Customer Reviews

Lump (NOOMA 010)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rob Bell, pastor at Mars Hill Baptist Church in Michigan, created the Nooma video series to give great visual presentations to scriptural truths. In Lump he relates a story of his young son having some sin catch up with him to all of us and our Heavenly Father. But the emphasis and point to it all is that we can never do anything in the world to cause God to love us any less than he already does.

The production is tight, visuals dead on, and sound/music striking. I'd suggest buying all the Nooma series for use in your Bible studies or group settings!

Rob hits home again in the DVD "Lump" (#10 in the Nooma Series). This is one of a few in the series which came out of a real life scenario in his household with his young son.

After the young boy lied about one thing and got away with it, he proceeded to do so again. But it all quickly catches up to him. When his father (Rob) comes home he considers what he needed to say to his son while he was hurting. Rather than condemning, yelling, or punishing, he realizes that first, his child needs to know that he is still loved. What a great example of God's love for us even in the midst of our shortcomings and struggles.

The Nooma series is great for older teens and young adults. This one is seemingly appropriate for younger teens, as well. This is ideal for Bible study, group meetings, and could even be used in a worship setting as a main message with some follow-up Q&A and/or discussion time.

As a Dad, and as a son who has some issues he's had to work through with his own Dad and the Lord, I *****HIGHLY**** recommend this video. This particular DVD, short 11 minute film, drives home the point that from the Lord's perspective "there's nothing you can do that's going to make Me love you any less." This was used at a men's retreat and as grown up as we all were, there was a lot of weeping as people, including myself, finally "Got it" in terms of unconditional love and forgiveness that God gives us in Jesus Christ. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME. Get your box of kleenex out when you watch it. I'm giving this DVD out for Christmas presents this year!

This is the story of the little white ball and the little white lie. It was Rob's quick attempt to let his viewers know that there is nothing that anyone can do to make God love them less- and this is truly a perfect video to come after bullhorn. On the one hand you have the people who condemn lost people - and on the other side you have the lost people [symbolized by Rob's eldest son] who hide as a lump under the covers in fear of reprisal.

Judgment

Withdrawal

Accusations

Retreat

It's a natural response. Coming home from work, Rob pondered in the car about how he would approach his son. Clearly his son had done something wrong and clearly his son felt bad [felt guilty] about it. But what Rob didn't do was continue the guilt process or speak into his son about how bad or wrong he was.

Rob approached his son first with love. And that was my point yesterday when I was talking about bullhorn.

If we don't evangelize out of a center of love, then why are we doing it?

If our churches don't first seek to love their communities or their members, is it any wonder why they don't grow?

Why would we do anything and slap God's name on it, if it didn't begin and end with love?

The point of lump isn't "don't lie." The point of lump is "OK, so you have lied, or done something at some time in your life where now you feel distant from God. The good news is that he still loves you and there is nothing you could do to make him love you less."

Ironically I am writing a sermon on backsliding this week. I don't know why but I have never really liked that word and it is part of our christian vocabulary, but what is the truth in it? Is backsliding a period in our lives, or does it happen a little bit every day?

Are we really sliding backwards, away from God? And when we are moving forward, is it God we are moving towards or is it something else? Eternal life? Perfection? Personal satisfaction?

Or are we just sliding away from our own expectations? I think we as Christians can become the lump even when we haven't necessarily sinned, but we just feel we haven't kept up on the long list of what we think it means to be a christian.

Pray

Go to church

Read your bible

Have a quiet time

Meditate

Journal

Those are a lot of plates to spin while also...

raising a family

going to work

managing your finances

taking care of your body

relaxing

sleeping

eating

Is it backsliding if I just can't squeeze it all in? Is God mad if I only read my bible 3x a week, or 2x a week or 2x a month? "I'm sorry I have pulled away from you, Lord"

Is that really what is going on here? Because you can't keep up the exhaustive list, because the burden of following Christ also becomes a chore, does that mean we have done something wrong?...

...or is what is "wrong" the fact that we have made following Jesus a chore?

Remember, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less.

Does God want us to read our bible every day, or does he want our heart?

I can't keep up my long list of personal expectations either. Stuff slips through the cracks every day, I got the same 24 hours to work with just like you. So rejoice knowing God loves you, regardless of what you accomplish [or don't accomplish].

We don't earn God's love.

And he doesn't remove his love when we are bad...or forgetful...or busy.

I started from the first NOOMA video and am working my way to the end. My small group loves these because they are well made and thought provoking. The booklet that comes with it leaves something to be desired if you are trying to dog deep into the subject matter. There are questions that scratch the surface though and are appropriate for light studies or even youth events. I keep checking the NOOMA website to see if there any more! Buy It! It's worth it!