a new foundation...
Okay everybody...I found it!
I have been meaning to scratch out something coherent that would summarize my passion, or more accurately, the "stuff" that God has been speaking into my life in the past 2 months that fuels this passion. Well, today I was digging around in the website of a church in Texas, finding some really cool resources and ideas for founding and growing a discipleship vision in my home church, when I ran into this church pastor's "Pastoral Prayers." I was stopped dead in my tracks when I read these. Have you ever had a time when you met someone with whom you shared the same ideas, background, history, and interests? Someone who you feel you can connect with on a deeply satisfying level? Well, a lot like that love at first sight moment when you meet the person of your dreams, here I found all of the things I have been thinking and studying and searching out in the Scriptures. So rather than me re-write what is already a comprehensive list of what kindles my fire, I will simply allow this pastor to relate them to you for me.
Read on...
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What the Pastoral Staff Emphasizes in Their Teaching
OUR NINE PASTORAL PRAYERS
While traveling the country as a speaker, experiencing the challenges of itinerate ministry, Matt Chandler asked himself: If I ever get the chance to invest in one group of people, what would I want them to learn in life? In November 2002, Matt was called by God to become lead pastor of The Village. In his sermons, Matt expands upon the nine answers he wrote in his journal. His prayers for us, as a congregation, are:
That we would see that the greatest problem in the universe is not mere moral failure, but a failure to honor God (Romans 1:21)
That we would understand that discipline will never bring about love, but love always brings about discipline (Galatians 3:5)
That we would realize that children of God are not under wrath, but mercy (Romans 9:23)
That we would find that the fullness of all things, including life and joy is in Christ (John 10:10)
That we would experience a holy discontentment with where our lives are, and espouse the hope of what our lives can be (Romans 8:20)
That we would recognize that God has purposefully placed us here at this time, in this place, for His glory (Acts 17:26)
That we would develop a taste for truth, even difficult ones (Psalm 119:11)
That we would embrace Biblical Christianity, not American evangelicalism (2 Timothy 3:5)
That we would believe in the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit and desire them earnestly (1 Corinthians 14:39)
(copied from http://www.thevillagechurch.net/firstTime/emphasis.html)
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Holy smokes, I just read them again and I'm excited. This is the direction that God is taking me in my personal ministry--because of things like these, I have a purpose, direction, and motivation for my life in God, through Christ. Through the verses provided above and many others, my life has been fundamentally and forever changed!!
One last thought for the moment for you to consider:
--We should love, serve, preach, teach, and seek to save the lost not because they deserve a chance in Heaven--no, but only because He deserves the reward of his suffering.
Chew on that one for a while...if we can embrace that truth, we can "do all things through Christ who strengthens" us.
...there's so much more to tell you, but I'll "save some more for later" (a quote from Willy Wonka--remember Agustus Glute's mother? the chubby, German kid?)
I love you guys!--Jeremy
posted by geronimo @ 1:01 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
man you know it!
I borrowed that phrase from a sermon that I've listened to over and over again..."
as soon as I start thinking I'm worth saving because I am "honoring Him" by being good enough, I throw grace right back in My God's face
He knew the depths of my depravity before He chose to breathe life into this hump of flesh...he allowed Jesus to die regardless---His plan all aloong!..."while we were yet sinners"...even the behavior that shocks us about ourselves is not shocking to him...and there he stands with his arms open
choose--I know right from wrong inside my heart--so I must choose
when God calls, He doesn't hide himself...
so choose!
Hi there,
I have decided to be quite honest with myself in one aspect...choosing whether or not I really care if evil people decide to accept Jesus or burn in Hell. My honest answer? No, I don't care. As a Christian, that's obviously the wrong answer. As a human...I say simply, they've earned what's coming to them. While I knew this was wrong, I just could not change my thinking or how I felt. But you said one thing that gave me new perspective.
"--We should love, serve, preach, teach, and seek to save the lost not because they deserve a chance in Heaven--no, but only because He deserves the reward of his suffering."
He died such an awful death, to even make his own Father turn from him...what a heartbreaker. To know that even the most evil people can decide to finally accept him after all his suffering, well, he does deserve such a reward. If I think of it as rewarding Jesus for his suffering and love for us instead of evil people getting let off the hook - well, that does help me quite a bit.
Thank you for sharing this, I really enjoyed it.
Love you,
Becka
On that note, I feel compelled to share with you something that was fundemental in my life's transformation of late. About 2 months ago, I was preparing to go to a retreat with my best friend from Indiana (we knew each other at Fort Campbell), and in what I now see as God softening my heart for his message, I began to ponder the idea that my priorities were way out of line. Here's the basic idea that I've been so excited about ever since--That if I put my wife, my kids, my job, or anything else as more important than God...more specifically, if I am not completely in love, or at least devoted to pursuing a desperate dependency on my God, then I can NEVER love anyone or anything else completely.
I also realized that if I am working to serve Marcia, David, Megan, Work, Whatever...then I am going to have reason for resentment and expectation. When they/it do not live up to my expectations (no matter how humanly realistic they are), I will undoubtedly respond in anger, and my "love" for them is weakened for it (and love, of course, ought to be unchanging...).
But when I lean EVERY DAY on the everlasting arms of God, the "fountain of living waters," realizing that I have all I could ever need in the way of love, affirmation, and hope, then I have no need for this from anyone or anything on this earth. At the same time, if my priorities are on these worldly things, I am liable to shift the degree of my devotion depending on which one is demanding the most of my time...and that's not healthy either...someone's going to get let down.
I told Marcia and the kids that if I did not ensure my love relationship with God was intact...renewed daily through quiet time (prayer, reading His word, and scripture memory)...almost to the point that I would need at times to deny them my time so that my relationship with God was not sacrificed...(and of course, I must respect their need for time with their Father as well)...if these things are not in place, then I cannot really love. We are charged with loving only out of the outpouring of what God gives us.
That's all for now. I am not sure if that makes any sense or helps out in any way, but it was huge for me. There has been a lot more since then, but I'll spare you for now.
Love you too, my sister through Christ....
Jeremy
...umm, we have been discussing this via email as well...
I, too, love discussion of this type...that's why I started this stinking thing in the first place!
I'll share the emails...
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