Called to Mission

I don't know how many if any readers I've got out there, but you may have noticed that I just changed the name of the blog from Beyond the Walls to Called to Mission. Let me explain why...

Over the last few months Amy (my wife) and I have been discussing and praying about what it really means to be a Christ follower and what that looks like in our own lives and in our own communities. A few comments from a new book that I've been reading really started to make us think about this. [You can check out the book on my Currently Reading section on the right]. Here's a few things that we are working through together and that might spark your thoughts as well:


+ Jesus only uses the word "Church" in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John during one conversation. And that is to point out that He was choosing Peter to be the leader of this new way of life that He was calling them all to.

+ The early church in Acts looks nothing like what most mainline churches look like today. They didn't meet for one gathering a week to worship and hear a preacher teach them from the Scripture. They were constantly together in their everyday lives. They met in eachother's homes throughout the week to eat together, talk together, and live out the Kingdom (this new way of living) that Christ had brought to them.

+ Jesus didn't call us to "Go and invite people to church where a pastor can preach to them and get them saved." Jesus called us to " Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20  We are ALL called to be missionaries to our neighbors, coworkers and friends.

+ The word Christian means "little christs" or "Christ like ones". So if we are going to call ourselves Christians then we are called to be just LIKE Christ. Not only in word but in deed. Jesus was called a "friend of sinners." In our own lives would we be considered friends of sinners? Are we willing to change our lives to befriend more sinners?  

+ How sad is our existence if our only friends are people that look like us, think like us, and go to church with us?

After thinking about these things, Amy and I have resolved that we are going to be making some changes in our lives. We want to follow the example of Jesus and begin to live out the kingdom life, His way of living, with the people who are literally around us. We are going to be opening up our lives to really begin doing life with others. 

Will you join with us? Will you begin to live your life with your neighbors and friends in your community? Will you begin to develop a faith community in your neighborhood where people can hang out and see Christ working through you?


Join with us in this movement because one thing is true...we have ALL been called to mission!