Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this.
Religious Misconceptions | My small group will be discussing religious misconceptions tomorrow night and I can't WAIT for the debates and conversations that will ensue. This is a favorite topic of mine because it's near and dear to my heart. In fact, I just glanced at my book shelf to see what I might find on the subject and found five books that I must recommend:
More Jesus, Less Religion by Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton
Soul Revolution by John Burke
The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Revolution by George Barna
I've read each of these books in the last three years as I've begun this pursuit of cultivating an authentic faith. Thankfully, these books (and the countless others on the subject) have motivated me further and encouraged me deeply as I realize I am not alone in this desire.
The struggle for me is that I can read these books and read the Bible, but how much reading do I need to do before my desires take permanent residence in my actions and I can finally put the book down and begin living this way? Unfortunately, as the last three years have proven, and as these verses from 1 Timothy 4 remind me, this is a workout - an exercise - and I have to continue the reading/learning part as well as the practical/hard work parts in order to see progress. I can't sit on the sofa learning and never live, nor can I run around not knowing what the heck I'm doing.
So I'm stated here, publicly, that I'm committing to this race, this walk, this path - good times and bad I want to stick it out and practice for perfection until Jesus comes. Keep me accountable friends, don't let me become spiritually flabby.
1 comments:
I can't wait to hear how it goes! It's going to be a great discussion for sure.
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