Robert Pooley

Wrestling

Had a great opportunity to have some intriguing conversations with a couple of ministry leaders today... and figured I would just ramble some of my thoughts, in no particular order.

• (Talking about the church at large, not Coast, but the entire body) Wondering if in our effort to throw off the shackles of religion, that we have somehow lost the concept of our lives intersecting with the cross?
• Galatians 2:20
• As Christians, we can not make God love us any more or any less because of the things we do.  And we are under grace.  But are we living lives that show that we have been crucified by Christ?
• One of my friends mentioned the term "Salad bar Christianity."  Meaning that we approach Christianity like a giant buffet and we just choose the things that seem to interest our appetites... and we avoid any thing that seems unpleasant.
• Crucifixion of self... is painful... but necessary.
• Jesus is not my homeboy.  He is sovereign Lord.
• Do we approach our day to lives with the thought that our old self is gone, and we have given our life to Christ... which means that we live sacrificially, putting others ahead of ourselves?
• Do we realize that our lives are to reflect Christ to the outside world?
• We may be the only view of Christ that some people ever see... if that is true, does Christ in us make us different than the world around us... not just in the way we love and accept... but also in our attitude towards sin?  Oh, and not the sins of others, I'm talking the attitude toward our sins. 

Just some interesting thoughts...  If you know me at all, I am not a fan of religion, and I have such a high view of grace. But that has to be tempered by the idea that when we say yes to God our lives no longer belong to us...  We have said to Jesus, "I give you my life.  Be the Lord of my life."  In that case we should be about doing the work of Jesus in whatever place we find ourself.  School, work, neighborhood, etc.  We should not be concerned with our convenience, and our comfort, but with our character and with becoming who Christ made us to be.

This is some of the stuff rattling around in my head after a couple of interesting conversations.  There is more, but this is probably enough for now...  Do you wrestle with this kind of stuff?

Family Fun Day

Our family fun day was a tremendous blast last Sunday.  The crowd was amazing...  the food was great... the Band "Wildwood" did an awesome job.  We baptized 5 people...  Lots of folks had fun going for rides on the boat.  It was a definite home run!  Below are a few baptism pics.

Serve Magazine

I had an opportunity to contribute an article to Serve Magazine this month.  Serve is an online Ezine put out by Steve Sjogren and Ken Glassmeyer.  It was a huge honor to be asked to be a part... you can read the article here.

Blank page

My blogging has been a little slow these days...  Seems most of my blogging has become micro-blogging, twitter, facebook, etc.  So it actually seems a little odd sitting down at my blog and looking at a blank page. 

I like the idea of a blank page... It means that anything is possible.  I could sit down and have an amazing profound thought... it could be the genesis of a book idea... it could be something that might be silly that could make me or someone else smile... it could be an encouraging word at the right season.

The thing about a blank page though, is that it will stay blank until you begin to write something.   Until you begin to team up with the Holy Spirit and put your thoughts down on paper...  nothing happens.

I think our lives are very similar.  God presents us each day with a blank page and says, "Ok, put pen to paper.  Write the story of your life.  I will guide and you lead you in every stroke of the pen, if you let me...  let's get started."

And what an adventure it is to follow after God's plan... and to live the story He has written for our life.  I want to encourage you today... don't go to sleep with your page still blank.  Live the story.  Follow God.  Live passionately.  Be a life that someone would enjoy reading about.  Its all in your hands.  What will you do with your blank page?