The right information
Had a chance this week to share the gospel with 160 7th graders (12 to 13 year-olds)! They came from a local public school, on a field trip for their World Religions class. While one group of 80 was hearing our 2 hour presentation on Christianity, the other group was at the Buddhist society. After a lunch break the groups swapped. We were restricted from passing bibles out, but these kids got to hear the truth and they got to hear it from believers, from "the church," and not out of some world religion text-book... Use it, Lord!
Preparing for a presentation like that forces you to question: What's important? What do people need to understand in order to grasp what Christianity is all about? The presence of a "loving, active God" comes to mind- or maybe the 4 spiritual laws. Now I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing or a generational thing, but it seems like the Christian experience can too easily become about a list of right information.
I'm a "big picture" type of person. When working with other people on a project I need to know how all the pieces fit together before I get to work on my little part. When it comes to Christianity I seem to often be pursuing the right information- hungry to "know" what I don't yet know -get the big picture. Many of us do this. Convinced of this need we will: go to church, to bible study, heck we will go to bible college, go to seminary pursuing the right information, so we can learn the answers, know them, understand them, share them with others.
But some where along the way we have equated information with transformation. We have made a grave error. Believing that by knowing "the answers" we have some how experienced the answers= is foolish. And yet how many things have I shared or preached or conversed about, feeling quite content in my knowledge and, to my spirit's sorrow, left it at that.
I'm tired of equating information with transformation. Paul drives it home with Ephesians 3:19...
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it." He continues, "Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and the power that comes from God."
...Aren't you glad that being filled with the "power that comes from God" isn't predicated on your understanding.
Preparing for a presentation like that forces you to question: What's important? What do people need to understand in order to grasp what Christianity is all about? The presence of a "loving, active God" comes to mind- or maybe the 4 spiritual laws. Now I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing or a generational thing, but it seems like the Christian experience can too easily become about a list of right information.
I'm a "big picture" type of person. When working with other people on a project I need to know how all the pieces fit together before I get to work on my little part. When it comes to Christianity I seem to often be pursuing the right information- hungry to "know" what I don't yet know -get the big picture. Many of us do this. Convinced of this need we will: go to church, to bible study, heck we will go to bible college, go to seminary pursuing the right information, so we can learn the answers, know them, understand them, share them with others.
But some where along the way we have equated information with transformation. We have made a grave error. Believing that by knowing "the answers" we have some how experienced the answers= is foolish. And yet how many things have I shared or preached or conversed about, feeling quite content in my knowledge and, to my spirit's sorrow, left it at that.
I'm tired of equating information with transformation. Paul drives it home with Ephesians 3:19...
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it." He continues, "Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and the power that comes from God."
...Aren't you glad that being filled with the "power that comes from God" isn't predicated on your understanding.
posted by FREEMAN at 11:28 PM
4 Comments:
Preach it brother! Good stuff! May we not be afraid of our experiences any longer and shoot for the moon.
Wow, thats really cool...the fact that public schools are going on field trips to Christain Centers...thats encouraging too.
Didn't know when you were gonna continue your blog...still awaiting your return. By the way...are you married? If so, could you share a little bit about it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on relationships, etc. Thanks.
Thank you for this. The light of God is shining through you in an extraordinary way. I am encouraged by this illumination. Live it...
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