Okay, so I promised that I would expound a little bit more on what I learned from Francis Chan’s challenge to the group at the Shift Conference, at Willow Creek Community Church. Well, here we go. (If you haven’t gotten a chance to watch his teaching yet, jump over here and do it now!)
I couldn’t agree with Francis more… Let’s just put it out there right now.
I was challenged… moved… and convicted. At the end of this session I was just blown away. I loved the quote that Francis said, “I believe the church needs a radical shift, I believe youth ministry needs a radical shift, I believe I need a radical shift. Every time I read the book of Acts, I don’t put it down and say, ‘Man that’s just like us.'” I laughed out loud, and winced a little on the inside. It was funny and sad at the same time. Clearly he was being sarcastic there at the end… Funny because he worded it in a humorous way. Yet at the same time, there is truth that resonates with me and it is unbelievably painful to think about. Are our churches like the book of Acts?
I love when Francis just says really simply, okay, so it’s not the same as back then, but they had the same Holy Spirit that we do! This is an incredible thought! We have the same Holy Spirit that Peter and John had, and we have the same “Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead” inside of us, why are we so complacent and frustratingly timid?
More on this tomorrow…
But here’s a question for you today… How are you and God doing? How are you the Holy Spirit and you doing? Have you put Him in a box?
hmm…
~Peter
2 Comments
God and I are doing well, I always hope to be better. God is still working on me being content on where I am. I would respond the same way about my relationship with the Holy Spirit. For both of them I think that I do sometimes struggle with placing them in a box. It hinders the work they can do through me, when I am not content. Thanks for the thoughts.
hey thanks!