The pattern for discipleship at work
Published November 29, 2011 | 
For those of you who don’t get the links through the facebook group, here is a video that exemplifies the principles we were promoting at the annual meeting in June. It is discipleship 101. Notice how the men at the end say, “We’ve never met Dr. Libby, but are thankful for the impact he has had on our lives.” It caused me to give thanks for the impact that Dan, and Jerry, and Dave, and Milton, and Don have had in your lives. Even though they are men you have never met, they are men God has used to shape and mold me.
Remember our challenge: “Who are you discipling, and who is discipling you?”
Enjoy
Brian
The | Status | Tweet | Wall Post | Disconnected World
Published November 3, 2011 |
I am having difficulty explaining this in a short way, but will give it a shot. Forgive me if it is longer than the 140 character limit of a “Twitter Tweet.”
Since the 1980s, there has been an onslaught of technological advances that have affected our connection with the world in which we live; our connection to our immediate real-world
neighborhood and community. We have moved away from direct, face-to-face contact with people and have allowed technology to become the go-between. The front porch conversation that we see on the Andy Griffith Show is totally foreign to our culture. It is not unusual to see two people in a restaurant “dining together” and each person is staring at their cell phones while ignoring one another. We don’t shop at the marketplace and meet real people anymore, but do so by pointing and clicking and having the package arrive on our doorstop.
We find it much more convenient to text or email rather than call, or easier to call rather than to visit. We have even found ourselves satisfied at clicking “like” rather than saying to someone, “Hey, I love that picture you just posted. When did you go there?” Unfortunately, I can spend my whole day “liking” people’s status update, wall-posts, pictures, or comments on Facebook and pretend or feel like I just had a day of meaningful interaction with all of my friends.
The convenience has evolved and the form factor has become smaller. Handheld mobile devices have made it even more convenient.
I have allowed myself to become seduced by convenience and have put my comfort above people.
Due to the nature of the technologies, e.g., text messaging, Facebook status posts, email, wall posts, etc., we have lost the ability to dialogue sensibly. Millions of Twitter posts are made each day, all within the 140 character limit. This means that people are communicating entire thoughts in just a few characters. No longer do we endeavor to be thorough and explain in a comprehensive manner. Our world is challenging us to be as brief as possible.
Think about the use of the word “okay.” Okay which has historically been accepted as just two letters, “ok,” now has been shortened to just one letter, just “k.” Incredible! In a text to my wife, I found myself being too lazy to type the extra “O” in “OK.”
We have become people that are desensitized and have lost touch with our neighbors and we suffer from meaningful dialogue. The cell phone text/email/chat has invaded our lives and is here to stay. Because of media, we have come to know celebrities or YouTube strangers better than our neighbor, or as Brian recently shared, we know how to get around Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment better than the guy next door.
Having painted this picture, we can’t help but wonder how this effects the Gospel. How can we share the Gospel narrative when the world expects message brevity? Also, as we become more and more disconnected, the places for sharing the Gospel become more difficult to find. Somehow, we have got to find ways of becoming more connected with people. There are no easy answers to this growing disconnect. We at least need to reflect upon the effects it is having in our body and find ways to engage people in non-technological ways, face-to-face.
May the Lord grant us wisdom to navigate in this new world.
Think about it, as I am typing you this message, I realize that my trying to communicate this to you has taken the way of what is most convenient, a blog post. ”Hope that’s k with u”
- Allen
Posted in Cultural Issues, Gospel, Ministry, Witnessing | 
communication, facebook, gospel, tweeting, twitter, witnessing | 
Leave a commentDiscerning God’s Will For Your Life …
Published June 17, 2011 | Discerning God’s Will For Your Life …
As Christians, we are always wondering, “what is God’s plan for our lives?” We ask other people in our lives what they may think is God’s plan. Sometimes we make plans and then say, “I think this is what God desires for us to do, what are your thoughts?” We ask God in prayer for wisdom and that He would reveal His will. We state that the safest place for us to be is in the will of God.
God does have a plan for our lives. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. However, He has not written every person’s individual plan in the Bible for each one of us to read. What then are we to do?
Godly men have made plans; however, they have not always completed their plans. An example is that the Apostle Paul clearly thought he would be going to Spain (Romans 15:24), but God had other plans. So, if our plans become disrupted, we are not to be dismayed because great men of God have had their plans changed as well.
We are God’s children. Just as we desire our children to be successful and happy, God desires His children to be successful and happy. God desires for us to live with joy and delight and to have much success. All of what God desires for His children is centered around Him, knowing Him and knowing His ways … seeking His face.
The way we will get the most joy and the most success is through our sanctification, becoming more like Jesus Christ. In fact, this is God’s specified will for all of us, it is God’s will that we be sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and it is God’s command that we be blessed (Psalm 1, et., al); which means to be very happy. The eyes of God are looking to and fro upon the earth and where He looks is not upon what is being accomplished by men but He looks upon the heart of men (2 Chronicles 16:9; Isaiah 66:1-2) and He judges the heart (Proverbs 16:2; 1 Corinthians 4:5).
If you really want to know God’s will for your life, the best place to start is to follow God’s revealed will, His Biblical principles for living. In looking at Scripture, one thing that is clear is that God desires us to be more concerned for our character and how we live our life rather than what we do or where we live our life. God has clearly revealed what He would have us do, quite simply, we are to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. God would have us grow in knowledge of Him and His ways.
Jesus said in Mark 3:35 that those that do the will of God are God’s children (brothers and sisters with Christ). God has not made His will for our lives secret, but has revealed it clearly. One great place to begin learning the will of God by studying the Sermon on the Mount! Jesus tells us how we should live our lives in simple, straight-forward wording. Blessed are the peacemakers, the pure in heart, the gentle, the merciful, and so on.
The following passages are only from the New Testament and are far from exhaustive (complete). Much more can be added to this list. It is put together to show a sampling. One should also study the entire Bible to understand God’s will. We are able to discern the will of God by renewing our mind (Romans 12:2) with the Word of God.
- Matthew – love God and your neighbor, love fulfills the law
- Luke 12:9 – do not deny Jesus Christ before men
- Romans 13:2 – obey the authorities
- 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 – be a cheerful giver
- Philippians 2:14 – do all things without grumbling and complaining, being blameless in the midst of a crooked world.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – rejoice always, pray without ceasing, be thankful
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 – live a life pleasing, be sanctified, control your body in holiness
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 – be an ambassador for Christ, share the Gospel!
I could go on, but I think you get the point.
May this be a blessing to your walk with the Lord.
Allen