Violence in the Bible & Quran /  by

Hello CMF,

Last Sunday in Rains of Justice (5 of 6) we looked at the biblical idea of justice, how we should interpret imprecatory psalms, and how Kingdom justice is first and foremost about inner change, something the world and her politics can never bring. We learn this from Jesus.

In the following video, I wanted to elaborate on a comment I made in the sermon. I read a vengeful psalm and asked, "Are we reading the Bible or the Quran?"

I thought it would be a good idea to (1) admit that sounded a bit insensitive on my part, (2) explain what I was thinking when I said it, and (3) use it to talk further about the violence in both the Bible and the Quran. What, if anything, is so different about them?

As you might gather from the video, when you compare the violence in the Bible (OT) with the violent commands of Muhammad in the Quran, I think Christians can better see how Jesus rules out any sort of attempt to get at justice through violence and coercion in the name of God.

Have you ever heard someone claim that the Quran and the Bible are the same in their violence? The Bible does record violence in the history of Israel, but there are no commands by Jesus to do violence. When compared to Moses (Judaism) or Muhammad (Islam), how significant is that?

Thanks for reading and watching!

Pastor David

Confession in Personal Spaces /  by

Hello CMF,

In the video at the bottom of this post, I offer further thoughts about confession and how personal spaces are the best venues for sharing our true (i.e. full) selves with one another. Confession isn't just about sharing our struggles and sins, it's about being open and honest with one another, letting people in on the life and story God has been forming in us.

We need to be honest. This is not likely to happen in larger settings, like a Sunday morning. Think about how each activity in the church really serves to build up three general spaces.

This is what we have posted about different "spaces" here on our site:

Our church services are a public space for participating and experiencing corporate worship and preaching from the Scriptures. A few personal space opportunities would be Sunday School, Bible studies, and/or joining a small group near you. And you can invest in an intimate space by being a part of a Life Transformation Group---a same gender group of 3-4 people meant for discipleship and accountability.

I want to be clear that what we do in each setting is an important part of community, but the public space alone is by its nature not conducive for "confession" and life-sharing in the way that personal spaces and intimate spaces allow for as a church on mission with Jesus.

It's highly possible that our greatest temptation as Christians living in Western culture today is to press church life into public services and other events, activities that can do a lot of good, but don't allow us to go deeper with Christ and each other. Then we're only scratching the surface. 

Remember, Jesus started the church with a small group of 12 men and their families. Jesus was in a small group himself. So, I'm convinced of this: the church will only be as strong as the relationships being formed in personal spaces, where we are open and honest about our life and journey together.

Thanks for listening. Prayerfully consider how God might want you to respond.

Are you in a small group? Do you meet regularly? Are you making time to go deeper with others in a personal space at our church? Experience the difference it makes today.

Blessings,
Pastor David

Life of Jesus Study /  by

Hello CMF,

I wanted to let you know that this Sunday I will begin leading our adult Sunday School class in a 7-week study on the Life of Jesus: Who He Is and Why He Matters.

We will be using video and material from scholar, John Dickson.

John Dickson (PhD) is the co-director of Centre for Public Christianity, an independent research and media organization promoting the public understanding of the Christian faith. With a degree in theology (Moore Theological College, Sydney) and a doctorate in ancient history (Macquarie University, Sydney), he is a senior research fellow of the Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University, where he teaches courses on Christian origins and the world religions.

Life of Jesus explores what is known about the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the context of first-century Palestine. In this wonderful visual journey filmed on location in Israel, Dickson explores the world of the historical Jesus of Nazareth.

Learn how the Gospels in the New Testament are entirely set apart from all other works of antiquity.

Dickson’s presentation is powerful proof that there simply are no rivals to biblical scholarship. The case for Jesus has never been stronger than it is today.

Unlike other sacred writings making truth claims, the Gospels are not merely a collection of proverbial adages. Instead, they are biographical portraits of Jesus rooted in human history. And the historical background that Dickson sets forth brings the Gospel narratives to life.

Watch this short preview to the Life of Jesus study.

This series is for the disciple, as well as the skeptic. I hope you will join us for the Life of Jesus and the discussion to follow each video segment. See you Sunday at 9:30 AM!

Blessings,
Pastor David