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    When Did We Lose “Sexy”?

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    Your thoughts? When did we lose sexy? Where did he/she go? And how did the church find him/her?

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    1. Jonathan Zila on Thu, February 26, 2009

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

    2. Leonard on Thu, February 26, 2009

      Sexy hasn’t really been gone, I just been on vacation.


      I don’t know, this looks like an idea that blends Austin Powers and Justin Timberlake.

    3. CS on Thu, February 26, 2009

      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

    4. carl thomas on Thu, February 26, 2009

      I think that throwing the word sex in every series title to attract attention is silly. 


      btw, I am no fanboy but the pastor of this ad actually works with Gary Lamb on sermons.  He has said so on his blog.


      I would not want an accusation like that floating around about me and you might want to moderate the comment that brings the charge.

    5. Jim on Thu, February 26, 2009

      “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.

    6. CS on Thu, February 26, 2009

      carl thomas:


      “I would not want an accusation like that floating around about me and you might want to moderate the comment that brings the charge.”


      Unless, of course, the charge has merit.  And since Tadd Grandstaff of Pine Ridge Church gave a partial apology last week in front of the congregation, I would say that my accusation was totally backed up by evidence.



      CS

    7. Sam on Thu, February 26, 2009

      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.

    8. Todd Rhoades on Thu, February 26, 2009

      OK guys… got it.

    9. Pastor Dan on Thu, February 26, 2009

      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.

    10. Jan on Thu, February 26, 2009

      So, what do they do to “bring sexy back” ?


      Dancing Girls?  It’s a big claim, inquiring minds want to know.

    11. jud on Thu, February 26, 2009

      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”?

    12. jud on Thu, February 26, 2009

      One more thing.


      When I visit a church and the worship songs are all focused on myself rather than Jesus Christ. Then that is followed by a message in which the Pastor spends the first 15 of his 25 minutes talking about himself and the last 10 talking about how I can have a better Sex life…..


      I’m in the WRONG place.


      When the Body of Christ meets we should be standing in AWE of who Jesus Christ is. Ourselves and our “improvement” in any area of our lives should be the last things on our minds.

    13. Andy Wood on Thu, February 26, 2009

      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?”

    14. Leonard on Thu, February 26, 2009

      Jud, copying another sermon is not wrong, however lying about it is.  Your post makes some wrong assumptions. 


      First you assume pastors go to so many conferences.  I happen to know a ton of pastors and most I know never get to go to a conference.  You beat this dead horse too much and it shows an ignorant bias.


      Secondly, you wrongly assume it takes no work to use another persons sermon.  Using another sermon is actually more work for me.  I spend about 25 hours a week per sermon but when I have used someone elses it usually takes me another 4-8 hours checking context, defining words, making sure that the style fits me as a preacher.  Your assumption again come from an ignorant bias.


      You write so totally out of touch with the modern day pastor that it shows how incredibly ignorant your bias is. 


      As a pastor you are offensive and rude.  I am glad you work a secular job because your understanding of the church, pastors and what pastors do, you are to ignorant of pastoral leadership to do it well.

    15. Sam on Fri, February 27, 2009

      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…..

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