October 30, 2012

Quotes from Radical Together



"We can't do enough, we can though trust in Christ, who had done enough."

" We live sacrificially, not because we feel guilty, but because we have been loved greatly and now find satisfaction in sacrificial love for others. We live radically, not because we have to, but because we want to."

"Sacrificial love is not just our duty but our delight."

"The gospel is the reason for radical living."

"Those who espouse sound doctrine in the Church should be willing to embody selfless devotion in the world."
"We are never without revelation from God..... "

"God has given us everything we need in the Word that we have."

"The purpose of God's word is to transform people in every century and in every country into the image of Jesus."

"If crowds of people hated the words of Jesus in the first century, we can certainly expect them to feel the same way in the twenty-first century. The blessing of God does not mean acceptance by the world."

"The goal is always for all of God's people to be equipped and empowered to lead as many people as possible to Christ. I also believe in the plan of God. In Jesus' simple command to 'make disciples,' He has invited every one of his followers to share the life of Christ with others in a sacrificial, intentional, global effort to multiply the gospel of Christ through others. He never intended to limit this invitation to the most effective communicators, the most brilliant organizers, of the most talented leaders and artists- all the allegedly right people that you and I are prone to exalt in the Church. Instead, the Spirit of God has empowered every follower of Christ to accomplish the purpose of God for the glory of God in the world. This includes the so-called wrong people: those who are the least effective, least brilliant, or least talented in the church."

 "Is it really possible to have all the trappings of the church and yet miss the heart of Christ? Is it possible for for the Church people to be so focused on personal comforts and so fearful of the potential cost that they virtually forget the purpose of God among all the peoples of the word?"

"We don't get saved by works, we don't stay saved by works, but if we are saved our faith will work."






About the Author
Dr. David Platt, is deeply devoted to Christ and His Word. David's first love in ministry is disciple-making—the simple biblical model of teaching God's Word, mentoring others and sharing faith. He has traveled extensively to teach the Bible and church leaders throughout the United States and around the world. Atlanta natives, he and his wife, Heather, made their home in New Orleans until they were displaced by flooding following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
David holds a deep and abiding passion for global disciple-making. "I believe that God has uniquely created every one of His people to impact the world. Some may count it as idealistic, but I believe it is thoroughly biblical, rooted in Psalm 67:1-2, yet covering Scripture from beginning to end. God is in the business of blessing His people so that His ways and His salvation might be made known among all people."
David practices what he preaches through his travel nationally and internationally, teaching from God's Word in churches, seminaries, the underground church or even under a shade tree in Africa or Latin America.
David and Heather were married in 1999. They are the parents of two sons, Caleb and Joshua, and a daughter, Mara Ruth.


October 12, 2012

Do Hard Things and The Rebeloution


I don't know about you, but for me I am really tired of hearing people say things like "your a teen, don't worry about it."  "After twelve your brain restarts and you go back to the age of two." "I am so proud of you all for being here instead of out smoking weed." or "I expect you guys to be mature and put your plates in the trash." Really? Adults are just glad that we aren't doing anything bad, other than that, their highest expectation is that we put our plates in the trash! That's how our world sees us teens. Because of the low expectation levels around us, teens have in turn lowered their standard of performance which causes adults to assume they are asking to much and lower expectations even more.This is the vicious and unending cycle that is has driven our generation to the level it is at today. The good news is that there is a another way to live our teen years.
Alex and Brett Harris present that different way in their book "Do Hard Things" The idea is a rebellion against low expectations. They call it " The Rebelution."

"In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 the apostle Paul writes, 'Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.' (NIV) We are convinced that the teen years are the primary time God has given to us for 'strict training.' "
"This is what we call the Rebelution: Throwing off the shackles of  lies and low expectations and returning our generation to a true and very exciting understanding of the teen years- not as a vacation from responsibility but as a launching pad for the rest of our lives."
This is the mentality that we should have, especially as Christians. We should daily as ourselves-

" What hard thing can I do today that will have an eternal impact for the sake of the gospel?" 
Just imagine that you took this charge and call to heart. Imagine what could happen if each of us took up the banner of the Rebelution for the glory of God in our circle of friends.
" Is it enough to be know for the things we DONT do, or should we also be known for the positive and difficult things that we DO? We must go beyond simply avoiding bad stuff...  We're supposed to pursue righteousness in a way that others will want to imitate..."
THIS IS OUR CHARGE AND CALLING!!!
" We are change makers who influence our world both by fighting against sin, suffering and decay, and by fighting for truth and justice. "
"We are commissioned not just to love God and His Word but to radically impact our world with life and truth."
William Pitt, the youngest Prime Minister, once said  "We're to young to know certain things are impossible, so we will do them anyway!" Let this be your spirit! And go Do Hard Things!

Disclaimer:I received this book for free from the Publisher for this review, every opinion expressed here in is 100% my own.