Y•LIFe Blog ::
(View the full Y•LIFe Blog at Blogger)- Another Story of Life Change
- Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:43:00 +0000
Every now and then we get a note from someone we have either taught or walked with in discipleship. We recently received this note from our friend, Luke, whom we walked through the Be Transformed study with a year ago. This past May, I got to officiate the wedding between Luke and Kelsey and my girls were flower girls while Dani was a bride's maid.
It's awesome to hear how God has revealed Himself to our friends.
“As a college student on a “Christian campus,” who was raised in a Christian church, by Christian parents, I had it mostly figured out. Although there were questions that seemingly no one could answer regarding predestination or the “unforgivable sin,” the Christian walk was a breeze. I even led worship for hundreds of college students throughout the year. There just wasn't that much left to figure out, except who I was going to marry, of course.
Then I met Kelsey. A strong, kind, and very different version of the girl I thought I would marry. As the debates about Christianity and the life we lived and how we were to live that life piled up, I quickly realized we had a very different belief system.
Out of those conversations (some might even call them arguments!) Kelsey urged me to meet two of her dearest friends, Matt and Dani. Man, am I glad she did! Dani was Kelsey's mentor and she had walked with her, along with Matt, through a Bible study called Be Transformed. Apparently, this is where Kelsey picked up these “Semantically different” beliefs, or so I called them. Shortly after meeting Matt and Dani, they invited both Kelsey and I to walk with them (and 3 others) through Be Transformed.
Throughout the study, Christ began to strip away my wrong beliefs about myself and about Him, replacing them with Biblical truth centered in Hope. As I began to hear about my new life in Christ, and that I was a new creation, I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders. As I heard how the Spirit wanted to work in and through me, I began to stop trying so hard! And as I learned all good things come from Christ Jesus, I learned that the dependent life was the only life I wanted to live. Although this study did change certain areas of theology for me, it changed so much more that. I began to shift my focus from works to Christ, from darkness to light, from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to the Tree of Life. I was no longer reading my Bible because of where it would get me but turning to Christ because of where He could take me. I began to stop going through the motions of religion and started allowing the Lord to teach me what true dependence looked like.
Since the study I have had the opportunity to share these treasures with several people. Matt and Dani still continue to walk with us as we all search for answers and struggle to live dependent on Him. However, our hope is built on a God who has taken our sins as far as the East is from the West and we know that Christ in us will accomplish his plan for us as he teaches us how to surrender to Him.” - Born in 1992? You're now a freshman in college...what?
- Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:15:00 +0000
A school in Wisconsin just released some details about the students in the US now entering college. It's hard to believe they were born in 1992. I now feel old.
It's fascinating to read some of the things that have always been (or never been) in their lifetime. For instance, when they were born - Bill Clinton was being elected to his first presidency and hard drives on their computers had the capacity of flash drives now...of course they've always had computers.
There are several other points of interest worth checking out. You can read the article here. - Youth Ministry Today
- Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:55:00 +0000
There is an interesting (and saddening) article in USA Today that looks at recent surveys of teens and their involvement in church youth groups. You can read the article here.
One of the biggest statements, to me, made in the actual article is "Only about one in four teens now participate in church youth groups, considered the hallmark of involvement; numbers have been flat since 1999." That's eleven years! That's incredibly revealing.
If you get a chance to check out the article, it is worthwhile to read through the comments as well. Some are very insightful, honest, and personal. Many have shared their own experiences about their time as a teen in a church youth group. Most are not very complementary. - "Christian" Marketing
- Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:18:00 +0000
I've struggled with how churches market themselves in their communities ever since I got to see the behind-the-scenes planning and brainstorming sessions. On one hand, I can understand getting the word out to as many people as possible that you're doing something that you believe will make a difference in their lives...possibly even introduce them to LIFE. However, I have often wondered how much of it comes from sincerity and a surrendering to the Spirit to lead in this and how much of it comes from ego and a desire to be more "successful" in ministry.
I haven't given it much thought in a few years but I just received a catalog from a very well-known and widely used organization that produces materials for churches. The thing that stuck out to me the most from this catalog is that in large letters, just above the address area (so the first thing you see when you open your mailbox) is "Groups will grow your church!"
This just seems to scream that those producing these materials know (or at least firmly believe) that the thing on the forefront of pastors' minds is to "grow your church." Of all the things that could be said to get a pastor's attention, this is what they felt best described why a church should buy their material!
This post is not to throw pastors under the bus or call anyone out. I know there are pastors who are surrendered to God and serving because they are called. I also know there are plenty of pastors who aren't in ministry primarily to "grow your church." I also recognize the value of a church that is growing and the importance of more people coming to the faith and finding that in the exchange of their dead life for His abundant life, they gain everything.
My problem is that this marketing slogan from this organization doesn't communicate any of that. I think it's a telling slogan because the first thing you see is supposed to grab your attention, speak to a deep desire that you have, and promise to fulfill that desire. That's marketing.
So, this organization apparently feels that the thing that would make a pastor open this catalog and be tempted to buy its material is the promise that if they "build great groups" that these "groups will grow your church!" - IMPACT
- Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:35:00 +0000
This past week I was at IMPACT Camp. It was an incredible week. This was my second year to write the material for the small groups and personal devotions as well as teach during the big group times. The bond that God has been forming between this group from Temple Bible Church, my family, and me is very special.
Each night, I was able to see in their faces that God was revealing Himself to them and showing them who they have become in Him! It is deeply enjoyable to see students realize that they're identity isn't in their failures, successes, peer group, or appearance but in Christ alone.
One student came up to me after the third night and told me that his belief system was changing - from believing lies about himself and about God to believing truth! A few others students expressed how amazing they felt as they released their burdens to Christ and focused on Him instead of what their circumstances.
During some of the time set aside for testimonies, I was encouraged to hear the students embracing their identity in Christ and how it was affecting how they see themselves. They began to believe 2 Corinthians 5:21 - that we have become the righteousness of God in Christ because we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), Zechariah 13:9 - that we are His and He is ours, and Colossians 3:3 - that we have died and our lives is hidden with God in Christ.
Not only were these students responsive and open to the teaching times, but they were wonderful with my kids. Several of them reached out to over and over again to each of my kids and would play with them, making them feel like they were a part of the camp with the students.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the camp experience. - Served
- Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:34:00 +0000
What does it mean to you to be served? I've been thinking over this for a few days, as God has revealed some passages to me that connect in ways I never realized before.
Jesus says in Mark 10:45, that He came not to be served but to serve. Then, in Acts 17:24-28 we read that God is not served by humanity, nor does He need anything from us as He is complete in and of Himself. He doesn't live in anything we have made but does live in what He has made - believers in Christ.
Our role in this life isn't about serving God, as if He needed us to serve Him (Acts 17:24-28), but rather allowing Him to serve us and others through us. When I first started thinking about these passages and how they fit together, it was difficult thinking it could be true. It just sounded weird to me that I can let Jesus "serve" me. I'm sure that's a little of how the disciples felt when Jesus grabbed the bowl of water, bent over, and began washing their feet. - A New Creation - Song from the '80's
- Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:30:00 +0000
- Some Dude's Testimony
- Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:14:00 +0000
This guy is one of the band members in "Allison Krauss and Union Station" and shares about how he came to learn of his identity in Christ. - Facing the Sun
- Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:46:00 +0000
This morning was an incredibly foggy morning in our town. My family and I woke up earlier than usual because it was going to be a busy day and our oldest needed some pj's to wear to school for pj day. So, she and I loaded up a little before 7:00 and headed to the store. We could barely see anything!
It was extremely thick, and when we crossed the dam on our way home visibility may have been 15 yards. My daughter, who is 6, was fascinated and curious. We talked a lot about how neat the fog was but how there was a serious downside to it: you can't see through it.
As we headed to her school, the fog wasn't relenting but the sun was starting to rise. It was beautiful through the fog to watch it elevate into the sky. Then, something amazing happened to us. After reaching an intersection in our neighborhood, we turned right and headed towards the sunrise. The moment we turned and headed directly toward the sunset, the fog was lifted in front of us. It wasn't gradual, it was instantaneous. After reaching another intersection, I looked to my left and to my right and saw fog again. The visibility was a little better but the fog was definitely still there.
The more this scene played through my mind today the more I realized this is a picture of what it looks like for us to fix our eyes on Jesus. When we're walking around in a state of independence, it's like driving through the dense fog and not really knowing what is all around you. You're just trying to make it through safely.
But when you have turned toward Jesus and set your focus on Him, walking in a state of dependence on Him, you can experience His rest as He guides you down the road of life and you enjoy all that He shows you.
The moment my eyes shifted direction off of where the sun was, there was fog. The moment we turned to go in a different direction, away from the sun, we experienced what it was like to be in the fog. The only break we experienced from the confusion, blindness, and hazard that the fog brought with it was when we were headed towards to sun: fixed on it. - Support/Update Letter
- Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:43:00 +0000
Dear Friends and Family,
It has been a wonderful year for LIFe Ministries and for us as a family. God has continued to grow LIFe Ministries and unite our family as we journey along this adventure of faith, learning dependence on Christ along the way. Our goal for LIFe Ministries is to proclaim the beautiful news that true fullness in life is found only in Jesus, and that our relationship with Him brings freedom, peace, joy, and love.
We are particularly thrilled about God's expansion of LIFe Ministries among college students. This past fall, Matt spoke and wrote the curriculum for a college retreat held in Southeast Texas. Recently, we received this message from Curtis, a college student who attended this event:
“God has really been working on me all semester with what your talk was about during the retreat about our identity and comfort in Christ alone. It seems to be a theme for me...thanks for allowing God to use you in my life, you certainly started and introduced a lesson to me that God has continually been teaching me about ever since.”
In addition to weekend retreats, we are also engaging numerous students and adults in weekly discipleship. This has been the most vibrant and encouraging area for LIFe Ministries because we get to see Christ revealing Himself to others and transforming their lives on a regular basis.
Currently, we are in the process of re-designing our website and much of our promotional material in order to reflect our expansion among college students (C-LIFe) and parenting (P-LIFe). We hope these new resources will be valuable for churches in 2010.
God has increased our supporter base this year and strengthened our partnerships with churches. LIFe Ministries will continue to be a grace-based ministry, operating financially as God provides through individuals, like-minded organizations, and churches. Raising support for this ministry and our salaries has been a humbling and incredible experience for us. Whether you have given financially or supported LIFe through prayer, we thank you and we thank God for how He has moved you to partner with us. Your partnership with us is absolutely critical.
2010 will be the fourth year of LIFe Ministries, and it continues to function like a local missions organization. We serve, minister, and share the gospel of Life in Christ, while God uses supporters who share our heart for this ministry to provide the largest part of our financial provision. While we do not have enough regular financial supporters to cover the budget, God continues to bring in support when it is needed. Most often, God's provision for our needs comes from one of you and for that we are deeply grateful. We know that in the current economic climate, it is a significant act of trust to partner with us financially.
Please continue praying for us and LIFe Ministries. This is critical work in a culture longing to find significance, purpose, and meaning in life. Also, please pray about becoming a monthly, quarterly, or annual financial supporter of LIFe Ministries if you are not already. If you know of anyone who may be interested in hearing more about this ministry, please contact us. If you wish to contribute financially to LIFe Ministries for 2009, you will need to postmark your check by December 31, 2009, for tax purposes.
It is an honor to partner with you in this ministry. We are praying for you and praying for transformation in our world. Thank you for being a partner in LIFe.
Grace and Peace,
Matt and Dani
LIFe Ministries
www.liveinfreedom.org
254.913.5012
Mindy - A Story of Life-Change from Weekly Discipleship:
“I've been a Christian for 27 years. My faith has always been very strong, and my beliefs have always tended toward legalism. That's how I was raised, and it sort of worked well with my Type A personality. When you're legalistic and you "achieve", you can feel good about yourself...momentarily. But all the moments in between were miserable. I have loved God... truly, truly loved Him, for as long as I can remember. I have been desperate to please Him and to please people. I've been desperate to be accepted by Him and by people. I have worked and served and given and done and tried until I was exhausted, frustrated, and discouraged. Because I wasn't ever quite good enough to accept myself...so surely God couldn't be pleased with me and what could others possibly find in me that was worthy? After all those years, I did not understand my identity in Christ. I mean, I could teach about our identity in Christ to a group of girls or a Sunday school class...I'm pretty sure I actually have, but I didn't get it and I didn't even realize that I didn't get it! I was 32 with both feet firmly planted on the Performance Treadmill, running full speed ahead and getting nowhere. And I was convinced that's what Christianity was. The "Freedom" and "Grace" messages I had been exposed to came from people that looked nothing like Jesus to me, so I instantly dismissed them as false doctrine to the point I think I was even a little put off by the terms themselves! If Freedom and Grace meant giving yourself permission to live a self-centered and sinful lifestyle, I wasn't interested.
It was last year after a three-hour conversation over coffee with Dani that I first heard about "Be Transformed." I was burnt-out, tired, frustrated, and Dani shared with me that she and Matt were going to be taking a group through this awesome Bible study that changed their lives. My husband and I ended up going through the study, and God used that time, that study, Matt and Dani, to answer so many of the questions I had been asking for so many years. For the first time in my life, I understand who I am. I get it! And for the first time, I heard someone speak of grace and freedom without just stopping there and saying...now we can do whatever we want and it doesn't matter. They added the missing piece of the puzzle...because of grace and freedom, Christ is able to live His life through us as we REST and trust in His adequacy to do so. I have been through more Bible studies than I can count and have even led more than I can count, but I have never been transformed by one like this before. I am changed, and am so grateful that God heard my questions and purposed Matt and Dani into my family's life in order to answer them. Wow...what an amazing God.”
Upcoming Events:
-January 8-10 Winter Retreat at Camp Tejas for Grace Bible Church in Killeen, TX
-January 15-17 DiscipleNow at First United Methodist Church in Temple, TX
-February 12-14 Winter Retreat at Faith Bible Church in Boerne, TX
-February 20-21 DiscipleNow at Trinity Baptist Church in Harker Heights, TX
-March 26-28 DiscipleNow at First Baptist Church in Laredo, TX
If you feel led to support Living In Freedom Ministries, please visit www.liveinfreedom.org and click on "Our Support." Or just click here.
Living In Freedom Ministries is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. - This Is Who I Am by Shane & Shane
- Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:13:00 +0000
This past Tuesday, Shane & Shane released their latest album - Everything Is Different. It's incredible! Probably my favorite track is called "This Is Who I Am." I've posted the lyrics to the song below and will post the actual song when I can find it online.
It's REALLY good!
----------------------------
I am a new creation,
the old is passed away
and I’m made new
I’m made new.
And I have been adopted,
the door is opened up
for me to know you
be like you
This is who I am
I’ve been born again
the Cross is my defense, my hope secured
now my life is in Your Hand
on Your every word I stand
Lord I’m finding who I am in all you are
When my heart condemns me
tells me I am guilty
Your greater
Your greater
Jesus you have searched me,
and even in your finding
You have loved
and You love me
This is who I am
I’ve been born again
the Cross is my defense, my hope secured
now my life is in Your Hand
on Your every word I stand
Lord I’m finding who I am in all you are
For He mad Him who knew no sin
To be sent
On our behalf was crucified
Oh that we could be the righteousness
Of our creator
I am a new creation,
the old is passed away
and I’m made new
I’m made new.
This is who I am
I’ve been born again
the Cross is my defense, my hope secured
now my life is in Your Hand
on Your every word I stand
Lord I’m finding who I am in all you are
This is who I am
I’ve been born again
the Cross is my defense, my hope secured
now my life is in Your Hand
on Your every word I stand
Lord I’m finding who I am in all you are - What to do when...
- Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:28:00 +0000
Sloth, again I thank you for the comment and questions. I love the dialogue we have going on and enjoy knowing your thoughts. I can understand how the things I teach can appear as you have said, that I "make it sound like Jesus puts on a Matt suit or a Scott suit and we become puppets."
The key element in this is that puppets don't have a choice. They can't say to the puppet master that he/she isn't allowed to move their mouths or make them appear alive.
What Jesus does in those who believe is much more than putting on a suit or becoming a puppet master. He simply becomes our life so that the life we live in the flesh we live by faith in Christ, for we died with Christ and have been resurrected in Him as well (Galatians 2:20).
While we have the choice, we are nothing apart from Him so to choose to live independently of the One who is Life would be choose nothing. It may appear to others that we're doing something and we may even think to ourselves that we are choosing something but if it's not Christ, it's not life, and it's just nothing. There will be no experienced peace, true hope, deep understanding, or honest fulfillment apart from Christ.
The Christian life isn't passive. There is a moral choice of the will that we make. The choice is in every moment - dependence on the active, living, loving, powerful Creator-God who has united Himself with all who believe and made us partakers of His nature (2 Peter 1:4) or independence from Him.
So, what are we to do when we various things come up in our lives? The next question you've posed is a great one. "Does depending on Christ mean that we have no responsibility to act?" More specifically, "Suppose I have more bills than I have money. Does depending on Christ mean I sit around doing my usual routine and wait for him to mail me a check, or do I look for avenues to up my income (part time jobs, selling stuff, whatever) and then depend on God to provide through those avenues?"
To best address this question, I want to start with a point that is absolutely critical to this discussion. Is the problem yours or is it Christ's? If it's yours, then you have to figure something out. After all, it's your problem and it needs to be solved. However, if it is Christ's problem, then it's His job to supply the need. It's our right to trust Him.
Don't misunderstand me here. I'm not saying that it means we don't do anything. We trust. This trust is active. We trust that He is good, living, and living through us in this situation. We can respond in a manner like this: "Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to trust you. I don't know what you desire for me through this situation but I trust you to always be enough for me. Whatever way you desire to bring your provision for this need I thank you and trust you to bring it. If that means I need to get another job, thank you. If that means I sit and wait for a check in the mail, thank you. It's not up to me to determine how you provide but I choose to trust you to do so as you alone are my provider."
I know from first-hand experience that He is faithful. I know from first-hand experience that His provision doesn't always come from the same place and it's hardly ever where it might be expected.
Each moment is ours to trust Him in and every difficulty is His to deal with as we trust. We get to cast all our cares on Him so that they are actually His cares and not ours any longer. As we live in this mindset, we live in a constant state of dependence on Him as our sole provider, thanking Him for how He creatively provides for our physical needs, whether it be through a job, several jobs, or other people, or some other avenue.
Regardless of the situation, we can choose to either trust Him and allow Him to handle it or we can start trying to figure out how to best manage the situation and hope that He blesses our efforts. Life is found in one option. Frustration, anxiety, stress, pain, and fear are found in the other.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on all this...and thanks again for reading and inviting me to clarify what I teach! - Everything by Tim Hughes
- Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:18:00 +0000
This has to be one of my all time favorite songs, the lyrics are incredible! I hope you enjoy...
Christ in me, the hope of glory! - Great Question...
- Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:13:00 +0000
In case you've missed it, this question stems from my previous post: "If we are new creatures in Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit, incapable of being snatched out of His hand, then is it even possible to live apart from Christ; to live in a state of non-dependence on Him?"
It's true, we are "new creatures in Christ" as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "sealed with the Holy Spirit" as we read in Ephesians 1:13, and "incapable of being snatched out of His hand" as we can read in John 10:28-29. While all of this is true and clearly described in the Scriptures, it is also true that we still have a moral choice in regards to our daily lives. This choice doesn't affect our identity, as being alive in Christ, but it does directly affect our daily experience.
After one has become a "new creation" in Christ, to live in a "state of non-dependence on Him" is to live in sin...i.e. not in faith. We are still united with Christ in our spirit, however our soul is engaged in dependence on the flesh (or false life). Living in this state directly affects our quality of life and how we interpret the situations we face as well as how we react to them.
In a sense, it is impossible to "live in a state of independence" since we are in constant union with Christ. However, after we are joined in this union with Him, the journey is only beginning. The rest of our lives is the journey toward deeper dependence and surrender. Each moment brings the choice: to depend on Christ or something/someone else. Christ life, nothing and no one else is.
Sorry it took so long to respond, Sloth. I've had this sitting as a draft for about a month... :) - Look At That Hand...
- Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:10:00 +0000
The past few months have been crazy for me. One thing has been going through my mind regularly since the beginning of August and it all began while I was listening to over 1 Corinthians 12, particularly starting in verse 12 and going through verse 27. This whole passage is about how we are the body of Christ and each member of the body being critical to the whole.
Each person who is a new creation in Christ is one, though there is great diversity in what His life in each one looks like as Christ lives through those who believe in Him...just as a body is one and made up of different parts.
The main thought that has been floating around my mind is how easy it is to look at, let's say a hand, and see all that it's doing. We can see it with our eyes. If you just look at a hand, you can see potential...after all there is so much that a hand can do.
However, a hand removed from it's source of life is inadequate and unable to do anything. Just like Jesus saying that apart from the Father, He can do nothing (John 5:19, 30; John 8:28), He also says of us, "apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
Removed from our Source from life (Jesus), we can do nothing. Even though our schedules may be over-loaded and our lives crazy busy, apart from Christ it all amounts to nothing. The end result for us will always lead to exhaustion, a longing for something more, and discontentment. Why? Because we are nothing apart from Christ.
Just as the hand can't operate without blood flowing through it, we can't really live independent of Christ flowing through us! We'll never experience life fully apart from Christ because He is Life and His Life is abundant (John 14:6, John 10:10).
May we live dependent on our Life-Source and focus on Him (Hebrews 12:2) instead of the deeds we see done. Without Him, we're like a hand disconnected from the body, void of blood. There may be potential, but it will never be realized without Christ...the One who is our life (Colossians 3:4). - "The Furious Longing of God"
- Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:40:00 +0000
I've been a fan of Brennan Manning's writings for several years but I think his latest book, The Furious Longing of God, is the best yet. I haven't even finished it yet but there has already been so much incredible truth in it that it has topped The Ragamuffin Gospel for me. Here is a little just to give you a glimpse at the incredible story he tells:
"Both theology, which is faith seeking understanding, and spirituality, which is the faith-experience of what we understand intellectually, offer a glimpse into the mystery...But then there's also that word Chesterton used: union. That's one of the most explosive words in my Christian vocabulary. The daring metaphor of Jesus as bridegroom suggests that the living God seeks more than an intimate relationship with us. The reckless, raging fury of Yahweh culminates, dare we say it, in a symbiotic fusion, a union so substantitive that the apostle Paul would write:It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20 NASB).
In a fascinating footnote to that verse, the Jerusalem Bible adds: "The living acts of a Christian become somehow the acts of Christ." (Gulp!)"
In speaking of Song of Solomon 7:10 which is "I am my beloved's, and His desire is for me," Manning writes:
"When you take those words personally, I mean very personally, a number of beautiful things come to pass:
-The drumbeats of doom in your head will be replaced by a song in your heart, which could lead to a twinkle in your eye.
-You will not be dependent on the company of others to ease your loneliness, for He is Emmanuel--God with us.
-The praise of others will not send your spirit soaring, nor will their criticism plunge you into the pit. Their rejection may make you sick, but it will not be a sickness unto death.
-In a significant interior development, you will move from I should pray to I must pray.
-You will live with an awareness that the Father not only loves you, but likes you.
-You will stop comparing yourself with others. In the same way, you will not trumpet your own importance, boast about your victories in the vineyard, or feel superior to anyone.
-You will read Zephaniah 3:17-18 and see God dancing for joy because of you (the Jerusalem Bible translation is accurate).
-Off and on throughout the day, you will just know that you are being seen by Jesus with a gaze of infinite tenderness.
I am a witness to these truths."
Alright, those are some incredible passages! This is the clearest I've read of Manning's work that not only beautiful describes the indescribable grace of God but in this book he is also unpacking the unbelievable reality of His union in the believer. It's the exchanged life, the Christ-life, the Christ in you...whatever you want to call it--it's life, and it's beautiful! I'm so thankful for the furious longing of God and for how He's expressing His longing for His creation through Manning in this little book. - You're Everything
- Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:02:00 +0000
This song by David Crowder Band has been a powerful song in my life for several years now. I usually listen to it on repeat for weeks at a time and it never seems to get old. I just watched this video and cried through most of it.
Oh Jesus, You're everything! You're it...more than the knowledge of You, You alone are everything. Thank YOU! - Why Are We Still Here?
- Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:30:00 +0000
A friend of mine, Sloth, asked this question:Why do you suppose God made us physical beings in the first place? Why weren't the angels enough? And once we become 'spirit beings' why do we have to keep having this 'human experience'? Why can't we just live the life we are ultimately destined for?
He also offered this:I know many will say we have to stay human to help others become 'spirit beings'. I'm not sure I'm satisfied with that answer though. What do you think?
I'm in the same boat as Sloth in that I'm not all that satisfied with the typical answer about us staying here solely to help others become alive in Christ...while I do find that in important element of our continued life in the flesh.
Honestly, I think this question is WAY over my head and I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. For me, this question goes all the way back to Genesis 1 and 2. Why did God create humanity in the first place? For in that I think we may find why we continue on in the flesh after we are made new in Christ.
Maybe we remain on simply because it is God's good pleasure to have us relate with Him, choosing Him over all the other things that used to captivate our attention and hearts...allowing Him to shower our souls with His river of life from our core as we experience the reality of His life in us and through us in this world.
Maybe He enjoys living His life in us and through us so much that it's enjoyable for Him to keep us here so that we continue learning the life of dependence, getting to experience His life in the flesh which is completely unattainable apart from Himself.
I think a by-product of His life in us is His life through us to others, ushering others into His life as well...which is critical as far as His desire to bring everyone to Life, but not necessarily the primary reason for why we are still here.
I'd love to hear more thoughts and continue this discussion with any who so desire to engage. Sloth, what do you think? - When Feelings Are Absent
- Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:30:00 +0000
How difficult life is to enjoy when feelings of comfort, security, peace, acceptance, adequacy, and importance are lacking! As we live in the human condition, we will all experience life void of such feelings at times. So, what do we do when we feel alone, unacceptable, inadequate, insecure, and devalued? How can a God whom we can't see and whom we can't feel the touch of His arms wrapping around us to hold us be enough in these moments? How can this God make His reality our reality when our soul is longing for a connection?
Faith.
Faith in what? How might this faith look? And how can faith in an unseen (and often un-felt) God become more real to us than our circumstances and emotions, which we see, touch, feel, and experience in every moment?
The life of faith doesn't make practical sense. Living in faith isn't living in the hope that the best will turn out, but instead is confident that God is enough in each moment and that He uses every situation in the very best way for us. Often times, that means that the very best thing for us is pain, sorrow, disappointment, and frustration...because life is only truly lived in dependence on Jesus, not on ourselves. Each difficulty, as well as each triumph, is an invitation to depend on Jesus to be enough for us in that moment.
However, our emotions and thoughts are powerful. Often times, we may feel that we're alone. No matter how we try to convince ourselves otherwise, the strength of this feeling may be too strong to change. How does "trusting in God" or "fixing our eyes on Jesus" affect these feelings?
Well, God changes everything. When we become a new creation in Christ, we are no longer mere human beings trying to have a spiritual experience but have become spirit beings having a human experience. Our focus is able to shift off of ourselves and whatever positive or negative situation we may be in. Our focus is able to shift to Christ in each moment. He is our life. He is our everything and He is with us in the midst of each moment.
He's always enough, even when we don't feel this reality. He has changed us, in the core of who we are, so that in everything we have hope, life, peace, joy, love, patience, rest, kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, gentleness, and endurance.
This is the life of faith: that regardless of what we feel, we trust. We don't trust in ourselves but in Christ alone. He is life. He is truth. He is love. And He is our everything.
Grace and Peace. - The Sufficiency of Christ
- Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:13:00 +0000
A friend of mine recently wrote about this topic - The Sufficiency of Christ - in which he details how Christ isn't sufficient. He isn't saying that God is not holy, just, righteous, the Giver of life, or anything like that. Here are a few paragraphs from his original post:No, God created us to be dependent creatures. Yes, we are dependent. ( It’s quite humorous when we act like we’re these autonomous and independent things that need nothing and no one. The reality is that these people who are so called "independent" place their trust in the power of work and the dollar bill more than God.) Part of worship is recognizing who we are in relation to God. So we must recognize our dependency in order to live lives that are pleasing to God...
It is irresponsible of us to act like we need nothing in this world but Jesus. It is even more immoral to act like we don't have a responsibility to helping our brothers and sisters out. We can't use the excuse that "God will meet their needs." Yes, God has created a means to supply our needs. But that means is quite oftentimes me and you. We cannot simply be sponges that suck everything up. We must give back and pour out.
I think my friend has a point worth noting, however I must disagree with the explanation of this point.
Jesus is sufficient. Every need we have is met in Him. He's the beginning and the end, as well as everything in between. It must be this way (as Jesus Himself claimed to be "the way, the truth, and the life..") We were created to live completely dependent upon Him. That's how we can not only survive but thrive in the midst of persecution in isolation (not that I've personally experienced this). He is enough.
Now, as for us living in community (not just spiritual but physical as well), Jesus lives through us to meet the needs of those around us. The crucial point to embrace here is that He is the One meeting the needs - He's using our bodies to do so but He is the life in us, the motivator in us, the giver through us...it begins and ends with Him for if we live, it's Christ living in us living through us in this world.
My friend is correct: We are dependent beings. We are completely dependent upon Christ for life, provision, protection, acceptance, identity, and love. We tell our children often that God is always with them and will always take care of them...even if when they experience discomfort, physical harm, or feel all alone. The reality is they are safe and secure in Christ.
I see the reality of this in the biblical account of Paul and Silas in prison. They may have physically been in chains but they were free, protected, and secure...full of life, peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and at rest. How was this possible? It wasn't because they were meeting each others needs but rather finding their entire life in Christ. Their starting point was not this physical reality but instead their spiritual reality.
Bill Loveless says, "When we become believers in Christ, we are no longer human beings having a spiritual experience but instead have become spirit beings having a human experience." Christ has changed everything! He's done it and He is always enough. We don't just cling to His death for us but also to His resurrected life given to us to live in us so that we now may truly live.
This isn't merely semantics to me. In my opinion, my friend is responding to abuses he has seen in the Christian sub-culture to this phrase: "the sufficiency of Christ." He accurately explains that it would be "irresponsible" of us to use Jesus as an excuse for inactivity at injustice. It is precisely because of Jesus that we would act on behalf of others! However, I wouldn't describe it as us acting but rather Jesus Himself acting through us...expressing His life that He is living in us through us to the world around us.
Our starting point must always be Christ. Not just as the One turn to when we need help but at every moment. He is life - He alone is life. For us to carry the idea that we are taking care of others does not lead to Christ but to ourselves. If Christ isn't our recognized Source of life and way of living this life then it is ourselves - and our flesh will carry that straight to pride. We will be able to look to others and see how much better we are at social justice, evangelism, or whatever standard we choose to focus on at the time.
I value my friend and enjoy reading his thoughts...I am almost always left thinking more about what he writes. It's for that reason that I write this post.
May we "fix our eyes on Jesus" and allow Him to be our everything so that He may live through us in our communities and world. He is enough and it's His desire for us to experience His full life and for others to see His full life through us. However, this cannot be achieved through human effort or self-determination. He's the Giver, we're always the receiver. As we receive from Him, He begins giving through us to others - while never ceasing to give to us as well.
I'd love to continue the discussion with any else (and my friend) if so desired.
Grace and Peace. - Treasure
- Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:57:00 +0000
- Youth, Movies, and Sex
- Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000
Here is a little quote from an article about a recent study by the Children's Hospital Boston:The results of the study were presented recently at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Baltimore. The study followed 754 kids first in childhood and again five years later when they were aged 12 to 18. According to the data, earlier exposure to adult content correlated to the earlier sexual activity in the teenage years.
Every hour of adult-targeted television or movies seen by the kids over two sample days when they were between 6 and 8 years old, correlated to a 33% increased risk of sexual activity in early adolescence.
You can read the rest of the article here. - Great Tool For Parents
- Wed, 27 May 2009 15:09:00 +0000
LG recently created an application/website where you can type in what your teen is texting/writing and it will translate it for you.
It's very easy to use and can definitely be extremely useful for parents who want to know what their child is communicating to others via text, AIM, facebook, MySpace, and any other social networking site.
Really, you should check this out! - Spiritual Maturity
- Tue, 12 May 2009 05:50:00 +0000
There is a new study released by The Barna Group that deals with how churchgoers define spiritual maturity. You can read the actual findings here.
It's rather saddening to me that the first point made is that "Most Christians equate spiritual maturity with following the rules."
Wow...that's so off the mark of the Gospel! There is a ton of stuff to think about in regards to this study. I'll write more on some of the other points another time. In the mean time, I'd love to here some of your thoughts. Check it out and let me know what you think...
Grace/Peace. - Some Great Thoughts...
- Thu, 07 May 2009 17:59:00 +0000
I read stuff from CPYU all the time. I'm definitely a big fan of the resources they provide to parents and those who work with students. If you are even remotely insterested in youth and the student generation/culture, www.cpyu.org is a great site to get you important information.
On Walt Mueller's blog (the head guy at CPYU) a few days ago, he wrote some interesting thoughts about the transition from high school to college. He asked the guy who co-authored "The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness" to list the top 5 concerns he has for youth ministry in regards to the transition from high school to college.
It's defnitely worth taking some time to read through and consider what he included on his list. You can read the full post here.
What are people saying?
"This material taught me more about my relationship with Christ than any other study I have ever done."
- Amy, HS Counselor & Youth Worker for 9 Years
"I am very thankful that I spent the time in this study and my life will never be the same."
- Chris, Youth Pastor in Texas