Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Hulk Hands

My son, Ryan, has two sets of "Hulk Hands."

The other day, I noticed this warning label on them.  "INTENDED FOR FANTASY PLAY ONLY. DO NOT STRIKE ANY PERSON, ANIMAL, OR OBJECT."

Are you kidding me?

These things are nothing more than padded boxing gloves that are painted green.  And I have been walloped by these things more times than I could ever count.

Obviously that warning is on there to protect the manufacturer from some stupid lawsuit, but they have to know that not a single kid who has these Hulk Hands obeys the warning.  These are toys for serious rough-and-tumble play. That's how they're used in the Edmisten household.

And that's just how I like it. I love to wrestle with my boys.  I love to get wailed on with these Hulk Hands.  I love the aggressive "fights" that we have in the living room.

I want my boys to  be just that…boys.  And I want them to grow into men.  Godly, strong, confident men. And I absolutely believe that beating on their dad with Hulk Hands will help that process along.

I don't know who started the trend of emasculating men in the name of Christ, but I can tell you that it wasn't God's idea.  You don't have to be a pansy to be a Christian man.  You can be tough and strong, and still be godly.

In fact, the more I study godly masculinity in the Bible, the more I come to this conclusion…a godly man MUST be tough and strong. To be anything less is to be less than God designed you to be.

Guys, you don't have to talk, think, and act like a woman to follow Jesus.  God created you to be a man.  So be a man, to the glory of God.

H1N1

It's amazing how some people want to know a pastor's opinion on everything.  Case in point…I've had several recent conversations about the outbreak of H1N1…more affectionately known as the swine flu.  My friend, Wade, preaches in Indiana.  He was interviewed by the local media who wanted to know his take on the flu outbreak.

The interesting thing to me is that we're pastors…not doctors! The diploma in my office says, "Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies." Nothing on that diploma suggests that I know anything about medicine.  In fact, the hardest class I had in college was a basic biology course.  I don't know a lipid from a…actually I don't even know enough to finish that sentence.

But since people have asked, here's my take on the whole deal. I'll try to answer a few of the questions that I've heard.

1. Yes, our boys are going to be vaccinated whenever it becomes available.  We've talked to several doctors and nurses that we trust, and they all highly recommend the vaccine as soon as we can get it.

2.  Yes, I am concerned about H1N1. Especially when it comes to our youngest son.  Brock is under two years old and he is asthmatic. That puts him in a high risk category, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned.

3.  No, we're not totally freaking out about it.  Even though we're concerned and we're taking extra precaution, we're not losing our minds over this. I know several people who have contracted H1N1 and have fully recovered.  That's what happens in the vast majority of cases, so I see no need to overreact.

4.  No, I don't see H1N1 as fulfillment of any specific biblical prophecy.  (I haven't been asked that one, but I thought I'd try a preemptive strike!)  We live in a fallen world where disease and infirmity are commonplace. That's all we need to say about that.

5.  I trust God to take care of my family. I pray for His protection for my wife and my kids and myself.  You should pray the same prayer…often.

We're Looking for a Student Minister!

We made a HUGE announcement on Sunday at ACC!

As part of our new simple vision, Brian Morrissey is going to transition out of the youth ministry in our church.  He will still lead our worship ministry, but Brian will become our Worship & Small Groups Minister.

As part of this change, we are going to hire a new, part-time student minister whose job will be to lead and grow our ministry to Jr./Sr. High students.

Check our the links below for all the details.

Listen to the second message in our Simple Church series, along with Brian's small groups vision.

Read the details and application process for our new student minister position.

Urgent Prayer Request

Hey ACC (and anyone else who visits my blog)…

We have an immediate opportunity to hold up a sister congregation in prayer.  I serve on the oversight team of Horizon Christian Church.  They are a new church work in Northern Kentucky.

HCC just received some very tough news. You can read all the details on Joel's blog.

Important Information About Horizon – Joel Young

Take some time everyday this week to pray for HCC.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been talking about how greater things are in store for our church.  I believe the same to be true for Horizon.

Greater days are ahead for God's church. ACC and HCC are privileged to be part of God's perfect plan.

Let's get down on our knees and pray for each other!  Let's be the church to one another!

And Now For Something Completely Different

Things have been a bit intense on my blog lately.  We are launching an intense new vision at ACC, so that intensity has spilled over onto my blog.

Time to lighten things up.  I don't post many videos on my blog, but this one is worth it.

Did I mention that I love Chick-fil-A?

Picture Make-Up Day

Quick announcement for all ACCers.

Due to illness and other unforeseen circumstances, we have had a lot of cancellations for our directory pictures this week. We have scheduled a make-up day for anyone who couldn't keep their appointment.

Our photo make-up day will be Thursday, November 19 from 2:30-9:00 pm.

You can sign up for your time slot online now.  Visit our website for details.

ACC Photo Make-Up Day

HUGE Announcement this Sunday!

Listen up, ACCers!  You've got to be at church this Sunday!

We're smack in the middle of our Simple Church vision series, and we've got a huge announcement for you this week! Something that we've never done before.  It's a big, bold, audacious move…and we know that God is going to bless it like crazy.

Can't wait until Sunday!  I'm so ready to launch this big news that I'm about to bust!!!

I'm Getting Hacked Off

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:28, NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote these words.  I think I'm beginning to understand them.  Everywhere I turn lately, I hear about another church that is hurting or facing unforeseen challenges.  Satan is really ramping up his efforts against the Lord's church lately…and it is far from a bloodless battle.

My heart is breaking for so many churches right now. I'm praying for my friends who are leading some of these churches through very challenging waters.

But along with a broken heart, I'm really getting hacked off. I'm ready to double my efforts to keep the church on the offensive.  Satan has lost the war, but he is a sore loser.  He's going to wreak as much havoc as he can before his final judgment.

I'm ready to kick him in the teeth.  He's lost the game…now it's time to run up the score!

If you are leading or serving in any church anywhere on this planet…don't quit! Keep going!  Let yourself get hacked off!  Kick the devil in the head…then do it again!  He loses!   We win!

The Life of a Long Snapper

All the Who Dey fanatics in Bengaldom are ready to go on a head-hunting mission.  Their target…Brad St. Louis.  He is the long snapper for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Chances are good that most fans had never even heard of Brad St. Louis before this season.  But everyone knows him now…because his performance on the field has been awful.  Atrocious.  Just flat out bad. Now every Bengal fan on earth knows him.  Just the sound of his name sends them into a feeding frenzy.

Obviously the long snapper doesn't get a lot of attention most of the time.  Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs…they get the press.  Long snappers are normally just big guys who stick their big behinds in the air for 60 minutes every Sunday.  If they are doing their job well, no one even knows they are there. They only get noticed when they don't perform well.

But the plain fact is that if a long snapper doesn't do his job, the team suffers.  On the other hand, if he do his  job well, he will remain anonymous…but the team will be better for it.

When it comes to serving Christ, too many of us are worried about the recognition. We want to be seen, noticed, and honored for our service.  But someone who is mature realizes this truth…it's ok to serve in anonymity if it helps the team.

If you are a faithful servant of Christ and His church, I honor you…whether I know you or not.  The team is much better because of your service, whether we know your name or not.

And you can take solace in this…God knows your name.  He has seen your service, and He will reward you for it.  You are not anonymous to Him!

Simple Church Message 1

Did you miss the first message in our Simple Church vision series?  Do you want to hear it again?

You can check it out on our website.

Simple Church Message 1 – Connecting

This message is the basis for an incredible new vision that God has given us.  You need to hear this foundational message before we move on to the next message this weekend.

Greater things are coming, ACC!