Jeff Noble's Blog, page 23

May 4, 2019

Random thoughts: Internet magic, stealth phone, ring back tones, Venmo, Sinemia and Moviepass

The internet is proof of magic.

I still don’t understand how the internet works. It’s magic. I’m convinced. Images. Facts. On my phone/computer/iPad at any moment? It’s being sent to my glass screen through tiny tubes that then broadcasts it through the air? How is that not magic? And supposedly it’s all 1’s and 0’s?! No way. There’s no other explanation. Magic.


When we don’t understand something we typically seek to disprove its existence. Unless they are things we are over-familiar with – like electricity or cars or stars or skinny jeans. The internet is real. So is Jesus. See my logic there?

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Published on May 04, 2019 09:18

April 26, 2019

Book Club: “What’s Best Next”

[image error]I posted on Instagram yesterday that I’m beginning a new book and invited anyone interested to read with me. I was pleased to see a few takers there. For followers of the blog, I’m putting it out there for your interest as well.


Here’s the book: What’s Best Next – How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done by Matt Perman.


Here’s what you need to do if you’re interested in joining this book club.



Leave a comment below that you’re going to participate.
Order your book from Amazon or go grab one from Barnes & Noble (or whatever remaining bricks and mortar bookstore you have access to).
The goal will be to have read through chapter one by next Friday (May 3).

I need your thoughts on how to interact

I want healthy, fun discussion about what we’re reading, and I’m not sure how to achieve it. Is it best to just use the comments on this blog entry for that? Or are you aware of other alternatives? I could create a “forum” on the blog dedicated to the book discussion also.



What are you aware of as far as discussion platforms?
Ideas?

And just to head off the “Facebook” idea… NO. I won’t do Facebook. Sorry. I’ll use it on occasion, but I don’t want to use it for on-going discussion. Sorry.

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Published on April 26, 2019 09:05

April 17, 2019

Passion Week: They didn’t get it

I wrote the following for Northstar Church’s Passion Week devotional series:


As they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” (Matthew 17:22-23)


Weeks before Jesus entered Jerusalem for His final week, He had been repetitively predicting His betrayal, arrest, death and resurrection. Every gospel records Jesus plainly telling His disciples what awaited Him in the capital city. And yet they didn’t get it.


They didn’t get it.

After another plain prediction, three of the gospels record the disciples’ bafflement:



And they were deeply distressed. (Matthew 17:23)
But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. (Mark 9:32)

Of course they didn’t want to ask Him! He had already bitten Peter’s head off when their unofficial spokesman had dared to confront Jesus about being such a Negative Nancy. (Matthew 16.22-23) The merry band of Jesus followers and co-healers/proclaimers/exorcisors were “distressed.” Jesus kept throwing a wet blanket over their enthusiasm. No one had ever done what He had done! Heck, no one had ever done what they had done in Jesus’ name! Jesus needed to understand it wasn’t good for PR to utter such depressing statements.


Peter had tried to calm Jesus down with a firm rebuke, and that hadn’t gone over too well. What the disciples saw and Jesus didn’t was that things had never been better. Crowds. Fanfare… And yet, Jesus seemed intent on descending into the worst imaginations. Betrayal. Arrest. Death…


“Someone has got to say something.”


“Not me! Remember Peter?! He called him Satan!”


And so they hoped Jesus’ words would pass. Indeed, he’d speak such words and then, in a few moments, His smile would return as He taught, healed and traveled. And yet, behind His compassionate eyes seemed to lie a heavy grief.


What did He know? Or was He just struggling with the pressure of people’s expectations?


When Jesus entered Jerusalem to the acclaim of a massive crowd (Matthew 21), the disciples must have thought it would cure Jesus of such dismal fears. Surely as He saw the crowds, He’d realize that He was simply too popular for the religious leaders to oppose Him? They hoped they’d soon be able to dismiss these uncomfortable statements as aberrations.


And yet, they all dwelt individually on His words. Jesus had been right about everything. What if…?


What gave each disciple pause was the uncomfortable crying incident. Before Jesus had entered Jerusalem on the donkey, He stopped on the hill overlooking the city, and He.. cried. (Luke 19:41)


“What the heck is He doing?”


“Hush! He’ll hear you!”


“But He’s crying! I’m telling you.. He’s cracking under the pressure! Does He not see everyone lining the streets waiting on Him?!”


Jesus always sees more than we do.

What the disciples didn’t get that week so long ago that Jesus was constantly looking at the cross. He couldn’t dismiss it from His thoughts. It was a horror and dread for Him, and yet He knew the cross mean freedom and forgiveness for all.


And so He plunged forward. He kept predicting, so that the disciples would remember what He’d said after the shock and realize that it wasn’t an unhappy accident but an eternal plan.


They hoped He didn’t mean what He said.


Have you ever hoped that Jesus didn’t mean something? 


Surely He didn’t mean ____.


I find myself in the place of the disciples. I hear Jesus’ words, and in many moments, I just don’t want them to be true. Surely the path of following Jesus leads to popular acclaim, power, and personal fulfillment!?


And yet… Jesus’ unhappiest words lead to my most supreme joy. I may not want what He says to be true, but His words lead through my deepest fears to my deepest fulfillment. And they call me to hope in what I do not see, what I cannot imagine.. yet.


I pray for you that this Easter season you’ll face Jesus’ most uncomfortable words and actions in your life and trust Him through them. You may fear death in self denial, but there’s life – resurrection – beyond the grave. Listen to His words. Believe them. They may seem depressing, but they are full of promise…


Betrayal. Arrest. Death…


“and on the third day He will be raised up!”

And so will you.


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Published on April 17, 2019 08:15

April 4, 2019

A desire for viral

A couple of years back I was astonished to learn that one of the college students in our church had a YouTube video that had gone viral. It was a funny video of her coming off of anesthesia, and it had so many hits that she was making money on it. I had no idea at the time that was “a thing.”


I often shake my head in amazement at what blasts across the internet. Whether it’s a funny meme, cat video or a picture of a house that shows a ghost in one of the windows, these digital sensations capture attention of millions in hours. It’s incredible.


I won’t lie. There’s been times I’ve wished one of my blog posts would go BIG. Any creative wants to be noticed, affirmed and be able to know that what they’ve created has value to someone.


[image error]Marketing professor Jonah Berger identified six things in his book Contagious: Why Things Catch On to try and determine what makes content go viral. They identified six things:



Emotion
Social currency
Triggers
Public observability
Practical value
Storytelling

A blog article about the book points out an even more pragmatic consideration. What if your content goes viral, but your blog can’t handle the internet traffic?


Don’t forget the hardware aspect of managing your viral content. If you’re shooting for millions of views and shares, you’ll also need to make sure your hosting package has what it takes to manage sudden spikes in demand.


You don’t need to be a psychologist to create quality, engaging content, but you do need a fundamental understanding of the humans who are taking it in. Just remember to make sure your site can handle the load once your next masterpiece catches on.


There’s a helpful infographic on WhoIsHostingThis.com in the article Contagious Content: How To Make Your Killer Content Go Viral that portrays these six fundamental factors (according to Berger):


[image error]


 


As I look over my blog, YouTube and Twitter accounts, here are the posts that have received the most traction:



YouTube: I’m a Bielemer – A video I made with Ben Coulter back when Arkansas Football was having its last good season under Coach Brett Bielema. (I’m not a Bielemer anymore.) – 11/24/2014



Twitter: – 3/31/2018

[image error]



My blog:

The Flap about Phil – Duck Dynasty and its future with A&E – 12/20/2013
Key Thoughts from “A Long Obedience” by Eugene Peterson – 9/10/2005



 


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Published on April 04, 2019 06:37

March 24, 2019

Review: CSB Christ Chronological Bible

How can you “review” a Bible?

I started using the Christian Standard Bible to preach from in 2017. Up until that time, I’d been using the English Standard Version for many moons. I’ve really enjoyed the public readability of the CSB, and while I still turn to the ESV at times for personal study and comparison, my transition has been pretty seamless.


In January, I began self-directed reading plan. I decided to read the “red letters” of the New Testament. These are the places in which Jesus is directly quoted. So that’s where I’ve been spending my time in the mornings. Studying the words and teachings of Jesus in depth has been refreshing.


[image error] A cereal discovery

I eat cereal at night. Often. My routine includes reading the latest catalog from Christian Book Distributors. (If you haven’t heard of CBD, you need to check them out. Prices often cheaper than Amazon, and with their imperfection sales, you can find some steals!) In February while eating Frosted Flakes with Lucky Charms marshmallows (they’re a thing and delicious!), I saw the CSB Christ Chronological Bible on sale there. I promptly ordered it.


CSB Christ Chronological provides a unique way for readers to experience the life of Christ in chronological order with each Gospel writer’s account of events side-by-side. Featuring a parallel format, commentary notes for each section to provide background and context, and color-coded text to differentiate between the accounts in each Gospel, readers are able to gain fresh perspective on the life and ministry of Christ. (Publisher’s Description)


I enjoy the layout of the book, placing each gospel writer’s similar accounts of events and teachings side-by-side for comparison. There’s also ample room for journaling and notes.


Although I have caught a few places where they missed a parallel, overall, it’s a fantastic resource, and I’ve enjoyed it. I highly recommend it for devotional and journaling purposes. I am not aware of anything else out there quite like it.


Get it today and enjoy. Cereals-ly.


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Published on March 24, 2019 17:19

March 15, 2019

Nuff Said: Misunderstood Emojis, Pickle Jar Theory, Blogging Disrespect, and “if Bible characters had iPhones”

Nuff said is a collection of posts/articles from around the web that has drawn my attention in the following ways:



Made me think
Made me wonder
Made me feel

Here’s what I’ve noticed lately:


Does that Emoji Mean What You Think It Does?

Did you know that the emoji you send may be represented differently across platforms? For instance, a grimace on the iPhone may look like an outright grin on a Samsung device.


[image error]On the Social Media Today, Andrew Hutchinson said, “Emojis can be misinterpreted, misconstrued, and can confuse your intended message as a result. It’s worth taking note of these commonly mistaken emoji, in particular, and ensuring your message remains clear.”


The Pickle Jar Theory

A tip of the hat to the Crazy Little Thing Called Life blog that gives us this illustration. You may have heard it before in different ways, but I like the conclusion.


There once was a professor of philosophy who in front of his class took a large empty jar of pickles and without saying a word, began to fill it with golf balls. Then, he asked his students if the jar was full. The students were willing to say YES.


The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar of pickles. The pebbles rolled into the empty spaces between the golf balls. The teacher asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was.


The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar of pickles. Of course, the sand fills all voids and the teacher asked again if the jar was full. The students unanimously answered YES.


[image error]

Image credit to wereblog


Immediately after, the teacher added two cups of coffee into the jar of pickles and the coffee actually filled the spaces between the grains of sand. The students then began to laugh. When they finished, the professor said: I want you to realize that the pickle jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things like family, children, health, everything that is truly important. Our lives would still be full if we lost everything else and they were all that remained.


The pebbles are the other things that count such as work, home, car, etc. The sand is everything else, the little things in life. If you put the sand first, there would be no room for anything else – the pebbles or the golf balls.. It’s the same thing in life.


If we spend all our energy and our time for small things, we will never have room for the things that really matter. Pay attention to things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children (or grandchildren!), take the time to go to the doctor, dinner with your family, playing sports or practicing your favorite hobbies. There will always be time to clean, repair the kitchen, etc. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set priorities, the rest is just sand..


One student raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented… The professor smiled and said: It’s good that you ask. It was just to show you that although your life may seem satisfied, there will always be room for a cup of coffee with a friend.


Nobody respects a blogger

Tim Challies hit the nail on the head with this post about the siren song of the blogger to be noticed. He said, “I was discontent to be just a blogger and had a growing desire to be affirmed in a more respectable media.”  He describes how it’s much more “respectable” to be a columnist or an author, but introducing yourself as a “blogger” just doesn’t carry weight. People almost feel sorry for you.


I’ve felt that. “Oh, you blog… you enjoy putting your feelings out there for others to critique…” I’ve been blogging since 2004. Crazy to think about. I still love it. These days are busy for me – more so than “normal,” but I enjoy retreating into my blog on occasion to share thoughts, make a point, explain a perspective or simply put my feelings out there for others to critique. I especially appreciated Tim’s challenge:


“..be committed to blogging and to be content with blogging. Do not succumb to the temptation to regard blogging as a substandard medium or to view it as a mere means to an end. If blogging is worth doing, it is worth doing well.”


If Bible characters had iPhones

John Crist nails it again.



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Published on March 15, 2019 17:57

March 9, 2019

Nuff Said: Why does no one good want to run for President?

Nuff said is a collection of posts/articles from around the web that has drawn my attention in the following ways:



Made me think
Made me wonder
Made me feel

Here’s what I’ve noticed lately:


Adam Maclane wrote a post back in 2017 with this same title. This was before the Democrats took control of the House in the 2018 elections. I’m enough of a conspiracy theorist that I still scratch my head dubiously about how exactly they did that without more election fraud than we want to know about.


Think about it. If there is massive election fraud going on, it would undermine any remaining confidence we all have in the election process. I fail to understand with all our technology how we have such a ridiculously inept election reporting process. We know there was election fraud. An article in the journal Electoral Studies suggests that as many as 2.8 million illegal aliens voted in the 2008 election. What was going on when winners were declared and “missing ballots” were found late on election night or in the following days in so many states that flipped seats from Republican to Democrat in 2018? An article in the National Review Democrats Dismiss Voter-Fraud Worries, but Reality Intrudes paints an unsettling picture of how Al Franken may have won an election due to voter fraud in Minnesota.



In 2008, illegal felon voters appear to have swung the outcome of the critical 2008 Minnesota Senate election. The day after the election, GOP senator Norm Coleman had a 725-vote lead, but a series of recounts over the next six months reversed that result and gave Democrat Al Franken a 312-vote victory.

The outcome had a significant impact because it gave Democrats the critical 60th Senate vote they needed to block GOP filibusters. Franken’s vote proved crucial in the passage of Obamacare in the Senate.

Minnesota Majority identified 1,099 felons — all ineligible to vote — who had voted in the Franken–Coleman race.

Nine out of ten suspect felon voters contacted by a Minneapolis TV station said they had voted for Franken.

Because of such fraud and poor election management, honest questions must be asked about the entire process and even election day coverage:

What motivation do people on the West Coast have to vote if their candidate is far behind?
What gain is there in declaring victories on the East Coast as soon as polls close?
Why can’t we have term limits in place for Congress? It’s beyond ludicrous that we have “professional” politicians!
Why do we allow ungodly, astronomical spending on election cycles? (Hillary Clinton spent a record $1.2 billion on her failed 2016 campaign!)

But these pale in comparison the the main question:


Why don’t our best and brightest aspire to be President?

In the article I mentioned at the beginning, Maclane asked the following pertinent questions:


Why don’t people who look really qualified and popular run?

Why aren’t our best military minds going into politics?

Why aren’t inventors?

Why aren’t thought leaders?

Why do emerging politicians stop themselves from moving up the ranks?


His conclusions were two-fold:

He felt that the election cycle itself is far too long. “Not very many highly driven people really want to campaign for nearly 2 years for an opportunity at a 4-year job. If we shortened this down to 6 months I think better people would run.”
“The scrutiny is inhumane.”

To those, I think I’d add:

Finances are prohibitive. The idea of raising $500 million or even a billion dollars??!! Insane.
Family. It doesn’t just take a unique candidate. It takes a unique family with thick skin. I think Maclane was right about the absurd amount of scrutiny and criticism that our current President’s family has received as well as Brett Kavanaugh in his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, you have to wonder who would want to go through that?
Humility. There has been a real absence in humility in elected offices in the last few decades. The idea of working together for the common good has been destroyed, and I do mean, destroyed, by partisan blindness and vitriol. What we get, then, are not our best and brightest.

Ideas for the future

Term limits for Congress. Seriously, this is such a no-brainer, that the only reason I can see that it hasn’t been enacted is that those who are currently professional politicians protect themselves from losing their jobs with religious zeal.
Limitations on political advertising. Follow me here. I think we should impose a ban on political advertising. We have PBS and NPR. Both are publicly owned. Require each to air candidate’s informercials, interviews, etc. – equally, in given time slots. Allow candidates to have their own YouTube channels in order to communicate their platforms, views, responses to the competitor, etc. But don’t allow millions of dollars to be spent on advertising on TV channels.

You know who’s opposed to this? TV and radio stations. Because they reap the benefits of an election season, hand over fist. It may actually keep them in business. It may also explain why they stir things up so much.


[image error]Balanced budget admentment. We must require Congress to balance the budget. We can’t spend more than what we take in. Period. And it will hurt for 5-10 years as we curtail spending to pay for what previous administrations have done to get us in the financial hole we’re in as a country. You don’t hear much about national debt these days, but it’s ridiculous. ($22 trillion; US Federal Budget Deficit $860 billion)

Run we must

I don’t mean “run away.” Rather, we must urge our best and brightest to consider serving us, serving our nation, as leaders in politics. Hugh Hewitt wrote In, But Not Of Revised and Updated: A Guide to Christian Ambition and the Desire to Influence the World. It’s a provocative read. It encourages believers to engage our culture with discernment, courage, and love.


Finally, I’m not suggesting that President Trump is not “good,” but I think we’d all agree that we have not been given dynamic options of proven, diplomatic and humble candidates in our last few presidential elections.


What would it take for someone you know to run for President.. or a state or local office? A few years ago, I attempted to run for town council. Who knows…


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Published on March 09, 2019 16:06

February 17, 2019

A Discipleship Initiative

I wasn’t “discipled”

I have been incredibly blessed to have had several men speak into my life as spiritual shepherds. First was my dad who led our family to church without fail, week after week. Though my sister and I often hoped my parents would miraculously forget about church on Sunday nights (so we could stay home and watch The Wonderful World of Disney on TV), it was rare. I was brought up with the idea of church being non-negotiable and somewhere along the way, I discovered the blessing/benefit of it rather than just the obligation of it.


A few youth ministers, a man named Mike Compton who taught us about the importance of a “quiet time” in junior high, two college pastors and then Carolyn’s youth minister – all were men through whom God worked to shape me.


It’s been said that vision is more caught than taught,” and in my own life I would affirm that is partially true. I was accidentall discipled by the church and these men. Their proximity in my life helped me stay on course, and their godly lives were an example to me of emulation. However, I never had someone sit down one-on-one with me in a coffee shop, week after week, to “disciple” me.


My commitment to discipleship

I have spent more than 25 years engaged in intentional discipleship. Wherever I have served in ministry, I have sought to find a few teachable, hungry people and pour what I know into them. I believe that’s what Jesus urged in his Great Commission: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”


I’ve used curriculum over the years – One on One with God was probably the most successful in reproducing disciples who reproduce disciples. It may not have been the material but my commitment to use it consistently over several years that produced several guys who used it in their discipling relationships as well.


Whether using material, reading through a book together or simply studying scripture, I have kept the foundation in sight: a love relationship with God. If I can help someone develop a deep, humble, joyful love relationship with Jesus, I can certainly be confident that they will continue to follow Him long after I fade from influence in their life. I am not, after all, developing disciples of Jeff.


Rethinking the model of discipleship

The predominant mode of western discipleship is content-heavy and often accompanied by “accountability.” Many have been blessed by this intentional form of passing on spiritual truths and practices. (I have.) However, the model itself lacks one significant, consistent component, without which it tends to produce methodolical Christians who struggle when the external influence/accountability of a “discipler” is not present in their life.


The model often lacks love.


I say that with humility. I certainly don’t mean to suggest that it is unloving or that those engaged in discipling another don’t love the people they’re meeting with. However, it is possible. It’s possible to disciple another from obligation or from commitment to pass on biblical truth. It’s possible for genuine love for the disciple to be lacking.


Anytime we focus on communicating truth, it tends toward increasing knowledge. The accumulation of knowledge, unfortunately (even “spiritual” knowledge) tends to increasing ego rather than humility.


“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8.1)



As a result, even while we sincerely want to disciple someone, we may miss the bigger picture of love. Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all we are, that all other commandments hinge on this foundational anchor in relationship.


“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22.37)



The Discipleship Initiative

In January, I announced at our church’s annual State of the Church message that 2019 would be devoted to discipleship. I outlined a plan:



On January 24, I began meeting with 18 men – staff guys, elders and a few randomly-selected men
On February 11, I began meeting with 20 ladies – staff ladies, wives of elders, and other randomly-selected ladies

My commitment to them is to teach them in six weeks what a disciple of Jesus looks like, practices and produces. The core of my true with them will be a laser-like focus on their love relationship with Jesus. Only a relationship based on intimacy and humility will produce long-term, joyful obedience and experience the profound blessing of influencing others.


I asked each initial participant to commit to leading a small group of 2-3 through the principles and practices I am teaching them later this year, focusing on the members of our church. The vision is to involve every single member in this intentional discipleship initiative by January 2020.


[image error]I committed to the guys that I would meet individually with every guy two times over the six weeks. (That’s 18 individual meetings every three weeks – whew!) I am training six ladies to be my coaches to do the same with the women.


I am using the graph at right to anchor this initiative in a LOVE RELATIONSHIP with God. Intimacy and humility come first. We love Him because He first loved us. We base all our life and approach to God on His love for us, and we learn to grow in our love for Him. That is what being a disciple of Jesus is about: loving Him with all that we are.


Time will tell whether this continued emphasis on loving the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength in intimacy and humility results in sustained, joyful obedience and increased influence. I am convinced, however, that disciples who walk in love with Jesus, who abide with Him, will produce more fruit than those who don’t. Loving God intimately results in experiencing an abundant life.


I hope you’ll be praying for these 38 people who are my discipleship guinea pigs. In the next few months, they will be embarking on their own journeys of leading others to love God with all that they are. My hope is that this simple return to the core of our relationship with Jesus will cease being an “initiative” and will transform into a movement that blesses a new generation of Jesus followers.


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Published on February 17, 2019 14:54

January 22, 2019

Guest Post: The Difficulty of Being a Pastor

I want to re-introduce you to a pastor friend of mine. Phillip Slaughter is the pastor at First Baptist Church in Mansfield, Arkansas. You can read more about his faith journey in this series of posts


He posted the following on Facebook, and after I read it and nodded my head throughout it, I contacted him and asked if I could repost it here:


[image error]I’m pretty open about my struggles and insecurities. I enjoy life, and I enjoy my job, but sometimes things get really difficult. I have no problem talking to my close friends (Brandon C. Massey, Michael Pettiette, Austin West, Brett Lee, BCM family, etc.) and the leaders at my church about these things. I’m not sharing this as a call for help. I give those all the time

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Published on January 22, 2019 17:23

January 12, 2019

Review: All Things Good

[image error]I really enjoyed Hannah Anderson’s book Humble Roots [reviewed here] and I was eager to read All That’s Good. The subtitle is “Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment.” I read Tim Challies’ The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment [review here] and hoped this book would be another welcome addition to a subject the American church needs so much more application of.


I love how she emphasizes that discernment is not primarily to identify what is bad or unworthy. Rather, biblical discernment directs us to identify what is good. With that principle firmly rooted, she turns to Philippians 4:8-9 and Paul’s instructions to “think on these things” as she unpacks each element of spiritual thinking:



Whatever is true
Whatever is honorable
Whatever is just
Whatever is pure
Whatever is lovely
Whatever is commendable

I was not disappointed. Her introductory chapters (1-3) were fantastic. I did think the book bogged down a bit in the middle. However, there are great nuggets throughout. Her chapter on “what is commendable” is truly remarkable (worth talking about) and has powerful application to our modern information-overloaded culture, especially as we relate to social media.


“Whatever is commendable, it is calling us to something greater than niceness – it’s calling us to speak what is right and good. It is calling us to speech that is richer and more robust than either platitudes or silence. Remember that discernment is not concerned primarily with our social comfort. It is concerned with goodness. And sometimes pursuing goodness will lead us outside the boundaries of polite conversation.”


Paul’s word to the Philippians in verse 9 is direct. “Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me..” Anderson points out that discernment is not just for us to think about certain things but to begin to practice those things. We look for models and mentors and we associate ourselves with a community of faith that will nurture these qualities as good.


It is not enough to sound off about the negative, the detrimental and the bad. What the church and culture need are people who will speak graciously about what is good. People who identify the good, promote the good, work for the good and reveal the good.


I find it profoundly interesting that when Jesus was called “good teacher” by the rich young ruler in Luke, He deflected with a  question, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Luke 18.19) It was because the rich young ruler brought Him flattery in his compliment. He didn’t know that he was speaking the truth to the man who is Truth Incarnate.


As we seek to identify “all that’s good,” it will inevitably lead us to the author of all that’s good – Jesus. May His good captivate our hearts and minds and lead us away from what is not good.


I highly recommend this book.


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Published on January 12, 2019 16:42