Live Out Loud
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Loading ...live out loud…that’s the tag line of our students and student ministry. i think it’s obvious what that phrase means, but here goes a simply complex explanation.
i was taught to imagine scripture as a five act play missing the last act. act 1: creation, act 2: fall, act 3: israel, act 4: jesus, act 5: the church (us).
what if we discovered a shakespearean play missing the final act? it had to the potential to be the most important shakespearean work, but it has to be finished. it wouldnt do to simply repeat the previous acts, to repeat act 1 in the staging of act 5. that wouldnt make sense simply to repeat act 4. instead the actors have to improvise and act out the last of the play in a way that’s faithful to the rest of the story, but also innovative and creative. the final act not only has to be creative, but consistent, too. ultimately, we know how the play ends (the final scene), we just have to figure out what’s in between. so we look to the beginning and the end of the play to figure out what we’re supposed to do.
so in the same way that jesus fulfilled scripture (look at how often he uses isaiah), we must do the same: faithful fulfillment. this model eliminates legalism and offers new insights in how we should live. it enables us to act in context to the story and world around us. it shows us ways to be both faithful to the sacred text and relevant to society. it puts us in touch with actors who have gone before us, trying to live out the story. in so many levels and so many ways, we can “live out loud.”
actors Evotational faithful final act fulfillment isaiah jesus last act legalism live out loud lives in context new insights rest of the story scripture shakespearean play shakespearean work staging student ministry tag line trying to live Filed under Evotational | Comment (0)A voice
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...The other day I walked in to pick up my daughter Alex from her daycare center. As I entered the room and found all of the 2 - 3 year olds huddled close to the door leading to the playground. Apparently I had come just after they announced to the kids that they would be going ‘outside’. Being that Alex loves going outside she was the closest to the door and was surrounded by all of the other children. She didn’t see or hear me enter the room, however, as soon as I spoke she poked her head through all of the kids and shouted across the room, “Mama” and came towards me. I didn’t even have to say her name, but she recognized my voice. Isn’t it amazing what sounds and voices we learn to recognize? The Bible refers to those who follow after Christ as being sheep and to Christ as being our shepherd. Sheep are not very smart and cannot see well, but they learn at an early age to recognize their shepherd’s voice. Isn’t it time we become like little children again and learn to recognize the voice of our heavenly Father? And then when we hear him talking, shouldn’t we do like my daughter did and poke our heads through the crowd, talk to him and come to him? He is our shepherd and is ready to lead us in every way if we only would learn to recognize his voice.John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.
3 year olds apparently bible crowd daughter alex daycare center Evotational heavenly father i am the good shepherd little children mama playground poke sheep smart voices Filed under Evotational | Comment (1)A Genuine Blessing - The Fruit of the Spirit (cont’d. from Sept. 12th)
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...Galations 5:22,23 (Amplified Bible) But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the works which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
On September 12 we considered the fruit of the Spirit in general and the first of nine characteristics, love, in particular. Today we want to give thought to the next four attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. We must remember that we, as individuals, can not create or grow the fruit of the Spirit, but to understand that it is our responsibility as believers to recognize our position in Christ by crucifying our fleshly desires and permit Holy Spirit to produce holy fruit.
JOY Joy differs from happiness. Happiness is generally superficial and short lived where joy should be permanent and has its foundation in the mercy of God as He extends His grace of salvation to us through the sacrifice of Jesus. We should be passionately excited about the blessings of God that we have received, are receiving and shall receive in the dateless future.
PEACE This peace is of a spiritual nature, again rooted in the love that God demonstrated by giving us His Son. Jesus paid for this peace when He opened the door so that we might have a restored harmonious relationship with God.
PATIENCE The evils of life seek whomsoever they may attack. But the sincere Christian who permits Christ to be Lord of his life has a calm spirit with which to face the sins of this society. This grace rescues us from discouragement and assists in the increase of godliness. It enables us not to take revenge when to do so would be easy. This is the same attitude that God has toward man.
KINDNESS Kindness, or gentleness. is a characteristic that does not provoke others. It is an attitude requiring us to put moral goodness into action. It is a spirit leading us to be soft spoken, even-tempered, refined and cultured in our conduct with others.
Father, it is our prayer that our joy will be like a candle on the lampstand, drawing attention to the love of God. May we demonstrate peace, patience and kindness to those we come in contact with this coming week. Amen.
amplified bible attitude calm spirit Evotational fleshly desires forbearance fruit of the holy spirit fruit of the spirit galations 5 gentleness happiness harmonious relationship jesus joy kindness man meekness mercy of god patience peace superficial love Filed under Evotational | Comment (0)Mother Teresa
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5) Loading ...
it was recently widely reported that Mother Teresa underwent deep crises in her faith throughout most of her life. in fact, her diaries show that when her work with the poor and marginalized in india was strongest, her faith seemed to be weakest.
it shocked many to learn that someone so seemingly close to God underwent so dark spiritual nights. but it doesn’t surprise me, because we all undergo similar crises. the psalmist captured this depression of the soul better than anyone.
Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God,
“Why did you let me down?
Why am I walking around in tears,
harassed by enemies?”
They’re out for the kill, these
tormentors with their obscenities,
Taunting day after day,
“Where is this God of yours?” psalm 42.9-10 (The Message)
when i find myself feeling absent from God, questioning, wondering, doubting, i remember the words of Jesus: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
close to god crises Evotational faith india marginalized mother teresa psalm 42 seemingly surprise widely Filed under Evotational | Comment (1)a naked preacher
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5) Loading ...one of my favorite stories in the old testament involves the prophet isaiah. i love isaiah for many reasons, not the least of which is that fact that jesus (and the disciples) primarily understood his ministry in terms of this prophet.
but one of the little known facts about isaiah is the trans-nationality of his ministry. not just a prophet for israel, isaiah’s ministry went from egypt to ethiopia. as a sign of repentance, isaiah went around for 3 years totally naked.
“God told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Go, take off your clothes and sandals,” and Isaiah did it, going about naked and barefooted. Then God said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked around town naked and barefooted for three years as a warning sign to Egypt and Ethiopia, so the king of Assyria is going to come and take the Egyptians as captives and the Ethiopians as exiles” Isaiah 20:2-4
I think it’s important that the church reclaim it’s prophetic voice. that means not only speaking up against evil but also injustice. we should steal a play out of isaiah’s book, and use the dramatic to call the world to repentance. that doesnt mean walking around naked or bombing abortion clinics. but it means being willing to sacrifice our pride for the sake of the gospel. it means stripping ourselves of pretense and demonstrating god’s radical way of love.
but, please, make sure you are fully clothed on sunday morning 
