Pretty cool how books get trailers these days.

The crux of the Christian response is that God came and entered the suffering of this world, suffering with us. Christ is the ultimate proof God is good and powerful. He sees all is not right and will be made new and perfect in the end. Why? How long, O Lord? Those are the cries of every human heart. (My take on this “Story of Sovereignty.”)

If God is Good…

Author Randy Alcorn’s new book If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil tackles these questions head-on. From the sections I’ve read, it is personal, pastoral, academic and certainly thorough (about 600 pages!). Few can write like he does, for a popular audience yet with a scholar’s acute sense of finer theological points.

In this short video Alcorn talks about our questions, “WHY?” and “HOW LONG?” Partly, because we live between Eden and the New Earth, where there is suffering, but only for a time. All things will be made new, and no more curse. Everything in us cries out for all to be made right. That’s a natural and God-given impulse. Alcorn shares some highlights:

Good word. Looks like a good book. Eager to crack open my copy after the New Year.

Here’s a video version of the Advent (first coming) of Jesus, “He’s Here!“:

(There’s also a Deluxe Edition, which includes an audiobook version narrated by David Suchet, the same voice as in the video above. At under $12 and $17 respectively, both are a good deal.)

• Find out more at JesusStorybookBible.com

—

This book is fascinating. It is a great mix of solid research (science and numbers) and cultural engagement (arts). I eat up the numbers side (as a left-brainer), yet appreciated greatly the wise commentary throughout. There were a number of characters whose stories were engaging, and although fictitious and fleshed out from homogeneous groupings, the narrative is fast-paced. This isn’t a just dry thesis with a bunch of numbers to back it up.

Lost & Found has three sections: Part I is Polling (who they are, what they believe, and what the future holds); Part II is Listening, where four markers are discovered (common themes of their deepest longings); and Part III is Reaching, where actual churches are looked at that are reaching the younger unchurched. This is a practical and helpful book. For that reason I will comment mostly on the helpful parts of the book and not dive too much into where it lacked (because it didn’t lack much). That said, there are some spots where I wish a more thorough analysis could be found; I’ll comment on those as we go.

Part I of Stetzer’s book deciphers research conducted among the “younger unchurched” (twentysomethings, 20-29 years-old), who happened to comprise the following cross-section:

• 22% always unchurched
• 62% de-churched
• 15% friendly unchurched
• 37% hostile unchurched

Because the masses are mixed, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to outreach. Many unchurched value spiritual matters but say they are turned off by “religion.” For example:

• 43% say they are spiritual but not religious
• 31% say they are spiritual and religious
• while only 9% say they are religious but not spiritual (and 18% were neither)
• about 40% of the younger unchurched identify with a denomination or faith group (as many of them grew in church and thus are de-churched)
• 60% say they grew up attending church as a child

It’s partly a book about evangelism (in a personal, individualism sense), but mostly about how local churches can mobilize our people to reach this “gap” generation before it’s too late for them. It’s about connecting as people, and as the corporate church. In that way it’s helpful, as Stetzer and company do not advocate a “come and see” approach that most books of this type advocate. They are not into only attractional church, but in missional church that is distinctly not extractional. (That is the dichotomy I see: rather than just missional vs. attractional, it is more essential to be missional vs. extractional.) We need to engage people where they are. Or, as Stetzer so apply summarized when talking about developing a sense of authentic community:

“Rather than behave/believe/belong ministry, we must move toward a belong/believe/become model” (84)

How many churches (or at least most of its members) have a Christian morality and social code that they project on the unconverted? Too many, in my opinion. If we are not on mission, moving towards people, then can we really be making disciples?

Here’s a talk Stetzer gave about these research findings:

Continuing on …

The skinny: it is bad news that the younger unchurched believe the church is to critical about lifestyle issues, generally full of hypocrites, and ultimately not necessary for spiritual development. This group has voted with their feet, and they have rejected the church because they think it is not necessary (or at least irrelevant; the church is not on the radar of many). The good news is that the younger unchurched are willing to dialogue about Christianity and Jesus. That is really good news: we want to talk with them about Him. Perhaps what they’ve encountered is not real Christianity at its core, but something altogether different (“religion” in the pejorative sense).

Their sense of spiritual truths is disjointed. While 4 in 5 believe that God or a higher supreme being exists, three out of five believe the God of the Bible is no different from other so-called gods (as in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism). Yet, more than 60 percent believe Jesus died and came back to life. They are open to learning more about Jesus. (More on where they would turn to learn about Him to follow.) About 3/4 believe the Christian church is generally helpful to the world. But almost half indicated that Christians get on their nerves. And nine out of ten believe they do not need the church in order to have a relationship with God or learn how to live the Christian life. Yet, nearly that many said they are willing to talk with someone about Christianity. They’re open.

Where (or to whom) would they turn to find spiritual guidance? Since they don’t believe the church is indispensible or a place to encounter absolute truth, About 60% are willing to study the Bible with a friend (if asked). But, since they believe Christianity is today more about organized religion than about loving God and loving people, they’re not that keen on going to church. Only one in six would go to church if seeking inspiration.

Their theological beliefs are interesting. It’s hard to argue with facts; they’re stubborn things. But, statistics can be construed certain ways based on questions lending themselves to nebulous self-identification. For example, Barna’s research of the last few decades often centers around persons identifying themselves as “born-again” Christians. Alas, the immorality of this self-called group is no better than the world (sinful behaviors, divorce, bad theology, etc.) But, because the classification is self-identified without an objective locus, how can one be certain of those findings? (Are they really born-again?) A strength of LifeWay Research’s questioning system is that one is more likely to say they are Christian than not (here in the U.S. at least), and this group sought out in the research for the book are decidely unchurched (or de-churched). They don’t really want to be known as Christians, and thus I tend to trust their self-identification more readily (than the system selected by Barna in parallel research).

Four key markers:

1. Community

2. Depth (& content)

3. Responsibility

4. Connection

We have “aspired” to community but it has scarcely become reality; and young adults have taken notice, both inside and outside the church (69). What stands out? An interest in authentic encounteres, a desire for relational equity (both presence and programs), wanting to be listen and process content (not passive), and a real desire for relationships to go past “hello” and “hi.” The key metaphor of family comes to the forefront. In this stage twentysomethings are wrestling through five key areas, such as identity, meaning, intimacy, pleasure and truth (from my own other research). All of these should be experienced in the context of community (at least in part).

I’ve long felt that depth of content — communicating under the authority of the Scriptures and wrestling with theology — is what my generation desires. We cannot subsist on “how to” speeches or “law-lite” platitudes or can-do speeches. We want the real thing; we want God. And even if we don’t want God (Romans 8:7-11), we want a transcendent experience. If we come to church we’ll want to encounter the real thing, not a side dish. So, I was not at all surprised at the researchers’ findings. A church an make a first-impression with eye candy, but to have a lasting mark, to produce deep Christians who want to live for Christ and be used for Him, we need to take them deep into the Gospel. The research shows this (87-104). The analogy of sitcoms (94-95) is spot-on. Nowhere in life are a few problems introduced in parallel, then navigated successfully and wrapped up neatly at the end of a 30 minute span. But that is what sitcoms give us (Friends, Seinfield, these days The Office), and that is what many contemporary churches strive for in their services. We want practical theology but we don’t just need six steps to a happy life. We need an encounter with the living God, with the truth of His Word, so we can be changed and become people who can face real issues in life.

And that’s why the issue here with depth is more than just about the words we say; it is about the person we are. Younger adults want to connect with real people navigating authentic struggles, and sharing life through the process. We cannot preach and give off the air that we walk in everything we are saying. We are broken people too and need to preach and speak and pastor as those who are also wrestling with issues. Not flimsy or unconvinced, but with conviction and authenticity at the same time. We’d rather be in over our heads than ankle deep in the shallow end (98). See, I’m placing myself in the middle of this group even as I write; this analysis resonates with me. More than What or How, we want the Who and the Why behind truth (more here). Stetzer writes:

“A significant chasm exists between behaviorism and transformation. Transofrmation goes beyond external resolutions. It requires internal struggle. It requires mining truth down to its deepest core and allowing it to resonate within you” (98).

The younger unchurched are wondering why the church remains silent on many of the issues plaguing our world. They desire responsibility. They want a culture of awareness, of wanting to make a difference, of coming together for a common goal — other than ourselves and self-preservation. Too many churches exist for themselves. They want to serve: one another, the church, and especially the local community and the world.

They also desire a cross-generational connection. I could write for days on this one, but suffice to say that as I organize small groups at our church I’ve gotten quite a few blank stares when I’ve mentioned inter-generational mission and community. Yet, in every instance, when the generations have seen the purpose and gave it a chance, they’ve felt a deeper connection to the church, to being used by God in each others’ lives. It’s organic mentoring; well, intentional and organic at once. Call it a greenhouse effect, giving room for growth but setting up proper environments.

So, what will we do at WCC? I’m not sure, but this book and statistical research has given me deeper confidence in some of the core emphasis I hope to continually bring before our leaders and members. Issues of authenticity, of Gospel-centered Bible teaching, of exploration and learning wisdom. Not short-cutting by simply giving (all) or assuming conclusions, of an openness of life to multiple generations, and challening the status quo of church being a place rather than the biblical definition of God’s people birthed by the Spirit, sent on the mission of the Son to the glory of the Father. We must be a people who welcome others to belong, leading to believing and becoming (and not being moralists).

Lost & Found is a good read. I highly recommend it for church leaders, and especially for a team of leaders who want to learn together and be challenged beyond their perspective to reach twentysomethings in their context.

Note: Just found out Jason Hayes (the research contributor to Lost & Found, and the leader of the Threads initiative for LifeWay) has produced a short supplemental booklet for connecting young adults in community. It’s called Context: Engaging the Young Adults of Your Community. A church staff friend gave me an advance copy; it looks to be a good synopsis of the longer book, with practical applications for reaching young adults.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World, by Paul Miller
The Relationship Principles of Jesus, by Tom Holladay (for our current Love & Relationships series at WCC, for group life; just finished)
Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional, by Jim Belcher
College Ministry 101: a guide to working with 18-25 year olds, by Chuck Bomar (recently finished)
The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission, by Lesslie Newbigin (just finished)
Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them, by Ed Stetzer, Richie Stanley & Jason Hayes

(The last two books above are for my evangelism course at Multnomah. Enjoying being challenged.)

Ongoing reading for leadership development:

Leading from the Second Chair
Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness, by Dan Allender

What? You don’t read eight books at once?

Next up (or really, read first chapter and want to dive into the rest):

Forgotten God: reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit, by Francis Chan
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters, by Tim Keller
Broken-Down House, by Paul David Tripp
Learner-Centered Teaching: five key changes to practice, by Maryellen Weimer

—

If you’re looking for a challenging and awesome book to read, I highly recommend Your Jesus is Too Safe by Jared Wilson (review here), which is the best book I’ve read in 2009.

“The quest for a contemplative life can actually be self-absorbed, focused on my quiet and me. If we love people and have the power to help, then we are going to be busy. Learning to pray doesn’t offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart. In the midst of outer busyness we can develop an inner quiet. Because we are less hectic on the inside, we have a greater capacity to love … and thus to be busy, which in turn drives us even more into a life of prayer. By spending time with our Father in prayer, we integrate our lives with his, with what he is doing in us. Our lives become more coherent. They feel calmer, more ordered, even in the midst of confusion and pressure.”
—Paul Miller, A Praying Life

It’s a great book, and may now be in my top 10 favorites. Seriously, I read many dead guys, and am constantly dabbling in a few books at a time. This one made me put down all others and dive in. There are only a couple other authors who can do that to me (one is my gifted writer wife).

What’s the purpose of this book? Wilson writes:

“to remind us, for the glory of God and the hope of the world, of the original message of the historical person Jesus Christ, who was, in fact, God in the flesh” (p. 15, introduction).

That’s because “to really know God, one must really know Jesus” (ibid.). Wilson had me in the introduction; I was hooked.

Diving into Your Jesus is Too Safe, I was challenged, excited, laughed often, got riled up at some of my jacked-up views, and came back thirsty for more of this Jesus. Wilson points past himself. He wants us to know and see Jesus! The thing is, we think we know enough about Jesus. But we only know enough to make us dangerous. And we each have “a Jesus” in mind when we hear His name. Is yours “ATM Jesus” or “Therapist Jesus” or “Hippie Jesus” or “get-out-of-hell-free-Jesus”? Perhaps you like “friendly legalist Jesus,” who gives you 5 easy steps to better finances, God’s way. Scrap all of those — and any others — and open up the Bible to get to know the Real Jesus, the God-Man who is the full revelation of what God desires us to know about Him now.

Somewhere along the way we Evangelicals fell in love with ourselves and made a plastic “Jesus” in our own image. Nevermind that He’s the self-proclaimed Image of God. We like Him to be like us, just a slob like one of us — but in a cleaned-up, respectable sort of way. Don’t get too comfortable with “your” Jesus.

As I mentioned, I can’t recommend this book enough. In fact, I bought copies for our youth volunteers, to go hand-in-hand with a series through the Sermon on the Mount that is all about Jesus. If you want to be challenged to see Jesus’ worth, words, works and ways, pick up this book, read it next to the Gospels, and get to work. You won’t be disappointed.

Wilson is a capable writer, and he’d be the first to admit that the path to getting published in non-fiction is quite arduous, if you don’t have a PhD (and thus no one will read it), or if you are not a celebrity pastor (in which case many would read it).

What’s in the book?

Your Jesus is Too Safe is comprised of twelve “portraits” of Jesus emerging from the Scriptures. It’s an accessible “mini-biblical theology,” tracing Jesus from Genesis to Revelation (cover-to-cover, through the ages) to see how He embodies these dozen paradigms. Sandwiched between and introduction and conclusion, here are the twelve chapters:

1. Jesus the Promise
2. Jesus the Prophet
3. Jesus the Forgiver
4. Jesus the Man
5. Jesus the Shepherd
6. Jesus the Judge
7. Jesus the Redeemer
8. Jesus the King
9. Jesus the Sacrifice
10. Jesus the Provision
11. Jesus the Lord
12. Jesus the Savior

The book may make the most sense to Christians, but I won’t hesitate to hand it to non-Christians.  If we silly believers are often stumbling blocks to reflecting the true Savior, perhaps this raw take from the Scriptures can illuminate what we darken, and clarify what we make fuzzy. Whether you think you know about Jesus, or you know very little, pick up this book and learn the old truth through a new encounter. Plus, at about ten bucks, it’s a sweet deal. Skip three coffees over the next couple of weeks and read this book to energize your day. A few of the chapters (1, 4, 8 esp.) are worth the price alone.

Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite excerpts from Your Jesus is Too Safe:

“Jesus showed up and said that the kingdom of God was here now, coming and breaking into history. And he said the kingdom was coming by, in, and through him. This was a hard pill to swallow—then and now. Let’s be frank: if you find the message of Jesus easy to digest, you’d better check the label on the box. You may be consuming a diluted version of Christianity. The message of Jesus—that he himself is life and you can’t get it anywhere else, least of all in yourself—is the hardest message we could ever hear, because it goes completely against our perceptions, our prejudices and our opinions. It goes radically against the bent of our souls.” (p. 27, ch. 1, Jesus the Promise, emphasis added)

“But no, Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Law, but to put it in its rightful context—which is to say he put the Law in the context of Himself.” (p. 28, ch. 1)

“Here’s the important thing to remember about the Sermon on the Mount: it’s not some long prescription for behavior modification… more than being stuff to do, it is stuff to be… [it] is a description of kingdom life.” (pp. 33-34, ch. 1)

“… our Redeemer lives. And one day, he will descend with a shout, and this old earth will get an extreme makeover in an eternal splash of glory, the likes of which will make the aurora borealis look like a Lite-Brite.” (p. 35, ch. 1)

“Repentance is the bottom-line call of any real prophet. It’s not all about predicting the future or just being a religious rabble-rouser. It’s about calling people to turn around, because the prophet wants them to have a heads-up for when God arrives.” (p. 41, ch. 2 Jesus the Prophet)

“God became incarnate in the man Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of forgiveness. God, in his great love for us, wanted to forgive our irreparable offense to his holiness, so he came himself in the person of Jesus to work this miracle of forgiveness. Have you heard the phrase ‘grace has a face’? That’s the active work of the incarnation of Christ, and the task of incarnational ministry for those who follow Christ: to put a face on grace.” (pp. 70-71, ch. 3, Jesus the Forgiver)

“[Jesus] was an integrated man, a whole man, which means he was an unfallen man. Jesus, as one unstained by the mark of Adam’s sin, perfectly reflected the holiness of God. He was whole, so when we look at Jesus and hear what he said and see what he was doing, we are looking at and hearing no one less than the one true God himself.” (p. 96, ch. 4, Jesus the Man)

“Jesus is so intent on shepherding us the way we need to be shepherded, that he is willing to put his own life on the line to protect us. He lays down his life for the sheep. That’s not just a good shepherd—that’s a great shepherd! That’s a crazy shepherd …” (p. 112, ch. 5, Jesus the Shepherd)

“The dualistic approach is echoed even in current campaigns against the penal substitution theory of the Atonement. Critics maintain that penal substitution proposes an unloving god essentially inflicting child abuse upon his loving son. They are wrong. We cannot and must not set Jesus against God, either in our discomfort with God’s wrath or in dismissal of Jesus’ judgment. Take a look at John 5:21-23…” (p. 128, ch. 6, Jesus the Judge)

“The key to living in a redemptive way, to trusting Jesus the Redeemer, is to trust him to redeem you in the circumstances and situations, not after the fact…. It’s something entirely different to look forward into the invisible future, clouded by all that assails and assaults you, and still see Jesus the Redeemer. Trusting Jesus the Redeemer to bring you out of a trial while you’re still in the trial requires not just waiting for redemption, but also living redemptively. You can live redemptively by committing yourself and disciplining yourself to do these three things: 1. Take Heart. 2. Hold Hope. 3. Have Faith.” (p. 165, ch. 7, Jesus the Redeemer)

“There can be no serious talk about Jesus without reckoning with the idea of him as king. There can be no serious talk about Jesus’ message without reckoning with his announcement that ‘the kingdom of God is at hand’ (Mark 1:15). His kingship is perhaps the primary thing we must know about Jesus, the primary way to see him.” (p. 173, ch. 8, Jesus the King)

Why is it important that Jesus never sinned?

“First, by never sinning, Jesus redeemed the sin of Adam. As the New Adam, it was Jesus’ mission to pull a huge do-over on the fall of mankind, to right the wrongs of our ancient parents Adam and Eve. … Second … Jesus had to be a sinless man, an innocent man, because of God’s command, and thus by Jewish law, any sacrifice offered for the forgiveness of sins must be pure and unblemished… Only the blood of something pure could cleanse the hearts of the impure.” (p. 203, ch. 9, Jesus the Sacrifice)

“It’s imperative we see that God is not interested in making our lives better. He’ll have nothing to do with being a supplemental enhancement to support our personal goals and ambitions. He’s not a sidekick, co-pilot, or self-help guru, and we should stay far away from a so-called Christianity that presents God as a way to improve our lives.

“God is life itself. Christ is life itself. We cannot live apart from God.” (p. 224-25, ch. 10, Christ the Provision)

“Over and over, if not verbally or explicitly, at least practically and implicitly, Jesus went around placing himself at the center of the God-life, at the center of God’s kingdom, at the center of one’s faith in God. He was asserting himself as the one to orient your life around if you really want to be faithful to God. And, folks, a normal man doesn’t do that. These days, we put people in mental institutions when they claim to be God.” (p. 251, ch. 11, Jesus the Lord)

“We were, for all intents and purposes, anti-God, even if consciously we though we were just ambivalent. But then the resurrection power of Jesus—he who is mighty to save—ushered us into new life.

Where?

“In him.” [See Romans 5:9-11] (p. 273, ch. 12, Jesus the Savior)

“The most important way that I’ve tried to synchronize the disparate portraits is by tracing throughout the entire journey the great unifying presence of the gospel. The gospel is the hope of the world—and these days it’s a hope that many inside our churches are just as starved for as those outside. My prayer is that more and more churches in Western evangelicalism will repent of their relegating of the gospel to a place inside the Trojan Horse of attractive programming and performance-driven worship services and self-help sermons, and once again herald it boldly as the only and supreme hope of a dying world.” (p. 282, conclusion)

Wilson traced the Gospel throughout Your Jesus is Too Safe, pointing past himself so we see Jesus, and desire more of Him. Wilson hit his intended purpose, “to remind us, for the glory of God and the hope of the world, of the original message of the historical person Jesus Christ, who was, in fact, God in the flesh” (p. 15, introduction). Taking the dozen portraits together: Jesus is God’s Promise, Prophet, Forgiver, The Man, our Shepherd, Judge, Redeemer, King, Sacrifice, Provision, Lord and Savior. He is all!

• Read the book interview with author Jared Wilson

About the Author

Jared Wilson is a faithful husband and devoted father, plus a pastor of Element in Nashville. He blogs at The Gospel-Driven Church, and is on Twitter, Facebook (become a fan of the book), and MySpace (why MySpace?). Anyway, he’s connected and has a bent for all things literary (more at The Thinklings, a group writing project) and is a top researcher with the Docent Group — more about Jared can be found on his site here.

My thoughts and a short review will follow in the next post (here). Read on as Jared answers questions about Your Jesus is Too Safe and life and ministry.

Interview Questions with Jared Wilson

Jeff Patterson: It was hard to pick a favorite chapter—each one was somehow better than the previous—and almost equally difficult to choose a favorite footnote. Those are hilarious (e.g., p. 79, fn. 7, about asking telemarketers for their home phone numbers so you can call them at their home at your convenience; you do that too?). So, what’s @theBecky’s favorite chapter or footnote/anecdote?

Jared Wilson: Beck says her favorite chapter is Jesus the Provision. She’s an optimistic, hopeful, always-expecting-the-miracle person, though, and that chapter deals more with Jesus’ miracles then others do.

She says her favorite snarky footnote is in Chapter 6, footnote #3, related to Jeroboam getting his arm shrunk. It reads, “If you don’t think this is awesome, something is wrong with you.”

[Editor's note: theBecky is obviously Jared's wife Becky (or Beck, as he calls her).]

JP: You seem to assume the reader has “a Jesus” in mind, that is of course “too safe,” and needs to be outgrown. You’re real tough on the American Jesus as “ATM Jesus.” Do you think he’s the primary version you confront into in the south, the Bible Belt? (Other than perhaps “get-out-of-hell-free Jesus.”)

JW: I think the safe Jesus plaguing the Bible Belt is sort of a “friendly legalist” Jesus. I have long thought that most of our churches are dealing in legalism without even knowing it. We get around this, it sneaks in, because most of us think of legalism or Pharisaism as stuffy, traditional, judgmental, arrogant, etc. But legalism is just making the message of God one about doing things and not doing other things. No gospel. And that’s what we’re dealing with when our messages are about practical, relevant steps to victory, change, success, or better what-have-you. It’s casual and hip and happy and comes with a rock band and a speaker with a fauxhawk, but it’s still legalism. And consequently there’s lots of people who are starving for Jesus even as they think they’re getting closer to God through their behavior.

JP: Tell us a bit about the subtitle, “Outgrowing a Drive-Thru, Feel-Good Savior.”

JW: Well, that’s one of those marketing things. I don’t even know if I came up with that. Was part of the titling process, I believe. But I like it. It speaks to both the consumeristic and the therapeutic that comes through in our modern alternative Jesuses.

JP: In the first paragraph of chapter 8, “Jesus is King,” you write, “His kingship is perhaps the primary thing we must know about Jesus, the primary way to see him.” Do you think our Jesus is too safe primarily because we see him as an add-on to our lives, and not as our lives—calling all the shots as King of All?

JW: I think our Jesus is too safe whenever it turns out he looks, thinks, or acts like us. Or when he likes and dislikes the same people and things we do. And when all that starts happening, then, yes, Jesus turns out to be our reflection, a sidekick helping us but really doing the bidding of our hopes and dreams like a genie for our self esteem or something.

JP: I concur with Michael Spencer (iMonk) that your book is like a “mini-biblical theology.” So rich, so full of insights that thread the whole revelation from Genesis—Revelation. If you had to choose, which of the 12 portraits of Jesus from Your Jesus is Too Safe does your church need to know the most? (Knowing of course we need Him in His fullness!)

JW: I think Jesus the King may be the most important chapter. It sets up Jesus as the sovereign Lord of all, so it gets at some core theology. And then it teases that out into the reality of the kingdom and kingdom living, so it gets at eschatology, and in tandem with that, ecclesiology. In other words, if Jesus is king of the kingdom of heaven, and if that kingdom is present now in him and his reign, what does it mean to be citizens of that kingdom and how do we do God’s will on earth as it is done in heaven so that others see the kingdom’s coming as good news? So that chapter more than others covers the gamut of belief and practice for churches.

JP: I’m 31, continually seeking to be a faithful husband and loving father, and have been called by God to serve as a pastor (associate), in the suburbs. What is the greatest emphases a suburban pastor should have, particularly in shepherding and leading believers in community?

JW: You will have to fight idolatry tooth and nail. The idolatry of comfort and convenience, which are in abundance in the suburbs. It messes with our brains. We go from “Oh, this is neat that this Kroger is right here” to “I can’t believe I have to drive 8 minutes to Kroger and wait in this 5 minute line!”

The suburbs can make idiotic babies of all of us. But they don’t have to. Preach the gospel hard at them so they know the universe doesn’t revolve around us. (The “six steps to a better you” stuff is huge in suburban churches.) And keep reminding them of life outside the suburbs and in the third world and what-not. And take them there, if you can.

JP: Theo-dork here: Has Kregel thought about making the book available in PDF form (for those who have purchased it in print)? I think it could be valuable for missionary pastors who have their libraries on a PC.

JW: I am getting info on this. I know Kindle is a strong possibility. I am waiting on answer to the PDF question.

JP: What’s one piece of advice you have for young, aspiring, God-centered authors?

JW: Write well. There’s a lot of guys who are smart and good speakers and have interesting things to say but can’t write worth a darn. And then there’s guys who write really well but don’t say anything helpful or edifying.

If you don’t know if you write well, ask somebody who’s not related to you to read your work and tell them to be honest.

Jeff, good questions!

JP: I know you tweet (@jaredcwilson). Who is Jesus in 140 characters or less? (Who must we say He is?)

Jared didn’t answer this one, but perhaps I can make an educated take on it, borrowing from the table of contents:

Jesus is God’s Promise, Prophet, Forgiver, The Man, our Shepherd, Judge, Redeemer, King, Sacrifice, Provision, Lord and Savior. He is all!

Your Jesus is Too Safe is organized around twelve “portraits” of Jesus, each one illustrating one awesome aspect of His Person (the 12 being listed above: Jesus is the Promise … the Prophet … the Forgiver … etc.). As you read, you’ll be challenged, excited, perhaps become angry (in chapter 4, probably), and in the end want to throw “your” Jesus away for the Real One — who is far edgier, deeper, and awesome than any person you’ve ever known. He’s not drive-thru (consumeristic) nor feel-good (therapeutic), but I don’t we want those for all eternity. He’s the King of the Universe, come to die in our place in order to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).

—

Editor’s note: A copy of Your Jesus is Too Safe was sent to me at no cost, in exchange for my review as part of the blog tour. I was not obligated to provide a positive review. I genuinely like the book — recommend it heartily without reservation — and am thankful for Jared’s time in answering these questions.

NT Wright on Blogging/Social Media from Bill Kinnon on Vimeo.

No one is humble by nature. In fact, the person who appears naturally humble is usually too lazy to be ambitious or too fearful to take risks. If a person is not tempted to control, especially in a crisis, this is often a symptom of despair and fatalism. Humility comes from humiliation, not from the choice to be self-effacing or a strong urge to give others credit.

Humility that has not come from suffering due to one’s own arrogance is either a pragmatic strategy to get along with others or a natural predilection that seems to befit only a few rare individuals. For most leaders, humility comes only by wounds suffered from foolish falls.

This is the terrible secret about leadership and life: we achieve brokenness by falling off our throne. To be broken is not a choice; it is a gift. I don’t know anyone who has made the decision to be broken and achieved it as an act of the will. But to experience brokenness and humiliation, all you have to do is lead. We who lead know that things happen that make little sense and that seem to have no immediate solution yet involve some failure on our part. …

Leading others gives you the opportunity to first be caught in the crossfire of competing goals and agendas and then to deal with that crossfire with limited resources and inadequate information. Every decision you make in such adverse circumstances will be favored by some and opposed by others. And in such circumstances, someone will certainly consider you a failure. Leading invites humiliation and brokenness.

Clearly there are only three possible responses to the absurdity of leadership: control, flight, or brokenness. Given the futility of control and the uselessness of flight, the only viable option for leaders who want to mature is to embrace being broken.

—Dan B. Allender, Leading With a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness, pp. 69-71 (emphasis added).

“The shattered relationship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the cross provides the basis for our reconciliation. No other relationship ever suffered more than what Father, Son, and Holy Spirit endured when Jesus hung on the cross and cried, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus was willing to be the rejected Son so that our families would know reconciliation. Jesus was willing to become the forsaken friend so that we could have loving friendships. Jesus was willing to be the rejected Lord so that we could live in loving submission to one another. Jesus was willing to be the forsaken brother so that we could have godly relationships. Jesus was willing to be the crucified King so that our communities would experience peace.”

- Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp, Relationships: A Mess Worth Making (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2006), 13.

I tell whoever will listen that the greatest danger facing our youth is being swept away in a sea of triviality . There are endless waves of nonsense competing for their attention, and we must teach them to know a few things so well they are gripped (or anchored) by them. By God. By the Gospel. By God-centered and others-directed love which compels us to give our lives away (2 Cor. 5:9-21).

I contend that adults are essentially junior high students, past the changing-everything-stage, and more stuck in their ways. Our passions are what drive us, and we are just as prone to be swept away in a sea of triviality. Meaningless knows no age-range.

Consider this commentary by John Dyer , coupled with this introductory comic strip for  Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death . Can’t improve on their insights. (Look at the comic strip first, then Dyer’s thoughts.) Remember Huxley and Orwell? You will.

An excerpt from Dyer:

Information Deprivation vs. Information Overload
(Orwell’s fears versus Huxley’s fears)

Postman points out two major concerns:

1. The kind of information we intake is insignificant.
2. The amount of information we intake overshadows what little significant information we do intake.

In other words, if you read a passage of Scripture in the morning, then later consume lots of TV shows, blogs, and advertisements, it doesn’t matter if the content is morally good or morally bad, the sheer volume of information will dilute anything truly great and tend you toward seeking more and more insignificant material.

I have to ask myself: am I really a more intelligent, loving, godly person because of my constant access to the never ending stream of news? I imagine Dostoevsky would have longed to have the remainder of the Old Testament – do I long to be saturated by God’s word as much as I long for new interesting tech news?

How about you, are you satured with the significant or overwhelmed by the meaningless?

In general, there may be three Gospel-distorting approaches to change:

1. Proving ourselves to God
2. Proving ourselves to others
3. Proving ourselves to ourselves

These are not in keeping with our new identity in Jesus. I’ve been continually challenged to move past this nonsense as I slowly read How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp, as well as look forward to Tim Chester’s forthcoming book, You Can Change .

The secret to life transformation is Gospel-centered change . As Chester puts it,

“The secret of gospel change is being convinced that Jesus is the good life and fountain of all joy.”

If sin is what we do when we’re not satisfied with God, then worship is what we do when we are satisfied with Him.

A snippet:

I believe that any tool, whether we use it for good or bad, right or wrong, truthfully or untruthfully, shapes the way we look at the world. Just as a photographer sees the world in pictures and a stockbroker sees the world in business transactions, we all see the world through whatever we use most. A wise man once said, “We become what we behold.”

His conclusion:

So, come, be my friend on facebook, twitter, and the rest [links removed], but let us not behold the images we post and the words we write, but less us behold Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15 ; Heb. 1:3 ) and the very Word of God (John 1:1 ), and let us not anchor our identity in the things posted about us online, but on the fact that God has called us “friend” and “sons and daughters.”

We become what we behold. Or put another way: beholding is becoming (2 Cor. 3:18).

Along the same lines, I haven’t had much time to read in recent months. At least not at the book-a-week clip I enjoyed before. Always dabbling in a few books, and trying to keep up on a few blogs. Here’s what I’m reading right now:

BOOKS

Always

• God’s Word, the Bible (ESV + NIV + ESV Study Bible online)
• Greek New Testament (UBS 4th Rev. Ed., mostly following along while receiving the weekend sermons to not lose everything I’ve learned)
• The Best of A.W. Tozer (never tire of this saints’ insights)

Renewing minds

• Godology: because knowing God changes everything by Christian George // a short, creative and at times mind-blowing treatment of God’s Perfections (attributes), and how the Triune God intersects with daily lives. He had me on the first page when he quoted my favorite Tozer-ism: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." How true. Yesterday morning I read a chapter called "Chocolate for the Soul" (on God’s Holiness), which had an awesome sidebar quote: "Grace is the grueling work of a determined God."
• Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ by John Piper

Leadership + Pastoring

• Leading with a Limp : take full advantage of your most powerful weakness by Dan Allender (just got it back from Kari, who thoroughly enjoyed it)
• Leading from the Second Chair : serving your church, fulfilling your role and realizing your dreams by Mike Bonem & Roger Patterson
• 101 Ideas for Making Disciples in Your Youth Group by Kent Julian

Many other pastoral books are within reach here on my desk, and from which I glen often. Like A Quest for More by Paul David Tripp, Total Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester, Waiting on God by Andrew Murray, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp, and many Warren Wiersbe books (including On Being a Servant of God ).

I am not a fast reader, but give me a day off without any other commitments and I would happily read for 12 hours straight. (In a public place, so I can dialogue with others too.) I call this a "happy tension" because I long to read and know more. Yet the Spirit longs for reshaping us to want to know God more, obeying him from the inward person. Put another way, while we want to "get in the Word," God works for the word to get in us.

Leaders must be readers, and I’m convinced that we give far more consideration to what we put in our mouths than what we put in our minds. Renewing our minds is the daily discipline of people who love God and are growing to love Him more. Otherwise we implode on ourselves and get trapped in the tiny prisons of our own minds, and remain like kids in our thoughts, tossed to and fro by every wind of teaching (Eph. 4:14).

BLOGS

Don’t have time to read much of these anymore, but other than my wife’s daily musings, here are some of my favorite blogs (with a link to a particularly good post on each):

• Gospel-driven Church // bonus post (Jared Wilson, writer, and pastor of Element )
• Christians in Context
• Dwell Deep (Matt Chandler)
• What’s Best Next (Matt Perman)
  
• Desiring God
• subtext // the gospel in the suburban context
• Church Planting Novice & Creation Project (Jonathan Dodson, who has the same glasses as yours truly)

And others when possible.

Yesterday he put four books in my book bag, thinking I needed to meditate on the Gospel.

He selected one paperback each from four great authors: Andrew Murray, H.A. Ironside, D.L. Moody, and J.I. Packer.

Thanks son, your exhortation is heeded!

(The yellow duct tape hold together my DIY laptop case.)

• Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis
• Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
• When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper
• Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
• Leading from the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson
• Always reflecting on and praying through the pages of The Valley of Vision

Reading for seminary:

• Ephesians at least three times a week (love that epistle!)
• Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages by Haddon Robinson
• Christ-centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Bryan Chapell
• Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament by Daniel B. Wallace
• Portions of many others

A little clip:

"We like to keep Scripture short and manageable, and that’s understandable. It’s certainly more convenient that way. But we will not be mastered by Scripture if we don’t occasionally allow it to overwhelm us, intimidate us, and force us to wrestle with it."

Read the whole thing …

I’ve been reading the book and am challenged on a number of levels. My soul and mind resonate with the subtitle: “A radical reshaping around Gospel and community.” 

A helpful quote from Chester:

One of our catchphrases is “ordinary people living ordinary life with gospel intentionality.” It means doing the chores, having meals, watching sports, and so on with an intention to talk about Jesus, to pastor one another with the gospel, and to share that gospel with unbelievers.

May God allow us to serve in the church with this trajectory.

• Read A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger Than You by Paul David Tripp

The three-week crash-course is meant to only whet one’s appetite for devouring God’s Word, so we can enjoy HIM for all He’s worth!

A number of the attendees asked for a list of helps — how can I understand the Bible better? (If you are like me, you feel so far behind!) I had a stack with me and showed them a few of my most trusted ones. Here’s the list and a comment on each. Some are for beginning and intermediate readers, others are more advanced. I note the features of each. The links are to Amazon, for the least expensive prices available (use these links).

My suggestion: go with one or two of the below and delve in!

Just starting out

The Jesus Storybook Bible // The best children’s Bible I’ve found. Links every story within the overall message of the Bible, pointing the way to Jesus.

There is also no shame in reading this as an adult (even not to your kids), for learning and knowing the overarching Story of Scripture is essential to knowing, loving and enjoying God above all else. [$11.55]

With the Word by Warren Wiersbe // a pocket-sized chapter-by-chapter commentary — a short page per chapter, very brief — on the key themes and main points of each chapter in Scripture. It’s like having the faithful preacher there next to you explaining the way with you, daily. [$12.74]

A Study Bible is also helpful. I’m eagerly awaiting the ESV Study Bible release this fall (watch an intro here ), and have used the Nelson NKJV Study Bible (Kari’s choice; her’s is falling apart after so much use!) and Zondervan NIV Study Bible in the past.

(See links to Bible reading plans below.)

God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughn Roberts // A brief panoramic view of all of the Scriptures and God’s big picture in His story, past, present and future. [$9.60]

Intermediate

Playing With Fire: How the Bible Ignites Change in Your Soul by Walt Russell // this forms the essential emphases of the class, and goes deeper and wider than we were able to in our short time together. Russell’s insights and pastoral heart come together with the mind of a brilliant professor/teacher. [$10.19]

Promises Made: The Message of the Old Testament by Mark Dever // An overview of all 39 Old Testament books, the ones we are prone to neglect and misunderstand, in a simple yet comprehensive format. Written for any level of reader. Helps one to see the ‘forest’ as well as the most important ‘trees.’ [$26.39]

Promises Kept: The Message of the New Testament by Mark Dever // An overview of all 27 New Testament books in a simple yet comprehensive format. Written by a veteran pastor with clarity and faithful to the text. Helps one to see the ‘forest’ as well as the most important ‘trees.’ [$19.79]

How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour by Gordon Fee (a revision of many of the concepts from his How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth ) // Book-by-book introduction and discussion of key themes and core emphases. For any level of reader. Both books are tremendous helps.[$12.91 + $11.55]

Daniel Fuller’s Unity of the Bible [$19.79] and the late Ray C. Stedman’s Adventuring Through the Bible [$14.99] are also extremely helpful resources. One of my profs, Albert Baylis, has a more advanced (but with lots of charts and helps) treatment of the OT: From Creation to the Cross (formerly called On the Way to Jesus ) [$20.27]

(Note: I receive a very small kickback on any new books purchased through the links listed above. Only enough to help me pay for shipping on my next order or something like that. But every penny helps, so consider buying through here.)

Bible Reading Plans

• Discipleship Journal Bible reading plan (the whole Bible in one year, 25 days/month) // I handed out a copy of this one to the class
• M’Cheyne system Bible reading plan (in one year) // I use this one, and have the reminders show up in my RSS Reader
• Or shape a specific plan using the ESV’s various RSS feeds
• Sign up for daily email devotional from Don Carson’s For the Love of God , aimed at walking through all of the Scriptures in two years. It’s a revised version of the M’Cheyne system, spread out over two years. [To simply subscribe to the email devotions, send an email to: christwaymedia-join@associate.com ].

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help.

Enjoy!

“Take every word as spoken to yourselves. When the word thunders against sin, think thus: ‘God means my sins;’ when it presseth any duty, ‘God intends me in this.’ Many put off Scripture from themselves, as if it only concerned those who lived in the time when it was written; but if you intend to profit by the word, bring it home to yourselves: a medicine will do no good, unless it be applied.” (From a sermon by Thomas Watson entitled “How We May Read the Scriptures with Most Spiritual Profit”)

Not sure what the statistics are on reading habits after high school but I doubt they are very encouraging in our society. People do many things enthusiastically, but not many people are readers as they get older. The exact opposite happened to me. I read a handful of books to get through high school, and then Christ arrested my heart and I quickly developed a voracious appetite for reading. (Still slowly though.)

At least 4/5 homes in America have a Bible, yet a small fraction of people actually dust off one of their many copies and read it. Why? We prioritize what we value. True knowledge of God is not valued. We tend to enamored with the latest and greatest fad, looking for a quick fix, while God’s timeless truth would bring the satisfaction and depth our souls crave (and were created to enjoy). We must fight, swim upstream, and with Him develop a love of Christ and His Word.

Last night our class kicked off — Enjoying the Bible for All Its Worth . I was deeply encouraged by the appetite of the 50 or so adults who came. They ate it up; we covered everything I hoped, and had more interaction than expected. It was a thoroughly enjoyable time for me as their teacher.

In fact, joy was the first thing we discussed: Enjoyment is not optional . Enjoying God. Enjoying the Bible. These are commands sustained by God’s good pleasure in fulfilling them in us. All of the Scripture points us to see Jesus the Christ as the most compelling and worthy Person in all the Universe — to value Him through delight. And it makes sense, since He created us to do just that.

At the start of the second hour I opened the floor, asking "What challenges do we face in reading and understanding the Bible?" Some candid answers from the class:

• not knowing where to start
• no pictures! (actually, most words in the original languages are in fact word pictures!)
• how does it all fit together — why is it not organized chronologically (specifically the OT)?
• pronouncing names (genealogies) and dealing with strange geography
• I fall asleep face down in my Bible at night
• psyche up myself to commit to reading, only to fail in consistency
• it’s boring

I added a few of my own:

• we don’t understand it
• the Bible says things we don’t like
• it takes time + work — we’re lazy!

Then I kindly pronounced all of these bogus . That is, each can be overcome, and God wills that we work with Him in valuing Him and His Word above all else. Have you specifically asked Him to conquer these tiny obstacles in you?

Speaking of joy, their assignment for next Tuesday night is to read Philippians (a letter all about joy) and first seek to grasp the "big idea" of Paul’s inspired epistle. We talked about how this course will help us develop in us the science and art of understanding Scripture and bringing it into our daily lives. It is hard work. We must sit and think and pray. But doesn’t anything worth doing take hard work? We are not alone in the process. God’s Spirit meets with us, shining the light of truth and significance on the passage.

So, fear not, we can make some early mistakes in our hermeneutics, seeking to correct one another gently. We can learn by diligence and humility how to rightly find out what the texts says and means, and how it applies to us today. That way we will all enjoy the Bible together, for all its worth.

For God’s glory and our joy, we get to work at erasing biblical aliteracy one God-loving believer at a time. Fifty of us are catching on.

His new book is an expansion and more detailed research project of his September 2006 article in Christianity Today magazine . During that time and afterward he traveled all around the country (for nearly two years) chronicling the diverse movement, from the Passion conferences to Southern Seminary, to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis (home of John Piper, pastor for preaching and vision), to Sovereign Grace Churches, to visit with dozens of churches and pastors and professors across the country, to Yale and Princeton (Jonathan Edward’s roots) and all the way to Seattle (home of Mars Hill Church and Mark Driscoll, preaching pastor, and the Acts29 church planting network). It is truly amazing how much info, interviews, reflections and candor he Hansen was able to pack into 156 pages.

Having read and followed most of the "key players" among the resurgence in and towards the doctrines of grace for a few years, I was delighted to better understand their interwoven story. I recommend this quick read for those not familiar with the God-centered theology, or with an caricature/skewed view of it as it relates to biblical doctrine. Others have reviewed and responded to the book in other places (see links below).

Hansen’s book reads like a string of captivating articles, and he does more than give facts as he reflects, summarizes and connects the doctrines of grace, people of grace, the centrality of Christ and some of the various issues facing the American church with journalistic creativity. I especially appreciated the tone found throughout of an others-directed, servant-like humility and the need for evangelism, mission (and missions), and serving the local church and community. To be God-centered, Bible-saturated and Gospel-driven means to give our lives away sacrificially.

Spurgeon is quoted on page 114 noting how the doctrine of election is not aimed at dividing saints, but rather "Israel from Egypt" (as in the OT). He goes on:

“A man may be evidently of God’s chosen family, and yet though elected, may not believe in the doctrine of election. I hold there are many savingly called, who do not believe in effectual calling, and that there are a great many who persevere to the end, who do not believe in the doctrine of final perseverance. We do hope that the hearts of many are a great deal better than their heads. We do not set their fallacies down to any willful opposition to the trust as it is in Jesus, but simply to an error in their judgments, which we pray God to correct. We hope that if they think us mistaken too, they will reciprocate the same Christian courtesy; and when we meet around the cross, we hope that when we meet around the cross, we hope that we shall ever feel that we are one in Christ Jesus.”[1]

Let all remember:

“What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” ( 1 Cor. 4:7 )

• Read Hansen’s original Young, Restless, Reformed article in the Sept. 2006 edition Christianity Today magazine
• Read the prologue and chapter one of the book
• Timmy Brister’s personal interview with Collin Hansen – part 1 | 2 | 3
• Audio/video of discussion with Hansen and Dr. Doug Sweeney recorded at the Henry Center at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
• Kirk Wellum’s review & response (originally on Wellum’s blog )
• Tim Challies’ book review

(Brister and Challies are both mentioned in the book.)

" ‘Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Three,
Hadst Thou not chosen me …

My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have loved me first."
– Josiah Conder, 1836

Found in the front matter of the Jesus Storybook Bible we bought Dutch. Wow, that’s the type of Christ-exalting humility and truth I hope our young son to grasp. We hope to swim with him in the deep end of God’s perfections and grace (even from this young age).

"We love becaus e he first loved us ." [ 1 John 4:19 ]

Here’s what they let me say as a promo for their blog/site (read it here or there ):

Last week, after arriving home from a discouraging day attempting to tutor disinterested public high school students, I received an email from Damian saying I had won a book from Christians in Context. I won something? Me? I haven’t won anything since … a GameBoy in middle school. Wow, that was almost two decades ago. Where is that gadget anyway?…

Back to the story … there I was in the middle of my context, thinking about how I’d won a book that links me, a Christian, to the text of God’s Word. Thank you guys for the great gift, and reminding me again of the value of good theology to fuel daily life. (And at that moment it suddenly dawned on me that while tutoring that day, in response to one of the girl’s questions she has provided an open door for explaining the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ. Christ was there in that context.)

About a month ago I stumbled across Christians in Context via a link from the Parchment and Pen blog and theological word of the day . The first post had me hooked, and I’ve had Norman and Damian fired up in my RSS feed reader ever since. A recent post by Damian on John Owen and mortification of sin not only resonated with me personally (read: convicted me), but also helped me to see the great need to be reading good theology and applying it to my life.

The whole idea of being a Christian in one’s context seems to be gaining traction these days. It is almost funny to think of how "contextualization" is a buzz word in the church today, while the Bible [and Jesus] simply calls it "obedience" (Matt. 28:18-20). Some Christians may not like the former word (and I think that is probably just as well, as it’s a bit technical even for leaders), but I think we can all relate to the latter.

Obedience, like love, and motivated by it, involves values and evaluation. We each live in a unique context, a culture that demands our time and resources and often allegiance. And rather than think we can (or even should) escape our culture, we are called to evaluate all things, bringing every thought captive to the mind of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5) and live as sojourners in the tension between two worlds (Phil. 3:17-21). Loving God and loving people as Christ brings His redemption is our happy tension. While we dare not change the unchanging Gospel of Christ, we can seek to change ourselves (1 Cor. 9:22-23), and doing so involves agonizing strain and labor and discipline (vv. 24-27). As the Church, being Christians in Context is not easy, but in a two-second-vapor-of-a-life (James 4:14) we live in that happy tension.

Thanks again guys for reminding us why and how to live in this happy tension — as sojourners in our context, reflecting Christ.

Because of Jesus who is The Image of God,

Jeff

"Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal of every condition."
- Jeremiah Burroughs , The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment (listen to a discussion of the book here , highly recommended)

"…I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
- The Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:11-13

This hits home to the details of everyday life. Who doesn’t need to learn better how to be content?

Contentment is a heart issue. And it is a hard reality to cultivate. Our affections must be illuminated to see past our circumstances and surroundings to see the transcendent God who brings beauty, joy and contentment to any and all things.

Labor to be content in God. We are working through frustrations and disappointments to see Christ Himself as the sum of our joy and contentment in this life, as He is the source of life and the reason for our existence.

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. . . . The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any [person] is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that comprises the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God.”
- A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy , chapter one, "Why We Must Think Rightly About God," p. 1

By its nature, saving faith loves God and delights in God as the sum of all that could ever satisfy the soul.
—John Piper, Future Grace , p. 252.

“The sad fact is that many of us are simply not biblical in the way we use the Bible! Being biblical does not mean merely quoting words from within its pages. Being truly biblical means that my counsel reflects what the entire Bible is about. The Bible is a narrative, a story of redemption, and its chief character is Jesus Christ.”
–Paul David Tripp, Instruments In The Redeemer’s Hands, p. 27 (emphasis added)