It's so interesting getting a blog up and running. There are so many things that need to be decided upon and changed or updated as you set it up. However, in the end, the biggest decision is what the purpose of the blog is for. Some blog to keep others up to date on their lives. Some just want to express themselves via words. Some like to place videos or pictures up for others to look at. This is not really going to be like any of that.
I suppose my main goal in beginning this blog is to create an avenue for the blog-lovers to be challenged, enlightened, encouraged, and, mostly, built up in Christ. As we each walk through life on a journey toward Christ-likeness, we need others to be there along the way. God uses people, especially His Church, to poke and prod us and mold us into the image of Christ. So hopefully through this blog and the comments, God will be molding and shaping you as the potter does with the clay.
So what can you expect from my posts? That's a good question! Perhaps the two biggest passions I have are discipleship and hermeneutics. Before the big words become cumbersome, allow me to define them and explain why they fire me up. Discipleship is based upon the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus tells his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. A basic definition of discipleship, then, is learning how to obey Jesus' commandments, in order to take the gospel to other people, connecting them to Christ through baptism, and teaching them to obey the same commandments you are learning to obey. Even more brief, discipleship is helping others become what I am becoming in Christ. Discipleship begins before a person comes to Christ, and it never ends! Every Christian has the responsibility to carry out this idea of discipleship, not just the leaders of the church. Because the American church as a whole has gotten away from this fact, I am passionate about seeing discipleship become the main thrust of the church again.
The other big word, hermeneutics, is simply how we interpret the Bible. This is a much deeper concept to grasp. We all come to the Bible with preconceived ideas about what it means. Many of us come to the Bible in order to find out what it means "to me." All of us interpret the Bible every time we read it, often without even thinking about it. But what we often fail to take into consideration is
how we interpreted it. Perhaps one of the most wonderful statements I have ever read is, "A text can not mean what it never meant." In other words, if we want to know what a particular Bible passage means, we must find out what the author's original intended meaning was. It is a very difficult task to uncover what Matthew meant in Matt. 24-25, what Paul mean in Romans 9-11, and what John meant throughout the book of Revelation. However, if we come to these books and passages with an attitude of humility and brokenness, we are much more likely to uncover the original meaning, and, consequently, we can then (and only then) determine how to apply our lives to God's Word. I am so passionate about this idea because I have seen my own culture and preconceived notions get in the way of my understanding and interpreting the Bible. Once I crossed a few "hermeneutical hurdles," I suddenly realized how important hermeneutics are. In a statement, the way you interpret the Scripture directly affects the way you live your life.
So those are my passions. Each post will dig into certain parts of our Christian walk based upon the Scriptures. I will pose questions about the interpretation of the Bible, about application to our lives, and about the responsibility we have to actually be transformed by God's Spirit. I will also press you to not only be a disciple, but also to make disciples as you go about your life. I will do my best to post once a week, and I hope you feel comfortable posting your comments and questions as we go along. So I look forward to journeying along with you and whoever you choose to invite along with you. For God's glory alone!
