Dan Dehaan on www.Youtube.com, Please!

When I was in College in 1977, I attended a Bible Study in Atlanta, Georgia at Griffin Middle School. It was called the Metro Bible Study. Charles “Dad” Ellis had started this Bible Study in his basement, and it had grown to be over a thousand people. A Christian Band called the Pat Terry Group lead the music http://www.patterryonline.com/ . When I found out that the Pat Terry Group played there at that Bible Study, I began to attend.

The teacher, Dan Dehaan, whom I didn’t know beforehand, was in his early thirties. As I attended the Bible Study, Dan made a friendship with a linebacker on the Atlanta Falcons named Greg Brezina. Dan was later asked to be the team chaplain for the Atlanta Falcons through his relationship with Greg. The starting quarterback at the time was Steve Bartkowski, who was the first overall NFL draft pick in 1975. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bartkowski

During the time that Dan Dehaan was the Champlain of the Atlanta Falcons, Quarterback; Steve Bartkowski had a difficult year, and was benched in favor of Quarterback, June Jones. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Jones. June who was a Christian told Steve that he was going to start until Steve got right with the Lord. Shortly thereafter, Steve became a Christian, and eventually retook his starting position. After Steve came to the Lord, there was a revival on the Atlanta Falcons, and the Falcons began to win. In 1980, the Falcons made it all the way to the NFC Title Game where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys.

While Dan taught the Metro Bible Study at Griffin Middle School, it eventually overgrew their auditorium. At that time, the Bible Study was moved to the First Baptist Church of Smyrna, Georgia. Then, Dan began to take pilot’s lessons, and planned to teach a second Metro Bible Study in Tupelo, Mississippi. During the summer of 1982, Dan crashed his airplane right off Highway 72 near Paint Rock just east of Huntsville, Alabama. When Dan came up missing, Dad Ellis and some of the guys from the Metro Bible Study drove up to North Alabama, and searched until they found Dan’s body.

Dan had made arrangements to take the summer of 1982 off with John Riley http://www.johnsriley.com/ teaching for him. After Dan’s death, John Riley taught the Bible Study for several years. Under John, It eventually outgrew the First Baptist Church of Smyrna and was then moved to Mt. Paran Church of God. Later, it was moved again to Mt. Paran’s North campus where it could seat several thousand people. Before Dan’s death at 33 years of age, Dan wrote a biography of Steve Bartkowski called “Intercepted by Christ”. Dan was a gifted speaker, and had a passion for the Lord.

While Dan Dehaan taught the Metro Bible Study, Andy Stanley www.northpoint.com occasionally attended. I believe that Dan’s teaching had and still has a great influence upon Andy Stanley’s teaching and approach. If anyone out there still has any of Dan Dehaan’s teaching tapes. Please put them on Youtube.com. Dan should not be forgotten, and I’d like to listen in.

W. A. Criswell Loved People!

Between 1970 and 1971, my family attended First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. The church was really amazing and fun. At the time, their attendance fluctuated between 6,000 and 8,000 people each Sunday morning with about 150 kids in my grade. The youth building had 12 floors. On one floor, there was a skating ring with a restaurant, and on another floor there was a bowling alley, a weight room, and a Gym.

That year First Baptist Church of Dallas sent their High School choir to Japan, and the Junior High Choir went to Mexico. Going to that church was like going to church heaven. On one occasion, First Baptist of Dallas even rented out the Six Flags over Texas amusement park for one night. It was a blast.

I really loved the pastor of that church. His name was W. A. Criswell, and he was very well known around that time frame. As a twelve year old boy, I watched Dr. Criswell, and observed that he was loving and kind. It was as though his face radiated light. Dr. Criswell would preach exclusively about Jesus each Sunday night. When Dr. Criswell spoke, I felt the presence of God. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.A._Criswell)

At one time, my mother briefly spoke to Dr. Criswell about something. I don’t remember what it was about, but I still do remember what Dr. Criswell said to her. He said, “Young lady, every time I see you always tell me who you are all over again because I want to remember you”. Even with the thousands upon thousands of people that attended Dr. Criswell’s church. He still wanted to remember her. In 1971, my family moved away from Dallas to another state.

In 1976, I went to college at a school in Texas at a time when my family lived in Roanoke, VA. I heard several of Dr. Criswell’s church members at that college saying that Dr. Criswell was old and senile. I always defended him. Those comments made me mad. While in college, I worked out in the weight room with a son of a minister who worked for Dr. Criswell. At one point, I told him that he didn’t know what a great privilege he had to grow up in that church. He paused for a second and cried. Then, he said, I had forgotten how blessed I was.

I can still remember what Dr. Criswell said to us when my family first joined First Baptist Church of Dallas. He told my parents that they needed to put a book on my brother’s head because he was getting way too tall. In 1978 or 9, the Southern Baptist Convention was held in Atlanta, and I took the opportunity to speak to Dr. Criswell about going to Seminary. He said, “Come to mine in Dallas!” I wish that I had listened to him.

Before his death in 2002, I heard Dr. Criswell speak for one last time when he was still in his early 90s. It was at Highland Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. As I listened as he spoke, his mind was still crisp, clear, and his face still shown like a light bulb. In the crowd, there were only about 50 people, and I thought about the thousands upon thousands of people that Dr. Criswell had spoken to throughout his life. Even, with only 50 people, Dr. Criswell still radiated love. Just as he had to me when I was 12. Criswell loved people. Young or old. Rich or poor. Many or few. It didn't matter.

(Hear Dr. Criswell at http://www.wacriswell.org/)

The Bible Podcast

Have you ever heard of thebiblepodcast.org? This website offers a free Audio Bible of the New English Translation (NET) sold only at Bible.org. The NET Bible is a sound, user friendly bible. Go to Bible.org to further research this version. However, don’t confuse Bible.org with TheBiblePodcast.org. Bible.org sells both Audio and Print versions of the NET Bible; however, TheBiblePodcast.org states that it has permission from Bible.org to give away their recorded version of the NET Bible.

It is a lot easier to download the NET Bible by book early in the morning from TheBiblePodcast.org.

1. Select download by book at the top of the screen.
2. The downloaded books will appear at the bottom of the screen.
3. Right click on each book, and select save as.
4. Save each book’s zipped file onto your computer.
5. Create an unzipped file per book.
6. Open each book’s zipped file.
7. Drag the itunes chapters from each book’s zipped file into the corresponding book’s unzipped file.
8. Now, you’re ready to drag your unzipped files onto your MP3.

Read both websites to make sure that you’re comfortable with them before using them.

How a Bill Gothard Seminar Changed my Life

I had BIG hopes right after I left for college. When I arrived at my school in Texas, I was over a 1000 miles from my home in Virginia. During my freshman year, I really struggled. Because I was making mostly Cs, I had to really cram on semester finals just to survive. I spent almost every waking moment studying right before my final exams. After all this effort, I performed poorly in almost every test. I soon dropped out of that school in Texas disillusioned & discouraged. I ultimately transferred to a small college in Atlanta, Georgia.

During the summer of 1977, there was a Bill Gothard Basic Life Principles Seminar held at the OMNI Conference Center in Atlanta where the NBA Atlanta Hawks played basketball. Approximately, 15,000 people gathered for 6 days to hear Bill speak on Life Principles. During one session, Bill mentioned that if a student were to memorize the Sermon on the Mount (Bible, Matt. 5-7), he or she could improve their grades by one grade point level. Bill said that this passage contained key success principles and by memorizing them; a person could improve their lives. Since I was so desperate, I took up the challenge. It was a life changing experience.

After I memorized the Sermon on the Mount, my memory and decision making process greatly improved. Soon, I was taking heavier course loads while at the same time achieving higher grades. In fact, my Grade Point Average actually increased by almost 2 levels instead of just one, and I was able to graduate from college a year early. Despite the fact that I had to change schools and missed some quarters, I still earned a 4-year degree within 3 years at 20 years of age.

One of the secrets that I discovered through this experience was to change my point of view. Instead of attempting to just earn grades, I took the approach that I was paying the college to provide me with important information. As I took notes during class, I listen intently for that information. After each class ended, I highlighted the most important information in my notes. Before each exam, I would simply consolidate the highlighted information from my daily notes. Then, I would memorize them for the test.

Before one exam, I can recall a brief conversation that I had with a classmate. He relayed to me that he had compiled over 30 pages of notes and had spent the last 30 hours studying them. I responded that I had only 3 ½ pages of notes and had only studied them for 3 hours. When the results came back, I made an A and he failed. My classmate had gotten bogged down in all the minor stuff like I did my freshman year, and had performed poorly just like I had.

After all these years, I still retain a college mindset. For example after I read a book, I still underline the key points. After the book is finished, I re-read the key points, and highlight the best ones to eliminate the redundancy. Finally, I memorize the best ideas, so that I can recall them at a moment’s notice. I view life as a test, and I’m planning on passing. I’ve discovered the life principle in college that people who can’t find the main thing get bogged down in confusion.

Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. Jesus, Son of God. Matthew 6:33.