Skip to main content

culture war

 


The back2school outreach was amazing, and there is more to share to come.  We will hold off on sharing more stories, yet please know there is much more to come as we see all God has done and is doing.


We continue our series from the book of Romans at The Community Fellowship, and this Sunday we began chapter 12 with a sermon titled “Culture, Compromise and the Christian Life”.  There is so much to talk through and share in the first couple verses, and I would like to challenge you to take a close look at these.


Romans 12:1-2  NLT  

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.


We live in a world that is in constant battle.  Years ago I read a book by Peter Kreeft titled How to Win the Culture War.  It was an insightful yet small book that made me check my faith in light of the world around me.


God calls us to be different.  In the world but not of it.  Right?  Be part of the world but be like Jesus.  That isn’t as judge but as His message bearers and living witnesses.


This chapter is one of those that the church needs to hear again and again.  It begins with transformed living and moves in to how we interact with others using the gifts that God has given us.  The defining of culture is critical.  I am concerned as the church we may very well be losing the culture war because of compromise.  Yet we are in need to choose to live the confident, christian life.


There is a problem.  Let’s be honest.  Not all of us agree on all facets of live and faith, yet I remind you that we come to this passage believing that God is real, that His way is right.  But the world needs Jesus.  Right?  The culture is in need, deep and dire need of change.  Here is where we find it.


It is easy to let the everything other than God define us or even tell us what to become.  As a follower of Jesus we cannot let that be the case.  God’s word shapes us, our thinking and even our living.  Think about it.


1 John 2:15  NLT  

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 


1 John 2:17  NLT 

And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.



Prayer List:

Frank Harrison, Brynlee Coleman, unspoken need, Tim Southers, Geraldine Nunn, Clarence Pickurel, Waymon Lockett, Randy Rae, Clyde Gilley, Steven Goff, Nancy Wright, Dawn Campbell, Hank DeHart, Danny and Kathy Wilson, Martha Pennington, Timmy Howell, Joe McKissick, and James Clifton.  Those battling cancer: Nichole Helms, Brian Lawson, Stephanie Penn, Ron Harris, Janet Miller, Felecia Watkins, Leisha Wickham, Dionna Cameron, Cindy Kanode, Leslie, Barbara Matney, Tom Swartz, Jo Anny Russell and Steve Bradshaw.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan.  His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God.  Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st.  The book is Forgotten God .   This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into.  All of it is within the Holy Spirit.  Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people.  It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about.   And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts.  We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things.  It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...
Post a Comment
Read more

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share.  For me C.S. Lewis is one of those.  He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class.  It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before.  He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born.  It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian.  He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...
Post a Comment
Read more

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!
10 comments
Read more