Saturday, August 24, 2013

Week 4. Biblical Worldview

Biblical Worldview 
Journal entry no. 4

So far, this week has been great!
I love the subject we are studying: Biblical Worldview.
I was raised with much emphasis on this area, which must be why I enjoy it so much.

One of our speakers this week is a local pastor in Toowoomba, Chris Windus.
If you've ever heard Del Tackett (of the Truth Project) speak, then you get an idea of Chris's teaching style.
I love it.
He makes point after mind-blowing point, and every now and again stops to take a breath.  


Romans 12:2-
Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is– his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

So no matter where you are or what you are doing, you're worshiping something.
Whether it's God, self, food, material things, or whatever else, whatever you do is a form of worship.
This (along with plenty of other reasons, of course) is why Romans 12:2 is a big deal.

What does it mean to be conformed?
Imagine wet sand.
I for one really love to make sand castles. So if I have wet sand, I'm going for it.
So how do I make my castle? I pile up the sand and then pack it together real tight, until it starts to take on a new form.
When I do this, the sand doesn't stop being sand, does it? No.
It simply takes on a new shape. Why? Because I put pressure on it in all sorts of different ways and now its the first tower of my castle.
Bottom line: to be conformed is to take on a different form based on external pressure experienced.
This is what happens to our worldview when the world gets to it.

But what does it mean to be transformed?
How is that different than conformation?

Another way to think of 'transformation' is 'metamorphosis'.
You know, like the whole caterpillar turned butterfly deal, it takes place on the inside of the cocoon.
In the same way, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our hearts and minds, and this is something that's got to happen inwardly.

Make sense? Our worldview is either formed either by outward pressures or by an inward renewal.

Inward renewal of the mind also implies a change in the way you think. And the change of the way that you think will change the way that you live.

So we started to think about what a biblical worldview looks like.
I mean, really. Where exactly are we coming from? In order to determine this, we think back to the character and nature of God.
Who is God? What does he look like?
Can we see him here on earth? No.
Why not? Because He was not created. He is Creator. He is not only outside of time, but creation, as well.
This is really cool because come world problems, while our 'created stuff' is limited, the Creator is not.
He has endless resources. Endless solutions.
That's pretty cool :)

This is the root of my belief that absolutely any situation can be turned around at any time, if God chooses to do so.
Of course, along with that belief (renewing of the mind) there also needs to be faith
(Renewal of the heart).

Note: in saying that God is outside of creation, I'm not disregarding Christ's coming to earth in any way, it's not like God is stuck outside of creation. He's fully here and everywhere else. Isn't that awesome??

You know what else (in particular) is great about God?
He has this huge desire to heal the nations. As in, ALL of the nations.
And he has had this desire since the very moment when they got screwed up by Adam and Eve.

On Tuesday, we looked at the Ten Commandments.
I can't believe this was such a big revelation to me, but as Chris went through the list, he made the point that God didn't put these commandments in place because he was bored and felt like making us miserable.
Not because He's a big, angry God who's just waiting for us to screw up so he can strike us with lightning. 
He made them totally based on His love for us.
This DTS has been packed full of "I can't believe I really thought that" moments.
This is one of them.

Why no other gods? Because there is no other God. Searching for or worshiping a different one is just pointless. God knows that, and doesn't want anyone to miss out on the greatness of knowing Him.
Why no idols? Because that's just trying to make an image for God. We can't handle to know what God looks like. God knows that, so he said not to bother with the idol thing.
Why not misuse God's name? You'll misrepresent Him to yourself as well as others.
And so on with the rest of the commandments.
God made His law for our hearts' sake,
Which is cool because I think In order to have part in the healing of the nations, we must first have healing in our hearts.

Chris had so many amazing things to say, 
I wish that I could go into every detail of what we've learned, but I just can't. That would be a super long post and you'd fall asleep reading it.

I've got to wrap it up now.. All I can say is that this week has been very exciting and I've learned so much! In fact, so much that I need more time to process it.
Just this past week have I begun to really grasp some of the things from the first few weeks of lectures!

Please pray that things continue to sink in from here on out, as I take in more and more.

Chelsea :D


 







Friday, August 16, 2013

Week 3. Father Heart of God

Father Heart of God
Journal entry no. 3
8/14/13

I'm not going to lie, this week has been kind of hard.
God's definitely working on some things in me that need to change.
I'm not complaining, I'm just stating for the official record that sometimes when God works in you, it hurts a bit.
But it's alright. Everything is going to be great.

I've had a couple of serious "what am I doing here?" Moments this week, 
A couple too many conversations like this:
"So what instrument do you play?"
"I kind of play guitar"
"Oh, cool. Anything else?"
"No"
"Do you sing?" 
"Ummmmmmm. No."
"Okay... So... Why did you choose this DTS?"

The thing is, when I applied for this DTS (over a year ago) I had every intention of becoming a musician. I practiced a lot, I spent time watching 'how to play guitar' videos on YouTube, and I practiced some more.
And then what happened? 
I guess I just stopped working so hard on music and wasted a bunch of time.
That's what has been eating at me so much this week.
Why am I always wasting time? Why don't I put in the effort to make something count?

Here's a thing: maybe all of these thoughts are the enemy trying to get me down.
Or maybe they're accurate.. 
Or maybe they're accurate and the enemy is using them to get me down.

Assuming that is the case, what if I say that I won't take that? What if I say that from here on out, I'll try harder and do better?
I'll fall on my face, that's what.
But here's the thing that's being pounded into my head this week:
Yes, I can try. Yes, I'll fall. Yes, it'll hurt. 
But grace.

But. Grace.

I was talking to a fellow from Holland last evening, and he made the comment that no matter how hard we try to better ourselves or fulfill our longings, we fail, and it always ends with grace.
"That's it," he said, "just grace".

Remember last week, and how I let go of feeling guilty and ashamed?
Well, I'm still feeling free, but I really need to keep focusing on grace. 
'Cause it's a big deal.

So we've been talking about the Father heart of God.
Our speaker Roley Sondergold, has given us lots of statistics about how fatherlessness in the world is hurting so many. It's terribly sad to hear about this stuff!
I just can't imagine how hard it must be to accept that you are loved and delighted in by a Heavenly Father if you haven't felt that love on earth. No wonder it's such a struggle for some people!

I've thought so much this week about my earthly Daddy, and how awesome he is!
He's been a great example for me of how my Father in heaven loves and rejoices over me. He's truly committed to the Lord and to our family. 
He's really super great.

8/17/13

The rest of the week has been better than the first half. I've been greatly encouraged by staff and fellow students. If there's one thing we aim for here, it's lifting each other up and encouraging one another. 
I'm so glad to have had this kind of surroundings in almost every area of my life thus far. (Lord, help me when I find myself in a different atmosphere...)
I just love when the love of the Father just flows from person to person.

Anyhow.
I feel like the big thing I'm learning this week is a continuation of last week:
Guilt has no place in the heart of God's child.
I'm glad that this was one of the things that Roley spent a good bit of time talking about, since it's such a hard thing to apply to living and to truly accept.
I know it will be a long time until my reaction to mistakes isn't "oh no, what now?" But rather, "Praise God for grace", But God is working on it in me.

We looked at the contrast between an 'orphaned heart' and the heart of a son or daughter of God. Pretty drastic.

Orphaned Heart:
Sees God as a master
Tries to earn God's love
Is restless and uneasy
Feels like God is far away

Son or Daughter's heart:
Sees God as a loving Father
Knows that they are already loved by God
Is at peace
Delights in God's presence

(This is just a tiny portion of the list we studied, just to get you thinking)
It's straight-up sad to think about all the orphaned hearts out there.
But hey, that makes me excited for the two months we'll be spending in Thailand toward the end of the year!
I'm getting less nervous and more excited all the time, actually.
Woohoo!

I wish I could just download my notebook so that you could get an idea of how much I'm learning every week, but just know: this is a fantastic opportunity.. And I'm so blessed to be part of a DTS.
(Shout out to everyone back home who helped me get here :) )
And to God, for reassuring me that He wants me here.

I'm looking forward to next week. 
We'll be studying about having a Biblical World View. 

Make sure you watch for that blog post!

Love,
Chelsea

Week 3. Father Heart of God

Father Heart of God
Journal entry no. 3
8/14/13

I'm not going to lie, this week has been kind of hard.
God's definitely working on some things in me that need to change.
I'm not complaining, I'm just stating for the official record that sometimes when God works in you, it hurts a bit.
But it's alright. Everything is going to be great.

I've had a couple of serious "what am I doing here?" Moments this week, 
A couple too many conversations like this:
"So what instrument do you play?"
"I kind of play guitar"
"Oh, cool. Anything else?"
"No"
"Do you sing?" 
"Ummmmmmm. No."
"Okay... So... Why did you choose this DTS?"

The thing is, when I applied for this DTS (over a year ago) I had every intention of becoming a musician. I practiced a lot, I spent time watching 'how to play guitar' videos on YouTube, and I practiced some more.
And then what happened? 
I guess I just stopped working so hard on music and wasted a bunch of time.
That's what has been eating at me so much this week.
Why am I always wasting time? Why don't I put in the effort to make something count?

Here's a thing: maybe all of these thoughts are the enemy trying to get me down.
Or maybe they're accurate.. 
Or maybe they're accurate and the enemy is using them to get me down.

Assuming that is the case, what if I say that I won't take that? What if I say that from here on out, I'll try harder and do better?
I'll fall on my face, that's what.
But here's the thing that's being pounded into my head this week:
Yes, I can try. Yes, I'll fall. Yes, it'll hurt. 
But grace.

But. Grace.

I was talking to a fellow from Holland last evening, and he made the comment that no matter how hard we try to better ourselves or fulfill our longings, we fail, and it always ends with grace.
"That's it," he said, "just grace".

Remember last week, and how I let go of feeling guilty and ashamed?
Well, I'm still feeling free, but I really need to keep focusing on grace. 
'Cause it's a big deal.

So we've been talking about the Father heart of God.
Our speaker Roley Sondergold, has given us lots of statistics about how fatherlessness in the world is hurting so many. It's terribly sad to hear about this stuff!
I just can't imagine how hard it must be to accept that you are loved and delighted in by a Heavenly Father if you haven't felt that love on earth. No wonder it's such a struggle for some people!

I've thought so much this week about my earthly Daddy, and how awesome he is!
He's been a great example for me of how my Father in heaven loves and rejoices over me. He's truly committed to the Lord and to our family. 
He's really super great.

8/17/13

The rest of the week has been better than the first half. I've been greatly encouraged by staff and fellow students. If there's one thing we aim for here, it's lifting each other up and encouraging one another. 
I'm so glad to have had this kind of surroundings in almost every area of my life thus far. (Lord, help me when I find myself in a different atmosphere...)
I just love when the love of the Father just flows from person to person.

Anyhow.
I feel like the big thing I'm learning this week is a continuation of last week:
Guilt has no place in the heart of God's child.
I'm glad that this was one of the things that Roley spent a good bit of time talking about, since it's such a hard thing to apply to living and to truly accept.
I know it will be a long time until my reaction to mistakes isn't "oh no, what now?" But rather, "Praise God for grace", But God is working on it in me.

We looked at the contrast between an 'orphaned heart' and the heart of a son or daughter of God. Pretty drastic.

Orphaned Heart:
Sees God as a master
Tries to earn God's love
Is restless and uneasy
Feels like God is far away

Son or Daughter's heart:
Sees God as a loving Father
Knows that they are already loved by God
Is at peace
Delights in God's presence

(This is just a tiny portion of the list we studied, just to get you thinking)
It's straight-up sad to think about all the orphaned hearts out there.
But hey, that makes me excited for the two months we'll be spending in Thailand toward the end of the year!
I'm getting less nervous and more excited all the time, actually.
Woohoo!

I wish I could just download my notebook so that you could get an idea of how much I'm learning every week, but just know: this is a fantastic opportunity.. And I'm so blessed to be part of a DTS.
(Shout out to everyone back home who helped me get here :) )
And to God, for reassuring me that He wants me here.

I'm looking forward to next week. 
We'll be studying about having a Biblical World View. 

Make sure you watch for that blog post!

Love,
Chelsea

Week 3. Father Heart of God

Father Heart of God
Journal entry no. 3
8/14/13

I'm not going to lie, this week has been kind of hard.
God's definitely working on some things in me that need to change.
I'm not complaining, I'm just stating for the official record that sometimes when God works in you, it hurts a bit.
But it's alright. Everything is going to be great.

I've had a couple of serious "what am I doing here?" Moments this week, 
A couple too many conversations like this:
"So what instrument do you play?"
"I kind of play guitar"
"Oh, cool. Anything else?"
"No"
"Do you sing?" 
"Ummmmmmm. No."
"Okay... So... Why did you choose this DTS?"

The thing is, when I applied for this DTS (over a year ago) I had every intention of becoming a musician. I practiced a lot, I spent time watching 'how to play guitar' videos on YouTube, and I practiced some more.
And then what happened? 
I guess I just stopped working so hard on music and wasted a bunch of time.
That's what has been eating at me so much this week.
Why am I always wasting time? Why don't I put in the effort to make something count?

Here's a thing: maybe all of these thoughts are the enemy trying to get me down.
Or maybe they're accurate.. 
Or maybe they're accurate and the enemy is using them to get me down.

Assuming that is the case, what if I say that I won't take that? What if I say that from here on out, I'll try harder and do better?
I'll fall on my face, that's what.
But here's the thing that's being pounded into my head this week:
Yes, I can try. Yes, I'll fall. Yes, it'll hurt. 
But grace.

But. Grace.

I was talking to a fellow from Holland last evening, and he made the comment that no matter how hard we try to better ourselves or fulfill our longings, we fail, and it always ends with grace.
"That's it," he said, "just grace".

Remember last week, and how I let go of feeling guilty and ashamed?
Well, I'm still feeling free, but I really need to keep focusing on grace. 
'Cause it's a big deal.

So we've been talking about the Father heart of God.
Our speaker Roley Sondergold, has given us lots of statistics about how fatherlessness in the world is hurting so many. It's terribly sad to hear about this stuff!
I just can't imagine how hard it must be to accept that you are loved and delighted in by a Heavenly Father if you haven't felt that love on earth. No wonder it's such a struggle for some people!

I've thought so much this week about my earthly Daddy, and how awesome he is!
He's been a great example for me of how my Father in heaven loves and rejoices over me. He's truly committed to the Lord and to our family. 
He's really super great.

8/17/13

The rest of the week has been better than the first half. I've been greatly encouraged by staff and fellow students. If there's one thing we aim for here, it's lifting each other up and encouraging one another. 
I'm so glad to have had this kind of surroundings in almost every area of my life thus far. (Lord, help me when I find myself in a different atmosphere...)
I just love when the love of the Father just flows from person to person.

Anyhow.
I feel like the big thing I'm learning this week is a continuation of last week:
Guilt has no place in the heart of God's child.
I'm glad that this was one of the things that Roley spent a good bit of time talking about, since it's such a hard thing to apply to living and to truly accept.
I know it will be a long time until my reaction to mistakes isn't "oh no, what now?" But rather, "Praise God for grace", But God is working on it in me.

We looked at the contrast between an 'orphaned heart' and the heart of a son or daughter of God. Pretty drastic.

Orphaned Heart:
Sees God as a master
Tries to earn God's love
Is restless and uneasy
Feels like God is far away

Son or Daughter's heart:
Sees God as a loving Father
Knows that they are already loved by God
Is at peace
Delights in God's presence

(This is just a tiny portion of the list we studied, just to get you thinking)
It's straight-up sad to think about all the orphaned hearts out there.
But hey, that makes me excited for the two months we'll be spending in Thailand toward the end of the year!
I'm getting less nervous and more excited all the time, actually.
Woohoo!

I wish I could just download my notebook so that you could get an idea of how much I'm learning every week, but just know: this is a fantastic opportunity.. And I'm so blessed to be part of a DTS.
(Shout out to everyone back home who helped me get here :) )
And to God, for reassuring me that He wants me here.

I'm looking forward to next week. 
We'll be studying about having a Biblical World View. 

Make sure you watch for that blog post!

Love,
Chelsea