missio

Nov 30

Ok, This is Just Freakin’ Awesome

Posted in: General

Found it on Digg. Little did I know, it happened in Raleigh-Durham, just ‘up the road’ from me. Turns out some 4-year old kid, dressed in a Power Ranger costume with a plastic sword, scared away a couple of robbers. (Link) Just goes to show you: children lead the Kingdom.

Nov 30

Me. - Who I Am In Christ, Regardless of Who I’m Not

Posted in: General

My last post, which was the first post in the blog series “Me.”, talked about who I wasn’t. Now I’m going to journal who I am through Christ. Just the good things about me, that the grace of God has allowed to be in my character and giftings. Trust me, the bad things are coming. Without further ado, who Jesus allows me to be, regardless of who I’m not:

I’m not Andy Stanley, but God allows me to be a good communicator. I’m not Mark Driscoll, but God has given me the gift to bring it. I’m not Rob Bell, but God has given me the gift of intelligence. I’m not TD Jakes, but God has given me passion for Him and His Word. I’m not Joel Osteen, but God has allowed me to be a decent writer. I’m not Mark Batterson, but God has called me to DC. I’m not Rick McKinley, but God has given me a keen sense of humor. I’m not John Piper, but God has allowed me to be a lover of correct doctrine. I’m not Craig Groschel, but God has given me the gift to provoke thinking in others. I’m not Tim Keller, but God has given me a city-minded mind and heart. I’m not Jesus, but God has called me His own. I’m not perfect, but God is maturing me in His own time and manner. I’m not Peter, but God has called me to be a leader. I’m not John, but God has made me fall in love with Himself.

All of these characteristics have something in common: But God. It’s the theme of the Assemblies of God missions month, and it’s the theme of all of our lives. We all know (or can figure out, at least) who we aren’t, but God has allowed us to be another piece of the puzzle. He has a path for us all, we are just on the ride He has constructed. I encourage you to sit down, write down, and think about who you are because of Christ. The things that you uniquely are. The gifts Christ has given you specifically. And to what purpose He has given you these things. It’s paramount to finding our place in the Body of His Bride.

Nov 29

Me. - Who I’m Not

Posted in: General

In typical Christian fashion, I’m going to identify myself in terms of who I’m not. (sarcasm partially intended) In the following list, which is shorter here than what it really is, I will explain who I’m not, and why I’m not them.

T.D. Jakes - Let’s start with the obvious. I’m a little more paler than he is. And smaller. I don’t hold prosperity theology (true or not, take it as you will, but I don’t accept it). I don’t sing when I teach/preach. I don’t sweat a lot. I don’t get as excited as he does, and I certainly haven’t published a million books and lead a million conferences for a million people.

Andy Stanley - I’m not Andy Stanley. While I think I communicate well (it’s God’s gift), I’m nowhere near the efficient and engaging way in which Andy communicates. King Jesus simply has another path for me and the gifts He gave me from day one. I’m also not called to a southern city. Been there, didn’t really like it. Great for 4-5 days (Catalyst, for example), but I couldn’t live there, I don’t think. Watch God call me from DC to Savannah or something. He’s funny that way.

Mark Driscoll - I’m pretty funny. I step out of line most of the time. I feel called to the city. I came to Jesus at a later age, after a life of too much baseball and beer. But I’m not Mark Driscoll. Why? I can’t preach like he does. I can’t speak for two hours on one verse from Song of Solomon. Maybe an hour and a half, but that’s pushing it. He reads more than I do. He’s smarter than I am. (For those of you that know me, that was really hard for me to write

) He explain controversial things more thoroughly than I do. And to be honest, he may have more um..fortitude than I do. He’s not afraid to say anything. Usually I censor things a little. He doesn’t. This is good and bad, take it as you will.

Rob Bell - I don’t have any kind of Jewish studies background. I don’t bleach my hair. I don’t preach barefoot, I don’t wear cool, funky glasses, and I don’t own a mall. He’s more educated, extrapolates the original meaning better. I’m funnier, too. Probably anyway. Rob’s sense of humor is wry.

Joel Osteen - Here’s a fun one. I don’t gel my hair. (I don’t have any) I can’t smile at all times. Face it, sometimes bad things happen to me. I don’t preach in a basketball arena. I have no idea what I’d do on camera. And for those of you that don’t know, I’m not living my best life now.

Rick Warren - I can’t pull off a Hawaiian shirt. I don’t have the heart he does. For anything, whether it be poverty, AIDS, or church people. King Jesus is working with me on that. I don’t have the influence he does, and probably never will. I’m nowhere near as humble as he is. Jesus is working on that too. I’m not as wise. And I don’t communicate in the laid-back style that he does.

That’s just some examples of who I’m not. Needed to put that out there, mainly for me. I encourage and challenge you to write it down somewhere. Who are you not? Sometimes, we are so enraptured by what God is doing through other people that we forget what God wants to do through us. By writing things down, we can determine what we’re not meant to do, and who we’re not to meant to be.

Nov 29

Church Planting Wisdom: Kevin Cawley Redux

Posted in: CP Wisdom

The Church Planting Wisdom blog series is officially over, but gathering wisdom never will be. Kevin offers some more that is pertinent not only to church planting, but to being a Christian period. You can read it here: Church Planting Wisdom.

Nov 29

The Virgin Mary…Pregnant?

Posted in: Culture

In yet another blow against Christianity (perhaps), the Virgin Mary is now pregnant. The 16-year old actress who plays the Virgin Mary in the upcoming The Nativity Story (which looks like a great movie) is pregnant by her 19-year old boyfriend. Are there going to be any repercussions? Probably not, but still, the fact is kind of eerie. Between that and Jim Caviezel getting struck by lightning (among other things), it may be time for the Church to lay off the movies about Jesus for a while! But maybe not. Who knows. I don’t. I’m just rambling.

Ok, This is Just Freakin’ Awesome

Me. - Who I Am In Christ, Regardless of Who I’m Not

Me. - Who I’m Not

Church Planting Wisdom: Kevin Cawley Redux

The Virgin Mary…Pregnant?

Derek Brown

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