by Kimberly | Apr 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
I was unable to be at this particular session of T4G, but as I was following it on twitter from SBTS, that was all anyone could talk about. So, I’m listening to it now, and here are my thoughts:
Sovereignty and missions can go (or should I sayhave to go) together. Anyone who says (or any denomination that says) that missions and evangelism can’t be mixed with a person who totally believes in the sovereignty of God over all things. I would say that you can’t biblically do missions if you don’t believe in the sovereignty of God over all things. I am not saying anything more than that. Something is amiss if you don’t have an accurate view of God’s sovereignty in all things – and if you are trying to do missions and evangelism without this belief – it is highly difficult to get right.
Local Ministry and Local Mission are Totally Necessary, Global Missions is Tragically Neglected, Pastors have the privilege and responsibility of leading the way in missions – these are his three premises. The bedrock of all of these things is a FIRM belief in the sovereignty of God.
Revelation 5 – he then reads it. He really needed no other evidence. He could have stopped there (as a friend said the morning after Platt spoke). (Side note: the first time I heard him live in SBTS chapel he quoted Romans 1-10:1 and that was the best chapel, one of the best church corporate gatherings I’ve ever been to – the power of the Word.)
“God holds the destiny of the world in the palm of His hand.” Who are we to think that we can change the minds of men apart from the work of the Holy Spirit? Who are we to think that we can do anything to change the eternal life of people without the working of God in their lives?
“We don’t have any rights.” We have no rights as anything. God has all the rights as the sovereign God over all things in the universe.
“God does not NEED us.” – He involves in His sovereign design because He loves us, not because He needs us.
“The state of man before God apart from Christ is utterly hopeless.” This is taken from Rev 5 but oh so many other places in Scripture. And I have to say this is one belief I see in relationships with family members and friends and in our presidential nominees. This is the truth folks. The Bible is the final ANSWER because it is the very words of God. No one can tell us differently and stand on judgment day.
“The greatest news in all the world is that the slaughtered Lamb of God rules as the Sovereign Lord of all.” – Again, taken from Rev 5. He is our hope. He is our goal. He is our end.
“Teach your people to pray passionately for the nations.” God hears our prayers and has saved people from every nation in the world.
“Do you take time in your preaching each year to preach about missions?” – This is for pastors, but can be relevant for all of us. Pastors – do you preach to us your congregation more than 5 times a year on the mission to the people of the world? As SBCers we usually preach about missions in December (because of Lottie Moon), around Easter (because of Annie Armstrong), and maybe one or two other mentions (especially if we have a global missions conference or something). This isn’t enough. Its not enough to just mention it as an announcement at the end of the service or as a mention in the bulletin that only 2% of your congregation reads. Do we as Christians talk about very much?
Strong sermon on missions. How will it impact us?
by Kimberly | Apr 2, 2012 | Uncategorized
* This will be a series on the blog that will Lord-willing become a devotional book in the future. You can pray that these will pierce my heart as I write them and that the devotional book will come together as well.
I am married to a wonderful man and I love him, but marriage isn’t…
Marriage isn’t there so I can make up for the wrong I’ve done by doing 10 good things later in the day. Let me explain. Yes, I don’t know everything perfectly much to my dismay. So my dear sweet husband has to tell me sometimes things to improve upon or things that haven’t been done in a while and that need to be done. When I hear these comments, I cringe. I sulk for a while, I definitely don’t think they add to my day any! But then I set apart in my head a few things that I can do to make up for the fact that I failed in that one area. I might do extra things around the house or make his favorite dessert or write him little notes. These are all good things in and of themselves, but not done with the heart attitude that I have when I do them.
My whole objective for doing these extra nice things is to make E pleased with me again. I feel like if I can do more nice things than bad things, I won’t have failed as a wife.
Am I the only one who ever does this?
So, the other day when this situation occurred again, I got a chance to voice this to E. Through my tears (its a wonder to me that E evens understands what I’m saying) I tried to explain that I do the same thing with God. If I don’t do my quiet time for a few days, I have a longer one on the weekend to “make up” for the ones I’ve missed. Fill in the blank with many other “good things” I can do to make up for my sins. Sorta like praying the rosary.
Friends, we can’t see God in this manner. Our faithful God has already paid the price for our sins, once for all, and has provided the ground work for our salvation: the blood of Jesus. Therefore, there is nothing we can do to make ourselves in better standing with God. We can’t witness more, spend more time in the Word, do our work faithfully, have a cleaner home, or raise better children. Our God is not fooled by our actions.
So, the next time you fail in some way as a wife, make sure you don’t try to “earn wife salvation” by doing 15 things to make up for it. It won’t work. It doesn’t work in marriage and it doesn’t work in the gospel.
Thankful that the Gospel sheds much light on my marriage relationship. Marriage isn’t how I can make up for the wrongs I’ve done, the Gospel has already paid the final cost by the blood of Christ.
by Kimberly | Mar 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
I know – here is a girl who doesn’t like multi-site churches (just the focus of the entire multi-site not the churches or the people in the churches) and has been in a large church ever since 10th grade. What am I thinking with a title like that.
Community. Life on life. And no, it isn’t a given for every church that is small or every campus of a multi-site church, but it seems to be more prevelant than in larger, commuter or regional, multi-service churches. Let me explain my reasons:
1. Proximity helps with life on life living. Since I have moved several times since being an adult, I have friends all over the place. Having friends who are missionaries helps in knowing people all over the world. But, it is harder to keep in contact with and build community with people who live far away. Not impossible – just harder. Some of my dearest friends live in KY or FL or TN, and when I see them it is a great joy and benefit to my soul and life, but day to day life on life living is impossible. With smaller churches, it is easier because mostly these are community based churches that all come from a small town or a part of town in a larger metro city. At campuses from multi-sites, these campuses are usually positioned in different areas of a region or city that make it easy for community to form around the location. My husband and I desire to live life with people who know us genuinely and can pop over for dinner or a movie night or breakfast or a walk without having to clear schedules and plan something for next month.
2. Zip codes help you do ministry better. I just didn’t know of a better title. Living in North Durham is hard for me because some of the different parts of this area of town are not really safe for a female to go through at different times of the day (or any). But, I have a sticker on the back of my car that says I Heart Durham. I love where I live. It is so neat to be able to drive 2 miles to my local coffee shop, hang out with friends who live the next street over, shop at local grocery stores, or actually pop in to my women’s clinic instead of calling them because its quicker. But, here’s the thing – the friends that I have in my “neck of the woods” all go to different churches. That is why I love the bigger idea of the body of Christ. When I was growing up in north Lakeland, we went to a church in Plant City ( a 15 minute drive). It was a small church and outside of school friends, these are the people we did life with. But, our lives consisted of church camp, 5th Sunday dinners, and church services. We didn’t do much else with them. I long for the days that we have people in our home that are our friends and don’t have to drive an hour to get here. I long for authentic community. I do have it with friends who go to various churches. What would it take to make that happen? I know friends that attend a campus of a local multi-site church that have owned their street. They have bbqs with both neighbors that aren’t Christians and church members. They love their street! They live down the street from their campus. I know other friends of same multi-site church that pray for the teachers of the school their church meets at because that is also where their kids attend school. What an impact they can have!
3. Don’t neglect the neighorhood around your church. There is a local church I drive by often that is made up of a certain type of people who don’t fit that neighborhood at all. It is a commuter church by all means. But, there is no real ministry going on in that neighborhood by that church. Our churches suffer when its members don’t live within proximity of its locale. When members are spread everywhere (whether in large metro cities or probably even in “olden” days when you had to travel by horse and buggy to get to church) it is very hard to have authentic community with its members because you only see each other on Sunday. Your kids don’t go to the same school, don’t play on local sports teams together, you don’t visit the same library or coffee shop or local eatery. It is very much a spread thin, segregated life.
Do you like authentic life on life living or does that scare you because of its intimacy or the fact that you might have to always have your home clean just in case someone pops over. I LONG for it. I love the dear girlfriends that I have and couples that I know that when I see them you know the friendship is rich and authentic and they pray for you. It would be much better if we all lived in the same zip code and attended the same church!
I think of Acts 2 for this but also just remember deep thriving times of life on life living:
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
(Acts 2:42-47 ESV)
Authentic community in the life of a church is something I think that is crucial to the proclamation of the gospel. Just my two cents worth this Monday afternoon!
And to all my friends out there that live life with me, pray for me via text or email or phone call or blog, thank you. You are loved and cherished!
by Kimberly | Mar 21, 2012 | Books, ethics, Uncategorized
Phil Ryken has written one of the most convicting books since Respectable Sins and Mortification of Sin. Why? Because I don’t love the way Jesus loves. Nor do most of us, I would assume. As a dear sweet man at our church says, “Every sin is a love sin.” After reading this book, I would agree with him.
Dr. Ryken’s take on 1 Corinthians 13 (the famous marriage love verse chapter) (note: even though the above mentioned man read it in our wedding, we know that it is correctly applied to the local church and not to a husband/wife relationship.) is not a strict commentary, but an applicable look intertwining with stories from the gospels that show us how Jesus perfectly lived out what Paul wrote. “As a reminder, we are not taking everything from the Love Chapter in order. As we study this portrait of love, we are connecting everything to the life of Christ.” (pg 47)
One of the most convicting chapters for me personally was the ‘Love is Not Irritable’. I would consider myself a person who generally gets along with most people. But, recently, probably since being married, I have come to find out that I am loving toward people who love me, work according to my plan, drive according to my mapped out route, consider me a friend, aren’t overly friendly to me in the cafe early in the morning, or has to repeat my order 3 times. Otherwise, I’m pretty irritable. Oh, sin…that it would lose its grip on me.
Ryken’s book on this love chapter is great for anyone: scholar, lay person, non-Christian exploring the gospels and the life of Christ, would be good for a small group of seekers or on a college campus.
by Kimberly | Mar 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
There is some exciting news in the Campbell home to share:
1. As of mid-April I will be a stay at home wife. This decision was made with prayer, wisdom, seeking advice, and just knowing that it is time. My job, which I love, as a writer of curriculum for a local church, was demanding in the deadlines. It has been a wonderful two years of launching Treasuring Christ with a group of great people at Providence. But, now is the time to call working for others quits. I will be grateful for time to spend in quietness and reading and also planning meals, cooking more, cleaning the house better, serving my husband, discipling girls, showing hospitality!
2. The other piece of exciting news is the main force that prompted #1: E and I are expecting! That is right…there is a little baby growing in my uterus right now. Seems kinda strange – but it is a miracle from God the beautiful Creator. This first trimester has been one in teaching me faith and sharing in this journey with my wonderful husband who will get me pb toast at 3am. Blessed man! 🙂 He has dealt with having clothes that lay un ironed for weeks on end and a kitchen that’s not spotless!
Before I was married I would have said that I would have liked to have stayed working, thinking it was possible. Then as a mother, sure, I know others who do it, why can’t I? But, (actually I’m sitting in the same coffee shop that E and I had that first conversation about this subject less than a year ago) I could dream of not doing what I do. Now with many changes, the Lord has pried my hands off of this and giving me something so precious: a husband, a baby, and a home to care for. I need more sleep than 6 hours, I multitask, I don’t want others having the main influence of my child during most days of the week (at least in the preschool years, since we haven’t fully decided on schooling yet), and I don’t have more than 24 hours in the days to care for my husband, cook meals, clean the home, sleep, care for myself, and care for a baby. Sorry – I’m not that skilled. I know others do it and as a wise woman told me about a decade ago: its all about priorities. A wife’s main priority is her husband, home, and children. If you can work outside the home and keep those as a main priority without them suffering, then do as the Lord leads. But, like I said, I’m not that skilled.
So, I have some books in my head, some blogposts that desperately need writing, and it will be nice to freelance and speak more because I’m not writing on someone else’swork schedule (though I know a baby and husband have their own schedules)!
by Kimberly | Feb 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
With all these posts on Lent and questions on facebook from friends – I thought I’d venture in right here.
When I started attending a SBC church in high school, we were given little dots to remind us of what we “gave up” for lent. I remember wearing my yellow dot sticker in the middle of my marvin the martian watch. I know – hey – it was the early 90s. By usually the second week of lent, if not before, the dot was almost worn off and I had forgotten my “commitment”.
My freshman year of college (a very liberal liberal arts college), the first day of lent came and I heard a girl down the hall pondering the question of what she should give up for Lent. She finally figured out chewing her fingernails would be a great activity to give up. The only things I knew about her during 3/4 of our freshman year was that there was a constant whiff of pot coming from her room, she would return early morning totally drunk, and she cussed up a storm. I wondered what good biting her fingernails would do her. No, I didn’t witness to her. Just judged her silently in my head. FAIL.
When I attended Sojourn in Louisville, even though I didn’t get up at 630am to attend their Ash Wednesday service – I loved the focus of Lent (in yes, a SBC/Acts29 church). It wasn’t focused on us – but on Christ. Amazing thought?
So, as I sit here this year, I don’t really give up anything. I choose this time of Lent to usually read books on the Cross – Cross Centered Life being one of them. And yes, I still question when people give up facebook but tell people to still message them through email, twitter, phone, text, or other forms of social media – or give up chocolate or some other food – I wonder what the point of it is. I guess what it should be is that when you don’t do something that you are giving up (like facebook) that you should instead spend the time (that you would be on fb) and contemplating your life, the Cross, Redemption, salvation. But, I don’t do that – and I would dare say that most don’t do that anyway.
So, if you are planning on “giving up” something for lent – pray and focus on the Cross when you aren’t eating that bar of chocolate or watching sports. There is more to lent than giving up something.
Christ died. We ponder, mourn, celebrate.
