beliefs

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Confessions of an Overthinker

I’m a serious over-thinker….

It can be a problem sometimes because I’ll take a situation, slice it into a thousand different pieces, and then analyze each slice until I know how I think/feel about the subject.

This is not conducive to moments when a decision just has to be made. 

We should all be able to give an answer for what we believe–that’s biblical btw–but over-analysis paralysis keeps us from being useful to anyone.

You know the old saying “He/She is too heavenly minded to be any earthly good”? 

This is what happens when someone falls victim to over-analysis paralysis.

 

This is why I love to read and study all of the older creeds and catechisms. It lays out what’s important to know and even gives you verses to review. 

Seems simple enough, right?

I know there are folks who don’t like all of that “older” “more traditional” church documents, but I’m not really sure why not.

A quick Google search will tell you the history of the creeds–Apostles, Nicene, Heidelberg, Athanasian–and each one was written to combat heresy and false doctrines from infiltrating the church.

The Westminster Catechism (both the original and shorter version) were written as a way to teach children and new converts the basic beliefs of Christianity. 

Good Bible doctrine and basic hermeneutics are necessary (no matter what all the hip, “relevant” people tell you).

Studying these ancient truths isn’t about learning a lot of $5 words and becoming a Bible scholar who can’t even carry on a normal conversation.

It’s about having a good, solid foundation of what and why you believe what you do.

And it keeps you from going absolutely batty from overthinking things. (Or maybe it’s just me that struggles in this area…)

 

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My good friend Hermeneutics

What if I told you that I wanted to start a Christian nudist colony? What if I told you that I had found a Scripture that said it was okay?

Mark 14:51-52

51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

From this Scripture I could defend not only my nudist colony but also streaking as completely biblical.

My prayer is that you are not shouting amen because this whole supposition is insane…..

Yet, this how many of us talk about the Bible. We base the totality of our beliefs on a handful of verses that wouldn’t survive a light spring breeze.

Did you know that’s why Christians are encouraged to go to church? To be an active member of the body of Christ?

Here’s a link to Ephesians 4: 11-16, Hebrews 10:19-25 , and Hebrews 13:7-17.

In these passages, the Apostle Paul talks about spiritual gifts, the body of Christ, the importance of good Bible interpretation, and the role of Christian leaders.

Listen, my dear friends, there are a lot of crazy beliefs in this world. Unfortunately, the Church at large has a lot of crazy beliefs too.

Without good Bible interpretation, how can we effectively communicate the gospel message?

The rate of Biblical illiteracy is absolutely ridiculous, especially in a country where most people own 4-5 Bibles. Find a translation you like and start reading. If you don’t know where to start, I recommend the book of John.

We’re going to talk more about the importance of discipleship and such in the weeks to come.

For now, I want you to think about what you believe.

Are your beliefs truly backed up by the Word of God?

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Picture window thoughts

Does it bother you that my topics are random?

I realize that my posts range from super serious to total goof ball-ness (Yes, I just made up this word).

But that’s how my brain works….

I’m trying to find a flow in my daily blogging and become more consistent, especially if I say that I’ll finish talking about something the next day.

My thoughts, though, flitter and fly like a hummingbird. Or they attack a subject like a shark, leaving nothing but the bones behind.

No, I’m not ADD either.

I just love big ideas, the overarching principles that shape thinking.

Nitpicking tunnel vision bothers me. You lose sight of the grand design that way.

I’m not arguing against taking a strong stance, but I’m coming to believe more and more that you can have strong beliefs without needing to discredit and destroy those who are different from you.

I try to focus all my energy on building character and helping others.

No one benefits when you’re an idea bully.

Maybe your idea is the best. Kudos to you.

But no one likes a bully–even a correct one.

Don’t claim up and never share what’s important to you either.

Just remember that what’s important to you right now might not be important to someone else.

I think of it like this:

Friends have the right to share ideas, so it’s always better to be a friend as opposed to being an enemy.

So, we’re back to where we started: The randomness of my blogs.

I prefer the bigger picture, which is probably why I’ve always loved picture windows, mountain top views, and aerial shots.

My goal is for us to engage in meaningful conversations around the posts.

I want us to dig deeper into the whys (a big reason “daring to dig deeper” is my tagline) while keeping our eyes on the horizon, the bigger picture.