A Russell “Brand” new perspective on porn

It’s not just us “whacky right wing conservative Christian nut jobs” that think porn is a bad deal – the secular folks are waking up to the devastating effects of it as well.  Below is a video originally posted on comedian and actor Russell Brand’s youtube page.  In it he talks about the negative affects of porn in his own life and offers some staggering stats from some research type folks.  Watch it and don’t watch porn.

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“At Least you got legs, Dude!”

I had pretty major shoulder surgery back in December and had my arm stuck in a dang sling for 6 weeks! It was horrible! It was my right arm and I’m right handed so I had to do everything with my left hand! And I mean, EVERTHING! Use your imagination. It was absolutely crazy, messy, and gross! I’m a pretty active guy and not very good at being still for extended periods of time so being laid up on a couch for a month about drove me completely insane! Finally after 4 weeks of this I had my first event so I got to get off the couch, jump on a plane, and try to preach with my arm in a sling. If you’ve seen me speak then you can only imagine how crazy tough this was for me. I’m sure it was funny to watch but it drove me nuts! I was speaking at a DiscipleNow for First Baptist Church in Clifton, Texas. While I was there I met a 7th grade guy named Zach. Zach was, how do I put this, I’m terrible at political correctness and have the tact of a freight train so I’m not sure how I’m supposed to describe him so I’ll just put it this way – if he could drive he could park in a handicap parking space. Zach is incredibly small for his age and has no legs but has an absolutely amazing attitude about his situation. He really is an amazing guy and I can’t wait to see what God does with his life! During every service he sat on the floor between the front pews and I almost stepped on him several times. He’s a really cool kid and we had a lot fun joking around about how crazy it would have been if I had really stepped on him.

One night while I was speaking I was telling a story in my normal ridiculously animated manner and I desperately needed both arms to make the story work but I couldn’t do it because of that stupid sling, not to mention it would have hurt like crazy if I had tried! At that point I had had enough and went off on a tirade about how much I hated that stupid sling and not being able to move or use my arm blah, blah blah, etc. etc. etc. And all of sudden, Zach blurted out, “At least you got legs, dude!” And everybody including me erupted in laughter! It was absolutely hilarious! At that point I acknowledged that he was right and I really had NOTHING to complain about. He said it as a joke but it really caught my attention. I realized after he said it and especially after getting to know him that my temporary problem of my arm being in sling was nothing compared to what he has to deal with every day and yet he is so incredibly positive about it. This kid really inspired me and totally changed my attitude about my situation and really, my life in general. The rest of the time I was in a sling and in rehab after that my mantra was: “At least you got legs, Dude!” No matter how bad it was or how much it hurt I kept reminding myself that at least I had legs and have no reason to ever complain about anything. Even now that my shoulder is totally recovered, God continues to use Zach’s words to wake me up every time I start to complain about anything. I hope someday to somehow get close to having the kind of attitude about life that Zach has! He truly was and is an inspiration to me. Maybe he can be the same for you. Next time you get petty and start to complain take a second to remember the words of my buddy Zach: “At least you got legs, Dude!” I promise it will help you settle down and be more realistic about what’s going on.

At Least you got Legs, Dude!

God Bless ya – Runks

Funny Name, Funny Guy, Deep Message???

Funny guy with a Deep message?? Is that even possible?  Can anybody really be funny and at the same time really have something valuable to say??  Apparently a lot of people don’t think so.  I’ve heard a ton of Youth Ministers say that they’re not big fans of “funny speakers” because most funny speakers are just that, funny and not much more.  Funny speakers seem to have a bad rep for not having much of any significance to say.  They blow in, blow up the room with crazy stories & laughter, say a few fluffy bits of truth, and jump right back to more joking around. Honestly, I have to admit I agree.

So why on earth would I choose market myself as a funny guy??  Because that’s simply who I am and for some crazy reason who God wanted me to be.  For some reason God has shaped me through the experiences of my life, some of them painful and some of them simply the result of me being an AD/HD spastic idiot, to be a fun, funny guy.  He has also shaped me through the experiences of my life and the things He has taught me about life and Himself to hopefully have something of value to say.

For me comedy is just a tool that God has blessed me with to illustrate deep biblical truths to teenagers. I try as hard as I can to strike a balance between being really funny and offering deep biblical truths that students can grab a hold of and apply to their lives.  I may not be the funniest guy around but I work hard to be as funny as I can possibly be.  And in the same vein, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I work hard to engage my mind in my faith by digging into the Word of God and seeking to be as knowledgeable about the Truth as I can possibly be so I can communicate that Truth to hurting teens.  I never want to be funny just to be funny.  I want to be funny with a purpose.  I never want to go on stage just to entertain. I go on stage to enlighten and encourage people with the reality of who Jesus is, how much He loves them, and the difference He can make in their lives.  So, as crazy as it may sound, when I speak to students I simply try to be who I am and who God made me to be – a funny guy with a deep message.

Here is a video I had made to hopefully illustrate who I am, what I’m about, and how I communicate truth. (see more videos here)

God Bless ya – Runks

Super Week

Just finished up Super Week at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene, Texas.  Jeff Scott, Travis Craver, and their team of really cool interns put on an awesome event.  It was basically a youth revival wrapped up in a camp trapped in a Super Summer.  The students were divided into teams, did ridiculous cheers, played crazy games all leading into awesome worship led by the band Redwise.  God moved powerfully each night with many teenagers finding a new relationship with Jesus.  Who says youth revivals are dead?  This was one of the coolest events I’ve ever been a part of and I’m so humbled to have been a small part of what God is doing at PDBC.  Here is a highlight video of Super Week, which by the way I filmed entirely on an iphone.  Those things are stinking amazing.  I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

PDBC students, you guys rock!  Keep on loving Jesus and Living Weak!  Thanks so much for letting me hang out with y’all this week!

God Bless ya – Runks