Culture - TravisAgnew.org

Santa Claus is Worth Remembering

January 3, 2017December 23, 2011 by Travis Agnew

Since reposting Mark Driscoll’s article on redeeming Santa Claus, I’ve had a lot of good conversations. I was also sent the following article from Dr. James Parker. I had the privilege to sit under his teaching in a Philosophy of Religion course at Southern Seminary. In addition to being brilliant, he just might well be the funniest person I have ever listened to in my life. This article has been posted in a couple of different places, and I thought it was a fantastic, enlightening read. Enjoy:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) — In reflecting on this season of the year, I have often wondered how a Martian reporter would write a story about Christmas in the United States. If one only had the dominant cultural icons of TV, movies, news media and retail stores, my guess is that the Martian-viewing audience wouldn’t have a clue as to what Christmas is about.

They might think it has something to do with snowmen or reindeer or retail store sales. And if any particular person rose to the top in the public’s awareness, it would be a jolly secular guy at risk for stroke or cardiac arrest who likes to dress in red and let his beard grow.

Rather than just bemoan this fact, I assert that we need to reimage the myth of the modern-day Santa Claus.

Most people simply do not realize the rich ancient heritage behind the Santa Claus story. The secularized and sanitized contemporary version pales in comparison with the deeply Christian ethos and content of the original.

Go See Courageous This Weekend

January 3, 2017September 30, 2011 by Travis Agnew

I’ve shared a lot about my involvement with the Courageous resource, Honor Begins at Home, which will be available next week. I can’t urge you enough: go see this film this weekend. It is a powerful movie that could change your home, church, and community if the principles are applied. I am posting a clip below from the film. This …

Zuckerberg, Lucas, and You

January 3, 2017September 22, 2011 by Travis Agnew

Something is wrong with the world as we know it.

Facebook has changed yet again, and the Facebook community is in a tizzy. Disgust and outrage fill status feeds, news reports, and paper headlines. How dare Mark Zuckerberg keep changing a good thing?

Within days of the Facebook mutiny, global Star Wars fans are distraught that George Lucas has changed scenes yet again in his recent Blu-Ray versions of the Star Wars saga. Tinkering with some effects is one thing, but when he started changing details in the story lines reopened the scab for those still upset that Han Solo was “provoked” by Greedo.

So, let me get this straight. Most of the world is hooked on Facebook. Created by brilliant college student, Facebook is the way people attempt to share life these days and is the most visited website in the world. It has literally changed how people function in our society. And we are mad at the guy who made it because he changed it?

George Lucas, who single handedly changed the movie industry, wrote a script that millions of fans have memorized. When he decides to enhance a story that he wrote, we get mad at him for changing what we like as if he has no rights to the story.

The outrage this week reminded me how we think we are the center of the universe.

What Do You Wish 2012’s President Would Bring to the White House?

January 3, 2017September 13, 2011 by Travis Agnew

We’re still a long way off from the election, but the news coverage is already constant. With the Republican debates going on, President Obama making attempts to salvage the economy, and everyone having an opinion about both, a lot is being promised. At the end of last night’s debate, Wolf Blitzer asked a unique questions: “If you were elected as …

The Most Segregated Hour in America

January 3, 2017June 8, 2011 by Travis Agnew

“We must face the sad fact that at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, when we stand to sing…we stand in the most segregated hour in America.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoken in 1963 Almost 50 years ago this line was delivered, and have we gotten any better? Are more churches open to multiethnic congregations than before? I think more …

The Rapture Did Not Take Place on May 21, 2011

April 25, 2017May 23, 2011 by Travis Agnew

Above is a video of Harold Camping, the man behind the prophecy that the church would be raptured on May 21, 2011.

It’s now May 23rd.

While so many of made jokes concerning his prophecy, I honestly feel pity for him.

It appears in all that I have seen and read that he honestly believed it. He also believed it the first time he made the prophecy but then figured out he had made a mathematical error in his equation. And with numerous followers supporting and funding his cause, he is left to deal with the people on the earth he was so sure he was leaving behind.

So did you believe the hype? Did you secretly wonder? Did you wonder if the cicadas were more than a mere nuisance and they were actually a sign of the times?

I was asked a lot of questions over the last week, and this was my response:

Should Christians Rejoice That Osama Bin Laden’s Dead?

April 25, 2017May 4, 2011 by Travis Agnew

After reading and hearing so many interesting takes on feelings concerning the death of Osama Bin Laden, I had decided to write what I believe would be a proper biblical take on the subject. In my own hometown, people have been very supportive or very offended by our local newspaper’s headline. Can we actually rejoice that he is dead? Some people say as an American we can, as a Christian, we cannot.

As I started to write a post, I found a link to where John Piper wrote on the subject so wonderfully. He is smarter and more godly than me, so I am sharing his post in lieu of mine for your reading pleasure. This post is from his Desiring God website:

God’s emotions are complex—like yours, only a million times more. Right now, your emotions about bin Laden are not simple, i.e. not single. There are several, and they intermingle. That is a good thing. You are God-like.

In response to Osama bin Laden’s death, quite a few tweets and blogs have cited the biblical truth that “God does not delight in the death of the wicked.” That is true.

It is also true that God does delight in the death of the wicked. There are things about every death that God approves in themselves and things about every death that God disapproves in themselves.

Protecting Your Home

February 1, 2023April 28, 2011 by Travis Agnew

What are you willing to do to protect the people in your home? If you lived in a dangerous neighborhood, more than likely you would make sure you made every effort to lock up the home before you went to sleep that evening. Having children in the home makes most parents even more likely to take precautionary measures. Whether it …

Caption Please: Pigeon Suit Guy vs. Bird Feeder

January 3, 2017February 23, 2011 by Travis Agnew

I came across this video this morning and it made my day. The quality is bad, but it is well worth 18 seconds. The sign reads: “Warning: Due to Overfeeding Some Pigeons May Become Aggressive.” If you were reporting on this story, what would you say? Caption please…

One Child’s Trip Back to Russia as an Orphan

January 3, 2017April 19, 2010 by Travis Agnew

The state of adoption in our world is in crisis. First off, you have this boy in the picture above who was an orphan once, taken into a home, and then orphaned again by his adoptive mother sending him back on a one-way plane to Russia. The only thing worse than being orphaned is being orphaned twice. Second, Ethiopia is …

Beware of the Easter Bunny

April 11, 2017April 3, 2010 by Travis Agnew

I’ve received a lot of questions this week about Easter. Unfortunately, most questions have not been around the cross, the empty tomb, or all of history being changed in one moment. No, most of my conversations have been around the Easter bunny. I don’t know why, but I have been asked what I think about the Easter bunny, pastel clothing, …

“If It Ain’t King James…”

January 3, 2017February 24, 2010 by Travis Agnew

I had a question from a friend the other day about the King James Version of the Bible. Maybe like you, this person had read a sign that said, “If it ain’t King James it ain’t Bible” and wondered where that sentiment came from. There are many people who believe that the King James Version is the version that Jesus …

Sanctity of Life

January 3, 2017February 3, 2010 by Travis Agnew

GUEST BLOGGER: Kyle Richter – This complete article can be found in the current edition of the Compass. The dictionary defines sanctity as “the condition of being considered sacred or holy, and therefore entitled to respect and reverence.” The argument is often made that life demands respect and therefore abortion and euthanasia are wrong. According to the definition above the …

Top 5 Best Christmas Decorations

May 15, 2017December 23, 2009 by Travis Agnew

I have received some great links to some great Christmas decorations this year. I thought I would share with you my top 5 of the season. 5. Frosty the Fisherman Never ever miss a fish. 4. Santa’s Trailer Did you happen to notice the flag flying in the front yard? 3. Redneck Reindeer Words can’t even describe this… 2. “Ditto” …

Do I Love Jesus More Than College Football?

January 3, 2017November 30, 2009 by Travis Agnew

I really wasn’t trying to cause a stink. I just made a simple Facebook post one night that stated: Travis Agnew Wonders what could happen if the church put a half of the enthusiasm into Jesus that we do into college football rivalry week. I got some responses. A lot of responses. Don’t get me wrong – I love college …

Help! I’m a Broke College Student

January 3, 2017November 11, 2009 by Travis Agnew

Our college group at my church was traveling to invest in some children at a missions project during the summer, and I was driving one of the vans full of students. I had just finished reading Dave Ramsey’s, The Total Money Makeover, and I was befuddled at some of the stats I read. I polled those riding on the van …

When Your Mentor Falls (Part 3): Don’t Confuse the Fallen for the Savior

January 3, 2017July 7, 2009 by Travis Agnew

In the third post of this series on what to do when your mentor falls, I want to leave you with an encouraging though: When Your Mentor Falls (Part 3): Don’t Confuse the Fallen for the Savior Don’t Discount Their Impact Don’t Overlook Your Frailty Don’t Confuse the Fallen for the Savior Remember that we are called to follow Jesus …

When Your Mentor Falls (Part 2): Don’t Overlook Your Frailty

April 25, 2019July 3, 2009 by Travis Agnew

When Your Mentor Falls (Part 2): Don’t Overlook Your Frailty Don’t Discount Their Impact Don’t Overlook Your Frailty Don’t Confuse the Fallen for the Savior In this second post of the series, I want to encourage you to watch out for something when your mentor falls. When someone you look up to stops following Christ, don’t overlook your frailty. It …

Guest Post by Al Mohler on Mark Sanford

August 10, 2017July 2, 2009 by Travis Agnew

I was working on my blog post for today, and I got a blog post from my seminary presdient, Dr. Al Mohler, on the state of Gov. Sanford. Too good and too true not to share: A Governor, a King, and the Tragedy of Adultery The sad spectacle of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford continues to dominate the headlines as …

When Your Mentor Falls (Part 1): Don’t Discount Their Impact

January 3, 2017July 1, 2009 by Travis Agnew

I’m following up on an earlier post and want to talk about what to do when your mentor falls. I will talk about a point on each post, but here are my main thoughts: Don’t Discount Their Impact Don’t Overlook Your Frailty Don’t Confuse the Fallen for the Savior When Your Mentor Falls (Part 1): Don’t Discount Their Impact If …

Bad Church Sign of the Week: Get Out of Facebook…

January 3, 2017June 23, 2009 by Travis Agnew

This week’s bad church sign of the week states: “GET OUT OF FACEBOOK AND GET INTO MYBOOK…GOD” I have a Facebook, and I have a Bible. I like Facebook. I love the Bible. Maybe we shouldn’t be so concerned about getting out of Facebook, but getting the Bible into Facebook. A standard answer for many Christians is to withdraw from …

Senior Adult Hip Hop Choir

January 3, 2017June 4, 2009 by Travis Agnew

On Tuesday, I went to a gathering for worship leaders across the state. While I learned some good stuff, the highlight of the gathering was meeting Keith Watson of FBC Columbia who is now a YouTube legend. Here’s the description of the following video: This was the opening video for our Student Fall Retreat called “You’ve Got Talent.” Everyone is …

Does God Care How Many Children I Have?

January 3, 2017June 3, 2009 by Travis Agnew

A few Sundays ago, I shared a message called “Generational Hand-Me Downs.” In it, I talked about God’s call to be fruitful and multiply. I knew this would raise a couple of eyebrows. I did get one email question concerning that comment. I thought I would share with you my response. As far as the message goes, I was worried …

It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and I Feel…

January 3, 2017June 1, 2009 by Travis Agnew

Many people talk today about the end of the world. Due to global occurrences, wars, financial trauma, elected leaders, and many other phenomenon, many people think the end is near. Well one thing is certain: the end is closer than it was yesterday. The band REM came out with a song in the 1980s that was called, “It’s the End of …

Practical Leadership in the Home (What Does It Really Look Like?)

January 3, 2017May 27, 2009 by Travis Agnew

After Sunday’s message, I have heard a lot of encouraging words. That message was difficult to preach. Eph 6:1-4 is an in-your-face-passage. It’s encouraging, but it is honest with how the home should be run. After a message like that, it is easy for fathers to walk away with motivation devoid of application. You might be a dad who wants …

Bailout #4 (You + Credit Cards = Danger)

January 3, 2017May 25, 2009 by Travis Agnew

I have a rule about spending: unless it is a house, car, or education, I don’t borrow money. I do not have a credit card. Once I got a job, I decided to save money for any spending that I needed to do, but I never borrowed money. I definitely never borrowed money from family because that leads to scrutiny …

Chapter 9: The Influencers (Freshman 15 Snippet)

May 16, 2017May 15, 2009 by Travis Agnew

Here’s a snippet from Chapter 9: The Influencers: I have formulated a couple of tests to determine if I have gotten callused. You know you have become callused when a friend asks you how a movie was, and you have to reply, “It wasn’t that bad. It only had a few cuss words in it.” Busted. If you have to …

Bailout #3 (Are You a Broke College Student?)

January 3, 2017April 23, 2009 by Travis Agnew

Bailout #2 (Stop Spending Money You Don’t Have)

January 3, 2017April 20, 2009 by Travis Agnew

A few weeks ago, I did a post on the bailout and realized I had more to say about the current situation of the America economy, so here goes: Previously, I mentioned that America is in trouble because of our greed. Due to our greed, most consumers have learned to spend money that they do not have. Since the college …

Bailout #1 (or why our country is in the mess that it is in)

January 3, 2017March 12, 2009 by Travis Agnew

While the United States is still working on how to appropriate the funds for our national bailout, we are still unaware of when or if this financial crisis will be averted. If you watch the news at all (or gaze at your retirement), you feel the pain and realize that this national crisis is affecting everyone. I believe that the …

Crossroads Series This Sunday

January 3, 2017February 25, 2009 by Travis Agnew

Three of the major world religions all claim the same source of beginning. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all hold Abraham to be the man from whom their religion began. But all three of these religions arrive at a dramatic crossroads at the person of Jesus Christ. The message, ministry, and life of Christ forever separated these movements. The Crossroads series …

Worldliness #5 (or failure to compromise)

January 3, 2017February 21, 2009 by Travis Agnew

After you become calloused to the culture, the next step is that you start compromising your own standards. While you once held to a certain desired level of holiness, you have now met somewhere in the middle between God’s standards and the standards of the culture. This compromise is anything less than God’s ideal. The prophet Jeremiah told his culture …

Worldliness #4 (or the dangers of fingertip callouses)

January 3, 2017February 13, 2009 by Travis Agnew

I started playing guitar my eighth grade year. I almost quit two weeks after my first lesson. Honestly, I wanted to play the guitar more than anything. My air guitar moves were getting better by the day, but I earnestly desired to add an actual instrument to my routine so that I could improve my audience from my bathroom …

Worldliness #3 (or the dangerous side of contentment)

January 3, 2017January 29, 2009 by Travis Agnew

In our continuing conversation on worldliness, the Apostle John has some helpful words: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in …

Worldliness #2 (or how to join a monastery)

January 3, 2017January 27, 2009 by Travis Agnew

In John 17, Jesus is teaching his disciples a pretty lengthly lesson. Aware that his crucifixion is near, he really starts to remind his disciples that he is about to be gone. To prepare them for life without the physical presence of Jesus near them, he shares these words: “I do not ask You to take them out of the …

Worldliness #1 (or how to play basketball against an Olympic qualifying team)

January 3, 2017January 26, 2009 by Travis Agnew

After my sophomore year in college, some of my college buddies and I served for a couple of weeks on the mission field in South Asia. I remembered getting a yellow sheet at a BCM conference that had a list of all the different mission projects that were available for college students the coming summer. As I read through the …

Marriage by the Book

April 25, 2017January 22, 2009 by Travis Agnew

While we have one week left of our current series, “What Happens in Vegas,” February will kick off “Marriage by the Book.” I am so excited about this series. Jeff and I did some planning over the services this morning, and I am extremely excited about what is going to happen Sundays @ North Side in February. For those wanting …

Why 30-Year-Olds Hate Their Jobs

January 3, 2017January 15, 2009 by Travis Agnew

This post is the result of a study I have been doing lately. It seems like that many people around the age of 30 are miserable in their jobs, state of life, status, acquired wealth, etc. I recently had a discussion with some friends about this issue, and I have come up with some conclusions that might help some of …

Fluffy Fingers

January 3, 2017January 8, 2009 by Travis Agnew

For anyone suffering from conflict today, I thought I would provide you with some guidance. Taken from one of my favorite scenes of The Office, the following dialogue gives you some ideas if you are struggling with how to confront someone. Darryl: Well see, um, in a gang world, we use something called fluffy fingers. Michael: What is that? …

Christmas Reflections

January 3, 2017December 26, 2008 by Travis Agnew

I hope Yuletide bliss bit you severely over the last few days. As I am enjoying a restful day with the family, I have a few Christmas reflections: I am so thankful for Immanuel (Jesus came to us to live with us)! The Christmas Eve service was a blast. I saw a lot of guests in our crowded auditorium: come …

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