The Challenge
“I pray that your love abounds in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may approve the things that are excellent.”
Paul, Philippians 1
Happy Friday,
I’ve long felt Paul’s press to elevate the excellent over the good. Lately, I’ve grown unsettled by his suggestion that the wisdom needed to identify and embrace excellence flows from an abundance of “love shaped by knowledge,” not an abundance of “knowledge shaped by love.” May our love abound.
Twelve Thirteen Steps
Because sin makes it so hard for us to see our heart, some (e.g., John Ortberg in Steps) suggest adding a “Zero Step” to 12 step programs. Rather than begin by admitting powerlessness over an addiction, participants begin by admitting that — despite appearances to the contrary — we are not fine. (As a pastor, I can attest that both the man in the mirror and many others need the Zero Step.)
Take The Challenge
I asked ChatGPT to “roast me.” It replied, “You’re the kind of person who can name every faction at the Council of Nicaea but spend 20 minutes trying to get a printer to work before realizing it’s not plugged in.” Ouch. (I may or may not have unplugged ChatGPT and signed up for Grok 4.)
Without Comment
1) The growing number of Americans who cannot define basic religious terms — e.g., Christian, Protestant, etc. — is complicating (and perhaps invalidating) religious surveys.
2) 76% of Americans die without a will.
3) A ‘24 analysis finds that the number of Americans who use cannabis daily (or near-daily) is now greater than those who drink daily.
4) A Jan ‘24 report notes the number of “unhoused” people is 770K+, up 18% year-over-year.
5) Over half of TikTok’s U.S. users (17% of Americans and 4 in 10 young people) report using it for news.
6) A study out of Poland claims that Dads with daughters live 74 weeks longer for each daughter born (and that there is no corresponding extension of life for those having sons).
Gladwell Revisited
Researchers now claim that while a minority can redirect a group, a society’s tipping point may likely require higher numbers than Malcom Gladwell implied in The Tipping Point. As an aside, it is important to remember: 1 person + the Holy Spirit = an unstoppable force.
Overheard
1) The hysterics and histrionics surrounding gerrymandering suggest we may not be up for the demands of democracy.
2) We generally sin alone but heal together.
3) If your theology does not bless your neighbor, you’re doing something wrong.
4) Psalm 1 deserves to be memorized.
5) In a dysfunctional family, the black sheep is often the most emotionally healthy.
The Chicken Little Update
After attending a recent European summit on global security, a friend noted that cyber and AI have pushed aside everything else – e.g., nuclear war, climate change, etc. Given that someone has been saying the sky was falling my entire life, I’m inclined to: 1) remind readers that God wins; and 2) note that even if we find a path through the wars, weather, cyber headaches, conspiracy theories, debt burdens and other oft mentioned topics, I doubt we have the moral muscle to say no to the Brown Butter, Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel or Cookie Dough ice cream hitting the market. It could be our end.
Revival?
The spike in articles, sermons and podcasts about revival does not prove one is breaking out, but I think something’s up. For background, a revival is “a sovereign work of God in which His Spirit accelerates and intensifies the ordinary work of the gospel – i.e., brings deep conviction of sin, renewed love for Christ, extraordinary conversions, and the transformation of individuals, churches, and often communities.” As for the latter, I love John Webb’s comments after George Whitfield preached in his area, “The very face of the town was altered…For about a year and a half, the taverns were as empty as the churches were full.”
WOTW
Honorable mentions go to: state capitalism (a hybrid of socialism and capitalism in which the state plays a big role), treatonomics (a consumer trend in which people spend on themselves to boost their mood), the dupe economy (Gen Z and millennials merger of treatonomics and cheap, fake luxury items), and revanchist (someone seeking revenge, retaliation or the return of something lost in a military defeat). Full honors go to digital missionaries (the term being used, especially by the Roman Catholic church, to describe influencers advocating for faith online).
Revelation
Longtime readers know my favorite book of the Bible is whichever book I happen to be reading at the time, but I now think Revelation may hold the honor for a while. Indeed, I regret my 35 year delay in preaching through it. There are so many helpful insights about Jesus and ultimate reality. BTW, the title of the book is The Revelation of Jesus. It is not The Revelation of John, nor is it Revelations.
Resources
1) Click here for last week’s sermon on The Good Samaritan — and to gain a definitive answer to one of life’s perennial questions.
2) Click here to listen to my interview with Brad Wilcox about his latest book Get Married.
Closing Prayer
“O, Holy Spirit of God, Come into my heart and fill me. I open the windows of my soul to let You in. I surrender my whole self to You. Come and possess me, fill me with Your Life and Truth. I offer to You the one thing I really possess – my capacity for being filled by You. Of myself, I am an empty vessel. Fill me that I may live the life of spirit — The life of Beauty and Love; The life of Truth and Goodness; The life of Wisdom and Strength; And guide me today in all things. Guide me to the people I should meet or help, to the circumstances in which I can best serve you. Whether by my actions, or by my suffering; But, above all, make Christ be formed in me. That I may de-throne self in my heart, And make Him King, so that He abides in me. And I in Him forever. Amen.” (W.J. Carey, Bishop of Bloemfontein, 1875-1955).
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