Category Archives: Uncategorized

Effectiveness…

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How effective are our ministries?

There are many different ways to discern the effectiveness of any given ministry.

There are metrics designed to understand the concept of efficiency in the church.
The problem?

God is not necessarily about “efficiency”. We want to do the least possible with the highest impact. However sometimes God will orchestrate things in such a way that there is much done to gain a minimal group.

We can institute a new ministry that brings one new person to God. By worldly standards that ministry has failed. However by God’s standards it can be a success.

How can this be?
Each person’s salvation is a victory over eternal separation. When we start to look at it this way we see the effectiveness of any ministry depends solely on the person perceiving the change.

When we try to evaluate ministries quantitatively we commit an err in logic.  Ministries should only be evaluated based upon the quality of the effect.

This is not measured so easily.  We have to use a bit of discernment and then the measurement is only based upon our perception of effectiveness.

Is it possible to truly evaluate the effectiveness of any ministry?

Why write?

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Photo: Sandara Lee

Writing is not one of those things that comes easily to most.  It’s like trying to dribble a football.  Awkward and gawky, we catch ourselves trying to spice things up with details to hide how simple the story really is.  We feel ridiculous even writing about ourselves when in reality, we are the one and only expert in the subject of me.  I understand me and my idiosyncracities better than any person on earth.  No matter how well you know me, it’s not better than I know me.  I think this is the biggest obstacle to self introspection and writing.  Facing our own image.  When we write, we can only write from our experiences and thoughts.  They will likely resemble some aspect of our own life and that means a peice of us is intrinsically wound into the story.  The story is us.  So what does this mean for you?  Well basically I’m saying pick up a pen or pencil and start now.  I’ve been journaling for several years now and I’ll promise you, it never gets easier.  But it does get better. 

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Ronin…

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ronin  (ˈrəʊnɪn)
 
— n
1. a lordless samurai, esp one whose feudal lord had been deprived of his territory

It is all but impossible to have a personal relationship with God without going to some form of church. One cannot plow, sow, reap, prepare and eat alone. Any attempt to do so will result in death due to starvation. The same is true of the relationship you have with God. Without constant refilling of the spirit our gas tank dries up and we sputter out. Read the rest…

Forgive…

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To fully experience God we cannot harbor bad will towards another.

If we hate one of his beautiful creations it is as if we are hating him. He has forgiven us for some of the most heinous transgressions. Who are we to hold a temporal man to a higher standard than God holds us to? Truly seeking forgiveness from God comes first. That is the easy part.

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Sinner’s Anonymous Week 1

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12 Christian Steps of Sinners Anonymous & Biblical References

1. We admitted we were powerless over sin… we admitted that our sin is unmanageable on our own. "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." (Romans 7:18)

Week 1

Conviction must come before we can ever acknowledge the power sin has over us.

Conviction will do one of two things. Either we will find ourselves further entrenched in that sin, or realizing we are incapable of defeating it alone and giving over to God. The process will be incredibly painful but entirely worth it.

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Sinners Anonymous Class Introduction.

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[At some point in time after delivering this introduction to class I erroneously erased half of my notes.  As a result I have tried my best to recreate a lot of what was written and incorporate thoughts and themes that were organically created during discussion.  If you happened to be in class and there was a point of phrase you wanted to see again, I promise I tried to recreate this as best I could.]

Addicted to Sin

Why are we addicted to sin?

Why is it so easy to sin?

Why is sinning so fun?(at least in the short run)

What makes me sin?

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Bandwagon Bible…

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I have noticed recently a mass exodus of NIV readers to the ESV. It appears that the popularity of the NIV is waning and in it’s stead, the ESV is gaining momentum. I’ll be the first to say when our pastor first used the version, I ran out to buy one. Was it because he used it on Sunday and I needed to keep up with the times? Was it because our Wednesday night men’s Bible study class suggested it for it’s apparent translation prowess? Or was it because I thought that by purchasing this new translation I would be closer to understanding all those things that I never understood before. Because it was the translation, not me that caused the misunderstanding. The book was the problem not me. Right. That probably played a part of the decision process, but the main driving force I would have to say is just simply making sure I’m on the cutting edge of changes in the church.

I want to be riding the tidal wave of the trend, not waiting for the later ebbs. And realizing that kind of makes me sad. I took something that should have been a holy and just action and made it into something selfish. How amazingly stupid can I be.

Secret Agent….

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Are you a secret agent?

The answer may seem pretty straightforward, but it really isn’t. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I am a secret agent. How so? Well on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, Thursdays at practice and special occasions I put on the hat of Christian. And sometimes I wear that hat the rest of the week.

But sometimes I take it off and put on the hat of John. Read the rest…