church.

--
CS

“Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed...” When the church reflects the world to win the world, there is no need for anyone to get out of bed on Sunday morning, because we don’t appear to be any different from the rest of the world that they are already living in. 

If Jesus is our model, I just don’t find any teaching where He begins with the “blessed are the sexy...” Or, “go into the world and be sexy to win the lost...” In my opinion, this is the problem, not the solution: the church is being transformed by the world, and it’s not vise versa.

This sermon series originally started with Steven Furtick’s Elevation church. Not only did Tadd Grandstaff plagiarize the sermon he outrighted lied in the sermon and used a personal illustration from another pastor and claimed it as his own. So, Tadd told a story in first person that NEVER happened to him. This is outright lying. Worse, it is a deliberate rehearsed lie. He only apologized AFTER he was caught. Apparently he didnt feel the conviction to come clean for lying in the first place.

more examples of pragmatic, the ends justify the means, drawing a crowd mentality that plagues the church today.

Nothing wrong with using other’s ideas in your own creative process but when you use someone else’s personal illustration word for word down to the kind of snack you had it is simply unfathomable.  However it happens, and those that choose to do are responsible to God and their congregations.  Doesn’t really matter what I think or say - I have enough to focus on with what God wants to do in my own life.

I’ve seen it said by a number of pastors that it’s perfectly fine for others to COPY their material. In fact a number of churches have staff members promoting their material for reuse. So that has to make it right.

Wrong.

If you are called by God to shepherd people and don’t have it in you to devote your time to preparing a sermon/ message .... then it’s time to step down. I repeat, if you have to “BORROW” a sermon or an entire series then STEP DOWN !!!

Somehow pastors make time to attend umpteen conferences a year (I couldn’t imagine requesting time off for more than one in my secular job!!!) line up extra curricular speaking engagements, write books (or more like recycle the last 15 books you’ve read), twitter& blog (yeah, call it ministry but is it really self promotion? IDK?), chase after and entertain local celebrities/ powerful people in the community.

I don’t know how a pastor can devote the time to do all those things and still be a pastor, not to mention Husband and Father which come before being a pastor.

Is it any wonder most of the human race see Christianity as just another “racket”?

My back isn’t very sexy.  But I do use my own material.  (Well, it’s really the Lord’s, but you know what I mean.)

The local relevant church here did a spoof on the lingerie store (probably “borrowed") titled, “Victorious Secret.” I was underwhelmed.

Some churches that try to bring sexy back may just make you believe that miracles still happen today!

Meanwhile, there’s Jesus, asking, “I died for that?”

Leonard,
Condescending much?

Plagiarism is the norm for modern day preaching? Really? Come on. Where has the integrity gone? Remember being beyond reproach. Once upon a time, pastors took that biblical qualification seriously.

Here is an article on sermon plagiarism:

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2006/1623_What_is_plagiarism/

AND, i see you totally left out the part where Tadd Grandstaff intentionally and willfully lied to his congregation. Makes one wonder how many times Tadd has stood before his congregation and lied when delivering his sermon. You see that is the problem with copying others work. It speaks to credibility, integrity, and general effectiveness when a pulpit “hireling” is caught lying.

Reading another person’s sermon verbatim is wrong. People like Leonard are giving people like Tadd license to continue this shameful practice.

Again, it comes down to the pragmatic, ends justify the means culture within the church growth culture and it ultimately shows that they do not believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and they think that God needs their cleverness and gimmicktry to regenerate souls.

Leonard, I think you doth protest too much.....

Really appreciate your comments Scott. 

I am not for the crass or suggestive branding either.  People pick on them because they are easier to point out than the uninspired, nonanointed, and completely useless “3 points and a poem” sermons that are preached week in and week out the world over.

And no doubt, some of those sermons are plagiarized!

and Todd, are your comments normally this acrimonious?  The waters are pretty bitter here.

Sorry Todd, I am not helping discuss bringing sexy back, But…

My use of the word ignorant simply means without information.  It is not an insult, it is a simple way of saying the statements Jud made about pastors and the use of others sermons are coming from a bias that lacks information. 

Sam, please do not twist my words...I did not say plagiarizing is okay, I said nothing about Tadd.  I did however say that to copy was okay but lying about it is wrong. 

So if you want to respond to what I said, at least have the integrity to respond to something I did actually say.  Thanks. 

To use another persons sermon has no biblical restriction whatsoever.  The apostles used Jesus sermons, they simply spoke what they saw and HEARD. 

You guys simply come from an uninformed (ignorant) bias.  You make huge assumptions based upon your disgust with pastors and churches that are uninformed.  Your history of interaction here has gotten both of you blocked before, yet instead of learning a more civil way, you just keep coming back to attack. 

This article is not about plagiarism, CS brought that into it.  This article is about a series that I think all so far have said in one way or another “I don’t think so...”

Jud, you use the actions of one pastor (Tadd) to attack many pastors.  That should stop or go away. to another site where you can all attack and pat each others backs. 

Sam, I don’t have the power to give Tadd a license to do anything.  I think he was wrong, apparently so did he because he went back and said so.  His apology was probably good enough for his church and I am certain it was good enough for Christ, why isn’t it good enough for you Sam?  Two words Sam, IGNORANT BIAS. 

Scott and Carl, I apologize if my interaction with Sam and Jud seems harsh.  These two tend to seize every opportunity to attack pastors, large churches, leaders and to twist the words of others.  If you were to read through the posts where they have interacted you would see this as a fact of their interactions.  You would also know that each has been blocked in the past for that.  To get blocked from this site takes a lot as Todd has a pretty gracious approach to letting people interact and respond.

Leonard, using another person’s sermon does have a biblical restriction. it is called “bearing false witness” and it speaks to the biblical requirement of a pastor of being above reproach. Maybe you are just “ignorant” about these biblical requirements about delivering a sermon.

If a pastor chooses to use another person’s sermon then he should tell the congregation that he is doing so. This removes any reproach that may come his way and keeps his integrity intact. There is nothing wrong with using resources but just cite your sources. The expectation of the normal congregation of a pastor is not someone that comes in and downloads a sermon and reads it to them. Most expect the pastor to be in the Word preparing what God has in store for that particular local church.

My “assumptions” on plagiarism come from an informed point of view because i was a member of a church where it was found out that the pastor for 3 YEARS was downloading Rick Warren sermons and then passing them off as his own as well as using personal illustrations in first person that NEVER happened to him. This means he was lying on a regular basis. Preparing rehearsed lies and delivering them twice on Sundays. When this pastor was caught, he said he did nothing wrong and continued in a pattern of lies, deceit, and manipulation that led to his resigning after 3 months. So, Leonard, please stop patronizing me.

Tadd, only apologized AFTER he was caught. It wasnt borne of conviction. Like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He had little choice BUT to apologize. How many times has he lied to his congregation in the past? He has biblically disqualified himself from the role of pastor. But yet, it is his congregation that is “ignorant” of the biblical qualifications of a pastor. Shame on his staff as well. But they dare not say a word or they will disturb the gravy train. AND you dont know if it was sincere repentance on his part and therefore you have no idea what his standing before Christ on this issue is. Neither do I. So lets not make “ignorant” statements about Tadd and his apology.

Leonard, I was never blocked. Again, your “ignorance”. I willingly disengaged in some discussion per others requests but i was never unable to post on here.

I guess it is your “ignorant bias” on display that causes you to think otherwise

Hey Todd!  Somebody hijacked your post! 

Original material, I’m sure.

Carl,
I didnt slander anyone. Just stated what happened.

1. Tadd prepared a sermon by using a lie. He rehearsed this lie and then delivered it to his congregation
2. Another blogger discovered Tadd’s lie and exposed it.
3. Tadd apologized but like CS said he was not totally forthcoming with his apology. Tadd, in his apology never said that he lied just that he didnt cite his source.

In conclusion, Tadd lied but only confessed to said lie AFTER he was caught up in it AND he did not totally confess and acknowledge his lie to his congregation. This kind of behavior is not consistent with true repentance borne out of conviction