Bored? Read This!

(This is from the Rebelution site. I apologize for the delay in the next post in the series, it will come pretty soon!) 

Fellow rebelutionary, Spunky Junior, shares the following quotation by G.K. Chesterton: “There are no boring subjects, only disinterested minds.”

Chesterton is right. When you think about it, there really aren’t any intrinsically boring topics. After all, some people really are interested in studying a dripping glob of congealed black tar for decades on end. In fact, someone won an Ig Nobel Prize for doing just that.

However, although there isn’t such a thing as a boring topic, there is such a thing as a bored person. Each of us experiences the feelings of boredom on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many of the things that seem boring (or disinteresting) are the very things that develop godly character and competence — things like school, reading our Bible, studying theology, or spending time with our family.

Here’s the question: What is boredom and how can we change our interests so that we enjoy doing hard things?

How To Fight The Sin Of Pride Especially When You Are Praised

(This I got from a link on the Rebelution site, it's from John Piper)

Ten Things I Do

I call to mind that I am not self-existent; only the triune God is. Only God is absolute, but I am contingent. I remind myself that I am utterly dependent on God for my origin and for my present and future existence. I call this to mind and ponder its truth.

I remember that I am by nature a depraved sinner and that, in all my sinning, I have treated God with contempt, preferring other things to his glory. I take stock that I have never done a good deed for which I don’t need to repent. Each one is flawed because perfection is commanded. Therefore I realize that God owes me nothing but pain in this life and the next.

I ponder that this condition of mine is so desperate that it could only be remedied at the cost of the horrid death of the Son of God, to bear my punishment and provide my righteousness. And I revel in the forgiveness and righteousness that is mine in Christ.

AAEVS - Prioritizing our Lives and Desires around the Kingdom

"Our vision is for our church to reflect the centrality of the kingdom in every area of life. We desire that our decisions and activities revolve around the fact that we are part of the kingdom God has established. We want to recognize that this kingdom is God’s instrument for His reclamation of the world. Therefore, we desire to be a church with a vision for Christ’s growing kingdom. We rejoice in the events that brought about the kingdom of God incarnation of Jesus Christ, His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to rule and reign at the right hand of the Father) and seek to be an active part of its growth, primarily through preaching the gospel." ~ The Kingdom of God Paragraph 2

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 2 Corinthians 10:5

Here we come to the first of the series on "Analyzing and Applying the Elders' Vision Statement". Here I'll attempt to encourage you to take the challenge and privilege that our Elders have set before us. It is a challenge because we have to make changes, changes that push us out of our comfort zones, and constantly put to death our sinful natures that oppose the working of the Spirit. It is a privilege because we have the promises of God to assure us of the blessings we receive when we put these things into practice.

AAEVS - Introduction

Lord willing, I'm going to start a series of posts titled "Analyzing and Applying the Elders' Vision Statement" to give some ideas how we as a church could move in the path that our elders have set out for us. Hopefully it will be a blessing to you and an encouragement to pursue excellence.

They'll go in this order: (they will probably have different titles)

The Kingdom of God

• Prioritizing our Lives and Desires around the Kingdom
• Our Focus and Our Strength
• Seeking Fellowship with other Believers

Community

• Putting Together a Christ-seeking Community
• Practicing Discipleship
• Having a Long-term Commitment to Faithfulness

Worship

• The Importance of Worship
• Preparing for Worship
• Expressing our Worship

Evangelism

• Expanding the Kingdom with Joy
• The Eschatology of Evangelism