Thoughts on Church

As my heart, life, issues and understanding evolves over time on what God is doing in and through me and our family I also begin to always look and listen for what Church should, can and may be in the future. I love the the work of God, the Holy Spirit's power and the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I have to admit I do struggle with the church as we know it today and have read about it throughout history. I still go, think about it, pray for it and dream on how it can be a better representation of the Kingdom work of God. Lately I have been thinking and reflecting on Jesus' and Paul's use of Kingdom through out the Bible. I don't have many concrete thoughts yet but I did read an article out of the Roots magazine that Calvary Bible Church's (Boulder, Colorado) pastor Tom Shirk wrote that I thought was a good thought on the church outside it's four walls. Christine and I have many friends who go there as we attended there for 13 years. Here is the article in full:

Grace at the Crossroad
Serving Our Community in Love

by Pastor Tom Shirk

THE NAME OF THE LORD IS a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. The Lord is the tower, unmovable, unchanging, always faithful, and mighty to save.

A mighty fortress is our God! A bulwark never failing!

While God Himself is unchanging, the Church is not! His Church is not a fortress. It is more of a lighthouse, or a hospital, or a treatment center – a gracious outpost for spiritual and physical help. The Church is a living and dynamic organism, comprised of transformed but flawed people.

Sometimes churches can begin to think of themselves as the fortress: established ministries into which members can run to find safe and unchanging traditions that were good enough for their parents’ parents. Some people want a church in which you’ll always find things the same – the same hymns, same liturgy, same everything. One of the dangerous realities of an established church is its tendency to expend too much time and too many resources just keeping the organization operating as it always has. It’s natural for large organizations to inevitably tend toward maintenance and institutional preservation. But, when that becomes the focus, a church will lose its distinctiveness as an effective source of grace to the world.

This is not to suggest, of course, that the message or mission of the church must change. Only that the approach to fulfilling our mission must sometimes become more effective. Calvary Bible Church’s mission remains: we’re building a Christ-centered community of people fully devoted to loving God and loving others. Loving others motivates us to look outside of ourselves, not at ourselves. We must become better at having an internal fortitude of spiritual strength and vitality, but also an external focus on extending the grace of Jesus Christ to the world.

One of my good friends, Alan Kraft, who pastors Christ Community Church in Greeley, Colorado recently said to me, “The best metaphor for understanding the role of the church in the world is not as a force, nor as a fortress, but as a fragrance.” I like that! The apostle Paul put it this way, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” We don’t seek to become a force which takes over the world. We don’t want to become a fortress to hide away from the world. We seek to be a fragrance, spilled out in the presence of the world so they may enjoy the sweet aroma of our gracious Savior.

As an externally focused church, we set our gaze outside the four walls of our buildings to find appropriate intersections between the needs of our community and the gifts, resources, and grace within our church family. Calvary seeks the welfare of our community, moving outside our four walls to extend good deeds and good news for local and global kingdom impact. We measure the effectiveness of these good deeds not by the number of people who attend, but by the transformational impact they are making in the world.

In May, Calvary was recognized at the inaugural Kingdom Assignment Awards in Aliso Viejo, California. The Kingdom Assignment Foundation honored Calvary for our on-going dedication to service in our community. I was so proud to represent your commitment to loving others through tangible acts of service.

Calvary continually looks for opportunities to extend grace through effective service. We are convinced of these spiritual realities:

• Christians who do not serve other people are not mature, no matter how much Biblical knowledge they have. Serving others is one of the greatest catalysts to spiritual growth.


• The threshold of service does not have to be very high in order for people to make an impact. Working together for one weekend during Sharefest, 750 members of Calvary radically improved the welfare of local schools and social service organizations.


• Servants can go anywhere. Once you are prepared to serve the least, God opens opportunities you never dreamed of before.


• Partnership with other organizations creates greater effectiveness. As we have worked with other organizations within Boulder and Weld Counties we have become friends with people we didn’t even know five years ago. And they love us! They consider us trusted partners.

Categories: Church, Kingdom

I'm addicted - Kind of

58%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Categories: Blog

"Daddy, I Did It!"

"Daddy, I did it!" is what we have heard the past couple of weeks from Isa with a huge smile. It has been so cute to hear her joy and excitment of going to the bathroom on the toilet and wearing big girl panties. I just heard a "yeah" from the bathroom. She hasn't had a mistake in 2 weeks. What a miracle.

Yes, at times she holds her #2 for days but eventually she finds success.

I guess after all that plastic she ate off her bedroom mini blinds it made her pretty regular. We have since replaced the blinds and change the location of her bed. Naptimes could be amazingly creative when she was up there alone. Isa would bite off portions of her blinds to look outside and see what was happening. She must have her mom's desire to be around the action.

Categories: Family

Faith - I can't quite see yet

I was reminded this morning of Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The reality in our lives now is that we're not sure what the future holds for us. This may be a first in many years. Yes, we moved to Mexico and it may have looked uncertain but we had a general idea of what we were going to do. Now, we know God is leading us, calling us, growing us and pruning us for something but we're just not sure exactly what that. It is a bit more scary than before but at the same time, from what we have learned in our last 8 months being in the presence of God, having only Him as our life source and significance, this journey is exactly where we want to be and need to be.

I at times have fallen in love with the adventure of doing Kingdom work for God, fallen in love with the prestige of doing 'great' things for Him and having a position and influence for Him. What I'm learning, still in process, is that falling in love with Him and having Him be the source of all my significance is all I need. I could have preached and shared with you a thousand times of putting God first and leaning only on Him but when you're brought to the end of yourself and die to self is when you really learn that truth. I'm learning.....

Today I read this from Steve Addison that makes me want to live for Christ, trusting Him, risking for Him, and dying to self and my earthly or religious desires.

People who change the world have a cause that is worth risking everything for.
Their lives become like grains of wheat that fall to the ground and die and in
doing so produce much fruit. They count the cost but consider the rewards worth
the risk. They keep climbing the next mountain and the next. . .

Read the whole thing at : Looking Down From the Mountain

Categories: God, Faith, Ministry

Dutch getting taller

After leaving my Southern California Dutch little haven about 15 years ago I was a solo Dutch person living in Colorado. I grew up with crazy comments like: "Have you hugged your Dutch girl today?" or "If you're not Dutch, then you're not much." There were even times a few years ago, my staff team in Boulder announced October as Dutch Oppression Month. It was a hard go.

But today I read this article: Dutch Now Taller Than Americans I guess finally justice has been served and the facts are true.

Categories: Family

Disruptive Missiology: I like being disruptive

Sat down today and read through the Mission Frontiers Magazine, found online here. The last article in Further reflections called Disruptive Missiology Part 1: Definition by Greg Parsons has some good insights.

At times, to see that happen, we need a disruptive missiology. Something that looks at what is happening, what is not happening and dreams about what might happen. Something that hears the footsteps of the working of God in breakthrough and thinks, dreams, and works towards what might happen should God choose to move in peoples where we haven’t seen Him yet move.

I like dreaming with a healthy dissatissfaction of where we are at in reaching the lost. He ends with, "How might god use your giftings and creativity beyond what you have dreamed to disrupt something for good?"

Categories: Missions, Movements, Leadership, God, SimpleChurch

Missionalism will destroy you and others

I toss around the idea and dream of missional communities that impact a person's heart, life, relationships, community and city with the Gospel. Today I read an article by an author, pastor, speaker that I highly respect, Gordon MacDonald. Not because of his greatness but because in his brokenness he learned a ton about the grace and mercy of Christ.

Here he talks about something different than a missional church or community but the dangers of missionalism. Here are a few of his thoughts:

It's a leader's disease. Like a common cold that begins with a small cough, missionalism catches on in a leader's life and seems at first so inconsequential. But let this disease catch hold and you are likely to have bodies strewn all over the place, the leader's and some of the leader's followers.

Missionalism starts slowly and gains a foothold in the leader's attitude. Before long the mission controls almost everything: time, relationships, health, spiritual depth, ethics, and convictions.

Missionalism catches hold when an idea is bigger than a person and overwhelms the soul's ability to constrain it and direct it.

Missionalism—the passionate need to keep things growing and growing so that one proves his/her worth—can catch hold from various sources. For some of us, it came early in life when we discovered that we got a lot of love when we went forward to dedicate our lives to Christian service.

Comedian Robin Williams, who has lived his life rather frantically, checks into a rehab clinic (our modern version of a monastery) and when he comes out two months later, tells Diane Sawyer what he's learned.
"All any of us want is to be loved," he says. Could that be what's behind missionalism? A suspicion that if I build and build and build, doing all these good things, that people will love me? Do bigger accomplishments equate to more love?

Read the whole article and insights on how to protect your heart, mind and relationships from the dangers of Missionalism: click here.

Categories: God, Movements, Leadership, ChurchPlanting, SimpleChurch

June is not so gloomy

Growing up in California the month of June could be known as June Gloom for its overcast and grey weather. But we had a great June and you can visit Family Photos for updated shots and videos.

Categories: Photos, Family

Join us in Prayer

Please Pray:

• That God will speak clearly to us about our future.

That we will have the patience and understanding as we wait for the next chapter in our lives.

That we will continue to do the work of healing, restoration and renewal.

For the character and relational growth of our kids.

For us as we head to our Int’l Campus Crusade Conf. in Fort Collins, CO on July 15-25.

That we will be a testimony and witness to the couples and families around us that are struggling and ready to give up.

That we will trust God for all our needs, now and in the future.
Categories: Family, Prayer, Newsletters, God

Babies, Broken Arms, Bikinis, Bulls and the Kingdom

Since our last official letter in April so much has happened in our lives. Jacob James is now over 5 weeks old and over 10 lbs. He keeps the progression of dark, white, dark, white (Jonathan -> Benjamin -> Isa -> Jacob) skinned kids. He is doing so well and the older kids are just enamored with him. He has even been gracious enough to sleep in 5 hour chunks a few nights this week. Christine is doing amazingly with 4 kids and we so grateful for the neighborhood (over 30 kids) as they have been a blessing to us and the kids.
Two months ago we had never been to the hospital in Greeley but 6 days after checking out Jacob, I, Steve, checked back in with Benjamin. Right after church Ben fell off a ledge onto the steps and broke both bones in his left arm, the bone even popped out of the skin. Within 45 minutes and a speedy ride in my friends Audi, Benjamin was on a hospital bed and on morphine. Two hours later he was in surgery, I was in tears and wrestling with God about what was going on. “Come on, this is his summer. We can’t handle anymore trials!” God allowed me to vent and reminded me even though life doesn’t go as we want He is very much present and in charge of our lives. Nine days later Benjamin got off his plaster cast for a waterproof fiberglass one. The full arm cast hasn’t stopped him from playing baseball with one arm, swimming and even climbing. This Friday, Lord willing, his cast is cut off for a short forearm version. For some gross pictures of the break visit our blog (see above). We have learned a lot from Benjamin about perseverance and accepting diversity.
Isa is growing up and becoming her own little self. Often times you can find her running around in her bikini down the street to play with her good friends Will (2) and Emma (4). Today she has been wearing her new panties and a wristband, that’s it. She is learning to use the potty. So far 5 victories and 2 mistakes. That’s life.
Last month we took the kids to see Shrek 3 and realized we may have our own Shrek, Jonathan. He is still 8 years old and is the size of a 13 year old. What we love about Jonathan is his tender and compassionate heart. He challenges us in our love for the lost and hurting.
Just this past weekend Grandma and Grandpa visited and we headed down to the Greeley rodeo. Jonathan and the mechanical bull had their battle together. For a minute it looked like Jonathan was going to win but as usual the Bull took the victory. See our blog for pictures and videos.
Where does that leave Steve & Christine Van Diest? At times it is painful and sad that we’re not in Mexico but in the same breathe we see God’s handiwork in bringing life into our hearts, restoring our love for Him and each other as well as giving us a renewed and new vision for the future. Greeley has been restorative for our souls and ministry. We can’t say thank you enough for your gracious, patient, loving and encouraging support of our ministry and lives. It has been amazing that God is still providing for us through you in this transition. This is the lessons we are learning about his love, grace and mercy. You all have been a instrumental part in teaching us those lessons through your giving. Thank you!!!
Every week at our little church in Greeley we pray the Lord’s prayer. A phrase that has penetrated our hearts and one that God is confirming in our vision for the future is “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven.” We are sensing God’s pull on our hearts to be about the Kingdom work here in Northern Colorado. We want to bring about the goodness of his power, love and care for those who know and don’t know Jesus here; families, young and old people, hurting and those who have it all.
What does that look like for us in Campus Crusade? For right now we are waiting on the Lord to surface a position that allows us to serve out of our gifts and passions in light of this vision. On August 15, Steve will take a temporary position in our regional office serving our ministries in 5 states through ‘special projects’ until something later surfaces.
We believe God has a great future for us yet we don’t want to force the next chapter of our lives. Please pray for us. Please drop us an email us if you have any questions and comments. We cherish our partnership with you. We know that God has continued to call us to a life of ministry with you. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding as we seek the Lord’s will for our next season of life. You all have been wonderful partners!
Categories: Newsletters, God, Family

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

How can one capture what he/she has learned in 6 months of growth. Well Peter Scazzero in Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash a Revolution in your Life in Christ has done a great job to summarize and put some feet and hands to our counseling and growth. This may have been one of the best spiritual growth books that I have ever read or come across. A good friend, John Lamb, suggested back in March to pick this one up and read it.

First, for all of you and me that think or thought that emotions have no place in our walk with God this book is for you. I used to dismiss emotions because as the little train diagram suggest that emotions are the caboose and you really don't need them if you have faith and fact. What I learned is that God uses our emotions to give us a full picture of our humanity and that we were made in the image of God. "My failure to "pay attention to God" and to what was going on inside me caused me to miss many gifts. He was lovingly coming and speaking to me, seeking to get me to change. I just wasn't listening. I never expected God to meet me through feelings such as sadness, depression and anger." p.19 Scazzero points out that in order to grow spiritually you must grow emotionally.

Secondly, he gives an extremely helpful rundown on ten symptoms of Emotionally Unhealthy Spirituality in chapter 2. As you read these ask yourself where you find yourself. Believe me I live in many of these.

1. Using God to run from God
2. Ignoring the emotions of anger, sadness and fear
3. Dying to the wrong things
4. Denying the past's impact on the present
5. Dividing our lives into "secular" and "sacred" compartments
6. Doing for God instead of being with God
7. Spiritualizing away conflict
8. Covering over brokenness, weakness and failure
9. Living without limits
10. Judging other people's spiritual journey

He also shares when we combine emotional healthy and contemplative spirituality they offer us three primary gifts: (p.47)

1. The gift of slowing down
2. The gift of anchoring in God's love; and
3. The gift of breaking free from illusions.

The gift of slowing down is a challenge for Christine and I but in these past 6 months God is teaching us a ton. Later on in the book Scazzero gives some practical suggestions for a 'daily office' and a 'sabbatical.' But at this point the book what stuck out the most was anchoring in God's love; something that has been difficult for me to experience apart from my performance for God and others.

"Emotional healthy uniquely positions us to gain a small glimpse into "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to [experientially] know this love that surpasses knowledge." (Eph 3:18, 19). That small glimpse alone is enough to ground us in our true identity--to know we are deeply loved by God. Because of this, we can have a new, more biblical self-understanding:

• I hold myself in high regard despite my imperfections and limits.
• I am worthy to assert my God-given power in the world.
• I am entitle to exist.
• It is good that I exist.
• I have my own identity from God that is distinct and unique.
• I am worthy of being valued and paid attention to.
• I am entitled to joy and pleasure.
• I am entitled to make mistakes and not to be perfect.

Emotional health powerfully anchors me in the love of God by affirming that I am worthy of feeling, worthy of being alive, and lovable even when I am brutally honest about the good, the bad, the ugly deep beneath the surface of my iceberg." p. 54

I am learning to receive God's love and to get in touch with how I am doing inside. There is no reason to be afraid of those feelings. I have been learning to take those emotions to the Lord and use them as an opportunity to experience the cross of Christ.

"We are too active for the kind of reflection needed to sustain a life of love with God and others." p. 48

Scazzero points out that Emotionally healthy spirituality requires yo to go through the pain of the Wall--or, as the ancients called it, "the dark night of the soul." p.126 But when you go through the hard work of dealing with the pain inside caused by your own brokenness, the trials of life, the destruction of others you come out to:

1. A greater level of brokenness
2. A greater appreciation for Holy unknowing (mystery)
3. A deeper ability to wait for God
4. A greater detachment

Emotionally healthy faith admits: p.122

• I am bewildered
• I don't know what God is doing right now
• I am hurt
• I am angry
• Yes, this is a mystery
• I am very sad right now
• O God, why have you forsaken me?

Throughout the book I saw holes in my emotional Swiss cheese health. But it also confirmed so many of the lessons that I/we have learned through our wonderful counselor Michael Cusick. It feels at times that in some areas we starting at child birth and growing all over again. But this is where I want to be; seeing my weaknesses, faults, fears, sadness and anger and letting the person of Jesus and the power of the Gospel minister deep within my soul. I am learning to be my own self. "Differentiation: a person's capacity to define his or her own life's goals and values apart from the pressures of those around them." p. 82

If you find yourself a overly emotional person not sure what to do with all the craziness inside that seams to make no sense or if you're stone cold, haven't shed a tear in years (even in the greatest chick flicks), or only have two emotions (tired or hungry) than this book is a must for you.

On the topic of resting and his definition of daily office and sabbath is where I came across this quote: "God was teaching them [Adam and Eve] that, "after the full flowering of their achievements and activities, they [were] invited, not to be active, not to accomplish, but to surrender in trust...Action, then passivity; striving, then letting go, doing all one can do and then being carried...only in this rhythm is the spirit realized." p. 156

He defines a daily office as Stopping, Centering, Silence and Scripture. "The great power in setting small units of time for morning, midday and evening prayer infuses into the rest of my day's activities a deep sense of the sacred of God. All the time is His. The daily office, practiced consistently, actually eliminates any division of the sacred and the secular in our lives." p.159

Eugene Peterson says in his book on page 165 "..even though Sabbath has been one of the most abused and distorted practices of the Christian life, we can not do without it. "Sabbath is not primarily about is or how it benefits us; it is about God and how God forms us...I don't see any way out of it; if we are going to live appropriately in the creation we must keep the sabbath.""

Now I'm off to start reading Brian D. McLaren's book The Secret Message of Jesus. Again my local library hails as the best. I put in a book order for three books and this past week I got my call; they're in. Not only did they find them but they are brand new bought just for me and those following.

Categories: Books, God, Spirituality

The Way of the Wild Heart - Eldredge

"The Glory of God is man fully Alive." Saint Iranaeus

I have read a bunch of books from John Eldredge the past 10 years and for some reason this one, The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for the Masculine Journey, caught my eye either at the library or on someone Else's blog. This past February I read this book and it was a healing process. It really is about the journey and stages boys and men take through life and then how to teach and train your own boys.

Reading surfaced some covered issues that have been in my life and give some good explanation on why, how and when I feel and act the way I do.

He identifies six stages in our journey: boyhood, cowboy, warrior, lover, king and sage. All of which I have areas to see develop in and also have seen scars and victories birthed in.

If you're a man, know men, are married to one, raise boys to men and just are flat out puzzled by men, read this. It grabbed my heart and gave some good explanation to my fears in my own masculine journey.

I came across some good quotes of others there and his own stuck deep down in my soul:

• "Worship is the primary means by which we immerse ourselves in the rhythms and stories of our creator...the way people stay in rhythm with their creation, finding their place in it, (knowing) who they are and where they've come from, internalizing the creation cadences of God who made heaven and earth." Eugene Peterson
• "A lover comes to offer his strength to a woman, not to get it from her." p.?
• "Service to God is over shadowed by intimacy with God." p.?
• "God is a God of process." p.?
• "An Adventure is, by its nature, a thing that comes to us. It is a thing that chooses us, not a thing that we choose." How we respond to that adventure shapes us into the men we become." Eldredge quoting Chesterton p. 125

He also gives some good counsel for the battlefield of our souls

1. One battle at a time
2. Fight your battles once
3. During any important event, assume it's warfare
4. Resist it quickly
5. You wont feel like a warrior
6. Stay with it
7. It will make you holy

• "Are you willing to let go of your insistence to control, meaning, to allow for a life that exists beyond the realm of analysis, to let some portions of your life be impractical, to cease evaluating all things based on their utility and function? Coming closer to the heart, are you willing to let passion rise in you, though undoubtedly it may unnerve you? To permit the healing of some of your deepest wounds? Are you willing, at some level, to be undone?" p. 206,7
• "This is what a good king does--he uses all he has to make his kingdom like the kingdom of Heaven for the sake of the people who live under his rule." p.225
• "The truth is, either we choose it (humility) for ourselves, or our Father will arrange to have us humbled. For me, I'd prefer to forgo those moments if possible. I'd much rather choose the humble heart." p.247

Categories: Books, God, Masculinity

Rebuilding Your Broken World

This past winter after leaving Mexico, having our world as we knew it broken apart in stress, relational issues and just reeling from being and feeling like a failure I read Rebuilding Your Broken World by Gordon MacDonald. This book was recommended to me by my counselor Michael Cusick and I'm so thankful. Gordon MacDonald has been a Christian leader, pastor, writer and speaker for many years and his simple, humble, broken and insightful thoughts pierce the heart and mind just where it is needed. He currently is editor at large for Leadership Journal and about 20 years ago imploded as a Christian leader. Therefore his wisdom isn't coming from some ivory tower where theory and flame covered arrows of untested principles are launched at Christians. He speaks from personal failure, humility, an attitude of experiencing God's love and forgiveness.





Not only was this book a good read for me as well as Christine but I recommend it to anyone pre, current or post failures. It will remind you to rest in the presence of God's mercy, grace, truth and love. He will give you simple yet profound ideas on how to rest and restore your heart.





Here is a quote from the book as he quotes O. Chambers. "At times God puts us through the


discipline of darkness to teach us to heed him. Songbirds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put in the shadow of God's hand until we learn to hear him. "What I tell you in the darkness,"-watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will talk in the wrong mood; darkness is the time to listen. Don't talk to other people about it; don't read books to find out the reason of the darkness, but listen and heed. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light." p. 173





There are a few authors and leaders out there that I'm really, really drawn to. MacDonald is one of them because he isn't perfect, failed, experienced dark and hard times and in the midst of that he experienced God's great unwavering love and mercy. His other books are on my 'to read' list in the near future.





MacDonald gives a simple process on how to rebuild.


1. Be silent: withdrawal


2. Don't defend yourself


3. Enjoy the amusement of God's messengers


4. Assume the ministry of the interior


5. Listen to the deep things


6. Receive the mercy; live like a forgiven person


7. Don't dodge the pain; walk right through it


8. Look for those who need grace and aren't getting it


9. Join with those who know how to praise God


10. Look for new themes





He also gives a list of how to make a Personal Defense Initiative so you won't fall back into failure, if that is even possible in my life.


1. Adopt a repentant lifestyle


2. Pay the price of regular spiritual discipline


3. Cultivate key relationships


4. Resist the 'applause' that belongs to Christ


5. Take time to have fun


6. Hold things loosely


7. Be filled with the Spirit of God





Many have asked what in the world are Christine and I doing since moving back from Mexico and moving to Greeley, CO. A good summary would be that we have been following those things with a good group of loving, gospel centered friends in our neighborhood. Gordon and his wife moved to a place out east, Peace Ledge, when they were rebuilding and have made that home and a place of rest the following years. That is what Greeley has been for us; a place of rest and restoration to our souls, hearts, and relationships.





As I close I can pretty much say that the broken part of life, failures, hurts, pains are not fun or enjoyable at all. But I do believe God allows us to go there so He can get all of us, all of us. That part is a ride. In the last 6 months Christine and I have seen and experienced God in a whole new light. Brokenness that leads to deep intimacy is life.

Here are a few quotes that stuck out in my mind:

• Amost every personal defeat begins with our failure to know ourselves, to have a clear view of our capabilities (negative and positive), our propensities, our weak sides. p. 13
• Rebuilding broken worlds can never happen alone. It is a team effort, and has to be accomplished in concert with those who can give grace and affirm progress p. 20
• A great and unique reaction of the Christian toward an individual's broken world experience is the gracious one: treating someone not as he deserves to be treated but as he needs to be treated in order for his broke nworld to be rebuilt....Without grace, broken worlds do not get rebuilt. p.34
• Now I'm looking in and I've come to realize that until you name what is in you and face it you cannot change anything. p.67
• The temptation to rely on abundant energy, youthful charisma, and inner enthusiasm will lead many to ignore the necessity of quiet, solitude, reflection, and listening. p.108
• A broken world will never be rebuilt until we learn this principle of the unbound heart. It must be unwrapped and exposed to the light. The light will show some unattractive evil, but then something wonderful will happen. The love of God will be free to flood into the dark recesses, and the rebuilding will begin. p.159
• We must live as perpetually broken people. Those who are broken only in crisis will soon grow cold, and other kinds of broken worlds are liable to follow. Brokenness is a way of life...." p.165
• But I would like to propose that if we were to discover the ministry of restorative grace, we might find an enormous number of people crowding forward to receive what God has offered to give through Jesus Christ. There, in the ministry of restoration, may be a key to renewal." p.241

Categories: Books, God