Jeremy Jernigan Posts

PolarClock

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PolarClock

My March Madness Bracket

Jeremy's 2009 March Madness College Bracket

Recognition

My son Gavin is 4 months old today. His latest development is that he is now able to recognize Michelle and I. When he does, he gets a giant smile across his face, his nose scrunches, and he lets out his current version of a laugh. It is just about the greatest thing in the world. There is so much power in it. When he does it, I know that he is acknowledging that he trusts me, that he’s comfortable around me, and that he likes me. There isn’t much that can compete with the feeling that we get every time he recognizes us and responds.

And it’s got me thinking about two questions along these lines of recognition:

  1. Does the world recognize those of us that call ourselves Christian without us having to tell them? I mean, do they feel we are Christian because of the way we love them? Do they sense the Holy Spirit in our life and realize something is different? Do they trust us? Or do they only know what we believe because we verbally tell them? I hope people can recognize Christ in my life before I tell them.
  2. Does God recognize those of us that call ourselves Christian? I’m reminded of Matthew 7:21-24. Do we try and convince God through our words or actions that we are His follower or do we live in such a way that our dependence on Him is proof of it? Have we turned God or the Bible into a tool for us to advance our own intellect and egos or do we humbly submit to Him in every area? Are we actually following Him or expecting Him to keep up with us? Does God trust us? I hope God can recognize me as His follower without me trying to convince Him.

Church Like That

“Don grew up in a non-practicing Catholic home, watched his father convert to a Seventh-Day Adventist tradition, but only remembers the types of meat he couldn’t eat. His wife hates the idea of God, and Don’s already expressed his love of God but his disdain for organized church. Since he seemed open to talk, I lobbed up this question: ‘If Christianity was only about finding a group of people to live life with, who shared openly their search for God and allowed anyone, regardless of behavior, to seek too, and who collectively lived by faith to make the world a little more like Heaven, would you be interested?’

‘Hell yes!’ was his reply. He continued. ‘Are there churches like that?'”

– Hugh Halter in The Tangible Kingdom

Spam Evangelism

In light of my post last week where I interviewed the author of The Shack, I’ve again heard the ongoing battle of how we approach sharing our faith. Recently, I’ve heard different people talk about the damage that can be done by the book. So I want to take the opportunity to voice my concerns with evangelism on the opposite end of the spectrum.

There was an interview that World magazine did with author and speaker Mike Bechtle. In it, he coined a term called “spam evangelism” that I think nails a lot of the current styles of “spreading” Christianity today whenever we try and do it outside of a relationship. He shared a personal story to make his point:

“A college classmate decided to walk down Central Avenue in Phoenix at lunchtime and ask women to kiss him. He wanted to see how many people he would have to ask before someone took him up on it. After being repeatedly cursed, ignored, and slapped a couple of times, the 98th woman gave him a kiss. Using the logic of spam evangelism, he might say, ‘It was worth it, because I actually got one person to kiss me.’ I wondered about the other 97 women who might be more hardened than ever, more suspicious, and more wary of men approaching them on the street. In the same way, I think a lot of unbelievers have been hardened by aggressive witnessing technique.” – Mike Bechtle

Let’s just say that the biggest factor that pushed me into full time ministry was the desire to get the other “97 people” to give God and the Church another chance after being burned by the Spam Evangelism. There’s real meat out there, and it tastes terrific. But it means that you must take the time to earn the right to share your faith with someone.

OTR – William Paul Young

Paul Young (he actually goes by his middle name) is the bestselling author of the book, The Shack. As of this writing, The Shack is still the #1 NY Times Bestseller, 36 weeks running, over 6 million in print. The book will soon be appearing in more than 30 languages around the world and in audio versions in many countries as well. The book tells a fictional story of a man who gets a letter from God inviting him to a shack for the weekend where a horrible event took place in his life. His encounter with God changes his life forever, and it may just change yours as the reader too.

Because of the book’s massive success, Paul has been criticized by some for his theology in the book. From my perspective, if you read this as a fictional story of one man’s speculation about God, it can be a powerful encouragement for experiencing or renewing your own journey with God through the Bible.

You can check out Paul’s website here.

The Shack

Jeremy: Tell us something odd/unique about you.

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