We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way (Isaiah 53:6). This is the spiritual state of the world. We are all prone to wander. What causes us to wander away from God and how does God seek to reclaim his own?
Triune Love: Love God, Love Yourself, Love Others
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The Holy Trinity is one of the greatest mysteries in the Bible. God, three-in-one is often difficult to explain and describe with our limited language.
God identifies with himself through love. You can say that the Spirit is what binds the love of the Father to the Son and the Son to the Father. This is the love that he pours out to his creation.
Love is what binds us to God, his mission, and to each other. The reason that the loving Father is so loving is because of the unique relationship that he has with himself. God knows what it truly means to love himself. This is why Jesus can say that the second greatest command is to love your neighbor as yourself.
Continue reading “Triune Love: Love God, Love Yourself, Love Others”
We Cannot Serve God Alone: Ministry in the Image of God
“Ministry… is not so much asking Christ to join us in our ministry as we offer him to others; ministry is participating with Christ in his ongoing ministry as he offers himself to others through us.” – Stephen Seamands
In this week’s blog I reflect on the first two chapters of Stephen Seamands’ book, Ministry in the Image of God: The Trinitarian Shape of Christian Service.
Continue reading “We Cannot Serve God Alone: Ministry in the Image of God”
Relationship Precedes Rules with God
When God spoke the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites they were at the base of Mount Sinai. They had consecrated themselves per God’s instructions. God had big plans for them when he told Moses,
“Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Exodus 19:5–6 (NIV)
One Spiritual Discipline You Must Practice
“…One of the deepest longings of the human heart is to be known and loved unconditionally,” says Ruth Haley Barton as she begins chapter six of her book Sacred Rhythms. A common desire among us is that we want others to be authentic and transparent. A byproduct of this desire is that it requires that we be open and transparent with others. We want people to “be real.” We also want to be known and loved for who we are. We fear though, that if we act as we want others to act with us, with openness, then they will reject us. Being open opens us up to unwanted ridicule and judgment.
Continue reading “One Spiritual Discipline You Must Practice”
A Church In & For Our Community
This weekend our church celebrated our first Others’ Day. A big hearty thanks to everyone who prayed for this day and to everyone at the Littleton Church. A big thanks to our local King Sooper’s stores for donating grocery bags. Also, a huge thanks to our neighbors for donating food! It really was a community event!
“Don’t just go to church, be the church. If simply going to church is your plan, you are missing out on the best that the church has to offer.”
– Craig Groeschel
Here are some highlights: Continue reading “A Church In & For Our Community”
Learn to Love Out Loud
“Love is a habit… We learn to love… not primarily by acquiring information about what we should love but rather through practices that form the habits of how we love.” James K.A. Smith
When you choose to gather in worship it reorients your heart towards God.
God is the object of our worship and God does the work of worship. Worship is top-down, not bottom-up.
And what God works in worship is the transformation of our minds. He moves us forward in our commitment to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. This begins with His Spirit and is perpetuated in covenant community.
We learn to worship God through revelation and in community. Our faith community plays an important role in how we choose to express our affections to God. It’s where we learn to put into practice living out our response to God’s initiation of mercy and grace. Continue reading “Learn to Love Out Loud”
Habits – Part 4: Engage Those Far from God
If you are part of a club or an organization that only allowed people to join by invitation you would probably be extremely excited to accept their offer to become a member. You made it in! Conversely, after you have accepted their invitation, you might be a little upset if they decided to allow more and more people to join the ranks.
When you were on the outside you may have wished that more people would be allowed on the inside. Unfortunately, what happens often is that when you finally get on the inside you will be tempted to keep outsiders on the outside. You grow increasingly more concerned with how the club serves you than inviting more people into your club. Ironically, club growth may actually be part of the club’s mission.
Continue reading “Habits – Part 4: Engage Those Far from God”
5 Truth Tests for Discerning the Spirit – Part 3 (Repost)
(This post is based off content originally posted at thepalmerperspective.com.)
Look at these headlines:
- Teacher Says ‘Higher Power’ Told Him To Attack Kid On Skateboard
- Mom Allegedly Tries To Drown Son In Puddle Because Jesus Told Her To
- Attorney: Women Thought God Told Her To Kill Her Sons
Because of those type of sinister events our minds tend to be suspicious when we hear someone say, “God spoke to me.”
We are groomed to be that way.
Let’s be clear, if God speaks to you he will not ask you to harm someone else.
Also, I know with that statement that there is an assumption that God speaks to His people. Know this, you do not need to hear an audible voice from God to hear him speak. I believe that all followers of Christ want to experience God in profound ways. I also believe that most people want to be able to discern events, and the times, and what they should do with their lives. I think this is generally true, whether they believe in the same version of God as you do or not; whether they hear an audible voice from God or not. Continue reading “5 Truth Tests for Discerning the Spirit – Part 3 (Repost)”
Love People. Not Issues.
It’s easy for me to judge someone whenever I choose to see them as a problem or an issue instead of person who has been created by God. Continue reading “Love People. Not Issues.”