8 responses to “Are You Playing in the Spiritual Kiddie Pool?”

1. 

   Jon Stolpe

   September 6, 2012

   Wow, Tom. I’m not sure what to say. Thanks for the glowing recommendation.

   To your question. I’m involved with Christian community for several reasons:
   1) The Bible models this type of community – see Acts 2 as one example.
   2) I’m incomplete without the body of Christ.
   3) I believe I have something to add to the community as part of the body of Christ.
   4) There is power in the Christian community to change the world.

   Reply
   1. 

      Kari Scare

      September 6, 2012

      All of your points are important ones, but I especially want to emphasize #2 and #3. Not only are we incomplete without being part of the body of Christ, but the body of Christ is incomplete without each one of us. Powerful stuff!

      Reply
   2. 

      tnealtarver

      September 6, 2012

      Jon, your article was so practical and simple to apply. Not that simple equals easy.

      Reply
2. 

   Kari Scare

   September 6, 2012

   First, thanks for the mention in the post. Second, your statement “You can have a relationship with Christ without the baggage of Christian community (i.e., church). You just won’t go very deep in Him without it.” cuts to the heart of the matter right away. So many people seem to settle. They settle in their relationship with each other. They settle in how they feel about themselves. And, worst of all, they settle in their relationship with Christ. He did not mean for us to settle in this life. After all, He came that we might have life to the full, right? So why aren’t we? I think we take the easy way out. Relationships, especially deep and meaningful ones, are a lot of hard work. We have so much else vying for our attention. As you already know, this topic is on my heart considerably these days. Great take on it! Going to print this one for use in the class I’m teaching.

   Reply
   1. 

      tnealtarver

      September 6, 2012

      “Settle” is an excellent word to use. Part of the settlement involves our disappointment in ourselves and others. We don’t, as Christian community, live up to the promise or expectation found in Jesus Christ. We’re disappointed in the results and we settle for something short of what Scripture suggests about community as found in passages like John 15 or I Corinthians 12.

      I’m always curious as to hear how your class goes this Fall.

      Reply
      1. 

         Kari Scare

         September 7, 2012

         We settle, I think, because we focus on what we can see with our physical eyes instead of focusing with our spiritual eyes. When we focus on the spiritual, the eternal, we strive for so much more than we can see.

         Regarding my class, i’ts going very well. Talked about labor last Sunday and what God’s view is of it versus the world’s view. We talked about how our work affects the rest of our lives and how God expects us to not settle for the world’s view but to strive for what He intended for our work to be. We ended with a personal challenge to line up our work lives and selves with what God desires. This Sunday, we are talking about integrity and the role the Christian community plays in us developing & maintaining that integrity.

      2. 

         tnealtarver

         September 7, 2012

         I’m still pondering through the thought of why we settle. I know focus, eternal vs. temporal, plays a significant role, but I also think it’s more than that. Lazy? Ignorant? Perhaps. But at the heart of it all is the fear Adam and Eve expressed when they hid from God. They feared being found and therefore found out.

         Hard to believe you’ve started with your class, especially on a holiday weekend. Hope you all learn lots and pass on your learning. Thanks for the update.

      3. 

         Kari Scare

         September 7, 2012

         Lazy? Yes. Ignorance? Yes. Pride? Yep. Fear? That too. So much goes into play with why we settle. It all boils down to settling being ultimately the easiest road to take. Sure is much easier than dealing with our fear, our motivation, or knowledge, our focus, etc. Jesus will force us to deal with all of those things. His ministry on earth sure proves that out. Takes a lifetime of pursuing holiness to truly not settle. Not settling has to be a lifestyle approach.

         Debated on whether or not to hold the class on a holiday weekend, but we actually had a really good turnout. I figure I am going to forge ahead and honor the faithful. (Not that others aren’t faithful because they weren’t there, but I want to honor those who are able to be there.)