How MD|online Can Help You Follow the Vision

As we plan out 2015, you should plan to be involved!

Last weekend, we held our very first Vision Casting as a church. We outlined what our call is individually, as a church, and how that call is to play out in our community. It was a challenging weekend to be sure, with more hours spent teaching and learning than not!

During our Vision Outline portion Saturday night, we spelled out two areas we face as a church in 2015: more events, and a potential move. Both of these things have a ton of moving pieces, and we’re all going to have to be on the top of our game if we want to carry the torch well in 2015. 

Many account holders on MD|online (located on a tab at the top of this very page) rarely ever use it. But it is here where all these moving pieces will be playing their part throughout this year. So, a committed MD attendee should wisely invest some of their time familiarizing themselves with MD|online. This article is to help you have a little focus each time you log on to MD|online. 

Finish Your Profile

MD|online has possibly one of the largest profiles I’ve ever seen. But that’s not to say it isn’t necessary or helpful. It’s not a social network, it’s a church communication platform. The more information it’s able to collect, the better a tool it becomes as we move forward with our initiatives. So plan out some time to fill out as much as you can, particularly the spiritual gifts. This will help our leaders know who has what abilities as we are seeking help in 2015. Not sure what your spiritual gifts are? Talk to an elder. It’s a good conversation to have. 

Know the Calendar

All of our MD events (10+ town events this year!!) will be on our calendar once they’re confirmed. That means we’ll need people to sign up to help out on every event. 

We are making sure to have our events scheduled out and to the town by the end of January so they can confirm each one. As soon as they’re confirmed, we’ll begin planning now to avoid any last minute rush. That means you’ll have plenty of time to see the needs and plan your schedule accordingly to meet them. 

We have three categories of events this year. 

• Town-run Events- These are the traditional marketplace events that we’ve attended in the past. They are put on by an organization or sponsors, and we set up our tents and material and attend.
• MD Events- Last year we only had one MD event: Movie Night. This year, we’re bumping it up to five movie nights called “Fourth Friday Movie Nights.” They’ll start in May and run through til September. These are our own events. We’re responsible for finding support and vendors.
• MD-run Glassboro Events- This is where we are the organization running a town event. This is by far the most responsibility we’ve ever encountered with an event to date. We will be responsible for pretty much every aspect of the event. We are looking to run Unity Day, arguably one of the town’s largest events of the year.

This means that, now more than ever, you’ll need to be plugged in to MD|online. 

Set Up Recurring Gifts

The last thing we need to talk about regarding our vision and MD|online is giving. 

Over the weekend, we announced that in order to maximize the Gospel to our community, a time change should be proposed. If we want to change the time of MD, we also need to change the home of MD. We mentioned that the town has several options lined up for us, but before we do anything, we need to be good stewards of what God has given us. 

Missio Dei has always been about using as much of the funds we receive for ministry outside of our bills and in to our community. We have no paid staff, and rent is very affordable in our current location. 

We proposed that we would require at least $1500 a month giving increase in order to sustain a move with some wiggle room. 

If everyone at MD (estimating average attendance at around 30/week) gave $12.50 more a week (some committed regular attenders give $0), we would be making enough to move right away. Just last weekend, I spent $18 at Wawa for myself and Hannah (and I even forgot her drink!), so we know this is a doable goal for pretty much everyone that attends our service each week. It's unreasonable to be committed and expect others to cover your week's giving that you regularly "forget" at home. We have a solution for that!

The easiest way for you to give and give consistently is by setting up a recurring gift in MD|online. Just log in, click give, and set up a recurring gift. If everyone did that this week, we would be so much closer to maximizing our Gospel efforts in our town.

Never Lose Sight of the Goal

None of this means anything if we lose sight of what’s important. We’ll be posting the notes from our weekend on our website shortly, but Justin taught in his session that we have two main calls for our lives found in Scripture. One is called the Cultural Mandate, that is, to steward our resources well for the Kingdom. The other is the Great Commission, where we are to make disciples of all the nations.

If we lose sight of these two things, all that we do is in vain. So please, don’t just get plugged in to MD|online for the heck of it. Get plugged in so you can steward your time and money well for the kingdom so we can maximize the Gospel this year in Glassboro.

Marital Musings

Recently in Community Group, we had a fantastic discussion on marriage.  I figured rather than letting that content end there, it should be documented! My wife, Hannah, and I were the only married couple there so we were put on the spot as far as input goes. We hope that 

It Comes Back to Context...

We started off with the question "What would keep someone from getting married?" We discussed things like spiritual maturity, career path, and financial stability. That was when it hit me. 

Not all things are subjective, but some are. What if the context of two people coming together in marriage is subjective? What if there is no magical checklist that needs to be done prior to marriage? But if there is no checklist, then what should prevent two people from getting married?

“The role of protector/provider is best understood in the context of the woman you’re protecting/providing for.”

To gain some better traction, we took a look at my relationship and the events surrounding our marriage. I wasn't making bank. I wasn't in a career job. I was busy. Working full time, school full time. The situation was not ideal. But we got married anyway. Was it wrong? We didn't think so. So what made it right?

I suggested that the role of protector/provider is best understood in the context of the woman you're protecting/providing for. This seemed to shed some light on the situation. 

Hannah and I had been dating since 8th grade. I knew her better than I knew many of my friends. I knew what she liked, and what she didn't. What she loved, and what she feared. What she needed, and what she had. It was in that context that we examined if we could get married, and in that context I proposed. In that context she said yes, and in that context we got married. 

What Should You Do?

Below are some simple... "recommendations", if you will. My hope is that they will help guide you in your relationships, and that they will culminate in a God-honoring marriage!

• Stay in community- The best place you can be is in a community of fellow believers. At MD, we're a close knit bunch, and we have each other's backs. That's exactly the kind of support you'll want while you're dating/courting.
• Date in community- Don't become "that exclusive relationship" once you start dating! You and you're date are officially invited into community at MD. If you haven't been in community before, now's the best time to start. 
•  Marry in community- You can feel like you want to be "on your own" when you get married, kind of like moving out of your house for the first time. Marriage definitely takes some adjusting to, but that doesn't mean you seclude yourselves from your church family either. We're here for your growth, so don't shoot yourselves in the foot/feet!

Hopefully you've found this little article helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments below or reach out to us on social media by clicking on the Connection Center tab at the top of the page. 

The Importance of MD|Online

This past week we announced the launch of a brand new service called MD|Online. This is going to be every MDer's one stop shop for giving, online community, and events. It took the elders several months to review a few different platforms to find the perfect fit for Missio Dei. Listed below are why we picked MD|Online, and why it’s so important to sign up for a free account.

• Access to what you need- Like I mentioned earlier, MD|Online is a one stop shop. No more searching facebook groups that you may or may not have access to, missing event invites, or anything of the kind. Users have access to our calendar of events, event sign up, online giving, and groups. What more would you need?
• Better event processes- Very few people actually sign up for events. We know this purely by experience. MD|Online integrates the events with our public calendar, as well as RSVPing for each individual event. Events are listed on the main page of the software, and are the first thing you’ll look at each time you log in. That said, don’t forget to RSVP for events!!!
• Lets the leaders do what they do- You won’t see all the tools available on the back end of MD|Online, but the elders do and use them to better understand our little flock. It has ways to track people who may have drifted away from community, or remind us to reach out to newcomers that check in. These little details are crucial to “running a tight ship.” We think you’ll start to notice a difference soon!
• Better group systems- We call them better for a few different reasons. First off, they’re all in one spot. No more searching between platforms!

We've already started to add groups to MD|Online, and there have already been communications sent out through it. Don't miss out! Sign up here.

Church is (not) Broken

photo by Peter Robb https://flic.kr/p/bqtMRZ

pa·ren·the·sis pəˈrenTHəsis/ noun a word, clause, or sentence inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage that is grammatically complete without it, in writing usually marked off by curved brackets, dashes, or commas.

Watch out for parenthesis, there's always something inside them... Yep check the title, re-read it. Understand it and embrace it. Put 'is' in the parenthesis and release the ‘not’... Does it still work?

What is church? We have been down this road before huh... It's the people that are adopted into Jesus' family. It's his bride, his wife as the metaphor in Ephesians 5 would highlight. Those that call Jesus Lord, Saviour , brother, and friend (and He is all of those not just one). And it is perfect. And it is broken, like all together jacked up.

It's perfectly broken. So why? Why is it perfect? The church is perfect because of the righteousness it receives from Christ (Eph 5:25-27). The church is perfect because Jesus came, lived, died, and rose to impart His righteousness in exchange for our unrighteousness. This is what the reformer Martin Luther called the Great Exchange. So what’s broken about that you might say. That all sounds good, not broken, but wait there is more.

The church is also broken, and there is no one that can fix. Well alright one person that can fix it. Alright two people, but it’s kind of a technicality. You see since the church isn’t a building (place, Holy Land, or Holy ground), it’s a Holy people, it is there where it is broken. when you enter into a right relationship with Jesus, He gives you His righteousness altogether at once. However, we pursue righteous living and mess it up literally 6 ways to Sunday. It’s called progressive sanctification (see the chart here). We progress towards Christ’s righteousness and as we move toward Him in relationship the Holy Spirit changes us so that we mirror Jesus more and more.

You are what is wrong with church. I am the problem. We mess it all kinds of up. It’s when we forget to love like Jesus loves and live like Jesus lives, that we damage our church. No not the walls, the foundation. The foundation of being on the same mission of having the same goal of communicating the same love...we cannot do those things when we are about our mission,our goals, and our self love. So what do we do? We put Jesus on the throne of our heart, and others ahead of ourselves. This will show the world that the church is broken, but Jesus can fix it. Grab a Bible and read Philippians 2, if you are pressed for time just catch the first 8 verses, and pray where the Holy Spirit could lead change.

Why You Should Be Concerned About Your Worldview

Have you heard of the upcoming FOX/Nat Geo show called "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odessy"? It looks to be a phenomenal discourse on God's spectacular creation. From far off galaxies to the smallest cell, the show aims to take a closer look at the nature that surrounds us. But this show has me a little concerned. Why is that do you think?

Did you know that one of the producers of the show is Seth McFarlane? That's right, the Family Guy guy. He's an outspoken atheist. The host is a prominent agnostic. What does this matter? Because there is a good chance that there will be very prominent naturalistic themes throughout the show that will not be very considerate of other worldviews.

What's a naturalist? What's an agnostic? What does anything have to do with you??

These are the kinds of questions that we as a church family need to be engaging with in order to better serve the kingdom. Many of us are ill prepared to engage in worldview discussion surrounding the views listed above. We'd like to extend to you an opportunity to learn more about different worldviews and, more importantly, defend your own with reason and finesse.

Join us this coming Saturday at John and Pat's house at 5pm to learn more about what this study will be about and how we'll move forward. Apologetics is an incredibly important aspect of our faith that we need to engage in. I hope to see as many of you as possible on Saturday!

[image via facebook.com/cosmosontv]

MD|classifieds

Help Wanted! We're working on a super exciting (and secret -for now-) project and we need a volunteer! This person needs to have a desire to help and meet the following criteria:

-Able to use technology- Must have a laptop or tablet available for testing
-Able to communicate- Must be available to communicate readily throughout the day (respond within an hour)
-Must be committed to MD- Preferrably someone who is in for the long haul, and is active in Covenant Community

What do you think? Can you help? Let Jesse know if this is something you're willing to hop on board with! Talk to you soon!
-Jesse
contact me on facebook, twitter, g+ or at jesse@missiodeinj.com

GCM Equip- Recap

I have seen and felt a burden on some of us recently to be more willing and more capable to share the Gospel to the people around us.  Personally , I feel we talk about it fairly often and the conversation sort of trails off to silence where we’re all  wondering why it isn’t easier to talk about Jesus to our friends, co-workers, neighbors, even our family. We are a mission minded church! We are out there in the community! But are we able to talk about our relationship with our Savior as easily as we are about the game over the weekend or the movie we saw  Honestly, I know I’m not where I need to be.

A couple weekends ago,  I had the privilege of attending the GCM Collective Equip seminar where the topic was: Gospel Fluency: Sharing the Gospel in Everyday Language. Pastor Phil Henry from Mercy Hill Presbyterian Church  shared some great biblical and practical truths that are applicable not only to me, but to all of us as we strive to be on mission.

I’ve outlined below some of the main point from the talk:  

• Normal Speech -  Speak what comes easy to you, your ‘mother tongue.’ Don’t try to fumble over big fancy words.  Ephesians talks about having the balance of speaking the truth IN LOVE. Pastor Phil Henry also spoke about how the Gospel can bring people up from low points in their lives
• Takes Time – Just as learning to talk takes time, so does learning how to speak the Gospel into people’s lives. We start out being consciously competent, paying attention to what we’re saying and speaking very carefully. However our goal is to be unconsciously competent in our Gospel speech, so that our Gospel talk just comes naturally. (Oh how nice that would be! )
• Learned in Community and Family-  Our language we speak is learned by the people we’re around, mainly our family. The same goes for how we speak the Gospel The more we surround ourselves in community and encourage each other in the Gospel, the easier it will be to have it come naturally in our own language.  John 17 was referenced here.
• Bilingual -   We are to be “in the world, but not of it” . We are to be in the culture, to know the language of the people around us.  (John 17:14) Just as if we were in another country and fluent in two languages,  we are in this world and need to be fluent in language of the Gospel so as to reach the unsaved in an effective way.

I've also added some practical ways you can learn to become more fluent in speaking the Gospel:

• Practice Group Exercises -  While in your community groups and family,  practice Gospel speech. For example –
  • Can you write out the Gospel in one sentence?
  • Can you find the Gospel story in the Bible? Can you find the Gospel laid out in different stories in the Bible?
  • Think of a time in the past, in the present, and in the future. How does the Gospel fit into those stories in your own life, where does it overlap?
• Love and Know the Bible- Don’t take the Gospel for granted and assume all Christians know the Bible.  Do you know the ABCs of the Gospel?
• Believe the Truth- Do you depend on the Bible and God to get you only through difficult times? Or is the Gospel active and apart of every part of your life.
• Repent- It’s important to think the same thing of yourself that God thinks of you.  Don’t focus on past sins that God has forgiven you of.
• Suffer- God has called his children to suffer. It is in those moments of suffering that we are able to let the Gospel to shine through.

Some of my own thoughts/take-aways from the equip seminar –

As I seek to teach and speak carefully with my children, my speech should be the same with everyone I come into contact with. I understand that I am discipling my children to be raised up into the admonition of the Lord, I should be just as careful and intentional with my speech with my other relationships

In my interactions, do I give good advice or do I give Jesus? For example, if someone is diagnosed with a illness do I tell them all the great doctors in the area that they could go to? Or do I attempt to reach their heart and encourage them with the Gospel.

When people share struggles, try not to focus on the negative, but on the work that the Holy Spirit has done in their life?

What is in your life that makes you want to read the Bible? Jesus loves you whether you read the Bible or not.

The Gospel is past, present, and future, Where do see the Gospel active in your life?

When we are able to see the Gospel in our lives, and then able to talk about it and become more fluent in it. It is then that we are able to have the Gospel be “normal speech”  in our interactions with others.

- Becca Gruber

Missing Missional Opportunities

[photo via http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintjcl/4457294321/ ]

We just had a huge snowstorm last night. There's a ton that goes through my mind when we get snow in our area. Will my Jeep start so I can get home from work? Does my wife have to travel in this? How's my Grandmom in all this?

Fortunately, my car did start, my wife stayed home, safe and sound, and my Grandmom is just fine.
This morning, I was fiddling on the computer completing some tasks for my up and coming design business. I noticed my neighbor snowblowing his yard. I watched for a few moments (to see if he was doing it right), then went back to work. It wasn't til about an hour later as I was talking with Hannah that it hit me: Why wasn't I out there helping him, showing him Jesus? Did I really just completely miss a missional opportunity?

The more I invest in Missio Dei, the more I encounter situations where I can be missional. What will I do with them? Will I take the chance and be Jesus to my neighbors? Or will I sit tight in my comfort zone and be selfish? The more opportunities I encounter, the more opportunities I turn down. What do I do about missing a missional opportunity? I think there can be three steps to rectifying a missed missional opportunity:

1. Get up and do something- I don't mean this is a harsh way, but in such a way as to provoke us to action. Rather than wallow in our failure, we can often still redeem our missed opportunity before it's completely gone. If you realize in enough time, get in the ring!
2. Apologize- This might seem like a weird step. After all, it's not like we "sinned" necessarily by missing an opportunity. This step is to create a new missional opportunity to rectify the one you missed. For instance, as soon as I'm done composing this post, I plan on Facebook messaging my neighbor to let him know I saw him out there in the snow, as well as to apologize for not helping out. This could open up good Gospel dialogue with him.
3. Repent- This looks like remembering this missed opportunity, and taking steps to not miss it again. Next time it snows, I'll make sure I'm up early to help my neighbor shovel his yard.

Have you missed any missional opportunities recently? What's your plan to get back in the game?

New Year, New Goals

 I don't have dreams. I have goals. And when I meet one, it's on to the next. -Harvey Specter in Suits

Wow! What a year! Before we push hard into 2014, I just wanted to take a few moments to remind us of what's been accomplished in 2013, as well as communicate what's up ahead for 2014. There are two main focuses here at MD: serving outside the body of Christ, and serving inside the body of Christ. We've got a lot accomplished and a lot planned in both of these aspects, so let's take a look!

Outside the Body

Glassboro Family Success Center and Boys & Girls Club- These two programs were among the first community resources  we plugged ourselves into. Justin had a job at the GFSC for a few months, and built some key relationships there. We now have Nathan and Amy on the board of the GFSC. They are helping to strategically care for those hurting in our community. Emily Senski is championing our presence in the Boys and Girls club by helping them communicate more efficiently, organize events, and care for hurting, broken children in the community.

Glassboro's Memorial Day Parade- This was our "debut," meaning, our first real exposure to the community at large. We marched along with our banners and t-shirts, handing out invitations, candy, and pens to the thousands of Glassboro-ers lining the streets. We learned a TON from this event, namely always have enough freebies on hand. We quickly ran out of everything! At the tail end of the parade, several MDers had the honor of helping to fold the community's 50ft American flag. What a day!

Glassboro Market Place Events- We were able to get 3 tents at many of the town's Marketplace events. We offered free resources, kid's activities, and a changing station to provide some privacy for moms with little ones. Over the course of the summer we handed out dozens of counseling resources, hundreds of flyers, and thousands of ballon animals to attendees. That was only half of the opportunity! We also go there early and left late to help other vendors set up and tear down for the day. This gave us a lot of inroads and opportunities to minister to the vendors on a personal level rather than some of the hit-and-run tactics we had to employ throughout the day. We received several letters from event coordinators thanking us for our love for the community and willingness to serve. Lord willing, we'll be seeing some of them in church soon!

Adopted Families for Christmas- Last year MD helped one family in need have a great Christmas. This year, we sent each Covenant Community Group into the stores to provide thousands of dollars worth of gifts to 4 different families in need. Through our connection with the Glassboro Family Success Center, we had needy families hand selected from throughout our local community to be ministered to by our covenant community this Christmas season.

Within the Body

The Membership Process and Church Leadership Training- At launch, we had 1 elder and no members. To date, we have had 1 discipleship training, 2 leadership training events with a third on the way, and about 15 people accepted as members. Praise God! We look for exciting things happening in these regards in 2014, but more on that in a section to come ;-)

Covenant Community Group Expansion- At the start of the year, we only had one CCG that met on Wednesdays. We now have pushed out to four total community groups, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays! As we continue to grow and shape our CCGs, we'll be able to connect with the teaching and each other personally on deeper levels, as well as with our community in missional and incarnation ways. None of that face value stuff!                            

Generous Giving- We don't have all the financial info gathered from 2013 yet, but we're not in the negative. Not close. Praise God for that! As we grow this year, we will spend more money than last. We rely on generous gifts every week to meet our financial needs. With no paid staff, 100% of what was given in 2013 went straight to the streets! Thanks!

Wrapping It Up

We had a blast of a year! I remember those crazy few weeks of nonstop marketplace events, and thank God we have a little break! But breaks don't mean we stop being productive. As we are still adjusting to 2014, here are some few things to be thinking/praying/doing:

• Give generously and consistently- One thing we learned in 2013 is that when there's an emergency need, we're quick to meet it, but our week to week giving fluctuates greatly. This makes it difficult project how much we'll have at any given time, and hinders event planning and purchasing. If you could be praying on how you can give generously and consistently in 2014, it would be such a blessing.

• Consider membership- As EJ recently mentioned, we're wrapping up round 1 of MD members! Over the next few weeks, we'll welcome around 15 people into a purposeful covenant with MD as their home base! If you don't have a home church or bounce between 2 or 3 churches on a Sunday, consider membership. If you end up committing somewhere other than MD, we ask you pour your heart into your home church and invest in them heavily. If not, ask us for membership papers and read what a covenant with MD looks like for  you.

• Consider leadership roles- We've gone through 3 leadership training sessions that outline the church offices and their role in the church. As we wrap up some of the membership process, consider taking on a leadership role. Can you serve as a deacon or deaconness? Are you willing? Men, do you desire the office of elder? How is God shaping your place at Missio Dei?

• Consider branching out- MD is a part of many different community organizations currently. If you arent' involved in any of them, why not? Talk to Nathan or Amy about serving that the Family Success Center. Chat with Emily Senski about the Boys and Girls Club. Let John or Pat know you want to get involved with Choices of the Heart. Branch out a little.

Now what? What plate will you step up to in 2014? Let's go!

[image "new year" by Sally Mahoney]

Celebrating Church

When you walk into the realm of 'what should a church service should be'...boom, it explodes. People start highlighting the Regulative Principle and grabbing proof texts. I don't have all that kind of time, so instead I thought we could just clarify what church is not.

Church is not a place to be overly religious and celebrate our amazing  piety. It is, however, a great place to celebrate. The Bible very clearly highlights that God is a God of pleasure. He finds and takes pleasure in Himself and His creation. He also outlines in His Word how we can find the most pleasure in Him and His creation, He would know because He created it.

It's not only His creation - it's also His Church, and He wants us to have pleasure in it as well.  It is with this that we get to the real point. Tonight we will be celebrating. Literally celebrating the Church. Jesus' church. We are going to acknowledge those that have connected to our Covenant Community in Membership...wow it sounds Like a car club or Sam's Club...No! It's Family. God's family and we need to celebrate! So be ready ...

Also, and even more importantly, today, we are not in Genesis! I know collective sigh of relief...wink, wink. HOWEVER, The Launch Team is having an open Q&A discussion on all things Missio Dei.  If you have questions on how membership works, how we are working on establishing leadership, what, exactly, our mission is, tomorrow is your chance to enter the family discussion and dialogue with us. We will also be discussion how we are moving to accomplish our mission, and anything else you are curious about. There will be some very specific ground rules so don't go getting crazy on me.

We are excited to have the family time and celebration that is coming! So be thinking and ready to engage and celebrate with us tonight.

["Church, Iceland by Bryan Pocius]

A New Christmas Story

This Christmas Story starts with a baby, his name is Nicholas. He was born in a village called Patara in a place we now call the country of Turkey (I know, it's a funny name for a country).  His parents worked hard at their jobs and God blessed them with plenty of money and with the respect of the people that knew them. As Nicholas grew up his parents taught him about Jesus from the Bible. He learned about Jesus’ love, care and generosity. As he watched his parents live their lives, he saw what those things meant. His parents would love and care for the poor and the needy as best they could with the blessings that they were given.

Then a hard day came. One day while Nicholas was still young, both of his parents died. Nicholas was very sad, but he remembered what his parents taught him. He remembered that Jesus was with him and loved and cared for him. He remembered that Jesus wanted Nicholas to follow Him just as his parents had followed Him. Now all his parents wealth was his and he knew what to do. He would work hard and learn about Jesus from the Bible, so he studied very hard. He became very generous (that means he gave a lot of money and his time to those in need like Widows, orphans, elderly poor, and sick people), sometimes be would even fill up socks (called stockings) with toys and presents and hang them at poor children's homes (sound familiar, hanging stockings filled with presents). The news of his generosity and love spread all over the world, and he was made A Bishop in the church (that would be like if all the churches in your town had one person to take care of what was happening at all of them).

Eventually he became thought of as a saint, saint Nicholas or just saint Nick. And after he died those stories that spread became legends. Many places had a special holiday around Christmas in honor of Saint Nick and as time went on much of the fun things that they did for saint Nick became part of the Christmas holiday. Saint Nick had different names in different places like Sinterklass (sounds like Santa Claus) and Christkindl (sounds kind of like Chris Kringle). This time of year we think of a character named Santa Claus, but he is a story, a story that is legend coming from a man named Nicholas. Saint Nick was real and he was famous because he loved Jesus and others, and that's a great way for any of us to remember and celebrate Christmas.

Advent Season

[image via himbeerbel]

What does the word Advent bring to mind? 25 day calendar boxes filled with chocolates or little toys? Lighting special candles? The Final Fantasy VII movie, Advent Children (It's real, Google that that mess)? What you need to know is that Advent is important, hugely important, and it is far more than candles, presents, chocolate and retail nightmare known as Christmas.

Our culture is identity driven.

Advent is the season that celebrates the coming of Messiah, Jesus the Christ, into human history. The celebration traditionally begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas which we celebrate on December the 25th. However, more important than the what, is the Why. Why Advent season?

Our culture is identity driven. Don't feel bad, every culture that has had people in it has been identity driven. Unfortunately our culture finds it's identity in things. Labels, clothes, wealth, status, the cars we drive, the house we live in, our success, and on and on it goes. This mentality has transformed the holiday of Christmas into a consumer-crazed epidemic of stuff gathering, a slight twist to Scrooge's famous quote, it is harvest time for the retailers. That's why Advent is so important. It gives us a chance year by year to redeem the season with a different focus.

The consumer mentality has transformed the holiday of Christmas into a consumer-crazed epidemic.

Advent for us will be centered around Jesus coming into history to redeem it, and the future, for His glory. We will look at the Scripture and history to understand how this season can be redeemed and help shape a different time in our culture. Pastor Matt Chandler at The Village Church in Texas has great resources for this season, and we will be mirroring some of their seasonal philosophies (I am not big on the re-inventing the wheel since Ecclesiastes clearly tells us we can't). Follow the link here to get your mind engaged with where we're heading this Advent season.

Read with us during Advent

Hey guys! Advent is here! Yay!

I've created a super easy way for us to dive into some Advent Scriptures that I wanted to share with all of you.

Getting started

What you'll need:

• Faithlife Study Bible App
• Free Faithlife Account
• Computer access
• 10 minutes

Download the Faithlife Study Bible app (here for Android; here for iOS) and sign up for a free account. Then, log on to faithlife.com and sign in. Then, head to faithlife.com/missio-dei to join our community.

Head back to the app, and you should see a section called "Today's Readings" and a Genesis passage for Advent. Click and you're ready to start!

Faithlife as a resource

Faithlife is put out by Logos (same guys who make our church presentation software, Proclaim). I highly recommend diving into their Bible app. Not only can you follow along with us as we read through Advent, but it will also connect with our presentations on Sunday, allowing you quick access to references and content. 

Drop a comment, or contact us on facebook, twitter, g+, wherever if you need help signing up or downloading anything!

**If you currently use the Logos Bible app, there's no need to download the Faithlife Bible app. Just sign into Faithlife with your Logos username and password and join our group. Your reading plan will appear in the Logos app automagically. 

Innocent of the Blood of All

The great commission is given to all believers of Christ. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  (Act 1:8) It says we will be witnesses but it seems that day in, day out for most (me included) the gospel doesn’t go out. There is a struggle to declare the “reason of hope that lies within”.  Is there really hope that lies within? Have we idolized the lives we live over the reason we live? How does one become, like Paul, “innocent of the blood of all”?  Paul meets with the elders of the church of Ephesus in Acts 20:17-38 to have one final conversation with them before he went to Jerusalem. We find here some points that if we would listen too (ears that hear) and apply to our hearts and actions, I believe we would be able to combat the struggle to proclaim Christ. Paul draws these elders to remember how he lived his life, of which, they all witnessed. He's serving the Lord in humility even through trials and persecution, but yet he didn’t shrink from declaring Christ to everyone. Not just Christ, but repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (17-21).

 Is there really hope that lies within? Have we idolized the lives we live over the reason we live?

Let’s stop here for one second. The trials and light afflictions we face do they hinder the truth of the gospel in our lives. When life is tough do we shrink from declaring Christ?  Do turn inward and begin to self focus? In my head I think, I’m struggling to see this hope that is within me at this moment, so what am I going to share with someone else. Have I made my God smaller then my problems? Am I blinded to what He is doing around me? Could it be that by sharing Christ in the midst of struggle with all humility someone might believe there by strengthening our faith? It seams Paul’s focus was on sharing faith no matter where he was, no matter the trail, no matter if that same faith was drawing him to more persecution and affliction in Jerusalem. Let’s read on. (22) Paul, constrained by the spirit with no doubt in his mind says “I am going to Jerusalem” This same constraint caused him to count his life as valueless. (24) Ok let’s pause again.

What are we constrained to do in our lives?

Constrained, great choice of words don’t you think. What are we constrained to do in our lives? Work, eat, watch tv, hang with friends…..what about sharing the gospel?  Are some of these things idols that have constrained us from a focus on the gospel and the sharing of it? I’ve become constrained by my work and other things and you know where it shows up? In my speech. Funny how speech is needed to declare Christ. Wow so my idols keep me from sharing the gospel because I am running my mouth about less important stuff. Acts 1:8 had it right: “I will be witness,” but not always for what I should be. Paul goes on to say “I take no account for my life…. If only I may finish my course….to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Might that be our prayer, may our lives be characterized by a focus on our course set by God to share of his love. Our lives, jobs, families… are a part of our course but should not be idolized or hinder our testifying of the gospel. He then says that he is innocent of the blood everyone, because he didn’t shrink away from the gospel. (26-27) This brings us to the reason we are having this conversation.

So far, Paul is innocent of the blood of all because the gospel was always going out of his mouth and in his actions. If we could ask each person he came in contact with, they probably would testify that Paul told them about repentance towards Christ, The Gospel. Some would even say that he was extremely hurting and as they saw it struggling in life but had a hope in Christ which caused them to take a hard look at this person Paul called Christ. This brings up the question, if day in, day out I don’t open my mouth about Christ when all is said and done, what would the people I came in contact with say about the Christ I have hope in? See it doesn’t matter what they say about me and what I’m doing. It only matters what they say about the Christ I love. Do they even know I love him? Do they know he wants a personal relationship with them also? So at times I find myself sharing my Christ, my relationship with him and sharing about what he is doing at my church and in my community but never extending the opportunity for the person I am sharing with to also know Christ for themselves. Too much about me and what God is doing for me, need more of what Christ has do for them. Less talking more listening to make that connection! Let’s read on.

 See it doesn’t matter what they say about me and what I’m doing. It only matters what they say about the Christ I love. Do they even know I love him?

(28-32) Paul warns the elders of the church of Ephesus. Pay close attention, Be Alert!! First to your self then to the community Christ has called you too. There are those who seek to attack you and the community. They are fierce as wolves and they come from outside and inside of the community. They seek to distort the truth. Ok let’s talk for a second. There is only one source of truth the word of God. By listening to and applying that truth we know how to pay close attention to ourselves, our community and can help guard against distorted truth. This same message of kindness and love of God is what helps us grow. So Lets wrap this conversation up. (33-38) Paul says “I never wanted anyone's silver, gold, or clothes.” He worked hard to provide for himself, those who were with him and most importantly to be able to help the weak. At times I am so absorbed with my life and what I am doing that I don’t even give thought to those that don’t even have hope around me. This whole thing boils down to the phrase “Innocent of the blood of all”. When all is said and done, can I say I have done all that I can do, said all that I could say. Do those around me know of repentance towards Christ? Am I determined or constrained to the Gospel or to the things in my life? Is my focus for working for me and providing for me or for the sake of the weak? We are called to be disciples who are making disciples but do we live a life that doesn't shrink from that responsibility.

 

Note from a member- Kayla

 

"I've been reflecting this week about the past 7 months at Missio Dei church. I would like to publicly say how grateful I am to God for leading me to Missio Dei. My concept of church has totally been redefined; for years "church" meant a building. Now "church" is this intimate family of believers who constantly loves, encourages, and challenges me. I am so blessed to be a part of this family. If you're looking for a church, check us out!!" -Kayla Hill

Pitman Tragedy

This past Tuesday tragic news hit my block in Pitman: one of our neighbors strangled his 6 year old son to death and beat his wife in the head until she too died. Needless to say my community is shaken. The kids on our street have lost a playmate, their lives forever scarred by the decision of one man. I felt it necessary to make a few comments on the events of this past week 

All have sinned

I think one of the most important things to remember is that we all stand before God guilty. This is not to make the impact of this tragedy less, but I've found my own tendency to forget my need for Jesus to save me when I focus on the wrong of others. While this behavior isn't normative, humanity's sin is ubiquitous: we can't escape it. Have you burst out in anger at your children this week? Have you treated your wife's sin as more grievous than your own? Have you indulged yourself in selfish sin in your singleness? 

Jesus is the hero

For all the sin that we commit, Jesus' death killed it, burial buried it, and resurrection left it forgiven in the grave. As we've been reminded of our own sin, we should also remember the great sacrifice Jesus has made for humanity's sin. He doesn't want us to wrong our brothers, sisters, spouses, or children, but rather run to him, accept forgiveness, and live life differently for him. To live on mission for Jesus gives us intense purpose in our otherwise mundane lives.  

If you have any questions about your sin or Jesus forgiveness, feel free to email me personally at jesse@missiodeinj.com or the church directly at info@missiodeinj.com. As always, feel free to share this article and pass it around. 

Legacy and Ladies

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."-Proverbs 31:28-29

Legacy is not just for dudes, it's also for the ladies. We are predominantly a young church. That brings with it a lot of opportunity and a lot of work too, sometimes Legacy feels like a masculine topic and we don't translate into the world of femininity well. But we are just starting out and I realize that we can get it right, right out of the gate...but again it's gonna take work. Most forms that we fill out give us some simple questions to fill out like Gender: Female, Marital status: Single, Married, Married with children...and sometimes I personally don't connect all those possibilities for the ladies. Guys I get. I yell at the guys, because I know how I need to get yelled at. I understand the need for Men to rise up and lead their culture, community, church, workplace, home, wife, and family well. To walk them towards their relationship with Jesus and see their lives poured out like Jesus' on the cross, and the ladies sit back and say uh-huh, thats right, get em...But since God's Word is an equal opportunity offender when it comes to our selfish desires, Ladies I wanted to take some very specific steps so you can understand that you need to get Legacy, your Legacy depends on it.

Look ladies, it's going to come up, so lets get this submission thing out of the way early. Ladies, Jesus submitted. He submitted to His Father, and He willingly went the way of humanity and the Cross. Jesus knew that His Father knew what was best for Him and His glory, so he willingly followed, submitted to Him. The Scripture asks ladies to follow in the same way to be submissive to their husbands. Not blindly or blanketly, but in faith wisely helping, questioning, communicating, and submitting. Now I know some of you are thinking "I have no faith in men, my husband, my boyfriend, my father, etc... they are certainly not Jesus." The Bible does not leave opportunity for such a simple cop out, it's true intention is to question whether or not you have faith in the God who asks you to submit, not in the messed up man standing before you. One very clear caveat, please do not see this as a place to allow abuse and neglect to be swept under the rug of "submission", God is not ok with His daughters being abused and mis-treated by a dominant, smug, and foolish man. He has put Godly men in His church to help you in such cases, He has also given you the police and other agencies to help step in where there is help needed to ensure the safety of you and the community as well as the correction of the man foolish enough to pursue such cowardice. I hope this is sufficient enough for us to move forward in the submission conversation.

All that ground work, now lets crack a Bible. 1 Peter 3:1-6 is my favorite place to see how this should play out...It starts out with this very awesome statment which says that a wife should be subject to their husbands even if their husbands don't know the Word, so that with out a word their wives would win them over by their Godly conduct. I love the call to women here, Peter actually assumes that a wife may be called first to Jesus, and need to live and love a man that does not know God or His love. Peter does not assume that ladies will meet a Jesus loving dude that will redeem them, nor does he assume that they will be called to salvation while single. In fact he assumes the most difficult of the 3 scenarios, mainly that a wife would be called first to the Lord and after need to live with a non-believing husband. This is incredibly hopeful because rather than starting with simple issues the passsage dives right into life; real, hard, messy life.

Godly conduct, or mode of life (I like the mode of life definition, it really captures the idea of an all encompassing modus operandum) is the living out of the Gospel in the absolutely enormous, yet very minute, hum, drum of everyday life. Paul Tripp rightly asserts that the giant moments of life are actually the everyday choices we make, rather than those seemingly big "life decisions". For example, my wife Becka moving all the stuff that I unwittingly just leave by the front door, and putting them away, choosing a later, more restful and peaceful moment (a rare moment in our house indeed) to communicate and ask me to help her by putting my stuff away instead of blocking the main entrance to our home, is a way that the gospel flows through her conduct and calls me towards Jesus. In the same way the wife of an unbelieving husband will point towards her Saviour as she lives out this lifestyle, and worships God through prayer, teaching in the home, time spent with her Family of New Birth, and Bible study. Oh and coincidentally ladies that are married to believers should conduct themselves the same way, it sanctifies their husband towards Christ. Oh, and single ladies should conduct themselves in the same way, it redeems the world around you back to the cross and will help you to be content in Christ (and will have the side affect of showing the dudes around you that you are God's daughter and need to be treated as such cause you aint gonna just roll over to some dumb boy that doesn't got his stuff together...but I digress).

How bout modesty? vs. 2-4 says that God's ladies should be known by their gentle and quiet spirit and not by their flaunting of their appareal. BUT is that all? I have a slight observation...Ladies that don't care that much about modesty also don't care that much about how much, or how loudly, or how harshly they act or treat others including their husband. God's word is not subscribing to some shut up and sit down mentality here, instead it is simply continuing it's counter cultural push and highlighting what God desires His daughters do, as opposed to what the cultural norm might suggest. 

Our culture has empowered women to take hold of their equality, yes, you can be like men...you can get trashed at the bar and snag some dude for a one night stand and then wake up and take the morning after pill with a gallon of water, and give half the day away to last night just to do it all again.

It will be really easy especially if you wear that certain V-neck that is so low it reaches your belly button and your skirt couldn't get any shorter if it was made for a smurf. Tight/Short clothes tend to indicate loose woman...if you are God's daughter don't let someone mistake the former for the later, dress in a way that the most visible attribute about yourself is your spirit, or more specifically The Spirit.

Our last (I promise really our last) thing to talk about is the reference to Sarah in verses 5-6. The short of it is that even in a seeming moment of extreme emotion (this quote in 1 Peter refers back to Genesis 18:12) she still refers to Abraham with respect. The long of it is a bit more interesting. Verse 6 tells us that the major thing here is not calling your husband by a particular respect term, but rather not letting fear control you. No seriously that is the big communication. See, if you have faith in God you move towards Him in love and life, and you make your decisions based more and more upon His leading. And He desires good for you, He will bring about His glory in your actions. So by putting your faith in God, there is little to fear from a mere mortal man or temporal situation, because God is Lord over them. AGAIN, don't however let this concept of fear push you to allowing sin go unchecked and unaccounted for. There is no room in God's kingdom for his daughters being abused by foolish men, do not let some sense of blind and foolish faith allow you kingdom ladies to trust God and let a man be abusive and sinful thinking that that must be what God wants for you...it's not. He desires you to live boldly and fearlessly for Him. For additional reading check out 1 Tim 2:9-15 and Prov. 31:10-31, write down questions and grab a good commentary, especially for 1 Tim...and discuss it :-)

 -Justin Gruber

Why MD is Social

MD is virtually everywhere. Facebook. Twitter. Google+. Even Pinterest. Isn't that overkill? Why would we have so much stuff going on online? Couldn't we be spending our time and efforts elsewhere?

"The truth is, we have a reason for pretty much everything we do." Click to tweet.

The answer is: It depends. It goes back to living intentionally. The truth is, we have a reason for pretty much everything we do. We do our best to weigh each decision we make with Scripture and how to further advance God's kingdom.

That's why we're on social media: it's where people are. There are 2 types of evangelism that can both accomplish the mission of the church: attractional and incarnational approaches. Depending on what church you're coming from, just hearing the work attractional might make you cringe, but it doesn't have to be that way. To be "attractional" would be to invite a friend to church for them to hear the gospel. To be "incarnational" would be to dive into relationship with someone and persuade them to give Jesus a try. Both are necessary to the advancement of the kingdom! Now, back on topic. We're on social media as a form of attractional ministry. Every time we post a YouTube video, create a blog post, upload a photo, or post a status our intention is to increase our reach, and in turn, increase the amount of people receiving our gospel-centered material and interacting with it.

"These systems are in place to get people living for Jesus (both by attractional and incarnational methods) and growing for Jesus so the pattern can be repeated and our community changed!" Click to tweet.

 Now, we would be amiss if this were all we were doing to win people for Jesus. That's why we enable everyone at almost every service to become active in their relationships and communities to change them for Christ. That's also why we're teaching through discipleship Wednesday Tuesday and Wednesday nights. That's why we encourage small group meeting to discuss Scripture and pray. These systems are in place to get people living for Jesus (both by attractional and incarnational methods) and growing for Jesus so the pattern can be repeated and our community changed!

 So, now that you know why we are social, we ask for your participation! If your mindlessly browsing your Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ feeds and you see a status or photo by MD, please share, retweet, and repost! Join us in our efforts to reach as many as we can with gospel rich content.

When Asked to Give

It can be difficult to understand the direction in which God is leading us.  Sure, we can often discern a general direction for our lives, but it’s usually the day-to-day stuff that we can struggle with.  It just seems it would be so much easier if He just called down to us like He did with Elijah or the apostles and just tell us what to do.  I think part of the reason He doesn't is so we are drawn to spending time with Him and seeking His still, small voice for direction (1 Kings 19).

Last August, I received a text message that a brother in Christ had a heart attack and was in the hospital.  I wasn't in the habit of visiting people in the hospital, but felt drawn to do. Was it the Holy Spirit prompting me?  I wasn't sure, so I went.  That hospital visit was good, though it lasted far longer than I had anticipated.  It resulted in my being two hours late in taking my mother to the market, as was originally planned.  Through that rescheduled day, I met a friend at the entrance to the marketplace.  We hadn't spoken to one another in several years, so I told him what Christ had done in my life recently.  After a brief conversation, we parted ways.

Returning home from the market, I received a call from another friend I had also been out of touch with for a while.  He came by to swim a bit, and when I mentioned the gentleman I met at the market, I was informed he had kidney disease. He hadn't mentioned it to me in our conversation at the market, and I had been too long out of touch to have known myself.  Later that day I called him and confirmed what I had been told. As soon as I hung up the phone, Christ put a strong conviction on my heart that I was to give him a kidney.  I found it overwhelming to think that the Lord would want to use me in this way.  The thought that concerned me was if I was truly hearing from the Lord, or was it just me?  But after a couple of days of prayer and research on the subject, I was even more convinced God was asking this of me.  I also had a conviction that there’s no turning back on anything Christ asks us to do once we've give our lives to Him.

There’s an unexplainable calm and steadyness that comes along with following the Lord’s leading in any circumstance (Matthew 11:29).  Once you understand it’s God who is directing and in control, nothing will turn you from the course ahead.  Timetables may shift, day-to-day tasks may change, but there is a steady determination that Christ will lead, and lead well, as long as you continue to follow (John 8:12).

Five months of testing turned into what was starting to look like months of waiting.  I was already looking into something else I believed the Lord might be leading us into when the phone call came for the donation time.  I was originally told I would be given a good month’s notice before the actual operation.  On the phone they asked if I could be ready in ten days.  After six months of testing and anticipating, how could I say no to that?

I had been studying on prayer that week, focusing on how Jesus prayed, and I had come to where Jesus prayed in the garden before His trial and crucifixion in Mark 14:32-36.

"Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.
And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

I would never compare any stress or suffering I go through to what Christ did for me.  There is no comparison, and I believe none of us will ever in this life fully understand the extent of distress Jesus faced.  But I found it extremely comforting that in my study, the Holy Spirit brought me to this just before receiving the call to surgery for the kidney donation.  A greater blessing I could not have imagined.  To see how Jesus, in all His stress, was leaning into and resting in the knowledge that He was unconditionally submitted to doing the will of the Father above all else, gave me a focus that I believe was why I never felt any fear or concern or distress heading into the hospital or waiting to enter surgery. Never having been in surgery before, I had no knowledge to draw on.  So I kept my imagination from trying to form any ideas of what it might be like by simply trusting that the Lord would take care of what was needed, and I was in His hands as always.  Jesus said it clearly, “Father, all things are possible for You.”  There is nothing the Father cannot do.  The path that He had placed me on was of His choosing, and I had no need to worry about where that path would lead.

I find such great comfort in knowing that God has everything in control, no matter what it looks like from our side of things.  I used to stress over everything in my life, as though everything depended entirely on what I did or didn't do, and how did I know if I was doing the right things?  Jesus freed me from last year when I heard His teaching clearly, as though for the first time.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.

For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.   Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.   Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus reminded me that my Father knows what I need.  And it goes deeper than just physical day to day needs like food and clothing.  Jesus was just scratching the surface, which is where most people are thinking.  The Father knows of EVERYTHING we need, physically, mentally, spiritually, the whole picture.  In His love for us, He knows us SO MUCH more than we even know ourselves.  And He cares for us.  The Creator who knows me inside and out, and knit me together exactly how He wanted me to be (Psalm 139), has an everlasting love that I cannot even fathom!

“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3

To fully trust in Him for everything has no hint of fear with it.  He does all things perfectly, because He can do all thing, just as Jesus said, “all things are possible for You.”  And all that God does is right and good (Psalm 100:5, 119:68, ).  Even the struggles, trials, and testings He brings us into and through are for good (1 Peter 1:6-7, Job 23:10, Romans 8:28).  Maybe for us, maybe for others, maybe both.  We are rarely provided that insight.


The bottom line is that it’s not about what I want, or what I do or don’t like, or think I need.  When Jesus says, “Follow Me”, it comes with no conditions attached, no restrictions on what He may lead us through.  He calls for our lives, not just a part of us, or some time out of the week, but ALL of us.  He wants our lives to be handed over to Him, pink slip and all.  It’s all for Christ and what He wants for our lives, whatever that looks like.  Whatever that is, bring it on!  I know He’ll take care of me now and forever.  The end goal is the ultimate hangout, eternity in heaven, when I get to shake off this body of sin and can be with Christ and FULLY worship Him without the distractions of this world.

Intentional Living- The Short Version

God has gifted me with wonderful parents. My mom and dad are still loving Jesus and each other after almost 30 years! As I look at the patterns in my life today, many good ones (and only a few bad) can be traced back to specific teaching opportunities they took with  me when I was younger. I think, next to Jesus, the concept of intentional living has stuck with me the most, and is something I will not easily forsake. 

"In high school stuff was simple: don't do it." Click to Tweet

High school was a bummer. I was wrapped up in legalism. If music had more than one beat, your hair touched your eyebrow (guys), had ink on your arm, or a hole in your body that wasn't supposed to be there, it was hell for you in my book. In high school stuff was simple: don't do it. There's no such thing as a yellow light or grey area in legalism. But what of all the Scriptures that spoke of freedom? Wasn't Jesus the one that sets free, breaks chains? Yeah. That's what my mom and dad started to realize. 

As my parent's faith and Scriptural understanding grew, so did mine. We started learning about things like grace and freedom from religion. When they told me about living life intentionally, now that's when things started to change. They made me dive into movie reviews, video game reviews, and music reviews so I would learn why I would interact with what I was entertaining myself with. 

"If God does things with a purpose, so should we." Click to Tweet

 God made humanity in His own image and likeness, and the entertainment we bring into our eyes, ears and hearts is not just some mindless nothingness. These forms of art were designed for a reason and  placed in a context. If a musician produces music for a purpose, certainly Christians would understand this concept right? After all, if God does things with a purpose, so should we. This is not the case...

This morning I was reading in Acts, and I was astonished at the number of conversions in a matter of chapters!

• And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved -2:47
• But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand -4:4
• And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. -5:14-15

It seemed like every time I blinked, countless people were responding to Jesus being God. Chapter 5 closes out with the apostles being beaten for their proclamation of the gospel. As soon as they are released, Luke records this: "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus," (Acts 5:42). 

These men lived with a purpose. Lived intentionally. They didn't have to talk about Jesus, like it was some kind of chore, or an awkward conversation piece. They lived their lives intentionally (and even died intentionally) by preaching and living out the gospel. 

Living intentionally has changed the way I interact with the world. Consider the apostles, and lets change Glassboro for Jesus!