Monday Musings #7
Happy Monday! It has been a rough past week. The news out of Florida has rocked our world and it is easy to feel like things are falling apart. But Christ can bring joy in even the most dark situations. I hope maybe something here will give you some encouragement as we head into another week. Welcome to another Monday Musings.
Weekly Resources:
Narrative Coffee - So anyone who knows me knows that I do not like coffee. I can’t stand the bitter taste and by the time I’m done with the creamer and syrups, it ain’t coffee no more. However, I found a coffee shop that I really like and actually has a coffee drink I found to be pretty dang good. They also have free wifi so that is also pretty awesome. Narrative Coffee, in Everett WA, is a great place to spend some time with friends, work on a blog, meet some very friendly staff and enjoy a cup of tasty joe. If you are ever in the Everett area, I highly recommend stopping by this awesome coffee spot and giving them a try. And remember, this is coming from a guy that hates coffee.
Missional Wear - I LOVE Missional Wear. It’s got all the “reformed” swag you could want. From t-shirts to coffee mugs, posters, notebooks or pint glasses, Missional Wear has got it all. They have a really cool website and I cannot tell you how awesome the designers are at their craft. You’ll just have to check them out for yourself. They truly are one of a kind and doing a great job at it. Head on over to Missional Wear for all of your swag needs! Oh yeah, they’ve got Bible covers too...they really do have everything.
Quote Of The Week:
“In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.” - J.D. Greear
Verse Of The Week:
2 Timothy 2:21 “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”
Thought Of The Week:
Sanctification is a topic it seems no Christian wants to talk about. The second someone begins to talk about abstaining from something or encouraging others to live a certain way the term legalist is automatically thrown out. This is unfortunate to me because this totally takes the biblical practice of iron sharpening iron and spurring one another on toward righteousness and throws it on its face. Although there are those in Christianity that truly are acting in a pharisaical manner, this term is quickly thrown around and it shouldn’t be. Sanctification is something we should all be practicing.
The question we should be asking ourselves is simple. Is what I am engaging in or abstaining from truly bringing God the most glory and representing Christ in the best possible way? We need to ask this question and be honest with ourselves in our answer. We must ask ourselves this question when it comes to the movies we watch, the material we read, the drink we consume, the activities we engage in and pretty much every aspect in our lives. There is nothing wrong with encouraging others in this. In fact, it’s biblical. Anyone who comes again this or calls this practice pharisaical or legalistic should probably check their own life and ask themselves if their critique is actually coming from a damaged or hurting conscience. This, sadly, is often the case.