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Unlocking the Greater Gifts

9/29/2016

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BY KEN BOONE

The instruction from the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth was that they would “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (1 Cor 12:31). It appears from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that the church there had already achieved a certain level of experience in the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s challenge to “eagerly desire the greater gifts” indicates that even though they had some experience there was still an even greater level that they could attain to.
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No matter what our experience with the Holy Spirit has been up to this point we should always live with the understanding that there is, and always will be more. Even Jesus who produced, and experienced extraordinary miracles challenged his disciples to do “even greater” things than what they had seen first hand with Jesus. There is a pathway to the deeper things of the Spirit, and there are some keys that are necessary to unlock the “greater gifts”.

The Kingdom of God has been referred to as an “upside down Kingdom”. In other words the culture that exists in God’s Kingdom and the culture that exists in this world are polar opposites. God’s Kingdom really isn’t “upside down” it is right side up, the world has been operating upside down since Adam fell. In this world many who climb to the top often do so at the expense of others, but greatness in the Kingdom of God always comes at the expense of self. When Jesus’ disciples we’re arguing as to which was the greatest it’s interesting that Jesus never rebuked them for wanting to be great He instead instructed them on how to achieve greatness by becoming the “servant of all”. Servanthood is key to unlocking the greater gifts and true servanthood is rooted in humility.

Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5-10 ”Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus’ level of exultation was equally matched to his level of humility. Jesus received the highest name because he humbled himself to the lowest place. Paul’s instruction to us is to think just as Jesus thinks. Humility by definition is “the act or posture of lowering oneself in relation to others, or conversely, having a clear perspective and respect for one’s place in context”. It is a unique paradigm that genuine humility gives way to genuine greatness and It is only through humility that we achieve significance in the Kingdom of God.

1 Peter 5:6 ”Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time”.

Peter, who is quoting from the Old Testament directly connects humility with promotion.

Consider the life of Moses. Hebrews chapter 11 tells us that Moses purposely chose to remove himself from Pharos’s family to be identified with the Israelites who were living as slaves. It wasn’t until Moses was living as a shepherd tending someone else’s sheep that the call of God comes. Moses is arguably the most influential leader of the old testament  not only does he deliver the Israelites from slavery he also becomes their leader and the representative of God to them for 40 years. God used Moses to perform signs wonders, and miracles. Moses instituted God’s law, and wrote the first five books of the old testament. Moses regularly had face to face encounters with God that were so powerful it caused his skin to glow with the glory of God. All the experiences that Moses had were the result of a decision that Moses made to humble himself.

Numbers 12:3 “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men whowere on the face of the earth.” This verse in Numbers states that Moses was the most humble man on the earth. It was Moses who wrote that. Some Bible scholars have argued that if Moses really was humble he would have never wrote those words. In reality the Holy Spirit wrote those words through a man who was humble enough to allow the Holy Spirit to make that declaration over him. False humility will always cheapen itself to a lower standard in an attempt to look like the real thing. It’s really pride trying to look like humility. Real humility knows who it is and will have the scars to prove it. Moses was the most humble man on the planet at that time, and because of his humility God exalted Moses to the highest position available at that time.

In Romans chapter 12 verse 3 Paul writes that we each have different gifts, and that those gifts come as a result of the work of grace in our lives. The greek word used for gifts in this instance is “charisma” which comes from the greek word “charis” and is translated “grace”. What we refer to as “gifts of the Spirit” in reality might be better understood as “gifts of grace” that come through the Spirit. Grace is the gift, grace is known as “God’s undeserved favor” God gives us grace to enable us to be transformed into the image of His Son. The goal therefore is not to produce “Spiritual gifts” but rather to be like Jesus. That’s not to say that Spiritual gifts are not to be produced, but to understand that the Spirit works through us by the gift of grace to make us look more like Jesus. Jesus worked miracles everyday after the Spirit descended upon Him at the Jordan river and Jesus made it clear that “signs would follow those who believe” and that we would do even “greater works” than Jesus did. What Jesus was describing is impossible without the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on an individual’s life made possible through grace. In Acts chapter 3 Peter and John heal the lame man at the gate Beautiful. When Peter sees that the people are amazed by this miraculous event he responds by saying: “why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” Peter understood that this miracle was produced as a result of the Holy Spirit’s power working through the grace that was on their lives.

1 Peter 5:6 which was quoted earlier indicates that exaltation is directly linked to humility. In Luke 14 Jesus told a parable that further illustrates this. He Said:8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.” We are often inclined to seek higher positions, but the pathway to a higher position starts when we purposefully take the lower position. Promotion is directly related to humility just as Jesus states in Verse 11 when he said: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Peter and John discovered in Acts chapter 3 that supernatural power draws attention. The question is who will profit from it? We must learn to take the lowest place even while we are displaying the greatest power.  Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 12:7 “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” In this context one person serves all with the manifestation of the Spirit that is on their life. Taking the lower position is using the power of God as a tool to serve others and not as a tool for self promotion. Promotion will come when we allow everyone else to “profit” from our gift.

​James 4:6 says: “But He gives more grace. “Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” If the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us through grace then its easy to conclude; The greater the grace, the greater the gift. Therefore “greater gifts” occur when we step into a greater level of grace. 1 Peter 3:18 says “Grow in Grace…” The Greek word here can also be translated “increase”. We step into grace through salvation then it is our job to steward grace in such a way that we receive a continual increase over our lives. As grace increases our gifting’s will expand to new levels which opens the door to even more gifts. Paul’s invitation to unlock the “greater gifts” is made possible when we position ourselves to receive more grace by humbling ourselves with whatever level of grace we currently have remembering that gifts of grace only enable us to serve others. Humility is the key that unlocks the limitless supply of grace from the Father. When He sees that we have handled a gift of grace well then He is most willing to give “more grace”.  Which is why Jesus said in Mark 9:35 “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” As you “eagerly desire greater gifts” let your desire be to operate the gifts of grace out of a true spirit of humility that “does not seek it’s own” but strives to serve others with the gifts you currently posses knowing that greater gifts are being cultivated.

​We should not assume that because an individual manifests a gift of the Holy Spirit that they have mastered humility. We never judge by the gift, only by the fruit.

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Ken Boone currently serves as a co-host on The Alliance Podcast at boldcupofcoffee.com and founding pastor at Alabaster House as well as a public speaker, travelling equipper and writer.

Ken and his wife Christa are the proud parents of four children. They have been married for more than 15 years. And have been in the ministry for more than 17 years, They have dedicated their lives to preaching the "Gospel of the Kingdom", and to living a life in partnership with Holy Spirit. Their desire is to see believers equipped to live a lifestyle that brings the realities of Heaven to the world that we live in, to see the culture of the Kingdom of God replace the cultures around us. And to fulfill the mandate from Jesus to: "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, freely you have received freely give."

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AI And Human Rights

9/28/2016

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By: Kevin Seguin

I have to admit, I'm kind of a sci-fi nerd. Growing up I loved Star Trek, and when I got to college, I fell in love with Star Wars too. Then a couple years ago I was introduced to Doctor Who and my training was complete. But it's not just the TV shows I like, and it's not just sci-fi that I like. I love watching these stories and then thinking about what implications they have in the real world, and how Christians ought to respond.
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I recently watched a movie called "Ex Machina". I have to admit that it got me thinking a lot about the future, AI, and human rights. Follow me on this. The movie is about a robot who can pass the Turing test, which if you're unfamiliar with is the test which will determine when we've designed true AI. Essentially, and I'm over simplifying here, a computer passes the Turing test when it can carry on a conversation with a human and the human doesn't know he's talking to a computer. It's one of the last things that is predicted to happen before what's called "The Singularity" which is the point where computers become intelligent to the point of having the ability to self-replicate and self-improve.

The really neat thing? It's projected to happen during our lifetime.

This is where we circle back to "Ex Machina" and human rights. In the movie, and I'll try not to spoil it if you want to watch it, the director really tries hard to make a bad-guy out of the robot's creator. Everything from the dialogue to the music to even the acting wants the viewer to see the creator of this human-except-for-not-being-human robot is the bad guy trying to "murder" his new robot.

And I just couldn't buy it.

I tried, I wanted to! After all, as a sci-fi nerd I love the idea of interacting with intelligent androids. I've always wanted to be friends with Commander Data. In fact, by the end of the movie I was so conflicted I actually called up the second season TNG episode "Measure of a Man" because if anyone can convince me that intelligent android AIs are people, it's Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Nope. Turns out Dr. Pulaski was right: "Mr. Data is a toaster."

A lot has changed since I first watched that episode as a kid. I'm a Christian now, and my faith has taught me what being human, bearing God's image, means. I tried to find a way around it, but I couldn't. No matter how intelligent, how indistinguishable, how lifelike robots and androids become, that's all they are. Life "like"; not actual life. Without that divine spark, without the Imago Dei, even Mr. Data really IS a toaster.

But why bother mentioning this at all? Well, if there's one thing that has defined the culture around us for particularly the last 20 years or so, it's the issue of human rights. So inevitably, the issue of sentient-android-human-rights will arise; and perhaps quicker than some of us think.

Ray Kurzweil, who is a noted futurist, (noted because his predictions have come true about 85% of the time) has predicted that what is known as "the singularity" which brings with it sentient and self-aware AI ought to occur between 2020 and 2040. Since I don't really plan on dying in the next 24 years, that's well within this generation's life span. Knowing this, I think it is at the very least conceivable though I would argue that it's downright likely that my generation will be the one to deal with this question first. "Should sentient AI have human rights?" My own position is pretty clear, and I think few thoughtful believers would disagree with me, but my concern isn't really if they should have rights but rather, how should Christians react when they get them.

The first thing I would suggest is that human rights for AI isn't a fight we should be fighting. It's not a hill to die on. We should absolutely participate in the conversation, after all we are talking about what makes us human, but we should avoid the kind of venom and vitriol that has come to categorize many evangelical arguments in areas like abortion, euthanasia, and LGBT issues. In the culture we live in, we will likely lose this issue as well, and true AI will gain similar if not identical rights to our own. Let's be engaged, but not jerks about it.

That's not to say that there aren't issues within this issue that are of critical importance to us as believers? Can an AI sin? Can an it come to faith? Can an android repent? Can they serve in churches? Can they serve in leadership? Pastoral ministry? These are the questions that matter to the church, or rather, will matter greatly to the church. but before we start wrestling with these questions we ought decide how we will interact with them in the world.

My suggestion is that we, in the spirit of winsomeness, do what our Lord commanded us to do in Luke 6:31: "as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them". Are they "people"; "humans"? certainly not, but there are some, perhaps many people who will believe they are, that there is no effective difference between android and human. It's for those people we need to be mindful about how we treat androids. We ought to treat AI and androids with politeness, dignity, and respect not because of our witness to them, rather because it impacts our witness to others.
Besides, who doesn't want Mr. Data as a friend?

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​As a Biblical conservative, a cultural Liberal, a husband, a dad, and a pastor, I want to see the church act differently in the world. My big passion in ministry is to see how believers can bring the Gospel into the world around them while pursuing the lost art of winsomeness. It is what fuels me and drives me to write. Engaging culture with the truth of the Gospel in a way that is winsome, wise, and as Colossians 4:6 directs us: “seasoned with salt.” It’s my hope that what I say here helps you not only in your own faith, but helps you share it more effectively and fruitfully.
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Are We So Ready To Burn It All Down?

9/22/2016

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BY DRAKE DE LONG-FARMER

Before I start, I just want to make clear that this is by no means a response to Steven McCurdy's most recent article. Though you should definitely go check it out. That being said, in some ways, this could be a response to the small course correction Steven lays out in his article on deconstructionism. To be clear, the meaning and definition I am using when I say deconstructionism is as follows: "the analytic examination of something (as a theory) often in order to reveal its inadequacy". Basically it is to take apart an ideal, philosophy, idea, worldview or social structure to reveal its flaws. To deconstruct something can be a useful when looking to improve something, but can be dangerous when the act is done in isolation of reconstruction. In its simplest form, this is the difference between critical thinking and simply being critical.

​I have no real issue with deconstruction. Honestly, it is a tool I use quite often. I am the 'why?' guy in the teams and organizations I am a part of. But in many cases, deconstruction for the sake of deconstruction is probably not that healthy. First off, if all we do is deconstruct, we become people who are good at pointing out problems, but not giving many solutions. Yes, we can say that something is wrong,  therefore the opposite must is the obvious solution, but, in reality, life isn't usually that simple. Actually, in many cases, the opposite can have just as many flaws. How we work through the flaws we find needs to be much more slow and painstaking.

Second, isolated deconstruction can sometimes give way to the temptation to want to criticize something to the point of utter destruction and leave it in waste. The issue with this is: just because something has flaws, doesn't necessarily mean that every example of that ideal is flawed or that the entire ideal should be thrown out. It can be possible that the example(s) we find are unique to the situation we are examining or that the example(s) we are examining can be redeemed and rebuilt.

Let me give an example. I have been reading a lot of criticism of the 'traditional' church model where there is a paid pastor or where people attend 'church' on Sunday, in a building, etc. Because there are proven issues and flaws with this model (some being quite bad), the conversation goes very quickly towards throwing the whole thing out.

Now, don't get me wrong. Some of the questions about how we do 'church' are not bad. Vocalizing the problems and flaws and confronting abuse in the church needs to be done. People should have a voice, especially the victims. Highlighting issues and putting a spotlight in the dark areas of our long-held traditions is not a bad thing. What I find curious is why it would seem that when we find stains on something like this we need to tear it down.

Asking why we do what we is not bad, but in many ways the conversations surrounding things like this says: because it is flawed and broken and abuse happens, we need to burn the whole thing to the ground. Maybe I am overreacting, over thinking and reading too much into what I am seeing in this trend. Maybe this is not what people actually mean. But it sure seems this way. If I am misreading this, please let me know. 

This all being said, in some cases, a reboot or overhaul to the foundation could be exactly what is needed. I am not married to any particular ideology. I guess I am just calling us all to simply slow down. Let's be careful to not project our negative experience onto the rest of the world. If we are too quick to burn it all down we may burn up the good in the flames alongside the bad. Or worse, we may actually leave a trail of victims who were not capable of leaving the building that we set ablaze. Let me leave you with a quote Steven wrote in his last article as some food for thought:

"Because I found authenticity in spiritual deconstruction I thought other people would too. I tried to light a fire under other people’s faith systems. I never intended to completely destroy their faith, I just wanted them to experience the freedom that I felt. I can't do that anymore. That's spiritual arson. My faith has been reborn in refining fire and it is my hope that others will experience that too. I wanted my writing to be helpful, however, I now realize it's not my job to take people to the foundations of their faith. I don’t have that authority."

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DRAKE CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF BOLDCUPOFCOFFEE.COM & EXECUTIVE PASTOR AT WWW.GATEWAY.AC

DRAKE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT SEEING PEOPLE THRIVE AND COME ALIVE--TO BELONG, WRESTLED WITH WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND BECOME PEOPLE FULL OF LOVE, FUELLED BY FAITH & ADDICTED TO HOPE. DRAKE IS ALSO A LIFE LEARNER AND LOVES BEING CHALLENGED TO GROW FURTHER. ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO IS SPEND A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME AT A GOOD CAFÉ OR COFFEE SHOP WITH A GOOD BOOK OR ENGAGING CONVERSATION WITH OLD AND NEW FRIENDS. TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S JOURNEY AND EXPERIENCE IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE AND HONOR. 

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Building Our Own Highlight Reel: Technology, Social Media and Dialogue

9/19/2016

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BY ANTHONY PORTILLO

We live in a technological age. There are always new technologies emerging; new ways to connect with the world and with people. The latest apps and smartphones. These things promise us the next big thing but do they actually deliver? Or is the next big thing just another thing to drive our endless endeavor to keep up with the Joneses?

​French historian and philosopher Rene Girard is the progenitor of a system of thought called Mimetic Theory that analyzes the nature of human desire. This theory is based on observable behaviors within people groups and concludes that we inherently desire that which others desire. In other words, we mimic the desires of others. When we see that someone else wants something our natural instinct is to want that thing as well.

This is essentially how all major advertising works. Take reality TV as an example: 8 or 9 years ago were you really hoping that MTV would create a show about the shenanigans of a spray tanned bunch of party animals at the Jersey Shore? Were you just hoping that someone else’s mantra was “Gym, Tan, Laundry” besides your own?

Probably not, but you likely watched the show (you can admit it, we won’t judge you). What made this show popular? It started with constant advertising which convinced people that this was something they wanted to watch, then people tuned in and told their friends who in turn also tuned in. Some may have blown it off as a goof or nonsense but then they heard the radio DJ talking about it, and then their friends at work. Before they knew it they couldn't wait for the next episode. They had given into the pressure of their desire for acceptance.

Let’s shift this thought to social media. Who doesn’t have Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and whatever new platforms have come out while I’m writing this? We all do! For all intents and purposes these are great tools to help us connect with people across the globe in a matter of seconds. There are some drawbacks as well. If we allow it, our social media feeds can do great damage to our sense of purpose as well as our self worth.

We tend to forget that what we see on social media is just a snippet of someone’s life, a “highlight reel” if you will. People aren’t quick to post pictures of past due bills or fights with a spouse (although some do only that). When we just went through a breakup and we see Joe and Sally looking so in love we become envious and begin to fantasize about what life could be like if only we had what they appear to have. What we don’t know is that Joe and Sally are on the verge of a breakup themselves and post pictures of themselves looking happy as a way to convince themselves that everything is okay. We see the girl who posts selfies of herself all the time and we assume that she must be so confident in herself when really she’s just hoping someone will post a compliment and boost her low self-esteem.

Social media is only a fraction of reality. If we aren’t careful we can start to gauge our success, our status, and even our relationships by comparing ourselves to others without knowing the whole story. If Rene Girard’s theory is correct—which I think we can agree that he’s onto something—we may always have this inherent desire for that which belongs to someone else. Technology isn’t slowing down either so there will always be Joneses with whom we need to keep up. We must remember that these things do not define our value as a person.

I’d like to offer a profound solution, but I don’t have one. This is an area in my life that I try to be very conscious about, even temporarily limiting my engagement on social media for periods of time. However, here’s what I can offer: when we are lost in our news feeds we are disconnected from our present reality and investing in something, without substance, and we will not see a return. When we are present in the moment, we are making an investment in our own here and an investment into our families and loved ones. We are building our own highlight reels and desires that nobody can mimic because they’re personal and meaningful to us. I’d like to suggest that if we learn how to be here in our present moment we will find our value not based on someone else’s perceived reality, but in our own unique desires, experiences, and relationships.

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Anthony currently serves as a co-host on The Alliance Podcast at boldcupofcoffee.com and founding pastor at Thrive Church as well as a public speaker and author.

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Anthony had a 15 year love affair with heroin addiction and spent time in prison. An encounter with God, one night, radically changed his life. Since that evening Anthony has had a desire and passion to serve the LORD and spread the message of the goodness of God wherever he goes. Using Biblical insight, his experience, and street knowledge, his heart to reach people in all areas of society. Anthony’s desire is to see those in bondage set free from anything that holds them back from all that God has for them and to build people up into the fullness of that purpose, while manifesting the Kingdom of God in their everyday lives.

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Unity Without Uniformity

9/15/2016

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​BY BRIAN MCNARRY

In 1985 Emo Phillips told this joke live on British television:

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!"

He said, "Nobody loves me."

I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?"

He said, "A Christian."

I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?"

He said, "Protestant."
I said, "Me, too! What franchise?"
He said, "Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912."

I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.


In 2005 this joke was voted the funniest religious joke in an online survey with over 10,000 votes being cast. I must admit that the first time I heard this joke I had a good laugh over it, but as I thought about it I felt a very sad response rise in me. I can’t say for sure that the author of this joke was trying to make a statement or not, but the genius of humor is that it can point out something that we would rather not talk about in a non-threatening way.


Each step of the joke shows that these two have more and more in common, right up to the so-called “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.” Yet the difference of councils is enough to condemn the man on the bridge to death. We may not condemn our opponents to the same fate, but it is often true that we split and fragment over small matters when we still agree on the larger matters. When we hold agreement on the bigger matters, but divide over the small things what we are really saying is that uniformity matters more than unity.


The thought that we have to be completely uniform in our belief, faith, practice, and preferences to be united with other followers of Christ is a myth that refuses to die. In fact, if we were able to somehow create a church where every person held to identical views in all areas of faith, practice, and preference, this church would only have pseudo-unity and not true unity. True unity can only be found when we are able to collectively decide what are the matters of critical importance and then come to mutual respect on the smaller matters where we do not hold identical views.


This raises a vital question: How do we decide what is an essential matter of faith and what is not? If we go to the early church, their first rallying point was the simple statement “Jesus is Lord.” Yet as more people came to belief in Christ, this central tenant needed to be expanded upon. In Acts 15 we see that there is a big question about accepting Gentiles into fellowship, and the council of Jerusalem is convened to make a decision. The council talks and discusses, and after James gets up to speak they make this declaration: “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements” (Acts 15:28 NLT). The council decided on three matters of practice that are to be followed in order for Gentiles to have full acceptance in the church. At this time in history, these things were the essential matters of faith that created unity for those who held to them.


Eventually these essential matters became the creeds or statements of confession that people would say and hold to as the essential matters of faith. Paul’s letter to the Philippian church contained one of these early creeds (Philippians 2:6-11), and later the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed were written to further clarify and unify the essential components of our faith in God. The important part to remember is that no creed was ever written to be exhaustive and comprehensive, rather they were written to create the shared foundation that the church would hold to. When it came to matters not stated in the creeds, it was up to each congregation and their leaders to rely on scripture and the Holy Spirit to make decisions. This is the message of Hebrews 5:11-14, where the church is called to grow to spiritual maturity so that they will recognize right from wrong.


Even if the church we are in today doesn’t use the Apostle’s or Nicene Creeds in their regular worship service, churches have their own unifying foundation in their statement of faith. The vast majority of all denominations, churches, and other Christian organizations have a statement of faith and the vast majority of all of these statements of faith are remarkably similar in the essential matters. Sure there will be some small differences, but the vast majority of these statements of faith contain identical belief about God. This is where we find our unity.


Then comes the two sticky questions: What do we do when we can’t agree on the essential matters? And how do we stay united when we disagree about the secondary matters? I’m not going to presume to have all the answers to these questions, but what I can provide is some direction that I believe will help us to stay in the room and keep discussing the matters that we disagree about.


First, we need to recognize that that differences ultimately strengthen our own faith and collectively strengthens the church when they are discussed and worked through together. The often repeated proverb “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Prov 27:17 NLT) is true of churches and groups as well. As we discuss our differences there is a sharpening that happens when each person in the conversation is digging into scripture and seeking the Holy Spirit. No matter what the result is, this is a positive process for everyone involved.


Secondly, we must have a focus on respect for each other and a commitment to stay in the conversation. When we can truly respect and love our brothers and sisters in Christ who hold to different viewpoints, then we will be able to discuss these matters with clarity, honesty, and integrity. It is all too common in Christian circles where we tear down and demonize people who hold different views because it’s an easy way to discredit their position and make our own look stronger. This is being combative instead of contending with the topic to bring out the best in all of our viewpoints.


Thirdly, we need to ask ourselves if we fully understand other people’s views on the topic being discussed. Can we repeat their position using our own words in a way that they would agree is a faithful and true representation of their understanding. This goes a long way toward developing respect and may help us realize if we need to make changes to our viewpoint.


And finally we must remember that unity does not mean that we have to accept everything. There will be times when we cannot come to complete agreement, and that is okay. Then comes the second stage of deciding if this disagreement is severe enough to cause a parting of ways. The famous example of this is Paul and Barnabas splitting over the decision to include John Mark on their next missionary journey (Acts 15:36-40). The scriptural account does not place blame on either Paul or Barnabas, and this happens immediately after the unity that was found at the council of Jerusalem. Therefore, when this happens we can take a step back to realize that we are united with each other on the bigger and primary topics, and depending on the topic maybe it’s something where we can create room for different views to coexist. Paul and Barnabas were both completely convinced of the importance of sharing the gospel, and both continued the work of sharing the gospel and showing God’s kingdom to the world. While it may not be the ideal outcome that we hope for, sometimes it is necessary to pronounce a blessing upon each other and let the paths separate.  


Unity is a deceptively complex topic. There will never be a static point where we will be perfectly united and stay there for the rest of our lives when we live in a shifting culture with important topics that the church will need to respond to. When we recognize that unity does not require uniformity, I believe this will put us in a better position to have these conversations and have an effective witness to the world.


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Brian's whole understanding of faith and Christianity changed when he started to encounter what it means to live life with God instead of for God. One thing that Brian is passionate about is walking with people as they explore their faith in Christ and learning how to honestly seek God in the midst of our doubts and fears. Brian is the Pastor of Grand Valley Community Church in Brandon Manitoba. He is married to Nikki and they have one daughter named Olivia. When Brian isn't working on a sermon at a Starbucks or at home with his family, you can usually find him fly fishing or building model air planes.

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5 things i'm learning about fatherhood

9/10/2016

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By: Kevin Seguin

I've been a dad for a while now. "A while", of course, is a relative term. My daughter was born five years ago, my oldest son turns three this fall and our youngest boy is just over a year. So to some who's parenting experience stretches into the decades and involves dating, puberty and perhaps even marriage and grand kids, I haven't been a dad very long. Many of you, though, are probably a tad younger than I am, and probably aren't parents yet. So with that in mind I wanted to share some of the things I've learned in my "while" of parenting.

1) It's Hard, But It Gets Easier
Being a dad is hard work to do well. Oh, it's easy enough to become a father in the genetic sense, to be a dad in noun only, but fatherhood, being a "verb dad" is hard. Here in the West, we live in a culture where being an above average dad is super easy, just be and stay married to your kids' mom, don't be an alcoholic, and don't abuse anyone, simple. Being a good dad, even a great dad is hard. It's hard to balance your needs and desires against those of your kids and wife and let theirs take precedence on a daily basis. That's the goal, it's hard, and I fail often, but by God's Grace I get up everyday and try again. Everyday, it's a little bit easier.

2) Dads, We Do a Lot During Pregnancy.
So goes the old joke right? "All dad does is supply the ingredients, mom has to endure nine months of pregnancy and childbirth".  It's an old and tired joke, and truth be told I'm tired of it too. Dads, you do a lot during pregnancy. One of the most important things we do is tolerate (in the classical sense) our wives. Now I know, that the "crazy hormonal pregnant woman" is just as tired a joke as the one above, but pregnancy and the postpartum period can and do wreak havoc on a woman's hormonal system. True story, my wife and I found out we were pregnant with our first after she absolutely flipped out on me in a car trip one day. There were witnesses, which if you know my wife, is also a tip-off that something was up. Of course all women, and all pregnancies are different, but in our family, pregnancy comes with a short temper and 40+ weeks of walking on eggshells. Not that I'm any kind of victim, my own insensitivity, stress, bad attitude, and sin often get in the way of being a good husband and dad during this time, but the idea of "nine easy months for dad" is a falsehood.

3) Fatherhood Is Not About Me.
I'll be honest, I would absolutely LOVE IT if any or all of my kids wanted to play baseball. I'd love to teach my kids the difference between a four-seam and a two-seam fastball, that velocity isn't everything, how hitting is just timing, and how "throwing like a girl" is a myth. But they may not like baseball, or documentaries, or history, or even Settlers of Catan! My job as a dad is to love what my kids love because I love them. If my daughter wants to become a vegan, I'll eat and cook vegan when she's around. If one of my sons want to do interpretive dance, I'll learn to understand and love it. I'll do those things because I want to celebrate who my kids are. I want to love who they are and be their biggest encourager and fan.

4) Discipline Is Not Punishment.
Dads, many of us function as the primary disciplinarian in the home. That may or may not be true in your case, but we are, on some level at least, an authority and responsible for some discipline. Punishment is purely a consequence for a wrong act. It's payment. It teaches nothing, redeems nothing, and solves nothing. Besides punishment is over. No, I'm not some anti-correction parenting advocate. When my daughter steps out of line, she hears about it. When my son steals her toy, he gives it back. One of the most important things I've learned about being a Christian though, is that we are no longer punished for our sins, all of the punishment for our sin was poured out on Jesus on the cross. It follows, then, that all the punishment for our kids' sins (Your kid's a sinner, get over it) was meted out on Jesus as well. What we are left with is discipline. What we are left with is the fine art of refining our kids into Godly, productive members of our world and the Kingdom. That's hard, really hard, and it's not accomplished by raising our voices and punishing rather than engaging our kids' hearts. It's a struggle everyday, and most days I feel ineffective after I say the same thing for the thousandth time, but I don't just want to mold their behaviour, I want to influence their hearts. I'm learning that that is FAR more important in the long run.

5) It's All About Jesus.
I'd love my kids to love the things I love. I want my kids to enjoy the things I enjoy, but I pray my kids love God more and better than I do. The single most important thing to me in terms of fatherhood is that my kids love and serve God. Not that that is ultimately up to me, but as a pastor and a dad, my primary concern is that I represent Jesus well to my kids so that I don't put a stumbling block between them and the Gospel. That's what I want to do more than anything, and from a human standpoint, that's how I'll measure my success or failure.

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As a Biblical conservative, a cultural Liberal, a husband, a dad, and a pastor, I want to see the church act differently in the world. My big passion in ministry is to see how believers can bring the Gospel into the world around them while pursuing the lost art of winsomeness. It is what fuels me and drives me to write. Engaging culture with the truth of the Gospel in a way that is winsome, wise, and as Colossians 4:6 directs us: “seasoned with salt.” It’s my hope that what I say here helps you not only in your own faith, but helps you share it more effectively and fruitfully.
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Change The Way You See Your Past

9/9/2016

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BY ANTHONY PORTILLO

When we look back at our pasts we can feel a variety of emotions, good, bad, indifferent. I won’t speculate on your experience, I will just share my own. When I look back at my past I feel great joy when I remember the areas of great success. In the midst of those great successes also lie broken relationships, missed opportunities, and unanswered questions. The endless barrage of “what ifs” can sway my attention from those successes to the failures that occurred along the way. This has caused me to be less sentimental or introspective, I tend to want to stay in the moment and focus on what’s right in front of me. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but, if you can relate, it’s probably not good either. I couldn’t help but ask myself if I was missing something, maybe I was approaching it the wrong way. Maybe my perspective was skewed.

You see, perspective is an interesting organism. I call it an organism because it's certainly alive but it lacks emotions and is rarely civilized. It can build you up or tear you down at any given moment. Looking back we can all look at areas in our lives where we have progressed, regressed or just gave up on. Perspective leaves no room for neutral ground, it's painfully polarized. There seems to be no gray area; either you grow, you revert, or you quit. Does it have to be? Are we forever doomed to look back at our pasts with this strange array of emotions? If so, is it really worth looking back at all?

What if perspective really isn't the problem? What if the lens through which we view our pasts is actually jaded? Is it possible to cleanse this lens and gain an entirely new perspective?

Deep down we all want to be “winners”. Our desire to succeed causes us to see situations as wins or losses. This mindset is doing incalculable damage to our perspectives. It causes us to be our own personal bookkeepers and when the books are balanced we're often found wanting. We have become slaves to our histories when we should be students of them. Imagine, if you will, instead of tallying wins and losses, we accumulated lessons; lessons that provide wisdom and experiential knowledge to equip us for success. If we begin treating our history like we do those of our heroes it will greatly change the way we view them.

Think about the story of David & Goliath. You aren’t going to find yourself fighting a giant anytime soon (and if you did you'd surely have a more powerful weapon than a slingshot. Incidentally, if you look into it David was actually at an advantage but that further highlights the need for proper perspective, doesn’t it? For more on this check out Malcolm Gladwell’s book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants) That doesn't mean that we can't pull lessons from this epic showdown. To make this a bit more personal, I will use my own life as an example. For 15 years of my life I was addicted to heroin. I walked a path of intentional self destruction which led me to places that I would much rather forget. I was suicidal, homicidal, and just completely out of my mind. The consequences of my addiction, 3 driving while intoxicated arrests and convictions, landed me in prison for a 1-2 year sentence of which I served 13 months.

Looking back on my time in prison, I can honestly say it was the best thing that ever happened to me. That experience forever changed the trajectory of my life. That very fact is what caused me to challenge my perspective at all. If something so awful could have such a profound impact on my life surely there were lessons I could learn from other perceived failures whatever they might be. I was allowing my past to keep me in fear as if looking back I would remember all the mistakes I made, instead of all the obstacles I was able to overcome, and forfeiting any wisdom I might can in the process. I was a slave to my past.

This shift in perspective has not only changed the way I see my past, it has also changed the way I see others in the present. When I want to write someone off because I think they will never get their life together, I’m reminded that I used to be in that same situation. If I have a disagreement with someone or say something harsh or rude to them, I’m wanting to apologize and seek forgiveness because of the forgiveness extended to me. When I realized that I was free from the slavery of my past, I became a student of it! And you can too! That's when we'll stop counting wins and losses and we’ll start learning. Yesterday's missteps will become obstacles averted tomorrow, yesterday's failure will become tomorrow's success, that ended relationship becomes wisdom used in other relationships, failure becomes fuel for the future, an asset instead of a liability. Challenge yourself, challenge your perspective! Change the way you think then grab your notebooks and learn all you can!

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Anthony currently serves as a co-host on The Alliance Podcast at boldcupofcoffee.com and founding pastor at Thrive Church as well as a public speaker and author.

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Anthony had a 15 year love affair with heroin addiction and spent time in prison. An encounter with God, one night, radically changed his life. Since that evening Anthony has had a desire and passion to serve the LORD and spread the message of the goodness of God wherever he goes. Using Biblical insight, his experience, and street knowledge, his heart to reach people in all areas of society. Anthony’s desire is to see those in bondage set free from anything that holds them back from all that God has for them and to build people up into the fullness of that purpose, while manifesting the Kingdom of God in their everyday lives.

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Progress Not Perfection

9/8/2016

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By: Kevin Seguin

Despite what some people may tell you, the Christian life is not a study in black and white. You don't go from not being a Christian to being an awesome Christian who's done learning, done growing, and done being conformed to the image of Christ as soon as you're converted. Anyone who expects otherwise is either lying to you, or tragically wrong.

The thing about the Christian life is that it's more about long-term faithfulness and striving for a goal than it is about "being finished." Think about it this way: Jesus Himself spent three years, three years with the twelve. Three years teaching, training, pouring into their lives...one of them still betrays Him, and the other ones mostly behave like knuckleheads until Acts 2, well after the resurrection and ascension. If it took the Apostles three years and a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it'll take you longer.

I've been a Christian for about half my life. During that time I've changed my views on many topics of theology a number of times. I've believed things were sins that weren't, and vice versa. Back in my early days of being a Christian, it didn't take much to flip me on a topic. These days, I'm pretty settled. I've spent time at a seminary learning from wise, learned men how to interpret and apply Scripture, and now, on most topics, the threshold for changing my mind is pretty high.

But I could still get stuff wrong.

We worship a God who has forgiven us so much, certainly theology isn't where He draws the line. Not that correct belief isn't important to strive for, of course it is! But having doubts and having questions aren't bad things. In fact, I'd argue that the most genuine believers are those of us who have struggled and wrestled, who struggle and wrestle, mightily with God. Did you know that roughly a third of the Psalms are lament psalms? Psalms of struggle, of crying out to God and saying "WHY?!" Not all of those questions are wrapped up nicely in the end.

I have an easier time trusting people who are open about their struggles, or even that they are struggling, than those who "don't struggle" and have everything figured out. Because they don't, and they're lying about that. Either to you, or more dangerously, to themselves.

The truth of it is this: whether you're a new Christian or an old timer, a seasoned saint, or still drying off from your baptism, sanctification, the process of being conformed to Christ is a life-long process. sometimes progress is slow, sometimes it's intense. Ten years from now you'll be a different Christian than you are now. Ten years from then, different still. By God's grace, you will become more like Christ during that time, not less.

Christianity: It's about the journey rather than the destination.

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As a Biblical conservative, a cultural Liberal, a husband, a dad, and a pastor, I want to see the church act differently in the world. My big passion in ministry is to see how believers can bring the Gospel into the world around them while pursuing the lost art of winsomeness. It is what fuels me and drives me to write. Engaging culture with the truth of the Gospel in a way that is winsome, wise, and as Colossians 4:6 directs us: “seasoned with salt.” It’s my hope that what I say here helps you not only in your own faith, but helps you share it more effectively and fruitfully.

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Sex-Ed And our kids

9/4/2016

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By: Kevin Seguin

It's September, and school has already started here in Ontario Canada, where I am from. Once again, parents find themselves talking about, fretting over, or outright protesting the "new" Health and Physical Education curriculum. Sorry: "The SEX-ED curriculum". It's been a simmering issue since it was released, and with so many kids entering school for the first time, it's worth going over again. Some time ago I wrote a pretty lengthy review of both the objections to the curriculum and the facts about what is actually in it. At the time I was pastoring in a small church and the goal was simply to educate and stem the tide of fear-mongering that was building up around the issue; I intentionally tried not to editorialize.

It appears now, though, that protesters and people who ignore facts when forming an opinion are at it again. This time, in the words of Ottawa Citizen columnist David Reevley: "cherry picking and distorting" elements of the 245 page document "at the expense of the children the demonstrators say they’re desperate to protect." I couldn't agree more. Since I wrote my initial post I've spoken to a number of educators. In those conversations, I've learned one very important thing: Curricula are SUPER subjective. Leaving aside the fact that committed evangelical teachers will likely teach this course differently than, say, a committed Atheist, every teacher will teach this course differently. That's the nature of how curricula are written; there's broad room for interpretation by a teacher. Some teachers may teach in a way that is thoughtful, tolerant, and sensitive to each of their students. Others may, in fact, be the nightmare scenario that the fear-mongers at Campaign Life Coalition are afraid of.

Whatever is a conscientious, Christian parent to do?

Be involved.

My daughter is starting SK (in a public school) and my wife has been serving on the PTA from the get-go. We are looking forward to another year with teachers and a principal who have shown care and tolerance of us in all of our interactions so far. Our hope is to continue building relationships and partnering with them as co-educators of our kids. They get my kids for roughly 30 hours a week to teach them. I get them the other 138. Anyone who thinks teachers have more influence on worldview than parents is failing as a parent. Every educator I spoke with wishes (Prays even!) that the parents of the kids in their class did this. Besides, it gives you a chance to be a good witness for the Gospel.
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Good parents are involved parents. You have more influence on who your kids become and what they believe than any school board, but you have to exercise it. The alternative is shipping your kids off to school to be educated by their teachers alone and abdicating your role in the home. If you do that, you've already lost them and it won't be any curriculum's fault.
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