Tangible Acts

In this declaration and his ministry, Jesus showed that bringing freedom for captives and relief to the poor and oppressed is crucial to his divine mission. His ultimate act of liberation was his substitutionary death and victorious resurrection, which set his people free from slavery to sin and death. Yet his teachings and his example show us that proclaiming the good news of Christ's saving work should be accompanied by tangible acts of love, service, and mercy toward our neighbors if the gospel message is to be recognized in its full power. ~ Gospel Coalition

Two Things

Ministry is about Jesus and people. Jesus is amazing. People are fascinating. 

~ The Resurgence

Family commitment

"I recently spoke with a young leader and he asked me how you know which ministry opportunity is the best. I told him the best ministry is the one you marry. The family of God is like our own families. There is never an easy way to have a great family. It takes a covenantal commitment and lifetime investment."

~ The Resurgence

http://theresurgence.com/2013/04/17/7-things-i-ve-learned-from-dr-john-piper?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheResurgence+%28The+Resurgence%29

Learning, listening, serving

"First, the only way you will ever really come to know the kind of ministry that you are best at is if you do a lot of different things; then you will know what God blesses. Don’t look first at your proven abilities—at your day job or natural talents—to determine what you do in the church, because as mentioned earlier, God may not use that. Likewise, don’t look first at your deepest affinities—the things that excite and interest you. If you gravitate too quickly to those areas, you may miss latent gifts that you aren’t aware you have. Just serve—plug the gaps in the church and help out. Go through the door of opportunity in the church, doing what needs to be done, and then as time goes on you can check your affinities and abilities and begin to specialize. If you are in a church with many opportunities, you may be able to specialize earlier on in the process." ~ The Resurgence

http://theresurgence.com/2012/11/08/gifts-and-talents?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheResurgence+%28The+Resurgence%29

Evangelical focus

"Biblical evangelism focuses on communicating our need to respond to Jesus Christ as Lord of all, not on how we can get God to respond to our moral performance...It is the good and true news that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and evil through his own death and resurrection and is making all things new..." ~ The Resurgence

http://theresurgence.com/2012/10/20/going-back-to-believable-evangelism?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheResurgence+%28The+Resurgence%29

Stop to breathe & reflect?

"For Aristotle, contemplation is the activity in which human beings reach their highest fulfillment. For that, we need leisure. In our culture today, though, most people probably do not use their leisure to contemplate the good, the true, and the beautiful. Our leisure is filled more with entertainment than contemplation." ~ Gospel Coalition
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/10/08/the-purpose-of-work/

Your thoughts? 

Divine touch

"And how humbling to think that we followers of Christ, in our feeble attempts to love God and serve others, are in fact the means by which divine love touches the world." ~ Gospel Coalition

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/10/17/answering-skeptics-without-a-word/

Knowing hope

"Jesus told us to love God with our minds, and Peter prepared us to give a credible answer for the hope within us. The particular approach we take, however, will look different depending upon our particular personality and calling." ~ Gospel Coalition

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/10/17/answering-skeptics-without-a-word/

The way in work...

"...loving one's neighbor means to treat other human beings, particularly those we meet in our vocations, as intrinsic, not instrumental goods; that is, we see them as being valuable in themselves, and not just for how we can use them. This holds true for the way husbands and wives need to treat each other, and for the way a Christian business owner treats customers." ~ Gospel Coalition
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/10/08/the-purpose-of-work

In what way do you view people? 

Contextualization analysis

"The gospel itself holds the key to appropriate contextualization. If we over-contextualize, it suggests that we want too much the approval of the receiving culture. This betrays a lack of confidence in the gospel. If we under-contextualize, it suggests that we want the trappings of our own sub-culture too much. This betrays a lack of gospel humility and a lack of love for our neighbor." ~ The Gospel Coalition

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/10/17/surprising-benefits-of-theological-vision-for-ministry/

What's your work zone?

"Nevertheless, God providentially works through vocation so as to bless others despite the sinner's evil motives. (A business owner may have selfish motivations, but unless the business meets people's needs, it will not be successful.) For the Christian, on the other hand, ordinary labor and ordinary relationships can be transfigured, as faith discerns the presence of God, who is active in the humblest of callings. Our vocations become the arena for the Christian life, where sanctification happens, the site of 'faith working through love' (Galatians 5:6)."

"The doctrine of vocation, properly understood, frees us from our sinful selves through the gospel as our love for God overflows into love for our neighbors. Our very work becomes transformed not in its substance...but in its meaning and in its value." ~ Gospel Coalition
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/10/08/the-purpose-of-work/

In your work, what kind of mindset do you put on? Can you relate to the above?

What to blame?

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." ~ 1 Peter 3:15–16 (NIV)

Decorations

Table setup for an outreach event at LIALC. 

What propels?

"A problem pastors face is the lack of a living, humble, needy, celebratory, worshipful, meditative communion with Christ. There can be all kinds of ministry knowledge and skill, but that might be divorced from a living communion with a living and ever-present Christ. All this knowledge, skill, and activity can be fueled by something other than love for Christ and a deep, abiding gratitude for the love of Christ..."

"None of these things is wrong in themselves. Many of them are essential. But they must never be ends in themselves. They must never be the engine that propels the vehicle. They must all be an expression of something deeper, and that something deeper must reside in the heart of the senior pastor. It must ignite and fuel his ministry at every level, and what ignites his ministry must ignite every aspect of his personal life as well." ~ The Resurgence

http://theresurgence.com/2012/10/09/29-things-that-shape-a-pastors-ministry?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheResurgence+%28The+Resurgence%29

Wouldn't these concepts be relevant to all involved in ministry? What drives you in action?