Good Dialogue

(From our church's blog, emphasis mine)

The part I made bold is the part I wanted to pass on, but the broader context is helpful. I've been made to think lately about seeing the needs of your church and other similar thoughts. This discussion was helpful. I hope it will encourage you today, whatever church you may belong to...

A distinctive of the kingdom-mustard
By Keith GoadSeptember 24, 2007

Greg gave a very clear and accurate exposition of the mustard seed parable. The kingdom may look small now, but it will be awesome and finally victorious. One need not be anxious about the kingdom or the microcosm of the kingdom–the church–appearing small or insignificant. Some seem to be afraid of the smallness of the church and try to change aspects of the church’s culture in order to grow it so it looks successful by worldly standards.
I think a principle we should gather from the parable of the mustard seed is that kingdom growth is not always easily measurable. The kingdom of God expands as God desires and the grand appearance of its largeness, greatness, awesomeness will not arrive until Christ establishes his kingdom on earth. One’s church need not look great and mighty today to be an active agent in the kingdom. We do not need to change the culture of the church to make it great, we simply need to proclaim the Word so that members live like citizens of the kingdom. What if God is not growing you numerically now, he is simply building up the body so that it can be mature enough to care for new converts when he decides to bless you with them. How does one measure kingdom growth? I think Greg’s first sermon on the Kingdom Life gives a pretty good starting point. Is your church humble, loving, merciful, peaceful, etc? These changes take great pain and time.Third Avenue, we should not pat ourselves on the backs for being small because that is not the point. We should consider how well our life together reflects the kingdom. Are you committed to the growth of our little body by being committed to Christ and his kingdom? Are you more concerned with how committed people are to you rather than how you are committed to them?
RE: Living the Kingdom
By Greg GilbertSeptember 25, 2007

It would not be right to let this sentence languish in the middle of Keith’s post without being plucked out and put on display. It’s one of those questions that cuts to one’s heart and deserves to be meditated on at length:

“Are you more concerned about how committed people are to you, than about how committed you are to them?”

There’s a sermon for you to preach to yourself. I recognize that being and feeling loved are important needs for any human being. That’s how we’re made. But it’s worth noticing that the Bible’s command is to “love one another,” not “to be loved by one another.” The language is active, not passive.

That ought to set our priorities, and our expectations. It seems to me that the default position of too many Christians, when it comes to love, is passive rather than active. The switch is set on “intake” rather than “output,” meaning that people spend alot more time analyzing whether they feel cared for, than they do strategizing about how they can care for others. You can see the problem with that: If every switch in the church is set on “intake,” most everyone starts to feel like they’re “not being cared for.” But flip all those switches to “output”—change the priority from “being cared for” to “caring”—and see what happens: Love abounds.
I hope and pray that kind of active love is, or perhaps increasingly becomes, one of Third Avenue’s distinctives.

Third Avenue Going Away Party

While this isn't the entire group, this is most of our church family. Being at a church that is so transitional, with many students (both seminary and U of L), there are a lot of goodbyes in store. How exciting, though, that the Lord is raising up godly men (and families) from our church to be sent out to places like Florida, Oregon, China, Indonesia. But, it is never easy to say goodbye.

Josh, Cari, Benjamin, and the little one on the way will soon be headed to Clewiston, Florida, where Josh will be an associate pastor of a baptist church. They were some of the 1st people we met at Third. I remember Dustin and I meeting Josh on a Wednesday night. He was extremely welcoming, and he talked as fast as I did. He and his wife had a quick engagement story, like we do, and they just seemed really great. Likely, their love towards us as visitors was part of what kept us coming back. What an evident love for God and for people! Our church will miss them, but we send them really looking forward to what God has in store for them.

Cari was part of our women's book study. She led the first one. Our first study was through Feminine Appeal, and I was so encouraged by how Cari would facilitate the group in her gentle, humble way that spoke volumes of her deep desires to love her husband and son more that the Gospel might be adorned.
Here's a picture of Ben and Josh and one of Cari and me.





While I haven't been at Third THAT long, I am very grateful to have known the Vincents.

Thanks for all you taught us in book study, Cari, and for teaching me how to prepare guacamole and helping me save the Mexican Rice. :) Remember that? Dustin and I love you guys!

As for me, I'm just really bad at this getting attached to people and then moving thing, but this seems to be a big part of life. How nice to know that God ordains such sweet seasons and gives you such rich memories... and that this life is just a vapor and one day there will be no goodbyes. :)

And thank you to the Rambos for inviting the entire church over to their house. Wow!

Meet SOME of My Women's Group

We had a small women's group due to Labor Day. We usually have about 9. So, after taking this picture, we headed to Java and had coffee and hung out there. Next time, we'll pick up where we left off in The Disciplines of Grace by Jerry Bridges. These (and the ones not showing) are a few of the local Titus 2 women in my life (although there are certainly others). I praise God for providing these sweet friendships here in Louisville.