Finding Buried Treasure Online: Speaker Videos

Actually, this treasure is not exactly buried, but the number of views indicates that not many are aware of it.

The YouTube videos in question are posted by Liberty University and are best accessed by typing “Liberty Convocation.” Apparently they use the word convocation differently than I do. In my part of the world, a convocation is an annual event that usually involves a graduation of students. For Liberty it is a weekly assembly, a definition backed up by dictionary.com

The other item here worth mentioning is that I tend to think of Liberty University as a somewhat conservative institution. But their list of speakers includes some popular favorites, including Kyle Idleman, Francis Chan, Pete Wilson, Ken Davis, Jon Acuff, Andy Andrews, David Platt, Steven Furtick, Jim Cymbala, Eric Metaxas, Wess Stafford, and a powerful message by Phil Vischer.  Last night we listened to Naomi Zacharias McNeil*, director of Wellspring and daughter of Ravi Z. 

I am determined to listen to all of these eventually. Tune in to hear what today’s emerging next-generation authors and pastors and Christian leaders have to say to the authors and pastors and Christian leaders of tomorrow.

*use this link as a starting point if you’re not finding the channel. The channel includes a number of music-related things; typing “Liberty convocation” is your better search bet.

Rob Bell Is Back

 After what seemed like a forever sabbatical to those who prefer to download Rob Bell’s full length sermons from his home church, Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, Michigan — rather than the bite-sized devotional-length teachings that appear on the NOOMA video series — Rob returned last Sunday.   (The first download seems to begin with the sounds of Rob eating his lunch, or maybe it was a late breakfast…)

By the way, when you’re on their website, enjoy a little Mars Hill music while the MP3 sermon file is downloading.   Click on “who we are,” and then select “songs + charts + music,”  or just use this shortcut.   You should start hearing music if your speakers are on.   Mine just opened to a favorite song, “A House of Praise for All.”  This song is a great call to worship.   There are six tabs which represent the structure of the worship service:  Backward, Forward, Inward, Withard, Outward and Upward.  (Or so I assume; they had a guest band when we were there.) You can also download .pdf files of the music charts.   Some of the songs are written by Aaron Niequist, whose other claim to fame is being Bill Hybels’ son-in-law.  (That, and the sinner’s prayer* will get you into heaven for sure.)

Anyway, this started out being about Rob Bell, whose picture, above, apparently gets around to a lot of blogs.   But then I digressed.   But hey, you didn’t pay admission did you?   Did we even ask for money?   Anyway, I look forward to hearing more from Rob this fall.   Speaking of money, if you’re receiving tons of teaching online from a particular pastor, should you contribute something?   If that’s the case, I owe Bruxy Cavey a lot of money.

~ Paul WIlkinson.

* more recent writings have somewhat discredited the whole “sinner’s prayer” thing, which apparently only surfaced in the last hundred years or so; but that’s the subject of another discussion…