We are done with the Keep Faith Weird series, and usually when this happens, I’m quite ready for the next one. That’s part of my personality: look forward, never backward. Keep advancing, because you can’t go back anyway. And I’m usually really, really ready for the next series, because I’ve been studying on it for quite some time.

BUT… There are times when I wish we had more time. And I hear some of you saying, “You’ve got all the time in the world!! Just take it.” Timing may be a better word I’m looking for. This was one of those series that we could have stretched out for months, but maybe it’s better to spread it out over a year rather than tackle it all at once.

I feel like we hit the surface on these 4 key practices that will take our faith to WEIRD places, and now we are moving on. Each one provoked so much conversation in our Connect Groups and among us as staff as well. Each one seems to have layers of understanding and application. In short, it feels like we are leaving a lot of meat on the bone.

This week I challenged our staff to an exercise to help us keep applying these practices:

Take each of these practices and flesh out an application or two to keep in front of you. Maybe put it on your calendar or journal. Once a week, come back and get another one.

For example, Restful Contentment contained the nugget I have all I need to accomplish all He wants, meaning I don’t have to stress, freak out, or worry. The mission He’s called me on, the people He’s put in my path to interact with… God has already given me exactly what I need. Rest in that.

Be content with the gifts and talents God has given me, don’t get lost in the jealousy over the gifts He HAS NOT given me. Otherwise, I’ll miss the miracle God is trying to work through me.

Let me extend that challenge to you. Take a moment and revisit these practices, but fair warning… your faith will be stretched. That it will cause your ‘normal’ faith to seem lacking and empty. It will get weird, but it will be better.

Restful Contentment
The busier I get, the more stupid I become.
Jesus’ yoke is easy and light.
I’m created to live in God’s rest.
My rest comes first from believing.
Anywhere WITH Jesus is better than anywhere without Him.
He can teach me to be content, because He is all I need.
My identity in Christ can’t be touched, or destroyed, or taken away.
I am who I am because of Him. Rest in that.

Radical Forgiveness
Forgiveness isn’t trust, nor is it condoning or forgetting.
Forgiveness IS relinquishing the right for the offender to pay the cost.
Unforgiveness is when I choose to pay that cost.
Forgiveness is NOT reconciliation.
Reconciliation is a two-way street. Forgiveness is one-way.
Forgiveness is not optional for the Christ-follower.
You will never be who God wants you to be with unforgiveness in your heart.
We are most like Christ when we forgive.

Generous Compassion
Compassion starts with seeing people like Jesus sees people.
There are no invisible people.
Bring all that you have to Jesus. He’ll make it work.
He’s given me all that I need to do all that He wants.
Be obedient with what I have and where I am.
Wait and watch for the blessing.
It’s impossible to outgive God.

Messy Discipleship
Jesus dives into the messy.
I have heavenly power to rely on, not human power.
Start with WHO, not HOW and WHY.
Once we see the image of God in another, that will be all the reason we need to get messy.
True discipleship wants to see transformation, not condemnation.
We are created to be sent out, not sheltered.

I’d love to hear your list. And as we begin a new series, let’s not be so quick to forget this last one. I hope 2019 gets weird for us as we continue to be a church that lives out the reality of Jesus for those far from the Gospel.