Life2gether

Tim Keller, from his new DVD set, Gospel in Life: Grace Changes Everything:

Gospel-shaped people are enabled to form deep community and yet only in deep community can we become gospel-shaped people.

Jonathan Dodson:

Recent Facebook research reveals some interesting trends on what connects people in regions of the U.S. Using 210 million Facebook profiles, Pete Warden has documented and illustrated how and on what regions and cities connect. It appears that Facebook users range from a dense, regional connectedness to a cross-country connection. The lines of connection cluster into 5 regions: Stayathomia, Dixie, Greater Texas, Nomadic West, Mormonia, Pacifica, and Socialistan. Check out the interesting trends from each FB cluster.

Thabiti Anyabwile, from his post, The Redundancy of “Radical Discipleship”:

I think my walk with Christ took a step in a more radical direction when I began to live actively in a church community.  When the local church really became a family I was committed to, nominalism simply ceased to be a viable option.  You can’t walk together with other saints, commit yourself to the cross-carrying “one anothers” of Scripture, and remain a lukewarm disciple.

(HT: Mark Peterson)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his classic book, Life Together (the inspiration for this blog), argues that there is no real community until we face up to our sin: 

“Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God’s sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it. The sooner this shock of disillusionment comes to an individual and to a community the better for both. A community which cannot bear and cannot survive such a crisis, which insists upon keeping its illusion when it should be shattered, permanently loses in that moment the promise of Christian community.”

(HT: Ray Van Neste)

Last night I asked one simple question that opened the doorway to closer community with a few people in our church.  All I asked was, “What’s your faith story?” and the Holy Spirit led us into joyful humility and awe at the redeeming work of Christ on our behalf.  It was a sweet time remembering the grace of God in each of our lives.

It got me thinking, as followers of Christ we need to share our stories more often.  Why?  Not only does it build community, it strengthens our faith in a God who can do the impossible.  He is not restrained by our sinful rebellion.  He is sovereign.  He can save.  And he can do it in a multitude of ways.  No one is beyond the reach of God’s saving grace.  We need to remind ourselves of that as we pray and seek the salvation of our friends and family members.

And perhaps most of all, we need to share our stories because our stories help us to see that the gospel is alive.  It carries us and lifts us even now.  It awakens us and amazes us today.  We never get used to the gospel.  Indeed, Christ is our ever-present Savior who is acting on our behalf and shaping our stories until that final day when our journey comes to an end (or should I say beginning) in heaven.

Powerful exhortation on why the church needs small groups and community.  This is from a sermon on John 4 where Jesus addresses the woman at the well and tells her to “Go get your husband.”

(HT:  Tony Walls)

In response to Ray Ortlund’s excellent post about How to Wreck Your Church in 3 Weeks, my friend, Eric Schumacher, writes this helpful exhortation on How to Improve Your Church in 3 Weeks.  In summary, live out the one-another’s of Scripture and so adorn the gospel!

Ray Ortlund on the former; Josh Harris on the latter.  May we heed Romans 12:10 & 18. (Update: link fixed)

(HT: JT)