.questions.

Questions are such a powerful thing. There is this idea happening in the church that questions are an innocent thing. However like anything it depends on the heart of the person who is asking the question. If the person truly wants to know something then questions are great and need to be asked. On the other hand if a person is asking questions to mislead someone then they are wrong.

There are some leaders of the church who are trying to lead people down a path that is not true by the questions they ask. They are a lot like a salesperson. I have worked as a salesman for a few years now and our most powerful weapon is questions. I can lead people to a decision to buy what I want them to. I ask them questions that have them deciding that they want is what I have to sell. Now these leaders are saying that they are honestly just searching, however by their questions that doesn't seem to be the truth. They are trying to lead people down a dangerous path that does not lead to life by their truths.

So what I have to say is that we need to look at people's questions. We need not be fooled by the facade that they put on. We should never stop asking questions or leading questions. However the questions we ask need to be leading people to life.

Do our questions lead to Jesus?

Do they lead to the cross?

Do they lead to the resurrection?

Do they lead to Jesus as the only Way?

.new message.

Does the church need a new message?

A new way of saying it?

Both?

Neither?

It seems like there are two main camps in this discussion. There are some churches that are in the emerging/emergent movement that think that we need a new message and a new way of saying it. Why do we need a new message? Why do we need to get rid of the cross? Why do we need to get rid of the message of sin? How can the message of grace be as potent as it should be when we water it down?

On the other hand there are churches that have a message that follows the Bible however they don't want to present it in a way that people understand. What is the point of that? How does that benefit the kingdom of God?

May I suggest that we keep the timeless message and try to find new ways of presenting it to people. A few churches have done this well. By presenting I don't just preaching or teaching, rather more of a conveying. Now preaching and teaching are a very important part in this conveyance, however so is shepherding. May we in trying to find new packages to convey the truth not change the message. It seems that the ones who have changed the message were reacting to the methods and in fact overreacted and in that changed the message. My hope is that we as Christians and leaders do not change the message of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Hopefully the church will reclaim the Gospel and let that be the only stumbling block and not the way we convey it to people. May Jesus give us the strength and wisdom to do that. Remember Jesus is Lord and Savior of all.

.human will?.

"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:15-16)

How often have we tried to be better people?

How often have we failed at being better people?

How often have we heard a sermon about being a better person?

How often have we as teachers of the Bible taught people how to be a better person?

How often is the answer Jesus?

I ask these questions because in my life I have tried to become a "better" person. I have tried to be a person that is more like what I read about in the Bible. I have heard so many sermons, it doesn't matter from what kind of church, about being a better person. Not often was Jesus the answer from conservative churches to emergent churches the answer was the same, human will and strength.
When I look back on some of the lessons I taught, they were about doing things. Doing things under our own effort. Some were about relying on Jesus for the power and guidance to change and be transformed. However not as much as I would like. I only hope that the ones about relying totally on Christ Jesus sunk in. So I hope when I am in a teaching position again the message that the students hear is Jesus, Jesus and Jesus. I want to be a one song band.

So have you found a place where Jesus is the hero?

Have you found a place where you are taught to seek Jesus?

Have you found a place where you are taught to rely on Jesus?

Have you found a place where Jesus is the answer?

I have and I plan on someday soon being that place for students. A place where they can come and fall more in love with Jesus and learn to humbly follow and rely on Him. I hope that we all learn and live out that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

.all about Jesus.

It is all about Jesus. We as the church need to be proclaiming this all of the time. It is so easy to forget sometimes. Sometimes the message of the church can become moral-ism. Not that the things that are taught are wrong, the things taught are good things. However people are told to just try harder to do good. That however has not worked, has it? The church in America hasn't grown, we just have moved people around. We haven't changed America, on the other hand America has changed Christianity in America. We need to proclaim Jesus as the answer to everything. Not just for our salvation but also for our sanctification. We need to humble ourselves and rely on Jesus. When the church in America starts preaching Jesus and teaching people to rely on Jesus and his grace I believe that we will see lives changed for the glory of Jesus. May we make him the hero of everything and in everything proclaim that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

.love and grace.

6. Q. Did God, then, create man so wicked and perverse?
A. By no means; but God created man good, and after his own image; that is, in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him, and live with him in eternal blessedness to praise and glorify him.

7. Q. From what source, then, comes this depraved nature of man?
A. From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise, whereby our nature became so corrupt that we all are conceived and born in sin.

8. Q. But are we so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all evil?
A. Yes, indeed; unless we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.

Isn't it amazing that when we receive the grace of God by faith in the person and works of Jesus that God sees us as righteous and we can again be in right relationship with God again? That we can worship Jesus and in that be living life to the fullest. See because of Jesus' death and resurrection we have life everlasting. Life here and now and life for all eternity. That is grace. When we see what we would be without God and then realize what we have in Jesus how can we not help but be joyful and humble before Jesus who is Lord and Savior of all? May you and I realize that Jesus is Lord and Savior.