Life + Faith

Hey, I’m Jon.
And this is where I write about life and faith, no niche included. Just an honest attempt to be faithful and fruitful for Jesus. If that’s something you want more of, subscribe.

  • Jesus And My To-Do List

    tdlistWhy is it that I often walk out of church on a Sunday morning feeling more guilty and with more on my to-do list than I did walking in?

    I’ve had this occur numerous times over the last couple of years. I’m not sure if it says more about me or the church service and preacher. I can’t help wondering whether it’s my expectations of what it is to go to church and worship that leaves me wanting. Nevertheless, I occasionally walk out having that sense of needing to do more in the coming seven days.

    I’m a preacher myself, so I know I need to work hard on the application of my sermons. The explanation of the Bible and understanding of the passage can be worked through slowly or quickly but application needs to be there…somewhere. And it is within this application section that I need to know that the burdens I’ve been carrying for the last however long can be lifted. That my cares can be taken care of. That I can hope and know God is in control of all things.

    I need to be reassured that I don’t have to do anything more this week to have God love me more. 

    I know God. I know God because of my faith in Jesus and his work on the cross. Through that work he has enabled me to have my sin forgiven and be in a relationship with Him.

    I understand this will mean I will need to change. Following Jesus means growing as a disciple. This happens over time and with the Lord’s help.

    But when I am weary from a week where I know I’ve sinned throughout, where I didn’t read my Bible as much as I’d like, where things haven’t gone right, then I come to church seeking comfort, seeking encouragement, and to be reminded that God still loves me and is taking care of me.

    Of course, I may know this at a cognitive level. I may know this at an emotional level. But I need to know that this is the case again this week. Just as it was the last.

    This reminder may happen through the Scripture passage, or through the words of the preacher in explaining the text, or through the application part of the sermon.  Whatever way it may be it needs to occur in a way where the application doesn’t mean I walk out with more to-dos this week.

    Because guess what?

    When Jesus died he didn’t add a single to-do to my list. He took many, many, many to-dos away though. When Jesus died he didn’t add guilt to my burdens, he took them all and dealt with them.

    So, preacher (and I speak to myself as much as any other), preach Jesus. Preach Jesus in such a way as to articulate what he’s done without adding more to my week and my to-do list. Please.

  • Why Joining A Short-Term Mission Team Is For You

    I’m a believer in short-term mission teams and whether you’re 18 or 68 I reckon you should go on one.

    Here are three reasons why:

    why-joining-a-mission-team-is-for-you

    1. Grow As A Disciple

    A short-term team of 6-10 participants living in close proximity to one another for two weeks will do wonders for your growth as a disciple. Many of the fruits of the Spirit will be evident, many rotten fruits of the Spirit will become evident too!

    But seriously, being a team member of an encounter trip will give you inspiration in your own faith as you meet new people, get involved in activities that stretch you, and see God’s creative design. Using your gifts, skills, and abilities in a place, and with people, you wouldn’t normally be in means a short-term team will stretch your capacity as a person and disciple.

    In this environment there is a higher reliance on prayer and a deeper trust in God needed. And once your’ve returned you’ll realise who thankful you are for what you have.

    2. Find Out What’s Involved

    For all the supporter newsletters you read there isn’t anything like seeing what cross-cultural missions is really like. When you visit missionaries in their context you’ll have a more realistic look at the people and work that happens week-to-week. The interest you show will encourage workers in what they’re doing. You’ll have stories to share when you arrive home, and through them encourage the wider church in it’s mission. And you might also find you have new friends from other parts of the world. What an opportunity!

    3. See What God Is Doing In The World

    Seeing God at work in another place, particularly in another culture, puts into perspective our own situations. It places God at the centre, who continues to call a people to Himself in different places and in different ways, with the use of different people. This continuing work of God, as you talk with new believers, hear the stories of workers connecting with local people, and finding opportunities to talk about Jesus yourself, will simply be God-inspiring.

    Visiting another culture will open your eyes to what God is doing in this world. He still works through His Spirit, bringing people to understand the Gospel through people like you. Knowing what He is doing in the world today allows you to look to the future with hope, and raises the question of how you can be involved yourself.

    Like, Comment, and Share all you want. There is nothing like experiencing it for yourself.

  • A Church Growth Strategy?

    A quote attributed to Fr. Brou in an article by Archer Torrey. Perhaps a new church growth strategy for the post-Christendom church?

    The only sure foundations for a young church are the graves of its missionaries

    Ouch.

  • God and Vocation

    Aimee Byrd recently wrote a little post about vocation, with a pretty cool story to go with it, and used a Gene Veith quote. I thought it was relevant to yesterday’s post on where God is.

    …vocation is played out not just in the extraordinary acts—the great things we will do for the Lord, the great success we envision in our careers someday—but in the realm of the ordinary. Whatever we face in the often humdrum present—washing the dishes, buying groceries, going to work, driving the kids somewhere, hanging out with our friends—this is the realm into which we have been called and in which our faith bears fruit in love. We are to love our neighbors—that is, the people who are actually around us, as opposed to the abstract humanity of the theorists. These neighbors constitute the relationships that we are in right now, and our vocation is for God to serve them through us. (p59)

  • Where Is God?

    When on a short-term mission trip the end of each day is usually set aside for a team debrief. In this setting I often ask the question “Where have you seen God today?”

    It is a question I find hard to answer myself.

    Recently I’ve been reflecting on how some people seem to be able to answer this question of God’s presence easily while others don’t.

    I’m one of the people that don’t.

    It’s not that God isn’t around. I know He is. In fact, it would be rather depressing if God wasn’t around and you couldn’t see His hand in the world.

    But in the daily grind, while eating breakfast, working in the office, looking after the kids, fiddling with our phones, and doing what we do it’s often hard to spot God’s presence. It’s not like each day is filled with overwhelming awe for life and the tasks to do during the day. Many days are similar, many days a filled with challenges as well as joys.

    I can’t say God is in the joys without saying He’s in the challenges either. To say God is only in the joy-filled moments of life not only cuts Him out of much of the ordinary but also downplays the importance of His presence in the challenging times.

    In some respects it’s about perspective. A greater awareness of God will bring a greater awareness of His presence in our days.

    I was reminded of this as I read Ephesians 1-2 this morning. Paul talks in such lofty terms but reminds us of what He has done for us through His Son. Much of the passage is to do with what God has granted us through the work of His Son. And while the passage doesn’t talk directly about His presence in the world we can see the way He does work and so must be working today. The fact that He has chosen, predestined, adopted, blessed, redeemed, forgiven, lavished upon, made known, and given an inheritance to His people assumes He’s still doing that today. And if He’s still doing that today then He’s still at work, which means He’s still present.

    So where have I seen God today? All around.

    In what exactly? In the people I talk to. In the shopping centre I visit. In the driver I pass on the freeway. In the cafe I sit in. In the home I live in.

    I’m not sold on the idea that He is in everything, like in the salt and pepper shakers I have in front of me. But His presence is in this world and I need to be more observant of it.

    So, what about you? Where have you seen God today?