LiFE - Live, Give, Do...

Can someone tell me what it looks like in practical terms to be "crazy" for Jesus as it was put on Sunday? I mean for those of us who are raising families, and providing for our families, we don't have the luxury of being "crazy" for Him. I think we need to come up with more practical ways to live for him in our day to day life that does look different but how does that look? To one, it might be doing what Mary did, but to another it might be setting aside your to do list to help a neighbor or give your son that extra attention and time, and to yet another it might be living your day to day life, but not shrinking back from what you know to be true. I think these questions raised in class are good, but we need more practical application. Instead of coming away from sunday school with more questions than you came in with, I'd like to come away going, I'm going to try to do this, or that. Then come back the next Sunday and be accountable to others about what we did, how it worked, and how we grew from it, how we saw God moving in our LiFE. Just my opinion
 

Sometimes I can get so frustrated with myself thinking that I am not doing enough "God" work and looking at others and becoming wanting of what they have and are doing. Then I stop and pray because I know that satan desire these thoughts. It is not up to me what work God has in store for me. He knows my heart and my desires inimately. It is not my talents or usefullness that will work, its me allowing Him in my life that will bring these things out...at home, on a mission, at church. Much do I seek and yet its right in front of me. I can't live thinking that God's work is dependant on me because its not. It's Jesus. We are the branches, He is the vine. Remember when Peter tried fishing all night in futility and then trusted in Jesus when he asked to throw out the nets, even when Peter was exhausted. He caught an enormous catch. We need to pray for one another and love one another deeply. Even in a mundane day, Christ can speak to us and through us with power. That's crazy.
 

Crazy...in practical terms? I cannot say what that means practically becuase I think it looks different for everyone. For some it might mean selling all your possessions. For some it might mean being brave enough to share the gospel with a family member who is lost. I would say that it isn't enough to just live your day to day life with little impact for the kingdom of God.(note - I said little impact, we aren't called to make a small impact)

I am not sure I understand what means not have the "luxury" to be crazy for God? My honest response to that is don't give God excuses. Apparently then only single people have the "luxury" of being crazy for God. Oh but wait they don't have the luxury that a newly married double income couple has? Wait., I am confused about what "luxury" is besides an excuse...

The class LiFE is modeled after our own real life where we have more questions than answers. If you have come to a place where you want answers spoon fed than LiFE probably isn't going to meet that need. The church sells those answers at NW bookstore in plenty of books.

So to put it back on you...where do you think God would call you to be different for him in your present LiFE if you had the "luxury" ot be crazy?

Next take the "luxury" excuse out of the equation and do it.

My other thought on the last comment is Satan is not always telling me I'm doing a bad job of following God. Sometimes that is the Holy Spirit saying, "You say you believe, but what fruit are you bearing." I can only speak for myself, but God is asking me that question. I look around and the fruit I see is selfish more than for others. Am I making the impact that God seeks in my life with Him? For me the answers is no. I hope to change.

-Todd
 

Just saw these responses and it seems that misunderstanding is present. I urge prayer that we spurn one another on in love rather than in an "I'm right you're not" attitude. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
 

This isn't really a comment to any of the postings above, just a thought I had after this chapter was discussed.

Here is a quote from Soren Kierkegaard in chapter three of the Irresistible Revolution that I found interesting:

“The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obligated to act accordingly….Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close.”

I think that this is a very dangerous book that we have started to read and discuss. I think we are in danger of either finding out, first hand, what truly means to truly be followers of Christ or continuing to discuss these subjects on Sunday morning at 9:45 but in the end pretend to not understand what the Bible says. I sure hope it is the former because I know that there is something wrong with the way I follow Christ.

P.S. Someone asked me today what religion I am. I knew what she meant so I said that I go to a Presbyterian church. Then I added some weak disclaimer. I laughed at myself as soon as I said that.
 

I was checking out Youtube on my break at work, definetely something that I should not have been...when I heard my email dinger, go, ding. I clicked over to check it and the header on the email was "God has called You". Wow! Maybe not a huge miracle or sign, but it came at a right time and put my mind back on Him and got off of Youtube. The email itself was a great help to me as well as it encouraged me to trust in Him and not myself. Anyways, another cool thing happening in my life is this voice that keeps saying to me, "humble yourself and I will raise you up". Been listening to a lot of John Michael Talbot too which has really helped in my prayer life. Praise God, He is good and is able to do all good works in us through Christ Jesus. Thanks for reading.

Jeff
 

Hi - I know I'm late posting here, but I was really challenged by the conversation and the book regarding these matters. I searched the scriptures in an attempt to re-read what Jesus said. I believe that God's heart is broken for the poor, as should ours. His heart is broken for the lost - regardless of economic class.

Over the past few weeks, God has shown me over and over the moral bankruptcy present in the suburbs. Yes, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, because the rich man has no 'need' for God - doesn't realize his need - that all that stuff won't fill the void in his soul. Jesus goes on to say that with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

As I live in response to God's awesome power and great mercy, my heart breaks for the poor, but for the lost rich as well, because many will never know their need for salvation. Crazy, or ordinary, God has placed me on this street at this time where my life intersects with lost souls everyday. My awareness of the choices I and my family make that are counter-culteral to the competition in this neck of the woods has greatly increased.

So like the first blogger - crazy in practical terms for me is making choices to raise my children to know Jesus and become what God has designed them to be - not what the world defines as success, but God. To live by God's truth in a world where satan is fighting against truth - like the value of life and God's design for family. It's making a choice to not work full-time so that I can be present guiding my children, supporting my husband, practicing hospitality, volunteering in the schools, and so on - to bring glory to God through each of these things.

It's choosing not to worship at the soccer god - making God, family and relationships the top priorities.

This may not seem crazy to a bunch of church people, but to the folks who live around here - it's pretty abnormal!

Maybe, with God, what seems ordinary is 'crazy'!