• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

Pride is insidious

Posted on March 3, 2017 by wtdavid

Our struggle with pride often happens in the ‘small’ moments of life.  We don’t even see it coming, and then it surfaces to work to convince us how ‘good’ it feels to detour-sign-k-6718be right.

A ‘small’ moment like this one. I arrived in Melbourne last Saturday night around 23h00. I made my way quickly to the rental car place and in a matter of minutes was on my way.  “I’m doing really well.  I’ll get to Mitcham quickly,” I thought.  I got out on the freeway heading into the City and not more than two kilometers down the road, there were signs indicating that the freeway was closed.  “Now what I am going to do?” was my first thought. I decided to follow the detour signs placed ahead.

After more than twenty minutes of following those detour signs, I arrived back at the very place where I started following the signs!  That’s when I said to myself, “I’m never going to make it to Mitcham (where I was staying)!”

So, here it was, 0h30 in the morning, most shops closed, and I wasn’t really sure in what direction was the City. I saw a 7-11 store open.  I pulled in and asked the young man at the counter how to get to the City.  He simply replied, “Just keep following that road.”  Now, I’m convinced this is the first response of many people in many countries at that time of the morning. “Just keep following that road.”

On the way out of the store, I saw an older couple getting out of their car, and I apporached them asked if they could help me.  The man looked right at me and said, “Where are you from?”  No words of help or advice, just ‘where are you from?’  When I told him that was a ‘hard’ question to answer, he laughed and said, “No problem, how can I help you?”  He proceeded to give me very explicit instructions to get the City and thanks to him I was able to get to where I needed to go.

I count at least three strikes of pride in that little event.  There was the ‘timing’ issue.  My efforts had led me to get out of baggage and customs and on my way in good time. I was happy with what I had done.  There was the ‘I’m going to figure this problem out myself’ issue.  Once the detour came up, I figured my sense of direction would get me where I needed to go.  I was confidant in myself.  There was the ‘accent’ issue.  The question of the man at the 7-11 store took me by surprise.  Why couldn’t he just accept me, instead of commenting on my American accent?

All little things you might say, but they all quickly add up to a focus on ME.  Pride is insidious.  Reflecting back on an event, even one seemingly ‘small’ in our minds, can help us to ferret out the work of pride which seeks to damage our heart and soul on a daily basis; and which seeks to keep us from our God.

Filed under: Pride, Reflection, Repentance & faith | 4 Comments »

CP 201

Posted on January 12, 2017 by wtdavid

For the past year or so, I have been working through sets of notes from my seminary studies. Little by little, I’ve been storing my ‘hand written’ notes (that dates me!) by typing them up.  It’s been fun trying to decipher what I actually wrote at some points.  However, the greatest benefit has been the opportunity to review ideas and insights that I learned during tholearningse days and seeing their enduring importance to life and ministry.

A good number of us have some years of experience in the ‘work’ of church planting (CP) that God has called us.  It’s been a good while since our ‘learning’ or on the ground education time.  So, perhaps a ‘review’ of what we learned would serve to ‘fan the flame’ again of our passion for CP.  Such a review could serve as a good and needed reminder of those critical ideas and insights that are vital to life and ministry.

Over the next number of posts, I would like to review some ‘notes’ with you.  Let’s just say that we will be typing our notes together from CP 201.  Now as we pull that file (CP 201) from our filing cabinet, and look again at the syllabus of that advanced CP ‘course’, what would we discover was the overall objective?

‘Remembering’ is a biblical principle we find throughout the Scriptures.  “O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law.” (Psalm 119:55)  It will be fun to explore what we can learn together as we ‘remember’ what He has taught us.

Filed under: Church planting, Lifelong learning, Reflection | 2 Comments »

No time to think

Posted on August 5, 2014 by wtdavid

One of the things I enjoy about spending time away from work is being able to physically ‘take a break’ from all the technology that characterizes our lives in one way or another: responding to the constant e-mail traffic, writing another blog post, or just keeping up with what’s happening on the pages of my Facebook friends.

time to thinkGoing ‘off the grid’ allows one the time to step back to think, to read, and to reflect.  Times like this remind me of the need to regularly make space to think and not be so taken up with all the information traffic going on around me.

In a recent article in the New York Times, Kate Murphy notes: “You can’t solve or let go of problems if you don’t allow yourself time to think about them. It’s an imperative ignored by our culture, which values doing more than thinking and believes answers are in the palm of your hand rather than in your own head.”

Let’s not make the mistake of saying that one (thinking or doing) is more important than the other.  Let’s not get caught up in setting one against the other because thinking and doing are interconnected; they each support and nourish the other.

Rather than telling ourselves to spend more time in introspection or to spend less time thinking and just do something, we ought to seek balance in our lives.

How often have I used the phrase: “I’m just super busy”?  How often have you used a similar phrase?  That should be a signal to us that we are ‘out of balance’ and in need of readjusting, realigning our lives so that thinking and doing work together to allow us to live our lives well for the Lord.

 

Filed under: Communication, Reflection, Thinking | 2 Comments »

Reading the Bible as a ‘missional worker’

Posted on February 27, 2014 by wtdavid

In his meeting with the two travelers on the road to Emmaus, Jesus “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [he] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”  (Luke 24:27)

Any worker who has a missional mindset or a missions heart reads the Bible through these “glasses”: knowing that Jesus is the main theme.  From Genesis to Revelation, the biblical text points to or speaks of the One who would come to reconcile us to God and who would entrust us with this ministry of proclaiming reconciliation to others.  It’s all about Him.Google Glass video user guide

The focus on this unifying theme is at the base of much oral storytelling of the Bible or progressive Bible study working from the Old to the New.  However, is it really true for us as missional workers?  Are we as enraptured by this truth as we are passionate to share it with others?

The image of the Exodus originally drew attention to the need for deliverance from physical slavery (Exodus 7:16), but Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration talks of His “exodus” (Luke 9:31) being the means by which He would provide deliverance from the spiritual bondage of sin.  This is the message our friends, our colleagues, our neighbors need to hear.

Yet, we need to hear it as well.  Our hearts need to be caught up again with the wonder of His all out effort to redeem us, to buy us back for Himself from our rebellion and turning away from Him.  A missional worker must draw his/her resources from this well.

Here’s a thought: take the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) or the notion of the priesthood (Numbers 1:13) and write down how Christ and His work is exemplified as the truth of this event or idea is run through the entire Scriptures.  Then stop and give thanks to God for Christ’s work in this way and ask Him to apply it strongly to your life again today.

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Gospel, Jesus Christ, Reflection | 1 Comment »

He was here first

Posted on February 21, 2014 by wtdavid

I read an interesting article in the French evangelical journal, Théologie Evangélique, this past week.  The article presented the ministry of David Bogue who was the impetus behind a missionary training centre in the UK in the late 18th century.  Though he never served as a cross cultural worker, he was instrumental in the preparation and sending of numerous workers to many parts of the then known world.god_is_here

What particularly caught my attention was the fact that several workers from this school either came from Europe or left to serve as workers in Europe once their training was completed.  I have often looked upon Europe or other parts of the world as somewhat ‘untouched’ by the Gospel.  However, God has been ‘working this soil’ for quite some time.

He was already here building His Church in Europe (and elsewhere) long before we arrived in the late 80s.

Two takeaways come quickly to mind.  First, we should see our work in the larger context of His work, of His mission.  Doing so, will allow us to recognize that the success or fruit in our ministry does not ultimately depend on us.  Second, we need to read more history.  I was stunned by the fact that this British pastor, with limited resources, had a vision so much larger than many today, and saw the fulfillment of that vision.  To think that France, for one, was already being touched by the Gospel efforts of one man in the late 18th century should  encourage many of us in the further work of sowing now in the 21st century.

No matter where we are in the world, God was there before we ever got there.  He is still seeking out people.  The amazing truth is that He chooses to use us as part of the means to accomplish His missionary purpose.

 

Filed under: Mission, Reflection, Wisdom | 2 Comments »

Self awareness is narcissism … NOT

Posted on February 13, 2014 by wtdavid

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in doing.”

(James 1:22-25)

narcissism1-300x240Self awareness is not by nature narcissism.  Self awareness through hardy self questioning, gives rise to transformation.  That’s why one “looks intently at oneself in the mirror.”  We are trying to make sure there are no smudges on our face or that our hair is combed/brushed appropriately.  Self analysis, self questioning is meant to bring about change; to not just hear how we are being “received” poorly by others, but actually working to present a godlier disposition so that we might serve others better.

So where does all this self awareness talk lead us? 

At least three very practical and specific outcomes come quickly to mind.  First, being the strong entrepreneurial and individual spirits that most of us are, we must step back from our day to day activities on a semi-regular basis and write down the feelings we may  have experienced during the day in our interactions with others.  Second, we should lay these before our Father in prayer and ask that He would open our eyes to see ‘in the mirror of His glory’ those hurtful ways which might be causing us to minister poorly to others.  Finally, we would do well, for our own growth, to share these Spirit led insights with a small group of fellow journeyers who can support and push us in our ongoing growth in Christ.

Self awareness is one element of a much needed emotional competency.  To grow in that competency, we need the Spirit, an open heart and others.

Filed under: Reflection, Self awareness | 4 Comments »

« Previous Page — Next Page »

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 205 other subscribers

  • Categories

  • Recent Comments

  • Archives

  • Goodreads