Welcome to The Edge. Thanks for taking a moment to read through this blog. Maybe the first word that needs to be said is "Glory to God!" in all things, including this part of the website. 
 
The second word has to do with the nature of the title of this blog. As I think about the life and ministry of Jesus, "the edge" is the place I see him constantly leading his followers to. Calling disciples to leave the life they had known to discover life as they had never known it--that took them to the edge. Inviting Peter to walk on water with him no doubt drove him to the very edge of his faith.  The edge is the place where we come to the end of ourselves, and God stretches his hands out to bid us to come still further. We must choose either to step back from the edge, or to trust him and go forward.

It is my prayer that this site will give us a venue to explore the edge together and to see what we can discover about our great God. Some topics will be very light, others a bit heavier, but all are meant to encourage us and challenge us to be bold in our walk with Him. I hope that is what we will all experience as we share perspectives with each other.

Day 40    Living With Purpose
Acts 13:36 is a great verse for us to take away from our 40 days of study. It speaks of how David fulfilled God's purpose for him in his generation. God has a great purpose for every one of us in this generation as we live according to his purposes for life. We won't fully comprehend all the ways that God has used our lives until we are beyond it in eternity. But we can be sure that the more we seek to cooperate  with the Lord in those areas of purpose, the more fruitful our lives will be. May the Lord give us a clearer vision of what that means for each of us, and the strength of his grace to act on it. 

DAY 39   Balancing Your Life 
Now that we've had a chance to ponder God's five purposes for our lives, how serious will we be about commiting to them?  Are you at least ready to consider the first suggestion that the author makes, to form a small group to meet regularly to talk through and share what we are learning about living for God's purposes? Please pray about this and be prepared to discuss it Wednesday night.

DAY 38   Becoming a World Class Christian
I really appreciated what Warren had to say about our mission in the world. If people living 20 centuries ago had a big enough vision to carry it in parts of the world that were unfamiliar to them, why shouldn't we? I'm sure they had needs closer to home to tend to, as do we. But our commission from the Lord is to GO. As the reading says, the only barrier to it is the way we think. There are so many opportunities out there for us to do good.  
What are your thoughts about maybe banding with a few others and going on a short term mission trip?

DAY 37   Sharing Your Life Message
This chapter gives hope to us who feel nervous about sharing our faith.  It's not just about knowing all the right arguments and answers; it is being willing to tell someone else the difference God has made YOUR life. All of us should have something to say about that.  
  Here's a challenge for you (you can use this blog space or be willing to share a line or two with the group on Wednesday night):
 How did you become a Christian?  OR
 How has following Jesus changed your life?   OR
 What valuable life lesson(s) has the Lord taught you?    OR
 What has following Jesus made you passionate about?  

I know you can think of answers to these questions, but I urge you to SHARE them with the rest of us!

DAY 36   Made for a Mission
This week's theme represents to me one of the most thrilling and the most intimidating aspects of our being followers of Jesus. I know of nothing which gives more spiritual energy than sharing Jesus with others and seeing them respond to Him. But we still have concerns and reservations. How do talk about Jesus to others in a way that is natural, not contrived or forced? How do I do it in a way that really does come across as good news to them? What if they have questions that I can't answer and I look foolish? What happens if I share Good News with a co-worker or a neighbor and they reject it-- where do we go from there? 
Does anyone have an experience with this they'd like to share? 

We are starting Week 6; can you believe it?  This week ties several streams of thought together and reminds us we are people who were created for a mission. There are only 5 chapters this week, so it allows a little time for catch up if we need it.
Let me encourage you to keep on focusing on the readings.  Some have expressed a desire to extend this study beyond next Wednesday.  That could be a very fruitful endeavor if we could get at least 8-10 people who were willing to commit to it. Please let me know by or at next Wednesday's meeting if you are interested (you could make it your first post to the blog if you like!)

DAY 35   God's Power in Your Weakness
At first I wondered, what has this got to do with service?  But in the paradoxical way that God often works, we are hampered by our weaknesses only when we don't allow ourselves to be weak!  My favorite line from this chapter--"At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people."  

Day 34    Thinking Like a Servant
Servants think like stewards, not owners.  There is a lesson that has to be learned over and over. Our culture has a very pervasive entitlement mentality. Life is about attaining everything I've got coming to me. It is a real eye opener to travel outside of our culture to places where people still bow or defer to others out of a sense of honor. I'm not advocating a class system. I think Christ like faith teaches us that we ALL should be bowing and deferring out of a desire to honor ONE ANOTHER. That doesn't make us less as humans; it makes us more like Christ (Phil.2:5)

DAY 33   How Real Servants Act
Which of the six characteristics of real servants presents the greatest challenge to me? 
For me, I'd have to say the premise that real servants do every task with equal dedication. I don't mind menial or mundane work, but if it's something I'm not that interested in, it doesn't get the same attention or energy as something that I'd prefer to do. 

DAY 32   Using What God Gave You
It is a great gift to be able to accept who God has made us and to revel in it. That doesn't mean we don't need to still grow and improve, of course we do. But I remember a line from a children's song I used to hear: "I  just thank the Father for making me me."
The warnings from today's readings were good--don't compare your ministry to others, and don't conform your ministry to other's expectations. The world needs more originals like the Lord made us to be, in our thinking and in our actions, and not more clones of the same old thing that is already out there. 

DAY 31   Understanding Your Shape
Most of us have had times when we have been forced to function in a job or a task that was not a good fit for us. Having a sense of the particular ways God has enabled me to serve really cuts down on frustration.
The thought that stood out for me from this chapter was the idea that "God never wastes a hurt". Even though the hurt may have not been a good thing in itself, God can use it to specially qualify me to help someone else. That sure takes some of the sting out of it. 

DAY 30    Shaped for Serving God
It is very affirming to think that, just as the Lord assigned me a specific DNA to produce a unique me, so so also he forms me in a particular "shape" (blend of Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experience) to prepare me for serving others. I see a lot of truth in what Warren says about our tendency toward "gift envy" and "gift projection". We seem to affirm only a narrow concept of what ministry is, when obviously we've been designed in a way that leaves us open to wonderful creative approaches to how and whom we serve. 
"In what way can I see myself passionately serving others and loving it?"

Today we begin week 5 out of 6 in this study! Keep up the good work!  Don't be discouraged if you've gotten a little behind.  I encourage you not to rush through the readings, but take enough time to reflect. As they say about reading the Bible, the point is not for me to get " through it", but for it to get "through me"!   

DAY  29   Accepting Your Assignment
Even though I think we all have a natural selfish bent, it is thrilling to know that God's purpose for me is to add value and contribute to others, not just to consume and take for myself. We derive a form of happiness from getting and doing what we want, but in the end it makes us smaller as people. God's will is to make us larger by connecting us to what is greater than ourselves. It opens up whole new dimensions of joy.  A big challenge for me in this is that I want to serve, but I want to serve in the ways I want to serve! 

DAY 28    It Takes Time
I liked the imagery of establishing a beachhead in this chapter. I had heard it used of how the enemy works his way into our lives. It's encouraging to think that God has established a beachhead and continues to take more and more ground in my life!  It is a long process sometimes because we still resist and put up a fight. And we get plenty of bad influence from the enemy that slows us down.  On the positive side, a long slow process of redeeming us keeps us dependent on the Lord, as it should be. 

Day 27   Defeating Temptation
Even though temptation never goes away completely, God provides the resources and skills we need to overcome. 
One resource that is very valuable yet terribly underused is fellow believers. Several years ago when I had been married for less than 10 years, I was struggling with some bad habits related to being a husband and a father. I was very blessed to have a friend with whom I could mutually share problems who lived a few hours away. We were committed to praying for each other. Every month or two we would get together and talk over how things were going.  From that one experience I learned the value of having a Christian brother to be accountable to, and have formed other relationships like that over the years. 

 DAY 26   Growing Through Temptation
It is helpful to understand that temptations come from within. We all have our own set of weaknesses, which the enemy tries to exploit to cause our downfall. It is not pleasant to confront or admit our weaknesses, but it sure does give us an edge in overcoming them. It is also crucial to know that God never allows us to face more than we can handle, but He always provides a means of escape.  This is a lifelong battle that we have to deal with, but it is also one of the Lord's means of refining our character. 

DAY 25    Transformed by Trouble
No one likes trouble.  We try to avoid it. And when we do encounter unavoidable trouble, we see it as an annoyance and an intrusion into our lives. This chapter reminds us that God redeems trouble; he uses it to bring about good. We don't have to rejoice in the pain or struggle of it, but we can rejoice that the Lord uses it to produce character in us and a closer relationship with him.  

DAY 24   Transformed by Truth
The need to hear and obey God's word is so basic to who we are, and yet we manage to make it something difficult.  I really like the idea in this chapter that daily Bible reading keeps us "in range of God's voice".  It also struck me that early Christians would not have easy access to Scripture. Maybe this is yet another reason why they continued to meet in the Temple and synagogues, to hear the Word read.
Over the years I have wrestled (perhaps like you) with different ways to stay faithful to dwelling in Scripture. One thing I have learned is that no matter how little or much I read in a given day, if I find a way to trust and apply it, then the Lord will use it as an occasion to transform me, even if just a little. 

 DAY 23   How We Grow
   This reading points out a major misconception I operated under for years. We focus on getting people baptized and saved as if that was God's ultimate goal for us. But that is just the beginning. Being baptized is our way of saying, I accept the death of my own will, I accept the journey of following Jesus, as well as the forgiveness he purchased for me.
    It is an intentional commitment.  And as we learned last week, this necessarily involves committing ourselves to a group of fellow travelers. It is the laboratory where God trains us to love him and love people. What a good thought to be reminded of on Good Friday. 

 DAY 22    Created to Become Like Christ
This week we explore the third purpose for which we are designed--to become like Christ. How awesome that it was God's intention from the beginning that our destiny is to be like Jesus!  No matter how unlike him I feel at this particular point in time, God is able and will be faithful to accomplish this.  Where we might be content just to have comfort or personal security in Christ, to "letting God save us", he is committed to completing our character to be like him. This is the place where we are tested to see if we really do desire him and the life he offers. 

DAY 21     Protecting Your Church
It this discussion of being a family and a fellowship, it is very important to recognize that there are attitudes and actions that will undermine and even destroy it. We are bound together in our commitment to Christ, which means we are also bound to uphold the value of the unity that Jesus prayed for. Warren pointed out several principles from Scripture for how we can protect it. The one that stands out for me was the first one: focus on what we have in common, not our differences. That is not to say that differences aren't (sometimes at least) important. But usually for every difference, there are a hundred things that we have in agreement on!  That is what we build relationships on, the common ground. And like in our own families, it may take many years to "work out" the differences, but we are still family and still need to be committed in love to each other.

DAY 20   Restoring Broken Fellowship
Reading 2 Corinthians 5:18 in a different translation was enlightening to me: "[God] has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships."  This is usually referred to as "reconciliation", but it is really about healing broken relationships with God and with others. I appreciated the emphasis in this chapter on focusing on reconciling the relationship above resolution of the problem.  We may never come to complete resolution or agreement on a particular problem, but the relationships we have are meant to last forever.
We should not overlook the Lord's power to help us in these situations: Philippians 3:15  is helpful here: "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you."

DAY 19   Cultivating Community
Genuine heart level fellowship is a valuable and wonderful blessing. It's not just "a nice thing when you can get it"--we can't become who God intends us to become apart from it. But not everyone is willing to pay the price in commitment that it requires. There must be a high level of trust; it requires vulnerability, and it requires time. In one church where Laurie and I worked to develop small groups, we "lived" it out with group leaders for 6 months before we attempted to bring the rest of the church into groups. Of course, small groups don''t have to be "formal", but they do have to be intentional in order to help us be transformed. 
(from chapter summary) How can I/we help cultivate the characteristics of real community in the church?

DAY 18   Experiencing Life Together
Everyone needs a small group of people with whom they can feel accepted and to whom they can be accountable. I know that many of us experience this at least informally. We have some friends and/or family members that we can "be ourselves" around, and our lives are nurtured because of it. This should certainly be the case with brothers and sisters in Christ. We can't have that level of intimacy with the whole church, but we need to have it with a few in order for us to be fed and challenged to grow as we should. God's family should be the place that people know they can be honest and be themselves, not the place where they feel like they have to pretend. 
Please share how being part of an intimate group like this has helped you. 

DAY 17  A Place to Belong
I am enjoying this week's readings. I think that the communal/interconnected aspect of the church has a very powerful dynamic, yet it is often underdeveloped. I have walked into the assembly of believers in some churches where there was an absolutely palpable sense of love and friendship in the room. And other places where it was sadly obvious that there was little if any heart level connectedness between the people there. I think we all know that the heart of God is better reflected by those who are bonded together by the love and the Spirit of Jesus!  It makes our worship more meaningful, our service more enjoyable, and our outreach more powerful, when there is a strong sense of belonging 
Can anyone share a story of how you were impacted (positively or negatively) by the level of fellowship in a church where you attended? (feel free to comment on other parts of the reading as well)

DAY 16  What Matters Most
Jesus said that the commands to love God and love neighbor are priority #1.  Learning to love as God loves is part of the transformation that God's Spirit is developing in us. It is also the basis on which we will be judged. What does that say to us who tend to be more task oriented ? 

DAY 15    Formed for God's Family
The Lord never gave new birth to an orphan. He designed us to be part of a family, not Christians "at large". And even the best families require effort to get along and to be what they're intended to be.
I was also thinking of today's reading in light of what we've been learning to this point. If God does everything according to his purposes, then it means that he has put together the local "team" or family that we are a part of. There are tremendous resources of ability and blessing among us.   Being family means we need to learn how to connect better to build up each other and bring glory to God. 

When God Seems Distant
After a week of reflecting on the fact that we are created for a worshipful relationship with God where we delight in him and he in us, it is good to recognize there will be times when joy is dimmed and we don't "feel" as close to the Lord. At those times we realize how vital it is that our faith be based in Truth, and not our feelings about Truth. I appreciate how the psalmist reminds us to tell God exactly what is on our hearts and minds, whether it be anger, lament, fear or whatever. But also  I have to trust and hold on to and repeat what I know to be true about God. Like the morning birds do these days, we have to sing while it is dark, trusting that the dawn is near. 

Worship that Pleases God
Some of the most helpful comments for me in this reading had to do with identifying different responses to/ways of expressing worship. Individually, we may be naturalists, traditionalists, ascetics, or activists. Though we tend to think that the way I worship is the best way or the only way, we are obviously wired differently by God. "God-pleasing worship is deeply emotional and deeply doctrinal." That can be a real challenge when Christians of different sorts assemble together for worship. Unless we allow for those differences, we risk marginalizing those who aren't wired the same way that we are. 

Developing Your Friendship with God
    Recently I was having a conversation with a young man about faith in God. I soon realized that much of his perception about God was based on the activities that he had observed going on in churches, and he wasn't very enthused about it. But when I probed a little further, it became obvious that he knew very little about God himself. He was typical of many in this generation that have deep questions about the Lord, but don't really know how to get at them.  In the past few years I've read of several churches taking an approach where people make a commitment to explore what friendship with God would be like. They may do this for a few months or a few years before deciding if they want to commit to becoming followers of Jesus.    
   I think my spiritual journey was the reverse of that. I committed myself to follow Jesus first because I believed it was the right thing to do, and there were certain commands that I ought to obey.  It was some years later that I felt compelled to go farther in my friendship with him, believing that there must be "something more".  I'm still working on things like being completely honest to God, and learning to value what he values,but I'm not afraid to consider the Lord my friend, and myself as his. 

Becoming Best Friends with God
   This is one of those concepts about God that is almost incomprehensible. It's too incredible to be true! In fact, in some religions, it is close to blasphemous. But Jesus came revealing to us that very truth: "I no longer call you servants...Instead I have called you friends." (John 15:15)  
    I appreciate that Warren balanced his comments by saying there are many aspects to our relationship with God--as Creator, Savior, Lord. But at the same time, God seeks friendship with us. "Praying without ceasing" is not an arbitrary command, but an invitation to share communion with the Lord continually. 
    Does anyone have any suggestions for how to cultivate this? One that comes to mind for me is talking with the Lord while I'm driving. I enjoy the Lord's company there.  

The Heart of Worship
   The key thought for me from today's reading is the idea that surrender is the key to worship.  I don't think we have to literally bow the knee (though I think it is good for us to do), we certainly have to do this in heart in order to please God. Without that, we are only going through the motions, and God is not fooled.     
  Tomorrow is a day of corporately worshiping God. Will I remember to bow the knee before I offer up the sacrifice of praise?    Each day we wake up is a day that we offer spiritual service on the altar to God by our thoughts and actions. If I remember to bow the knee first, then it is much more likely that my service will result in blessing others and being a glory to the Lord. 

What Makes God Smile?
It can be difficult to think of God taking pleasure in us, especially for those of us who tend to focus on our faults. But as the reading reminds us, we are God's idea; it was his idea and desire to create us and to be personally involved with us.  God delights when we choose to trust him. 
"In what areas of my life do I need to trust God most?"
It may seem obvious, but for me I would say in the areas of the Unknown! There are aspects of my life that I care most about that are beyond my control. Lord, help me trust you for those!

 End of the First Week
Thanks to all who have read, prayed, and participated in various ways in our first week of "Living for God's Purposes." We will reap the most benefit from this study if we will all maintain the habit of taking the 10-20 minutes each day to read, then reflect throughout the day, and then share insights we are gaining (through the blog or in class).

Planned for God's Pleasure
This week's readings are all about helping us to develop a personal, genuine, WORSHIPFUL walk with the Lord. They help us reconsider some misconceptions, e.g., that worship is the same as what we call a "worship service"; or that worship is always "corporate worship".  
Romans 12:1-2 is instructive here: "...I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a  living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him." (NLT)
In response to the question, "What common task could start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus?", I thought of taking proper care of my health. It's his house really, and I want to care for it as an act of worship to him. 
What did you think of? 

The Reason for Everything
Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God's glory?
I can think of a lot of possibilities, but probably where I could use the most work is in the mornings.
I'm usually in a rush and don't slow down enough to see the glory of the new day God has made,
and the new mercies he has poured out in it.
 

Life is a Temporary Assignment
Many of the NT letters picture Christians as people as pilgrims, or people in exile.  We misread those letters and we misread our own lives when we view them from any other perspective.  I think we all get the temporary part, but do we perceive of life as an assignment?  We're just-a-passin'-through, but who are we to be and what are to do on the way?  I like the metaphor of us carrying spiritual green cards, here to represent God for a few years. Knowing this helps us to travel lighter, to focus more on a life of faith in God, and not to feel so frustrated or discouraged when circumstances in this temporary calling don't work out the way we'd prefer.

Seeing Life from God's View
   I wish!  The title reminds me of times in Kenya, after a period of rain, when the safari ants would be on the move by the thousands in a line three inches wide. They were so driven. I would stare at them just inches away, stomp my foot by them, yell at them; they were completely oblivious to me unless I dropped (or spit) something in their path. I think this roughly describes what our narrow perspective of life looks like compared to God's. 
   Today the author chose a couple of metaphors from Scripture that give us a way to understand this life: it is a test, and it is a trust. The idea of being tested is not that comfortable to me, but in the Biblical sense it means I'm given an opportunity to discover and choose what kind of person I want to be. The idea of life as a trust is really exciting. When I think of all the blessings (and not just the material ones!) that God has allowed me to be a steward of here, it is really stirring to think of Him entrusting us with the true riches of heaven.   

Made to Last Forever

  Maybe it is just my Christian upbringing, but I have always resonated with the idea of living forever. I've always felt like this life was less than enough; there's not enough time to do everything I want to do or learn everything I want to learn or even to know everyone I'd like to know.   I innately (I think) felt that life should go on beyond this one; life of a quality that doesn't disappoint the way this one does.
   Some of the old writers used to say that this life is a "vale of soul-making";  a time to make a choice about what you want your eternity to look like. From everything I know about it, I really like the prospect of the eternity (as well as the here-and-now) that has God in it!  
   Reflecting on today's question: In light of forever, one thing I should stop doing is worrying about stuff that won't translate in any valuable way into the world to come. One thing I should start doing is encouraging more people I know to choose the life that is everlasting. It's going to be so great to share that life with them!
  

What Drives Your Life?
I found a lot of statements that I appreciated in today's reading. If I was to single out one, I think it would be that knowing your purpose simplifies your life. I'm all for clearing away the clutter!  Realizing that my life is a part of the Larger Life of God helps me to know what to say YES and what to say NO to.
I hope that my friends and family would see that using my resources and abilities for God's purposes is what drives my life.

"YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT"
In light of the fact that God uniquely created me, What parts of me am I struggling to accept? 
I suppose that with all of us there is some aspect of "me" that we're not all that happy with. That can be a healthy thing; all of us should be willing to grow and improve where needed. At the same time, it is crucial to start with the perspective, "Life is NOT all about me," and as we read today, when and where and how and why and who I was made to be are all subject to the unfathomable wisdom of God. He has a mission for me in this place, in this time.  I can rest in that. I don't have to wish I could be someone else in another place or time. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, as long as I am pursuing God's purposes for me.


 

Despite all the messages I hear to the contrary, how can I remember that "it's not all about me"?
Good question! I remember the title of a book I once read, "Participating in God's Life."  I think I'm going to try to go through the day and keep the thought in mind that everything I an involved in today is not just my life, it is God's life that I get to be a part of. Then try to ask, "What might God be doing in this situation?"

Living for God's Purposes  (March 10th - April 21st)

 Wednesday, March 10th
     Even in an age where we have GPS systems that give us driving instructions to virtually anywhere we want to go, we still have to check our bearings to make sure we are headed the right direction. The same is true of the spiritual path that we travel on. We can get confused and turned around  regarding the purposes for which God made us, the purposes for which we live. When that happens, life inevitably loses some of its fulfillment and joy.
  This six-week journey that we are about to embark on together is about rediscovering and realigning ourselves to those purposes.  We were made for something much more wonderful than most people have ever imagined.
   The theme that we will explore in this first week is crucial for us to understand in order to live for God's purposes:
IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.  I encourage you to do the daily readings, ponder the Scriptures referred to, pray about what you are learning, and be ready to share so that we can all be blessed together.