Today in the modern Western church (which has been exported around the world in many ways) the false premise is believed that if we just learned more, than we would experience transformation. This is a massive lie that Satan wants us to buy in to in order that we stay stuck. The truth is that for many Christians transformation is rarely if ever experienced, as though the transformative power of the Holy Spirit is somehow lost (c.f. Gal 5:16). You can see this lie at work by the way we tend to think of church, bible study, and so on. For example, if the preacher has not given us some new way to understand something or view some topic or passage, or said something that isn't novel to us, than we think we have somehow been ill-served, somehow cheated from our spiritual growth. But let's be honest, one of the major motifs in the bible is God getting his people to remember and do what they already knew. Information + Inspiration ≠ Transformation So how do we battle against this false belief? The first step is to recognize the truth: information and inspiration by themselves will never lead us to sustained transformation. Now don't get me wrong, information and inspiration certainly have their place, and can play a vital role in our spiritual formation, but true transformation can only come when we are obedient to the will of God and his word (c.f. Rom 6:16; etc.). "Information & inspiration by themselves will never lead us to sustained transformation." The scriptures teach us that we are to walk with the Holy Spirit in order to overcome our flesh, which of course is the way that transformation from our flesh occurs, through the power of the Holy Spirit and not our own efforts, for we are slaves to our sin without the Holy Spirit. Obviously it goes without stating that genuine obedience springs from an origin of genuine faith. So the next time you find yourself reading your bible or listening to someone teach and preach, don't first ask yourself, "What new teaching can I learn?", but instead ask yourself, "How am I obeying what I already know?" #biblestudy #discipline

Question: This question comes from Ramoane: "I have some hermeneutics questions concerning how we apply Jesus' cancellation of the mosaic law. This is for a particular section in Leviticus about unlawful sexual relations (Lev 18), and more specifically verse 19. This came about because I've felt unsettled and am unsure of what the biblical stance should be on it... sex during the monthly period. As Christians do we have the freedom to be intimate during the monthly period? If so, what about the other sexual situations in the Leviticus passage? I think a majority of people would not argue that all of those situations outside of Verse 19 are still viewed as "detestable" things to do. However, from the people I've talked to since I started trying to study it out, there doesn't seem to be a problem with sex during the period. Why? Does God no longer view sex during the monthly period as detestable?." ANSWER: This is a great question, as it strikes at the heart of a Christian's view of the Old Testament and it's binding nature on their life. I would start by stating that Jesus did not cancel the law, but rather fulfilled it (Mat 5:17).  This may seem like semantics, but I think it is more than that.  The law, which was God's code for conduct for his people in order that they may be set apart and holy (notice the motif in Lev 18 about being different from the other peoples in the land) was completely and totally fulfilled in Christ, so that now in him we maybe be complete law abiders if we are found in him (c.f. Col 2:16-17; Phl 3:9; etc.).  So this would allow for us to engage sexually in regards to the monthly period (which could have had much to do with cultural realities such as health concerns without modern antibacterial technologies, plumbing etc., as well as perhaps the heart behind withholding children from a woman in a society where that was her primary function - c.f. the Lord's view of Onan in Gen 38). The question would then lie as to why the other prohibitions in Lev 18 would not now be allowed under the fulfilled law of Christ?  In this regard I would say that many of these prohibitions and principles are outlined in various ways throughout the New Testament (c.f. Rom 1; Gal 5; Eph 5; 1 Cr 5, 7; etc.) as still prohibited to the Christian. In short, as a Christian it would not be wrong to withhold sexual relations during your wife's monthly period, but I'm not sure the argument is very strong that it would be wrong to not do so either, while I believe that other passages in the New Testament do outline the prohibitions for Christians in regards to other sexual relationships discussed in Lev 18.

Question: This question comes from Mario: "How does one defend the trinity? And does it matter? I think of Mt 28:19 But it's not so much of a formulated three-in-one. I think of John 1 God is the Father. Jesus is the incarnation of God's self-expression (or verb) It seems more of a traditional creed. I think if I grabbed Paul and talked to him about a trinity, he'd look at me with confusion." Answer: To begin, I do think that the doctrine of the trinity is an important one, and I believe it is defensible, as it is progressively revealed in Scripture (meaning there are roots in the Old Testament, being more fully revealed in the New).  While the doctrine of the trinity is a difficult one to understand, much less explain, I don't think that makes it unimportant or irrelevant. You are correct that it seems it wasn't a formalized doctrine until after the early church (c.f. Nicene Creed 325 A.D.), but I think the fact that it became a formalized doctrine can give us insight into it's importance.  I'm not sure about your comment about what Paul's reaction would be to the concept of the Trinity, as it is of course speculation, but I'm not so sure that he would be confused.  It seems that Paul certainly saw Jesus as the Son of God and the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God, so perhaps his vernacular would be different than ours, but the concept of these different aspects of God, yet being God, are congruent within his writings and the other writings in the New Testament (c.f. Jn 1:1-4, 20:30-3; 1 Cr 12:4-6; 2 Cr 13:14; Eph 4:4-6; 1 Pet 1:2; Jude 20-21). I hope this helps, for a more thorough discussion on this topic you can see the chapter on the Trinity in Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (pg. 226-261).

Question: This question comes from Mario: "How does one defend the trinity? And does it matter? I think of Mt 28:19 But it's not so much of a formulated three-in-one. I think of John 1 God is the Father. Jesus is the incarnation of God's self-expression (or verb) It seems more of a traditional creed. I think if I grabbed Paul and talked to him about a trinity, he'd look at me with confusion." ANSWER: To begin, I do think that the doctrine of the trinity is an important one, and I believe it is defensible, as it is progressively revealed in Scripture (meaning there are roots in the Old Testament, being more fully revealed in the New). While the doctrine of the trinity is a difficult one to understand, much less explain, I don't think that makes it unimportant or irrelevant. You are correct that it seems it wasn't a formalized doctrine until after the early church (c.f. Nicene Creed 325 A.D.), but I think the fact that it became a formalized doctrine can give us insight into it's importance. I'm not sure about your comment about what Paul's reaction would be to the concept of the Trinity, as it is of course speculation, but I'm not so sure that he would be confused. It seems that Paul certainly saw Jesus as the Son of God and the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God, so perhaps his vernacular would be different than ours, but the concept of these different aspects of God, yet being God, are congruent within his writings and the other writings in the New Testament (c.f. Jn 1:1-4, 20:30-3; 1 Cr 12:4-6; 2 Cr 13:14; Eph 4:4-6; 1 Pet 1:2; Jude 20-21). I hope this helps, for a more thorough discussion on this topic you can see the chapter on the Trinity in Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (pg. 226-261). #biblestudy

In the Scriptures we find many concepts, ideas, and truths that are in tension with one another.  We find the very same thing in our lives, and thus we find ourselves living in the tension.  We find ourselves living in the tension of a fallen world and our own sinful humanity in rebellion to God, all the while the Spirit of God living inside us longs for heaven and cries out to God on our behalf (c.f. Rom 8) as we strain toward what is ahead (c.f. Phl 3). This also happens in acute ways in Christian leadership.  In Christian leadership there is a dynamic tension that seems to have an opposing polarity to it.  In a high performance culture (both secular culture and religious) the temptation to compromise basic Christian values such as love, community, truth-telling, confession and reconciliation, silent listening and waiting on God for discernment - for the sake of expedience, is extremely great. "There's tension between being and doing, community and cause, truth-telling and putting the right spin on things. There is a tension between the time it takes to love people and the need for expediency. There is tension between the need for measurable goals and the difficulty of measuring that which is ultimately in measurable by anyone but God himself. Holding to deep spiritual values in the face of the pressure to perform - however performance is measured - is one of the greatest challenges of Christian's living in tension." "Holding to deep spiritual values in the face of pressures to perform is one of the greatest challenges of Christian's living in tension." There is the tension between the need for organizational hierarchy with all the power dynamics this creates and the mutuality and interdependence of life and community to which we as Christians are called. There is the tension between knowing how to "work the system" and entering into trustworthy relationships characterized by trust and a commitment to one another's well-being. There is the tension between the need for an easy discipleship process through which we can efficiently heard lots of people and the patient, plotting and ultimately mysterious nature of the spiritual transformation process. And then there is the challenge of knowing how to speak of these things in fruitful ways in the very inside places of power without becoming polarized in our relationships with one another." (Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership) "The central question is, are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwelling gods presence, to listen to God's voice, to look at God's beauty, to touch God's incarnate Word and to taste fully God's infinite goodness?" - Henri Nouwen - In The Name of Jesus #ministry #leadership

Love triangles are adored and proclaimed in modern pop culture and media, making them out to be some sort of super fulfilling, exciting, and daring adventure not to be missed out on. Unfortunately, especially for those that have experience such things, love triangles are not what they are cracked up to be by pop culture. They are often sources of sadness, feelings of not being accepted, and emptiness. Some have heard of the Godly Love Triangle, which places God at the top of the triangle, and as two people pursue God of first importance, they will inevitably draw closer to one another as they pursue the same end. This, perhaps ironically and un-intuitively, produces the most fulfilling and healthy romantic relationships. Another form of a love triangle that is helpful is Sternberg's love triangle. In this triangle it is represented as a triangle with three necessary and mutually supporting sides: passion, intimacy, and commitment. "Passion motivates love; it is the physiological attraction that compels us toward an "other". By itself, though, it is a fickle force that can go astray or died down after the initial heat dissipates. Intimacy deepens love, as physical and emotional closeness come with increasing trust, honesty, and warmth. Commitment protects love by providing a safe context in which it can thrive. It acts like a wall that prevents the animals of doubt, defensiveness, or competing lovers from destroying the tender fruit growing in the garden. It provides a secure place where vulnerability, trust, and exclusivity can blossom." "Until we allow God to get to the heart of the issue and heal our desires, our intimate relationships will be lopsided, consistently marked by dysfunction." "If, however, one or more of these sides of the triangle is consistently absent from or over active within our romantic attachments for our relationship with God, it may point to a scarring or lack of proper attachment that we carry from my childhood. Until we allow God to get to the heart of the issue and heal our foundational desires, our intimate relationships will be lopsided, consistently marked by dysfunctional patterns." (Divine Sex, Grant, pg. 178-179) Allowing God to heal our dysfunctional desires is a process that takes time, and a lot of effort and soul work, but it is well worth the transformation that we are able to undergo through the power of God. (for more on this see Changes That Heal). When it comes to love, we can have relationships that are full of dysfunction and sorrow, often times when by mimicking (consciously or unconsciously) what we see portrayed to us in the media. But God is trying to restore us to meaningful and whole love, with Him and with others. Romantically we would be wise to build on a foundation that can withstand the pressures of life rather than on the shifting sands of fleeting desires. #relationships #dating #culture

Many of us as Christians have heard of the concept, and even some of the benefits of memorizing Scripture, and yet very few of us actually do it. Why is that? Many reasons could be preposed, and the truth is there are probably as many reasons as there are people, so I don't think I need to list many out here, but I'm sure the main one that comes to mind right now is: WHO HAS THE TIME?! Before I get to some practical ways to memorize Scripture, I think it's important for us to know why we are investing in doing it in the first place? Some benefits of memorizing Scripture: Memorization supplies spiritual power in your daily walk with the Lord (c.f. Ps 119:9-11; Mat 4:1-11) It can strengthen a weak faith (c.f. Prov 22:17-19) It can help prepare you for evangelism and effective discipling (c.f. Col 3:16; see how Christians utilized the word of God to witness in the book of Acts) It can provide fuel for spiritual meditation The first thing to practically memorizing Scripture is to be properly motivated to do so, and to believe that you can. Here are some practical ways to help you memorize: You must have a plan! In the beginning, any plan will do really ... the plan will inevitably evolve and shift to become more effective for you, but don't think you have to have everything lined up perfectly before you even begin! There are some great pre-packaged Scripture memory system out there to help you start such as the Topical Memory System Write out the verses. You can put them in your journal, or on index cards of whatever, just engage your mind by physically writing them out by hand (not just typing them into a computer) You can draw picture reminders. Anything to help your mind make connections to what you are memorizing. Even if they are just little stick figures or symbols it can be helpful for recalling them Memorize word for word. Pick a translation or version that you want to memorize in (most of my early Scripture memory happened in the current version of the NIV that was out at the time) and memorize it word for word. Obviously we know that no translation is perfectly translated word for word, but if you give yourself and out by just memorizing the "main idea" or something than you don't have an objective standard from which to gauge yourself and you are likely to just continue to lower the standard over time until you give up all together Memorize the Scripture reference. Again, no 'close enough's" here, correctly memorize the book, chapter, and verse (at least the book and chapter) Have a method of accountability. When I was working with a group of young single professional Christian men recently, I had Scripture memory homework for our training and discipling times together. We had to come prepared to recite our Scripture memory for that week and we all held each other accountable to it. Whatever your method of accountability (it doesn't even have to be with another Christian) just make sure that you have someone other than yourself helping you succeed (think of training in the gym with a partner vs. without one) Practice consistently. You can't really make progress in something you do seldomly. Set out to work on your memory Scriptures consistently, daily if you can, or at least start off with every weekday. Try rehearsing, repeating, and meditating on your memory verses as you go to sleep (this can be a great thing to do with your spouse as well), or as you drive in the car, or take a shower. There are ample opportunities of time that we actually have, but we simply don't utilized them well. Remember that the goal of Scripture memorization, just like every other spiritual discipline, is to become more like Jesus and get closer to the Father, not to puff ourselves up (c.f. 1 Cor 8:1) #biblestudy #discipline

This is where I must confess that although journaling has many great benefits to a person's spiritual life and is recommended as a spiritual discipline by so many people ... but, alas, I am not a great "journal-er". I don't know if it is because of my awful penmanship (thus making it difficult to go back and read much of what I wrote anyway) or if it is the emotional vulnerability and patience that it takes, both of which I am not the greatest at (I mean, I can't believe how slow it is writing by hand!?). But for many, journaling is a key ingredient and supplement that can help unlock great opportunities in a one's walk with God. Here are some potential benefits of keeping a journal regularly: A journal can become a diary that reveals to us our spiritual progress and can keep us focused on our goals and convictions, otherwise we can just be aimlessly running our Christian race (c.f. 1 Cor 9:24-27). Keeping a journal and also give you a mental and emotional jumpstart for your Bible study every morning as you can build on thoughts, themes, convictions, and stirrings from the Spirit that you might otherwise forget or not remember clearly … we all know how fallible our memories are. A journal becomes a sort keepsake, a way for you to chronicle your own life and walk with God to be able to share with others. Journaling can help in creating and preserving a sort of spiritual heritage, I know many people who have bookshelves full of their own personal journals (again, I am not one of those people). Journaling can help us in self understanding and evaluation (c.f. Rom 12:3). It can help us in meditation (a concept and spiritual practice that is completely foreign or misunderstood/misconstrued to most Western Christians). Keeping a journal can help in the difficult and vulnerable expression of thoughts and feelings to the Lord. No one will keep a record of their inward groans, fears, sins, experiences, providences and aspirations unless they are convinced of the value of the practice for his or her own spiritual progress. It was this very conviction which made it a common place practice in earlier times, but in the modern Western 21st-century culture of technology, the Internet, and tweeting ... this art form is rapidly dying. "Journaling was commonplace in earlier times, but in the modern culture of technology this art form is rapidly dying." There is no correct way to journal, whether it is digital through voice dictation, or with an old-fashioned quill and ink well, no one can experience the value of journaling without doing it first. As with all spiritual disciplines, journaling requires persistence through the dry times as the novelty of journaling wears off. Remember, the goal of becoming more like Jesus should be the main reason for beginning any spiritual discipline, including journaling. For more resources on journaling see: Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney Be Still My Soul by Sam Laing How To Keep A Spiritual Journal by Ronald Klug #biblestudy #discipline

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the sun.  The longer I live life the more I find this to be true.  Isn't that part of the beauty of the wisdom literature in the bible (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Song of Songs), as you live life and heed what these Scriptures tell you see that they are indeed wise, and from God! This made me think about the concept of "discipling" and how often in my spiritual context and culture, discipling is looked at as a linear need and practice. For instance I will hear things like, "who is discipling you, or him, or her"? And while I agree it is good and biblical that we practice one another relationships throughout our entire Christian walk (just search "one another" in the New Testament in any concordance and you will see what I'm talking about), many times in my experience however, it meant to be more of a training and teaching relationship, or just a let's constantly check in on each other because that helps us to feel like we are being spiritual.  It's like if you are 10 years old in the faith and you do not have someone "discipling" you, it can be as though you are somehow unspiritual, or even worse, prideful and rebellious! (which of course this could be the case). The problem with this however, is that it does not reflect the nature of training and one another relationships in the New Testament.  In the New Testament (Jesus and the apostle Paul would be prime examples) people taught and trained others for a season and for a specific purpose, then once that purpose was achieved they released them into "maturity" and "ministry".  This of course does not mean they never learned, grew, or matured in any way after that, it simply means their "discipling" was for a season, and for a reason. "Biblical discipling is for a season and for a reason." Ironically when we teach Christians to have an expectation that someone should be constantly teaching and training them throughout the course of their Christian life, we can be subtly instilling patterns of immaturity and unhealthy spiritual dependence - I do not mean the concept of growing in general and in various ways (c.f. 2 Pet 1), but a lack of being able to train one's self, being dependent on someone else (the opposite, being independent is also spiritual immaturity), rather than interdependent (c.f. Heb 5 - notice the writer's emphasis on training one's self). A picture that is helpful here is an adult still needing to be spoon fed by someone else in order to survive.  We immediately recognize if this is the case, there is some great deficiency and not considered healthy.  I also think the dandelion is helpful at this point.  I love the illustration of the dandelion which sprouts it's seed and it clings to the bud of the flower in bloom until it is mature, then it is released to reproduce itself. (For a great book on this concept see Real Life Discipleship). "Spiritual immaturity is marked by the inability to train one's self." If you have been a Christian for a while (however you might define that) ask yourself these questions: Are you still dependent in an unhealthy way on others for the basic survival of your Faith and Christian living? Are you able to consistently practice godliness and walk with Him faithfully without someone having to constantly "check in on you"? If these are applicable to you, think about what it is that you need in order to move forward to maturity. (read Hebrews and Real Life Discipleship) If you have been a Christian for a while (however you might define that) and you find yourself at a place of spiritual maturity, ask yourself these questions: Are you "discipling" anyone? If not, why not? If so, what does that look like? Do you have a plan to train them for a season and for a specific purpose, then release them to go and do likewise? Or do you find that you have them stuck on your spiritual umbilical cord? How can you come up with a plan to help the person grow to Christian maturity? A good place to start is to clearly define for yourself what is Christian maturity and what does it look like? (Real Life Discipleship is helpful here) Please don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying that no one ever needs "discipling", but rather I AM saying that the training and teaching we need should be seasonal and for a specific and intentional reason (like when we are new in the faith learning and practicing the foundational teachings of Christ for instance), not just so we can feel more "secure" in our spirituality.  Our Christian lives are varied, full of ups and downs and we should strive to reach a point where we are able to feed ourselves with "solid food". #relationships #biblestudy

1. Why do you go to church? Is it because that is what your parent do or did? Is it because that is where you can meet "nice" people? So you can increase your social life and have a community to belong to? Is it because that is where you can go to have your conscience appeased about the many wrongs that you feel guilty for? People go to church for many different reasons, but there are only a few that are the right reasons. All of these things have described me in one way or another at one time or another. Church is about Jesus. It is about worshiping him, praising him, and learning to become more like him, experiencing life to the full that can only come through him. It is about doing these things alongside others who believe this also. For there is one body, and we were all baptized into that one body (Eph 4, Rom 6). We cannot have Christ without His body, those who church hop or simply have a "me and Jesus" understanding do not know the scriptures (or are not being obedient to them). 2. Why are you a part of the particular church you attend? Is it because it is the most entertaining and self-fulfilling church you could find? Perhaps it is because it is the most convenient and the closest to your house with the shortest commute? Perhaps it has the greatest preacher, or singers, or worship band, or lighting and effects? There are many problems with this way of thinking when it comes to attending church. With an smorgasbord of church options in America, people attend a particular church over another for various reasons, but there are only a few right reasons. It is HIS body. Not ours. Not ours for our selfish consumption as though we were in the competitive marketplace of church, to suit our own particular fancy (for more on that see Consumer Gospel) as if we were deciding on which cell phone we wanted to buy next. There is only ONE church (Eph 4) and it is the one that Jesus died to establish, not the one that we decide is the most attractive. "Spoiler Alert: Church isn't about you." The right reasons to attend a particular church over another is not about your personal preferences, but where you can authentically and soundly pursue your faith biblically in the midst of a community. Seriously, ask yourself: What if your church ceased to exist tomorrow for whatever reason, where would you go to church next week? Would you go anywhere? Why? How long would it take you to commit to a local church community? What criteria would you be using to make your decisions for you and your family? What scriptures would guide you decision? Have you ever left a church because of personal preferences? What do you think God feels about that? What scriptures would guide your thinking? Under what circumstances do you think someone should leave a local church body? What scriptures would guide your thinking? #spirituality #culture