This is a place where you can read what’s currently
rattling around my brain and I hope that it helps you!
Resources for Studying Scripture
All Scripture is in the Bible for a reason. Some of it is very, very hard to understand. Thankfully, we are blessed by Jesus to have very smart people who have provided resources to help us understand this beautiful revelation story of Jesus, who came to save the world forever.
Being the Kingdom Family of Jesus
True community is messy. When it’s messy, it’s hard. But you know what? I love it because it means, as a whole, we’re seeking to become the Kingdom of Jesus where we are, not by ourselves, but together.
But what if we did it anyway? What if we embraced the hard? What if we prayed together, learned the Scriptures together, confessed to each other, pointed out each other’s sins in love, communed together, gave to each other who are in need, and formed into the image of Jesus together?
From Radical Individualism to Kingdom Family
We need to seek living in these patterns of renewal, like the practice of community. We need to develop a spiritual trellis to help us seek spiritual flourishing in a day and age that continues to seek a false way of living that leads to hurry and noise sickness, focus on pride and power, and to become a culture seeking a Kingdom with no King, because we want to be that king.
Community shows us that life is not about us, but about Jesus and His Kingdom family. It means we have a purpose and value to bring the New Kingdom of Jesus to this world. Much like the early church appeared in the Book of Acts, I believe the church as a whole is called to reappear in this world. Are you willing, and am I willing?
Practicing the Sabbath
When we don’t take a true Sabbath rest, we are doing a disservice to our community and to God. Why? Because when we live exhausted and hurried, we’re less a people of love, and we’re missing out on experiencing the blessings of living rested, unhurried, and having a cup full from being with God and others in a foretaste of the coming Garden-city. God wants you to rest. And I love this quote, because as we make sabbath a rhythm, we notice something being built.
A Theology of Sabbath
Who feels exhausted? Who feels tired? Who feels rushed and that life is hurried and noisy? Here is an answer, and it’s a theology of Sabbath. Next week, we’ll look at applying practically the discipline of Sabbath.
Rule of Life
The last way it can be translated is trellis. Allows life to flourish for grapevines, but without it the grapes have nowhere to go and die off. Same goes with our life of faith. We need a trellis to help our spiritual lives flourish, or we will get stuck. This is a way to help us have structure and organization that abides in the True Vine. Limitations actually lead to freedom, growth and joy. The rule of life is not meant to be a set of rules and legalism but a way of grace and effort to learn how to embrace the identity and lifestyle of Jesus.
From Hurry to Unhurry
When something looks enticing like sex, pornography, cheating, getting drunk, going with the greed to gain money and status, it often leaves us empty. But, if we we would seek the self-control Jesus gives to us, we have a wall of defense against the darknesses of this world.
Self-control is the believer’s wall of defense against the sinful desires that wage war against the soul. If we want to be like Christ, and be full of self-control, then what that means is adopting the mindset of Christ.
What is Becoming Like Jesus?
The Sermon on the Mount is one of the set of teachings from whom the 12 disciples would call Rabbi Jesus. We know Him as Messiah Jesus. In becoming like their master, and Savior, the disciples would have devoted themselves to internalizing this message into the core of who they were.