right now: francis chan & donald miller

francis chan

• there has been a twisting of scripture to attempt to keep what we want in life.
• you cannot have the 'american dream' and follow Jesus— they cannot be reconciled; they cannot co-exist.
• we have redefined obedience: say a father were to ask his child to clean his room. two hours later the child returns and when the father asks if his room is cleaned, the child replies that he didn't do it, but he did memorize what the father asked him to so... not really going to fly in that situation.
• 1 Peter 4:12 "Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you."
• we need to not be surprised at the trials and trouble in our lives.
  
• 1 Peter 5:8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."
• while we may want to get angry and fight with those creating division and conflict in our lives, we need to respond with grace.
• God is the 'God of all grace' {1 Peter 5:10 "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."}
• when we suffer with Christ, there is a fellowship; a sharing
  
• we don't need a comforter when we are comfortable.

donald miller

• kids growing up without dads are 70% more likely to commit suicide or drop out of school; girls are more likely to get pregnant.
• forgiveness = taking the burden of what someone has done to you without holding them responsible.
• God designed us to be interdependent with him; then sin happened, so we are here on earth fatherless, on a journey back to him.
• Matthew 6:6, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen."
• Jesus calling God 'Father' here is radically disrupting the people's religious paradigm; this is the God who Moses himself couldn't even look at!
• 70% of atheists think that the church should answer the call of fatherlessness in our society.
• calling men into relational ministry is difficult.
• when boys grow up without dads, they become oppressors.
• when girls grow up without dads, they become victims.
• every crap thing that happens to you is a chance for you to get stronger.