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  • Dec4

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    Hunting Tiger Woods

    Posted in: Culture, Media, Sin, Sports

    I debated in my mind whether or not I wanted to post anything on here on Tiger Woods. I initially decided against it because, honestly, I’m not all that interested. I’m sad for him, his wife, and for his two children, but I don’t want to hear all the juicy details as this whole thing plays out. And I definitely don’t want to add to the database of gossip conversations for more people to bring to work, coffee shops, golf courses, etc. Then I read an article posted by C.J. Mahaney on his Sovereign Grace Ministries’ Blog. I found myself completely agreeing with Mahaney that the latest updates of the controversy do not (and should not) entertain me. I was reminded by his article what the proper response should be from me and anyone else who knows the name Tiger Woods:
    1. Fight off self-righteous pride.
    2. Have the humble awareness that but for the grace of God, I would do the same.
    3. Search your own heart and life for any “hidden sins.”
    4. Pray for Tiger Woods and his family.
    5. Point to Jesus. (For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Cor. 5:21)

    Hunting Tiger Woods
    by C.J. Mahaney

    Tiger Woods wants his privacy back.

    He wants the media entourage to disappear from his life.

    He wants to be left alone so he can manage his personal problems in private.

    Not a chance.

    The story began unfolding in the early hours of last Friday when he crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a tree and a fire hydrant near his Florida home. He refused to speak with the police about the incident, raising curiosity about the circumstances. The story has now escalated into allegations of marital infidelity, and that generated a blog post from Tiger that stated, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.” This statement by Tiger has led most to believe
    that the allegations of infidelity are true.

    Hunted by the Media

    As expected, the allegations of adultery involving a public figure are attracting a media pile-on. This is a big story with a big audience and it’s a story that will not disappear soon. Tiger Woods is being hunted by the media.

    But let us make sure we do not join the hunt. A Christian’s response to this story should be distinctly different. We should not be entertained by the news. We should not have a morbid interest in all the details. We should be saddened and sobered. We should pray for this man and even more for his wife.

    And we can be sure that in the coming days we will be in conversations with friends and family where this topic will emerge. And when it does, we can avoid simply listening to the latest details and speculations, and avoid speaking self-righteously, but instead we can humbly draw attention to the grace of God in the gospel.

    Hunted by Sin

    But Tiger is being hunted by something more menacing than journalists. Tiger’s real enemy is his sin, and that’s an enemy much more difficult to discern and one that can’t be managed in our own strength. It’s an enemy that never sleeps.

    Let me explain.

    Sin Lies

    The Bible in general, and the book of Proverbs in particular, reveals an unbreakable connection between our character, our conduct, and the consequences of our actions. These three are inseparable and woven by God into His created order.

    Deception is part of sin’s DNA. Sin lies to us. It seeks to convince us that sin brings only pleasure, that it carries no consequences, and that no one will discover it. Sin works hard to make us forget that character, conduct, and consequences are interconnected. And when we neglect this relationship—when we think our sins will not be discovered—we ultimately mock God.

    Sin Hunts

    We’ve all experienced it: Sin lies to us. We take the bait. And then sin begins to hunt us.

    One commentator on Proverbs articulated this truth like this: “The irony of a life of rebellion is that we begin by pursuing sin…and end up being pursued by it!….You can ‘be sure your sin will find you out’ (Num. 32:23…).”* In other words, sin comes back to hunt us.

    In light of this fact, sin is an enemy Tiger can’t manage. He can’t shape this story like he does a long iron on a par 5. Tiger doesn’t need a publicity facelift; Tiger needs a Savior. Just like me. And just like you. And if by God’s grace he repents and trusts in the person and work of Christ, Tiger will experience the fruit of God’s promise that “whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

    Conclusion

    Tiger cannot intimidate this enemy like he can Pebble Beach or any of the field of professional golfers. And there is no privacy he can claim from this enemy, regardless of his resolve, his silence, or the name painted on his yacht. It’s likely Tiger only perceives the press hunting him out of a vain “curiosity about public figures.” But Tiger is being hunted and hounded by a far greater foe: the consequences of his sin.

    And this story should humble and sober us. It should make us ask: Are there any so-called “secret sins” in my life? Is there anything I have done that I hope nobody discovers? Is there anything right now in my life that I should confess to God and the appropriate individuals?

    And this should leave us more amazed by grace because there, but for the grace of God, go I.

  • Jul28

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    Communication Climates

    Posted in: Commucation, Culture, Ministry, Missional Living

    In one of today’s seminar’s, Tim Muehlhoff focused on the idea that every conversation has a communication climate. His definition of a communication climate is ‘the sense of value that two people feel  as they are engaged in the conversation.’ A communication climate is as real as the temperature or weather climate outside. How fun is a picnic in a thunderstorm or 120 degree heat? Not very.

    We must constantly evaluate the climate of our conversations with people in order to be effective communicators. It’s important to look past surface level impressions and stereotypes in order to understand why the person you are conversing with is the way they are. Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” Everyone has a story and background, and unless we are committed to getting to know and listen to their story, our words may fall on deaf ears. 

    Meuhlhoff gave four elements that need to be present in a conversation/relationship, and they are great gauges to see whether or not a platform has been built for the hearing of the gospel.

    They are:

    • acknowledgment
    • expectations
    • trust
    • commitment

    Acknowledgment seems to be the element I lack in the most, so I’ll expound a little on that one, and then give brief summaries and questions for the other three.

    Acknowledgment
    Have I taken time to consistently seek out and acknowledge this person’s perspective? Have I shown that their opinion is valuable?

    Tim points out three types of relationships: I/it relationships, I/you relationships, and I/thou relationships.

    I/It relationships: We treat people as non-humans. Some examples of these types of relationships that people are often guilty of is their view of the homeless, disabled, mentally handicapped, transvestites, etc. 

    I/You relationships: We treat people only as their social position defines them. Some examples of this are the waiter in the restaurant, the worker in the post office, the street cleaner or garbage man. We treat people as if their value were defined by their job, rather than the fact that we are all created in the image of God. “A person who is kind to you, but mean to the waiter in not a kind person.”

    I/Thou relationships: We treat people as created in the image of God with value and unique talents. This is how all our relationships should look like. 

    Some ways of showing that you acknowledge and respect the other person’s point of view and opinion:

    • “What you have said has made an impression on me.” (Only if it really has made an impression on you. Proverbs 24:26 says, “Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.”) 
    • Seek to show that you are working to understand what they are saying.
    • Let the person know that their feelings are important, and that you aren’t just dismissing them.

    Muehlhoff also gave two reasons why we aren’t very good in the acknowledgment area. The first is that we have agenda anxiety. We feel as if we have to get our point across no matter how awkward or horrible the conversation is going. It’s the attitude of “we’re finally talking about this, and I’ve been waiting and longing for this moment so now I’m going to say everything that I want to say on the subject.” It’s very hard to evaluate the climate of the conversation when this becomes our mindset. Agenda anxiety runs the risk of stopping a good conversation in its tracks, and preventing further conversations. Proverbs 18:19 says, “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city.” 

    The second reason we are not very good at acknowledgment is we are fearful of weighty thinkers because of insecurities about our Christian faith. We have failed to learn many of the basics of our faith, and therefore, create stereotypes in our minds of certain people. Many view postmodernists as mindless relativists because they don’t claim definite truths. In reality, most postmodernists are extremely brilliant thinkers who have correctly rejected the works of modernists, but have missed the mark in other ways. By acknowledging them as great thinkers, we are more capable of having a fruitful conversation with them. Obviously, we are not to compromise or ‘meet-in-the-middle’ on key doctrinal principles, but acknowledging that you respect them as a human being even though you may not agree with their beliefs will keep communication lines open. 

    I do not respect the religion of Islam, but I respect the Muslim.

    Expectations
    The second element is expectations. Both expectations that we have of others and that others have for us.

    Have you been judgmental or overbearing in this relationship/conversation? Are you prideful or arrogant about what you believe (it’s because of God’s grace that you even believe what you do)? You are in no way more deserving of God’s grace than they are.

    Trust
    The third element of a conversation climate is trust. In today’s society, trust is being trampled by politicians, sports figures, religious figures, presidents, etc. You can hardly believe anything you hear on Fox News or MSNBC because of the political spin put on everything.

    Can this person trust your motives? Are you having an authentic conversation with them? Are you trying to win them to your way of thinking, or do you truly care about them as an individual with whom God wants to reconcile to Himself?

    Commitment
    How much time are you investing into this relationship? How much energy are you investing into this relationship? How concerned are you for the welfare of this individual? Are you being a good neighbor?

  • Jul26

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    Gospel: Mission. Message. Motivation. Method.

    Posted in: Culture, Ministry, Missional Living, Worldview

    Yesterday morning, Dr. Tim Keller continued his explanation of the gospel,  but focused this time on a more outward perspective: The gospel for unbelievers.

    His text was Luke 10.

    Dr. Keller pointed out that there are four M’s of the gospel in this chapter: Gospel Mission, Gospel Message, Gospel Motivation, and Gospel Method.

    Gospel Mission (Luke 10:1-8)
    In Luke 9, Jesus send out his twelve disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God. In Luke 10, he sends out 72 (some manuscripts say 70) to do the same. Why 72? 

    Genesis 10 accounts for 72 nations. By first sending the twelve, and then appointing seventy-two, Christ was not just sending out his apostles; he was sending out all of humanity. The Gospel mission is a mission for all. If you know Christ, it is now your chief mission to make him known. Every Christian man and woman is a man and woman with a mission.

    The Gospel turns every person who receives it into a person with a mission. And a full understanding of the Gospel transforms you into something like the woman at the well in John 4 who immediately ran into town to tell everyone about ‘the man who told her everything she has ever done.’ [sidebar: if you are looking for a great sermon series on the woman at the well, I highly suggest Dr. Curt Heffelfinger's, which can be found here, here, and here.]

    ‘Ok, ok…I get it. We have a mission. So what does that mean? Do I have to become a missionary now?”

    Yes and no.

    Yes, because you part of this mission and are called to help fulfill that mission.

    And no, because not everyone is supposed to quit their job to become a ‘vocational missionary.’

    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
    - Ephesians 2:10

    We are God’s unique workmanship. The original greek word for workmanship is POIEMA, which means handiwork or craftsmanship. In English, it becomes the word ‘Poem.’ We are each God’s unique work of art, created with differing gifts and talents and passions. For the gifted engineer who displays integrity, character, and Christ’s love to his Islamic and Hindu co-workers, that’s your mission. For the compassionate teacher who displays intentionality and Christ’s love to children who live in unloving homes, that’s your mission. 

    You don’t have to be a missionary, but you do need to have the mindset of a missionary in your place of influence. We have found the Fountain of living water. Let us not be so selfish to neglect to offer this never-ending source to those who store up broken cisterns which hold no water.

    Gospel Message (Luke 10:9-12)
    Sixty years ago, evangelism was an irritation to people. The word evangelism made some people cringe. Today, it is flat out offensive. Keller says that evangelism has become one of today’s secular sins. Even to the point that our society’s attitude says “Evangelism is bad for out culture.”

    However, there is a problem with having a problem with evangelism. The problem comes from the origin of the word Gospel, which means ‘good news.’

    The Gospel is good news, not good advice. News is an historic event that changes something. Advice is a suggestion that says, “Hey, this has worked for me. Try it out.” 

    When we turn the Gospel into advice, it can lead to a new believer into becoming extremely frustrated when it doesn’t “work” the way he hoped. However, when someone accepts the Gospel as what it is (good news), no matter what happens, the news doesn’t change.

    Which is why in the end, every other religion will fail because they all say, “Here is our founder giving advice on how to find God.” Christianity says, “Here is God! He has come into the world to find us.”

    Gospel Motivation (Luke 10:17-20)
    The third M of the gospel in Luke 10 is motivation. Dr. Keller suggests that it is easy to get our motivation wrong, and that we should learn from the example of the 72 that Jesus sent out. 

    The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
    -Luke 10:17-20

    The seventy-two returned with joy. What were they joyful about? “Even the demons are subject TO US in your name!” How quickly we can turn the ability that Christ has given us into our ability that we possess.

    Christ shows them the correct motivation to not rejoice in that, but to “rejoice that your name is written in heaven.” 

    Are you getting your significance through what God is empowering you to do? Your job is not about you. Ministry is not about you. Here is your significance: Your name is written (past tense) in heaven.

    Live on a platform of knowing who you already are in Christ, and simply be a messenger.

    With the correct motivation, lost souls turned to Christ are not scalps, they are children of God.

    Gospel Method (Luke 10:25-37)
    Keller’s last M of the gospel is Method. What is the correct method of presenting the gospel?

    Be a good samaritan.

    You will be a lousy messenger if you are a lousy neighbor. Don’t just try to meet the spiritual needs of your community while neglecting to meet their physical, social, or economic needs. God created a physical and spiritual world. He is redeeming the physical and spiritual. The Fall didn’t just alienate us from God, it also psychologically alienated us from ourselves (we know we are naked). It socially alienated us from each other. And lastly, we experience physical alienation…we die. 

    There are needs in the community far beyond simply spiritual. Obviously, that is the primary and most pressing need, but we need to see that God cares for all needs. After all, didn’t Joseph lead one of the most massive hunger relief programs of all-time? Is Exodus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy not full of laws that help create order to meet social needs?

    Counsel. Serve. Give.

    “Yeah, but I have earned this. They haven’t.”  I think Jesus could say the same. But He didn’t.

    “Yeah, but they don’t deserve it.” Again. Come on people. (Keller’s words)

    “They’ll waste/misuse my gifts.” Jesus knew that there would be many who would use his grace as a license to sin. He died for us anyways.

    Let’s be good neighbors. If the world sees us doing nothing except evangelizing, they are going to assume that we are only out to get more power. If we are actually making the community a better place, then they’ll like that we are around and maybe listen to what we have to say. Being great neighbors will give us a platform for the hearing of the gospel.

  • Jul23

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    Tim Keller on Free Justification

    Posted in: Culture, Justification, Ministry, Worldview

    This morning, Tim Keller opened up our U.S. National Staff conference with a focus on the gospel. The focus was on what Christians need to remember about the gospel. Tomorrow, his talk will be geared toward the gospel and unbelievers.

    Keller began his talk with an analogy. He said people are like coke machines, and the gospel is the coin. Often times, the coke machine doesn’t work the way it should. The coin is put in, and it gets stuck. It doesn’t drop. A little banging on the coke machine is needed in order for the coin to drop and the coke pop out.

    Keller explained that as Christians, there is a sharp edge of the coin that we dull and blur, making it easier for the coin to become stuck. Keller points to Romans 3:21-28:

    “But now the righeousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

    Free justification is the sharp edge of the gospel that we tend to dull. Without full understanding, and until we accept Christ’s righteousness as our free justification, the coin of the gospel, so to speak, may not drop.

    So this is crucial to understanding the gospel. There are two things that we need to understand about justification. The first is why it is needed, particularly in this meritocratic society we are in. The second is that we must understand what free justification is.

    Why is free justification needed?
    We live in a society that is becoming more and more meritocratic everyday. In a meritocratic society, nobody inherits anything. The culture rewards you with money, position, and social status based on your merit. In this type of society, you need a VPR (Validating Performance Record). To get the job, you need a resume proving that you are worthy of the job. To get into the university, you need to have a transcript proving that you are worthy of acceptance. This is great for capitalism. But because of this, there has never been a more works-based society than the one we have now.

    Think of the term ‘righteousness.’ In our culture, the word ‘righteous’ is now used more with a negative connotation to portray a self-righteous person. Seldom does a gospel presentation use the term righteousness. Mainly because righteousness has become a VPR for many. It’s become part of our meritocratic society.

    “I’m worthy because I’m righteous.”

    “I want God to bless my life because of the good person I’ve been.”

    Even in our gospel presentation (i.e. – the Four Spiritual Laws), we imply that as long as we are sorry and truly sad about our sin, we’ll then be rewarded. The sinner’s prayer has become a Validating Performance Record.

    “Are you a Christian?”
    “Yeah, I said the prayer.”

    We are NOT justified by what we do! As much as we want to earn our own way, we can’t. That is not the gospel. The reality is that God gives His righteousness to us.

    For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.
    - Philippians 3:8,9

    The gospel is freeing! It is the end of the struggle for validation. It is the end of the works-based salvation that only ends in exhaustion and failure.

    We must accept the righteousness of Jesus.

    What is free justification?

    Secondly, Dr. Keller teaches that it is important to understand what free justification is. The best way to understand free justification is by understanding what it isn’t.

    Free justification is not forgiveness.
    It is distinct from forgiveness. Justification does not mean that our sins are forgiven. It’s better than that! In comparing the two, forgiveness is negative, while justification is positive.

    Forgiveness: You are in prison for a crime you have committed. The Governor pardons you. “You are free to go.” There is still a problem. You leave the prison, you have no friends, no job, no home.

    Justification: Same scenario, except the Governor comes in and gives you the Congressional Medal of Honor. Now anyone, everywhere you go stands in attention to the Medal you wear.

    See, the gospel is not just that you have been let out of jail. You have been given the medal of honor! You have been given the righteousness of the Son of God who bravely came to earth, lived a perfect life, and willingly suffered the wrath of God upon a cross only to defeat death and sin and Satan three days later when He was raised from the dead.

    Secondly, free justification is not inner moral goodness.
    Dr. Keller poses that there are three types of people: wicked people who don’t believe they are wicked, wicked people who know they are wicked, and wicked people who say they are wicked but in saying so, feel that they are humble, and are now not so wicked in their humility. This last group of people feel that they are now more deserving of justification. In a way, their inner moral goodness becomes part of their justification.

    Romans 4:5 disagrees:

    And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…

    At the moment we are justified, we are wicked and ungodly.

    The other problem with this is that the heart behind moral goodness is unselfishness. But if your moral goodness is your ticket to heaven, then it is no longer moral goodness. It is a selfish motive. It is a self-centered perspective rather than a servant-hearted perspective.

    Making the Coin Drop
    So, how do we penetrate someone’s heart with the gospel without producing a works-based righteousness? Many would answer that showing someone their sins first is the most effective way. “Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever cheated on a test? Have you ever lusted after a woman?”

    Dr. Keller suggests something different. He recommends not looking at their sins, but rather looking at what they boast in.

    If you start with someone’s sins, you are starting them down a path of works-based righteousness. The Pharisees never had a problem repenting of their sin. They never repented of their boasting.

    Understanding free justification and the truth of the gospel puts an end to all boasting. The true gospel expels all competition, comparison, pride, etc. The result of this free gift of God’s righteousness is found in Colossians 3:3: “your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

    The only opinion that counts in all the universe is God’s, and He delights in you!

  • Jun18

    4 Comments

    Tim Keller on Gospel DNA

    Posted in: Culture, Ministry, Missional Living, Worldview

    Parks Society Special Event – Tim Keller
    This morning, Tim Keller spoke at Orangewood Presbyterian Church at a Parks Society Special Event. He outlined what a gospel DNA is within a ministry, and why it must exist in order to reach the culture.

    Gospel DNA is essentially just ministry emphases that rely on the saving work of Christ on the cross. The heart of every ministry, church, cause, mission, etc. should be the gospel. The gospel itself is “the power of God unto salvation.” It alone is enough to reach the hearts of men. Though God provides different avenues to bring this message to his people, the power lies in the gospel.

    So what does a gospel DNA look like? Keller explains that there are 4 key factors involved. 

    Grace-Motivated People
    The first factor is that people are motivated by grace. Repetitively pounding your will upon people will not motivate them to do or believe anything. Telling them over and over again that they should do something just because they should doesn’t win their hearts. People are motivated by the grace that has been poured out for them and freely offered. People are motivated by grace that pours from Christ’s never-exhausted reservoir of love and patience.

    City-minded & Kindgom-minded
    The second key factor in a gospel DNA is that the ministry/church/people must be city-minded and kingdom-minded. This factor poses the challenging question: ‘Is this city here for the growth and success of your church, or is your church here for the redemption of the city?’ Pour your life out for the city. Do not let your vision become skewed and make your existence upon power. Be city-minded.

    Keller also urges that we recognize that we are part of a bigger thing than denominations. Our aim is bigger than being Baptist, Presbyterian, or Pentecostal. We are part of God’s redemptive cause in bringing many sons to glory. We are part of Christ making all things new (not that we have the power to do so in ourselves, but through his gospel). We are part of the growth of His Kingdom. Be kingdom-minded.

    Integrative-Balanced Ministry
    In order to be effective as a ministry, we must have an integrative balance. There are three focuses here: Connect people to God, connect people to each other, and connect people to their culture. 

    Connecting people to God is important because if we aren’t doing that, why do we exist? We are created to know God. If we know already Him, our purpose is to know Him deeper, and point people to the Treasure we have found. Simple as that. Outreach is essential. Keyword: Outreach. Reach out to people. Last time I checked, people aren’t running in droves through church doors on Sunday mornings on their own to hear about God.

    Secondly, we must connect people to each other. Change happens in community. You become like the people you spend time with. Connecting people with each other is essential for a Christian’s growth.

    Connect people to the culture. We need to be teaching Christians to be salt and light to the world. Part of that is being able to disciple people outside the 4-walls of church. One thing we are really good at (that maybe we shouldn’t be) is taking a Christian out of the culture, bringing him inside church, and making him really useful inside the church. We need to be better at teaching people how to be useful as engineers, architects, salesman, artists, real estate specialists, receptionists, CEO’s, labor workers. The best evangelism is laying yourself out for the city.

    Contextualization 
    Ministries and churches need to contextualize themselves. We cannot be so one-dimensional in our outreach to the city. Just because we are moved by something in a particular way doesn’t mean others are moved by the same thing. To think so is prideful. We should aim to place the gospel in a understandable context. You wouldn’t tell a four year-old about God’s love by explaining the imputation and impartation of Christ’s righteousness to us. You sing “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” An understandable context for a four year old. Keller said that the very incarnation of Christ was contextualization. The incarnation was “Diety for Dummies.” 

    Reformed rap is a huge new context for outreaching to urban communities. Guys like Lecrae, Tedashii, and Trip Lee are placing gospel truth in an understandable context for urban communities. And it’s working. 

    A vital focus is to maintain truth though. It’s useless to be relevant if we are delivering a different message, or a watered-down one. Be in the world, not of the world.

  • Jun2

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    Simplified Missional Living

    Posted in: Culture, Ministry, Missional Living

    Awesome article by Jonathan Dodson…check it out!

  • Apr9

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    Re-examining Expectations of Gospel Change

    Posted in: Culture, God Stuff

    One of my biggest goals in bringing the good news of Jesus to Italy is to make sure not to bring America (and America’s expectations of evangelism and gospel change) along with me. The manifestation and expression of the church in America is deeply interlinked with the history of our country, which is why a new missional focus has emerged within the past few years across the U.S. in order to engage the ever-changing culture which is beginning to take roots in postmodernism and political correctness.

    To effective engage Italy with the gospel, it’s imperative to understand the history and culture of it’s people.

    Jonathan Dodson, in an article of how culture affects conversion, writes:

    Gospel change in some cultures is more gradual than instantaneous. The American Evangelical tradition of “deep consciousness of personal sin followed by a sense of joyous liberation” is not common to all cultures. Missionaries labored for years before they saw a single conversion, and even then, the conversions were sometimes very different than what they expected. Cultures that are more communal experience conversion differently that cultures that are highly individualistic. In many African and Asian cultures, conversions come in pairs or families instead of by single individuals. Not all gospel change happens identically, especially across cultures.

    Although my personal conversion experience was similar to the one that Dodson explains above (deep conviction of sin followed by sense of joyous freedom in Christ), I agree with Dodson that my expectation for others should not be a replication of my own conversion, but rather to trust the work of the Spirit who reveals the truth about the death and resurrection of Christ through the scriptures.

    Our goal should not be to replicate our personal conversion experience, but to preach the gospel effectively so that we can make disciples in the emerging post-Christian context. We must heed the failures of the past and call people, not to our experience of conversion, but to the experience of the Spirit’s converting, whatever that process may entail.

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