Blog https://www.rakchurch.com Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:49:43 +0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ No City Is Too Small for God https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/no-city-is-too-small-for-god https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/no-city-is-too-small-for-god#comments Tue, 10 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/no-city-is-too-small-for-god If God calls you to live for him in a small or obscure city, do not mistake your ministry as trivial. Heaven will one day reveal all the wonders of God in overlooked places.

When Jesus wanted to make a point to the religious leaders of his day about the significance of every life and the eternal soul, he told them two surprising stories. He told them about a shepherd who was not content simply to enjoy the ninety-nine sheep, forgetting about the precious wayward one. In the same way, neither were nine coins to be satisfactory, as long as one was missing. Just as there was rejoicing when the one lost sheep and the one lost coin were found, Jesus said there will be joy in heaven over even one sinner who repents (Luke 15:1–10).

Jesus was teaching about the wonderfully surprising grace of God, but he also was teaching about the upside-down values of the kingdom of God. God loves to see his children go to great lengths, and hard places, to find what has been lost. He says there is a weighty glory in leaving the many “in the open country” in order to “go after the one that is lost” (Luke 15:4). To see the world as Jesus sees it, we must radically reorient the way we evaluate what God views as strategic.

Almost seven years ago, I left the United States to plant an evangelical church an hour north of what is universally recognized as one of the most strategic cities in the world: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). I did so because the ruling sheikh of the northernmost emirate in the UAE gave land for an evangelical church, and this kind of opportunity rarely comes along on the Arabian Peninsula.

The emirate I moved to, however, is much smaller than our towering neighbor to the south. It is not an internationally recognized hub of economic activity, and it has a fraction of the population of Dubai. So, the question must be asked: Is what I am doing, and where I am doing it, strategic?

We Never Labor in Obscurity

As Christians and churches have considered, over recent years, how they can best use their lives, talents, and resources for the global advance of the gospel, a strategy of focusing on strategic cities has emerged. Strategic cities are often identified as crossroads cities with large populations that include people from many parts of the globe.

The apostle Paul stayed and ministered in the strategic city of Ephesus for three years (longer than he stayed anywhere else), which led Luke to write, “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). Strategic cities matter. But does this mean, for the many Christians laboring elsewhere, that their work in an “unstrategic” city doesn’t matter?

Every single blood-bought child of the living God should consider how we can strategically use talents God has given us during our brief time on earth. And for many of God’s people, that will mean laboring in a place or in a situation that you might be tempted to think is not important. We must consider, however, how different the plans of our God are from the wisdom of men.

In God’s economy, when the very Son of God took on flesh, Jesus was not born in a metropolitan city, but in Bethlehem — a town “too little to be among the clans of Judah” (Micah 5:2). He was raised in Nazareth, a small town of (at most) two thousand people. Nazareth’s lack of prestige is evident when Jesus called Philip and Nathanael to follow him, and Nathanael sincerely asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). On a list of strategic cities, the hometown of our Lord would not have been given a second thought.

Changing the World from Jail

Even Paul, who had the highly important mission of taking the gospel to the Gentiles, did not spend his time exclusively in strategic cities with “strategic” people. On his second missionary journey, the Holy Spirit forbade Paul from preaching the gospel to an entire region where Ephesus and other major cities were.

Instead, the Spirit led Paul on a four hundred-mile journey, by foot, where he ultimately ended up in a jail cell in Philippi. And from that cell — perhaps the seemingly least strategic square feet anywhere — he saw the jailer and his whole household converted (Acts 16:6–40). If man’s wisdom had put that journey together, surely we would have proposed a different itinerary. But in God’s wisdom, one sinner was waiting to be found in that jail, and so that cell became the most strategic place on the planet that night.

The church today can wisely think about how to maximize gospel impact and at the same time be slowly tempted by the wisdom of this world. In God’s economy, what is strategic and unstrategic is measured by an altogether different wisdom. On the last day, the widow’s mite will be judged more strategic than many of the billionaires’ millions, because “she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:4).

Who knows how our Lord might be using a faithful brother or sister you and I have never met in the far reaches of Nepal for global gospel purposes that will redound for all eternity to the praise of Christ? Wouldn’t it be like our Lord to confound the wisdom of the world (and even the wisdom of many Christians) like this?

Surprises Waiting in Heaven

Was I unwise to move across an ocean to a city an hour north of a strategic city? Of course not. I leave what is ultimately strategic and unstrategic to our all-wise God who delights to upend the world’s (and my own) expectations in the most surprising of ways. After all, we serve the God who won the world by going to the most unstrategic place possible on the hill of Calvary, dying on the cross to accomplish what no other human plan or man ever could, and then being exalted far above every other name.

If you are laboring in a “strategic” city among “strategic” people, press on in faithfulness; you have a great stewardship in the gospel. But if you labor in relative obscurity and are tempted to think your work is unstrategic, I want to encourage you that, if you labor for the Lord, there is no such thing as an unstrategic city. He cares about every last sheep. Heaven will be the ultimate judge of what is strategic and unstrategic, and my guess is that when God’s wisdom is finally revealed in its fullness, there will be more than a few surprises.

If you wrestle with the insignificance of the city or town where you are laboring, be assured that God is sovereign over where he has you right now (Acts 17:26). It’s a cosmic impossibility that he could be doing any better than he is doing to you right now in Christ (Romans 8:28). So, look around at the people and opportunities he has sovereignly placed in your life. Build up the local church. Make the gospel known to the non-Christians around you. Disciple others in order to reach those who will be there long after you are gone. Wherever the Lord has led you to labor, serve and witness there joyfully and faithfully.

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If God calls you to live for him in a small or obscure city, do not mistake your ministry as trivial. Heaven will one day reveal all the wonders of God in overlooked places.

When Jesus wanted to make a point to the religious leaders of his day about the significance of every life and the eternal soul, he told them two surprising stories. He told them about a shepherd who was not content simply to enjoy the ninety-nine sheep, forgetting about the precious wayward one. In the same way, neither were nine coins to be satisfactory, as long as one was missing. Just as there was rejoicing when the one lost sheep and the one lost coin were found, Jesus said there will be joy in heaven over even one sinner who repents (Luke 15:1–10).

Jesus was teaching about the wonderfully surprising grace of God, but he also was teaching about the upside-down values of the kingdom of God. God loves to see his children go to great lengths, and hard places, to find what has been lost. He says there is a weighty glory in leaving the many “in the open country” in order to “go after the one that is lost” (Luke 15:4). To see the world as Jesus sees it, we must radically reorient the way we evaluate what God views as strategic.

Almost seven years ago, I left the United States to plant an evangelical church an hour north of what is universally recognized as one of the most strategic cities in the world: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). I did so because the ruling sheikh of the northernmost emirate in the UAE gave land for an evangelical church, and this kind of opportunity rarely comes along on the Arabian Peninsula.

The emirate I moved to, however, is much smaller than our towering neighbor to the south. It is not an internationally recognized hub of economic activity, and it has a fraction of the population of Dubai. So, the question must be asked: Is what I am doing, and where I am doing it, strategic?

We Never Labor in Obscurity

As Christians and churches have considered, over recent years, how they can best use their lives, talents, and resources for the global advance of the gospel, a strategy of focusing on strategic cities has emerged. Strategic cities are often identified as crossroads cities with large populations that include people from many parts of the globe.

The apostle Paul stayed and ministered in the strategic city of Ephesus for three years (longer than he stayed anywhere else), which led Luke to write, “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). Strategic cities matter. But does this mean, for the many Christians laboring elsewhere, that their work in an “unstrategic” city doesn’t matter?

Every single blood-bought child of the living God should consider how we can strategically use talents God has given us during our brief time on earth. And for many of God’s people, that will mean laboring in a place or in a situation that you might be tempted to think is not important. We must consider, however, how different the plans of our God are from the wisdom of men.

In God’s economy, when the very Son of God took on flesh, Jesus was not born in a metropolitan city, but in Bethlehem — a town “too little to be among the clans of Judah” (Micah 5:2). He was raised in Nazareth, a small town of (at most) two thousand people. Nazareth’s lack of prestige is evident when Jesus called Philip and Nathanael to follow him, and Nathanael sincerely asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). On a list of strategic cities, the hometown of our Lord would not have been given a second thought.

Changing the World from Jail

Even Paul, who had the highly important mission of taking the gospel to the Gentiles, did not spend his time exclusively in strategic cities with “strategic” people. On his second missionary journey, the Holy Spirit forbade Paul from preaching the gospel to an entire region where Ephesus and other major cities were.

Instead, the Spirit led Paul on a four hundred-mile journey, by foot, where he ultimately ended up in a jail cell in Philippi. And from that cell — perhaps the seemingly least strategic square feet anywhere — he saw the jailer and his whole household converted (Acts 16:6–40). If man’s wisdom had put that journey together, surely we would have proposed a different itinerary. But in God’s wisdom, one sinner was waiting to be found in that jail, and so that cell became the most strategic place on the planet that night.

The church today can wisely think about how to maximize gospel impact and at the same time be slowly tempted by the wisdom of this world. In God’s economy, what is strategic and unstrategic is measured by an altogether different wisdom. On the last day, the widow’s mite will be judged more strategic than many of the billionaires’ millions, because “she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:4).

Who knows how our Lord might be using a faithful brother or sister you and I have never met in the far reaches of Nepal for global gospel purposes that will redound for all eternity to the praise of Christ? Wouldn’t it be like our Lord to confound the wisdom of the world (and even the wisdom of many Christians) like this?

Surprises Waiting in Heaven

Was I unwise to move across an ocean to a city an hour north of a strategic city? Of course not. I leave what is ultimately strategic and unstrategic to our all-wise God who delights to upend the world’s (and my own) expectations in the most surprising of ways. After all, we serve the God who won the world by going to the most unstrategic place possible on the hill of Calvary, dying on the cross to accomplish what no other human plan or man ever could, and then being exalted far above every other name.

If you are laboring in a “strategic” city among “strategic” people, press on in faithfulness; you have a great stewardship in the gospel. But if you labor in relative obscurity and are tempted to think your work is unstrategic, I want to encourage you that, if you labor for the Lord, there is no such thing as an unstrategic city. He cares about every last sheep. Heaven will be the ultimate judge of what is strategic and unstrategic, and my guess is that when God’s wisdom is finally revealed in its fullness, there will be more than a few surprises.

If you wrestle with the insignificance of the city or town where you are laboring, be assured that God is sovereign over where he has you right now (Acts 17:26). It’s a cosmic impossibility that he could be doing any better than he is doing to you right now in Christ (Romans 8:28). So, look around at the people and opportunities he has sovereignly placed in your life. Build up the local church. Make the gospel known to the non-Christians around you. Disciple others in order to reach those who will be there long after you are gone. Wherever the Lord has led you to labor, serve and witness there joyfully and faithfully.

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Spiritual Gifts Conference https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/spiritual-gifts-conference https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/spiritual-gifts-conference#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2019 13:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/spiritual-gifts-conference  

What are the spiritual gifts? Do all Christians have them? Have the miraculous gifts ceased?

Preacher & New Testament scholar Dr. Tom Schreiner guided us to answer these questions by looking at what the Bible has to say about them. He brought a spirit of humility and charity, reminding us that though spiritual gifts are important, we can have unity in Christ even where we disagree. 

Please click on the links below to listen to the conference audio:

1. Central Truths about Spiritual Gifts
2. What Should We Think about Tongues?
3. Prophecy and the Cessation of Gifts
4. Q&A

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What are the spiritual gifts? Do all Christians have them? Have the miraculous gifts ceased?

Preacher & New Testament scholar Dr. Tom Schreiner guided us to answer these questions by looking at what the Bible has to say about them. He brought a spirit of humility and charity, reminding us that though spiritual gifts are important, we can have unity in Christ even where we disagree. 

Please click on the links below to listen to the conference audio:

1. Central Truths about Spiritual Gifts
2. What Should We Think about Tongues?
3. Prophecy and the Cessation of Gifts
4. Q&A

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The Scandal of Grace https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/the-scandal-of-grace https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/the-scandal-of-grace#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2018 03:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/the-scandal-of-grace  

Have you ever pondered on the scandal of free grace? The message of the cross is scandalous, because with the words of Fanny Crosby it says that “the vilest of offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.” It is offensively shocking that the fanatical, religious terrorist Saul, can confidently say that he has a “righteous- ness from God that depends on faith”.
How can this be? How can the un- righteous, the wicked, the unholy receive a cosmic, divine pardon based solely upon faith in the Lord Jesus? How can God forgive and show mercy to those who literally have blood on their hands? What about making amends? What about atoning for yourself? Isn’t it unfair of God to justify the repentant tax collector, while leaving the prayers of the pious pharisee unanswered? (Luke 18:9-14). Surely, righteousness from God - hearing the verdict: “not guilty” - cannot depend on faith alone? That would be scandalous.
But that is exactly what it depends on, and that is precisely why the good news of Jesus Christ is the most scandalous message in the history of the world. Nowhere can this scandal of grace be seen more clearly than at the very crucifixion of our Lord Jesus in the faith of a condemned criminal.
Luke records this remarkable account of God’s scandalous grace to the chief of sinners in Luke 23:32-43. Two criminals are crucified to the right and left of our Lord (v33). One of them joins the crowd in mocking Jesus: “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the second criminal responds very differently. Hanging on a cross, with no more than a few hours to live he finally begins to see with the eyes of faith.
He acknowledges that he is simply getting what he deserves (v. 41), he calls on the other criminal to fear God (v39), he recognizes that Jesus is innocent, and he humbly asks Jesus: “remember me when you come into your kingdom”. All of these are acts of remarkable faith in the dying moments of this hardened criminal. He shows conviction of sin, fear of the Lord, he sees the uniqueness and sinlessness of Jesus, and trusts him alone for eternal salvation.
“How presumptuous of this vile sinner to even have the nerve to make such a obnoxious request of Jesus!” “How dare he make such a bold ask of the eternal Son of God!” “Who does he think he is?“ “He is completely out of line! Surely, he is going to get put back in his place by Jesus.”

These kind of thoughts are the natural inclinations of the self-righteous. We can all too easily think that there are certain categories of sinners that are beyond saving.
But before we take the moral high ground we would do well to ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the supernatural, spirit-wrought faith that God gave to this filthy criminal on the mount of crucifixion. He places his complete trust, his only hope for eternity in a helpless, dying man, who is in the exact same predicament as he is. The crowds had faith in Jesus when they saw his miracles, Thomas trusted when he felt Jesus’ wounds, but this unnamed lawbreaker believed when he saw the Son of God dying for the sins of the world.
And so the dying Christ, with one of his last recorded words, proclaims salvation to this chief of sinners: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43) If ever there was a picture of salvation by faith ALONE, this would be it. The criminal never had a chance to prove his faith by his works, he never lived a life transformed by the power of the Spirit, and yet this sinner would take his final breath justified - declared righteous by the righteous one slain for sinners like him. He would die no longer
an enemy of God. He would truly "rest in peace". Though his body was broken, his spirit would be with Jesus in paradise that very day. What infinite, matchless, scandalous grace. Do you revel in it, or are you appalled by it? The answer to that question will determine your eternal destiny.

]]>
 

Have you ever pondered on the scandal of free grace? The message of the cross is scandalous, because with the words of Fanny Crosby it says that “the vilest of offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.” It is offensively shocking that the fanatical, religious terrorist Saul, can confidently say that he has a “righteous- ness from God that depends on faith”.
How can this be? How can the un- righteous, the wicked, the unholy receive a cosmic, divine pardon based solely upon faith in the Lord Jesus? How can God forgive and show mercy to those who literally have blood on their hands? What about making amends? What about atoning for yourself? Isn’t it unfair of God to justify the repentant tax collector, while leaving the prayers of the pious pharisee unanswered? (Luke 18:9-14). Surely, righteousness from God - hearing the verdict: “not guilty” - cannot depend on faith alone? That would be scandalous.
But that is exactly what it depends on, and that is precisely why the good news of Jesus Christ is the most scandalous message in the history of the world. Nowhere can this scandal of grace be seen more clearly than at the very crucifixion of our Lord Jesus in the faith of a condemned criminal.
Luke records this remarkable account of God’s scandalous grace to the chief of sinners in Luke 23:32-43. Two criminals are crucified to the right and left of our Lord (v33). One of them joins the crowd in mocking Jesus: “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the second criminal responds very differently. Hanging on a cross, with no more than a few hours to live he finally begins to see with the eyes of faith.
He acknowledges that he is simply getting what he deserves (v. 41), he calls on the other criminal to fear God (v39), he recognizes that Jesus is innocent, and he humbly asks Jesus: “remember me when you come into your kingdom”. All of these are acts of remarkable faith in the dying moments of this hardened criminal. He shows conviction of sin, fear of the Lord, he sees the uniqueness and sinlessness of Jesus, and trusts him alone for eternal salvation.
“How presumptuous of this vile sinner to even have the nerve to make such a obnoxious request of Jesus!” “How dare he make such a bold ask of the eternal Son of God!” “Who does he think he is?“ “He is completely out of line! Surely, he is going to get put back in his place by Jesus.”

These kind of thoughts are the natural inclinations of the self-righteous. We can all too easily think that there are certain categories of sinners that are beyond saving.
But before we take the moral high ground we would do well to ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the supernatural, spirit-wrought faith that God gave to this filthy criminal on the mount of crucifixion. He places his complete trust, his only hope for eternity in a helpless, dying man, who is in the exact same predicament as he is. The crowds had faith in Jesus when they saw his miracles, Thomas trusted when he felt Jesus’ wounds, but this unnamed lawbreaker believed when he saw the Son of God dying for the sins of the world.
And so the dying Christ, with one of his last recorded words, proclaims salvation to this chief of sinners: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43) If ever there was a picture of salvation by faith ALONE, this would be it. The criminal never had a chance to prove his faith by his works, he never lived a life transformed by the power of the Spirit, and yet this sinner would take his final breath justified - declared righteous by the righteous one slain for sinners like him. He would die no longer
an enemy of God. He would truly "rest in peace". Though his body was broken, his spirit would be with Jesus in paradise that very day. What infinite, matchless, scandalous grace. Do you revel in it, or are you appalled by it? The answer to that question will determine your eternal destiny.

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Listen to Heaven Conference Talks https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/listen-to-heaven-conference-talks https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/listen-to-heaven-conference-talks#comments Thu, 08 Feb 2018 02:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/listen-to-heaven-conference-talks We were greatly blessed to consider the glorious of our heavenly home with Dr. Ligon Duncan. His talks and the Q & A session are now available online. Please click on links below:

 

 

 

 

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We were greatly blessed to consider the glorious of our heavenly home with Dr. Ligon Duncan. His talks and the Q & A session are now available online. Please click on links below:

 

 

 

 

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Register for Heaven Conference https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/register-for-heaven-conference https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/register-for-heaven-conference#comments Sun, 10 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/register-for-heaven-conference  

On Friday, January 12th, 2018 from 4- 9 PM we will co-host our inaugural conference at the RAK Evangelical Church Center in partnership with Redeemer Church of Dubai and Gulf Training Center.

Dr. Ligon Duncan Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary will lead us in thinking about heaven. He will help us find biblical answers to questions like "What happens to believers when they die?" or "Why can we live now without fear of death?"

All of us have questions about what heaven will be like. What better place to find answers then in God's Word. Register at gulftheology.com

Childcare for ages 1-9 will be provided. Cost is 60 AED for individual and 100 AED for a family.

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On Friday, January 12th, 2018 from 4- 9 PM we will co-host our inaugural conference at the RAK Evangelical Church Center in partnership with Redeemer Church of Dubai and Gulf Training Center.

Dr. Ligon Duncan Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary will lead us in thinking about heaven. He will help us find biblical answers to questions like "What happens to believers when they die?" or "Why can we live now without fear of death?"

All of us have questions about what heaven will be like. What better place to find answers then in God's Word. Register at gulftheology.com

Childcare for ages 1-9 will be provided. Cost is 60 AED for individual and 100 AED for a family.

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Reformation in 2017? https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/reformation- https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/reformation-#comments Tue, 05 Dec 2017 06:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/reformation-  

This month marks the 500th year since Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the Wittenberg Church. Unsure he would even provoke a major
reaction, Luther certainly never expected to spark a Reformation. Yet, as one event led to another, Luther’s faithfulness ultimately led him to the Diet of Worms where he stood trial for his faith as expressed in what he he had written. It was there that Luther famously said:
"If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God’s word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise; God help me! Amen."
With these words, the Reformation that recovered the Biblical gospel inalterably changed Europe and, thus, the world. As Evangelical Protestants, we stand on their shoulders. We praise God that throughout church history He has raised up men and women who have been faithful to the Biblical gospel in spite of the costs. Many of them are known, but the vast majority are unknown and will be rejoiced over on that great last day when Jesus appears visibly to take the kingdom and reign. We look to the past both to instruct and encourage us in the present. While our day is a different day, faithfulness to the gospel is no less urgent. We are called to faithfulness to the gospel in the time and place God has ordained for us. Our God delights to use our ordinary faithfulnesses to fulfill his extraordinary ends. The old saying is true: “One generation knows the gospel. The next generation assumes the gospel, and the third generation loses the gospel.”

We want to be those who know and make known the gospel in our generation so that it spreads and is faithfully passed down to the next one. As the RAK Evangelical Church, we seek to be a corporate display of God’s glory, and this edition seeks to encourage us in the riches of the past as we feast on the gospel that a young and ver y unique monk rediscovered years ago. Thank God for His faithfulness to His church and for the many ways He has worked to ensure the gospel has been passed down to you. But don’t stop there! Ask God to give you more joy and confidence in His gospel and to use your life to make it known. It’s a joy to serve alongside you and with you in this unique place.

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This month marks the 500th year since Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the Wittenberg Church. Unsure he would even provoke a major
reaction, Luther certainly never expected to spark a Reformation. Yet, as one event led to another, Luther’s faithfulness ultimately led him to the Diet of Worms where he stood trial for his faith as expressed in what he he had written. It was there that Luther famously said:
"If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God’s word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise; God help me! Amen."
With these words, the Reformation that recovered the Biblical gospel inalterably changed Europe and, thus, the world. As Evangelical Protestants, we stand on their shoulders. We praise God that throughout church history He has raised up men and women who have been faithful to the Biblical gospel in spite of the costs. Many of them are known, but the vast majority are unknown and will be rejoiced over on that great last day when Jesus appears visibly to take the kingdom and reign. We look to the past both to instruct and encourage us in the present. While our day is a different day, faithfulness to the gospel is no less urgent. We are called to faithfulness to the gospel in the time and place God has ordained for us. Our God delights to use our ordinary faithfulnesses to fulfill his extraordinary ends. The old saying is true: “One generation knows the gospel. The next generation assumes the gospel, and the third generation loses the gospel.”

We want to be those who know and make known the gospel in our generation so that it spreads and is faithfully passed down to the next one. As the RAK Evangelical Church, we seek to be a corporate display of God’s glory, and this edition seeks to encourage us in the riches of the past as we feast on the gospel that a young and ver y unique monk rediscovered years ago. Thank God for His faithfulness to His church and for the many ways He has worked to ensure the gospel has been passed down to you. But don’t stop there! Ask God to give you more joy and confidence in His gospel and to use your life to make it known. It’s a joy to serve alongside you and with you in this unique place.

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Building a Culture of Discipleship https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/building-a-culture-of-discipleship https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/building-a-culture-of-discipleship#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2014 02:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/building-a-culture-of-discipleship “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

Those words, penned by the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, capture what has all too often become the norm for the Christian view of grace and discipleship in the church today. The grace that God puts on display in His Word is a grace of unfathomable riches that has come at the unfathomable cost of the cross (I Cor. 1:18, Gal. 6:14) . And yet, God has delighted to give it and will delight in showing it off to the world at the consummation of all things (Eph. 2:4). In this in-between season, Jesus has called anyone who would come after him to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (Mark 8:34). The sound of the words still come with great shock. Yet, if we forfeit the cross, we forfeit our Savior whose entire life and ministry had the cross in view. Only through it could the grace that this worlds hungers for actually come.

One of the classic Christian hymns says, “Beneath the cross of Jesus, I fain would take my stand, the shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land, a home upon the wilderness, a rest upon the way, from the burning of the noontide heat and the burden of the day.” The irony of the cross is that as we live our lives underneath it, we find that although we are marginalized by this world, we find power to live for the world that is coming. For the Christian, life lived out under the cross is what discipleship is. It is assessing this world and our lives through the lens of the cross of Christ.

While each of us are called to take up our cross, we are not called to live out the Christian life alone. Jesus’ grace is meant to be showcased as a community of redeemed people are forged together to actually live life together in such a way that to the watching world, it can only be explained by Jesus (John 13:35; Eph. 3:10). This is the great glory and power of the church. The truths upon which the church stands and the privileges that have been purchased for those within her boundaries are of inestimable worth. And yet, too often Christians engage in relationship with each other in such a way that these great privileges are taken for granted.

The church is a supernatural institution bought and birthed through the blood of Jesus. The minute those of us in the church act as if what we are a part of is ordinary or simply what our culture does is the very moment we begin to forfeit the great privileges Christ has secured for us. To guard against this danger and to go after all that is now our’s in Christ, we want to pursue our Lord individually and together in discipleship. Pursuing our Lord together is done as we gather each week to hear the Word and give praise to God, and it is also done as we scatter throughout the week and intentionally seek each other out to do each other spiritual good. This is how we go about the work of discipleship. This is how we help each other live up the great privileges that are our’s in Jesus.

A culture of discipleship is a culture in which we help each other grow in the grace of the cross and our Lord who went there. We intentionally meet together and point each other to Jesus, all that he holds out to us and help each other grow in our love for him and obedience to him. We want to spur each other on to keep living life under the cross. We want to help each other grow in understanding the greatness and glory of the cross. We want to be arranging our lives together in such a way that we are positioned to do each other good spiritually and this can only be done when we intentionally live life together making much of all that God has done for us in Christ. As we do this, we not only increasingly learn how to take our stand underneath the cross but also as the close of the hymn says be “content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss, my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.”

If this is the big, overarching framework and theology for discipleship, how do we as a body practically go about it?! Here are a few suggestions:

  • Meet up before work for prayer, to read a good Christian book, or the Bible together.
  • Moms, schedule a playdate for the children and intentionally pursue spiritual conversation during that time. Apply the sermon or Scripture to each other’s lives. Be working through a book together.
  • Have a regularly scheduled lunch with another brother or sister in the church in which you share your joys and struggles and seek to intentionally point each other to Christ.

Discipleship in this way has been described as nothing more than one beggar trying to tell another beggar where to find bread. As pilgrims on the way, we need each other to keep pointing us back to the bread we need in this life. May the Lord grant us deep, gospel-centered relationships in which we pour into each other and seek to care for each other spiritually.

Recommended Books: Knowing God (J.I. Packer); Big God (Orlando Saer); What is the Gospel? (Greg Gilbert); The Cross Centered Life (CJ Mahaney); Evangelism (Mack Stiles); The Gospel at Work (Greg Gilbert and Sebastian Traeger); Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full: Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms (Gloria Furman);

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“Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

Those words, penned by the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, capture what has all too often become the norm for the Christian view of grace and discipleship in the church today. The grace that God puts on display in His Word is a grace of unfathomable riches that has come at the unfathomable cost of the cross (I Cor. 1:18, Gal. 6:14) . And yet, God has delighted to give it and will delight in showing it off to the world at the consummation of all things (Eph. 2:4). In this in-between season, Jesus has called anyone who would come after him to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (Mark 8:34). The sound of the words still come with great shock. Yet, if we forfeit the cross, we forfeit our Savior whose entire life and ministry had the cross in view. Only through it could the grace that this worlds hungers for actually come.

One of the classic Christian hymns says, “Beneath the cross of Jesus, I fain would take my stand, the shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land, a home upon the wilderness, a rest upon the way, from the burning of the noontide heat and the burden of the day.” The irony of the cross is that as we live our lives underneath it, we find that although we are marginalized by this world, we find power to live for the world that is coming. For the Christian, life lived out under the cross is what discipleship is. It is assessing this world and our lives through the lens of the cross of Christ.

While each of us are called to take up our cross, we are not called to live out the Christian life alone. Jesus’ grace is meant to be showcased as a community of redeemed people are forged together to actually live life together in such a way that to the watching world, it can only be explained by Jesus (John 13:35; Eph. 3:10). This is the great glory and power of the church. The truths upon which the church stands and the privileges that have been purchased for those within her boundaries are of inestimable worth. And yet, too often Christians engage in relationship with each other in such a way that these great privileges are taken for granted.

The church is a supernatural institution bought and birthed through the blood of Jesus. The minute those of us in the church act as if what we are a part of is ordinary or simply what our culture does is the very moment we begin to forfeit the great privileges Christ has secured for us. To guard against this danger and to go after all that is now our’s in Christ, we want to pursue our Lord individually and together in discipleship. Pursuing our Lord together is done as we gather each week to hear the Word and give praise to God, and it is also done as we scatter throughout the week and intentionally seek each other out to do each other spiritual good. This is how we go about the work of discipleship. This is how we help each other live up the great privileges that are our’s in Jesus.

A culture of discipleship is a culture in which we help each other grow in the grace of the cross and our Lord who went there. We intentionally meet together and point each other to Jesus, all that he holds out to us and help each other grow in our love for him and obedience to him. We want to spur each other on to keep living life under the cross. We want to help each other grow in understanding the greatness and glory of the cross. We want to be arranging our lives together in such a way that we are positioned to do each other good spiritually and this can only be done when we intentionally live life together making much of all that God has done for us in Christ. As we do this, we not only increasingly learn how to take our stand underneath the cross but also as the close of the hymn says be “content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss, my sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.”

If this is the big, overarching framework and theology for discipleship, how do we as a body practically go about it?! Here are a few suggestions:

  • Meet up before work for prayer, to read a good Christian book, or the Bible together.
  • Moms, schedule a playdate for the children and intentionally pursue spiritual conversation during that time. Apply the sermon or Scripture to each other’s lives. Be working through a book together.
  • Have a regularly scheduled lunch with another brother or sister in the church in which you share your joys and struggles and seek to intentionally point each other to Christ.

Discipleship in this way has been described as nothing more than one beggar trying to tell another beggar where to find bread. As pilgrims on the way, we need each other to keep pointing us back to the bread we need in this life. May the Lord grant us deep, gospel-centered relationships in which we pour into each other and seek to care for each other spiritually.

Recommended Books: Knowing God (J.I. Packer); Big God (Orlando Saer); What is the Gospel? (Greg Gilbert); The Cross Centered Life (CJ Mahaney); Evangelism (Mack Stiles); The Gospel at Work (Greg Gilbert and Sebastian Traeger); Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full: Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms (Gloria Furman);

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The Eternal Power of God's Word https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/the-eternal-power-of-gods-word https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/the-eternal-power-of-gods-word#comments Thu, 07 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/the-eternal-power-of-gods-word We live in a world with competing powers. There are world powers which vie for strategic influence and territorial gain. There are corporate powers which seek greater marketshare. There are even powerful weapons which nations seek to acquire and other nations seek to prevent them from acquiring. We ourselves can feel powerless in the face of such a world. Yet, for the Christian, the greatest comfort comes when we realize that the Scriptures are clear that there is no greater power on this earth than God’s Word, the very Word which began and moves history.

Beginning at the very beginning, the Bible makes the astonishing claim that God created the world by his spoken word. The refrain, “And God said” occurs repeatedly in Genesis 1 followed by the affirmation, “and it was so.” Resistance falls in the face of God’s Word as it is spoken into creation. The pinnacle of creation occurs as God creates man in his image (Gen. 1:27) giving him dominion over the earth, calling him to multiply and subdue it (Gen.1:28 - 29). This entire creation, we learn, is very good (Gen. 1:31). From the beginning of Scripture, we are introduced to the speaking God whose Word goes forward and accomplishes every purpose for which he sent it.

At the end of Genesis 2, the man and woman inhabit a world of innocence and pure goodness. The Scriptures state that the man and his wife were both naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). And, then catastrophe strikes. God’s good word which created the world is challenged by a talking snake in the majestic garden God created. The question seems innocent enough, “Did God actually say...?” (Gen. 3:1). It’s the first time in Scripture that God’s good word is questioned. The woman responds that they are not to eat of one tree lest they die (Gen. 3:3). Ultimately, the snake moves from questioning God’s word to denying it: “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). At this moment, God’s good word has been defamed. Tragically, the man and the woman who were the pinnacle of God’s good creation are subdued by the snake that they were called to subdue (Gen. 3:6). Sin has now entered the world as they both know shame and hide from the God who created them (Gen. 3:7 - 8). And yet, the speaking God is not done speaking.

Genesis 3 ends with God speaking authoritatively again into his creation pronouncing judgment on the serpent, the woman, and the man. They are sent out of the garden into the wilderness into a cursed world of thorns (Gen. 3:17 - 18). Yet in the midst of this judgment, there is grace. A seed is promised whose heel will be bruised by the serpent while he crushes the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). This promise was fulfilled as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Yet, like Adam and Eve, he first must face the devil’s temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1 - 11). Again, the tempter perverts and twists God’s Word when tempting Jesus. Yet, this time Jesus defeats him with God’s Word. Jesus prevailed where Adam failed. His victory in the wilderness and subsequently on the cross secured redemption for everyone who puts their trust in him and his finished work. His victory ensures the way back into the garden.

The question faced by Adam and Eve is the question we must all answer in this world. Whose word will we trust? As we move through the whole of Scripture, we will see that in this world, God’s word is always good, trustworthy, and ultimately prevails.

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We live in a world with competing powers. There are world powers which vie for strategic influence and territorial gain. There are corporate powers which seek greater marketshare. There are even powerful weapons which nations seek to acquire and other nations seek to prevent them from acquiring. We ourselves can feel powerless in the face of such a world. Yet, for the Christian, the greatest comfort comes when we realize that the Scriptures are clear that there is no greater power on this earth than God’s Word, the very Word which began and moves history.

Beginning at the very beginning, the Bible makes the astonishing claim that God created the world by his spoken word. The refrain, “And God said” occurs repeatedly in Genesis 1 followed by the affirmation, “and it was so.” Resistance falls in the face of God’s Word as it is spoken into creation. The pinnacle of creation occurs as God creates man in his image (Gen. 1:27) giving him dominion over the earth, calling him to multiply and subdue it (Gen.1:28 - 29). This entire creation, we learn, is very good (Gen. 1:31). From the beginning of Scripture, we are introduced to the speaking God whose Word goes forward and accomplishes every purpose for which he sent it.

At the end of Genesis 2, the man and woman inhabit a world of innocence and pure goodness. The Scriptures state that the man and his wife were both naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). And, then catastrophe strikes. God’s good word which created the world is challenged by a talking snake in the majestic garden God created. The question seems innocent enough, “Did God actually say...?” (Gen. 3:1). It’s the first time in Scripture that God’s good word is questioned. The woman responds that they are not to eat of one tree lest they die (Gen. 3:3). Ultimately, the snake moves from questioning God’s word to denying it: “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). At this moment, God’s good word has been defamed. Tragically, the man and the woman who were the pinnacle of God’s good creation are subdued by the snake that they were called to subdue (Gen. 3:6). Sin has now entered the world as they both know shame and hide from the God who created them (Gen. 3:7 - 8). And yet, the speaking God is not done speaking.

Genesis 3 ends with God speaking authoritatively again into his creation pronouncing judgment on the serpent, the woman, and the man. They are sent out of the garden into the wilderness into a cursed world of thorns (Gen. 3:17 - 18). Yet in the midst of this judgment, there is grace. A seed is promised whose heel will be bruised by the serpent while he crushes the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). This promise was fulfilled as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Yet, like Adam and Eve, he first must face the devil’s temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1 - 11). Again, the tempter perverts and twists God’s Word when tempting Jesus. Yet, this time Jesus defeats him with God’s Word. Jesus prevailed where Adam failed. His victory in the wilderness and subsequently on the cross secured redemption for everyone who puts their trust in him and his finished work. His victory ensures the way back into the garden.

The question faced by Adam and Eve is the question we must all answer in this world. Whose word will we trust? As we move through the whole of Scripture, we will see that in this world, God’s word is always good, trustworthy, and ultimately prevails.

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Gospel-shaped Community https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/gospel-shaped-community https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/gospel-shaped-community#comments Tue, 08 Oct 2013 03:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/gospel-shaped-community  

Whether we admit or not, we are creatures who long for community. We want to both know and be known, and we want to be accepted once we truly are known. One of the difficulties of this, of course, is that if we are honest there are things about ourselves that we fear will be the basis of others' rejection of us. We fear they will make fun of us if they knew "this" or "that" or not like us if they realize we aren't who we often make ourselves out to be. On the other hand, perhaps you often don't associate with other people because they are difficult or not quite to your liking.

As much as we want and seek to create community, we have to admit that we often want community that is basically centered around our likings and preferences. A gospel-shaped community is something altogether different. The gospel is the good news of what God has done in Jesus to rescue people who have rebelled against him. Amazingly, God creates a people who are able to be honest about who we really are because in Jesus, God has loved us and accepted us beyond anything we could ever have thought to ask. This creates a new kind of community in which people have dealt honestly with who we are before God and are now free to pour themselves out for others. It's only when we understand and have been loved beyond our deserving that we are freed to love others in honest and sacrificial ways as well. This is gospel-shaped community, and its power lies in the reality that each of its members have received unfathomable grace from God.

This is the kind of community which should mark the church. Remarkably, in God's plan, he purposed to save individuals, but he purposed to save individuals into the new community that he founded with the blood of Jesus. In this community, there is freedom to be honest and freedom to struggle. There is freedom to serve and freedom to live in the joy for which we were made. This is gospel-shaped community, and this is the community for which each of us was made.

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Whether we admit or not, we are creatures who long for community. We want to both know and be known, and we want to be accepted once we truly are known. One of the difficulties of this, of course, is that if we are honest there are things about ourselves that we fear will be the basis of others' rejection of us. We fear they will make fun of us if they knew "this" or "that" or not like us if they realize we aren't who we often make ourselves out to be. On the other hand, perhaps you often don't associate with other people because they are difficult or not quite to your liking.

As much as we want and seek to create community, we have to admit that we often want community that is basically centered around our likings and preferences. A gospel-shaped community is something altogether different. The gospel is the good news of what God has done in Jesus to rescue people who have rebelled against him. Amazingly, God creates a people who are able to be honest about who we really are because in Jesus, God has loved us and accepted us beyond anything we could ever have thought to ask. This creates a new kind of community in which people have dealt honestly with who we are before God and are now free to pour themselves out for others. It's only when we understand and have been loved beyond our deserving that we are freed to love others in honest and sacrificial ways as well. This is gospel-shaped community, and its power lies in the reality that each of its members have received unfathomable grace from God.

This is the kind of community which should mark the church. Remarkably, in God's plan, he purposed to save individuals, but he purposed to save individuals into the new community that he founded with the blood of Jesus. In this community, there is freedom to be honest and freedom to struggle. There is freedom to serve and freedom to live in the joy for which we were made. This is gospel-shaped community, and this is the community for which each of us was made.

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Glorify God with your Summer! https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/glorify-god-with-your-summer https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/glorify-god-with-your-summer#comments Tue, 02 Jul 2013 01:00:00 +0400 https://www.rakchurch.com/blog/post/glorify-god-with-your-summer  

Ah....summer! That time of year when things seemingly slow down, holidays begin, and a break is to be had. Summer is the perfect time to do all kinds of things that other times of the year simply don’t allow. So, is there a Christian way to think about even this season? Certainly, the believer should always live in view of the reality that life is a vapor (James 4:14), making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). And, at the same time, the believer lives this life with joy recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Summer, in all its glory, is one of those gifts! Don’t waste it!

Be intentional. As with all scarce resources in this world, time is precious because it passes quickly. Summer comes and goes before we know it, so believers should look toward seasons like this one with intentionality. Be strategic in the way you spend your time with your family or friends. Are there ways you could specifically encourage your spouse or children spiritually? Perhaps, you and your spouse could go on a date in which you recount ways you have seen God at work in his or her heart over the past year. This glorifies God as it makes much of the grace he shows us. If you are single, seek out ways to spend extended time in the Word of God and prayer, taking extra time to meditate on the revelation of God in His Word. This could be the season when you set aside time to do extended reading in Scripture, taking a longer book of the Bible and reading through it in one or two sittings. Or, this could be a time to look for ways to encourage your friends spiritually or specifically seek out time with an unbelieving friend to talk with them about the gospel. As with anything worth accomplishing, it requires planning and intentionality. Make plans to intentionally move toward others and toward God for the glory of God, and ask God to bless your efforts as you venture on him in this way.

Be restful. I recently read from the great English Puritan John Owen the following: “Our greatest hindrance in the Christian life is not lack of effort, but lack of acquaintance with our spiritual privileges.” Summer is a great time to cultivate deep rest in your own heart as you spend time at the feet of Jesus learning more deeply of what he has done for you and is now to you. Christians are those who dare to rest in a world of hurry and chaos. This does not mean Christians are lazy! It means Christians are those confidently at rest in the identity Christ has purchased for us and are living this life not according to the narrative of this world but according to the narrative revealed in Scripture. We never outgrow the gospel, the good news of what God has done for sinners in Jesus. We only grow deeper in the gospel...And, summer is a great time to understand more deeply what this means for all of our lives and how it redefines and empowers our lives. The gospel gives true rest and only as we grow in our grasp of the great salvation God has won for us will we learn what it means to “enter that rest” (Heb. 4:3).

Be thoughtful. Summer is the perfect time to think! Think about the year thus far, look forward to think about what is to come. Summer can provide the perfect opportunity for considering “how you live - not as unwise but as wise” (Eph. 5:15). Of course, we can only know wisdom as we look to the one who is wisdom himself, Jesus Christ (I Cor. 2:7 - 8). Summer allows a regrouping of sorts as you think about how to spend what remains in the year ahead. Think about how you might glorify God in the remainder of the year, cultivate relationships for the glory of Christ, and seek to grow in grace.

God is kind to so order our lives such that “to everything there is a season” (Ecc. 3:1). During this season, consider how you can make most of the time! And while you are at it, enjoy your summer and all that this fantastic season brings with it!

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Ah....summer! That time of year when things seemingly slow down, holidays begin, and a break is to be had. Summer is the perfect time to do all kinds of things that other times of the year simply don’t allow. So, is there a Christian way to think about even this season? Certainly, the believer should always live in view of the reality that life is a vapor (James 4:14), making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). And, at the same time, the believer lives this life with joy recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Summer, in all its glory, is one of those gifts! Don’t waste it!

Be intentional. As with all scarce resources in this world, time is precious because it passes quickly. Summer comes and goes before we know it, so believers should look toward seasons like this one with intentionality. Be strategic in the way you spend your time with your family or friends. Are there ways you could specifically encourage your spouse or children spiritually? Perhaps, you and your spouse could go on a date in which you recount ways you have seen God at work in his or her heart over the past year. This glorifies God as it makes much of the grace he shows us. If you are single, seek out ways to spend extended time in the Word of God and prayer, taking extra time to meditate on the revelation of God in His Word. This could be the season when you set aside time to do extended reading in Scripture, taking a longer book of the Bible and reading through it in one or two sittings. Or, this could be a time to look for ways to encourage your friends spiritually or specifically seek out time with an unbelieving friend to talk with them about the gospel. As with anything worth accomplishing, it requires planning and intentionality. Make plans to intentionally move toward others and toward God for the glory of God, and ask God to bless your efforts as you venture on him in this way.

Be restful. I recently read from the great English Puritan John Owen the following: “Our greatest hindrance in the Christian life is not lack of effort, but lack of acquaintance with our spiritual privileges.” Summer is a great time to cultivate deep rest in your own heart as you spend time at the feet of Jesus learning more deeply of what he has done for you and is now to you. Christians are those who dare to rest in a world of hurry and chaos. This does not mean Christians are lazy! It means Christians are those confidently at rest in the identity Christ has purchased for us and are living this life not according to the narrative of this world but according to the narrative revealed in Scripture. We never outgrow the gospel, the good news of what God has done for sinners in Jesus. We only grow deeper in the gospel...And, summer is a great time to understand more deeply what this means for all of our lives and how it redefines and empowers our lives. The gospel gives true rest and only as we grow in our grasp of the great salvation God has won for us will we learn what it means to “enter that rest” (Heb. 4:3).

Be thoughtful. Summer is the perfect time to think! Think about the year thus far, look forward to think about what is to come. Summer can provide the perfect opportunity for considering “how you live - not as unwise but as wise” (Eph. 5:15). Of course, we can only know wisdom as we look to the one who is wisdom himself, Jesus Christ (I Cor. 2:7 - 8). Summer allows a regrouping of sorts as you think about how to spend what remains in the year ahead. Think about how you might glorify God in the remainder of the year, cultivate relationships for the glory of Christ, and seek to grow in grace.

God is kind to so order our lives such that “to everything there is a season” (Ecc. 3:1). During this season, consider how you can make most of the time! And while you are at it, enjoy your summer and all that this fantastic season brings with it!

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