We usually post something about upcoming events or camps or new things going on here at C3. That being said, this week may seem a little different. If it’s not clear who writes these posts, it’s none other than C3’s Program Director, Stephen. I want to share with you(students, parents, members, and everything in between) three resources I have found around the web and internet that has totally blessed and strengthened my relationship with the Lord.

The first thing I want to show you is an amazing bible resource website. www.biblegateway.com . Bible Gateway has over 50 translations in over 20 languages. The best thing about Bible Gateway is it’s completely free. They have keyword searching, a topical index, and a handful of commentaries to accompany the scripture you are reading. I use Bible Gateway whenever I need cross references or insight into a verse, whether for a message or my own studies.

The next resource I want to direct you towards is podcasts. Wikipedia defines a podcast as a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication. There are thousands of podcasts on all sorts of subjects, from politics to cooking recipes. What I have found is that a large amount of churches(including ours) started creating podcasts of their Sunday messages. I have found these very inspiring and useful to learn and see how other pastors and churches do church. One of my favorites are Francis Chan from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. Currently, they’re iTunes podcast is down, but here’s a link to their church website’s stream of messages. This is a great way to hear more than one message a week or to catch up on a message you might have missed from Pastor Kevin. There are some amazing speakers out there giving away their knowledge. I believe these podcasts have been well worth my time.

Finally, I want to draw your attention to blogs. Whether it’s a pastor or just a regular “joe shmo”, reading through other people’s ideas and thoughts on Christianity have helped and encouraged me to think through my faith and what I believe. Again, there are hundreds, if not thousands of these around the web. These just happen to be one that I have found useful. Jon Acuff is the creator and author of Stuff Christians Like. This is the description taken from the blog: “Does the stuff we like, ever get in the way of the God we love? That’s the question Stuff Christians Like is all about. Started on March 21, 2008 as a reaction to the wildly popular blog Stuff White People Like which was created by Christian Lander, Stuff Christians Like is a blog about the funny things we Christians do. And what they just might reveal about our faith.”. This blog is packed with hilarity and insight into the world of christians we all know(or might be). Reading not only Jon’s posts, but the replies and post of other people have given me insight into how other people see our world and our God.

Hopefully, if you made it through this whole post, you’ve found at least one thing helpful. If not, sorry about that. Check out this video. I hope that makes up for my incoherent ramblings.

-Stephen

Matt. 5:16