sanctify.

Oh man. I don't know if I should be writing this. I'm supposed to be busy writing the manuscript for my first book...which is already late. But hey, I need a writing break and what's a better way t...

"Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'Ye were bought at a price', and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

--

"Just Another Man" - Nissi Vasa and Wayne Chen

when david was called by samuel, he was tending to his sheep. 

when moses was called by the LORD, he was keeping jethro’s flock.

when elisha was called by elijah, he was found plowing with his oxen.

when peter was called by Jesus, he was casting a net into the sea, upholding his responsibilities as a fisherman.

the apostle paul was a tentmaker. Jesus himself was a carpenter!

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." Luke 16:10 

i have much faith that if i correctly steward what God has already given me already, He will set me over much more. i also have much faith that if i do not correctly steward these things, then i am not adequately prepared to lead in the Kingdom. 

recently, i've been thinking about the people that have invested in me and have helped me to grow into the man of God i am now. mad props. it's not easy to hang out with high schoolers when you're in your mid 20's, let alone prep lessons that can really resound in high schoolers' hearts. she definitely is one of these people, haha sound teaching srsly EVERY TIME. eternally grateful!

Acquitted - Jeremy Riddle

i feel as if "evangelism" has become a checklist term in the church. it's something we "do" once a month on Saturdays, going to serve the homeless in Santa Ana. it's turned into something we "do" in the summer for two weeks, going to abroad for short-term mission trips [check previous post for interesting perspectives on stm]. evangelism has turned into an intentional, set-up event - something that we just do, to often just say that we accomplished it - rather than a lifestyle.

this is a serious problem that has been on my heart recently. first of all, it is a very slippery slope to legalism, amongst other things. more importantly, it reflects the ingenuity and hypocritical nature of the church. people leave the church because they often find christians not authentic with their faith. i cannot blame them, because there is often a disconnect between our lives during "evangelism" and our lives outside "evangelism." 

the solution? evangelism must become a lifestyle, a lifestyle that begins first and foremost with deep intimacy with Christ. evangelism starts from within. i believe that the key to evangelism is truly knowing what you believe, why you believe it, and being convicted by the love of God so much so that it naturally overflows into a life of love and service to others. authenticity in faith cannot be achieved without careful thought and reflection: who is Christ, and what is the value of the gospel to me? do i find fullness of joy in my relationship with Christ, and is this joy something i want the whole world to experience?

jesus commands us to be the salt and light of the world (mat. 5:13). we're called to preserve the name of Christ here on earth, while making others thirsty for God. we're called to shine the love of God into the deepest and darkest places of the world. but how do we do this if we do not know who our King truly is? how can we talk about the greatness of God when we ourselves have not truly experienced the depths of His love? i believe that you can only move people to Christ to the extent that you have been moved. anything more, and frankly, you just comes off as being fake.

i think a good litmus test for authenticity in faith is asking: who am i in my most natural environment? (for me and perhaps many of us, this is in the family setting.) am i faithful in the little things? (ie. washing the dishes after meals without being asked, intentionally spending time with parents, identifying with my sister and her circumstances) does my behavior with my family truly line up with my behavior around others? if not, then carefully examining why there is a disconnect. 

When a Christian foundation interviewed college nonbelievers about how and why they left religion, surprising themes emerged.

interesting read from sunday school. a couple of highlights: 

"I don't respect people who don't proselytize. I don't respect that at all. If you believe that there's a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward.... How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"

i feel like the church has so so so much more potential to beast for Christ but this potential will only stay potential bc 1) most of us don't know our spiritual gifts, 2) aren't praying to receive spiritual gifts, and 3) even if we do know our gifts we don't invest our maximum efforts into the skills that God has graciously given us. 

Burning Ones - Jesus Culture

If I say, “I will not mention him,     or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire     shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in,     and I cannot.