June 4, 2008

do we really believe?

As evangelical scholars seek greater influence, Wolfe warns that getting respect is a two-way street.
Evangelicals in the academy too often aren't open to truly engaging those who disagree, said Wolfe, who points to things like "faith statements" at evangelical colleges, which require professors to proclaim Christian belief. A prospering intellectual culture wouldn't make that requirement and shut other views out, he said.
"It's when you view your tradition with such confidence that you want to offer it to others ... that's when you've made it," Wolfe said.
"I don't see evangelicals having that pride in their own tradition, yet."

from an article on cnn.com http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/05/22/evangelicals.ap/index.html



We say that we love Jesus but this quote rings true, for me as much as anyone else. If we really believed, what we say we do about Jesus, why doesn't come from our mouths more often. If I was convinced that the Texas Longhorns were the best football team in America, which often they are, I would talk about them a lot. Just like this, salvation and the truth about Jesus should be coming from our lips all the time like we are truly convinced, not just a 'I believe that!?!'



Life is good and i am being taught a lot right now.



Anyway, Last summer through camp, i listened to, on average, 3 sermons per-day. Ive never learned so much about Jesus in my life, was more busy, nor more happy in my life. I was being obedient and finally getting to truly engage church and use the gifts that I have been given.

In August, I started seminary and loved it. Seminary is a flood in your head, then you dont want to read a book for a while, then the flood subsides, everything comes more clearly together, and the world is more beautiful and a more God centered place then it was before. Greek is amazing and uses grammar to create a theology rather then many of the bad english translations that we have that have an agenda. I struggled mightily through changing from college-baseball life to the 'real world,' not that copass counts but... I found out living by yourself, 15 min from any friends sucks. dont do that. Secondly, Im a lot to deal with. I dont do well with small talk, it gets awkward pretty quickly. more later

Im not very patient with God when it comes to the one thing that I have wanted to do and have for the longest time. But in the new things that have been more conformed to Jesus, I am very patient. It's funny how things need to be looked at in a totally different way, then we are often taught, to truly be able to understand what God intended them for or even how to operated in his word. A lifetime of thinking is a hard thing to change, but oh for the grace of God and his glimpses of who he is. Reliant Progressive sanctification is horribly wonderful. Something else that is funny is that, though you can often be right about other helping, guiding, and instructing other people, how often is it done for selfish or prideful reasons? It's mainly selfish for me right now. Its like getting hit in the head with a hammer sometimes to realize your sin, crushed like a pot in the potters hand to be remolded.

2 comments:

Jacob Vanhorn said...

I always like it when I see your profile picture, the 'outdoor hunter guy', and then I read you pour your heart out in sharing God's shaping of you.

Thanks for sharing your growth. I hope God puts us in the same city again. Blessings brother.

Robin said...

"Reliant Progressive sanctification is horribly wonderful."

The awesome thing is that you can see that the horribly wonderful is actually wonderful.