Took last week off, but I'm back and ready for action.
I will be going through the book of Joshua, and each week will be a portion of the book, and thoughts on what we read.
Keep me in your prayers. I'm trying to cling to my savior and follow his lead in my life. I need to develop my prayer life more, and I would like to see myself become more compassionate towards strangers, and more social towards them as well.
May God's grace overflow to all who draw near to him in repentance and in love.
-Brett
Showing posts with label outreach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outreach. Show all posts
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Witness, How do I do that?
I am like Jim, never ventured out into this blog world before, and frankly haven't read very many. However, when Matt said we needed writers, I figured I could always find something to say, and most of you know that is really speaking the truth :) But here is what got this thought started....
A few months ago, Chaz Chinsethigid blessed us with singing an awesome song with the choir. Many of you have heard it a million times, as the youth sing it often as well. I don't know the name, but it talks about a man on a plane with his Bible, and how that lead to him witnessing to a stranger. And that got me thinking, how can I find ways to witness. I must admit, I have never been someone to go about sharing my testimony, and certainly don't really look for ways to do so. There is a lot of fear that comes with that, and lets face it, no one really likes a Bible beater. And if people don't like you they aren't going to listen to what you have to say, right? So, I thought what can I do or say to change some of that?
Well, here are some ideas that God sent to me as I pondered that tought.
I wear a beatiful cross on occasion. It is really sparkly and has lots of rinestones, it truly is an eye catching piece. I love it, my Mom gave it to me, and it goes with everything. Everytime I wear it, I get compliments. I usually say, "Oh thanks my Mom gave it to me". Or "it's one of my favorites", but what would happen if I said, "Thanks, it really helps me remember what God did for me and reminds me to share that with others". Wouldn't that be an awesome way to make an impact on someone's life? They may walk away, but at least I would have given it a shot. I also have a t-shirt or two with a cross (also sparkly) on it, and although I don't get as many compliments, it's still and opportunity waiting to happen.
But what about all of you men out there, I know you don't go around wearing sparkly crosses around your neck. Unless of course you are a 50cent impersonator in your spare time :) So what can you wear, or keep on or around you that could lead to a conversation about salvation? Or for you women who just don't like sparkly stuff or jewelry, what are subtle everday ways to witness? I would love to have some other thoughts, because I don't wear the cross everyday.
Thanks for letting me knock around some thoughts in my head.
As my Grandma always says ....
Remember where you come from,
-Sally
A few months ago, Chaz Chinsethigid blessed us with singing an awesome song with the choir. Many of you have heard it a million times, as the youth sing it often as well. I don't know the name, but it talks about a man on a plane with his Bible, and how that lead to him witnessing to a stranger. And that got me thinking, how can I find ways to witness. I must admit, I have never been someone to go about sharing my testimony, and certainly don't really look for ways to do so. There is a lot of fear that comes with that, and lets face it, no one really likes a Bible beater. And if people don't like you they aren't going to listen to what you have to say, right? So, I thought what can I do or say to change some of that?
Well, here are some ideas that God sent to me as I pondered that tought.
I wear a beatiful cross on occasion. It is really sparkly and has lots of rinestones, it truly is an eye catching piece. I love it, my Mom gave it to me, and it goes with everything. Everytime I wear it, I get compliments. I usually say, "Oh thanks my Mom gave it to me". Or "it's one of my favorites", but what would happen if I said, "Thanks, it really helps me remember what God did for me and reminds me to share that with others". Wouldn't that be an awesome way to make an impact on someone's life? They may walk away, but at least I would have given it a shot. I also have a t-shirt or two with a cross (also sparkly) on it, and although I don't get as many compliments, it's still and opportunity waiting to happen.
But what about all of you men out there, I know you don't go around wearing sparkly crosses around your neck. Unless of course you are a 50cent impersonator in your spare time :) So what can you wear, or keep on or around you that could lead to a conversation about salvation? Or for you women who just don't like sparkly stuff or jewelry, what are subtle everday ways to witness? I would love to have some other thoughts, because I don't wear the cross everyday.
Thanks for letting me knock around some thoughts in my head.
As my Grandma always says ....
Remember where you come from,
-Sally
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Walk in a manner worthy of the call
This week's post is short.
Ephesians 4:1-6:20 is where this comes from. Paul is writing the Ephesians a letter to tell them more about how to practically live out the teaching of Jesus in their lives.
I was reading articles on CNN and I came across one about a Baptist minister who was part of an organization that offered help to those who struggled with homosexuality. He has spent years talking about the redeeming work of Christ in the area of sexuality.
He recently resigned from his post to fight allegations that he went to Europe with a homosexual Male escort.
Are you as tired of this crap as I am?
How many prominent pastors and priests have resigned or been fired for public airing of their private escapades over the last couple of years? The Roman Catholics are still trying to find out how far down the pit they walked into goes.
To be fair, I don't know if these allegations against the Baptist minister are true. And I also know that just because someone is called to leadership positions in the Church, they still struggle with their old sin nature like any other Christian.
But enough is enough already. They bible says that not many should aspire to be teachers, or leaders, because they will be judged by a higher standard from God. (James 3:1)
But notice that he doesn't say that lay people escape judgement either.
In modern American theology, we don't like to think that after we are saved, we will have to give an account of how we used the grace God gaves us in Christ to further his kingdom. It rubs us wrong that we will actually be expected to do something for God after he saves us. Our attitudes are of this opinion more often than not, that of "well, he saved me, yeah, but how could he seriously say he loves me if he just wants to save me so I can be used by him? I think that love is letting someone do what they want."
Don't believe me that we will have to give an account? Check out these scriptures: Ecclesiastes 11:9; Matthew 25; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Please get your heads straight. If we love God, we will try to walk in a manner that pleases him.
Remember, he didn't have to save you.
-Brett
Ephesians 4:1-6:20 is where this comes from. Paul is writing the Ephesians a letter to tell them more about how to practically live out the teaching of Jesus in their lives.
I was reading articles on CNN and I came across one about a Baptist minister who was part of an organization that offered help to those who struggled with homosexuality. He has spent years talking about the redeeming work of Christ in the area of sexuality.
He recently resigned from his post to fight allegations that he went to Europe with a homosexual Male escort.
Are you as tired of this crap as I am?
How many prominent pastors and priests have resigned or been fired for public airing of their private escapades over the last couple of years? The Roman Catholics are still trying to find out how far down the pit they walked into goes.
To be fair, I don't know if these allegations against the Baptist minister are true. And I also know that just because someone is called to leadership positions in the Church, they still struggle with their old sin nature like any other Christian.
But enough is enough already. They bible says that not many should aspire to be teachers, or leaders, because they will be judged by a higher standard from God. (James 3:1)
But notice that he doesn't say that lay people escape judgement either.
In modern American theology, we don't like to think that after we are saved, we will have to give an account of how we used the grace God gaves us in Christ to further his kingdom. It rubs us wrong that we will actually be expected to do something for God after he saves us. Our attitudes are of this opinion more often than not, that of "well, he saved me, yeah, but how could he seriously say he loves me if he just wants to save me so I can be used by him? I think that love is letting someone do what they want."
Don't believe me that we will have to give an account? Check out these scriptures: Ecclesiastes 11:9; Matthew 25; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Please get your heads straight. If we love God, we will try to walk in a manner that pleases him.
Remember, he didn't have to save you.
-Brett
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Gospel vs. Culture, or what's up with the seemingly powerless proclamations these days?
I'm sure you've all heard it before. "The Bible was written a long time ago to a different culture," or "I don't read the Old Testament because as a 21st century Christian, I just cannot relate to it," or "We want to be a church that invites people in, so we don't preach that old Fire and Brimstone stuff anymore."
Pastors and church leaders are slowly looking around at the world we live in, and they are seeing some disturbing trends. Divorce rates are crazy high in and out of the Church; People who claim to be 'Christian' openly confess that Jesus doesn't have to be the only way to heaven; Our country, which prides itself on being the center of the Christian world, is seeing legislation and popular movements that are absolutely pushing Jesus and his teachings further and further into the backdrop of our society.
In response to these trends, it has become common to see in Christian bookstores, and to hear on Christian radio and in the Sunday morning pulpit, discussions on how to become a force in the culture again. How do we assert the power of Jesus into the everyday lives of this nation? How can we inspire our members to take a stand and do what is right and needs to be done for the Lord in their everyday lives?
And these talks always talk about method. Some people have totally relaxed their church services in an attempt to make it more inviting. Coffee, donuts, superbowl parties, block parties, movie nights are all ways that churches have tried to become more appealing to the world around them.
But these men and women who are wrapped up in this game are missing the truth and the power of the situation.
WE MAKE IT RELEVANT. WE ARE THE FORCE FOR CHANGE, NOT A GIMMICK OR A COMPETING SERVICE TO SOMETHING THE WORLD OFFERS.
Zondervan and Lifeway can, and do, sell books by experts on culture telling us how to influence our neighbors and cities for Christ. They give strategies and tips on how to talk to people, how to break the ice, how to organize parties that people might like to come to.
But how is an 'expert in culture' supposed to know more about our city and our neighborhood and our schools and our friends, than we do? The average lay person knows more about the current culture where they live, and the trends and feel of their friends and neighbors than any two experts put together, simply because we live in that culture everyday and we talk and socialize with those people everyday.
In the book of Numbers, chapter 6, God lays the groundwork for those people of his who wished to take on extra responsibility and extra vows for him. They were laymen who were already considered holy simply because they were God's chosen people, but they wished to become as zealous in their holy living as they could in honor of their LORD.
God called these people Nazirites. Chapter 6 of Numbers lays out the rules and requirements that these people had to follow during their vow to him. Those who took this vow became almost as holy as their priests were.
Flash forward to the New Testament, and in 1st Peter 2:9-10, we are called "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
God expects YOU to be his priest. He expects YOU to proclaim his name and his glory and mercy to your friends.
We want the preacher or the sunday school teacher to do everything. But we can do everything they do more effectively. What I mean by this is they want to reach men and women's hearts with the truth and hope of the Gospel, and so they try to preach relevant texts to people, in order to tell them of their need for Christ.
But we are the ones who live and work with these people. We don't have to think hard or long about how we can be relevant, because we share many of the same interests and activities.
God wants us to be a nation of priests for him. Where we see the church fail, we are seeing not the failure of the pastor or the administration, but of OURSELVES to go out and preach the Gospel.
We must take the lead, and become modern day Nazirites for the Lord.
-Brett
Pastors and church leaders are slowly looking around at the world we live in, and they are seeing some disturbing trends. Divorce rates are crazy high in and out of the Church; People who claim to be 'Christian' openly confess that Jesus doesn't have to be the only way to heaven; Our country, which prides itself on being the center of the Christian world, is seeing legislation and popular movements that are absolutely pushing Jesus and his teachings further and further into the backdrop of our society.
In response to these trends, it has become common to see in Christian bookstores, and to hear on Christian radio and in the Sunday morning pulpit, discussions on how to become a force in the culture again. How do we assert the power of Jesus into the everyday lives of this nation? How can we inspire our members to take a stand and do what is right and needs to be done for the Lord in their everyday lives?
And these talks always talk about method. Some people have totally relaxed their church services in an attempt to make it more inviting. Coffee, donuts, superbowl parties, block parties, movie nights are all ways that churches have tried to become more appealing to the world around them.
But these men and women who are wrapped up in this game are missing the truth and the power of the situation.
WE MAKE IT RELEVANT. WE ARE THE FORCE FOR CHANGE, NOT A GIMMICK OR A COMPETING SERVICE TO SOMETHING THE WORLD OFFERS.
Zondervan and Lifeway can, and do, sell books by experts on culture telling us how to influence our neighbors and cities for Christ. They give strategies and tips on how to talk to people, how to break the ice, how to organize parties that people might like to come to.
But how is an 'expert in culture' supposed to know more about our city and our neighborhood and our schools and our friends, than we do? The average lay person knows more about the current culture where they live, and the trends and feel of their friends and neighbors than any two experts put together, simply because we live in that culture everyday and we talk and socialize with those people everyday.
In the book of Numbers, chapter 6, God lays the groundwork for those people of his who wished to take on extra responsibility and extra vows for him. They were laymen who were already considered holy simply because they were God's chosen people, but they wished to become as zealous in their holy living as they could in honor of their LORD.
God called these people Nazirites. Chapter 6 of Numbers lays out the rules and requirements that these people had to follow during their vow to him. Those who took this vow became almost as holy as their priests were.
Flash forward to the New Testament, and in 1st Peter 2:9-10, we are called "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
God expects YOU to be his priest. He expects YOU to proclaim his name and his glory and mercy to your friends.
We want the preacher or the sunday school teacher to do everything. But we can do everything they do more effectively. What I mean by this is they want to reach men and women's hearts with the truth and hope of the Gospel, and so they try to preach relevant texts to people, in order to tell them of their need for Christ.
But we are the ones who live and work with these people. We don't have to think hard or long about how we can be relevant, because we share many of the same interests and activities.
God wants us to be a nation of priests for him. Where we see the church fail, we are seeing not the failure of the pastor or the administration, but of OURSELVES to go out and preach the Gospel.
We must take the lead, and become modern day Nazirites for the Lord.
-Brett