Radical
Are you ready to get “Radical”? If you haven’t heard of, read or been introduced to this very special book I would love to be the one to do it! The book Radical, written by David Platt who ministers to the Church at Brook Hills, in Birmingham, Alabama is just that…a very Radical book.
This is what the back of the book says:
In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple - then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a “successful” suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment - a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.
As a Church I too believe that we have wandered far from how Jesus would want us to be living on this planet. How He wants us to live in the time and place that He has set us. We have gotten way too comfortable on this earth…and are fitting in way too much. I have to admit that I look too much like the world most of the time and I don’t always like what I see. I. want. to. be. different. Jesus says we are to be aliens and strangers. An alien is just that…he looks weird…different from everyone else. If everyone is white, an alien would be green, purple or orange. He talks a different language. He eats different food, laughs at different jokes, goes to different places and has different values. He doesn’t fit in with everyone else, because he’s not from HERE. He’s from THERE. We’re from THERE…not HERE…that makes us aliens!
I have had a small group of women meet in my living-room every Monday night (with a few exceptions) since right after Rick died. These women have been my joy and delight to teach and love. We have gathered around food, coffee, hot chocolate, books and the Bible. These sweet women will once again be coming to my door beginning on January 24th to do the study Radical. We are excited to start up again…but nervous about this particular study. We’ve learned together that when we study and learn something new, we are never the same. We have a choice to make…ignore what we’ve studied, but still be held accountable because ignoring it doesn’t make it go away, or CHANGE. Jesus desires to change us…form us into His image. This study will be no different.
I am extending an invitation to you! YES, Y O U !!! I know that we cannot all meet in my living room…although I would LOVE it if we could! Since that is impossible, I am inviting you to come be part of the study with us…on-line. I am going to write my blog each week for the next 9 weeks on Radical and will include some of what we talk about in our study at my house. I also will ask questions that I hope will get the spiritual juices going and help us all during the journey. The women who are doing the study with me will also be participating on line with you. We want to be able to “talk” to one another during the week about how God is speaking to us as we read…so we welcome comments. I am working with Sara to get a facebook page set up that we can comment back and forth on. You can purchase the book at your local Christian bookstore and I’ve seen them in Walmart as well.
Please post a comment here if you would like to participate in the study. It will be simple really. You will begin by reading Chapter 1 the week of the 24th and watch for the blog posting on that chapter a long with the questions that will be included. As people comment and are honest about whatever we are struggling with that week…there will be much to struggle with, believe me…it will enhance our study. We all will make one another better!!! So please say YES to Radical!
I will post again after we get the Facebook page set up and give you more details as they come. You can go to www.lifebiblestudy.com/radical to watch a short clip of David Platt regarding the book. I wish you could all come to my house and we could sit together in the living-room with the fireplace nice and hot and study together. I would love to hear your voices and see your faces as we study together. But, I am sure that God knew before the foundation of the world that this avenue would be available…computers…the internet…to further His Kingdom work and bring about the return of His Son. We will use the internet for His Glory and our good…now that is Radical!!!
Sending much love,
Debbie
