Hello Ladies! Hope you are enjoying your summer and Crazy Love. Please post your response to this post by next Tuesday June 13th. Answer each question in at least one complete paragraph. Your responses should offer proof that you have read the chapters AND give insight into how you are connecting / how you feel about what you have read.
“Do not assume you are good soil”
1. Of the many ‘profiles of the lukewarm’ that Francis Chan describes in ch. 4, which one or two do you most identify with if any? Be specific give details.
2. Chan says Jesus’ call to commitment is clear: He wants ______ or ___________.
Fill in the blanks to the statement above and tell us your opinion on the question:
Can I go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus?
3. In Chapter 5, Serving Leftovers to a Holy God, what impacted you or stood out to you most?
Love you all!
1.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can identify with a lot of the different profiles that Chan describes, the one I am most like is the profile that says "Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength." Yes, I love God so much because he has blessed me with more than I am even aware of. However, I struggle with giving him 100%. There are so many things in my life that distract me from puting all my focus on Him, so I feel like I drift away sometimes, or I am not giving him my all.
2.
Jesus wants ALL or NOTHING.
I think that to get to heaven, we do need to faithfully and truly love Jesus. Going to church every Sunday and saying a short prayer before falling asleep won't cut it.... we need to love Him and call Him our savior truthfully, and have a place for Him in our heart, not just go through the motions each day.
2.
In chapter five, what stood out to me most were the questions Chan asked the reader towards the end of the chapter. He asked questions like, "Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life?" After thinking about my personal answers to these questions, it made me think about how much I need to reconsider this whole relationship with God, because He needs to be #1 in my life, not down the list behind things that seem more important to me at the time.
~Lindsay Curtis~
1. Sadly, I identified with parts of many of the lukewarm profiles. The one that said "Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act," struck home for me...whenever i hear a story of a martyr or a missionary or an awesome ministry or anything like that, I really am affected and I always think "wow I would love to do something like that" but I never actually act on it. One of the verses for that profile is James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so decieve yourselves. Do what it says." It reminded me that merely hearing something is a completely different thing than actually doing what it says...the second requires intentional action. Another one of the profiles I identified with was the one that said "Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven." I think and care about my own schedule and life so much, and usually I don't even realize it. It is so easy to fall into the trap of to-do lists and to get caught up in what needs to get done and school and sports and drama and everything that so easily can slip into first place in our hearts. I really liked the C. S. Lewis quote, "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this." A third one I identifies with was the one that said "Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to." When I read this, "CPA bubble" immediately popped into my head. A lot of the time, life in the CPA bubble is so comfortable and structured that people can start to forget that they need God. When something jerks them out of that lie, like a tragedy, everyone come to their side (which is awesome). For a while, everyone remembers that we need God, but after the shock of it wears off, it's so easy and all too natural to fall back into the lie of self-sufficiency again. The lukewarm profiles really opened my eyes and put into words a lot of my thoughts and actions (or inactions).
ReplyDelete2. He wants all or nothing.
To put it plainly, no, I do not think you can. The reason being that if you do not truly and faithfully love Jesus, than you are not a Christian. And if you are not a Christian, than you cannot go to heaven. To me, it's as simple as that.
3. The thing in chapter 5 that stood out to me the most was the question Chan asked on pg. 97. He said, "Are you willing to say to God that he can have whatever he wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life? Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He had made?" Every single question this asks is very simple but so hard to say yes to. It is a battle every day to make sure God is first in my life and to make sure He is who I am thinking about/what I am focusing on.
I identified with most of the luke-warm profiles. One of the ones that I felt I identified with most was "Luke-warm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves." (73) I felt like I identified with this profile because I "love others" but most of the time I don't love them as much as I love myself and I don't put them in front of me if it will inconvenience me. Another profile I identified with was "Luke-warm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America." (78) I've felt like I subconsciously identified with this profile for most of my life. One last profile I feel I identified with was "They don't depend on God on a daily basis-their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God." (78) It's not like I purposely don't talk to God, it's just sometimes I honestly kind of forget. I could definitely identify with this profile. These "luke-warm profile" examples were really convicting, but they opened my eyes and made me see the changes I needed to make in my life.
ReplyDeleteJesus wants all or nothing from us. I do not think that you can go to heaven without truly loving Jesus Christ. Most people think they are automatically admitted into heaven once they say they've accepted Christ into their hearts, but to fully accept Christ you have to love him with everything you have and follow Him.
In chapter five, I really liked the part when it talked about substituting your name in the "Love is patient, Love is kind…" So I would put "AnnaKristen is patient, AnnaKristen is kind…" I had never thought of the verses in that way, but once I read this I have been thinking about how I could use this in my daily life. In the book, Chan says "Don't you feel like a liar?" After reading this and reciting it to myself, I do feel like I am not telling the complete truth. Of course I sometimes love and I'm sometimes patient, but mainly when it's convenient for me. This chapter really convicted me and taught me a lot of things that I had never thought about until now.
1. Honestly/Sadly, I can identify or have identified with all of the profiles of a luke-warm christian at some point in my life. One of the profiles that i identify with the most is, "Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves." It is very easy for me to be kind enough to someone or to make a good impression upon somebody, but to really love someone that I may not get along with can be very difficult for me sometimes. Which leads to another profile, "Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty." It is very easy for me to do the bare minimum. Its easiest to take the "easy way out" or do just enough so that i can say that I did something. The problem with this is that I end up doing things for me and not for the glory of God, i do or dont do things out of my own selfishness. This chapter has been a major wake up call to me. It has opened my eyes that I am NOT good soil, and i need to commit and live out my life for the Lord.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING.
No, I do not think you can go to Heaven if you do not love Jesus. The only way to Heaven is believing that our Lord sent his son, Christ, to die for our sins so that we may be free from our sins and be able to go to Heaven. I feel like if you are a Christian and you believe that, there is no way that you couldn't love Jesus.
3. In chapter five the part about substituting my name in the verse really impacted me, just as it did AnnaKristen. I had NEVER thought of doing that before and once i repeated it to myself the passage became so much more relatable and real to me. I do feel like a liar when i repeat the verse with my name in the blank. Through reading this chapter it really awakened me to be aware of my actions. It made me realize how much God has done for me, and the tiny tiny amount that He asks for me to do for Him. The least I can do is honor Him through all i do.
1. Sadly I identified with many of the lukewarm profiles. However two really stood out to me. The first one says that "Lukewarm people think about life on earthmuch more often than eternity in heaven." I often find myself making lists in my head for what I need to get done that day. I also spend time looking forward to a family vacation or something fun that I'm doing with friends soon. Rarely do I find myself just spending time thinking about how utterly amazing heaving must be. The second profile that really struck me is the one that says "Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength." Although I do love God, it is hard for me to give Him my all. Our world throws so many things at like school, homework, sports, friends, etc. All of these can take up our time if we let them. Even though I spend time with God, I don't think i have ever given God my 100%.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING
No, i don't think that anyone can go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. So many people think that they can go to heaven just by inviting Jesus into their heart, but there is so much more to it. You must spend time in God's word and really give your life to Him. I think that if you do this, there is no possibility that you would not truly and faithfully love Jesus.
3. Just like AnnaKristen and Dorsey, replacing my name in the verse had a huge impact on me. I had never done anything like that before. It really gave me a lot to think about. After I read through the verse using my name, it didn't fit and i really did feel like a liar. It definitely made me think about my life and my actions. It also put things into perspective for me.
1. Like most of the comments on the first question, I am sad to say that I identified with all of the Lukewarm profiles. However, two profiles stood out to me. The first one was "Luke-warm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves." This is so true in my life. I do love others/friends, but I rarely put them in front of me. So in other words, I am selfish. That is one of the things that I struggle with in my daily life. Another profile that stood out to me was "Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty." This one stood out to me because I tend to find myself taking the "easy way out" (as Dorsey said also). For example, especially with homework, I usually don't take me time with it, so I can say that I did something so I won't get in trouble with the teacher. These examples really opened up my eyes to show that I am not good soil like I should be to God. So, it's something that I have to work on in the future.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING.
I think that in order to get the ticket into Heaven, we need to faithfully and truthfully love God. Let everything that we do, do it for the glory of Him, because he deserves that much from us. Saying that we're christians and going to church mostly every Sunday isn't enough. We need to put God first and let Him be our #1 priority.
3. Just like Bekah, AnnaKristen, and Dorsey, substituting my name in the verse really stuck out to me. I had never even thought of doing something like that ever! It was pretty cool and stuck to my mind. Like most of the comments, I felt like a liar in a way. It also made me realize how good God is and how much I need to repay Him for all that he has done.
1. Honestly, I know I can say that unfortunately I felt like I related to a lot of the 'profiles of the lukewarm'. The one that I felt like I related to the most was "Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven." I read this one and it really stood out. I know that I get way too caught up in my own life here on earth when I shouldn't. I often will get caught up in something only to be reminded by something shortly after that our life here on earth is nothing compared to eternity. The other one that stood out to me personally was "Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength." I love God and I am secure in that. But, I also know that I am called in Matthew 22:37-40 to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." I agree with what Lindsay said about how we are blessed with so much that often times I find myself getting distracted by worldy things that don't matter. I know I will continue to have to deepen my relationship with God and work on these things.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING.
My personal opinion is that you cannot go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. Just like in John 14:6, Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to heaven. That means committing time to spend reading His word and getting to know Him and living out your life glorifying Jesus in everything that you do. There is no in-between.
He wants ALL or NOTHING. He doesn't want to be half heartedly loved. He deserves someone to love Him with their entire heart, soul, and mind.
3. Just like almost all the girls have said substituting my name in the verse really hit home. I had NEVER thought about that ever. One reason why I love this book so much is because it really challenges me to think about everything in a whole new aspect. Substituting my name really made me realize how much I seem like a fake. It made my eyes more open to see just how much Jesus and His love is PERFECT and that I am so beyond undeserving of it. The least I can do is to try my hardest to live my life pleasing to Him.
Kate Farley
1. Of all the profiles that Chan describes sadly I identify with all the profiles but there were two that really caught my eye. The first was: “Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor.” I struggle with this on a daily basis. I am blessed to have a loving family, a roof over my head, food on the table and a warm bed to sleep in every night that honestly I take for granted. The second profile was: “Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves.” I am so grateful to have friends/family who are encouraging, loving and who care about me, but rarely do I make sure that I love them as much as I love myself.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING.
No, I do not think you can get to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. Anyone can say they have accepted Jesus and been baptized, but to have a relationship with Him and be firm in your faith is completely different then just saying you’re a Christian. So basically if you are not firm in your faith and do not have a strong relationship with Jesus then I don’t believe you can go to Heaven.
3. Just like AnnaKristen, Dorsey, Bekah and Currey said replacing my name really caught my attention. I never thought of replacing my name to say, “Leslie is patient, Leslie is kind.” It made me realize that I am not as patient as I could be or as kind as I could be. This chapter has really impacted my life because I now see the changes that I need to make in my life such as loving my friends/family more.
Leslie Berry
1. Like all of the above posts, I identify with most of the lukewarm aspects. "Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength." I agree with Linsday in her post, saying that I love God but it is very difficult for me to give EVERYTHING to Him. I am far too selfish to sacrifice anything and everything for God. "They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radicals". See, the only difference between pastors, missionaries, radicals, and myself is the committment and true dedication. Their love for God may not be in the perfect state, but their is a want and desire for God in their lives that I sometimes lack.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING.
I completely agree with Caroline. It's plain and simple- if we don't love God whole-heartedly, then we won't be admitted into heaven. Just because we have asked Jesus into our hearts doesn't mean that we should stop trying, we need to dive into a deep and intimate relationship with our Creator!
3. In Chapter 5, I really liked how Chan said, "If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream... the churchgoing population is slowly floating away from Christ." I liked this point so much because it reminded me of a lecture my youth pastor, Wade, spoke at our summer camp. He was saying that Christians can't just float in our faith, we have to keep propelling forward and pursuing God or else we will drown. I often struggle with coming back from church camps and being on a "Jesus high" because I had one night where I could really feel God's presence, then upon returning from camp I just float and expect God to do all of the work.
~Kathryn Fisher
1. I feel like the Lukewarm profiles are what I identified with most. The one profile i feel i identified with most is the one that states "Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven." I definitely think about what I have going on on earth more than meeting God and Jesus and seeing my loved ones in Heaven. Like C.S. Lewis said, we haven't done as well looking to the future of Christians in Heaven as they did in the past which is why our world is becoming more corrupt.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus wants ALL or NOTHING. That answer answers the second question. If Jesus wants all or nothing, then he wont settle for a lukewarm person. Like Chan said about the parable of the soil where Jesus compares the good soil and the alternative ones. Jesus wants us to give him everything not part of our lives. So by us being lukewarm christians we can't expect to get everything because its like a mirror you only get back what you put in.
3. The thing that stood out to me most in chapter 5 was that he said that Lukewarm christians wont be in heaven. That definitely gave me a wake up call and I immediately thought about how I need to change. Chan says thata lukewarm chrisitian is an oxymoron and I understand where he is coming from. We need to change how we view Jesus and God if we want to see them in Heaven.
1) I identify with most of the "lukewarm profiles." However, I feel like I love God so much, but not as much as I should. I am the profile that is "half-hearted." I love God so much, but I often love Him most when I need Him most. Unfortunately, this chapter really hit home with what I am going through. It is very convicting to realize that I can give so much more to God then what I am giving Him now.
ReplyDelete2) All or Nothing....To answer that question of can I go to Heaven if I am not truly committed to God, the answer is no. First of all, you have to really love and commit your life and actions to Him. I can admit that I defiantly need work in this are. But Heaven is such a spiritual place that if you are not committed to God on earth, then you will not be prepared to be in Heaven! Our purpose in life is to glorify Him in EVERYTHING we do. By obeying His commands and following Him the rest of your life, and loving Him ALWAYS...that is what gets you into Heaven.
3) After reading chapter five I was so convicted. I realized that I have been giving God the left overs of my energy, time and commitment. I loved the way Chan put this to make it more clear to me that I am so in fault with this topic. This burdens me to know that I am hurting my creator by not giving Him half of what He deserves. I pray that my faith will increase and strengthen and that I will not only commit myself to the Lord, but serve Him in everything I do.
Abby Cook
1.) As also said above i identified with so many of the 'luke-warm profiles'. One that really caught my eye and i really relate too was the one that said "lukewarm people gauge their morality or 'goodness' by comparing themselves to the secular world" I find myself making comparisons to so many people, and in the end judge my self-worth off of other peoples actions. If someone is really messed up i'll build myself up by being im glad IM not like that. Also, if someone is such a good person or is really good at a lot of things i put myself down knowing im not like that. End the end we all struggle with problems whether the world can see them or not, and comparison is not the answer.
ReplyDelete2.) He wants ALL or NOTHING..... I feel like one cannot not enter heaven if they or not truly committed to the Lord. You cannot accept christ into your heart but not fully believe in him and not follow him lovingly. We need to have an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father to get into heaven. Which is confusing why it's so difficult for us to get close to Christ when he is so easy to love.
3.) Chapter 5, the quote "Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life?" stood out to me. This quote actually made me tear up just a tad bit haha it hit hard because i realized my answer to that question is no. I mean i KNOW that i God is the most important person in my life.... but i just have this awful habit of putting my life on earth before God. He is so good to me and i give Him nothing. This chapter showed me that i need to change for i am in the wrong. I love Jesus Christ so much but i need to show him that i do way more often.
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ReplyDelete1. Just as the majority of people above mentioned, I sadly related to nearly every “profile of the lukewarm”. It was hard to keep reading one after the other and keep thinking to myself, “oh man, I do that too! What’s wrong with me?”
ReplyDeleteThe first profile that really made me think of my own life was “Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.” I cannot even begin to count how many times I have been put in a situation where I could have stood up for the Kingdom of God and shared His good news. However, I failed because I did not want to make the unbeliever feel awkward or uncomfortable and, honestly, I was afraid of feeling that way myself. After reading that section of the chapter, I cannot explain to you how frustrated I was with myself and my actions. Questions kept running through my head, “How could I be so selfish? Why am I so ashamed of sharing the news of God’s love?
The second profile that I related to was, “Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without it requiring too much of them. I hate to admit that I commit this sin daily, but unfortunately, I do. I absolutely HATE feeling guilty. I know, I know.. what person doesn’t hate it? But for some reason, I despise the feeling of guilt more than anything in the world and I feel guilty over everything. Anything that goes wrong, even if it had nothing to with me, I somehow always end up blaming myself and feeling awful about it. So of course, I try to avoid feeling guilty with God in any way that I can. Chan describes it as, “They ask, ‘How far can I go before it’s considered a sin?’ or ‘How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible?’” It sickens me to think that this is actually the way that I think but sadly I do. As hard for me as it was to read this chapter, I am very thankful that I did because it opened my eyes to how incredibly lost I am in my walk with the Lord. My priorities and ideas are completely out of whack and I needed this chapter as a rude awakening to help me get back on the right path.
2. Jesus wants all or nothing. The answer is simply, no. I do not think that you can go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. I agree with Caroline, if you don’t truly love God with a deep and passionate love, then you are not really a Christian and therefore, you cannot enter into heaven. Jesus hit home when He described it in Luke 14, “...any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my
disciple.” It can't get any clearer than that. If we don’t truly love God to the fullest in EVERY aspect of our lives, then we are not following His command and giving everything that we have to Him.
3. Every part of Chapter Five meant something to me. However, the one quote that truly stood out was, “To call someone a Christian simply because he does some Christian-y things is giving false comfort to the unsaved. But to declare anyone who sins “unsaved” is to deny the reality and truth of God’s grace.” To be completely open and honest, I began to doubt my salvation while reading these two chapters. Thoughts ran through my mind, “What if I’m not really a Christian after all? Am I not fit to enter heaven? Am I living a lie?” However, Chan reassured me when he said this, “I’m not saying that when you mess up, it means you were never really a genuine Christian in the first place. If that were true, no one could follow Christ.” I know that I am a Christian, a follower and lover of Jesus Christ. Although I am guilty of a number of sins beyond my comprehension, I know that Jesus loves me regardless and that all He wants for me is to acknowledge that fact. I believe that God wants me to understand how imperfect I am so that I can realize that in comparison to Him, I am second and He will always be First.
Sydney Pashley
1. Out of the many ‘profiles of lukewarm’ that Francis Chan describes, I can sorrowfully say that as a Christian, I am not doing my job. Like it says on page 78, Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. This profile really hit home to me, because I feel like I am accepted because of who I am labeled to be. Sometimes in church I look around and see people raising their hands. I catch myself staring at them because it is unusual for me to see that. This is just one example of my secure way of living. I just recently attended a Christian camp called FCA. During Chapel time there were about 20-30 people who committed their lives to Christ. It was totally new and I was quick to respond. I was ecstatic for them but I also caught myself being judgmental. None of us think this, but I know we all imply that we are better than the people around us who might go to an intercity school, or live outside of America, or simply look different. We all feel so secure in the way we live, that we are very quick to judge, because another person might not look like what we are used to. I know, for anyone else who feels this way, that we can change!! You just have to change your heart. It sounds simple, but it is a very hard thing to do.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus’ call to commitment is clear: He want all or nothing. I have always heard that if you are lukewarm, you will not go to Heaven. It is plan and simple. But you would think that avoiding being lukewarm would be easy. It is not. If you want to go to Heaven, you have to be committed to Christ, everyday and all day! This is very difficult in our society today. We can all say that we get caught up in technology, boys, and material items. We are humans and we are going to make mistakes. It is just what you do with those mistakes that matters. Do you ask for forgiveness and move on or do you just move on? Honestly, most of us just move on. But this is wrong. If you want to be a 100% Christian, then we need to change our ways of living, starting there. It is hard to confess your sins to God, but personally, I feel way better when I do, because I know I have it right with God. Can I go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus? The simple answer to this question is NO. Personally, I do not want to go to Heaven if I do not truly and faithfully love Jesus. I also do not want people who half love Jesus in Heaven. It is an extremely hard task to break into, but once you are in it, there are no going backs. I love John 2:3-4. Even though it is harsh, it is the truth.
3. I loved how Francis Chan asked us to replace our names in, “Love is patient... Love is kind.” But I am not going to talk about that, because I feel like almost all of the other girls have covered what I wanted to say. Another impacting quote is on page 95, “If life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream.” This quote really stood out to me, because I can relate. When my faith is strong with God, I am swimming upstream with more and more strength to keep swimming. When my faith with God is frail, it seems like I get caught up in the rocks (distractions). When my faith with God is forgotten, I am just following the crowd and seizing to try to go upstream. I want to be different from the downstream swimmers. I want to be the upstream swimmer.
*Presley Russell*
1. I think that I can identify with a lot of the profiles, but I have narrowed it down to two. The first lukewarm profile that I identify with is the one that states you only partly love Jesus. I would say that He is in my life, but He is only part of it. I do not think about him all the time and devote my life to him every second of the day. I will give him sections of my day, but sometimes I feel that I do not have time for him even though He always has time for me, and He longs to spend time with me. The second lukewarm profile I identify with is the one that says I will serve God but there are limits. As I said in the one above, I do not give my whole day to God. I feel like I cannot give all my time to him because there are other things that need to get done. God is never part of my to- do list. I try to control the time, money, and energy I give to him, but really God is the one that is in control.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus’ commitment calls for all or nothing. My opinion on this is that it is harsh and strict but it’s the truth. We cannot serve God half- heartedly we must give it all to him, and that is what he requires. We must give everything and love God, and be good fertilizer to be able to share the word of God. Then we can enter the kingdom of heaven.
3. Just like many have already said the passage where you replace your name with love really impacted me. It has shown me that I am full of sin. I can try and try to be the way the passage says to be, but I will repeatedly fail. I need Jesus to guide me. He says it is a narrow path to follow and few do. I do not want to disgust him and be spit out of his mouth. I do not want to hold back on my faith. I want to strive to be one of those few and put aside earthly possessions and follow Him!
Mallory McCullough
1. The profile of the "Lukewarm Christian" that says "Lukewarm People don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin" really struck me. When I think about God and loving Him and wanting to be like Him I often question whether i truly want to be like Him and love Him or if I'm just worried about not being good enough to go to heaven, or being worried that I'll be punished. Im slowly beginning to realize that that's not the way I should be living my life. I really should be going through everyday loving God because He made me and died for me. I should be more than willing to do what He wants because He has done so much for me and He deserves my whole heart. Of course, it's difficult with all the temptations because we live in such a sinful world, but I'm learning that I need to live out of love for God and not myself. The other one that really hit home was the one saying that lukewarm people love God but not with everything they have. This one just reminds me of how I say I love God and in a sense i really do, but I don't allow Him to totally control my life, I don't give my whole life and self to Him. I need to turn my life over to Him and give up everything just to live for His glory. In ch. 5 Francis Chan talks more about that. I need to ask myself if I'm willing to give up EVERYTHING I have in my nice little life so I can live utterly and completely for Him. It's something I need to really work on and check with myself about on a regular basis.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus wants ALL or NOTHING from us.
This question has really confused me and made me think. The Bible tells us that if we ask Jesus into our hearts and trust in Him we'll go to heaven and live forever, but it also says that we need to completely love Jesus because He can't be with sinful people. Then I think, Jesus didn't die half-way for us He completely sacrificed himself so that I can live with Him. If i died for someone I wouldn't want them to be like oh thanks and then go on living like I didn't do a thing. Jesus feels the same way, except He DEMANDS our love 100% in or 100% out. We really can't be lukewarm with Him.
3. The part in chapter 5 that talks about when we don't give God the best He considers it EVIL. To think about us giving even a little bit to God and it not being good enough is kind of frightening. I'm starting to learn that our God really is a jealous god and doesn't want what we could give to anyone, but he wants the best and he deserves it too! It's hard for me to think about sacrificing more than a couple dollars, but God calls us to that and He even demands it of us. It's shocking and sooo hard to think about, but it's the truth. And the truth is hard to hear, especially in this circumstance because you begin questioning whether you're really good enough to go to heaven, and that's a scary thought.
Jessica Clarke
1. Like almost all of the comments above, I (unfortunately) related to all/most of of the Lukewarm profiles in one way or another. But there were two specifically that I felt like REALLY applied to me. One of these was where it said lukewarm people love Jesus and he is a PART of their lives, but he's not allowed to control it. It is so easy to get caught up in what's going on around you that you begin to put that before Christ. For example, I've started to do Bible studies on a regular basis many times...but always find myself saying "I'm too tired to do it tonight, but I will next time" right after I just spent an hour on Facebook when I could've been doing my Bible study/devotional. Another one that really stood out was where it says Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. This is the stereotype of a good Christian. Often times, I think "oh it's okay that I didn't talk to God today, I've gone to church the past 3 weeks and that makes up for it". Or, "I really am a Christian since I fit the stereotype even though I'm not constantly striving to be closer with God." This stereotype shouldn't give us the impression that we are true Christians though, because it doesn't define our relationship with God.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus calls us to give our ALL, or give NOTHING. You do it or you don't. Like Mallory said, God doesn't allow us to serve him half-heartedly. If we're going to love him, we must love him to the best of our ability and go all out for Him, like Jesus says in Luke 14. He described it in Luke 14, “...any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
3. Like the vast majority of the girls said above, it really stood out when Chan says to replace your name with word love. It really made me think about how although Grace is patient and Grace is kind SOMETIMES, we are called to be ALL the time. In addition, the story about Ronnie and his friend really stood out to me. It reminds me of all the children I encountered when I was in Uganda. Although they are referred to as "the least of these", they have more joy and love Jesus more than anyone I've ever met in my entire life. I think part of the reason for this is because loving Jesus is something they don't even have to contemplate. Many of them have NOTHING, so when they hear about how amazing Jesus is, their initial thought is, "A God who will love me and NEVER leave me? Why WOULDN'T I love him?" Which is how I strive to be and feel about God.
-Grace Mayernick
1. Two of the profiles I identified with the most are "They don't depend on God on a daily basis-their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God," and "Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven." These stood out to me because I honestly believe that my life would only look different in terms that I wouldn't pray or do my occasional devotional. Also I am lukewarm because it always seems like my problems on earth are out of perceptive with the reality of heaven for me. When I actually stop and think about it I realize that friend drama that lasts for a week I won't remember when Im married or I won't even remember in heaven. HEAVEN IS FOREVER.....there is the possibility that after like 200 years in heaven i could forget my life on earth too. You know? Like life on earth is like 95 years and life in heaven is forever!
ReplyDelete2. Jesus wants ALL OR NOTHING. I do believe that we have to love God actively and serve him or else we don't go to heaven. Which is really hard to think about. I also believe though that God forgives so if at any point someone realizes they have been lukewarm towards God he will forgive that and wipe your slate clean. Of course, thats no reason to not try.
3. The thing that stood out to me the most is the story about Ronnie. I always felt like in the bible when it talks about heaven being hard to obtain for a rich person that it was unfiar. I mean it's not my fault I've been blessed to live in the US and go to a private school and have a computer and TV, Iphone and camera. But this story about Ronnie made me realize that being privalidged makes it harder for us to live completely for Jesus because we have so much STUFF that we put before him. My goal is to become more like Ronnie .
1. To tell the complete and honest truth, almost all of the profiles applied to me. For example, the first descripition applied, it said that you attend church fairly regularly and they do what is expected of them. When I read this, I was struck with the fact that I am going through the motions. Also, when Francis Chan said that Lukewarm People don't really want to be saved from their sin, they only want to be saved from the penalty which is hell. I thought this through and, although terrible, I figured out that this defines my view. In addition, Lukewarm People gauge their morality by comparing themselves to the secular world. This applies to me because I compare myself with others, wether it is looks or grades or whatever, I always compare my self. All in all, I really fit the definition of a lukewarm person.
ReplyDelete2. HE wants ALL or NOTHING. My opinion on this is wow, God wants us fully committed to him, not halfway but all the way. Then I think,but I am a sinner, I can't give my all but this should not be an excuse. God wants all of our hearts. This statement puzzled me at first and I had to think about it but know, I know that it is saying "Sophie, give yourself to Jesus, your whole self".
3. First of all, when I read the passage about Jesus saying to the church because they are lukewarm that he will "spit them out", I thought, well, I'm lukewarm. Then I read that this is the only time it is used in the New Testament and it has connotations that don't make it sound better but worse. I never thought that by just going through motions, I would get spit out, so this struck me. Also, Chan said that we are rich and I thought wow, I am rich, but I would rather be rich the best way, in my faith.
sophie
1. As I read through the different profiles of the lukewarm, they all made sense to me but one particularly stood out to my journey as a Christian. One of the profiles explains, “Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.” Personally, when I think of the things I struggle with as a Christian, it’s the lack of attention and time I give to my Father. He wants nothing more than for me to love Him back and worship Him and simply talk to Him as a friend. In chapter 4 a quote from David Goetz says, “Too much of the good life end up being toxic, deforming us spiritually.” What I constantly get caught up in is living the “good life”. I get so wrapped up in pleasing myself through earthly things, that I forget my purpose in life, which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus wants all or nothing. No, I don’t think I can go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. It’s like going to church and not being a Christian. You either are, or you aren’t. There is no in-between. Jesus has called me to faithfully love Him. As it says to truly love Jesus, there’s obviously nothing we can hide from Jesus, so if I weren’t truly loving Jesus, He would know.
3. What stood out to me in chapter 5 was how Chan said, “For years I gave God leftovers and felt no shame. I simply took my eyes off Scripture and instead compared myself to others.” Like he said, it’s easy to fill ourselves up with earthly things that we think we want at the moment, then soon move on to the next thing, then we just give God whatever is left. Thinking about this makes my heart break for all the times I have just given God my leftovers. After all He has done for me, I should have way more to give back to Him than my “leftovers.”
1. The profile that stood out most to me was, “Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in…they care more about what people think of their actions than what God thinks of their hearts and lives”. When I feel full of the Spirit and totally enchanted by His gracious love, I praise and worship Him as genuinely as I possibly can. Sometimes, even the world fades around me, and I forget about everything – everyone for whom I wear a fake mask for, included. But when I am in front of these people, it is as if nothing else matters. I know that God is the only thing that matters, but sometimes, these people and their expectations fool me. As an example, Chan gives the verse: “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1). I am very convicted by this verse. I pretend to be the simple little Christian girl without any problems. I pretend to be “alive”, but I am, in essence, “dead”. I am slowly trying to genuinely live out my life and God’s plan for me in a way that points to Him and His love.
ReplyDelete2. He wants “all” or “nothing”.
No, I do not think that you can go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. To truly love Him, you must truly know Him. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). There are also multiple other verses in which He emphasizes this point. Jesus goes to extreme measures to get across the fact that you cannot enter Heaven without knowing Him. One of Chan’s points that surprised and convicted me was that it’s not enough to simply “believe” in God. He gives the verse, “You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19). But His grace covers all of our doubts. If I am truthful, I will tell you that I often doubt Jesus. I believe in Him and love him, striving to give my whole life to Him, but some of it could be described as “unbelief”. This does not mean that I am not going to Heaven because I don’t love Him; it simply means that I need His help to believe. I think back to the verse: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). I need Jesus to help me in my unbelief to truly love Him. Isn’t that partially what this life is about? Learning how to love Jesus and asking him for help when we fail?
3. I hadn’t really thought about how a lot of the things I give, say, and do in my spiritual walk are considered “leftovers” by God. Now that I read Chan’s words, I recognize it, but I hadn’t seen it on my own yet. Chan talks about the insignificance of “a mumbled three-minute prayer at the end of the day, when we are already half-asleep” and “two crumpled-up dollar bills thrown as an after-thought into the church’s fund for the poor”. We pride ourselves on what we give to God and the church, but it is truly nothing at all. Our wallets and funds are in it; not our hearts. Chan says, “Leftovers are not merely inadequate; from God’s point of view, they’re evil”. I was extremely convicted by the fact that God considers our petty leftovers not only insignificant, but evil. Chan then explains that “we are here to love. Not much else really matters”. As many of the girls above have stated, I was very convicted when I replaced the word “love” in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and 13 with my own name. I do “feel like a liar” as Chan says when I say that “Grace is patient and kind”, because it’s not true. “Following Christ isn’t something we do half-heartedly on the side”, as Chan says. To follow Him, I have to fully give myself to Jesus, along with my pathetic capacity to love Him. At the end of the day, I truly desire to love Him with an undeniable thirst, only to be quenched with God’s crazy love. I love this verse: “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). THIS is how I want to live. I want to take up my cross and follow Him in love.
- Grace Bomar
1) I feel like one of the profiles of the lukewarm that I identify with would be "lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength" which is very similar to "lukewarm people say they love Jesus and he is indeed a part of their lives. But only a part." I identify with this profile because I say that I love God but sometimes I sit back and realize that I don't let Him take control of the WHOLE life. I don't show His love in everything I do. I also identify with the profile that says "Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give." I identify with this one because I'm not willing to give up everything I have got God when I should be willing to do that. I need to give Him everything I have.
ReplyDelete2) He wants ALL or NOTHING. I don't think it is possible to go to heaven without truly loving Jesus. Why would Jesus want to give a person who doesn't fully love him eternal life? Why would He want to spend eternity with a sinner who doesn't love Him? In order to be with Jesus in heaven we need to faithfully love Him.
3) The part that impacted me the most was definitely the verse about love. Just like the majority of the girls I thought this page affected me. When I replaced my name with the word 'love' I felt really dirty and awful about that paragraph. I'm sorry to say that I can't truthfully say that I'm patient, kind, never arrogant, or rude. Everything became false and it showed me that we should be love. It should be that all of those things are true because we equal love and show love to everyone. That is what impacted me the most
1) There were a lot of Lukewarm I fit it but the one that identify with me the most was the Lukewarm people that loves God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. I do believe in him and love him but I did not love him with all my heart. Like it say in the book sometime I only think that the pastors or truly Godly people can love him like that, not me. However that is wrong and I can love him like.
ReplyDelete2) Jesus wants all or nothing. I do believe you have to truly love Jesus and follow him to go to heaven. And you cannot go half away in loving him you have to be all or nothing. I did not think God want put some one in his kingdom who did not love Jesus or half away loves him. Because Jesus and God and the Holy spirit is one so if you half away or not at all love Jesus then you half away or not at all love God.
3) In Chapter 5 I like when he was talking about the verse 1Corinthians 13:4-8,13, how the verse talks about love and how it is sub post to be. That Chan to take out the word Love and put it in his own name, so I did the same. That is how I should act and be however when I was reading it, I realize that most of the time I was doing the opposite of what it was say. It just put me in my spot and made me rethink how I was going through life.
1. The profile that stood out to me was the one about " "Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength." That stood out to me because i relis that i did not love him with all my heart, soul. I I dont love him like i should. I let things like music and language pull me a way from loving him with all my heart and soul. I can love him more then I do know.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus want us to love him all or nothing. He wants use to love him and believe in him. Like it said in the book that going to church and praying every night is not going to cut it. He wants a relationship with use. He wants us to love him like he love use.
3. In chapter 5 what stood out the most to me is the part about christ going throw the motions. We go to church and pray but other them that we do want we want. In the book he say that people how says that the follow God but do not follow his commandments are lier. I that made me think about how I go throw the motions some time. I mean to work on having a relationship with him.
1. The lukewarm profile that most fit me was, " Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God." This lukewarm profile punched me in the face when I read it. For many years, i have been called to go to Belize for several months and to spread the word of God. However, i always "play it save", and give myself excuses; for example, how its expensive and how I would miss school and my family. I now realize that all of those reasons are not important and God will provide for me. I really hope to go to Belize soon.
ReplyDelete2. Jesus wants all or nothing. Jesus doesn't want us to go to church and claim to love him. This is lukewarm and is filthy in God's sight. He wants us to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to live for him and him alone.
3. The thing that really stood out to me in chapter 5 was when he suggested that you replace your name in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. When I read it I felt extremely selfish and unloving. I felt guilty and like a bad person. This made me realize that I need to try harder to be like Christ and follow him in every aspect of my life.
Two of the lukewarm examples that most fits me would have to be, "Lukewarm people gauge their morality or "goodness" by comparing themselves to the secular world." Sometimes I see myself comparing people against me and its so judgmental. God should be the only one that judges our hearts and not me. Another example is, "Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves" Sadly this is one of my weaknesses I have. I love myself more than I love others and i put myself first before others which is the exact opposite of what God expects from me.
ReplyDeleteJesus wants ALL or NOTHING.
Jesus doesnt want us to read the bible, praise him, pray, or go to church if we do not FULLY believe in him. I think in order for you to go to heaven you must fully believe in him. I try every day to give Jesus all i can. I love him with all of my heart. We need to live day by day and year by year praising him with all of our heart.
What stood out to me most of all is in chapter 5, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Chan states "that we are here to love." I agree fully with Chan. God sent us here to love one another and most importantly to love God.
1. I have a few of the lukewarm profiles I could relate myself to at times in my life. One of them is lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action was for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. I at one point in my life could really relate to this profile. I was always amused with the Glory God did for those amazing missionaries, and I just thought I was being “good enough” by standing back and reading their books, hearing their sermons and smiling with them. I soon learned that what I was doing was anything but having a real relationship with Jesus Christ. It was eye opening to realize that and see that in my life.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING.
Can I go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus? Well the answer is no. Jesus Christ does not want us to praise him, give thanks or talk to him, or go to youth group, or go to church if we do not completely believe in HIM. I think in order for you to go to heaven you must fully believe in HIM. I personally try every single day to Praise him in all I do. Yes, I screw up, sometimes I screw up big, but that’s where God’s Amazing Grace steps in to save me. So I do not think you can go to heaven without loving God, cause loving Him comes with asking Him to come into your life.
3. Well if I amcompletley honest I loved this whole chapter. I read it over twice but someone that hit me every time was early in the chapter. It reads: Each of us has lukewarm elements and practices in our life; therein lies the senseless, extravagant grace of it all. The scriptures demonstrate clearly that there is room for our failure and sin in our persuit of God. I just said “woah” when I read those words. They stuck out to me both times through.
like most of the girls said, i believe that i apply to a lot of the profiles. The one that i thought MOST applied to me was the one that talked about how lukeworm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" christians, not average ones. Like Dana said in her post, i also believed at one point in my life that i could never experience the things that my aunt and uncle, and their best friend experienced, i thought that only people with churches and older people who have been learning about God their whole lives could experience something so amazing, like for instance what my aunt and best friend experienced , seeing a blind man, praying over him and then a couple of moments later the blind man pop the most gorgeous blue eyes anyone has ever seen! now when i heard this i thought to myself and say ohh my gosh that amazing, but i still just sat there! i just heard about a man popping eyes and it still didnt get me up and start praying and having the experiences that she has had, and when i read that Lukeworm it got my thinking and it was also a huge eye opener.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING
and no i do not think that we can go to heaven is we dont truly and faithfully love Jesus. He doesnt want us to praise his name if we do not whole hearted believe in him. like caroline said it is a Lukeworm and isnt right.
3. The thing that hit me the most is on the first page of the chapter, about how a lukeworm christian is an oxymoron; there's no such thing. To put it plainly, churchgoers who are "lukeworms" are not christians . We will not see them in heaven. and the reason why this is hit me the most out of this whole chapter is because a lot of the time im not wanting to go to church, during the school year is when i do my homework and sometimes my only day off during the week. and i of course love jesus but my daily life always catchs up to me and im either too tired or too grumpy to even enjoy whats right in front of me, and i just to want jesus and to want to glorify his name and go to church every week! soo that was a HUGE eyeopener!!!
1. I thought long and hard about this. And unfortunately I only have God in part of my life. And that is not okay. I need God to be in control 100% of the way. Chan says Lukewarm Christians listen to stories but do not act. I feel i do that far too much! I'll listen to awesome ministry stories and really think that they are great and I'll say "I would LOVE to do that sometime!" But i do not follow through. I want to really put more effort in my relationship with Christ and spend more time praying, worshiping, and loving God. Another thing Chan said really caught my attention, "Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven." I think about my daily life and things i am doing constantly. I do stop and think about God and heaven, but honestly, not enough. Just having the title of being a Christian does not mean we act like it. I put God away too often and i really can not do that any longer. I am going to put Him first from now on and love on Him more than ever.
ReplyDelete2. He wants ALL or NOTHING. We must be ultimately committed to Jesus. No, i do not believe i can go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus. We cannot claim that we are Christians if we do not love Him with all of our hearts. We need to truthfully and really deeply love Jesus. And if we do not, we are not going to heaven.
3. As Chan said to put our name with "Love is patient…. love is kind." It really hit me. I have never thought about myself like that. Saying "Shannon is patient…. Shannon is kind." It made me think about how i am not always like that. And i could be, but i choose not to be. I must admit i did feel like a liar. I want to choose to be more patient and kind. It also made me think about how much God does for me and how much he loves me.
1.Out of all of the “profiles of a lukewarm Christian”, I believe that the one that I identify and struggle with the most is the one that says, “Lukewarm peopled love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves.” One of my biggest problems is putting myself before others. This is a battle I struggle with everyday and sadly, most of the time I think it is all about me. I have bases so many things of myself for so long that it is natural for me to think about myself first. However, every time I serve someone else, I always get more joy out of it.
ReplyDelete2.Chan says that Jesus wants all or nothing from us. I believe that if one does not truly and faithfully love Jesus, then, NO, he cannot go to heaven. I believe this because in order to go to heave, one must believe with all his heart that they love Jesus and not second guess their selves. If one does not truly know Jesus, then they don’t have a true relationship with Him.
3.In chapter 5, a question is posed at the end and it says, "Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants?” This is not the first time I have heard this question, but every time I hear it, it makes me put my priorities in order again. I don’t know about everyone else, but often times my priorities get mixed up and every time I hear this question, it challenges me to think hard on what I want and truly believe. It is hard for me to give everything to Christ, but he consistently blesses me in miraculous ways!
1. The profile that has changed my whole life is: Lukewarm People attend church fairly regularly. It is what us expected of them, what they believe "good Christians" do, so they go. This changed me because before I read this book, I probably only went to church about once every 2 months, because I just was "too tired" or "busy with singing" or even "had too much homework." All of those excuses were keeping me from getting closer to God, and everyday I just thought, "Oh well I'll just read a little bit of scripture and that'll get me through for the next few days. I realized that nothing else matters except for God and His eternal and unconditional love.
ReplyDelete2. Chan says Jesus’ call to commitment is clear: He wants ALL or NOTHING......Can I go to heaven without truly and faithfully loving Jesus? This question is completely a JOKE. NO! You cannot go to heaven without LOVING Jesus. Why would you even think about going to heaven if you don't love the one who DIED on the cross for you. He went through humiliation and deep pain for every single one of us, so why in the world would you do something that low and selfish to even ask a question like that. As Chan says, Jesus wants ALL or NOTHING, so give everything you have to Him, and let Him lead your life the RIGHT way, His way.
3. I like this following verse on page 86: "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15). This is so true on so many levels. Most likely every Christian will say "I love the Lord with all my heart" and then we go and do bad things against the Word and against our Father, because we think that after we do it, we can just go home, pray about it, and then all is good. But you can't go living on with your life by thinking that if you do something bad, you just go and say a small prayer and everything is over with. I know deep down in all of us lies a pile of sin. We have this pile of sin sitting in our empty hearts because God doesn't want a "lukewarm" Christian, He wants people who follow His commands with kindness and love.