CCM: Creative Challenge Monday

One of the things that has been impressed upon me is that we as creatives have a unique gift to make the complex understandable, thus helping people to understand the Gospel and come to know and follow Jesus. I want to help us to key in on that in the weeks ahead so from this day forward each Monday will be CCM: Creative Challenge Monday. I will post a word, a concept or a verse. Your challenge in that week is to create something that expresses the concept in whatever God glorifying way you choose. Write a story, create an image, make a video… The possibilities are endless.

I just watched the last installment of the Bible mini-series so i thought this week I would take a wider swing for the challenge. The theme this week is:

The Bible

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

What does the Bible mean to you? How has it touched your life? What would you like others to know about it? Think it through and create something to tell the world about God’s Word!

Creative Challenge Monday: The Good Samaritan

 One of the things that has been impressed upon me is that we as creatives have a unique gift to make the complex understandable, thus helping people to understand the Gospel and come to know and follow Jesus. I want to help us to key in on that in the weeks ahead so from this day forward each Monday will be CCM: Creative Challenge Monday. I will post a word, a concept or a verse. Your challenge in that week is to create something that expresses the concept in whatever God glorifying way you choose. Write a story, create an image, make a video… The possibilities are endless.

This Monday’s challenge is a parable of Jesus:

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

What does this story mean to you? How would you like to express it to the world? How do people miss the point on this concept?

Consider the context. Jesus has just been asked “Who is my neighbor?” in response to his command to love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. It seems clear that the asker of the question is trying to figure out who he has to love and who he can mistreat. I believe it is or this reason that Jesus makes well thought of people cold and uncaring and the hero of the story is someone a lot of his hearers that day would have hated. Jesus’ crafting of this story is brilliant (of course it is He’s Jesus). How would you tell this story to the people around you? Who would be the heroes and the villains?

If you want you can share your results by posting a link to your work in the comments. If you don’t have a way to post your work, you can share them on the AMOKArts Facebook page.

Contest for Young Artists from Google

I saw this and wanted to pass it along for any artists in the K-12 age range.

Welcome to Doodle 4 Google

Doodle 4 Google is an annual program that invites K-12 students in the United States to use their artistic talents to think big and redesign our homepage logo for millions to see.

This year, we ask students to exercise their creative imaginations around the theme, “My Best Day Ever…” One talented student artist will see their artwork appear on the Google homepage, receive a $30,000 college scholarship, and a $50,000 technology grant for their school along with some other cool prizes!

For more info, go to this link. http://www.google.com/doodle4google/

Post 1,000! a new feature/challenge and Happy New Year!

I can’t believe it. This is the 1000th blog post for AMOKArts.com. I want to thank you all for sticking with AMOKArts.com as I’ve learned how to build it and make it grow, find my voice and sought to follow God in this ministry. My prayer is that you have been blessed through it as much as I have been in getting to connect with all of you. As I look at the statistics for the site I am constantly amazed at the tool the Lord has given. People from all over the planet hit this site daily. You are truly a worldwide tribe of Christian creatives and that is fantastic. The Lord is doing a good work in His creatives and I truly believe that He who began the good work will complete it. It’s a biblical promise so press on and create. Do what you do to the glory of God, give Him your best and trust Him with the rest. I am excited to see what the Lord will do in the coming year.

In 2013 this site will contain a new feature and it starts today! One of the things that has been impressed upon me is that we as creatives have a unique gift to make the complex understandable, thus helping people to understand the Gospel and come to know and follow Jesus. I want to help us to key in on that in the weeks ahead so from this day forward each Monday will be CCM: Creative Challenge Monday. I will post a word, a concept or a verse. Your challenge in that week is to create something that expresses the concept in whatever God glorifying way you choose. Write a story, create an image, make a video… The possibilities are endless.

Since we are on the verge of the new year, a time of new beginnings, this Monday’s challenge is:

Being a new creation in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

What does grace mean to you? How would you like to express it to the world? How do people miss the point on this concept?

If you want you can share your results by posting a link to your work in the comments. If you don’t have a way to post your work, you can share them on the AMOKArts Facebook page.

Happy New Year! May the Lord bless you richly as you seek to do His will and live out His purpose for your creativity. Thanks for being a part of this movement.

Dave Weiss

BewareofArtists.org One Liners Preview: December 14, 2012

BewareofArtists.org One Liner of the Day: A One Liner is just a sentence or two (or less) designed to inspire you to create something. From there what you create is up to you. Draw a picture. Sketch in your journal. Write a story or a poem. Take some photos. The sky’s the limit.

The TV show Friends had the Holiday Armadillo. Suppose the costume shop was all out of the traditional holiday costumes, what would you dress up as?

Can’t wait for all your one-liners? Get the whole collection here!

BewareofArtists.org opens January 1, 2013. Go there and Subscribe today.

BewareofArtists.org One Liners Preview: December 13, 2012

BewareofArtists.org One Liner of the Day: A One Liner is just a sentence or two (or less) designed to inspire you to create something. From there what you create is up to you. Draw a picture. Sketch in your journal. Write a story or a poem. Take some photos. The sky’s the limit.

On the 13th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Can’t wait for all your one-liners? Get the whole collection here!

BewareofArtists.org opens January 1, 2013. Go there and Subscribe today.

BewareofArtists.org One Liners Preview: December 12, 2012

BewareofArtists.org One Liner of the Day: A One Liner is just a sentence or two (or less) designed to inspire you to create something. From there what you create is up to you. Draw a picture. Sketch in your journal. Write a story or a poem. Take some photos. The sky’s the limit.

12/12/12 only happens once a millennium. What else only happens once a millennium?

Can’t wait for all your one-liners? Get the whole collection here!

BewareofArtists.org opens January 1, 2013. Go there and Subscribe today.

BewareofArtists.org One Liner Preview: December 11, 2012

BewareofArtists.org One Liner of the Day: A One Liner is just a sentence or two (or less) designed to inspire you to create something. From there what you create is up to you. Draw a picture. Sketch in your journal. Write a story or a poem. Take some photos. The sky’s the limit.

If Santas elves were like Lord of the Rings Elves…

Can’t wait for all your one-liners? Get the whole collection here!

BewareofArtists.org opens January 1, 2013. Go there and Subscribe today.

BewareofArtists.org One Liner Preview: December 10, 2012

BewareofArtists.org One Liner of the Day: A One Liner is just a sentence or two (or less) designed to inspire you to create something. From there what you create is up to you. Draw a picture. Sketch in your journal. Write a story or a poem. Take some photos. The sky’s the limit.

Inflatable yard decorations look nice when their blown up, but in the morning some yards look like a nylon massacre.

Can’t wait for all your one-liners? Get the whole collection here!

BewareofArtists.org opens January 1, 2013. Go there and Subscribe today.

BewareofArtists.org Make Something Monday Preview: Beware of Artists

Queen Victoria of England (though some attribute it to others) once said

“Beware of artists, they mix with all classes of society and are therefore most dangerous.”

That quote has sparked several pieces of work from me, not to mention this new website devoted to helping people develop and use their creativity to me come the kind of artists her majesty the queen feared most, Artists who will reach out to help others and make a difference in their world for the common good.

If you are checking this out, I hope you are at least somewhat interested in becoming that very thing.

Today’s project is to make your own expression of that quote.

Make it as detailed as you like. Just make it as a reminder to yourself to be the best most caring, helpful artist you can be. The world doesn’t need one more prima donna, temperamental artist, instead we need artists who are willing to use their skills to make a difference.

Here’s my latest:

Click the image to see more!

BewareofArtists.org opens January 1, 2013. Go there and Subscribe today.