Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
There was a great article at ChurchRelevance.com on Relevance.
Here are a few of my favorite points.
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Christlike relevance is established by ministering to the timeless needs of people.
Rick Warren of Saddleback Church (Lake Forest, CA) says, “There will always be people who need to be loved or who feel guilty, resentful, or lonely. People will always need purpose, meaning, and a cause to live for.”
Mark 16:15 (NLT) says, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”
What: preach the gospel (timeless message)
Who: everyone (timeless needs)
How: like Christ (timeless methods)
Wayne Cordeiro of New Hope Christian Fellowship (Honolulu, HI) says “Do everything ‘heart first.’”
The best way to improve your Christlike relevance is to follow Joshua 1:8 and speak and study God’s Word daily.
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Cultural relevance is established by understanding culture and speaking its language.
Jesus understood the culture of His time and used it to illustrate spiritual truths in His parables. If you want to better understand Christ’s parables, study the Jewish culture of His day.
Reggie Joiner of the reThink Group says, “Relevance is simply using what is cultural to say what is timeless. In other words, the best skill that you can develop in your ministry is understanding how to become a student, how to manipulate, how to use the culture that is around you so that you can say what is timeless.”
Paul shares his pursuit of cultural relevance in 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 (CEV): “When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ. When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.”
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
This conference would be worth it just to hear Chuck Colson.
If you have never heard Chuck Colson…you have missed it. He is a great man of God.
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, General, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
I have read more argument at my favorite blog over the last few days of people discussing whether or not you sould be a Calvanist, Arminian, Lutheran, Wesleyan or any other kind of tag that can be attached.
And once again I come back to the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel.
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1 Corinthians 1
“10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas[a]“; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into[b] the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[c]
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Thoughts?
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, General, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
I spend entirely too much time reading one of my favorite blogs, where there has been much discussion on theology, cardinal doctrinal issues and such.
Now…I don’t mean any disrespect to any of my blogoshpere friends (and foes) who attended the seminary of their choosing and studied theology to the inth degree.
BUT…to me…a simple man of faith…some should study more about Grace and Mercy and less time on what it means to be a Calvanist, Arminian, Lutheran, Wesleyan, and so and and so on.
The Gospel is Simple….
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John 3:3 “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
John 3:5-7 “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.”
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
John 3:31-36 “31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God[k] gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Plain and simple…just the way I like it
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, General, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
Isaiah 40:30-31 “Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Have you ever been headed toward a Railroad Crossing, thinking to yourself; “please Lord, don’t let there be a train… I don’t have time to wait” and then you begin to accelerate just incase there may be a train coming? I never have, but I have heard of people doing that! Ha ha!
Then what happens? There’s a train! So, you either turn around or go another way, or you wait, then wait, then wait some more.
Have you ever had the train stop? Oh isn’t that a blessing? Have you ever turned around to go another way, just to keep the car moving, and come to find out that it would have been faster to just wait? And finally, have you ever been at a train crossing out in the flat country where you could see in both directions for miles and miles and no matter how long the train was you could see the caboose?
Have you noticed that it was easier to be patience and wait because you could see what was coming? You could see just how long you were going to have to wait… and that made it much easier. As a matter of fact a short train in the city that is being blocked by buildings seems to take much longer then a long train in the country, huh? Why? Simple because you can see what’s coming!
Our relationship with God is more like the City Train Railroad Crossing – our view is blocked and we do not know when “it” (i.e. our problem, our struggle, our stress, our depression, our hard time, etc.) will be over. But the good thing is, God SEES the caboose! Have faith in Him, and trust He will keep the train moving.
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, General, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
Sunday…Ah, Sunday.
Sometimes I cannot wait for this day. Sometimes I need this day. Sometimes I don’t know if I can make it to this day.
I always love this day.
This is the day that I get to do corporately what I was designed to do…what I was made for….I get to worship my Father with other Christians.
I don’t think anyone has said it more perfectly than modern hymnist Chris Tomlin with the song, “Made To Worship”.
(the guy on the right front is an old friend of mine, and a fantastic drummer)
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Before the day
Before the light
Before the world revolved around the sun
God on high
Stepped down into time
And wrote the story of His love for everyone
He has filled our hearts with wonder
So that we always remember
You and I were made to worship
You and I are called to love
You and I are forgiven and free
When you and I embrace surrender
When you and I choose to believe
Then you and I will see who we were meant to be
All we are
And all we have
Is all a gift from God that we receive
Brought to life
We open up our eyes
To see the majesty and glory of the King
He has filled our hearts with wonder
So that we always remember
Even the rocks cry out
Even the heavens shout
At the sound of His Holy name
So let every voice sing out
Let every knee bow down
He is worthy of all our praise
I Love This Day!
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, General, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
By Jason Curlee – Making Difference Makers
“It was the best of times and the worst of times” is a popular quote from Charles Dickens book, The Tale of Two Cities. That quote is quite the paradox and it also sometimes defines our lives. Our lives are filled with defining moments and it is how we allow them to shape us that will determine whether we will live a life of true destiny.
I can still remember growing up in the small town of Edna. My parents went to this small church there that created a lot of defining moments for my life. I can truly say in retrospect that for my family it was a bit like the best and worst of times. They were living a life for God and then there was me.
At around the age of 14 I made a decision that would be a defining moment in my life. I told my parents that I was no longer going to church and I didn’t. I chose to live a life satisfying only myself. And it was that choice that would set into motion decisions that filled my life with habits that I would spend many years trying to break.
It wasn’t until I was 25 years old that I made another defining choice in my life. That was the choice to allow God to rescue me from an ordinary life. And rescue me He did. Since then God has allowed me to realize the destiny He created for me. In many ways He has restored many of the worst of times and has created a future filled with blessings.
One thing you can do to not allow the worst of times to define your life is to rely on Scripture to define your moments. Romans 12:1-2 from the Message Bible says, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
Today you need to begin to but your whole life before God and then begin to embrace the things God is doing in your life. When you fix the whole of your attention on Him, He will change you. His word will transform your mind so that in every defining moment you will begin to see how God is working in your life.
Begin today to close the door on those habits and choices that will take you from God and put your life in His hands. Let God’s defining moments shape the awesome future He has for you.
Jason Curlee is one of the Sr. Leadership Team Pastors at Journey Church in Corpus Christi, TX.
You can read more from him at http://www.jasoncurlee.com
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, General, I Wonder, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life, Thought for the Day
Why do we insist on putting God in a box? Why do we continually limit what WE think He can do? Why do WE consistantly tell Him what He can or cannot use or work thru?
I personally refuse to limit God’s scope of what He wants to use or do. However He wants to speak is fine with me. I figure if He can speak thru a donkey, He can speak thru modern culture, movies, music and anything else He wants to.
It’s just a thought.
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Commentary, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
Jesus said it best when he said in Matthew “Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” This is evangelism at it’s purest. One translation says to ‘compel them to come in’.
Unfortunately, we as modern day Christians, have forgotten how to ‘compel’ people to come to Christ. We have relegated the role of evangelism to the Church. We figure that if we simply invite them to come, we will let the Church take care of the rest.
Travis Johnson had this to say in a fine article he posted on his blog recently;
“…simply inviting people to church cuts Jesus working through you out of the picture and casts too much responsibility on the corporate gathering of the church to share the grace of Jesus with the world.
We are to live among people and allow Jesus to live through us in the neighborhood, where people can see, hear, and experience the Jesus living inside of us. It is not good enough to let our life speak for Jesus but, we must make sure our lives show a visible image of Jesus and that our mouths and words are congruent with what we feel on the inside and how we live on the outside.
Sharing the grace of Jesus should be natural. It should be a normal part of who we are. We don’t have to be insincere or put on some type facade of “Churchianity.” We simply need to look for natural opportunities to talk about who we are, who Jesus is, and how good He has been in us as we do life in the neighborhood.
I have found that sharing my story is powerful and irrefutable. We can find many reasons to critique why we should not believe the Gospel of Jesus, though our arguments are all invalid. But, no one can take our experience from us. It is impossible to deny what has been experienced.”
Read the entire article here.