How the World Works begins on 5/1

We are beginning a new series at Ogletown. It will be a look at some themes in Proverbs. During the month of May, I am asking the church to read through the book of Proverbs. I believe that God will speak to our church as we do this. I have also asked some people in our church to weigh in with some observations on each chapter, so I will be sharing that.

Join our OBC Facebook group for the sermon series.

How's it going?

One of the humorous things of stepping out of your culture is to be able to see things that are 'normal' in your own culture but foreign in another. The opposite is true as well. It is always useful to look at another culture and see what is a part of daily life there, that is often foreign to your own culture.

One such thing for me in Africa was the way in which greetings were done. I find that greetings here are often short, sweet, to the point. They are efficient, they communicate what is necessary, but seldom more (I'm Curtis, I work at Ogletown, my family is fine). On the other hand, when I have visited other cultures, it has always stood out to me that there is significant time given to greetings. There is a commitment to the relationship, and therefore a commitment to greeting as well. I have seen 'important' discussions interrupted because someone new joined the discussion, and 10 minutes were taken to make sure proper greetings were done. (Is that efficient? Does it matter?)

While in our culture we may have little time for 'small talk,' still small talk may be a profound way of hearing and being heard by another person. I find that I may need to slow down a little bit and enjoy the "hello, how's it going, everything's okay, etc" a little bit more.

Acts 17 in HD

Acts 17:32-34
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

It might serve well to talk and walk through the preceding verses (of Paul’s ministry in Athens) another time, but these verses stood out in my mind as we were sharing the good news of Jesus in Africa. As we shared, there were those who had little time for what was being said. They were hardly interested. However, others requested another hearing. What they heard arrested their attention enough to want to hear more. I believe that is the Spirit at work. Still others had believed the good news.

I love the way this passage describes this happening in Athens. I love that the names Dionysius and Damaris are mentioned. Truly, when you see new life born (or I could say born again – John 3), the name of the individual means a great deal to you. It meant enough to Luke to record these names.

So, we have the responsibility to share. We have the responsibility to make a presentation of the gospel that gives glory to God. We have the responsibility to be as clear as possible (Colossians 4). Having said all of that, as the Spirit works, some will believe, some will mock, some will want to hear more. Evangelism is the work and privilege of every believer and every church.

A reality check

Sitting on a mat in front of a man who has no knowledge of the biblical teaching concerning the person and work of Jesus, you are confronted with a few things. One of my sole reasons for being thousands of miles away from home and family, was for these kinds of moments. I recognized that this indeed was a moment of privilege for me.

And yet, as I sat there, I was drawn to these bare facts. The message I wanted to share with this new friend was that what a Jewish man had done on a Roman cross nearly 2000 years ago had major relevance to him. I wanted him to know that this Man had made a difference in my life and could make a difference in his life as well. As a matter of fact, his entire life hinged on what that man named Isa (Jesus) had done, and whether he personally believed this message and embraced Isa as his own Savior.

The entire experience reminded me of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:18. The message of Jesus Christ is folly to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God!

Still processing

I don't know exactly why, but it seems whenever I go on a cross-cultural trip, I come away with so much to think about. It takes me a while to sort through everything that I experience and learn.

In light of that, I want to take some time/words on the blog over the next few week to process through my recent trip to Africa. I shared a lot in a sermon a couple of weeks ago. In addition, I shared a lot last Wednesday night, but I still find myself reliving so much of the trip.

I am grateful for many prayers and I hope that sharing these thoughts will in some ways be a 'thank-you' for praying.

Tomorrow's Text (2/27)

Lord-willing, we will be looking at the words of Jesus to the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6.

Prayer Guide

Here is a link to a prayer guide for my upcoming trip.

Wed Night Activities Cancelled (1/26)

Due to the weather and road conditions, we are canceling Wednesday night activities, including our business meeting. We will reschedule it for another time.

Tomorrow, January 23

I will be preaching tomorrow from Rev 2:8-11.

I have been praying specifically

• for those Christians around the world who are facing persecution for their faith. If you want a true eye-opener, visit www.persecution.org for a look into the hostility there is toward Christ.
  
• for those in our congregation who are facing some intense times of suffering.
  

Passage for Sunday, January 9

In addition to welcoming new members into our church, we also look forward to celebrating baptism this coming Sunday.

I look forward to sharing a message from Revelation 1.