Here's something i've been thinking a bit about lately:
What are our most important ministry tools? We have God fighting for us, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and the Bible- the Word of God. Those are pretty impressive weapons in contending for the gospel, and i would say they trump anything that the enemy has up his sleeve, that's for sure. But what about other resources and materials? More specifically, what do we use to engage the culture and the people around us? One front up here in Stevens Point is definitely the outdoors. EVERYBODY fishes, and if my evangelism did not include some kind of outdoors-based strategy i would literally miss out on well over half of the student population, as environmental issues come far ahead of even humanity issues on my campus. So i'm hoping to buy a boat. And i have a guide license for WI. I want to be able to take out students and men from the community on guided fishing trips and share the love of Christ with them, as well as do discipleship. I know this works, as several people have become Christians while in a canoe with me or standing on shore next to me. Having a boat will serve to multiply that kind of fruitful ministry.
Is this the correct course of action, or am i fooling myself into taking on "unspiritual practices" and attempting to load the gospel into places it shouldn't belong? I worry when my students would rather hang out with non-Christian guys because they have boats or cooler equipment than hang out with me because i don't have any of that stuff. Some of it is their mindset, i know, but i'd love to get rid of any limiting factors if i can. Is that the right way of thinking?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Battleground InterVarsity
Hey ya'll, sorry it's been so long since i posted here-i've been in Indiana and what feels like all over the country the past week or two for IV. It's fun, but as i wrote before it kinda stinks working so much and then coming back to campus tired out a week later and realizing that i did almost nothing with the students i love back home. But that's the way the cookie crumbles.
I learned some interesting stuff about some objectives of InterVarsity over the past week. It was stated that one of the greatest contributions of InterVarsity and the publishing company associated with us is that we further the discussion on a lot of controversial issues. This hurts in some ways, because someone might read one IVP book or one article written by an IV staff and think "If IV believes this, then it is evil." InterVarsity may not believe something like that at all, the organization just enjoys almost being an antagonist sometimes in order to further important discussions on important topics.
One example of this is publishing some of Greg Boyd's stuff, as well as Basinger and Rice and a few other open theists. My reactionary response is to think that here is a case in which we should absolutely not "further the discussion," but instead do everything we can to kill it. However, perhaps in not acknowledging some of these works we would fail to see the argument to it's end, but instead only sweep it under the rug. That may not be a good way of dealing with it, either. What should we do? Are there topics with which we should "further the discussion" and other topics which we should not? Should we attempt to create a para-church org that has a purestrain theological system, or should we acknowledge many ways of thinking about things in order to debate them? What are your thoughts?
I learned some interesting stuff about some objectives of InterVarsity over the past week. It was stated that one of the greatest contributions of InterVarsity and the publishing company associated with us is that we further the discussion on a lot of controversial issues. This hurts in some ways, because someone might read one IVP book or one article written by an IV staff and think "If IV believes this, then it is evil." InterVarsity may not believe something like that at all, the organization just enjoys almost being an antagonist sometimes in order to further important discussions on important topics.
One example of this is publishing some of Greg Boyd's stuff, as well as Basinger and Rice and a few other open theists. My reactionary response is to think that here is a case in which we should absolutely not "further the discussion," but instead do everything we can to kill it. However, perhaps in not acknowledging some of these works we would fail to see the argument to it's end, but instead only sweep it under the rug. That may not be a good way of dealing with it, either. What should we do? Are there topics with which we should "further the discussion" and other topics which we should not? Should we attempt to create a para-church org that has a purestrain theological system, or should we acknowledge many ways of thinking about things in order to debate them? What are your thoughts?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Saved by faith?
Here is an interesting question posed in the comments on the last post. I wanted to discuss it a little bit here if that's ok with you. Are we saved "by" faith? Ephesians 2:8-9 was touched on a bit already, but i think we need to take a closer look at it. How do we get faith? What exactly does faith "do?" What is the relation between our faith and salvation?
I don't think this will take long to talk about, but I wanted to get some thoughts out there. Thanks ya'll!
I don't think this will take long to talk about, but I wanted to get some thoughts out there. Thanks ya'll!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
debtor's ethic
What comes to mind when we think of "righteousness?" Being a good person? Doing righteous deeds? In our small group this morning we talked about righteousness, grace, and a debtor's ethic. Much of our conclusions mirrored what John Piper said in his book Brothers, We are Not Professionals. It was so good to think of serving God as a gift that He enables us to do, rather than a servive we provide Him. We can live as a Christian only by His power and grace.
In fact, every time we do anything "worthy of our calling," we become even MORE indebted to God's grace. And that is the way God wants it. Helplessly falling more and more into His grace, with no way to dig ourselves out of the hole. He doesn't want us to. God doesn't only give us grace when we mess up, or when we have a big test or a talk coming up. He gives me the grace to wake up in the morning, to serve students on campus. No amount of preparing on my part can cause Him to deal out less grace, and no amount of good stuff i do causes the stream of grace to lessen. Oh the gratitude that springs up when we see it this way! We are debtors, ever increasing in debt, and our Giver wants it to be that way! We respond in joy not to even attempt to pay God back but because we are eternally grateful!
In fact, every time we do anything "worthy of our calling," we become even MORE indebted to God's grace. And that is the way God wants it. Helplessly falling more and more into His grace, with no way to dig ourselves out of the hole. He doesn't want us to. God doesn't only give us grace when we mess up, or when we have a big test or a talk coming up. He gives me the grace to wake up in the morning, to serve students on campus. No amount of preparing on my part can cause Him to deal out less grace, and no amount of good stuff i do causes the stream of grace to lessen. Oh the gratitude that springs up when we see it this way! We are debtors, ever increasing in debt, and our Giver wants it to be that way! We respond in joy not to even attempt to pay God back but because we are eternally grateful!
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