Friday, April 1, 2011

INS week 1 link-up


“There is a price to godliness and godliness is never on sale. It never comes cheaply or easily.”
~Jerry Bridges in The Practice of Godliness

By now you've completed chapters 1 and 2 of It's No Secret in this online study. And I'm loving hearing what God has taught you through it so far. Don't miss Melissa's video comments on it today - isn't she fun?!

The teaching and study questions within these two chapters are quite possibly my favorites in the whole book. Here's why - they reliably stir up my soul. They generate a holy revolution within me. They focus me on what is truly important and motivate me to live a little higher, a little more zealously for Christ than I tend to - and there's something satisfying about that.

A couple years ago I was staying in a friend's vacation home.  The TV in the home got very few channels clearly.  On the clearest channel was a marathon of the reality show Whale Wars.  I watched one episode, and thought these people were plum crazy! Then I watched a second episode and thought them irresponsible. Then I watched a third, and I was hooked.



After returning home from vacation I continued watching Whale Wars, and I wasn't even sure why. I have very little in common with these people who volunteer their time and even risk their lives to go into the Arctic ocean for months at a time to try to stop Japanese fishermen from harpooning whales.

I like whales but I'm just not going to do that. I like boating too, but not in a frigid sea with a hole smashed in my hull and fishermen throwing bolts at me!

It's not the kind of show I would normally watch. They have to "beep out" words in every episode. I don't even agree with all the tactics they use in their attempts to stop the fishermen. I'm not sure who is in the right and who is in the wrong here, legally or otherwise. Yet I was captivated.

It took me weeks of watching to figure out why I was so drawn to these "Sea Shepherds" as they call themselves. I finally realized it's because they have totally committed to what is important to them. They don't just talk about it - they actually live sold out for it.  You don't see that a lot these days.

Sure, people sell out for money, power or fame, but that's not the same thing. And I'm convinced that when we stand before God, we'll clearly see none of that is worth the price.

Personally, I wish these Sea Shepherds were as committed to Jesus and saving men as they are to saving the whales. Nonetheless their willingness to abandon themselves to their cause inspires me. As does the woman, risking ridicule, pouring the pricey perfume on Jesus' head in our study.

I wonder, could you feel your soul stirring as you read these chapters? Did something stand out to you?
Did God whisper something in your ear as you pondered and studied this week?

If you've blogged about something from this week's study, post the link here so we can all share in your discovery. It's a great way to learn from each other and get to know each other. Just enter your name and the URL of the specific post (not just your general blog address) below. I'll be stopping by everyone's blog this weekend.


9 comments:

  1. Thank you, Rachel. It's been a blessing studying with you this week. I'm looking forward to reflection over the weekend and continuing to grow next week!
    Elle

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  2. Just want you to know that the questions in the second chapter of INS stirred up a lot for me. The story of the "alabaster box" and her hair have special meaning. I linkded up a blog post I wrote while teaching on this topic. Everything you said in INS regarding these scriptures gets a hearty "Amen" from me. Loved it!

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  3. I love this idea of linking up to read and reflect on what others are learning from this study.

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  4. Hey V,(Vickie) I just got an error message when responding to your blog. not sure what the deal was but my comments there but it sent me a failure notice?


    Just wanted to let ya know so it doesnt deter others from commenting,)

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  5. Rachel, I think the first 2 chapters stirred up a lot in many of us!!! I have heard from women all week about how this study has made them examine some tough things about themselves. Growth is happening here, honesty with ourselves and God is happening here. It's time to be real and trust in the Lord to the point we allow Him to truly live through us. God knows, we need Him!

    Love the blogs! I'd love to read more. Link up girls! And if you aren't ready to link up this week, get ready for it next week. I'd love to read more of your thoughts.

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  6. Hi Rachel! I wrote about the anointing question as well, but the C.S. Lewis section of your chapter impacted me as well. I loved the "kill your competition" part. Thank you for your book...not the last time I will say this, I'm sure!

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  7. I love that we can leave our links here and get to know the others studying, too! Thanks for writing and for leading us through your book. I love it!

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  8. Thank you for sharing this with us! The first two chapters have been a blessing to me. The Holy Spirit stirred my soul as I was reading Ch 2 --- wow I must learn to ave complete abandon in my life and truly surrender to following Christ and stop pursuing creature comforts! (By the way, I didn't mean to post my blog link twice.)

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  9. Hi Rachel. What a great idea of letting people link up to their blogs & reflect on what they're learning...sometimes the comments don't leave enough room for everything you want to share. LOL! Anyways, I really enjoyed the 1st week of study & can't wait to "show up" and dive into next weeks study. :)
    Tiffany

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