The Big Red Tractor and Church
I came across the following illustration from Francis Chan about church and thought that it is really great. I hope that we will rely on the power of the tractor and not our own strength. I hope you enjoy it as well. Little Red Tractor from South Georgia Church of God on Vimeo.
Primal – Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity
I just finished reading Mark Batterson’s new book titled Primal. He begins with a story from a trip to Italy where he visited an early Christian church only to descend down the stairs to the catacombs beneath. From there he begins to draw parallels to trace back Christianity and remove the layers of the centuries to get back to essence of our faith. That essence is the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He then uses this as the framework to challenge the reader to rethink in each of these areas.
I found most impactful the challenge to love God with all my heart. His point is to allow God to break your heart for what breaks His heart. Far too often, we become jaded and not live the life of compassion modeled by Jesus. I took home the point that “faith equals God-ordained risks in the face of fear. Obedience equals God-honoring decisions in the face of temptation. And compassion equals Spirit-prompted generosity in the face of greed” (p. 32). This is my New Year’s challenge. I am praying that God would open up my heart to grow to become more like His.
At this time of year to plan ahead and set goals for next year, I make a reading list of books that I want to read the following year. I think that you should add this book to your list. It is a quick read but real encouraging to live the life that Christ commands.
