Showing posts with label Purpose-Driven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Purpose-Driven. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Doing My Best
If the 18 teams of the Bundesliga (top German soccer league) have an average of 25 players on roll, that's 450 pro's. Compared to the 6.3 million members of the Deutscher Fussball-Bund, that's 0.007%. Am I in the top 0.007% in my calling? Am I on my way there? Or do I want to spend my life playing Kreisklasse?
Monday, September 28, 2009
Yes! Yes! Yes! BIG News
Source: Logos (probably originally Zondervan)I know, most of you probably couldn't care less. But to me, this is just about the biggest news that could have happened - as far as Bible study, pastoral service, etc. is concerned. Zondervan has been one of - if not the - hottest publisher in Christian resources recently. One of their highly acclaimed resources is the NIV Application Commentary. They also publish all the Purpose-Driven materials, as far as I know. Until recently, they used their own software, making all their great resources unavailable to Logos users. But as of Monday last week, Zondervan is going to publish resources in Logos format. That's just plain about the best news on the Bible software front that I could have had. Some of the resources I'm looking forward to:
Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament
NIV Application Commentary: New Testament
Africa Bible Commentary
There are OT counterparts, too, and plenty of other great stuff - and it'll only get more.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
On Our Knees
There was a significant line in a dramatic presentation we had at church last Sunday. I remember it like this:
That would be our problem.
I'm assuming that the idea behind the quote is supposed to be that we don't just give ourselves up and submit to another power (in this case, the entire Bristish fleet). Before I get back to those two alternatives, let's consider the words die and kneel.
Die
Addendum: For those of my readers who will feel that this is an attack on their patriotism, the sacrifice at Fort McHenry, or the "Star Spangled Banner" itself: what if the answer of the lawyer had been, "we believe that what you're about to do is a great injustice, and we pray that God will help us to not be overcome, despite the size of your navy?" Same patriotism, different attitude?
American Christians would rather live standing that die kneeling.
That would be our problem.
I'm assuming that the idea behind the quote is supposed to be that we don't just give ourselves up and submit to another power (in this case, the entire Bristish fleet). Before I get back to those two alternatives, let's consider the words die and kneel.
Die
- I have been crucified with Christ. Gal. 2:20
- If anyone would come after me, let him [...] take up his cross. Matt. 16:24
- "We will abandon it all for the Sake of the Call." (SCC)
- So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him... Matt. 18:26
- The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne... Rev. 4:10
- I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it... Mark 11:20
- You do not have, because you do not ask. James 4:2
Addendum: For those of my readers who will feel that this is an attack on their patriotism, the sacrifice at Fort McHenry, or the "Star Spangled Banner" itself: what if the answer of the lawyer had been, "we believe that what you're about to do is a great injustice, and we pray that God will help us to not be overcome, despite the size of your navy?" Same patriotism, different attitude?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Speaking the Truth Doesn't Matter
The goal of the gospel is not just the proclamation of truth. The goal of the gospel is life transformation through a relationship with God, a life that no longer is about you, but is lived for God's purposes.
Consequently, what matters is not to speak the truth only. For lives to be transformed, what matters is what other people hear (and what happens in response). We learned all the way back in speech communication that what a sender says is not automatically the same as what a recipient hears. The sender speaks from a set of experiences, uses a specific vocabulary, and speaks from a particular world view (I'm probably still missing some ingredients). The recipient will quite likely have a different vocabulary, very likely a different world view, and certainly a different set of experiences. That means that what I say is not automatically what you understand.
In addition to these differences, "noise" makes communication more difficult. Noise can be physical noise, such as other people talking, that causes me to misunderstand. Noise can be specific words that get me going, while you may mean a totally different thing.
If my wife comes into the kitchen on Saturday morning wearing a particular outfit, I may say, "Why did you wear that?" What I mean is, "I thought you were thinking about wearing that next Monday?" However, turns out that our son had a bad night, which I completely missed because I was quite tired and never woke up. She only slept about three hours and is completely exhausted, and a little flustered that I slept through it all. Not surprisingly, she has a headache, too. Does she hear "did you change your plans?" Possible, but not certain. She may just hear, "why do you have to wear that ugly thing?" Yes, this a fictive example.
I'll assume that we're agreed now that what one person says is not automatically understood in the same manner by another person. Let's assume I'm talking with another person about Jesus. He may actually be open to the gospel, though he also has some friends that are Buddhist, and whom he respects a lot. I start the conversation by pointing out the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. That's biblical language, isn't it? Turns out that today's society considers people of varying faiths all believers. My friend will quite possibly feel all his assumptions about narrow-minded, judgmental, we-have-the-truth Christians reinforced when I just put him, his Buddhist friend, and everyone else who doesn't think like me into the box, "unbelievers." It no longer matters what I say afterwards. The noise introduced through that unnecessary term just torpedoed whatever truth I may have to share.
That's why I examine what I say, what other people believe, and why I choose terms that express what I want to say without offending - inasmuch as I can. I am working on using the term non-Christian in the future. It expresses what I want to say just fine and avoids the unnecessary offense of "unbeliever."
So, yes, speaking the truth does matter ... if it is the first step. If it is the only step, it doesn't matter. Only if I speak the truth in such a manner that others hear the truth communicated in love, then speaking the truth matters. Speaking the truth so as to be understood must take the other into account, and must be done in sensitivity to the other.
Consequently, what matters is not to speak the truth only. For lives to be transformed, what matters is what other people hear (and what happens in response). We learned all the way back in speech communication that what a sender says is not automatically the same as what a recipient hears. The sender speaks from a set of experiences, uses a specific vocabulary, and speaks from a particular world view (I'm probably still missing some ingredients). The recipient will quite likely have a different vocabulary, very likely a different world view, and certainly a different set of experiences. That means that what I say is not automatically what you understand.
In addition to these differences, "noise" makes communication more difficult. Noise can be physical noise, such as other people talking, that causes me to misunderstand. Noise can be specific words that get me going, while you may mean a totally different thing.
If my wife comes into the kitchen on Saturday morning wearing a particular outfit, I may say, "Why did you wear that?" What I mean is, "I thought you were thinking about wearing that next Monday?" However, turns out that our son had a bad night, which I completely missed because I was quite tired and never woke up. She only slept about three hours and is completely exhausted, and a little flustered that I slept through it all. Not surprisingly, she has a headache, too. Does she hear "did you change your plans?" Possible, but not certain. She may just hear, "why do you have to wear that ugly thing?" Yes, this a fictive example.
I'll assume that we're agreed now that what one person says is not automatically understood in the same manner by another person. Let's assume I'm talking with another person about Jesus. He may actually be open to the gospel, though he also has some friends that are Buddhist, and whom he respects a lot. I start the conversation by pointing out the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. That's biblical language, isn't it? Turns out that today's society considers people of varying faiths all believers. My friend will quite possibly feel all his assumptions about narrow-minded, judgmental, we-have-the-truth Christians reinforced when I just put him, his Buddhist friend, and everyone else who doesn't think like me into the box, "unbelievers." It no longer matters what I say afterwards. The noise introduced through that unnecessary term just torpedoed whatever truth I may have to share.
That's why I examine what I say, what other people believe, and why I choose terms that express what I want to say without offending - inasmuch as I can. I am working on using the term non-Christian in the future. It expresses what I want to say just fine and avoids the unnecessary offense of "unbeliever."
So, yes, speaking the truth does matter ... if it is the first step. If it is the only step, it doesn't matter. Only if I speak the truth in such a manner that others hear the truth communicated in love, then speaking the truth matters. Speaking the truth so as to be understood must take the other into account, and must be done in sensitivity to the other.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Friday, October 10, 2008
John 15:8
The point is not that it doesn't matter what fruit you produce.
The point is that unless you produce fruit, nothing else matters.
The point is that unless you produce fruit, nothing else matters.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Church Growth is Inevitable in a Healthy Church
Rick Warren maintains in "The Purpose-Driven Church" that growth is something God gives, and that our best strategy is to become a "healthy" church - a people that live for His purposes. Then, growth will come because God sends it.
While probably not intended to back up Warren's thesis, Henry and Richard Blackaby (Henry being the author of "Experiencing God") write in "Spiritual Leadership" (p. 126):
Certainly church growth is inevitable in a healthy church, as the Book of Acts clearly exemplifies.
While probably not intended to back up Warren's thesis, Henry and Richard Blackaby (Henry being the author of "Experiencing God") write in "Spiritual Leadership" (p. 126):
Certainly church growth is inevitable in a healthy church, as the Book of Acts clearly exemplifies.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Five Purposes Revisited
Some people are going to be ready to shoot me. I have spent the last 5-6 years drilling the five purposes into the heads of people at our church: Worship - Fellowship - Discipleship - Ministry - Evangelism. However, recently I've started to wonder whether a change would be wise: would the purpose of "fellowship" be better expressed as "community?" While I'm at it, would "service" be better than "ministry?" So, this may be my new language:
Worship
Community
Discipleship
Service
Evangelism
The Germans say, "Worte sind Schall und Rauch" (or something like that). "Words are like echoes and smoke." I suppose that's supposed to mean that the exact word used is less important than what it stands for.
Thoughts?
Worship
Community
Discipleship
Service
Evangelism
The Germans say, "Worte sind Schall und Rauch" (or something like that). "Words are like echoes and smoke." I suppose that's supposed to mean that the exact word used is less important than what it stands for.
Thoughts?
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