Dear Abby, Again
Four years ago, I wrote a blog post called Dear Abby. It was a fun reference to the old advice column that ran in the daily newspapers when I grew up. In my post I shared simple advice that I left with my daughter as I dropped her off at college. Time has flown. This week we drove to Southern California to celebrate that same daughter as she graduated from college. I thought it would be fun to revisit my original blog post and revisit the advice as she prepares to embark on her next life adventure.
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“Dear Abby, four years ago we dropped you off at college. At the time, I recognized that the years of active parenting were done. The day-to-day conversations we shared as dad and daughter were not going to happen as easily as when you were home. Instead, they were replaced with hand-written letters and the multiple text and video messages we have come to rely upon. At the time I left you with very simple advice: It’s all about Jesus!
Four years ago, I wanted you to know that no matter what college provided in the form of blessing or challenge, from relationships to education to religion to behavior, none of them would provide you with an identity or hope like you can find in Jesus alone.
Jesus is always the better choice.
I believe those four years that you lived on campus brought you all of those opportunities. Your faith was challenged. You were forced to ask questions as to what you believe. Your relationships were refined. Friendships were deepened. You grew up and away from your upbringing and were allowed to become who you are today.
Now, with your diploma in hand as you leave your undergraduate education to become a grad student and begin focusing closer on your career, allow me to remind you again. It’s all about Jesus! Sorry, the advice doesn’t change. As you face opportunities and make life choices, Jesus will always bring the better choice. I realize that this can sound either trite or confusing, so let me explain.
Choosing a career is very important. Where you choose to work and what you choose to do are important decisions. You will be enticed by salaries, benefits, locations, and jobs that seem amazing. Those are all very good things, but they are lousy places to put your hope. Unlike college kids from anytime in recent history, your education was disrupted on a global scale and you were given a front row to see how this statement rings true and just how quickly all of the promises of a career can disappear. Education can fail us. Financial systems can fail us. The government can fail us. Even your communities of friends can fracture over simple things.
However, when you put your hope in Jesus and remember that because God loves you, then you can live as loved and know that He will meet all of your needs. Putting your hope in Him frees you to follow Him and trust Him. Throughout 2020, I hope you were able to witness how when it comes down to the basics: It is all about Jesus.
It’s not a formula, but when your life is centered on the gospel (the belief that Jesus saves you and you don’t save yourself) and that God loves you and wants the best for you, then you can live in the center of that love and make decisions out of freedom. Your relationships change. Your desires change. How you live out your life changes.
Abby, if there is anything I want for you as you graduate this week, it is this: Live in the freedom that allows you to love and serve God wherever He leads you.
Mom and I love you. We are so proud of you.
It’s all about Jesus,
Dad
A Thin Veneer of the Gospel
theMangoTimes blog has been dead silent for more than a year. There were many things I wanted to write about during 2020, but it seemed like everyone was blogging and podcasting on the same subjects. I did not want to add another voice into the conversation about pandemics, sheltering in place, politics, racism, or why we should or should not be wearing masks. Lately though, I have not been able to shake a few thoughts and theMangoTimes always seems like a good place to write some things down and see how they land.
So, what would bring Fletch out of his blogging hiatus? The same as always: the gospel. It’s been over 10 years since I woke up from what I refer to as “gospel amnesia.” I know it sounds crazy from a guy who loves the gospel, but for a large chunk of my life I had done the unthinkable and forgotten the gospel. I got wrapped up with a group of people who thought and taught more about behaving than believing. Those years of pursuing religion through better behavior were some of the most fruitless years in my faith and I have no desire to return.
That's why theMangoTimes will continue to be a trumpet for gospel-centered promotion (and I hope discussion). It is also why I choose to surround myself with people who will regularly speak the gospel into my life. I appreciate the reminder to believe better because on my own I quickly return to focusing again on how to behave better.
This leads me to a trend I have seen this year. As 2020 blends into 2021, the virus and the politics surrounding the virus have continued to surge at a feverish rate. The desire for normalcy has led many in our community to a point of frustration and feistiness. The epitome of frustration can be seen in what the internet refers to as “Karens” or “Kevins” exploding in the local Trader Joes. What I find interesting is that this angst remains almost indistinguishable within the virtual walls of the church. Sure, it doesn’t represent itself in shared viral videos, but it remains suppressed within the minds and hearts of many in the church.
Our American culture has created a spirit of entitlement. In public we see this erupt in angry displays by people who will not “let their rights” be violated. In the church, I find it much more subtle. “Gospel amnesia” lives quietly under the surface and spreads quickly because many of us live with a very thin veneer of the gospel over our faith.
“The gospel becomes a banner we live under that says: You have been saved by faith. You are being saved by faith. You will ultimately be saved by faith. Period. ”
If we are being honest, the church has been hit by the perfect storm. For the past year, we have been forced to face a lingering pandemic, unavoidable issues of justice, and a front-row seat to one of our most contentious political seasons in history (Note: I am quick to be corrected by my father who loves to describe the similarities to the election of 1864).
For gospel loving Christians, we should be thriving in this environment. Who better than us to articulate the good news that God loves us and that His love is most clearly demonstrated in the redemptive work of Jesus on our behalf? Pushing this theology a little deeper, my favorite 16th-century monk, Martin Luther, would remind us that this happens only by God's grace. Jesus and only Jesus can do the work that saves us. We bring nothing to the table for negotiation of our salvation or our sanctification.
The gospel becomes a banner we live under that says: You have been saved by faith. You are being saved by faith. You will ultimately be saved by faith. Period. This knowledge should then translate into a demonstration of a deep love for one another or, to follow my metaphor, we should have a thick layer of the gospel that remains difficult to penetrate.
Has that been the case? I'm discovering something quite different. 2020 has revealed that because many of us have been living with a very thin veneer of the gospel, we are quick to forget these truths.
As I said above,, I’ve been working this out in my thoughts and with several in my community. I mentioned this recently as I walked with a friend who asked me to clarify what I meant. Think back over the last year with me. In conversations about politics, or our cultural/corporate behavior/response to Covid-19, or our response to justice, or any of the other challenging topics this year, have you witnessed a gospel response? I would argue that as soon as we begin scratching the surface in most conversations we will quickly find discussions and ultimately lives driven by "good or right" Christian behavior.
If the gospel reminds us how deeply loved we are by God, that should motivate us to "do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously." (Micah 6) Instead, 2020 revealed a church split over so many issues: From wearing masks to responding to issues of justice, citizenship, political candidates, to gathering in person for worship, to whatever. Instead of the gospel motivating and informing our response to instinctively care for others over ourselves, I found over and over this year that folks seemed to be driven by religious responses driven by self-focus and personal rights.
The solution for this seems so simple: Preach the gospel even more, right? It seems easy enough, but here's where things got real. In my little corner of the world, I began to hear statements like this: "Hey Fletch, you can't keep talking about the gospel. That's all you ever seem to want to talk about. Can we move beyond that topic? You clearly do not recognize the importance of holiness. I get the gospel. What we need to talk about is what it means to live out our faith in the fear of God."
“In other words, the gospel doesn’t just earn your salvation, but it maintains your salvation and secures your salvation. ”
This is exactly what I mean by a thin veneer of the gospel. This is represented in responses like this: The gospel is great, but only for getting our foot in the door. Once I am there, I am responsible for all of my behaviors, so thanks for the gospel mumbo-jumbo, but I need to hear and learn how to behave better. Oh yeah, by the way, I need to hear way more about the consequences of all my bad choices too. I can’t live on a diet of the unconditional love of God alone.
It reminds me of a life-changing conversation I had with a pastor who told me that the gospel is not just the “A, B, C's” of the Christian faith, but the “A to Z”. In other words, the gospel doesn't just earn your salvation, but it maintains your salvation and secures your salvation. At no time do we move on from the gospel. At no time do we hit a place where our work is required to maintain our position before God or secure our salvation.
When we have a year like 2020, where our faith has been given multiple opportunities to be on display, where do we look for motivation? In this season where we can choose to humbly serve our weaker brother or boldly stand for brothers and sisters who have been seen "lesser than" because of the color of their skin, their gender, their political beliefs, etc, shouldn’t it be the gospel that motivates us? The gospel is the constant reminder that we have been reconciled to God by His grace alone that motivates us. It's never our behavior. It's never our good works. It's never our righteousness.
As I mentioned, these conversations based on a very shallow penetration of the gospel have become almost unavoidable. In fact, they have seemed to ramp up and I love when others say that they've heard enough of the gospel and want to move on and start focusing on their obedience or working out their salvation. For me, it's like pouring gasoline on the gospel bonfire. It motivates me to remind others that the gospel-centered life is a life where Christians experience a growing personal reliance on the gospel that protects them from depending on their own religious performance and being seduced and overwhelmed by idols.
“True faith takes its character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”
When you bump into others who have reached the point of frustration and feistiness, turning inward to the “quality of their faith” does not provide hope, rescue or relief. As a teacher once explained to me, when you meet a drowning man you don’t tell them to: “Paddle harder and kick faster.” We do not possess the internal power to get things right and unfortunately every effort within ourselves will only lead to further collapse.
In his book, The Christian Life, Sinclair Ferguson had an amazing quote: “True faith takes its character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”
Now it's your turn. How important is your behavior to your faith? What do you bring to your salvation? What do you bring to your sanctification? Does the gospel get you in the door or is it the fuel behind every step in your faith? Have the challenges of 2020 and 2021 pushed you one way or the other. Let me know in the comments or feel free to connect with me privately by email. I’d like to hear from you.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
The Gospel Revisited
I can't review this enough times...and he kills it.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
The Heart of Man, The Love of God
Don't miss this one!
You have one more chance to see this great movie!
I love movies. I love movies that are made well. I love films where the director focused his lens on beauty. But I really love movies that make me think and potentially change my view on the world.
The Heart of Man is one of those movies. As a reader of my blog, I don't want you to miss your once chance to see this film on a big screen, surrounded by a full audience in a public theater environment. It really is worth your time and money to experience this film in a theater.
You know how much I love to talk about the gospel and the love of God. It is part of my everyday conversations around here. It is so rare that a film is made and communicates the concepts of God's love and redemption so clearly.
FILMING TECHNIQUE
The Heart of Man is filmed in a unique way. It very clearly depicts individuals and couples who share their personal lives in a documentary interview format. They are quick to walk you down to the dark spaces in their journey with God. Addictions, hurt, damage, and pain are on display. (Note: this film speaks candidly about sexual sin and you should consider who you bring - more on that below). Had the director stopped there, I would simply not recommend this film. There are plenty of places on the internet where you can listen and watch folks open up honestly about dark sinful choices and how they were redeemed.
“What if our brokenness is a bridge, not a barrier?”
This director does not stop there.
Within the personal interviews, the director weaves a story of The Prodigal in a beautiful and vivid way. The story is simple and easy to follow, but is told without dialogue. This is why you must see this film. The images still burn in my mind. To see the depth of the love of God and what He does to pursue us before, during and after our descent into sin is life-changing.
THEMES
This film speaks clearly to themes of sexual addiction, infidelity and sexual abuse, but in no way should you pigeon hole this movie in that way. It's a movie about living in freedom and knowing that the Father loves you and pursues you and never gives up on you.
This is a film for those struggling in addictions. A film for those struggling with sin. It is a film for those struggling with loss. It's a film for those struggling with despair and a loss of hope.
In fact, I would say that this film is made for everyone. Sinner. Saint. Believer. Unbeliever. Christian. Non-Christian. Protestant. Catholic. Muslim. Jew. Hindu. Buddhist. Gay. Lesbian. Transgender. Man. Woman.
DISCUSSION
I believe this movie will begin discussions on your walk back to the car. You will leave a changed person with a desire to talk through certain scenes, how they were filmed and what they communicated and how you feel about it.
Kendra and I saw it on opening night during a limited release. We immediately made plans to purchase this film and turn it into a community event where we could invite our friends who are waking up from Gospel Amnesia and those who are discovering the love of God for the first time. We were stoked to hear it was out on re-release for one more night.
What about kids? We have learned to have discussions sooner rather than later. That being said, we would not hesitate to take OUR 10 year old son. We've had hard conversations already. This film would only serve to clarify the love of God in his life. We are willing to step in and talk about themes of sexuality, lust, adultery, pornography and the brokenness in the world. If you aren't prepared for that, you might want to consider who you invite along.
Are you interested in joining us? Leave a comment or contact me here and we'll keep you in the loop.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Dropping Nate At College
I wrote a blog post over at Homeschooling In Real Life today. I shared a little of my experience dropping Nate off at college and the advice I gave to him as we parted ways. Are you wondering what we talked about?
Let me give you a hint. It's Fletch, all my conversations boil down to the same thing: The Gospel.
Click on the picture to read: What I Said To My Son When I Dropped Him Off At College.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Freedom In Christ
I updated my MacBook Air this week with the new Mavericks operating system. I love the iBooks app that comes pre-loaded. Reading on my computer? Are you kidding me? Yes, please. As I opened my library, one of the stored books I found was The Radical Reformission, by Mark Driscoll. I remember reading and enjoying this book several years ago when I was trying to read books on my iPad.
I enjoy finding old books that I connected with at a different time in my life. This was one of those books. At the time, I was in the midst of recovering from Gospel Amnesia, this was one of the books that spoke to me from nearly every page.
This section below was one of the few I had highlighted. I even wrote a blog post about it once. It's worthy of a second mention.
“Reformission is ultimately about being like Jesus, through his empowering grace. One of the underlying keys to reformission is knowing that neither the freedom of Christ nor our freedom in Christ is intended to permit us to dance as close to sin as possible without crossing the line. But both are intended to permit us to dance as close to sinners as possible by crossing the lines that unnecessarily separate the people God has found from those he is still seeking. To be a Christian, literally, is to be a “little Christ.” It is imperative that Christians be like Jesus, by living freely within the culture as missionaries who are as faithful to the Father and his gospel as Jesus was in his own time and place.
I am advocating not sin but freedom. That freedom is denied by many traditions and theological systems because they fear that some people will use their freedom to sin against Christ. But rules, regulations, and the pursuit of outward morality are ultimately incapable of preventing sin. They can only, at best, rearrange the flesh and get people to stop drinking, smoking, and having sex, only to start being proud of their morality. Jesus’ love for us and our love for him are, frankly, the only tethers that will keep us from abusing our freedom, yet they will enable us to venture as far into the culture and into relationships with lost people as Jesus did, because we go with him.”
Excerpt From: Mark Driscoll. “The Radical Reformission.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=362055909
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
C.S. Lewis - Because He Loves Us
Yes. I'll never get sick of hearing this story.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Doing Math With Mark Driscoll
I saw this on Facebook this morning. Read it slowly. After reading through the 122 comments, it's clear that most people did not read the whole statement and just wanted to attack the messenger. In this case, forget the messenger and focus on the message.
This statement isn't so much about our obedience to God, but about our motivation. We still obey, we still submit, we still honor, but when we do it to "get something from God" it's a form of religion. When we know the love of God, it motivates us to obey. That's the gospel. That's Christianity.
I got this backwards for many years and worse than that taught my kids some crappy math along the way. We never measured up (much like Dolores Umbridge) and entered a vicious cycle of trying harder to achieve.
Don't believe me? Do you think your acceptance is about obedience to God? Do you really believe He will love you more if you obey Him better? Let me encourage you to stop trying so hard to be a better behavior and become a better believer.
Quetly making noise,
Fletch
The Gospel, Andrew, Tattoos
"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
Upon encountering Jesus for the first time, Andrew immediately recognized Him as the messiah. He dropped his nets, his profession, and his livelihood and grabbed his brother Peter to go and follow Jesus.
For three years Andrew listened and learned and travelled with Jesus. He assisted personally with the ministry of Jesus. He was there during private moments of personal instruction. Andrew was involved and committed to the work and mission of the Messiah.
Fast forward to the end of the gospels and the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. We get a peek into a few of the other disciple's thoughts and actions, but I wonder what Andrew thought when he saw that Christ was arrested, tried and then killed? According to the accounts of Matthew and Mark, we know that when Jesus was arrested, all the disciples fled. We know that his brother Peter hung around in the distance, but I wonder if Andrew hid in fear?
I'm not speculating from scripture, but considering what I would have done in the same situation. If I had followed someone and identified myself with them and their ministry, what would my reaction be to a swift arrest, trial and execution. What was Andrew's response? Did he (and the others) feared they would be next in line for the cross?
I wonder if Andrew ever felt like he had been duped. He gave up everything to follow Jesus and become a "fisher of men" only to end up with his leader being tried and executed as a criminal and blasphemer. Did it (even for a moment) cause him to second guess the previous few years of discipleship?
If so, his questions and doubts were quickly addressed within days as Christ began to make his appearances to the disciples and confirm that He was in fact alive! Then Pentecost and the filling with the Holy Spirit. All the disciples, Andrew included, received supernatural power and spilled out into the streets speaking in the dialects of all the pilgrims who were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost.
Church history tells us that Andrew fulfilled his calling. He continued to fish for men throughout the near East and as far north as Russia. His eventual martyrdom took place in Patras, Greece. Legend states that when Andrew was crucified, he was bound on a cross and requested the shape of an X, so as not to find equality with Christ in death.
Some of the relics of Andrew can be found in Patras, including his cross, but several of his relics are located in a cathedral in Amalfi, Italy. We had the opportunity to travel through Italy last month and although I do not subscribe to saint worship, I loved the opportunity to visit Amalfi and visit the tributes to my favorite apostle.
I was not named after the apostle. My parents did not have hidden plans for me to become an evangelist. At my birth I was named after my Italian grandfather: Andrew Carlino. However, my new life with Christ began with a simple invitation to follow Jesus and along the way I have found many people willing to listen to the GREAT NEWS that Jesus offers to us here, now and in the future. Like Andrew's brother Peter, some of those people continue to follow Jesus with me today!
Was it worth getting the tattoo? You bet. I have more discussions about the calling of Andrew and the good news of Jesus because of that tattoo. Here's the bigger question: Will it be worth an X-shaped cross? Pray for me that the answer will always be yes.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
theMangoTimes - Reevaluating Ourselves
July has been a really crazy month here in Mangoland. I don't need to go into the details here on the blog, but it was another opportunity for our family to navigate through tricky waters and ultimately see the power of the gospel living out in real time.
Here at theMangoTimes, this provided a necessary break for us to stop, breathe deeply and reevaulate what we are doing here online.
The first thing to change was the design of the website. I love hosting on Squarespace. Not only do they provide great customer service, but they have a great platform and provide me with everything I need to make an intelligent website that also looks great. I have wanted to change the way theMangoTimes looks, feels and functions. I wanted something a little cleaner and easier to use. Once again Squarespace provided a clean and easy template to accomplish my goals.
Hopefully the site is cleaner, with solid content and easier to navigate whether you access it online or through a mobile/tablet device. Again, a cool thing of SS is the optimization of your websites on any device.
I also picked through the blog and removed defunct posts and retagged everything for better searching. Basically, it was time to toss a bunch of old stuff out and clean up what was left. I've written for six years and there was a lot that needed to be deleted.
Ultimately, I did this for myself. I cleaned up the site visually and reduced the amount of content my readers have to navigate. But what about my readers? Is theMangoTimes and attractive site? Is it working for you? Do I need to focus my attention on another part of my site? Is there content missing? Items or topics I have failed to address in the blog? Leave a comment or pop me a quick private note and let me know where I can improve my site. Thanks!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
How People Change 2013 - Join Me!
If you have been hanging around theMangoTimes for the past few years, you know how often we like to talk about the gospel and how it centers us from looking for our identity in the "practices" of religion or the traps of the world.
On April 26th and 27th I will be attending the "How People Change 2013" in Modesto, CA. Several churches, organizations and individuals are bringing Tim Lane, president of CCEF for a two day conference that focuses on just this topic. Understanding our identity in light of the gospel.
I recommend this conference to ANYONE wanting a deeper understanding of the gospel. If you are struggling in your faith, feeling like it's "hard work," or wondering what it was that woke our family up from "gospel amnesia" then I would love to have you join us for this event.
It is open to individuals, church leadership, so feel free to share this with others. For more details you can click through the photo above to the conference website, or take a look at this video put together by some leaders in our church:
If you have any questions or would like to hang out with me at the conference, let me know!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
New Perspective
Are you having a tough day? A tough week? A tough month? A tough year? Check out David's story for a new perspective.
I love I Am Second.com and the work they produce. Some videos more than others will grab me in the moment. This week it was David's story that I found particularly good!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Easter 2013 Thoughts
To accommodate a recent surge in growth, our church celebrated Easter this year at a large community center that we rented in downtown Modesto. Esthetically, I love worshipping in this building. In a prior life, the building and grounds housed an old multi-bay brick garage where the county vehicles were serviced and maintained. Since then, this large building has been gutted and beautifully renovated for community events, but the old brick walls remain and it maintains a historic look.
The location is perfect too. The building is located in the center of downtown Modesto and sits across the street from the Stanislaus County Jail. What a perfect venue for an Easter celebration.
We sang loudly this morning. We sang about Jesus. The Redeemer. The one whom the Bible declares came to set the prisoners free.
Throughout the entire Easter service, sitting a few hundred feet away from a literal and physical prison, I found it hard not to make the connection. My imagination drifted to what it would look like if someone walked in to the county jail and unlocked the prison doors to let each of the prisoners free.
Prisoners would run out, right? They would run from their cells as quick as they could, right? That is what our Easter celebration was about this morning. Easter is about celebrating Jesus and the freedom He brings us from sin and bondage.
Yet I am baffled by those who choose to remain in prison. Although freedom is offered, they refuse. I am baffled by others, who accept the gift of freedom only to return to a new prison cell that they create out of their own religious behavior and morality, they've exchanged one prison for another.
If we are free, we are free indeed. Free to follow Jesus and serve Him, because of His work on our behalf. It reminds me of the line in the hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing: "Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee."
The goodness of God. The love of the Redeemer. It draws us out of our prisons of sin and religion into loving obedience to our savior.
Happy Easter.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Good Friday 2013 - It is Finished
It Is Finished
“So, by all means work! But the hard work is not what you think it is—your personal improvement and moral progress. The hard work is washing your hands of you and resting in Christ’s finished work for you—which will inevitably produce personal improvement and moral progress. Progress in obedience happens when our hearts realize that God’s love for us does not depend on our progress in obedience. Martin Luther’s got a point: “It is not imitation that makes sons; it is sonship that makes imitators.”
The real question, then, is: What are you going to do now that you don’t have to do anything? What will your life look like lived under the banner which reads “It is finished?”
Social Media Feeding Frenzy
I love when someone really gets the Gospel and begins to live under a banner that reads "It is Finished!" I love when they declare that publicly in the arena of social media. I love to watch how this juicy morsel tempts others to swoop in and warn everyone of the danger of taking the Gospel too far. It's like watching a bucket of bloody chum on shark week.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Religion and Affections
From Convergence, Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist by Sam Storms
"There is a lot of "religion" in the world, rituals, rites, gestures, beliefs, acts of moral virtue, charity, as well as organizations and institutions and traditions designed to perpetuate and promote it, ostensibly to the glory of God. But without holy affections, all such activities and the effort to advertise them are nothing but wind.
Those who would insist on the intellect of man or the doctrinal accuracy of his thoughts as the pinnacle of religous expression need to consider that no idea or attitude or theory or doctrine is of value that does not inflame the heart and sir the affections in love and joy and fear of God.
Those who would argue that moral obedience is the essence of religion fail to see that such behavior is only good to the degree that it springs from and finds its source in the holy affections of the heart as they are described in Scripture."
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
The Gospel - A Golden Ticket?
Are you sick of hearing about the gospel around here? I hope not. I need it. You need it. That's the point. I repeat this theme often here on theMT, because we are so quick to look for our identity elsewhere. We are so quick to shift our hope to anything but Jesus. We will try to find purpose, value and security in the things of the world or in religious behavior and it is the gospel which centers us.
We need reminders that the gospel is the only thing that has the power to save us. The world will try to lure us in by appealing to our flesh, providing quick fixes to help us feel better about ourselves in the moment. Religion does the exact same thing, only it's wrapped up to look acceptable. We may not feel good about what the world has to offer, but we will run enmasse to get our "fix" from religion.
Like an anchored pendulum between both extremes you will find the gospel, the good news. In the gospel, we find we are accepted by God because of what Jesus has done. In the gospel we find that we have worth and value as sons and daughters of God. In the gospel we find that we are secure in Christ, because He has secured us a place in eternity. Last but not least, we find our identity in Christ. We do not need to find our identity in sex, drugs and rock and roll. Neither do we need to find our identity in a church or a religious behavior. Our identity is hidden in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Amen?
That's why we keep returning to the gospel here regularly at theMangoTimes. Funny enough, I was in a conversation last week with a friend about this exact thing. I encouraged him toward a lifestyle of gospel centrality, but he told me that he had recently heard a sermon at church that seemed to contradict this exact advice. He relayed that the sermon had equated a daily return to the gospel with a stagnate marriage. Dwelling daily on the message of the gospel would be like never growing in your relationship with your wife beyond the feelings and experiences you shared on your wedding day. My friend had been taught that a daily dose of the gospel would mean zero growth. It would be no different than repeating the events of your wedding day over and over and over again.
Naturally he had questions for me and what I meant by daily reminders of the gospel. We laughed together as I dismissed the thought that I was describing gospel centralilty as a religious version of the movie Groundhog Day, where things stay the same perpetually.
Ground Hog Day? A stagnate marriage? Obviously, those comparisons are absurd and totally misses the point of living centered on the gospel.
To help clarify my point, I am excited to point you to Tullian Tchividjian's new website, Liberatenet.org, which went live last week. It contains blog posts and a variety of other resources. One of my favorite finds on the site is a section called "Conversations" and I would recommend all of them. For this post, let me recommend a great conversation between two panelists from The Whitehorse Inn radio program and Tullian Tchividjian on the topic of The Gospel in the life of the Christian. In this conversation, they specifically mention that the gospel is not just "your ticket into Christianity" but that which sustains the life of the Christian.
(Embeded courtesy of liberatenet.org)
Good News vs. Good Advice
"All other religions give advice, and they drive everything you’re doing on fear."
Tim Keller
I am reposting and linking because the Resurgence blog post is good. I am reposting and linking because Keller's original talk is good. In truth, I'm reposting and linking because I needed to hear it again. That's the funny thing about "gospel amnesia," I'm never really cured of that pesky illness.
This post and Keller's original words at the GC event caused a bunch of thoughts to begin swirling around my brain. I know it is a common theme around here, but a good one to keep in front of us regularly. I've started my own list below. Feel free to join me.
Good advice is offering up fancy theology.
Good news is telling others the simple story about Jesus.
Good advice will teach security in traditions, vestments and liturgy.
Good news will teach security in Christ alone.
Good advice takes people to a perfect church.
Good news takes people to an empty cross.
Good advice leads others to memorize a catechism or confession.
Good news leads people to memorize three words: "It is finished"
Good advice says "this is how we do it right."
Good news says "This is what Jesus did. It's done!"
Good advice nails a list of "do's and don'ts" to the wall.
Good news points people to three bloody nails.
Good advice talks about dressing your best for church.
Good news talks about being dressed in the garments of Jesus.
Good advice gives a pair of gold-plated/diamond-studded handcuffs.
Good news gives a pardon.
Good advice says, Jesus plus something.
Good news says, Jesus plus nothing.
That will get the ball rolling, feel free to leave your own in the comments below.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch