The Gospel

 I came across this video that really spoke to my heart. Its about “the greatest story ever told that’s hardly ever told.” This rapper named Propaganda apart of Dare2Share ministries gives a  deep analysis of the Gospel. I hope you enjoy reading his lyrics and his full story of life crushed into 4 minutes.

It’s the full story of life crushed into 4 minutes. The entirety of humanity in the palm of your hand crushed into one sentence. Listen its intense right. God. Our. Sins. Paying. Everyone. Life. The greatest story ever told that’s hardly ever told. God. Yes. God. The maker and giver of life. And by life I mean any and all manner and substance. Seen and unseen. What can and can be touched. Thoughts, image, emotions, love, atoms and oceans. God.  All of it his handy work. One of which is masterpiece. Made so uniquely that angels looked curiously. The one thing in creation that was made with his imagery. The concept so cold. It’s the reason I stay bold, how God breathed in the man  and he became a living soul.  Formed with the intent of being infinitely intimately fond. Creator and creation held in eternal bold. And it was placed in perfect paradise til something went wrong.  A species got deceived and started lusting for his job. An odd list of complaints as if the system ain’t working and used that same breath he graciously gave us to curse him. And that sin seed spread though our soul’s genome. And by nature of your nature, your species, you participated in the mutiny. Our. Yes. Our sins. Its nature inherited, lack in the human heart, it was over before it started. Deceived from day one and lead away by our own lusts. There’s not a religion in the word that doesn’t agree that something’s wrong with us. The question is what is it? And how do we fix it? Are we eternally  separated from a God that may or not have existed? But that’s another subject. Let’s keep grinding. Besides trying to prove God is like defending a lion homie, it don’t need your help, just unlock the cage. Let’s move on how our debt can be paid.  Short and sweet. The problem is Sin. Yes. Sin. It’s a cancer. An asthma. Choking out our life force. Forcing separation from a perfect and holy God and the only way to get back is to get back to perfection but silly us, trying to pass the course of life without referring to a syllabus. This is us. Heap up your good deeds. Chant, pray, meditate but all of that of course is spreading colon on a corpse.  Or you could choose to ignore it as if something don’t stink.  It’s like stepping it dog poop and refusing to wipe your shoe and all of that ends with how good is good enough. Take your silly list of good deeds and line them up against perfection, good luck. That’s life past your pay grade. The cost of your soul you ain’t gotta big enough piggy bank. But you can give it a shot. But I suggest you throw away the list cause even your good acts are an extension of your selfishness. But here’s where it gets interesting. I hope your closely listening. Please don’t get it twisted. It’s what makes our faith unique. Here’s what God says is Part A of the gospel. You can’t fix yourself. Quit trying it’s impossible.  Sin brings death. Give God his breath back. You owe him. Eternally separated and the only way to fix it is someone die in your place and that someone gotta be perfect. Or the payment ain’t permanent. So if and when you find the perfect person, get him or her to willing trade their perfection for your sin and death in. Clearly since the only one that can meet God’s criteria is God. God sent himself as Jesus to pay the cost for us. His righteousness, his death, functions as payment. Yes. Payment. Wrote a check with his life but at the resurrection we all cheered cause that means the check cleared. Pierced feet, pierced hands, blood stained son of man. Fullness forgiveness free passage into the promise land, that same breath God breathed into us God gave it up to redeem us. And anyone and everyone. And by everyone I mean everyone who puts their faith in trust in him and him alone can stand in full confidence of God’s forgiveness. And here’s what the promise is, that you are guaranteed full access to return the perfect unity. By simply believing in Christ in Christ alone. You are receiving life. Yes. Life. This is the Gospel. God. Our. Sins. Paying. Everyone. Life.

My Baptism

The video telling my story and Sarah baptizing me! Thanks to everyone who came! At the end where everyone's laughing it's because sarah like dropped me because i was too heavy haha

Christians & Alcohol...

What does the Bible say about Alcohol/Drinking/Drunkenness?!?! 
The reason we feel a sense of frustration dealing with the topic of alcohol as Christians is because of verses from the book of Psalms...

Psalm 4:7 - "grain & new wine around"
Psalm 60:3 - "wine that makes us stagger"
Psalm 75:8 - "foaming wine mixed with spices"
Psalm 104:15 - "wine that gladens the heart of man"

Are alcoholic beverages a blessing? or are they a curse?

In the Old Testament wine was included in produce
See.. (Deut. 7:13 & 11:14 / 2 Kings 18:32 / Jer. 31:12)

They drank wine at feasts, given & praised by the psalmists as a gift
See...(1 Sam. 25:18 / 2 Sam. 16:1)

Wine was also used as an offering to God
See...(Exod. 29:40 / Lev. 23:13 / Num. 15:7)

Priests however were not to drink from the altar
See...(Lev. 10:9)

In the Old Testament the vineyard portrayed Israel
See...(Isa. 5:1-7)
&
In the New Testament Jesus is the vine that believers draw strength to produce fruit
See...(John 15:1-11 / Gal. 5:22 & 23)

For those celebrating the wedding @ Cana wine was a blessing, heightening the pleasure of a joyous social occasion.
See...(John 2:1-11)

Both the OT and the NT speak out against drunkenness, and disapprove love for alcoholic beverages (Proverbs 20:1, 21:17, & 23:20). In (1 Peter 4:3) Drunkenness is considered a characteristic of a pagan, not a Christian lifestyle & in (Ephesians 5:18) we see that there is no excuse for excessive drinking. However Timothy is urged to use win medicinally in (1 Tim 5:23), Christians are also encouraged to give up the practice of drinking alcohol if it causes other believers in the community to stumble in (Romans 14:21).

It is helpful for us to know that the wine drunk with meals in Bible times was characteristically diluted with between 3 & 7 times as much water. So therefore while we are starting to sin that is not a sin to drink alcohol as stated in the Bible IT IS A SIN TO BE DRUNK. So hard alcohol as a Christian should not be consumed because it will get us intoxicated much faster.

The principle effect of alcohol is on the brain. Significantly, alcohol is accumulated in the blood and is not transferred to other tissues, and a single drink will leave traces in the blood for about four hours. The initial effect of alcohol is a sense of release and well-being. As alcohol content increases, internal checks on impulsive behavior are removed. Skills deteriorate. Accuracy as well as speed of response are impaired, along with judgment. It's not surprising with this said, that a major factor is examplified by the fact that more than half the automobile accidents in the United States resulting in death or serious injury is the alcohol or drug impairment of one of the drivers.

In some Christians' minds there simply is no question. In a society like ours in America, in which so many things that are against God are associated with drinking, Christians should not drink. PERIOD.
THIS IS NOT MY OPINION BUT YET THE OPINION OF MOST OF THE CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA!!

My opinion
- Should i get drunk?
NO, absolutely not, that is not biblical
- Should i drink if it causes my brother/sister in Christ to stumble?  
NO, absolutely not, that is not biblical
- Should i love alcoholic beverages? and basically lust after them OVER my love for God/Jesus?  
NO, absolutely not, that is not biblical


- Should i have a glass of wine/beer with dinner? 
My answer here would depend on my culture, community
* Would i be breaking a social Christian standard expected of me in the area that i am in at the time?
- Maybe? I would because drinking is not a sin yet only drunkenness
Yet i wouldn't based on the situation of my community, society, and standards are that are expected of me as a Christian in that context which brings us to....
- Maybe? But i also I wouldn't because i could possibly cause my brother/sister in Christ to stumble (probably why the societal Christian standard expected was sub-conciously placed there anyways because of the alcohols negativity in causing one another to stumble).

Just because i biblically see no problem with drinking yet only drunkenness, this could bring us to the topic of alcoholism which i will now address in the next section of this blog.

(If you are a Christian that looks at alcohol as a 110% NO, then your probably wanting to defend my view for drinking is NOT bad if your culture, community, social standard can call for it)

An alcoholic is not a person who drinks!
- BUT a person who has become physically or psychologically dependent on alcohol. Four patters have been suggested.
- The problem drinker = who could stop if he so chose.
- The periodic drinker = who is psycholigcally dependent and may stop for a time.
- The constant drinker = who must always have a significant level of alochol in his blood, and suffers withdrawal symptoms when he tires to stop.
- The interrupted drinker = who may maintain long periods of abstintence, but then returns to drinking.

Alcoholics Anonymous gives the following list of Thirteen steps to Alcoholism to help an individual diagnose him or herself.
1) You have begun to drink
2) You start having blackouts
3) You find liquor means more to you than to others
4) You consistently drink more than you meant to
5) You start excusing yourself for drinking
6) You start taking eye-openers in the morning
7) You begin to drink alone
8) You become hostile when you drink

10) You know deep remorse- and deeper resentment
11) You feel deep, nameless anxiety
12) You realize drinking has you licked
13) You get help, or go under

These steps are arranged in progression. Typically, it is only when people reach the 12th step that they are willing to get outside help from themselves. An alcoholics family also needs help. Drunkenness will destry relationships w/one's spouse and their children, and the ones they love may be unknowingly react in ways tha make it more difficult to solve the issue at hand.

Most Churches and  communities will offer programs to help people who struggle with the drunkenness of alcoholics. But as other addictions that enslave the human soul, SELF-HELP PROVIDES NO REAL RELIABLE SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE AT HAND. See Romans 6:16. This verse focuses on the basic issue. The basic issue is that any sin can and will enslave fallen humans and alcoholism masters millions in our society. The passage in Romans goes on and says in verse 21 "What benefit did you reap at the time from the things that you are now ashamed of?". Only in turning to God, and committing ourselves to obey him, can we find true freedom: then as stated in Romans 6:22 "The benefit you reap leads to holiness". It would be wrong to suggest that your salvation, or commitment, brings automatic release from addiction. The process of release is often long. Release also takes the understand and support of loved ones and friends. But in Christ we do have an alternative to alcoholism and drunkenness: we have Jesus who free's us for a new life that we can begin to live for him...ASAP.

If we see ourselves falling into the love of alcohol and drunkenness, while it is not a sin to drink alcohol as stated in the bible, unless your surrounding call for otherwise....
THEN there's hope! Jesus died for our sins giving us grace from God & as stated in the bible in various places listed above becoming drunk is a sin.

Book Review of: "The Four Loves" By C.S. Lewis

The Four Loves

Book Report
Book: The Four Loves
Written By: C.S. Lewis

In the book by C.S. Lewis entitled “The Four Loves”, C.S. Lewis attempts to dive into the nature of love from the perspective of the Christian believer. There are four Greek words that translate into the English language the word love. They are: Storge (which stands for affection), Philia (which stands for friendship), Eros (which stands for erotic or romantic love), and Agape (which stands for selfless or unconditional love). In the beginning of the book in the introduction he introduced a quote by St. John “God is Love” and unpacked it by defining what need love is, such as the love I share for my parents. As well as breaking into another category called gift love, which is an example of how God has love for his creation called humanity. The first love he attempts to unpack is the love of affection. He says that affectionate love is the humblest love. He states that it is the most natural love and that it is a modest love. He describes this type of love as since it’s the most natural people expect it. The Second Love that C.S. Lewis describes is called Phileo, which stands for a friendship love. He describes the love of friendship as the least of loves. Stating that: “…There is nothing throaty about it; nothing that quickens the pulse or turns you red and pale. It is essentially between individuals; the moment two men are friends they have in some degree drawn apart together from the herd…Without Affection none of us would have been reared; but we can live and breed without Friendship” (Page 88). He says that people share interest can be friends. He throughout the section of the book says that his meaning of defining the love of Friendship is more narrow than the love of companionship. Also in this section of the book on friendship: He states that, “Christ who said to the disciples ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends ‘You have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’ The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. IT is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all others” (Page 126). In the next section of the book he defines the love called Ero’s, which he says is the state of “beings in love; or, if you prefer, that kind of love which lovers are ‘in’”. (Page 131). He says that this love is not the same as sexual love. Sexual love he refers to as Venus. He says on page 132, that “Sexuality may operate without Eros or as part of Ero’s”. In other words, the sexual love is the sexual desirable love involved in the relationship. Ero’s he describes however as being the longing of emotional connection in the relationship. On Page 163, he beings to introduce the most important love called Agape in the Greek translated into English being charity by stating, “William Morris wrote a poem called ‘Love is Enough’ and someone is said to have reviewed it briefly in the words ‘It isn’t’ Such has been the burden of this book. The natural loves are not sufficient…this is not to belittle the natural loves but to indicate where the real glory lies”.


He starts this love of this way because it is an unconditional love. All the loves listed before this one has all been conditional. He says that this love will care for the person regardless of what the situations are. This is the love that causes Christians to imitate Jesus, by forgiving them when they have sinned against one another. This section focuses on the fact that all the loves previously mentioned are lesser than the love of God. He again states on page 175, that, “God is love. Again, ‘Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us’ (1 John IV, 10). We must not begin with mysticism, with the creature’s love for God, or with the wonderful foretastes of the fruition of God vouchsafed to some in their earthly life. WE begin at the real beginning, with love as the Divine energy. This primal love is Gift-love. In God there is no hunger than needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give. The doctrine that God was under no necessity to create is not a piece of dry scholastic speculation. It is essential”.

This unpacking of 1 John 4:10 really helped me to see exactly how impactful the unconditional Agape love is. God didn’t need to bring into being those whom he can’t covenant. However because of his great love he Jesus to die so that this could happen. He didn’t need to carry on a relationship with humans, he could have after the fall just wiped us all out with a big boom of mass destruction and be done with that. But no because of his love we exist. He created the world as an expression of his love. He has unconditional love for us by sending us Jesus to die for us as sinners who without this truth would all be destined for hell. Which if you didn’t know is NOT a very loving place. This book to me made the Gospel and just the whole truth throughout the scriptures so much more impactful in my life because I have a deeper appreciation from reading it on God’s love, and earthly love as well. The Gospel is that much sweeter to know that God did not need us, yet we needed him. However because of his love we are allowed to be in a relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Overall I believe that the book by C.S. Lewis was a good book expounding the truth about love, which is a feeling that is very common to one extent, but to another is a profound experience as well. The natural loves are a feeling that can be corrupted if not kept in check by the most important of all loves which is, Unconditional or Agape love. All loves that are lesser to agape love can become an area of grace in our lives from God to an unlovable race of human beings.


Until Next Time,
- Adam Bryant
1 John 4:10-11

i LOVE my WIFE!!

I would just like to say I LOVE my wife! This is a blog so i might ramble a little bit but i guarantee you that I will definitely say many things on here about how much I absolutely ADORE her!


Proverbs ends describing of the virtuous woman, at the end of this chapter it concludes by quoting the husband's opinion of her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all" (Proverbs 31:29 NIV).


This is absolutely my wife!
- She surpasses them ALL..


There's no way for me to list all the ways I love my bride in one blog - I wouldn't be able to do this in our whole lifetime together however i'd like to list a few ways that she completes me...


I love my wife because....
1. She loves the Lord
2. She loves Me
3. Of her love for God and other people
4. God told me to.
5. 1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us'"
- I love her because God loved me first
6. She works her butt off full time to
provide for our family (me and her)
7. She loves the Church
8. She was made by the
creator of the universe for me! WOW!
9. She makes me want to be a better follower of Jesus.
10. She loves as so do i!
11. She always smells great and looks beautiful!
12. When she is hugging me i feel 101% at peace
13. She trust me
14. She wants to be on "my team"
15. She listens to me even when i don't
want to listen to anything
16. She's honest with me even when it's
something that i don't want to hear
17. She forgives
18. I know she is always going to be
there for me and will never leave me
19. She's one of the very people I know that
true-ly understands me for who i am and
aspire to be.
20. She is the most beautiful woman i have ever
seen EVEN WITHOUT MAKEUP! (She looks the
same with or without it "makeup")
21. She is my best friend!
22. She believes in me
23. I miss her even when she's only gone for a few minutes.
24. Every time we talk on the phone she will NOT let me hang
up the phone without telling me she loves me and i absolutely
adore this about her!
25. She shows me that i'm worthy to be loved.
26. She's the only beautiful woman i know
27. She takes me out of my comfort zone "making me watch chick flicks
which i actually usually wind up liking"
28. She can't go an entire day without kissing me at least around 50 times
29. She laughs at jokes i wouldn't even laugh at myself if it was me listening to them.
30. Her hand fits in mine just perfectly
31. She is just as beautiful on the inside as she is the out.
32. She does lots of laundry with out complaining.
33. She forgives me when i act like a jerk
34. She won't go to sleep without telling me goodnight
35. She is an amazing cook
36. She knows a thousand times less about music
(theory, history, composition, performance technique, etc.)
than I do and still manages to have far more sophisticated
listening tastes. "Yes honey taylor swift is a more sophisticated listening
taste than over half the stuff i tend to listen to lol whether i admit it all the
time or not I AM ON THIS BLOG!"
37. When she smiles it lights up my world! Not just the room we're in.
38. She has a beautiful smile
39. She makes great pasta
40. She genuinely cares about others.
41. She's got great wisdom!
42. She's strong "emotionally" even when i am not
(thank you so much for my grandmothers funeral babe i
have NO idea what i would have done without you holding
my hand throughout that!!)
43. She's a coupon lover!
44. She drives safely "especially compared to my
2 accidents which ended in 2 totaled cars"
this one leads to number forty five which is
45. She ALWAYS makes me feel SAFE!!!!
46. She wants to celebrate our 85 anniversary together!
Only 84 years and 51 weeks to go babe!!
47. She says i love you and she means it
48. She makes my day when i wake up every morning
49. She is better than me at angry birds!
50. Most importantly she loves God
and knows that i love her so much!


Thank you Lord Jesus for my sweet wife. She is such a display of God's amazing grace, and i would like to ask for your helping hand that i may love her as you loved the church "Ephesians 5:25". Sarah deserves absolutely nothing less.


Many woman do amazing things but Sarah Bryant you surpass them all!
Solomon 3:4


I love you Sarah Wilson Bryant with all my heart
and i will continue to do so as long as we both shall live!!
I'm so honored to have you as my wife!


- Adam Bryant
Psalms 37:4
"This verse is my life verse it says delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart and boy did he EVER! WOW!
Sarah Wilson Bryant = SUCH a blessing!!!"

Apple Computers & the Gospel

Steve Jobs died October 5, 2011 at the age of 56. It is clear he left behind a legacy of innovation. No matter what side you fall in the Mac vs. PC debate, it can’t be denied that the vision he had for making computers (phones, and music players) changed the entire industry. Any Apple lover will tell you, “It’s easy, and it just works.” Steve Jobs had an uncanny ability to produce products that met people where they were and offered them functionality in things even before they knew they would need it.

In his 2005 Stanford Commencement address, Steve talked about what it was like to face death. He said,

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important…No one wants to die… And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. [Death] is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new…”

The world has spent the last few days thinking about Steve Jobs. Thinking about what he gave the world. Thinking about his brilliance in inventing new technology and making it accessible to the common person.

Now he has passed away. Leaving behind his family, friends, Apple Inc., his ipod, ipad, and iMac. They all remain at home. In light of this, we should be thinking:

How can we as Christians live our lives in a way that meets people where they are with the message of Jesus Christ?
How can we use technology to offer them a way of living they might not even yet be fully aware that they need?
Steve was right, death strips all from us. Yet, for a Christian it is wonderful beginning. That news is far more exciting than any iphone release. More people need to hear it.

Pray for......Alaska

Only 22% of Alaskans say they attend religious services at least once a week, making Alaska the least religious state judged by this measure. 

The nights are long, the days are short, and Alaska is on suicide watch.

Some experts say increased stress caused by high fuel and food prices in rural Alaska contributes to the problem, but the underlying issues include the "usual" culprits we call poverty, oppression, poor education, and substandard housing. Throw in elements of acculturation such as mission and boarding schools, some with clergy and lay staff members who were later charged with child abuse. Add unhealthy doses of hopelessness, abuse, mental disorders, domestic violence issues, and alcohol and other substance use disorders. The end result is a recipe for disaster, darkness, despair, and death.

As people of faith charged with bringing the love of God to our world, suicide is a problem we cannot ignore.

As we promote the protection of all life as foundational to our social justice practices, we need to educate ourselves about this epidemic and take action to promote change. What can we do? We can PRAY, yes i feel called to go reach out to these people "the remote villages of alaska"however maybe you don't be as followers of Christ we should all have a heart for the lost... breaks my heart to see these people this way... the Tlingit tribe in southern alaska doesn't even have any scripture translated in their language the inuit tribe of northern alaska only has the new testament translated and to get a copy of that is really expensive so pray that these people find the hope we all know as followers of Christ that there is light even in the midst of all the darkness they see all around them...

ALASKA IS NOT ALONE. Suicide is a societal evil across the country according to expert reports at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center; but Alaska CONSISTENTLY ranks high in the nation's suicide statistics. Alaska natives, particularly young people, are especially at risk.

Alaska State Troopers and state health officials are reporting a stunning number of suicides this month in Western Alaska, most of them involving teenagers. Since the start of the month, six people have killed themselves in communities on or near the Seward Peninsula, including two deaths in the small community of Selawik, population 820. More have attempted to take their own lives in recent weeks, troopers said. With a suicide rate that is nearly twice the national average, Alaska has consistently ranked at or near the top in per capita suicide rate, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services. Last year, the state had 146 suicides, higher than its average of roughly 128 over the past decade, said James Gallanos, the Division of Behavioral Health's lead suicide prevention coordinator. But the rates vary greatly by region, and Northwest Alaska is consistently the deadliest.

Norman Eck is superintendent of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, which lost three students in recent weeks, he said. A 42-year-old Selawik woman who committed suicide Dec. 8 was the mother of another two students.

CDC studies showed that, from 1999 to 2004, suicide ranked as the eighth leading cause of death for American Indians/Alaska Natives of all ages and as the second leading cause of death for those from age 10 to 34. And, according to the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics, the figures are continuing to rise.

Pray that God will liberate those in darkness and despair, especially those who are contemplating suicide. Pray too that God will remove the blinders from our eyes and show us when we too disrespect others, even if we don't mean to do so. Pray that we allow the light of the Risen Christ to illumine our lives, so that we can shine like beacons to those in darkness.