The Challenge. November 2010.

Sorry, I am running behind for November's challenge!

Last month I read Radical by David Platt. This book challenges "the norm" for many American churches and Christians, and compares our lifestyles and value system with what the Bible actually demands of us. You should definitely take the time to read this book, and read it well.

David Platt ends the book with 5 challenges, which are all crucial for us, as the church, to fulfill the purpose of the church. For this month's challenge I am going to focus on 1 of these 5 points.

Read through the entire word.

David Platt's challenges are aimed to be achieved over the course of a year. I am definitely not saying to read the entire word this month. My challenge for you and myself is to find a "Bible in a Year" plan that fits you best, and stick to it.

I find that I do well reading the Bible regularly, but I also seem to lean towards certain books, and read them often while the pages of others seem to gather dust.

It is important that when you choose a plan to read the Bible in a year, that you choose a plan that fits you. Some prefer a little of this and a little of that to break up the long reading sessions (a little Old Testament and a litte New Testament). Some prefer a plan that goes from cover to cover. Personally, I will be doing a reading plan that goes chronologically. I have never read the Bible this way, and I am excited to learn more about the time frame of all the characters and events in the Bible. And, to make it easy, all these Bible reading plans are available here.

One more important point that I want to make is this...even though the quantity you read daily may increase by taking on this challenge, please do not let the quality of your reading suffer. Take time in silence to prepare yourself to focus on God's word and any revelations He wants to show you. Set aside enough time to thoroughly read the passages and meditate on them. Journal and ask God questions that may arise. You may be amazed at the newness that He reveals through words that you have read many times before.

Rocked

In my quest to learn people's stories, I am reading "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand. He is the founder of The Voice of the Martys, and this book is part of his story from prison.

You may remember a post I wrote about this organization and the book giveaway a few months back.

I love reading, and I never pass up a free book. Well, it has been sitting on my shelf for a while now, and I figured it was time to learn Richard Wurmbrand's story.

Can I just say, I just finished chapter two, and I can already say with assurance that you need to go out and get this book right now.

Right now.

My world has been rocked.

And I have only read two chapters.

R.W. writes in plain language that makes me feel like he is sitting at my table and sharing with me personally the most horrid and beautiful things I have ever heard.

Now I understand why they are giving the book away for free. It is something every Christian needs to read. I am tempted to share with you some of the things I have read, in two chapters, that have convicted me and encouraged me, brought me to tears, and brought me to my knees. But I could never do them justice.

You can go here to request your free copy of this book. And you can also order copies for your friends. If I knew your address I would send you one right now.

So, if you are looking for something to rock your world, read this book. You will not be disapointed.

The Challenge. August 2010.

So, how did you guys do with July's challenge?

There are two countries that really stood out to me that I have never spent much time learning about or praying for before.

The first is Afghanistan. I hear about it all the time in the news, but in reality, how much does the news really say? I didn't know much about the country past Islam, the Taliban, and death tolls. Well, maybe I knew I little bit more than that, but not much.



When learning the history of this war-torn country, the people that God really placed on my heart are the women. I won't go into much detail, but really, the way of life for the women of Afghanistan in recent history is beyond my comprehension. I am far from being a feminist, but I am so thankful for the freedom I have known my whole life.

I will leave it to you (for now) to research more if you are interested, but I will recommend a book called "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. The characters and story are fictional, but the setting is real life Afghanistan over a stretch of several decades. I promise, if you read this book, you will be changed.

The second country, Eritrea, is one I knew nothing about other than location.



What drew me to Eritrea is a man named Andy.

Andy works at a Photo Lab. Six years ago when I returned from my first trip to Africa, I went to his photo lab to get my pictures developed. When I went to pick them up he said he really enjoyed my pictures from Ethiopia, because they reminded him of home.

I learned that Andy was from Eritrea, and fled to Ethiopia due to political crisis in his home country, and from there he moved to the United States.

Other than what Andy had told me about Eritea, I never learned anything more. That is until I was looking over the map of persecuted countries, and saw Eritrea there in red.

I don't use that photo lab anymore (thanks to digital cameras and the internet), but every once in a while I'll stop by and say hi to Andy. He has followed my journey to Zimbabwe and back, and when I walk in he greets me with a warm smile and says, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere in Africa?" (He says that everytime :)

After I read more about Eritrea and the suffering its people, specifically its Christians, have under gone, it really gives me a greater respect and intrigue for my friend.

And that brings me to this month's challenge:

Learn somebody's story.

I hope to, this month, visit Andy and learn more of his story, as well as others.

We interact with dozens of people everday. I have noticed the older I get and the more of a hurry I am in, the shorter and less significant these interactions become.

It could be anyone: your barista, someone you work with, someone who goes to your church, a friend of a friend, someone you interact with online...the possibilities are endless. Challenge yourself to go a little deeper with someone outside your normal comfortable circle.

To this day I have a friend that I shook hands with at a church I was visiting three years ago during the usual 1 minute "greet someone you don't know" time, a friend who I met two years ago sitting the row in front of me at a concert, and a friend I made six years ago at a photo lab.

These monthly challenges are things, in my own life, that I see need change, or that God places on my heart to do. This month's challenge is personal to me, as it is something I miss about myself.

I want to slow down and take the time once again to really hear people, to know them, and to learn their stories. Will you join me?

Confession

I know I could be doing more, but sometimes I convince myself that I do enough.

By 'do enough', I mean do enough work for the Kingdom.

It is a direct relation to what I talked about in To the Point of Sacrifice.

It is the attitude that I already commit this much time volunteering, and I do a little bit extra here and there. I do more than a lot of people, and that is good enough.

But it is not.

Recently I have been challenged by Richard Stearns, in his book The Hole in Our Gospel, to examine where and how I am investing my time, talents, and treasure.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:21

I want my heart to break for the things the break the heart of God.

And I want my actions to reflect this. In every way, in every opportunity.

In response, I am committing to do more.

I have been praying about how to do this, and this is what God has placed on my heart.

Every month I am going to, with prayer and guidance, choose a challenge.

These challenges may be a personal challenge to strengthen my relationship with God. It may be a challenge to do something way beyond my comfort zone. It may be a challenge to learn, share, give, or go.

But each month it will be something new. And it will offer the opportunity to do more.

And to make things more exciting, I am inviting you to come along.

That's right. Consider it a challenge.

On Friday I will be posting the first challenge, which will be for the month of June. God's already been placing specific things on my heart, and I am excited about how we may be a blessing through these things.

Meanwhile, if you have not already done so, I would encourage you to buy, check-out, or borrow a copy of The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. It will give you insights into God's heart for the poor, and his call for all believers. It will teach you about the different aspects of poverty, and how we can make a difference. And, prayerfully, it will encourage you to do more.

With that said, I leave you with these words from Jimmy Carter:

"My faith demands- this is not optional- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference."