Book Review (soon): Jesus Manifesto

Monday, I'll have the book review posted of Jesus Manifesto available June 1st. (My advance copy was obtained through Book Sneeze.

While I can't give a review of the book now, I think I'm safe to say I was able to get through it twice, highlighting, and getting a better sense of what they wanted the book to accomplish before submitting a review.

As Abraham H. Maslow said...

"A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting."

Let's be the soup!

You only need a heart full of grace...

"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

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JOM'S Vision...God's Vision

So often I have heard messages on Our vision or will versus God’s will. Many times these messages talk about how we have differing objectives than God. As if we are banging heads with God about what WE want to do vs. what HE wants us to do.

I think, yes, in some cases that is true. Most cases I think it isn’t that we aren’t seeing eye to eye but rather we aren’t seeing or understanding at all.

JOM (including WYD) is in that position at the moment. My vision for JOM has always been about how God could use me, and you, in small but significant ways.

In the excitement of it all (as ideas abound) I have lost clear sight in what God’s vision for the ministry is. I believe I’m facing the right direction, but I don’t have as sharp of focus.

I know this because of growing frustration in lack of clarity (as well as other areas) and because of a growing sense of…importance? I don’t know if that’s the right word or not as feelings such as we get from God are not always easily described.

For the next couple of weeks, hopefully not longer – God willing, I will be tuning back into God for direction and instruction as to what do we do next…and where (in general) are we going, and (more importantly) how best he can use us.

I’m a bit of a fast mover…I get something in my head and want to act upon it now. Sometimes that’s great, other times it just causes me frustration…I think God and I have a little middle ground work to tend to before we can really get moving.

I post this because if there seems to be lack of updates or postings it’s because I am still working on the “focus” part of our Ministry.

As much we would like to be, we can’t be all things to all people. We each have a specific set of gifts, skills, and abilities that God can use, if we let him. It isn’t our vision vs. His; it’s that our vision isn’t as good as his.

Thank you for your support and I will do my best to keep you updated as often as possible.

Chris

The Only Possible Proof

If we are to accept the teaching of Jesus at all, then the only test of the reality of a man's religion is his attitude to his fellow men. The only possible proof that a man loves God is the demonstrated fact that he loves his fellow men.
-- William Barclay

Just One Opportunity - Activity Book

For: Women's Advocate, Inc.
Where: St. Paul

"One-time Project: Compile a guide for the moms and families staying in the shelter on free or inexpensive things to do in the Twin Cities. Indoor and outdoor activities, winter and summer, festivals, museums, etc. This project could be done from home or here at the shelter."

Click here for more information!

Just One Opportunity - Second Harvest

Vegetable Harvest for Second Harvest!

The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

“What does God expect of us?” asks Richard Stearns in The Hole in Our Gospel.

There are countless Christian books out there that will “help” you with your faith, or expand your knowledge of the Bible, or even question your beliefs, but so far I’ve only come across one book that challenges Christians to be just that – Christians.

Somewhere along our path, we’ve reduces Christianity, and more importantly the Gospel, to that of a nice personal relationship with God – one that after we’ve committed our life to Christ – should grow and become deeper.

But by doing so, we become “religious” and start to dig a large “hole” in the Gospel – that of loving our neighbor, of helping those who are in need (and not just spiritually), and in essence becoming less selfish.

Richard Stearns, through statistics and more powerfully actual stories from other and his own life, challenges us to fill that “hole” in the Gospel. There are millions of people in the world that could use our help, here at home and abroad. Abroad is where Richard argues that we have dropped the ball.

In America, and most of the western culture, live in vast prosperity. Oh, we hear bad news about our economy, but when you compare it (as Richard does so well) to most other countries in the world – our complaints are well…pathetic.

We have far more than we need. There IS enough food to feed the world – just look at our grocery stores. There IS enough money to help an entire country out – just look at what we spend our money on.

This book is not about more effective prayer, or 5 spiritual disciplines we all must have, or how to truly become happy in Christ.

No this book is deeper than that. This book cuts at the heart of what Jesus taught, truly. Stearns doesn’t put forth new doctrine to challenge our faith, he puts for the call to action that should be because of our faith…yet seems to be lacking.

When it’s all said and done, when Stearns has shined a light on the darkness of “our” Gospel he, in a loving yet disciplined way, puts for the challenge to us: “And when you close this book, what will you do now?”

What will you do now?

(note: I received a free copy of this book for my review through Booksneeze.com. The opinions stated are mine and are freely given. For further information visit www.booksneeze.com)

Just One Opportunity - Love Cars?

Car washing/detailing

Spread the Word Bible Outreach Update

Thanks to Savers I was able to snag quite a few Bibles for a buck or less! This brings the grand total to: 68! A couple more weeks and we'll be at the 100 mark!

This DOES NOT include the Bibles purchased at Chap for them to distribute- that total is 27 distributed. Another 8 were purchased today. In fact, I have currently bought out Chaps entire Bible and New Testament supply.

So God's got some restocking to do!

Just One Opportunity...

Like Fashion?