Crazy Love Discipleship CLass

Chapter 2 of Crazy Love was especially challenging for the name itself, "You Might Not Finish This Chapter". We were brought to a greater understanding of the briefness of our lives as James describes comparing our lives to a vapor or a mist that appears for a little while, then vanishes. We learned that although our time on Earth is brief, relatively speaking, it is extremely important in the realm of all eternity for it is this time and this time only that God has blessed you and I with to have any impact on eternity.  No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, the point of our lives is to point to God. 

I want to eagerly encourage everyone to remember that every day is a gift from God and how we live our days is how we live our lives. Today is important, don't waste it.

Jay 

Crazy Love-Wrapping Things Up

For the last 11 weeks I have met every Thursday morning at 6:30am with a men's discipleship group and we have read Crazy Love together. I have also attempted to post chapter summaries and thoughtful questions that arose from both our discussion and reading. The time together has not been so much about this book or Francis Chan, but it has been about the fact that we serve an amazing God who has given us friends that are fellow heirs with Christ who are able to walk along side of us and challenge us in our growth. I am a man most blessed in that I am beginning to understand that the relationships God gives us with others are not just so we can be happy and not feel lonely. He gives us relationships with others that He may be glorified in our conversations and so that we may grow in the image and likeness of Christ as we sharpen one another in times together. He gives us these relationships so that we may pray together, corporately confessing that we can't do anything on our own, but we submit our needs and the needs of our brothers to the one who is both just and justifier, creator and Lord, King of Kings. This is a beautiful thing. God gave me brothers in Christ not so we could talk about how they should have played the game differently on Saturday, but so that He may be magnified in all nations. This time together in this book has brought us closer together and challenged us in many ways. May we continue to sharpen one another in our growth for the glory of God. I look forward to hearing from some of you as you get into this study during discipleship time on Sunday evenings. I know that Jay is going to pour himself into this and tell you much about how God has been working in His life. May we each become transparent with one another as we fall deeper in love with Christ and with His church. God bless. Take what you have heard and now live it out.

Guest Post-Crazy Love Discipleship Class

The first Sunday night meeting in the "Crazy Love" class went really well. We were astonished with the Creative power and complexity of God as well as challenged with allowing God to create a new sense of worship in us. I think our prayer life will never be the same as we picture God on His throne, as John describes in the book of Revelation, and realize that is whom we are coming before with our prayers. They are not just messages sent to the sky, we are actually conversing with the creater of all that is. It is humbling to think about it. I encourage everyone, before you pray, imagine yourself standing before God on His throne and see how it transforms your prayer.

Jay

Crazy Love Chapters 7-8

Talk about pushing someone out of their comfort zone. Your best life later and profile of the obsessed certainly accomplished that task in my life. I had to continually ask myself the question,"What am I doing?" That's right, "What am I doing?" What I mean by that is if the Christianity that the bible describes is what God requires of His children, then what am I doing? I am comfortable. I am relaxed. I am a lover of money. I am more concerned about my safety and security than those dying and going to hell. I am part of a fat and bloated church society here in America that just does not accept that we aren't living like disciples. I am sick and tired of the game and I pray that you are as well.
Please be praying for one another as we go through the last few weeks of this book that we would not just be hearers of the word, but doers. Also, be praying for the kickoff of crazy love this Sunday night during discipleship at Shiloh. Pray that many are challenged and grow as we have. God bless.