Core Grace
is the ability
to hold the tension
between affirming
my own individuality
and acknowledging the legitimacy
of other’s needs
long enough
for Jesus to crucify
my self-centered false identity
and reveal
His greater redemption
for all of us.
In other words,
(by analogy with core strength training)
it is what enable us
to substitute Christ-like Responses
for selfish Reactions
It is a very good thing to be a follower of Jesus. But like people in the gospels, we today can end up following Jesus for many reasons: salvation, miracles, curiosity, etc.
Those are all good things. But they are not the same as actually loving Jesus for Himself. It is good to thank Him for what He does; but it is better to worship Him for who He is.
Continue readingAt this point in my Christian life my one aspiration is for all of us to Keep Growing Closer to Jesus (KGCJ), in terms of:
Previously I had used the phrase “Loving More Like Jesus.” However — while I still agree with that goal in principle — in practice it was starting feel more like Law than Grace. Hence the shift from “loving like” to “growing closer”
Continue readingThe premise of Discipling by Jesus is that uniting with Christ is what enables us to become fully human, as we learn to love our Selves and Others as Jesus does.
Continue readingThe only real answer is Jesus.
The only real problem is sin.
The only real work is the cross.
In the end, we only have Him.
The MINFIG for Christianity Beyond
| # | Expanding Our | Beyond Just | To Also Include |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identity | Exclusive Tribes | Expansive Unity |
| 2 | Maturity | Learned Doctrine | Lived Gospel |
| 3 | Goals | Moral Causes | Multi-level Transformation |
| 4 | Metrics | Customer Satisfaction | Effective Incarnation |
| 5 | Ministry | Church Campuses | The Marketplace |
| 6 | Structures | Non-Profits | Profitable Businesses |
| 7 | Following Jesus | Joining a Crowd | Carrying a Cross |
| 8 | Trust | Our Leaders | Our Followers |
I consider myself a “Paleo-Evangelical” Christian. Like my counterparts in the first century, I have had transformational encounters with the person of Jesus Christ and am devoted to making him known as the Risen Lord; but am still working through which of my inherited cultural understandings and religious teachings are worthy to bear His name.
I am from the future, and I’m here to help
Enjoy, Love & Glorify
God, Ourselves & Others
As Jesus Does
God, Us & Others
Enjoying, Loving, & Glorifying,
God, Ourselves, Others & the World
[Final version of Spiritual Christianity: Theology, Simplified]
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1r85tCpqvFYNHYQAsp-F7XTtH1C-Yhzpj1NfBTrXRHOI/edit?usp=sharing
Dear God,
Thank you for creating me in Your image, and for loving us like Jesus.
Make me more and more like Jesus as I listen to your Word, your Spirit, and your Body.
Heal the wounds in my spirit that keep me from loving You, myself and others as Jesus did.
Help me show Your love to the world by practicing the generosity and vulnerability Jesus showed on the cross.
Teach me to always rejoice in the privilege of being your child.
I ask this because of everything Jesus did for me. So be it!
When I was a student at Caltech in Pasadena, I used to visit the Fuller Seminary Bookstore. One day, I saw a small shelf labelled “Practical Theology.” I turned around and looked at the rows upon rows of bookshelves filling the small building and asked, “Then what in God’s name is the rest of this?”
I still haven’t found a satisfying answer.
Don’t get me wrong. I am fully convinced of the idea of theology. It is essential to know what we believe, and I completely agree that our concept of God ultimately shapes every aspect of our lives. I have been deeply moved and blessed by many of the theologians I have read and studied under.
And yet…
Update: Accepted as a Poster Session. Slides now available.
Abstract submitted for PassionTalks 2018 on Saturday, August 11th at Convergence House of Prayer in Fremont, CA.
Spiritual Christianity arose from a series of blog posts I wrote to prepare my seven-year-old daughter for baptism. I wanted her to start out with a faith that was:
Anjali’s Catechism: The Book is coming in Summer 2019. Preview now.
Are you ready to:
Spiritual Maturity: Thanks
God made all of us on purpose. We are happy when we obey that purpose. We become happier the better we understand and live out that purpose.
We share many purposes with other people, because God made us the same:
Joy is happiness of the spirit. It is the deepest and most important kind of happiness. But there are two very different ways our spirits can be happy.
Faith: Wise Risk
It would be wonderful if everyone knew how to find real happiness, glory, and relationships by believing in the same God Jesus did.
However, believing in God is not learning a fact, such as:
Worship: He’s Worth It
The whole point of becoming a Christian is to know and love God, ourselves, and others the way Jesus did. But what exactly is love?
We use the word “love” whenever we strongly desire or value something. But there are three very different kinds of love:
Holiness: Open to God
Lots of people admire Jesus. Even those who aren’t Christians often consider him a model for how human beings should treat each other.
Last time we talked about skills that help us become more like Jesus. So why doesn’t everyone practice those skills? Why do we ourselves often do the opposite of what Jesus wants us to do?
Because we have a wound in our spirit.
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