Spiritual Bucket List by James Emery White

Vol. 9, No. 86 

Bucket List

 

Have you ever heard the phrase “bucket list?”

It means the things you want to do before you before you “kick the bucket.”

 

I recently read an article titled “The Before You’re Forty Bucketlist.”  It was a decent list, full of things both spiritual (read the bible) and temporal (watch every film on the AFI top 100 list).

 

It got me thinking what a bucket list should entail for someone who is already a follower of Christ (becoming one would be, of course, the only bucket list item that would matter).  After all, we are not to count this life for much beyond personal preparation for eternity and making an eternal difference on others.

 

So what would a top-ten bucket list in that spirit contain?

 

Here’s my shot.

 

1.   Build a relationship with a non-Christian and share your faith in Christ.

2.   Trust God financially in terms of giving.

3.   Take at least one bungee-jump of faith related to obedience.

4.   Love someone to the point of sacrifice.

5.   Discover your spiritual gift(s) and serve accordingly.

6.   Make one spiritual pilgrimage

       (see A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom, InterVarsity Press, for some ideas).

7.   Read the Bible in its entirety.

8.   Mentor someone new to the faith.

9.   Find a church home and invest yourself in its community and mission.

10. Serve the poorest of the poor.

 

Let me know what you think I missed.  But if I can have those ten things crossed off,

…it would have been a good and God-honoring life.

 

James Emery White

 

Sources

“The Before You're 40 Bucketlist,” Jesse Carey, Relevant, October 13, 2013, read online.

James Emery White, A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom (InterVarsity Press).

 

  

Editor’s Note

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and the ranked adjunctive professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, which he also served as their fourth president.  His newly released book is The Church in an Age of Crisis: 25 New Realities Facing Christianity (Baker Press).  To enjoy a free subscription to the Church and Culture blog, log-on to www.churchandculture.org, where you can post your comments on this blog, view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world.  Follow Dr. White on twitter @JamesEmeryWhite.

Sent into the Harvest: Halloween on Mission by David Mathis

What if a crisp October wind blew through “the way we’ve always done things” at Halloween? What if the Spirit stirred in us a new perspective on October 31? What if dads led their households in a fresh approach to Halloween as Christians on mission?

What if spreading a passion for God’s supremacy in all things included Halloween — that amalgamation of wickedness now the second-largest commercial holiday in the West?

Loving Others and Extending Grace

What if we didn’t think of ourselves as “in the world, but not of it,” but rather, as Jesus says in John 17, “not of the world, but sent into it”?

And what if that led us to move beyond our squabbles about whether or not we’re free to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve, and the main issue became whether our enjoyment of Jesus and his victory over Satan and the powers of darkness might incline us to think less about our private enjoyments and more about how we might love others?

What if we took Halloween captive — along with “every thought” (2 Corinthians 10:5) — as an opportunity for gospel advance and bringing true joy to the unbelieving?

And what if those of us taking this fresh approach to Halloween recognized that Christians hold a variety of views about Halloween, and we gave grace to those who see the day differently than we do?

Without Naiveté or Retreat

What if we didn’t merely go with the societal flow and unwittingly float with the cultural tide into and out of yet another Halloween? What if we didn’t observe the day with the same naïveté as our unbelieving neighbors and coworkers?

And what if we didn’t overreact to such nonchalance by simply withdrawing?

What if Halloween wasn’t a night when Christians retreated in disapproval, but an occasion for storming the gates of hell?

The Gospel Trick

What if we ran Halloween through the grid of the gospel and pondered whether there might be a third path beyond naïveté and retreat?

What if we took the perspective that all of life, Halloween included, is an opportunity for gospel advance?

What if we saw Halloween not as a retreat but as a kind of gospel trick — an occasion to extend Christ’s cause on precisely the night when Satan may feel his strongest?

What if we took to the offensive on Halloween?

Isn’t this how our God loves to show himself mighty? Just when the devil has a good head of steam, God, like a skilled ninja, uses the adversary’s body weight against him. It’s Satan’s own inertia that drives the stake into his heart. Just like the cross. It’s a kind of divine “trick”: Precisely when the demonic community thinks for sure they have Jesus cornered, he delivers the deathblow. Wasn’t it a Halloween-like gathering of darkness and demonic festival at Golgotha, the place of the Skull, when the God-man “disarmed the powers and authorities [and] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” at the cross (Colossians 2:15)?

Marching on Hell

What if we were reminded that Jesus, our invincible hero, will soon crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20)?

What if we really believed deep down that our Jesus has promised with absolute certainty, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

What if we realized that the gates-of-hell thing isn’t a picture of a defensive church straining to hold back the progressing Satanic legions, but rather an offensive church, on the move, advancing against the cowering, cornered kingdom of darkness?

What if the church is the side building the siegeworks?

What if the church is marching forward, and Jesus is leading his church on an aggressive campaign against the stationary and soon-to-collapse gates of hell?

What if we didn’t let Halloween convince us for a minute that it’s otherwise?

What if Ephesians 6:12 reminded us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic power over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”?

What if we remembered that it’s not our increasingly post-Christian society’s Halloween revelers who are our enemies, but that our real adversary is the one who has blinded them, and that we spite Satan as we rescue unbelievers with the word of the cross?

Resisting the Devil

What posture would Jesus have us take when we are told that our “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8)? Naïveté? Retreat?

Rather: “Resist him, firm in your faith” (verse 9).

What if we had the gospel gall to trust Jesus for this promise: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)?

And what if resistance meant not only holding our ground, but taking his?

What if we hallowed Jesus at Halloween by pursuing gospel advance and going lovingly on the attack?

What if, like Martin Luther, we didn’t cower in fear, but saw October 31 as a chance to serve notice to the threshold of evil? What if we didn’t turn out our lights as if hiding, but left a flaming bag on the very doorstep of the King of Darkness himself?

Orienting on Others

What if we saw October 31 not merely as an occasion for asking self-oriented questions about our participation (whether we should or shouldn’t dress the kids up or carve pumpkins), but for pursuing others-oriented acts of love?

What if we capitalized on the opportunity to take a step forward in an ongoing process of witnessing to our neighbors, co-workers, and extended families about who Jesus is and what he accomplished at Calvary for the wicked like us?

What if we resolved not to join the darkness by keeping our porch lights off?

What if we didn’t deadbolt our doors, but handed out the best treats in the neighborhood as a faint echo of the kind of grace our Father extends to us sinners?

Giving the Good Candy

What if thinking evangelistically about Halloween didn’t mean dropping tracts into children’s bags, but the good candy — and seeing the evening as an opportunity to cultivate relationships with the unbelieving as part of an ongoing process in which we plainly identify with Jesus, get to know them well, and personally speak the good news of our Savior into their lives?

And what if we made sure to keep reminding ourselves that our supreme treasure isn’t our subjective zeal for the mission, but our Jesus and his objective accomplishment for us?

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. – Jesus in Matthew 9:37–38

You Are My Pastor

You Are My Pastor
Thanks to Thom Rainer for this post.  I repost it for all my pastor friends out there....

You are my pastor. You are not perfect. You get frustrated like everyone else. You don’t always say exactly what you should say. You do indeed make some mistakes. On that reality you readily agree.

But your imperfections are often magnified in the light of your leadership role. When you please one congregant, you often displease another. You can’t make everyone happy, and you hear criticisms more times than most of us could endure.

You Are My Pastor Who Loves

Despite your imperfections and the critics who vocalize them, you still love the people in the church you serve. You sat by that man whose surgery was a matter of life and death. You gave him the assurance that God would be with him. Your presence gave him the calm and peace he needed to come through the procedure safely.

You also met with that homeless man who came to the church. You could have ignored him, but you saw him as one of “the least of these.” You ministered to him. You gave him food. You found a place for him to stay. And you shared the gospel of Christ with him.

You are my pastor who takes calls in the middle of the night. You were awakened abruptly by the teenager’s parents when he was in the terrible automobile accident. You arrived at the hospital in time for his mom and dad to fall on your shoulders when the doctor said he didn’t make it.

They wept. And so did you.

You Are My Pastor Who Preaches

Every week, you must listen to God and study His Word. You work hours to prepare that message. You love the people so much that you want them to hear God’s Word for their lives.

You approach the pulpit pleading with God to speak through you. Even though you have spent hours in sermon preparation, you want the message to be His, not yours.

You Are My Pastor Who Balances

I don’t know how you do it. The demands on your life are endless. Everyone wants you at that function. Everyone wants you in that meeting. Everyone expects you to make that visit. You wonder what it would be like just to work 40 hours a week.

But you have a family that needs you. You often worry that you are neglecting them for the greater family of the church you serve. And at times you do. But somehow you ultimately balance your life so that you can date your wife and watch your kids play ball.

But your life is out of balance because you don’t rest sufficiently. You give your all to others and save little for yourself.

You Are My Pastor Who Is Called

Why do you do it? There are so many jobs where the hours are better, the critics are fewer, and the pay is higher. When you are confronted with that question, you simply smile. You do what you do because you know God has called you to do it. And you know you couldn’t do what you do unless He called you.

You are my pastor.

You have one of the toughest jobs in the world. Let me say it better. You have an impossible job unless God is in it. You therefore depend upon His strength and rest in His call every day.

You are my pastor.

Too often I take you for granted. Too often I tell you what’s wrong instead of telling you how much I love you. Too often I forget that you are a human with feelings that hurt and eyes that cry. Too often I ask you to meet my needs instead of looking to meet yours.

You are my pastor.

I salute you. I thank you. And I pray for you.

May these few words be a reminder to you that we in the church do love you. We do not say it enough, but we love you.

Thank you for being my pastor.

Recall Notice

RECALL NOTICE

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.   This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype unit’s code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.   This defect has been identified as "Subsequential Internal Non-morality," more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.  Some of the symptoms include: 1. Loss of direction 2. Foul vocal emissions 3. Amnesia of origin 4. Lack of peace and joy 5. Selfish or violent behavior 6. Depression or confusion 7. Fearfulness 8. Idolatry 9. Rebellion   The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.   The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.   The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through theREPENTANCE procedure.   Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.  No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with: 1. Love 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Patience 5. Kindness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Gentleness 9. Self control Please see the operating manual, theB.I.B.L.E. (BEST Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.   WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list, and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.  DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention! - GOD  P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!

Summer Spiritual Surge

It's Summer Time! We welcome this time of year because we all need“a change of pace.” Longer days permit us more leisure time after work, more opportunities to hit the lake or the park. Most will take needed vacation time away at a park, beach, or mountains. These are times that families make life-long memories, not to mention the simple benefit of “a change of pace”that can simply rejuvenate us emotionally, physically, and relationally.

Yet, in the midst of all this good, most churches suffer during the summer. Lower attendance, lower offerings, less contact with one another during the week, and sadly, less consistence with our walk in the Spirit.

How can this be a Summer Surge instead of summer slump? To paraphrase Jesus, “what does it gain a family to win great family time, family memories and yet lose their spiritual vitality?”

May I propose two visions for a Summer Surge for our body of believers and for us as individuals?

As a body of believers

1. Be present at the church’s gatherings when you are in town. 

    Everybody will be gone some during the summer and that is encouraged. But when you are in   

    town on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, be in attendance. Don’t begin to “forget” its

    Sunday or Wednesday and drift in your attendance.

 

2. Stay current on your financial giving. 

    Summers are expensive to our families, but the financial needs of the church do not stop, and more

    importantly, your commitment to the Lord to honor Him with your giving can not be substituted

    or another good commitment, even if it is family and fun.

The biggest challenge will be not to forget to give our tithes and offerings either in advance of us being gone or to catch up when we return. You may also give online through our web site. Don’t let our church’s ministries suffer, and more importantly, don’t lose the practice of obeying God.

3. When you are away, catch up spiritually with the church. 

   You can download the Pastor’s sermon on ITunes or check his blog for an audio of the message. I

   am going to blog more this summer. Stay in touch through Facebook, tweeter, texting or email with

   your LIFE group members. Check on them and hold each other accountable. “Life” does not stop 

   during the summer, so reach out to those who are hurting.

As individual believers

Just as important that the corporate body surges, so it is that we individually surge this summer. How can we do this?

 

1. Commit to read a certain portion of Scripture this summer. 

     Take it as a summer goal to read the New Testament, or through a Gospel, or however else God leads. This will give you a marker to know how you are doing.

 

2. Commit to some extra times of prayer and fellowship with God.

      An early morning or during a nice sunset, just connect with God in deep prayer and intimate communication. Just as extended time of being with the family and friends will enhance your relationship with them, so with God.

 

3. Be sensitive to the spiritual condition of persons you may spend extended time with this summer. Pray that you will be in tune to family/friends that may not be walking with the Lord and seek to speak to them while at the beach, the backyard barbeque or at the lake. This will keep you “surging” for the Lord spiritually.

 

4. Commit to read a good Christian book this summer. 

    That one you got for Christmas or a birthday, or a classic. It will do you good.

 

Let’s refuse to give the summer away to mediocrity. Let’s surge this summer, not slump. And when September comes, we’ll be glad we did.

 

(Thanks to a pastor friend for this blog)

It is Finished

IT IS FINISHED

"It is finished!" Blessed statement!
Nothing left for me to do;
Jesus' blood alone provided
Full atonement, life anew

"It is finished!" God revealed it;
Nevermore His wrath to face;
Indwelt now by God's own Spirit;
His alone by sovereign grace

"It is finished!" Love's expression,
In the Son's triumphant shout,
Now, by grace there is acceptance;
In His blood no cause to doubt

"It is finished!" Wondrous statement!
Triumph over guilt and sin
And the birth of life eternal;
Promise of new hope within

It is finished! Blessed utterance
Of the Victor's dying breath;
Through His blood the Son has conquered
Satan, sin, corruption, death

It is finished! My assurance!
Satan's charges cannot stand;
Jesus made eternal payment,
Satisfying God's demand

It is finished! Final victory!
Words that crushed the serpent's head;
Perfect justice, this assuring
Resurrection from the dead.

The Summer Christian

School is almost out and Summertime is coming.  Finally, we will have temps in the 90’s, pools warm enough to swim in, tomatoes turning red on the vine (by the way, the pastor loves tomatoes, green are red) bring on the summer!  When I think about summer my mind sees scenes of fun, vacations, and week-end get-a-ways with the family.  Summer is a great time to relax and refresh for the rest of the year. 

 

Summer is a great time to be a Christian.  Taking the acrostic SUMMER, I would like to challenge you with the characteristics of “Summer” Christians.  A Summer Christian is:

 S = Steady, the summer Christian is constant and trustworthy.  

 U = Uncompromising, the summer Christian is faithful.

I remind you to be faithful in all of your commitments this summer to the Lord.  Tithing is one example of being faithful this summer.   As you plan your summer outings don’t forget to tithe. 

M = Magnify, the summer Christian loves to worship God.

As you choose your summer vacation destination, why not also choose the church that you plan to visit as well.

M = Minister, the summer Christian reaches out to others.

Summer is a great time to be involved in the outreach ministry of your church.

 E = Evangelize,  the summer Christian shares Christ.

Remember, whether you are on the beach or in the mountains, you are a witness for Christ. 

 R = Revival, the summer Christian uses this time to refresh his spirit.

 

             Read a book or come get a cd of a past sermon to listen to again.

 

What kind of Christian will you be this summer?

                                                            Bro. Greg