I have been letting my brain relax from taxing theological thought patterns only to have all my time taken by Vacation Bible School. What a hetic week to plan. I really enjoy VBS once it has started but to plan it and get it going the first night is rough. I apologize for not writting in a long while. I always forget how good it is for me to process what is going on in my head by blogging or journaling the old fashion way (on paper). I will post pictures from VBS as the week goes on.

God Bless!
Ben

I’m continuing my series on Authentic’s Faith for two more weeks. This week we are talking about mercy and grace. I know growing up in the church I didn’t here these words very much. I wonder if students in different youth groups/ ministries know what they mean or how important they are? As my faith continues to question “modern Christianity” and all the great things it has brought us, where we went wrong? What happened to our belief in the power of God’s word to direct us and not social, political or what have you. What happened to “real Christianity”, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for (to use the word of Bono, I think though we (Bono and I) are talking about the samething). Is the modern way of Christianity right, is postmodern Christianity it? I’m not sure I think either are it or right, but maybe a mixture of the two and a lot more Bible. As I dream of a land that allows for real mercy and grace to reign and allows God and the twelve apostles to judge us, what do these word mean. I pull from scripture and when time allows the Greek that mercy is not getting what we do deserve and grace is getting what we don’t deserve. As I hash out my next message, I wanted to share that with you and clear my mind with that piling mound of theological perplexity.

I wanted to share something I have been working on for our missions program at Islands.

I was just looking at my calendar and realized I hadn’t posted in a week and a half. I was afraid that I might begin the slack and not post and I apologize. I really enjoy getting my thoughts and feelings out.

I taught a message that I think we don’t hear enough in our churches today. Some how we missed the point of Christianity somewhere along the way. Romans 5:1-11 talks about how we are saved and the process (of you will) that God went through so that we could spend eternity with Him. My message in a series called Authentic Faith (thank you to Andy Stanley) was called God Really Loves You. We looked at what God did as He showed His love for man kind, He justified us by the blood of Christ and in doing so reconciled us to Him. This is a powerful point often missed. While we were still sinners (I’m talking to Christians) He died for us (the UNGODLY people that we were) and still today He died for those who still are ungodly and in need of His justification, grace and mercy. If the world only heard the church say that. What could happen if we were the church that God calls us to be, real Christ-followers.

As I continue to re-process my Christian education (a great education from Florida Christian College) and put it into real life Christianity not academic Christianity, I am faced with truths I’ve never understood before. No its time to get off my lazy duff and do something about it. I challenge you to do the same, whoever you are out there reading this stuff.

On a side note, if anyone is reading these posts drop me a comment about what you think I am talking about or how you have looked at ideas and thoughts that I am exploring. As iron sharpens iron, so men sharpen men.