Comments on: To The Christians - Who Do You Hang Out With? http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/ Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:58:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Wes http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7438 Wes Wed, 16 May 2007 03:40:30 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7438 Jesus didn't always hang out with believers. He hung out with the broken, the outcasts, the prostitutes, the unclean. As Christians we strive to become more like Christ, and more in tune with the way He thinks. I go to a Baptist Church and it seems like the only way many of our congregation wants to reach these people is by somehow getting them on our "turf." (I had to steal that word, i like the way it was used) Christ shined on their turf, so we should do the same. Jesus didn’t always hang out with believers. He hung out with the broken, the outcasts, the prostitutes, the unclean. As Christians we strive to become more like Christ, and more in tune with the way He thinks. I go to a Baptist Church and it seems like the only way many of our congregation wants to reach these people is by somehow getting them on our “turf.” (I had to steal that word, i like the way it was used) Christ shined on their turf, so we should do the same.

]]> By: Russell http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7314 Russell Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:55:09 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7314 Thank you for that reminder. I struggle often with stepping out of my little Christian bubble and embracing people and relationships with those that don't think the same as I do. You wouldn't think it would be hard for me since my friendship with an agnostic was responsible for restoring and strengthing my faith... Thank you for that reminder. I struggle often with stepping out of my little Christian bubble and embracing people and relationships with those that don’t think the same as I do.

You wouldn’t think it would be hard for me since my friendship with an agnostic was responsible for restoring and strengthing my faith…

]]> By: Matt http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7304 Matt Tue, 10 Apr 2007 03:14:43 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7304 Tim, true. Even with my insane schedule, I still have times that I could be getting to know my friends better, or making new friends. Tim, true. Even with my insane schedule, I still have times that I could be getting to know my friends better, or making new friends.

]]> By: Tim Borseth http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7303 Tim Borseth Tue, 10 Apr 2007 03:09:06 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7303 It seems that we like to make Christian meetings out to be the arch-enemy, but they rarely are. I suspect that these days Christians are not "friends of sinners" as much as Christ was, because they are busy playing in front of the computer... writting or reading blogs. Ouch! Did I just say that? It seems that we like to make Christian meetings out to be the arch-enemy, but they rarely are. I suspect that these days Christians are not “friends of sinners” as much as Christ was, because they are busy playing in front of the computer… writting or reading blogs.
Ouch! Did I just say that?

]]> By: Matt http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7225 Matt Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:15:15 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7225 Dan - Amen. Jon - Could be just a season. Fellowship with believers IS essential to the Christian life. But like Dan says, when we cordon ourselves off from the rest of reality, we run the risk of becoming Pharisees. Dan - Amen.

Jon - Could be just a season. Fellowship with believers IS essential to the Christian life. But like Dan says, when we cordon ourselves off from the rest of reality, we run the risk of becoming Pharisees.

]]> By: Jon Bourne http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7220 Jon Bourne Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:58:02 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7220 I've been hanging out lately (as in the past year) with fewer and fewer people from church. I got sick of them asking, "So how are you <em>really</em> doing?" I'm probably on the prayer chain. That said, I don't really 'hang out,' per se, with anyone other than family, so I guess that's pretty much the same thing. I like my family, and I like being at home with them. Maybe it's just a season. But I did know the answers to all the questions you posed above. I’ve been hanging out lately (as in the past year) with fewer and fewer people from church. I got sick of them asking, “So how are you really doing?” I’m probably on the prayer chain.

That said, I don’t really ‘hang out,’ per se, with anyone other than family, so I guess that’s pretty much the same thing. I like my family, and I like being at home with them. Maybe it’s just a season.

But I did know the answers to all the questions you posed above.

]]> By: Dan http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7209 Dan Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:39:26 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7209 I got blasted the other day by a sister in the Lord on this point. She said Jesus and Paul didn't "pal around" with unbelievers. I pointed out to her that Jesus was "a friend of sinners" and Paul was "all things to all men." I don't know ho they could do that without spending a lot of time with "sinners". She didn't buy it.She heard me saying "tolerate sin" and "compromise," although those thoughts never entered my head (nor Jesus') or left my mouth. Pharisee means separated one. Jesus followers -- that is those who go where Jesus goes -- are just the opposite, commanded to go in just like a fireman rescuing people from a burning building. The Pharisees and their modern-day adherents are on the defense. Jesus is on the offense, invading the Land of the Lost. To quote Mark Galli, author of "Jesus Wild and Mean," "The Pharisees refuse to touch an unclean thing. Jesus aims to make the unclean holy." I got blasted the other day by a sister in the Lord on this point. She said Jesus and Paul didn’t “pal around” with unbelievers. I pointed out to her that Jesus was “a friend of sinners” and Paul was “all things to all men.” I don’t know ho they could do that without spending a lot of time with “sinners”. She didn’t buy it.She heard me saying “tolerate sin” and “compromise,” although those thoughts never entered my head (nor Jesus’) or left my mouth.

Pharisee means separated one. Jesus followers — that is those who go where Jesus goes — are just the opposite, commanded to go in just like a fireman rescuing people from a burning building. The Pharisees and their modern-day adherents are on the defense. Jesus is on the offense, invading the Land of the Lost. To quote Mark Galli, author of “Jesus Wild and Mean,” “The Pharisees refuse to touch an unclean thing. Jesus aims to make the unclean holy.”

]]> By: Nicholas Kerzman http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7178 Nicholas Kerzman Mon, 02 Apr 2007 15:00:57 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7178 Matt, There is truth indeed to your word. So often there is a focus of dieing to the "old self" that we can die off completely and loose the original unique parts of how God has created each one of us individually. Yes, there are some things that we all must die to... but please fellow Christians let us not fall into a Christian bubble and only speak Christianese. <strong>Who have you met today that was outside your bubble?</strong> Matt,

There is truth indeed to your word. So often there is a focus of dieing to the “old self” that we can die off completely and loose the original unique parts of how God has created each one of us individually. Yes, there are some things that we all must die to… but please fellow Christians let us not fall into a Christian bubble and only speak Christianese.

Who have you met today that was outside your bubble?

]]> By: Nate http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7141 Nate Sun, 01 Apr 2007 12:52:38 +0000 http://www.mattandnancy.org/matts-external-brain/to-the-christians-who-do-you-hang-out-with/#comment-7141 Matt, your post made me give glory to God. Matt, your post made me give glory to God.

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