So encouraged from Uncharted last night, and our discussion on the importance of intellectual roots in our Faith. We studied how the Bible as a whole stresses the importance of knowledge, but dove into Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians that all knowledge and Faith means nothing without love.
We talked our experience in ministry, and all the times we've ended up just trying to win an argument, rather than letting compassion for the person be our focus, with them knowing Jesus being the end goal. Lots of interesting discussion.
When is it righteous anger, and we are we taking too much of a burden upon ourselves?
When do you shake the dust off your feet and walk away?
How do you form a relationship with the person without condoning their sin?
What are some tangible ways of finding the sweet spot between knowledge and love?
Oh, and he's a picture of a baby seal that snuck in to nap on my couch.
A great reading found here , some notes copied below...
There are five major things to keep in mind when doing apologetics regarding world religions:
Know what the other believes. Never assume you know their faith as much as they do.
Read their book. Nothing will open up avenues for discussion as much as the knowledge that you have read the books they find holy.
Know Christianity. If you don’t know what you yourself believe, how are you to share that with others? As you engage with people of other faiths, you must continue to learn about your own faith and its answers to the questions others pose.
Preach the Gospel. The goal should not only be to rebut the others assertions and beliefs. It should be to guide the other towards Christ crucified and the salvation provided for by God.
Build a Genuine Relationship. It isn’t enough to simply engage in dialog; one must show they are interested in what the other has to say and what they believe. They must also be more than an occasional debate partner; they must build a relationship and become a friend. I’m not suggesting deception here, the relationship must be genuine. By showing a Christlike life to others, we can show them the intimate joys of Christianity.
My books for the Fall arrived yesterday! After a wonderful lunch meeting last Monday with Dr. Groothuis, and then a great webinar this past Wednesday, I had to jump into Christian Aplogetics the minute I got it. Yes, the actual minute I got it I started reading it.
Taking suggestion from Moreland, I have started making a list of all the words I don't know. Debra and Chels, aren't yall proud?!
Have loved the first chapters, specifically on the parts referring to apologetics and evangelism. I would quote what stood out to me, but I would literally copy everything I had read so far.
In the young adults group last night, we were talking about our Biblical heroes, and I confessed Paul was mine. I got a little excited speaking about his example in evangelism, and my new friend simply said, "Oh so you have the gift of evangelism?"
{insert blank stare}
I have been blogging about this, talking with my mom about this, reading about this, and honestly fearing about not doing it well. I am so passionate about this, but as I start to really flesh it out, I find myself gripped with insecurity. How many different ways can I learn the same lesson? God is gracious and all powerful. I am weak and (continually) humbled. When I am weak, He is strong...right? I need to believe this right now. God help my unbelief.
I so often feel like Jeremiah, in that I could not hold back His word, even if I so wanted. Two sides playing into this, one being my passion and Joy in the Lord, and the other being the reality of sin and seeing its affects (not 'effects', right?) on people.
1 - I am experiencing God's goodness and freedom, how can I keep this to myself?
2 - How can I sit back and watch others go down this path?
Below is a video with insight, even from an atheist: "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"
Taking this to heart, I trudge forward in evangelism. Encouraged and passionate by day, discouraged and debilitated by night.
Somewhere along the way, I take a inappropriate burden upon myself. Rather than my ministry being an overflow of the joy and forgiveness I am receiving from the Lord, I have begun to bypass my relationship with the Lord (and my sense of Peace/Hope) and am swimming around in this reality of sin - frantic to save everyone I can. I find myself confused over verse that tell us to not "cast your pearls before swine" and that "the message of the Cross if foolishness to those who are perishing"
You see idolatry can be a sneaky thing. Even if the best motives are not kept in check, we can begin worshipping the very thing we are fighting, by granting it more power over us than we do the Lord.
There is one SMALL point that needs to be made, what does God say? Really, I am asking, please tell me.
This brings me to David. David was said to be a man after God's own heart, until he took something which was not given to him by God. Am I doing this with nonbelievers whom the Lord has not entrusted to me specifically? [Now I havn't taken my Biblical Interpretation class, (though I did get my text book in the mail today -woohoo) but I did have a Pastor give me this application, as he was subtly calling me out, so that means it's right.]
In Matthew 10:14, Christ tells us to shake the dust off our feet when departing from those who will not receive nor hear our words.
{insert wisdom and application for this verse}
As I write this, I can't help but realize I have written many posts over the last couple months regarding the believer's role in evangelism. I think God's trying to teach me something...
As always, Ravi does such a gracious job of articulating truth, in the context of the question, "Is America Abandoning God?" Please watch this enjoyable video, I have typed out some quotations below.
"There is a God shaped vaccum, but with these trememdous attacks from a rabid secularism, kind of attractive spirituality without god, collapse economically, geopolitical manueverings in the name of religions, all of these have had a role to play in disallusioning people, but somewhere in the deep recesses of our own thinking, we don't like the feeling of being left alone. None of us does. And we want a voice from somewhere and the least we are saying in the coming to these meetings is, "is there legitimacy to this?"
"It is in vain oh men that you week within yourselves a cure for your miseries. All your insight only leads you to the knowledge that it is not in yourselves that you will discover the true and the good. The philosophers promised them to you and they've not been able to keep their promise. They do not know what your true good is or what your true state is. How then could they have provided for you a cure for the ills which they have not even understood? Your principle maladies are pride which cuts you off from God and sensuality which binds you to the earth and they have done nothing but foster at least one of these two maladies. If they have given God for you for an object it has been to pander to your pride. They made you think that you were like Him and resemble Him in your nature, and those who have grasped the vanity of such pretentions have case you down into the other abyss by making you believe that your future is like that of the best of the field and have led you to seek your good in lust, which is the lot of the animals."
"If the message changes it can be compromised ... give up all substance of the Gospel to win them over, what are you winning them over, to?"
"People are equal, ideas are unequal. Let ideas be pit against each other, but don't take the egalitarianism from the person."
When Faith is not challenged, it can often go unnoticed that a strong foundation is non-existent. The danger is that deceptive philosophies begin to be accepted, which imply that there is no absolute Truth, or that it is unknowable. Hebrews 11 tells us that Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do see. Growing up in the Bible Belt, we were told that "when you accept Christ, you just feel Him wrap his arms around you!" With a tilt of the head, one could raise their hand and ask, "um, what if I did not feel that?" There are some pseudo Christian groups (i'll refrain from using the term cults) that base their conversion solely on this "warm and fuzzy feeling". Don't get me wrong, I know that God's peace and comfort can be experienced literally and physically, but this is not where we are to remain. With knowledge comes the reality of our need for a Savior... a fundamental understanding of God, man, sin, and therefore our relation to God. This truth is unwavering. Emotional/Spiritual highs exists, but cannot be our foundation as they are wavering.
We can look to the example of how Jesus Himself ministered using parables, in order that those who accept the teaching might have roots to their Faith, (Matthew 13:18-23). We can look to the example of Paul in Acts 17:16-34, and his use of reason and truth in his ministry.
How does this apply to our ministry? As Christians, we know the way to truth is found in the Bible, God’s special revelation, and also God’s general revelation through history, science, and reason. My Prayer, is that our efforts in ministry are not done in vain by only appealing to an emotional sense, and that we acknowledge the danger that is created by the vulnerability of Faith with no roots.
It has been so wonderful to have the opportunity serving at the Vail Church, as a means of hitting the ground running. We had a garage sale fundraiser for a couple mission trips this fall, was able to meet the wonderful staff and many of the volunteers (don't ask me to list off names, but I can say most of them start with a 'J').
Got plugged into a young adults group, yay friends. We're going camping this weekend, yay high-maintenance Texans.
Gradually stretching those lungs, went jogging for a whole 23 minutes yesterday. Found a coffee shop by day/ bar by night [ Loaded Joe's ] where I plan to be a local. Fit in some significant reading time yesterday after church, and was also able to "lesson plan" a little for some potential apologetical teaching opportunities.
I am wondering when the vacation feeling is going to where off, but a new friend Lisa simply told me, "We've been here 3 years and it still hasn't worn off". I receive that :) Planning to go hiking with her tomorrow.
God has graciously provided housing with a sweet couple for the Fall, who has even offered to let me carpool with them back and forth to Vail on the weekends. Praying for God to show me whether it would be best to plug into a local Church in Denver once I am in school, or to see how I can stay involved with the Vail Church. Will definitely be putting some thoughts into action from last week's lesson on "Staying in Tune With God".
{I can't figure out how to cut this, so just watch 5:05 -5:11}
It was hard saying goodbye to my beautiful family. I love them times a million, and am already looking forward to the visits back and forth. We were a little spoiled the last couple years, with all 6 of us basically living in Austin, someone had to break the mold :) I not only love them so much, but I like them. I laugh more with my family than anyone else. With Papa Joe's creative mind and GranAnne's alive spirit, the fun never ends.
The chipmunks are teasing me.
Constantly too cold to shower.
6 minute jogs are exhausting.
Playing with foxes.
Rolling down hills with bear cubs.
Will you be my friend?
Expert garage sale-er.
Climb a 14er? Sure I'll meet ya there.
Thrifting through Colorado.
Oh good, they have taco seasoning.
I accidentally said the s-word. Twice.
Phasing from purse to backpack.
Oh so you're not supposed to put fresca in a camelback?
