The generation before us laid the groundwork for rethinking the way we do church—the way we do life, really. Because of our parents, many of us are free to question the status quo. We are free to revisit the methodology of church, romance, family, discipleship, and with that revisiting, comes radical possibilities. Some good, some not good.
Question Submitted: Where do we separate judging from judging? That was not a typo. Proverbs talks about “iron sharpening iron” and yet people crouch behind Matthew 7:1. And so, how do we separate the two and what are ways to confront issues such as this?
If I understand your question correctly, you are asking “how do we speak into each other’s lives without being accused of judging?” Anymore, if someone raises a concern about something a brother or sister says or does, that brother or sister takes the concern as judgment, right? Yet, does that mean we are not ever to address issues we see in other people’s lives?
Many millennials are wanting to understand God’s Spirit better. I think that’s wonderful. But I also think some of us expect our discovery of Him to radically change something about Christianity. And maybe it will. I don’t know. I just know there are many thoughts and ideas about the Holy Spirit, and not all of them seem in-line with Scripture.
But ignoring Him, not facing the possibility of having our perspective of God rattled and reshaped, is not an answer. That only limits our understanding of God, and therefore, our relationship with Him.
So, I’ve been going back to Scripture and trying to understand the Holy Spirit from God’s perspective, not from what I’ve heard and been taught before. As a part of this process, and in helping other discover God at a deeper level, I will write out what I’m finding.
Question Submitted: If a man asks permission to date a lady and she says “no,” should he consider asking again?
Most of the readers on this blog are (or at least come from) “conservative Anabaptist” background. And most of these readers find themselves in dynamic time of life.
Dynamic because there is a lot of motion in the conservative Anabaptist church world today. Deep, unspoken questions people are wanting to find answers to. Few people are as aware and tuned into these questions (even frustrations) as brother Frank Reed.
Recently, I got to ask Frank some questions about the Anabaptist church world, today. Following is the interview.
Caedmon Nishan entered this world with a bang! Came at 3:51am, 7 pounds and 9 ounces in his 21 inch stature. Labor lasted about four hours, Teresa breezed right through it. She’s a trooper!
One week before asking Teresa Janae Miller out, I drafted an email to her Dad. Before hitting send, however, I chickened out and waited a few more days.
I was scared! I was afraid of being turned down. Afraid I was doing the wrong thing—that it wasn’t God’s will. Afraid of entering another relationship that would only end in pain. When I finally mustered enough confidence to send it off, I was stunned how easy it was.
I’m not sure we should take dating so seriously. Yes, take finding a future partner seriously, but not so seriously that you’re scared stiff to pursue (or be pursued). Give it a chance. It doesn’t have to work. But finding out if it could, really isn’t that difficult.
How would you describe your experience in the Christian faith? Vibrant, life-giving, transforming, attractive? Or does it feel more shallow, hypocritical, ritualistic, or alienating?
More and more people, today, are becoming disenchanted with denominations. They are weary of the “our-denomination-is-better” mindset, crossing denominational bounds as they look for a fuller sense of truth and faith. They want more than what they experience in church, and whenever anyone wants more, anything else is basically up for grabs.
There is nothing wrong with wanting more. I want more. And I will be concerned the day I wake up not wanting more. But wanting more isn’t enough.
If your pastor got up in front of the church this coming Sunday and confessed he was gay, what would you do? What would you do if one of your church elders or deacons or small group leaders confessed to having an extra marital affair? Does it throw you for a loop even considering the possibility? Might you struggle to trust them, want their resignation, and feel disillusioned with God?
I don’t mean to make light of sin, and certainly don’t mean to justify sin going on at any level within the church. However, might I suggest that our gut reactions to such an idea exposes the overall response to sin within the church.
Author Asher Witmer knows what it’s like to want freedom from sexual sin only to continually fail. We’re often told we need more personal discipline, that we need to think godly things instead of fleshly things.
What if I told you that discipline won’t solve your problem with lust?
Our male sexuality is given by God for advancing beauty and goodness. But somewhere along the line it becomes something that causes devastation and guilt. The good news is we don’t have to live with guilt. In Live Free, Asher Witmer shows us how we can find freedom from sexual sin, live with nothing to hide, and be able to fight for others.
