Should We Be Sin Police?

News flash, I sin.  Bigger news flash, you sin too.  We are all guilty of sin, and so is every person on earth.  When it comes to sharing our faith, how much do we need to point out to people they are sinners.  Do people know they are sinners?  Who's job is it too convict of sin?  What should we as believers do when it comes to the sin of another person?

Talking with my wife this morning about some of the people Jesus talked too.  He forgave them, he healed them, but seldom did he bring up their sin, with the exception of the Woman at the Well.  Never did He tell them they needed to ask for forgiveness, He usually said something about their faith and that they were forgiven of sins.  Jesus knew these people already were under conviction, but we aren't Jesus.  So what do we do?

I believe most people know they have sinned.  I have talked to many who know they have sinned and done things wrong.  They need to know that Jesus died to free them from sins, that is the most important part.  The Holy Spirit will convicted them of sin.  They need to know there is freedom.  Peter and Paul both told people to repent and turn from sin.  We need to tell people there is freedom, but not always do we need to point out how much sin they really have.

In my experience, I have asked people if I owed them a dollar for every good thing, and they owed me a dollar for every bad thing, who owes who money?  The reality is most people know they owe money because they have done wrong.  Let's let the Holy Spirit do the conviction, we need to tell them how to be free.  Praise be to God through Jesus Christ for our Freedom!

Dream Big

Do you dream big?  I hope you do.  I have been a pretty big dreamer most of my life, I do sometimes fail when it comes time to "pull the trigger".  You have probably read some of my big dreams if you are a subscriber.  You know I have had a big dream about church planting.  God has not yet opened that door, I keep hoping and praying and waiting.  It hasn't happened yet.  Another one of my big dreams is what I want to focus on today.  A big dream with Student Ministries.  Remember The Revolution Inversion?  Still a dream.

If you don't recall, The Revolution Inversion is calling people to revolt towards God away from society.  We have these so called revolutions that push us away from truth, morals and God's laws.  The RI (for short) is a call to move back towards God, to love God and love others.  It's a call to build real community and to reach out and serve those around you.

The core idea came with Bible Studies that can be done over a quick break, I call them Power Snacks.  Each Power Snack is a couple of verses and a couple of questions to be asked during lunch break or any other time that students can get together.  From there, Small Group Bible Studies that eventually grow into a full out Campus Ministry that orginizes into a club.  Call it church planting for the High School, growing Student Ministry Orginizations on the Great Student Mission field we call the Public School.

I have materials done, I have resources in the works.  I lack time and funds, something that always is in short supply.  My big vision?  RI Campus Ministries all over the US, RI groups in the work places, taking a 15 minute break for a Bible Study.  Camps and retreats that students can come too and get trained and eqipped.  Adult volunteers working in school campuses to bring the gospel.  Christian teachers partnering with students.  It's a big dream.

Will I ever get there?  I sure hope so.  It's a big dream, a God sized dream.  I pray every day that God will allow me to be used by Him to reach out and touch the hearts of people.  My dream is to empower students to do great things for God before they graduate, to be amazing Disciples of Christ and an example to all.  I hope you will pray for my big dream and share your big dream with me.

Living in Iowa

I enjoy Iowa.  Granted, I almost live in Nebraska and South Dakota, but my address is in Iowa.  I went fishing tonight. . . didn't catch anything.  As I was gathering stuff and walking back to my truck, the birds were still singing a little, the fireflies were coming out and the frogs and crickets were singing away.  The grass and trees were deep green and the air was beginning to cool enough to make it comfortable.  It's a beautiful place to live.  With all the of the beauty and all the great opportunities to do things I love, the minute God calls me to leave I'll be gone.  The reasons is that there is no beauty apart from the beauty of being secure and at peace in the Lord.  I hope and pray you find that tonight.

Mid Morning Thoughts- Do You Need Church?

It's Sunday morning, an we are getting ready for church.  Well i'm not, I'm writing, I already got ready for church.  Across the country, people are getting pretty (or handsome or whatever) and getting ready to go to a building they call church.  A good number of them are running late, some are fighting, many are yelling at kids.  This weekly routine we get into on the way to church, then we put on the happy face, play nice for about an hour and then we go home.  Why do we do this each week?

Most of us are hungry for more of life than the 9 to 5, the weekends of yard work, relaxation and playing with the toys we work so hard for.  We are left feeling empty with the running ragged, playing hard when we are done and looking forward to the future of. . . . well death.  There has to be more, right?  So pack up and head to church, looking for more.  Is the secret at church?  Nope.

The secret is the church.  You were made for community, to belong and to connect, and you need it often and you need is honest.  You need it more than just one hour a week, and you need more than superficial, happy face relationships.  You need people to love and care about you, to speak truth into your life and be the hands and feet of Jesus for you.  They need you to love and care about them, to speak truth and be the hands and feet in their lives.  You need them, they need you.  What you don't need is an organization to make this happen.  You need a church, and a great option is the local church.  Attend church, but don't wait for them to invite you into a small group, Bible Study or fellowship group to get involved with others.  Don't wait for others to come find you.  Be proactive, seek out fellowship and find what you need and what life is all about.  Drink up life my friends.

Live Deliberately in Christ

Henry David Thoreou said "I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately".  I went into the ministry because I wanted to live deliberately.  Church life should be deliberate, and it should be a life that is too the fullest.  The Christian life should be the most freeing and amazing, so why isn't it?  We live in this world and culture of rules, of do and do not, but is that really what God intended for us?  Was it suppose to be a burden to live the Christian life?  For those of you thinking "yes, the road is narrow and few find it" I would say maybe you should keep looking, you might just be off the road.

The road, the Christian life of deliberate living, it's freedom.  You don't have to do the things that bring obliteration, that bring spiritual suffering.  I see all those out there who are suffering from self inflicted wounds.  Those who are bleeding internally because they are constantly shoving sharp knives into their guts.  Knives like guilt, blame, hate, anger, and the continual failure of trying to behave in a way that is no love, but religion.

Let's give up on religion, we all know it doesn't work.  Let's give up on following the rules that we have made.  We make the rules that we can't keep, and then we impose them on others.  We make ourselves crazy, and other miserable.  Let's stop, drop and read the words of Jesus.  Then, only then will we find real joy, real happiness and live deliberately.

Number 301

I noticed today that my last post was post number 300, this is post 301.   I am not sure if that is counting drafts also, but that's a lot of blogs.  I want to thank you who have been with me from the beginning and those of you who joined me along the way.  I am so thankful that you have chosen to read my blog and share ideas with me.  I have no plans of stopping and I'll keep posting if you'll keep reading.

If you have anything you would like my ideas or opinion on, anything you would like to see me write about, share it with me or email me at jdanbarnes@yahoo.com.  Thanks guys!

The Freedom of Dependance

Tomorrow, we celebrate our declaration of independence from Great Britain.  Having freedom is one of the greatest things we could celebrate, especially the religious freedom the Seperatists came to the United States (British colonies then) to find.  They wanted the freedom to be dependent on God.  We remember the men who declared independence, knowing that many of them were Christians, coming here for the freedom to worship apart from the Anglican church of England.  They wanted to worship in the way they believed was right.

Here we are, more than 200 years later, and celebrating all they fought for.  We take a day a year to celebrate what was fought and died for, but during the year, do we live for what they died for?  Do we use our freedom of worship to really pursue the original American dream?  The dream of those pilgrims of the Mayflower who came here to worship freely?  The dream of the Puritans, the Baptists, the Seperatists who risked life across the Atlantic and who suffered harsh conditions for the sake of worship?  Do we put the same importance on our ability to worship?  I hope we do.

This year, beyond the 4th of July, take time to be free.  Be free to be dependent upon God, to be dependent on other believers and be committed to worship and fellowship and honoring God.  Don't let the reason this country was founded be in vain, but celebrate the purchase of our freedom of faith.