I am so excited that we've finally kicked off our new study. So let's not waste any time and get right down to business. Hopefully you've been able to download a copy of "Don't Waste Your Life" from John Piper's website. I would strongly encourage you to read as much of the book you can. I found that swallowing the big concepts in a cover to cover reading helped me to better digest them as I went back and began working with the study guide. Just a suggestion. The first question that I would ask you is a simple one: what is your initial impression of the title? How does someone honestly evaluate the effectiveness of their life? Naturally, Christians and those who are on the path to Christ, apply a very specific standard. The world, on the other hand, uses another standard altogether. The greatest difference between the two is that the standard of God has not changed since it was established by Jesus when he said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." The worlds standard of an effective life changes almost daily. When you look at it that way, is it any wonder that people naturally gravitate to God. He is the center of gravity for the universe, after all. As you think on this, also factor in the wonderful peace that comes from the Grace of God. His standard is high, but he is love and love is patient, kind, ect...
Check back daily, post comments, and most importantly smile......because God Is Good.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Today, We Begin
A lot is made of beginnings and I think that's appropriate. We celebrate our birthday (the beginning of our time on Earth) so beginnings are a big deal. So today, as we dive into some fairly deep and challenging questions. Consider this; Are you maximizing your life? If you are a New Testament Christian you might say something like this, "I've given my life to Christ, what more can I do?" I'm familiar with the question as I myself used it to justify my life as well. And then I read "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. You can download a free copy of the book at www.desiringgod.com. All you need to do is type Don't Waste Your Life in the search box at the upper righthand corner of the home page. Once the search results come up, the second on is the online book. Click on that link and you will see an option to download the pdf version of the book. You will also have the option of downloading the study guide (you'll want it too).
This is where we begin. I encourage you to begin reading the book as soon as possible. It won't take you very long, a few nights perhaps. As you read and begin thinking about your own life and relationship with God, I suggest that you begin a journal of your thoughts or questions. I use my laptop and type, but you may prefer to go "old school" and use pen and paper. Either way, record those thoughts because they'll be gone before you know it. One other thing that is important is to talk to people. Friends, co-workers, and family members (both physical and spiritual) are great sounding boards for discussion. Many times we find that we are afraid to speak with others about the things of God because we are afraid we'll give the wrong answer to their questions. But when you are just talking about life, you'll probably do just fine and you might open a door that would have normally stayed closed.
So this is the beginning. If God blesses us with wisdom and insight, then we can hopefully celebrate more beginnings as he transforms us in his glory.
This is where we begin. I encourage you to begin reading the book as soon as possible. It won't take you very long, a few nights perhaps. As you read and begin thinking about your own life and relationship with God, I suggest that you begin a journal of your thoughts or questions. I use my laptop and type, but you may prefer to go "old school" and use pen and paper. Either way, record those thoughts because they'll be gone before you know it. One other thing that is important is to talk to people. Friends, co-workers, and family members (both physical and spiritual) are great sounding boards for discussion. Many times we find that we are afraid to speak with others about the things of God because we are afraid we'll give the wrong answer to their questions. But when you are just talking about life, you'll probably do just fine and you might open a door that would have normally stayed closed.
So this is the beginning. If God blesses us with wisdom and insight, then we can hopefully celebrate more beginnings as he transforms us in his glory.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Consider A New Connection
I would like to invite you to try something new. You may have heard of social networking sites on the internet and shutter due to some of the negative stories connected with them. And many of them are true. But it doesn't have to be that way. I recently joined FaceBook and have been amazed at how efficiently the site can connect so many people. I began to think how this technology could be used to strengthen and encourage Christians. Although there are many spiritual groups, many are not rooted in the Bible. So a group has been created to allow like minded Christians to interact and share on FaceBook. You'll need to join the site (which is free) in order to be added to the group. The group is private and each new member must be approved by the group administrator (me). Another great advantage of FaceBook is that it can be easily accessed from your smart phone. When you're on a break at work, you'll be able to check any new posts and easily add your own update. You're in control.
Why are we doing this? Simple, we're trying to expand the reach of the Gospel beyond the walls of the church building. Many non-Christian people are much more likely to join a discussion group than to visit a church. However, once they've been engaged in an online study or discussion group they will have a point of contact and be more likely to visit in person. This makes so much sense, I can't believe it's taken this long for it to be tried. Hopefully, we will see you online and engaged in a spiritually uplifting experience.
Why are we doing this? Simple, we're trying to expand the reach of the Gospel beyond the walls of the church building. Many non-Christian people are much more likely to join a discussion group than to visit a church. However, once they've been engaged in an online study or discussion group they will have a point of contact and be more likely to visit in person. This makes so much sense, I can't believe it's taken this long for it to be tried. Hopefully, we will see you online and engaged in a spiritually uplifting experience.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
A New Transition
I am very excited about a new direction for this blog as well as a re-energizing of adult Bible study in our church. This blog will be one of the central tools used to keep the participants connected to the study and each other. I hope that you will visit from time to time and join the discussion.
The study catalyst will be John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life". Incredibly, Pastor Piper has made his book and the corresponding study guide available for free download at http://www.desiringgod.com/. This fantastic book is both challenging and well rooted in the scripture. After reading Randy Alcorn's "Heaven", I found this book to be refreshing and reinforcing. What better way to anticipate Heaven than to maximize the opportunities we have while we are here in this life.
If you're interested in joining this study, we will begin the first Sunday in September. I am planning to update this blog weekly (or more depending on comments) to challenge and encourage participants. I'm also going to use other digital tools such as http://www.facebook.com/ and http://www.twitter.com/. If the world can co-opt these media, why can't we harness them for the glory of God?
In the meantime, think about the purpose and direction of your life at this moment. Is happiness or fulfillment your goal? Where does God and your relationship with him through Jesus Christ factor into your evaluation? After asking yourself these questions, come back and visit again. I am confident that we will all be blessed and encouraged by this life changing study.
The study catalyst will be John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life". Incredibly, Pastor Piper has made his book and the corresponding study guide available for free download at http://www.desiringgod.com/. This fantastic book is both challenging and well rooted in the scripture. After reading Randy Alcorn's "Heaven", I found this book to be refreshing and reinforcing. What better way to anticipate Heaven than to maximize the opportunities we have while we are here in this life.
If you're interested in joining this study, we will begin the first Sunday in September. I am planning to update this blog weekly (or more depending on comments) to challenge and encourage participants. I'm also going to use other digital tools such as http://www.facebook.com/ and http://www.twitter.com/. If the world can co-opt these media, why can't we harness them for the glory of God?
In the meantime, think about the purpose and direction of your life at this moment. Is happiness or fulfillment your goal? Where does God and your relationship with him through Jesus Christ factor into your evaluation? After asking yourself these questions, come back and visit again. I am confident that we will all be blessed and encouraged by this life changing study.
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