The Heart of the Matter

Thomas Kelly has an interesting perspective on growing our spiritual lives in intentional and meaningful ways. Rather than pulling for the glamorous, flamboyant, radical faith that seems so impressive, he suggests that the most meaningful moments of growth are those that seem frustrating and mundane. God calls us to obedience and personal growth that requires very little from us, except an intentional and costly faith in his work. God has done the greatest, most radical thing in our lives already if we have been saved and are now being sanctified. There is no greater act of faith required. There is no terrible risk to take. There is no beleaguering effort needed. The most awesome work has already been accomplished on our behalf for the purpose of salvation, unto God's glory and honor. He moves in us and flows through us in small gestures. Like a new pillar of stone, we are being chipped away, sanded down, and displayed. It takes time and it hurts like crazy. The work is being done in our hearts. We die a new death every day as yet one more stubborn and petrified corner of rock is chipped off and shorn down. God calls us to obedience in everything. We are to meditate on his Word, to commune with his Sons and Daughters of the faith, to pray ceaselessly, to call out in hard times. Our hearts must be broken down in submission to his strong hands. The change is subtle, sometimes seemingly nonexistent, but he promises a masterpiece for an end result. Faith moves mountains, but that faith isn't ours. Our mountainous selves will one day stand erect as beautiful carved, living statues praising the name of the Sculptor.

A Faith That Acts

In a crowded room full of emotionally-charged peers all worshipping together, it's easy to feel like faith is real and strong. It's easy to think that my faith is unshakeable, that it permeates my entire life, that it dictates all of my thoughts and actions. And when the music stops and the lights come on I am reminded of how deep my emotions delve. They get me no further than out the door of that crowded room and I'm back to being nervous and hesitant, embarrassed by my profession of faith, apathetic and lethargic about my obedience to Christ. How easily I forget that my life has been shaped by my faith. I still want to live in my flesh.

Faith has high moments, like that crowded room experience. But most of my life is not like that emotional high. It's drudgery. It's stale. It's sort of not fun more than I'd like to admit. And yet, my faith must define those monotonous moments in my life. Faith has to influence every thing I do, everything thought I think, every word I say, even (or especially) in the moments where I feel like it doesn't matter at all. The trap is broad: to limit my faith to segments of my life is to live without faith at all. My God so loved me that Christ's blood has been spilt for all of me, not the 'spiritual' parts only. Because of the Hope that I rejoice in, I may now surrender my political views, my family heritage, my morals, my checkbook, my mind, my car, and my conversation to the transforming power of the Lord. My faith is from the Lord and He is at work in every area of my life. I am made new. Nothing has been left untouched. Every part of me ought to be governed by this 'faith' I can now have in the person Jesus Christ.

God's Money, My Hands.

I am a poor college student. I don't have money to spend. And yet, I somehow still manage to spend it. I have had to learn to adjust from a lifestyle of working full time (and the paychecks that came along with it) to a more frugal lifestyle. Learning has been a bit rough, I'll be honest. Looking back at my expenses over this past few months, I was somewhat surprised at how much money I spend on myself that really isn't' essential or necessary spending. I was actually a bit convicted of how much money I can spend on myself with very little to show for it. At the same time, however, I don't want to be completely negative about my spending habits. Looking through some of the transactions, I recalled the money I spent on other people and started thinking about how that had impacted them and, perhaps, was still impacting them. I've had the mentality, ever since I was old enough to understand money, that my money is not mine at all. It's God's. And I don't just use it as a catchphrase to make me feel spiritual; I tend to live my life that way. Sometimes I'm a bit too reckless and careless with the cash-flow, but I truly and honestly believe that God will take care of me and He will provide for whatever needs I have, regardless of how much money is in my bank account. I've never been a good saver of money for this reason. Stewardship is a tricky thing. I want to justify my recklessness with money with a quick followup saying that God will take care of me despite my stupidity with money, but that's a fool's mentality. God has given me money, His money, I might emphasize, to be wise with it, be a good steward with it, and to glorify him with how I use it. I have no excuses for my rash behavior with money. At the end of the month, I have to be able to look back at the bank statement and say, "God was glorified in how I used His money in my life."

Baptist Worldwide Impact

The CBF has had a huge impact on the world. And even better, it continues to build and grow communities of faith in all parts of the world. On the CBF website, I came across a video under their Global Missions section which I though was very encouraging. The CBF planted churches in India, and because of the faithfulness of both the CBF and its missionaries, many previously overlooked regions of India are now being exposed to the Gospel of Life. One of the gentlemen on the video was discussing how the CBF used the natives' basic need for water as an inlet for a church plantation, which then led to an explosion of converts to Christianity. The CBF, as a product of the summation of many like-minded Baptist churches, was able to integrate into the culture and impact the people in a meaningful way. Without a consolidated effort, and without a focus of funds from every supporting church, the same goals would have been impossible to attain. When Baptists work together for a common objective, the possibilities are greatly increased. Without a willingness to cooperate, those regions of India would have been left untouched and without the beautiful picture of salvation painted across their hearts. What else can we as Baptists accomplish when we come together to minister to the world about us, bringing glory to our Lord Most High.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owuiLNDfoCs&feature=player_embedded

Ministries of the BGCT

The Baptist General Convention of Texas spans a broad array of of ministry fields, if not all of them. As I was looking at them, I came across the Education/Discipleship category and was immediately interested. The first thing that attracted me to this particular field of the BGCT was the list of all the ministries within the church, with which the BGCT has resources available to help facilitate in their growth and maintenance. I teach a college ministry class and was very interested to see what sort of dealings the BGCT has within that context. Also of note was the BGCT's willingness to sponsor ministers interested in obtaining certification in Discipleship Training. They offer referrals and resources for churches who are struggling to find a pastor and/or support a pastor financially. There are useful tools available such as a resume matching service, interim pastor databases, etc. In general, I think it's great how the BGCT is willing to assist laymen, pastors, and churches in a variety of ways without being restrictive or creating dependence upon the BGCT's assistance. They want churches to work smoothly and be properly staffed and trained. The resources available seem almost endless.

The Baptist Standard

On the Baptist Standard website, I came across a variety of news articles, editorials, opinion essays, and the like. One particular article I chose to read was pertinent to my ministry interest area. It was an article discussing the importance of counseling grandparents as they learn their roles in the lives of their grandchildren. The article discussed the significance of proper relationships between grandparents, parents, and children. It also raised awareness for several clinics in the state of Texas whose counselors specialize in this area. This article was just one of many articles that deal with contemporary issues in the Church, in Texas, in the country, and around the world. The Baptist Standard seems like an efficient tool for disseminating news stories and informative articles that are current and applicable. They, and other similar resources, are great for keeping ministry leaders (as well as laymen) informed about some of the hot and trending issues that are plaguing their churches and their ministries.

http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14348&Itemid=53

A Community of Faith

Dietrich Bonhoeffer does an excellent job of getting to the core of a matter. Without parsing words or shying from truth, he calls us out of our lethargy and apathy and into a right understanding of who God is and how we are to relate to Him. In Bonhoeffer's Life Together, he makes some interesting observations about how we as believers are able to relate to one another. Essentially, he draws up a blueprint of how the Church is constructed, with Jesus Christ as the central building block. As Christians, we are all unified in Christ; the Body of Christ. As such, we are in harmonious communication with the Father (not fluently, but completely and appropriately so). As a community of faith, we serve one another and work together for the sake of the Lord's name. This does not necessarily come to fruition, but one it does the whole Body serves as a single organism accomplishing great things that are otherwise impossible for a single member to do. We are adopted heirs of the Kingdom of God with Christ, provided we suffer with him. To suffer with Christ, we must put off our worldly selves. Dying to self is ugly, awkward, unpleasant, and terrifying, but God requires it from His Beloved and promises blessing in return. As a Church, this is our desire. This is who we are. He is ours. And we are His.