Practicing Christianity

Notes from "The Joy of Fearing God" by Jerry Bridges

page 162 - If we express our fear of God by keeping all His decrees and commands as Moses said (Deut 6:2), then we must give attention to our interpersonal relationships.

Consider, for example the following from Romans 12:

• Love sincerely (v9), Be devoted to one another in brotherly love (10)
• Honor others above yourself (10)
• Share with others in need (13)
• Practice hospitality (13)
• Bless those who persecute you (14)
• Rejoice with those who rejoice (15)
• Mourn with those who mourn (15)
• Live in harmony with one another (16)
• Do not be proud or conceited (16)
• Do not repay evil for evil (17)
• Seek to live at peace with everyone (18)
• Do not seek revenge (19)
• Overcome evil with good (21)

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/09/book-joy-of-fearing-god-by-jerry.html

Leading, Influence and Control

Daily we all influence and through this influence, we in turn lead others. Not always, but normally.

Example: years ago, in around 1980, I was with a group of people and one them was women 8 month's pregnant. When the waitress came to ask for orders, the pregnant woman orders a beer. The waitress takes everyone's order and walks off. A few minutes later, she comes back a let's everyone know that she does not agree with the pregnant woman's choice to drink while pregnant and that another waitress, who feels it is not her place to make such a "judgement," will be taking over the table.

Now, let's take a look at all the influencing that took place during this 5 minutes and what it led to.

• obviously there was the influencing by the pregnant woman's choice to order a beer
• there had been other influences in the waitress' life that led her to be influenced to voice her opinion and not just give up the table to another waitress because of those past influences that led her to the convictions to begin with
• the waitress was influenced by the pregnant woman to give up her table, thus, her tip from a large group of people
• the new waitress was influenced
• others at the table were influenced to discuss and even verbally express judgement on and ridicule the 1st waitress
• at least one person, me, was influenced enough by the 1st waitress to remember 25+ years later the event. I had never considered, up until then, the dangers drinking brought to an unborn fetus. Those thoughts and concerns were not part of my thought patterns at that time in my life, but yet, I'm influenced by the actions of another with such an exchange of words and actions.

Now, replace the word influence with lead.

In the same exercise, take either word and replace with the word influence or lead with control and you'll find them not near the same. The only person that controls us is ourselves. We have choices. We have free will. There are of course consequences to choices. But, just because some leads, or influences, us doesn't mean with have to follow. We might loose friends, or a job, or "respect"....but we have control over how we are influenced.

Book: "Don't Waste Your Life"

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-dont-waste-your-life-by-john-piper.html

Book; "The Gift of Work"

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/08/book-gift-of-work-by-bill-heatley.html

Book: "The Gift of Work" by Bill Heately

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/08/book-gift-of-work-by-bill-heatley.html

Redeeming the Routines

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/07/book-redeeming-routines.html

Book: God in the Marketplace

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/06/book-god-in-marketplace-by-henry-and.html

Book: Lasting Investments

page 53 "Ministry must have as its long-term eternal focus either evangelism or discipleship as defined by Jesus in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Ministry has as its goal to enlarge and mature the body of Christ. Is feeding the hungry a ministry? Yes, if its focus is eternal. But if it is only to fill empty stomachs, then it is just a good deed. So, ministry is determined not just by what we do by why we do it."

That's good stuff. He goes on to quote a friend, Walter Henrichsen: "The secular becomes spiritual if done for the eternal, and the spiritual or religious becomes secular if done for the temporal."

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/07/book-lasting-investments-by-kent.html

Book: "Lasting Investments" by Kent Humphreys

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/07/book-lasting-investments-by-kent.html

Book: John Newton-From Disgrace to Amazing Grace

Required reading

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/05/book-john-newton-from-disgrace-to.html

Book: "Doing God's Business" by R. Paul Stevens

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/02/book-doing-gods-business-by-r-paul.html

Book: The Last Men's Book You'll Ever Need

The entire book, but particularly the chapter on "Loosing Your Job Everyday"

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/04/book-last-mens-book-youll-ever-need-by.html

Book: "The Last Men's Book You'll Ever Need" by Dave Moore

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2008/04/book-last-mens-book-youll-ever-need-by.html

Classroom: Seattle, 4/18/2008 - 4/20/2008

I am taking this class, at this point, as an 'auditor" though I do intend to complete the coursework and develop a cirriculum for "Theology of Work."

All but three of the students were vocational ministry workers working on their masters or doctrates degree. Three of us were involved in jobs outside vocational ministry.

I am not sure what I expected of the class, yet it was good; very academic, but this is coming from a guy who has not been a classroom in 35 years.

The instructor, Professor R. Paul Stevens was incredibly prepared and it is obvious that he has spent many years living, not just teaching, his subject. He put forth his views very purposefully and appeared to be extremely thorough in the content.

While there were occasions for interaction, I felt he wanted more than he got.

On the afternoon of day 2, Professor Stevens stopped the class for 15 minutes of "quiet-time." This was in addition to a scheduled break. The students and other staff, there were 17 of us in all, spent time in prayer, or I suppose just relaxing. It was an incredible experience.

Professor Stevens shared over 600 power point screens of information and data. Not only did he teach from them, he allowed us to copy the power point presentation for future reference. This was incredibly helpfull in taking notes during the class. Many of these screens he did not share in class, but we now have them for insight into more of his teaching.

I was gratefull I had spent so much time in his books the past 2 months.

The Instrumental Value of Work

The Instrumental Value of Work: that work is a God-given means toward several important ends.

*Excerpts from Your Work Matters to God by Sherman/Hendricks

God gives us 5 reasons to work (page 87);

1. Through work we serve people
2. Through work we meet our own needs
3. Through work we meet our family's needs
4. Through work we earn money to give to others
5. Through work we love God

Through Work We Love God (pages 93-94)

The final reason God has given us work is so that we can love Him. Does this sound odd to you, the idea of work as a means toward loving God?.....

Let me suggest that your work makes loving God very practical....

The test of love. That is, after all, what it means to love God: to do what God wants us to do, and to do it out of a sincere desire to please Him. In fact, that is the only way we can love Him.

Let me apply this idea to you and your work. If you want to love God through your work, then you need to determine that what you are doing in your job is something God wants done, and that you are doing your job becasue God wants it done.

Suppose you are a piano tuner. Is that something God wans done? It unquestionably is, because the pianist cannot play on a piano that is out of tune.. Furthermore, if you have the ear for it, then you have a God-given means of providing for this need and for your income.

I encourage you as a worker to think through your job on this basis. At first it may be hard to see how your work connects with anything that God wants done. But I advise you to hink very broadly about the needs that people have and hte work that God has given mankind to do.

Note: this is only a small part of what Sherman have to say about this subject of loving God through your work.