Insight and Humility

Insight: The act or outcome of grasping the inward or hidden nature of things. In the psychological realm, insight refers to an individual's awareness of the underlying, covert forces that affect outward, overt behavior. It is very difficult to evaluate one's own level of insight. How can I measure the scope of that which is beyond my awareness? How can a driver see his blindspot? He cannot, it is in fact a BLIND spot.

This is where humility comes in. The proud driver who does not tend to his blindness, often drives with a false sense of security, increasing the likelihood of an accident. The humble driver, though he senses the way is clear, will take a second look. The humble can live at peace with his own limitedness. The proud must think of himself as complete, in no dire need of anyone or anything.

The Stone-Campbell tradition is a proud tradition. We believe that within our own ranks is all that is needed and necessary to be the utmost people of God. What can we learn from the Anglicans, Catholics, and Presbyterians? It is they who should learn from us! To interact with them is only to risk some sort of doctrinal contamination! Sound familiar?

Consider again, Bill Gnade's quote from a few days ago:

"And yet humility is at the heart of a good debate, for only the humble hear what the other is saying, and only the humble actually want to learn."

Do we actually want to learn? Here's my take: We do want to learn. But, we inadvertently handicap the learning process by the lack of humility at our deepest center. We struggle to arrive at this humility because of fear. Fear that to let go of anything, is to be tossed about by every wind of doctrine, to become an unstable man, unworthy of the gospel of Christ.

We do not have to give way to such all-or-nothing thinking, or rather feeling.

There is tremendous value in even the smallest gains of insight. We cannot acquire it alone. We need others, especially others very different from ourselves. Prayer is a tremendous tool. Prayer stimulates change, good change.

And I will fear no evil,
For my God is with me,
And if my God is with me;
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear? Matt Redman

Morphing into Anger

In the world of counseling, it is recognized that unresolved fear can morph into anger. An insecure man, afraid of losing his wife, begins to physically abuse her. Why? The fear turns to anger and he attacks the supposed source of his pain. We see that as clearly dysfunctional and absolutely wrong. However, can we not recognize a similar dynamic in some of our religious behavior?

Josh mentioned our tendency to attack other denominations- Here's the same dynamic at work- An insecure religious man, not sufficiently at peace in his walk with God, attacks fellow Christians of differing perspectives. Why? The christian of differing perspective represents an affront to the insecure christian's outlook, heightening his fear, now morphed to anger, so he attacks the supposed source of his pain.

Someone might say.., "That's all well and good, but I am not insecure."

That is exactly what wife-beater's say!

A key counseling concept here is Insight. The degree to which a person seems to be in touch with what really drives him is referred to as insight. Wife-beaters typically have poor insight. They are in complete denial of the powerful emotions coursing through their psyches. They are extremely hesitant to redirect the finger of blame from the external to the internal.

I think religious people are also prone to poor insight. We too often are totally unaware of powerful emotions driving us. We, too, are quick to point fingers at something external and rarely are willing to make ourselves the subject of scrutiny.

I am getting long-winded here.. so what do you think? Agree, think I'm nuts, jump in----

What scares you?

Since we are on the subject of fear, I wonder if we could get a conversation going about our fears?

I am thinking specifically about our religious fears. Thoughts may not immediately come to mind, so let me offer something of an example. The issue of instrumental music generally creates a stir among us non-instrumental folks. What role might fear play in this issue? For a body of people who have invested a tremendous amount of energy, experienced much pain and loss through the years of conflict, the fear is that a hard-fought position be shown to be either misguided or insignificant. We might fear that all the struggle was in vain. In fact, the current thought leaders among CofC's are basically positing that historically we have made a mountain out of a mole hill, thus rendering the issue insignificant.

On a deeper level, we fear God's displeasure. Change stimulates a fear reaction because it carries the possibility of doing wrong. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," is the motto of those who think that change is more likely to make things worse than better.

What do you think?

[Note: Mike Cope has written an article in The Lookout, a publication of Christian Churches. It addressed unity among our two strands of the Stone-Campbell Movement: A Call for Unity]

Simple Answers

Recently, I read a book espousing the "KJV only" position on biblical translations. I have a strong connection to some folks who hold this view. I wanted to get a clearer understanding of this argument. Today, I have been reading an essay in which the author counters the propositions of the "KJV only" proponents. The author of the essay is Daniel B. Wallace.

One point from the essay really struck me. It has application far beyond the "KJV only" debate. Wallace notes "...almost everyone wants simple answers to the complex questions of life." He notes that the quest for certainty is not the same as the quest for truth. He does not say this specifically, but I will offer- too often religious folk value certainty over truth. Wallace continues, "Frequently the most black-and-white, dogmatic method of arriving at truth is perceived to be truth itself." He concludes the thought with this sentence, "At bottom this quest for certainty, though often masquerading as a legitimate epistemological inquiry, is really a presuppositional stance, rooted in a psychological insecurity.

Wallace is suggesting that the tendency among religious people to cling to simple explanations is ultimately driven by fear (insecurity). That is probably not a major revelation to you, but I think we too easily recognize it in others, and too rarely see it in ourselves.

In recognizing the nature of my own insecurity, I am in better position to strive for maturity. The more secure I am in my own personal relationship with God, the less emotionally vulnerable I am to anything that challenges my current outlook. Fear constricts our thinking and functions to blind us to available options.

The antidote to insecurity is a viable relationship with God. Knowing that the steadfast love of the Lord (for me) never ceases makes all the difference in my life. God's presence casts out fear and insecurity. Prayer makes it personal. To know that my deepest concerns have been put before Him, and He takes my life seriously, gives me an abiding confidence.

I am one of God's children;
despite my sinfulness, I strive to be about His will;
God's faithfulness never comes to an end.

The above quotes are from Inspiration, Preservation, and New Testament Textual Criticism by Daniel B. Wallace, Th.M., Ph.D.

Movie Night Reminder

I posted about the second Pirates of the Carribean Movie a few weeks ago and wanted to send out a reminder to all those who are interested. We are getting a group together to go see the movie as soon as it comes out on Friday, July 7th.

Invite your friends and lets have a great time together!

Are you coming?

When God Is Lost In Sound---Bill Gnade

I found this post in Bill Gnade's archives on his Contratimes blog and fell in love with it. (Ok, well maybe "fell in love with it" is a bit too strong). I was so able to identify with these words and wanted to share the post with my church family and any other "drop by" readers. Here is the link:

http://contratimes.blogspot.com/2005/11/when-god-is-lost-in-sound.html


Jennifer

New Heavens and a New Earth

I felt the need to share this tonight. I hope you are all comforted by these words.

Jennifer


Isaiah 65:17-25 (The Message)

"Pay close attention now:
I'm creating new heavens and a new earth.
All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain
are things of the past, to be forgotten.
Look ahead with joy.
Anticipate what I'm creating:
I'll create Jerusalem as sheer joy,
create my people as pure delight.
I'll take joy in Jerusalem,
take delight in my people:
No more sounds of weeping in the city,
no cries of anguish;
No more babies dying in the cradle,
or old people who don't enjoy a full lifetime;
One-hundredth birthdays will be considered normal—
anything less will seem like a cheat.
They'll build houses
and move in.
They'll plant fields
and eat what they grow.
No more building a house
that some outsider takes over,
No more planting fields
that some enemy confiscates,
For my people will be as long-lived as trees,
my chosen ones will have satisfaction in their work.
They won't work and have nothing come of it,
they won't have children snatched out from under them.
For they themselves are plantings blessed by God,
with their children and grandchildren likewise God-blessed.
Before they call out, I'll answer.
Before they've finished speaking, I'll have heard.
Wolf and lamb will graze the same meadow,
lion and ox eat straw from the same trough,
but snakes—they'll get a diet of dirt!
Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill
anywhere on my Holy Mountain," says God.

A good debate.

"And yet humility is at the heart of a good debate, for only the humble hear what the other is saying, and only the humble actually want to learn." Bill Gnade

The above quote is from today's post at Contratimes. Let me encourage you to follow the link and read it for yourself. The "debate" has challenged me, yet again, to be wary of the tendency to cling to simple understandings. Also, Bill has broadened the focus from content alone to include an appreciation of the process-level dynamics. Go read it, it will be well worth your while.


How did the reading impact you?

Junior Youth Group & Yankee Roosters

First, I'm sorry, I forgot to announce that the Jr. Youth Group Devo (June 22) is a SWIM Devo. It is at John & Rhonda's from 6:30pm to 8:30pm....extended a little because that will give more time to have the devo AND swim, too. Again, if your child is coming to the devo, we are counting on have it pool side, so bring a swim suit, towel, goggles, etc...whatever you need in the water. I will be there and, at least, John and Rhonda, which I have heard can swim like fish. I say that just to set you at ease if your child is unable to swim or unsure of the water.....They will be closely watched.

And just to put it out there, the next one is at Mark & Brandy's (July 6th). There is not a devo scheduled for July 20th because that is Sunshine's week at Fort Hill.

Second, I said during announcements this evening that the Yankee Roosters were performing at the Relay for Life on Friday, June 23rd. They are to take the stage from 7pm till 8:30pm, at the old Waverly High School/track. I'm sure there will be signs. I say it again because I know how loud the auditorium is sometimes and I don't want someone missing out.

So, come on out a help me whoop and clap for Taylor, Rich, Mark & Eric! (I have it on good authority that there will be a lot of new stuff played.)

Hope to see you there....and all your friends, too.

At The End Of Your Rope?

I was just visiting my usual hang out place on the David Phelps message boards and found a wonderful quote from another fan's pastor. She said that he always says "when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on because help is on the way!"

I just wanted to share that with all of you because I think it's cute and really good advice.

Jennifer

Raising children, predicting outcomes?

I am posting a link to a new book on raising children: Hearts and Minds - by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner. Here is a teaser from the back cover:

Shaping your children’s behavior isn’t the most important thing you can do as parent.
Shaping their hearts and minds is!

Isn't it amazingly difficult to predict what kids will be like when they grow up? Kids are like and unlike their parents in unpredictable ways. My father and I are driven by many of the same forces, yet we express ourselves differently, simultaneously similar and different.

More than a couple of times, people, who have known me since my childhood, have expressed their amazement that I turned out to be a decent human being. I guess I was a pill.

I know a young man who was an absolute angel as a child. He was very submissive to his parents wishes. He was a very good kid. However, in adulthood, he has struggled mightily.

All this plays in my mind when I attempt to envision a goal for my own children. I honestly catch myself thinking, "I want them to be good, but not too good." How do I pass on to them what is good in me without too much of the bad?

In the end, I think over-focusing on parenting strategies and creating perfect environments is a dead-end street. My kids are going to inherit my heart. The greatest thing I know to do for my kids is pray. I believe that God can use me, both the good and bad, and use environment, both positive and negative to accomplish His purposes. I intend to keep praying for God to grant me a clean-er heart and direct the steps of my wife and children.

Knowing that I am weak and dull, I pray for God to work in me to parent my kids. It is through prayer that I can be more present in the critical moments. Not that I see them coming, but God, who loves my kids more than I, demonstrates His grace by giving me a good word or deed at just the right time. It is also God, who forgives my parenting sins and demonstrates His redemptive power in me.

If my kids can see how much I need God, and from that see how much they need God, then all is well.

A Cherry On Top!

I've been doing alot of thinking about how we are made in God's image and what exactly that might mean. God is always showing me more and more as I look for the ways He's created us alot like Him. As I become aware of other ways we are like our Dad, I'll post them here.


I was just reading a story to my neice about tiny things that God made. One of the pages grabbed my attention more than the rest. It was talking about how God sprinkled the stars in the sky. This made me think of how children love to have sprinkles on their cup cakes and ice cream. I brought this to my neices attention by telling her "Hey! God likes sprinkles too! Just like we do!" and she smiled and agreed. So I kinda' think the stars were put in the sky by the childlike quality that God has within Him. I'm not saying that God is immature by referring to Him as childlike. I'm saying that God is the very essence of what a child is in their perfect beauty, pureness of heart, and creative nature. Like many children, if God were to create an ice cream sundae, it would have lots of sprinkles and whipped cream and a cherry on top!

When I was little, my aunts and uncles taught me how to ask mom and dad for something by saying "Pretty please....with a cherry on top". That "cherry on top" was suppose to make things better. It's always been my favorite part since I was a little kid. When God makes something, He always puts a cherry on top. It's just better that way because it's the most important part.

If you feel like God doesn't love you or even notice you, ask yourself a question. "How long has it been since I took a bite of the cherry on top?" Maybe it's time you go outside and find a quiet spot in the night and look up at all the sprinkles God put in the sky. The earth is God's bowl of ice cream and when He created it, He put all the whipped cream and sprinkles on it He wanted and the very last thing He did was put a cherry on top. You know what?

We are the cherry and His favorite part!

A good resource

The role of women in ministry- a complex and important matter. Mike Cope posted a link to an article by N.T. Wright. I have pasted that same link below:

http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Women_Service_Church.htm

N.T. Wright is the Anglican Bishop of Durham. He is a scholar and professor with a focus in Pauline studies. Bishop Wright is a world-class scholar who deeply believes in the authority of the Scriptures. Pardon the expression, but he has forgot more about the writings of Paul than most have ever known. Reading Wright can be tough, but very worthwhile.

I hope you will print off this article and read it. It might help us locate a difficult discussion within the teachings of Scripture.

Having read the article, what are your thoughts?

Christians or Deists?

I am believing in the power of prayer. I am becoming increasingly convinced that prayer is far more central to our walk than typically acknowledged. Lately, I have been inspired by the faith of Mary Collins. She has been calling on the Lord to do for her what she cannot do for herself. For several agonizing days, she has awaited results of tests to determine if cancer has taken hold in her throat. Last night, she called me to share good news - the tests are negative. Mary is not completely out of the woods, but her worst fears have been allayed.

This morning, I spoke words of thanksgiving to the Lord for Mary's news. The theme of thankfulness took hold in my mind. I thought about my marriage. I thought about my girls. The two most important roles of my life - husband and father. Two areas in which I am surprisingly weak. I say, surprisingly, because I never anticipated how difficult it would be to fulfill those roles. I had always taken it for granted that I would be a good husband and father. I eventually came to the realization that I am inadequate in both roles. This has been hard for me to accept. The temptation to focus on anything other than my own sinful inadequacy has been great. Finally, I reached a point of realizing that I could not deliver myself from myself. I began to do nothing more than ask the Lord to intervene. I simply prayed for the Lord to make me a better husband and father. I prayed for that blessing in myriad ways, multiple times. This morning, as I prayed, I was reminded, yet again, of how much divine intervention I have experienced. My marriage is strong and my kids are growing in God's image.

Recently, within the Sunshine family, we have experienced many great, blessed interventions from our God. Yet, we struggle to give ourselves fully to prayer. We struggle to acknowledge the primacy prayer should have in our efforts. Though, we profess faith in the Spirit of God, indwelling, guiding, and assisting us, too often our pattern of behavior betrays something akin to deism. "God helps those who help themselves" is nothing more than a deistic mantra we have confused for truth. Does it have something to do with the Appalachian subculture, or the fact that most of us have roots in family farming that we are so slow to cease over-valuing our self-determination?

To pray more is not to do less? Praying gives to doing - focus, efficacy, and endurance. We have adopted a false dichotomy of prayer and deeds. It is imperative we recognize the minimization of prayer as tantamount to minimizing the presence of God in our lives.

What are your thoughts?

Encouragement and Challenge

I was reading the scripture of the day that I have running on Zoe's Adoption website and wanted to read more than just the one scripture. So, I clicked on it and decided to read all of the chapter. When I was done, I thought to myself and then said outloud "beautiful!". I then decided to share it with the rest of you. So here is something for today.....

Philippians 3

No Confidence in the Flesh

1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing on Toward the Goal

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

JavaScript worm targets Yahoo!

If any of you get an inappropriate email from me or anyone else that uses yahoo as their email address, do not open it. Click the link below to find out what's going on ....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/12/javscript_worm_targets_yahoo/

Meet The Higbees

This is Shawn and Renee Higbee and family. They have been attending Sunshine for a while. Shawn and Renee were baptized this morning shortly after the worship service. We rejoice with them and the angels in heaven over their decision to accept Christ as their savior.
Eric Miller was also baptized this past Thursday, we rejoice over his decision as well. I don't know if any photos of Eric's baptism were taken or not.
If you missed the Higbee baptisms, there are video clips in the church photo album or you can click on the links below. The videos are between 4 and 5 megs each, so it will take a while to download them unless you have a very fast Internet connection.

renee.avi - Video clip of Renee Higbee's baptism

shawn.avi - Video clip of Shawn Higbee's baptism

Father-Son Campout Photos

Photos from last week's Father-Son campout have been posted in the church online photo album. Click [HERE] to view. Thanks to Rich Book for the pix.

Blogger Outing!

July 7th at the movie theatre begins the second part of Pirates of the Carribean. It's called "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest". I just watched the trailer for the movie and it looks as good as the first one. I sure hope it's as clean as the first one!

So mark your calendars for the evening of July 7th and find a babysitter for the kids. Trust me.

Here is the trailer to get you excited:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHaVS6j5INA

Can We Have A Seminar, Please?

I have been wanting to host an adoption seminar at Sunshine. I contacted the Ohio office of the agency we're using about this and they are very willing to come to Sunshine and do a seminar. They are always looking for churches to come to in order to promote adoption and I believe Sunshine is an excellent candidate for this. I believe this is a wonderful thing to promote and as the church, we should be doing this. The seminars are open to the public and I think it would be a great thing for the community to know that they can come to the Sunshine Church of Christ for support in adoption. It's a wonderful opportunity to teach the community about our own adoption through Christ as well as encouraging the adoption of children in the world who need families desparately.

Here is what I was told in an email from the Ohio office of America World Adoption Association:

"The essentials are pretty simple. We need a room that can comfortably hold 40-50 people, a projection screen or an open white wall for video. Additionally, if we are allowed to offer refreshments during the seminar we would need a table for refreshments and a table for registration. I normally hold weeknight seminars from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon. We can provide the church with color flyers and bulletin inserts for promotion, and would likely promote the seminar on local Christian radio."

Tim and I are planning to go to our first seminar at a church in Columbus this saturday if any of you are interested in going along with us to see what it's like. Two of the families that we did our homestudy with will be some of the speakers (along with their little treasures from China). It only lasts 2 hours.

Let me know if you will help me support this idea and I'll get things set up as soon as possible! I'm so excited about this! I'm anxiously awaiting your response.

Jennifer

On The Frontlines?

I was just reading a post on a friend's adoption blog. She already has her daughter from China but continues to update everyone as the months go by. She has 4 biological children and 1 from China.
I wanted to share with you what she posted on her blog on June 2nd because I felt it was well written and expressed the feelings of a parent concerning the christian fight. Her words will be in italics and in quotes.


"I look outside and it is a dreary day. The rain is pouring, Elizabeth is fussy because she doesn't feel well, Jacob has a cold, I have had 3, maybe 4 hours of sleep and the morning has been a little on the difficult side. Yet, for some reason, it has brought me to thoughts of God. I laid beside Elizabeth thinking about the new hit movie, The DaVinci Code. It burdens me, aches my heart, and truly cause me to fear for those who are decieved by its lies. I rejoice in the things that God has shown me about who He is and what His word says. I realize that it was not too long ago that I was walking in the darkness and was blinded to the truth of who Jesus Christ is and what God has done for me. It's movies and books that are so riveting that are so masterly used as one tool to decieve us. It is the excitement of mystery, deception, and conspiracy that lures us into reading or watching something. We live in a world that draws us with things that are exciting. No longer are the days of sitting and relaxing with a novel filled with morals based on the bible acceptable. We need more and more to fill our needs. The media industry has grabbed ahold of the things that excite us and ran with it.

It scares me for our children who are bombarded with the messages.... that there are no absolutes; that God is what you want Him to be; that if it feels good, do it; that if you are ok with it, then it is ok to do it; that sin is relevant; that getting to heaven is based on a loving God who would never turn you away because you are "good"; that Jesus Christ is merely a man..... the battle they face, we face, everytime we turn the tv on, read the news, talk to our peers, watch our "hero's", go to the movie, step outside our door, go to school... the battle is everywhere. It is a battle of good verses evil... of truth verses lies... of God verses the enemy. It is a warfare, one that can not be seen with the naked eye. But a warfare that is more intense then any war man has faced on earth.

So my thoughts, that begun on this dreary day, have made me question where I am in this battle. There was a time I felt like I was on the frontlines, but I realize that I have retreated to safety lately. It is time I begin marching towards the battlelines again. Christ will return; I wouldn't be surprised if it is sooner rather then later. I believe it is imminent. I'd rather be on the frontlines getting wounded when He returns then retreating. My prayer for my children has begun to more seriously focus on equipping them for this battle. It is books like the DaVinci Code that could draw them away from the truth if they are not prepared for this battle."


I reminded her, by leaving a comment on her blog, that she IS on the frontlines. She is a mother!

Intentional Growth PT-whatever

What are we waiting for? Or, a better question- what exactly is hindering you and me? What constrains us from a greater participation in God's work?

Here at the hospital, many people ask me about my "calling". How did you know you were "called" to be a chaplain? Isn't it great to know your "calling"? Etc. Personally, I am not a big fan of "calling" talk. I am not criticizing anyone who would sincerely speak of being called. I acknowledge that Scripture speaks of calling. However, the "calling" metaphor, like all metaphors, highlights some aspects of a concept and hides others.

The calling metaphor highlights our need for direction from God. That, of course, is a good thing. It is God's great work of redemption, of righteousness and justice, of which we are both beneficiaries and agents. Calling suggests that God is orchestrating the events of his kingdom, positioning you and me in our appropriate place to best serve. Calling suggests we, as servants of God, possess assurance and peace with our role and degree of efficacy.

The calling metaphor hides the intense, deeply personal challenge within. As I write this, I am sitting beside a phone. There is nothing I can do to make you call me. I simply wait for the surprising pleasure of your call. Calling justifies my passive waiting for the activity of God.

In my own life, I cannot recall ever receiving foreknowledge about what to do or where to go. I have always felt that I am moving through fog, struggling with sin, weakness, doubt, fear, while simultaneously being stimulated by hope, possibility, glory, and challenge. An enduring sense of assurance that I am doing just the right thing has been elusive. Rarely, have I possessed a substantial sense of efficacy about the work of my life.

The impetus in my walk with the Lord has not been some call from without, but rather a driving force that emerges from within. The work that God is doing in my own heart is a microcosm of the work He is doing in the world at large. If I passively ignore the challenge within, why should I think God would choose me for the work without? I believe God has called me. He has called me to take on the challenges, with faith that He will see me through. If anything great will come of my life, it will be the by-product of God's grace sheltering me as I wrestle tenaciously with the challenges (especially those within).

I am writing from a personal perspective. I do not intend to suggest that Christianity is simply a matter of individuals fighting their respective wars within. We are called to be a body, an interrelated group of believers, empowered by the mighty Spirit of God. We, as members of the Sunshine Church of Christ, must shirk-off notions of having arrived, and together take up the great challenges. The greatness of our congregation will be a by-product of our tenacious struggle with the challenges before us.

Challenge #1: We must learn to pray together. (We must learn the raw power of prayer.)
Challenge #2: Figure out the difference between institutional maintenance vs. being driven by God's purpose.

Larry James is a wrestler-- for instance