The Drive: waitng to inspire vs. choosing to inspire

While listening to an interview with Death Cab for Cutie’s lead singer, Ben Gibbard, he mentioned that a pivotal shift in his musical career is when he actively started writing music rather than waiting for a moment of inspiration. I wonder how often my spiritual drive is more like a daydreaming than an intentional pursuit. Are we as Christ followers waiting like sluggards for the Spirit to engage us or are we actively pursuing those encounters.

While spending time with one of my dear friends this weeks I had one simple request to her in her search for truth, it was that she promise me to never stop searching. In that very moment I began to ask myself that very question, am I continually searching or have I become comfortable with where I am and what my life is composed of? As a Christ follower there should be a sense of restlessness and urgency in the way I live.

It is my prayer that in our lives, our ministries, and our relationships we never stop the process of refinement. In what ways have you become comfortable when you should be challenged?

Judged: what are we doing?

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 2:17

-potsc

How has Christianity, the church, and the followers of Jesus offended you the most?  I am curious to hear how religion (Christianity in specific) has failed you the most.

Motivation: is the gospel enough for us?

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Romans 5:1-2

Do we really engage and share in the glory that we have been given the privilege to dwell in? While I am not questioning my salvation I am questioning my motivation. Even while I sit here writing this post I question the very motives of my words. If I am sitting here attempting to be pretentious and witty about the gospel am I really sharing and engaging in the glory of our creator.

Before I can even move forward I must ask a more penetrating question: what is this glory we share in? Rather than giving a pragmatic antidote for the sluggish Christianity that I see all around me, I hope to investigate the truth and dive into the spirit of the gospel.

While listening to Pastor Matt Chandler last week he posed the thought that we find in scripture: the gospel we believe and preach seems foolish the the rest of the world. I have personally been convicted by this idea. Do I trust that the truth of the gospel alone has the power to change lives?

2 Cor. 5 frightens me because at the end of this chapter Paul argues that we share in the glory of God when we suffer for the gospel.  We are given the privilege to suffer for the truth that seems so foolish to the world around us.  The thought of that should shake us to our core and drastically alter our perspective. Those words have recently changed the way in which I view my own problems, am I suffering well that it might bring me closer to God? Paul also notes that our current problems are momentary but eternity is at stake. Let me close by simply asking anyone who might stumble to this post: what is motivating your ministry?

Eternal Perspective: Resolve for Restoration

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11

I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

As we enter a new year, with hopes of new economic prosperity and the desire for change, I can’t help but wonder why. Why is it that within our very nature there is a constant longing for something more? Ecclesiastes explains that in the core of each human is a longing for eternity, and hope for renewal.

While most of humanity numbs themselves to this desire by continual distraction, I implore that we might seek for more. That we might as Christ followers, prayerfully, live in a way that is asking God to move. That our faith may be coupled with good deeds so that our lives would be a testament to the hope and eternity that lives in us (James 2).

This past week while spending time with one of my good friends and mentors he said, “it is through discipline to the word and prayer where we find true freedom”. This idea that committing ourselves to faithfully praying and reading will in effect cause an overflow of love in each of our lives (Phil 1:11ish).

My hope for the new year is not to lose weight or learn a new skill (while those are good things), my hope is that my life would be an encouragement to those I intersect with. That as a follower of Christ, my life (through my words and actions) would point those close to me towards the truth (Eph. 4:29ish). My hope for all my brothers and sisters is that our lives wold be marked by: discipline, character, kindness, and compassion.

Jedidiah Hope Collection

Jedidiah is a company that I can really get behind and so should everyone else.  Life is about commuinity and creating atmospheres that cultivate connections.

The Being Human Project

Recently I have spent some time in Florida with some really awesome people who love Jesus and love people. While there are tons of people in Michigan that are this same way it was cool to get out of town and really reflect on my life and the ministries that I’m involved in, as well as my life (which in many ways is “ministry”). But while I was down there I was really confronted by my own laziness, I realized how empty many of the good things I was doing were. I was able to see that in my life I was not truly pouring myself out and had little passion and joy.

While I was down there I was pondering and this is what came out…

God created us in joy, we were created for joy, so that we might find joy in him.

Really what I’m going at is, when we pour ourselves out for the gospel we experiences true joy unlike anything other. We find true fulfillment and joy by living a life that is filled with the gospel. And with this in our hearts we can go into the world and bring joy others around us.

A passage that really spoke to me this week was in 1 Samuel 3 when God is calling to Samuel and he thinks it’s Eli. Eli tells Samuel how to respond to the Lord calling him. And this is what he says, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening”. I think those simple words might be one of the most power prays we could ever pray. To ask God to simply speak to us, to move in our lives in ways we don’t yet understand. I truly believe if we ask God to speak, it has potential to change our lives in very radical ways.

… So this is how my buddy Robbie is living with Passion, Joy, asking God to speak and to move. (Along with tons of awesome people from Orlando)

THE BEING HUMAN PROJECT

The Big Lebowski, NPR News Report

The Big Lebowski may be my favorite Coen Brothers film, and it turns out a lot of other people like it too. I was on the NPR website and found a report on the movie and thought it was pretty interesting.  Check it Out.

Ben Gibbard, Black Cab Sessions

This is pretty cool, two awesome musicians playing music in the back of a cab.

Mexico, Getting there through hard work and maybe some music

This summer approximately fifty people from Riverview Church will be traveling to Monterrey Mexico to serve Back 2 Back Ministries.  As many of you already know our goal at Riverview is to “make sacrificial followers of Christ, who make sacrificial followers of Christ who go”.  It is my personal belief that the most important word in this statement is the “GO”.  As a Christ follower I believe my goal is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to every ends of the earth through: cultural relevance, a knowledge of the scripture, and a heart that desires to serve the needy and help the poor.

While this trip is going to awesome it is also going to be very expensive.  As a group we have started coming up with a few ideas such as a: car wash, parents night out, and my favorite putting on a benefit concert. So far we have only tossed out a few ideas but if any of you know of any bands that would be interested in helping out an awesome cause let me know.  I am really excited about the potential to an awesome concert that is composed of good music that is funding a much greater cause.

This is the video from last years trip thanks to Mr. Arron Kite

One verse that has stuck with me for the past few weeks if from the gospel of John when Jesus heals the blind man.  The disciples question the reason this man is blind,  some of them believe it was because of this man’s sin and other imply that it is the result of his father’s sin and this is Jesus’ response, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” It is my prayer that my life and Church would live in this way so  that God might be displayed in our lives.

The Avett Brothers, enough said

At first I must admit that I was not a fan of the so called Avett Brothers.  So many people around me would not stop raving, then I found this.

Bella Donna

Tin Roof Acoustic