Inspired by Life

That moment your school goes on holiday and you can feel the energy, the adrenaline, the rush as everyone breathes "FREEDOM" pushing aside their homework for a time to bask in the days of uninterrupted leisure. Just finished our two week long spring break and it's been a whirl wind! I don't know about everyone else, but I was busier (booked back to back days) over break than I have been all semester. I'm actually looking forward to starting school back up so I can breathe again. Haha! Not to say I haven't enjoyed it (because I truly have), but my body can only last so long on back to back days of go-go energy (must be getting old). But to get down to business...I've recently completed an outline on Romans (talk about a task!). The content of the whole book of course is so rich, I can imagine contently chewing on it for the rest of my life. It was refreshing and insightful to look back from a 1,000 foot view and attempt to grasp the big picture message ...

Crossing the border into a foreign land can be intimidating for a number of reasons. Attempt to bring Jesus with you and all kinds of additional fears open up. As an American Christian kid, I grew up learning how to share the "gospel" to Americans, playing off a guilt and judicial culture. When I started international student ministry, I had to learn how to share the gospel tailored to a shame and honor culture. But this week I realized there was a step I've been missing before I even get to the gospel. Enter: WORLDVIEW. Worldview is a set of beliefs one assumes to be true which an individual holds about the basic makeup of the world. There are three major worldviews: 1. Theism: God made all 2. Naturalism: No God at all 3. Pantheism: God is all Worldview shapes our view of reality. It forms the foundation of our beliefs (what is true?), values (what is good?), and behavior (what is done?). Addressing an individual's worldview will open up the door to establish th...