The Thoughts of Ryan-C

A couple of good thoughts from Godly Men….

// August 24th, 2008 // Jesus Stuff, Life

Whenever I drive long distances I listen to sermons instead of music. I usually don’t have the attention span to listen to them in my room without getting distracted, so listening straight through whole ones in the car is a great thing for me. So a couple of things stood out to me over the past couple of days and I figured I would post them for your enjoyment and edification.

John Piper talking about prayer…

“Prayer should be the visible engine of your church. The visible engine of your church is reliance on God by puting your face in your hands and saying ‘I can’t do this…’ We need to pray a lot, but American’s don’t believe in prayer, we’re too pragmatic; it just feels inefficient. You’re sitting at your desk… and doing nothing? Just talking to God and asking Him to change the world. I like to get in Calvinists face and say things like, ‘You have not because you ask not (James 4)’ meaning if you would have prayed God would have saved that person… Calvinists don’t like that, that doesn’t fit election… well it does… it really does.”

Matt Chandler talking about some problems in missional churches that can be solved…

“As mission has been removed from our people and has been protect yourself from sin (in this context he is referring to the sin of those around us, not our own), sanctification has slowed to a halt. Because sanctification occurs as you engage a lost and dying world in the neighborhoods and workplaces in which you have been placed.”

Those just really stuck out to me.