Comments on: G2g: Information http://almostm.com/2010/02/g2g-information/ reconsidering things M related Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:50:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: almost http://almostm.com/2010/02/g2g-information/comment-page-1/#comment-651 almost Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:17:13 +0000 http://almostm.com/?p=1271#comment-651 Charlie, I pray that God blesses you in your recovery process. Thanks for stopping by here along your journey. I believe that God has great things ahead for you and others like you that I meet as we return to Scripture and seek to rethink and live out what He calls us to. Thanks and blessings! almost Charlie,
I pray that God blesses you in your recovery process. Thanks for stopping by here along your journey. I believe that God has great things ahead for you and others like you that I meet as we return to Scripture and seek to rethink and live out what He calls us to.
Thanks and blessings!
almost

]]> By: charlie http://almostm.com/2010/02/g2g-information/comment-page-1/#comment-650 charlie Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:46:02 +0000 http://almostm.com/?p=1271#comment-650 Dear almost, thank you for your reply...I like it. As a recovering Southern Baptist Minister I have watched us exclude Jesus for his teaching. As long as we have Sunday School (taught by folks who have been cajoled by guilt into the post with no biblical training whatsoever) we are doing our duty. blah blah blah. We can scarcely say community or incarnational let alone define it. thanks for helping. Dear almost,
thank you for your reply…I like it. As a recovering Southern Baptist Minister I have watched us exclude Jesus for his teaching. As long as we have Sunday School (taught by folks who have been cajoled by guilt into the post with no biblical training whatsoever) we are doing our duty. blah blah blah. We can scarcely say community or incarnational let alone define it.
thanks for helping.

]]> By: almost http://almostm.com/2010/02/g2g-information/comment-page-1/#comment-636 almost Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:20:46 +0000 http://almostm.com/?p=1271#comment-636 Charlie, I'm glad that you have called attention to this. You raise a great question that every person / church must address (or default is also an option). I am a fan of learning and of being a life-long learner. A cohesive, systematic theology is important. However, as you start listing the components of systematic theology, you find that Jesus addressed them in different periods of His life and ministry based on different events and situations. For example, in Luke 11 we read that Jesus was praying. Immediately after that we see that the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. We see this often in the journey of the disciples and in other places of Scripture. Through some form of disorientation for the disciples or a new desire to learn, they became incredibly teachable. Jesus took time for teaching on the trinity and eschatology (Jn 14-16) when the disciples were all of the sudden very interested in the topics (Jn 13). It is not my goal to prescribe exactly what it should look like here as I see this lived out differently in various cultural contexts. However, I have seen people turn from a Christianity that was too heady for them to be able to grasp in order to have an encounter with the Savior. That is backwards at best. The lost don't need to hear knowledge to get a glimpse of the glory of God, they need to see or experience a transformed life. Christ followers don't need to be told how to do it and to be instructed on the importance of a specific behavior; They need to see someone who is walking it, living it out and the ramifications of a life lived that way. I believe strongly in Scripture memory, Bible study, reading books, etc. But these are things we do as we walk with Christ in obedience as we serve others, live incarnationally among the lost, pray for lives, families, and communiities to be transformed, etc. so that we may be equipped as we are doing it. We are not to pursue education in case obedience may ever be required at some time in the future. Academic advancement is not obedience in and of itself. We are to learn as we go. Thanks so much for participating here Charlie. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this and other topics. -almost Charlie,

I’m glad that you have called attention to this. You raise a great question that every person / church must address (or default is also an option). I am a fan of learning and of being a life-long learner. A cohesive, systematic theology is important. However, as you start listing the components of systematic theology, you find that Jesus addressed them in different periods of His life and ministry based on different events and situations. For example, in Luke 11 we read that Jesus was praying. Immediately after that we see that the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. We see this often in the journey of the disciples and in other places of Scripture. Through some form of disorientation for the disciples or a new desire to learn, they became incredibly teachable. Jesus took time for teaching on the trinity and eschatology (Jn 14-16) when the disciples were all of the sudden very interested in the topics (Jn 13).

It is not my goal to prescribe exactly what it should look like here as I see this lived out differently in various cultural contexts. However, I have seen people turn from a Christianity that was too heady for them to be able to grasp in order to have an encounter with the Savior. That is backwards at best. The lost don’t need to hear knowledge to get a glimpse of the glory of God, they need to see or experience a transformed life. Christ followers don’t need to be told how to do it and to be instructed on the importance of a specific behavior; They need to see someone who is walking it, living it out and the ramifications of a life lived that way.

I believe strongly in Scripture memory, Bible study, reading books, etc. But these are things we do as we walk with Christ in obedience as we serve others, live incarnationally among the lost, pray for lives, families, and communiities to be transformed, etc. so that we may be equipped as we are doing it. We are not to pursue education in case obedience may ever be required at some time in the future. Academic advancement is not obedience in and of itself. We are to learn as we go.

Thanks so much for participating here Charlie. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this and other topics.
-almost

]]> By: charlie http://almostm.com/2010/02/g2g-information/comment-page-1/#comment-633 charlie Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:16:55 +0000 http://almostm.com/?p=1271#comment-633 Is there a place for systematic theology in great discipleship? I am not sure if I am understanding the point here. It almost sounds like there is no place for scholarship in good discipleship, yet Jesus had vast knowledge of the Scriptures. I agree that it is easier to learn more precepts than practice community impacting Christianity, but it just sounds like you are saying that to be great is to ignore the depths of the riches of God's wisdom as revealed in his word. I wonder. Is there a place for systematic theology in great discipleship?
I am not sure if I am understanding the point here. It almost sounds like there is no place for scholarship in good discipleship, yet Jesus had vast knowledge of the Scriptures.
I agree that it is easier to learn more precepts than practice community impacting Christianity, but it just sounds like you are saying that to be great is to ignore the depths of the riches of God’s wisdom as revealed in his word. I wonder.

]]> By: almost http://almostm.com/2010/02/g2g-information/comment-page-1/#comment-629 almost Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:05:53 +0000 http://almostm.com/?p=1271#comment-629 Jeff, Regarding your first point....(smile) On the second, I'm with you. I need to be faithful in doing what I already know. Thanks! Jeff,
Regarding your first point….(smile)
On the second, I’m with you. I need to be faithful in doing what I already know.
Thanks!

]]> By: Jeff http://almostm.com/2010/02/g2g-information/comment-page-1/#comment-628 Jeff Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:09:21 +0000 http://almostm.com/?p=1271#comment-628 We must be careful about reversing this one back to Great. If we do, we will seriously hamper the thriving economic machine that is "Christian Publishing." Surely we aren't expected to grow in discipleship without the help of Lifeway, Tyndale, Zondervan, etc. Wolf is right. I need to obey what I already know instead of seeking to know more (and calling that increase in knowledge, discipleship.) We must be careful about reversing this one back to Great. If we do, we will seriously hamper the thriving economic machine that is “Christian Publishing.”
Surely we aren’t expected to grow in discipleship without the help of Lifeway, Tyndale, Zondervan, etc.

Wolf is right. I need to obey what I already know instead of seeking to know more (and calling that increase in knowledge, discipleship.)

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