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Where is My Rope?

Today I closed the sermon at East Lanier with a story told by a medical missionary in Africa who performed cateract surgery on a blind man. After the surgery the man could see. Without saying thank you, he just ran off. Several days later the man returned holding a rope, and on the end of that rope were blind men from surrounding villages. He knew the man with the cure and was brining others to him. The woman at the well in John 4 had a rope and brought her entire town out to meet Jesus. If I have expereinced the grace of God in Jesus, shouldn't I have a rope, too? How I pray that the Spirit will remove the cateracts of unblief from my heart so that I will seek out a rope and bring others to Jesus.

The Infinite-Personal God

Something that really hit me yesterday while reading A Praying Life was the significance that God is both infinite and personal. This means that he is all-powerful and that he really cares like a shepherd for his sheep or a father for his son. How does this relate to prayer? I can talk to God and ask like a child to a Father for whom nothing is impossible.

Prayer Requires Weakness

A little more from Paul Miller on prayer...

"Power in prayer comes from being in touch with [my] weakness. To teach us how to pray, Jesus told stories of weak people who knew they couldn't do life on their own. The persistent widow and the friend at midnight get access, not because they are strong, but because they are desperate."

Living as Little Children

After reading in Paul Miller's book, A Praying Life, I had a thought. If Jesus calls us to enter the kingdom of God like little children, then I suppose we must contiue to live in the kingdom of God as little children. This is not a mandate for immaturity, but for faith—the faith of a child in a strong and able Father. And that's how I want to pray, too.

Name That Church Survey

After a fun experiment in having a "name survey," I have realized something that we all know but find hard to admit. People see things from very different perspectives and have strong, even if diametrically opposed opinions.

Even though I doubt the name will be Jacob's Well, that has been my favorite name for about 7 years now. It comes from John 4 (Jesus and the Woman at Jacob's Well), and is a picture of a place where sinners meet Jesus, experience grace, and become radically missional (out of their overflowing joy) and glorify God. There is so much gospel/grace in that image... I just love it! And the name is a great launching pad for sharing the gospel with others, too. "Jacob's Well? What's that?" "Well, let me explain..." The subtitle or tagline could be "For Those who Thirst." Or "A church for those who thirst," or even "grace for those who thirst." : )

The award winner for most creative name... "Fermentation Fellowship." : )