Living Real Magazine - Jan 2011 by Genesis Studios

A PUBLICATION OF LIVING REAL LLC • LIVINGREALMAG.COM • VOLUME 2 • 2011

The Blue Jean Dream The Heart of Worship

Midtown

Living Real on Campus

Legacy House

The Five Senses of Your Home

Radical

Faith and the American Dream

Forgiveness Under Fire A Real Life Fireproof Story LIVINGREALMAG.COM • VOL.2

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ID THE MMMUNITY! CO

Contents

2011 • VOLUME 2

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02 Welcome to Living Real: Greetings!

by Melanie Shull 04 Midtown Fellowship: Living Real on Campus by Joeli Mulligan 06 Real Life Fireproof: Forgiveness Under Fire by Melissa Barkley 10 Legacy House: The 5 Senses of Your Home by Lara Gopp 12 The Blue Jean Dream: The Heart of Worship by Melanie Shull 14 A Devine Encounter: A Biscuit Maker’s Story by Melanie Shull & Stephanie Mayo LivingReaLMag.COM

28 16 Living Real in the Classroom

by Dustin Fowler 18 Lily of the Field: A story of loss and rebirth by Kristine Hoskins 22 Going Deeper: What IS the Great Commission? by Dr. Wayne J. Edwards 24 Radical: Faith and the American Dream by Will Bryan 26 The Lighter Side: The Acronym Fanatic by Cheri Nettles 28 Word Studies: Romans 12 by Kelly Coakley 2011• Living ReaL

welcome to living real

Greetings!

ave you had a “Living REAL” experience? Have you impacted the life of someone else because of your lifestyle or has your life been changed because of the life of someone else? Through this magazine we want to encourage you to “live real” in your day to day life as we share how others are “living real” in theirs. When you have discovered the truth about Jesus Christ and what He has done for you, when you realize He can transform your life and relationships, then you cannot help but live life to the fullest and thus impact the lives of other people. This kind of “living real” draws people to the real truth, Jesus Christ. I like to think of it this way. Discovering and learning how to live Godly lives is developing a Godly culture. When we bring a Godly culture into a God-less culture, we can infect and affect our surroundings just by the way we live! The “Living REAL” team has discovered more people who are living real lives, real faith, in a real world, and making a real difference for the cause of Jesus Christ. In this issue you’ll meet a history teacher who doesn’t have to proclaim Jesus out loud. He just lives Jesus in front of his students and because they detect something different in their teacher, great things begin to happen. Our “Living Real on Campus” writer, Joeli Mulligan, finds out the scoop in an interview with some USC students who, in downtown Columbia, SC, are impacting their world for Christ. Meet a few of them who attend Midtown Church and their pastor, Dustin Willis. Remember the movie “Fireproof ”? We also uncovered a real life “Fireproof ” story as told by the wife of a fireman who didn’t give up on him or their marriage. An early morning encounter with a McDonald’s biscuit maker was definitely a Devine appointment. You can also go deeper with Dr. Wayne J. Edwards as he shares how important biblical discipleship is in developing real followers of Christ. See if you have a “Thinking Problem” in the Word Study with Kelly Coakley. Lara Gopp shares some creative ways to develop a godly atmosphere in your home as the legacy we are building inside our homes will affect our children’s lives forever. The humor continues with a story from Cherie Nettles. Kristine Hoskins also shares a very personal story about her miscarriage and how God revealed Himself to her through the pain. Don’t miss “Lily of the Field”. I had been studying about God’s design for worship for quite a while when one night, through a dream, God gave me an analogy that has helped me understand “real” worship and how we can move into a deeper walk with Christ through worshipping God as He designed it. Check out “The Blue Jean Dream” and see how God taught me a valuable lesson about how we are approaching Him much too casually. We also have something new! “Living REAL” now has a Conference Team who is bringing the magazine to life! See our ad on the inside cover. If you are interested in having us come to your church or group, email me from our website www.livingreal.com. You’ll hear and see real people from the magazine telling their real stories. You’ll learn how to “live real” through solid and challenging, biblical teaching, fabulous dramas, as well as, great music. We can design a conference which will fit your needs and we would love to meet you! Now, go pour yourself another cup of coffee or your favorite beverage, sit back, relax, and allow God to speak to you through our stories. There, are you ready? Turn the page and read on!

Melanie Melanie C. Shull President of “Living REAL” www.livingrealmag.com

Living Real • 2011

©Lara Gopp/Shutterstock

Living to Serve,

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Real life. Real faith. Real people. Thank you Living Real for strengthening our families & community!

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2011â&#x20AC;˘ Living Real

living real on campus

Joeli Mulligan

iven that only 28% of all Americans between the ages of 18-34 attend church and that the average age of Columbia citizens – not including the University of South Carolina – is 32, it may be difficult for people in that age group to find a church in our town that seems to “fit”. While the family of God is made up of all types of folks from every demographic imaginable, God seems to be doing something at Midtown Fellowship that is resonating with students, young adults and families across the city. Midtown Fellowship is a relatively new church in Columbia that is growing fast and is all about equipping ordinary people like me and you to live real. Started in January 2007, the church now has two campuses – in the Vista and in the Earlewood neighborhood downtown – with around 700 people in attendance between the 2 sites. You only need to talk with the leadership and members for a moment to discover that Midtown Fellowship is a Jesuscentered family on mission. Dustin Willis, Lead Pastor, puts it this way: “We want to be all about Jesus and join God where He is working.” From all accounts, that is exactly what they are doing. After considering some of their own homeless fellow church members, two Midtown guys began the “Homeless for the Homeless” initiative that in 2008 saw over 500 volunteers spend the night on the streets and raised over $15,000. They continued their efforts in November 2009 with the “Shut Down

Living Real • 2011

the Streets” campaign. Partnering with 32 different organizations – both secular and faith-based - to raise over $40,000 and much public awareness. In Fall 2009, Midtown began working with Hyatt Park Elementary School to start an after school program. They have secured a Federal grant for the school that will be worth $600,000 over the next 3 years. The goal is that each student will have a mentor from their congregation at the end of the 3 years. Willis cites 1 Thessalonians 2:8 as the basis for goals like this one. In that verse Pauls says, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” But Willis is quick to point out that Midtown is not just about proclaiming a “social gospel.” They are not a church of “activists”. He says, “We [reach out to our community] because Jesus loves us and gave us hope, so we can go and give others hope.” While the church on the whole tends to use Sunday morning attendance as a “scorecard” for success, God impressed on Midtown’s leadership from the very beginning that they needed to use a different scorecard. So, they ask themselves questions like these: what is the state of our city on Sunday morning? How many people aren’t in church? Which school has the lowest test scores? How many people live on the streets around us? What do those numbers look like and what can we do to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those people in those places? Then they get excited about being salt and light where God opens doors for them. LIVINGREALMAG.COM

©Photos courtesy of Midtown Fellowship

Midtown Fellowship

living real on campus

This “putting your money where your mouth is” approach strikes a chord with the students I spoke with from Midtown. Overwhelmingly, they cited the feeling of community and family as one of the first things that drew them to Midtown followed by an appreciation that there was no doubt about why Midtown does what they do. Turner Shull, a junior at the University of South Carolina, loves that everything the church presented to him in their “Midtown Class” – a four week class that is the avenue by which one becomes a member of Midtown – was bolstered with multiple references to scripture. He knows

“We [reach out to our community] because Jesus loves us and gave us hope, so we can go and give others hope.” - Dustin Willis

that the experiences and opportunities he finds at Midtown are purely based on the Bible. Willis and Midtown’s membership tell story after story of individual lives transformed, coordinate day mission trips, operate over 60 small groups, sponsor retreats and are involved in foreign missions. Chris Daley, a junior at USC, notes that Midtown encourages and equips their members to do the things that God inspires them to do – rather than placing them into initiatives developed by the church.

©Lara Gopp

These young adults are excited about what God is doing in their lives and community through their church. Midtown’s emphasis on “doing church” exactly the way it is spelled out in the Bible, “doing life together” as the basis of fellowship and discipleship as well as the practical ministry opportunities they offer their membership is unfortunately a different kind of experience for even the most “churched”. If you are looking for a dynamic body of believers that is interested in Living Real for all the right reasons, check out Midtown Fellowship. And don’t worry if you feel less than perfectly put-together. When asked what he would want people to know about Midtown that they might not gather from a quick trip to the church’s website or a visit to one of their Gatherings, Willis immediately responded, “This is not a place where you’ve got to show up and have it all together. All of us have baggage, hurt, and sin… this is a place for the messed up led by a bunch of screw-ups who are redeemed by Jesus Christ.” That’s my kind of place. •LR•

Check out MidtownColumbia.com for past sermons, podcasts, events, more information and meeting locations and times. joeli mulligan christian dramatist, speaker & singer LIVINGREALMAG.COM

2011• Living Real

Living ReaL • 2011

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a Real Life “Fire Proof” Story

By: Melissa Barkley

ave you ever stopped and wondered why God commands us to forgive? Several years ago, I would have questioned the true meaning of forgiveness. I had heard many teachings of the Scriptures about forgiveness, but God had to take me down a very broken path before I would ever begin to understand the power of forgiveness.

Several years ago, I was in my final semester of nursing school. I had just joined Trinity Baptist Church at that time, and had rededicated my life to the Lord. I had a hunger for God’s Word and direction in my life, so I started going to Sunday school. I began meeting new friends and getting involved in some of the activities with the church. My husband had attended a revival during this time and had accepted Christ. My husband met some great men in our church ing, I had convinced myself that my One afternoon, I was working on a paand had started going to men’s per for school and found something on our husband knew how I felt about this issue small group Bible study on computer that would change my life. What and chose to continue what he was doing. Tuesday nights. He had been I discovered was a secret life of pornography Therefore, he didn’t deserve to have a family. I would not remain married to someone to Promise Keepers, which that my husband had very carefully tried to hide from me. My husband admitted to me for whom I had no respect or trust. After was a seminar just for men that he had a problem and didn’t know how a few weeks, my husband called a friend here in Columbia. I thought to stop. I felt like I was talking to him in a from church and asked him to meet with things were heading in the tunnel. This wasn’t happening to me! Things us. I have to be honest; I didn’t want to meet with anyone. The thought of allowing my right direction. This Christian were going too good for this to be the next thing my marriage would face. Years before, husband to get away with what he had done life was working well, and I we had had issues with this, but we were to me made me sick. When my husband’s felt like we had finally found young, and we weren’t believers. He didn’t friend walked in the door that night, I’m a good church home. know it would hurt me. This time was differ- sure he could feel the tension and the anger

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ent. He knew how I felt about it. I had made myself very clear that I would not tolerate it. As he poured out his heart about this “secret” problem, I was boiling inside. I could feel myself getting angrier. I wanted him out of my sight. At that moment, I lost every ounce of respect for my husband and asked him to leave. I stayed up the whole night crying and praying. By the next morn-

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that had been building in our house the past few weeks. He spoke with us about decisions we had made before we were married, and how we were reaping the harvest of the choices we had made. At that moment my stomach had knots in it. I knew that I deserved to reap my harvest, but what about my husband? Was he supposed to get off free and clear? There was not a question » 2011• Living ReaL

“I became so jealous of my husband. I walked in on him praying on his knees and told him that it must be nice to destroy someone and walk away with a deeper relationship with God.”

Living Real • 2011

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of whether my husband knew he was wrong, but his friend also had to remind me that not forgiving my husband is a sin as well. The words he said to me that night penetrated my heart, and I knew what needed to be done. I, in no way, was ready to do what needed to be done. No way! My husband was going to pay for what he had put me through. I would forgive when he had reaped his harvest!

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Over the next few months I watched my husband overcome this addiction. I saw him taking his Bible to work, witnessing to friends, and praying more. God was working in his life like never before. I, on the other hand, wasn’t taking it quite so well. I was consumed with how badly he had hurt me. I talked about it to anyone who would listen. Strangely enough, no one knew what to say to me. I had a friend say to me one time “Melissa, this is really making you crazy…It’s really all you talk about.” I checked the history on our computer everyday. I found myself drifting further and further away from God. I was talking to my friends about it more and to God about it less. Satan had filled me with lies, thinking that God didn’t want to hear my story. I had convinced myself that, because I was bitter and unforgiving, I could not come to God until I fixed myself and the issues I had. Looking back, I know that this was my very first mistake. I thought that I could solve my issues all on my own. I would get back to being the Christian that God wanted me to be, but first, I had to fix me. My bitterness was growing inside of me like a wildfire. It began affecting more and more areas of my life. In some strange way, my anger was my sense of comfort. I became so jealous of my husband. I walked in on him praying on his knees and told him that it must be nice to destroy someone, and walk away with a deeper relationship with God. I tore him apart with my words and brought up what he had done to me in every disagreement we had. He would beg me to pray with him, but I was too angry to humble myself and get on my knees with my husband. I had decided, that to forgive him, would be letting him completely get away with what he had done to me. He did not deserve to have his cake and eat it too. I wanted so badly for him to hurt as much as I did. When I prayed to God, I would beg him to show me, tell me… “What do you want from me God? What did you want me to learn out of this? It’s so unfair… I’m so hurt. Why did you put this in my life?” I had come to the conclusion that my husband had developed a deeper relationship with God, and that was why this was put in our lives. I served no purpose in this lesson, and I needed to realize, that this time, it just wasn’t about me.

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One Sunday, our church held the Lord’s Supper. The pastor asked the congregation to search our hearts; to not let this be just any Lord’s Supper with the same request as always, but rather, to give over to the Lord anything with which we were struggling. Once again I prayed, “God, I know you put this in my life to help my husband… but I am so hurt…. I know that I have nothing to gain out of this, and I am willing to be okay with that… If you can just take this hurt away.” At that moment, I felt the presence of God come over me… “Melissa” He said, “I have been with you this whole year. Can’t you see? I’ve been here, holding your hand, pulling you to the cross.” I sat there in that pew and wept. In my bitterness, I had been so selfish and had forgotten that Christ was nailed to a cross and died for my forgiveness! Who was I to not forgive my husband, who had humbled himself to me, confessed what he was doing, and had begged over and over to be forgiven? When I forgave my husband, I, in return, had to ask to be forgiven. I felt a weight lifted off my chest. I began to get back in God’s Word and started to see my life transform. I started focusing on obedience in my life and prayed to give my finances over to the Lord. My husband and I are now tithing and are amazed at how God has provided for our family. In experiencing hurt, God gave me eyes to see other women that are hurting. I now have a love for leading women in Bible studies at my church. I forgave my oldest son’s biological father - an animosity that I had carried with me for eleven years. See, when we find true forgiveness, we can’t help but to forgive everyone around us! That’s real freedom! In Luke 22:31, Christ told Peter that Satan had asked “to sift him as wheat.” Christ told Peter, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Sometimes we have to be “sifted” so that God can use us to help others for His glory. Peter could have bet money on the fact that he would have never denied Christ. I could have told you three years ago that my life was going great and nothing could turn me away again. My God knew me better. And when Satan asked if he could sift me like wheat, God knew how badly I would hurt, but He also knew that it would be in my brokenness that I would truly find His forgiveness. Now, instead of asking God why he allowed this to happened to me, I thank Him! It was the only way I would be able to strengthen my sisters in Christ. In my weakness, I laid at His feet; right where He wanted me to be. If you are struggling with forgiving someone, remember I couldn’t see God in my situation either because I was so hurt. I thought He had abandoned me, and yet I had abandoned Him. All God wanted from me was obedience. When I chose to forgive, I chose to be obedient. By choosing to be obedient, God changed my heart and my life. •LR•

2011 2011• Living ReaL

Legacy Home by Lara Gopp

“The wise woman builds her house with her own hands, but with her own hands the foolish one tears her’s down.” - Proverbs 14:1

hat does your home say about you, or even better, to you? If you were to walk around your home right now what would you see? Maybe you would see piles of laundry, lots of knickknacks or stuff that is rarely noticed or needed. What would you hear? You might hear laughter, silence, yelling. What would you smell? Ok, maybe we won’t go there, but really...if your home could speak what would it say? As a little girl I remember home being a place where I felt safe, creative and at peace. My home was a place where family, friends, and at times, strangers would come and be refreshed. You may be thinking I grew up in some perfect “Beaver Cleaver” house with a dad, mom, two kids, a dog and white picket fence. Wrong. I grew up in a 900 square foot home with family

Living ReaL • 2011

consisting of a single mom and two small girls. My family had been impacted greatly by difficult circumstances like divorce, financial distress and loss, and yet somehow home was always a place of refuge. A place that ministered to me and others, where my soul was fed and life was nurtured. That doesn’t just happen...It takes an intentional effort and my mom was a master builder. Over the past few years I have realized now more than ever how important it is to continue the legacy of my mother by creating a home that builds up, not tears down. With so many things vying for our time, attention, money and relationships it’s critical. I began by focusing on three specific areas that we wanted our home to be - a place of refuge, ministry and worship!

@ home

To begin the building process, pay attention to the “5 Senses of the Home”:

▶ Sight

Decorate your home with purpose. Keep Scripture visible and spiritual markers on display. For example the tapestry my husband gave me for our first anniversary. It reminds me that while not so pretty behind the scenes, God is weaving something beautiful in and through our lives. Scripture art encourages memorization and reminds us what we’re living for. Images remind us to pray for specific people.

▶ Smell

Of course we all want our home to smell nice. Fresh air especially in the spring and fall is the best! Other scents can serve as a reminder to check the “fragrance” you are emitting to God.

▶ Sound

Make sure the sounds of your home are not distracting from God. I try to have worship music playing in the morning. It sets the tone for the day.

Custom Photography ~ Canvas & Card Design ~ Interior Displays

▶ Touch

Choose soft, comfortable textures.

▶ Taste

Yes, you can decorate with taste! I always like to have fresh fruit, nuts and healthy snacks accessible to remind us to be good stewards of our bodies...and dark chocolate is good for you!

©Lara Gopp/Shutterstock

I hope your home will become a place that leaves a legacy. One that is synonymous with people, not things; simplicity, not debt; and most important, a place where God’s voice is not crowded out by acquiring objects of no eternal value. So awaken your senses and start building a home that leaves a legacy! •LR• Lara Gopp is a wife, mother, speaker and business woman. Her company, Lara Gopp Designs, blends interior & media design with custom photography to create art for your home. Get more design tips at Laragopp.com

lara gopp

DESIGNS capturing pure

life one frame at a time!

www.laragoppdesigns.com ~ 803.727.4672

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2011• Living ReaL

s I was waking up, early one morning, I remember thinking, “What was that all about? Why was I dreaming about blue jeans?”

As I continued to wake up, it occurred to me that God had just given me an incredible visual of what I had been consumed with for several months. He had given me, what I call, the “Blue Jean Dream.” He probably gave me this dream because I love visuals, and even I should be able to get this analogy. The dream dealt with what I had been intensely studying about - the sin of casual Christianity - trying to approach a Holy God with a non-holy attitude. I’m convinced that this entire dream came about because of the tugging in my heart by the Holy Spirit. He had been trying to get my attention concerning true worship, and now He surely had it! For quite a while I was very concerned with how we, as believers, approach a Holy God in our private worship and in our corporate worship (together on Sundays). As I’ve searched the Scriptures, God has shown me that He takes “worship” very seriously. Sometimes we think that we decide what worship should look like. We design and participate in worship services and think we’ve done God a favor, but the real design for worship was given by God, Himself. In Exodus, beginning in Chapter 26, the design of the Tabernacle is given. God put in place a pattern for how His people were to approach Him and the requirements for how the priests, and the High Priest were to come into the presence of this holy God and into the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people. Everything in the Tabernacle was a shadow of things

Living Real • 2011

to come. It was all designed to reveal our need for a Savior and what He would do for us on the cross. If you study the very careful instructions given to the Israelites as to how and why the Tabernacle was to be built, you will come to find out that God had a unique purpose for every detail. Sacrifice and cleansing rituals were of utmost importance to approach a holy God. It all was pointing to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, our High Priest, and the ultimate sacrifice that He would pay for the sins of all mankind. In I Chronicles 21:24, the account is told of King David and Araunah. David understood the design and requirements for approaching God and the importance of the cost of sacrifice. As Araunah was trying to give David what he needed to present a sacrifice at no charge, David said, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”(NIV) He knew that the sacrifice he was about to give to the Lord must cost him the full price, no shortcuts. Just like Jesus who paid the full price for our sin on the cross with His life, true worship requires much more of us besides an hour on Sunday, sitting in a church service. God, through this dream, was showing me how we as believers, on this side of the cross, have taken Christ’s incredible gift of grace and have used it (or abused it) to give ourselves a “pass” to approach God any way we choose. We’ve forgotten that God still requires certain things of us, His children, when we come into His presence. Although the ultimate sacrifice has been paid by Jesus Christ, on the cross, the attitude of our hearts and the consistent maintenance of our fellowship with Him are crucial for true worship to take place.

©Lara Gopp / ©Shutterstock

So what do blue jeans have to do with approaching a holy God? Well, what comes to my mind when I think of blue jeans is what I’ve heard people say about blue jeans. “I can’t wear them to work because they portray less than success.” Or, “I can’t wait until Friday because it’s dress down day and we can wear jeans!” Or, I’ve even heard people say, “Oh, why can’t I wear jeans to church? God doesn’t care what we wear!” Personally, I would wear blue jeans everywhere because I like them, but there are places that they don’t seem appropriate, so I don’t. What is the problem with blue jeans? Absolutely nothing! It’s not the fabric. It’s the attitude that seems to slip into the fabric. In our culture, here in the United States, blue jeans used to represent an attitude of rebellion. Today, blue jeans have evolved and have become a well-received fashion for many occasions, but they still come with “attitude.” You can dress them up, dress them down, even wear them down around your thighs and struggle to walk. Some wear them too tight, too loose, and/or too low. Haven’t you been confused when you knew it was the middle of the day, but the “moon” was out? Any way you look at it, blue jeans definitely make a statement to the world about our attitude. Many believe, especially in the corporate world, that jeans portray a lazy, casual attitude less than our best. The “blue jean attitude” has slipped into the Christian community. We have allowed the casual attitude - less than our best - to enter the Church. It has not only affected the people in the pews, but also the pastors in the pulpit. We’ve taken a non-casual God and have tried to mold Him into a “whatever makes you feel good” God. Therefore, our heavenly Father is not being respected or approached seriously. He’s being approached with a casual - less than our best - attitude instead of a very serious one and this is very displeasing to our Lord. We, who have accepted Jesus into our hearts, are now called to be holy. “Holy” means “set apart.” We are called to be different from the world and to look like Jesus. Being holy is a process that begins the moment we become a child of God. Those who claim to be Christians are constantly under scrutiny by the world. It’s very important that we are portraying the true image of Jesus Christ. It’s critical that we are living our lives according to His Word and not according to our comfort. We were created to worship, but we cannot worship Whom we do not know. We have to be in the Word of God daily. It’s crucial that we seek His face and His desires through prayer and through His Word. We are called to worship His way, not ours. Why should we come to worship privately or together on Sundays with anything less than our best for the One who has given us His all? Ask yourself the following questions, “Am I giving Jesus my best in all that I do?” “Can the world see how much my Lord means to me through my attitudes and actions? In I Corinthians 10:31 Paul says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”(NKJV) Psalm LIVINGREALMAG.COM

119:9-11 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”(NIV) Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.”(NKJV) True worship pours out from a pure heart with a humble attitude. True worship is a state of mind, a lifestyle, not just a set time of the week. The purpose of the “Blue Jean Dream” was to make us aware of the sin of approaching God casually and not taking Him seriously. Sin, all sin, is what hinders us from experiencing Him the way He desires, and it keeps us from reflecting His true image to others. God is speaking loudly to us about this subject that is not only close to His heart, but is His heart. Please listen to His Spirit. God is calling us back to Himself to be what the Church is supposed to be- a picture of Christ Jesus our Lord! My prayer is that we will begin to remove all of the hindrances from being all that God has called us to be - His body. This includes confessing and removing the lazy, casual attitude from our Christian walk, and to begin to get serious about our relationship with a serious God. He is very protective of the reputation and image of His Son, Jesus. We should deal with our sin immediately so we can enter into His presence with a holy and pure heart. Hebrews 1:3 says that “Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.”(NIV) Sin distorts His image in our lives. We can’t radiate Jesus or His glory when sin is in the reflection. So let’s return to what truly matters to Jesus Christ - a personal relationship with Him that is so tight that when people see us, they see Him! And last, but not least, let’s get back to His Word and worship His Way seriously, with nothing less than our best, and not with a “blue jean attitude.” •LR• Some resources for studying God’s design for worship: ▶ Life Principles for Worship from the Tabernacle, (Barber, Rasnake, Shepherd) ▶ Tozer on Worship and Entertainment (Collection of A.W.Tozer’s writings by Synder) ▶ Worship Matters (Kauflin) ▶ 66 Love Letters (Dr. Larry Crabb) Melanie Shull is the founder of Living Real magazine, serves on staff in the Music Ministry at Trinity Baptist Church in Cayce, SC. She is a wife, mother, singer, songwriter, and speaker. 2011• Living Real

By: Melanie Shull & Stephanie Mayo

ne morning, bright and early, a very unusual Devine appointment had been made for two, unsuspecting people. You never know what to expect if you aren’t used to paying attention to the God-given opportunities that cross your path every day. If John Cardamone had not listened that morning to that still small voice urging him to speak to the lady that makes the biscuits, he would have missed being a part of what God had in store for her life. Ms. Susan, a sweet, little grandmother, went in to McDonald’s every morning at 3:00 AM to begin making those “made from scratch” biscuits. John would arrive around 6:00 AM each morning to have his breakfast. This particular morning something inside him said to speak to the lady who makes the biscuits. So John asked the precious, silver-haired lady to sit down and chat. When she finished her shift, she joined him for some conversation. John says that their friendship began with a casual conversation and progressed to more intentional conversations which resulted in him praying with her for some specific needs. Susan had many needs, some of which were health related and some were financial. God began answering John’s prayers for her one by one. She then began to see her need for Jesus Christ. John was able to share how much Christ loves her and what He had done on the cross for her. Susan prayed with John to receive Christ and he invited her to come to church with his family.

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This relationship was built over time. (John says that you first have to meet people where they are before they begin to see what they really need.) John’s Sunday School Class took Susan in, nurtured her and cared for her. They even helped her get a used car when she didn’t have one. She became an active member and began helping others and showing them the love of Christ. Susan wasn’t financially well off by any means, but she always seemed to have some to give away to others who were in need. God always took care of her. She was a joy to be around and loved her new church family. Her own family saw the difference Jesus had made in her life and the new joy she had. As a result of Jesus shining through her life, some of them have come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord as well. One day, Susan finished her shift at McDonald’s and then had a heart attack. Susan went to be with her Lord in heaven. Her Sunday School Class was asked to put her service together. Several of the members spoke about what a precious lady she was, how she loved her Lord and how she loved people. Of course, John was asked to speak. He was the one who listened to the Spirit’s still small voice that morning. He was the one who listened to her. He was the one who prayed with her and led her to Christ. He was the one who took the time to be Jesus to her. John says that sometimes people just need an ear and someone to care. He says that was the first time he had ever led someone to Christ, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Only God could have put together a biscuit maker and an ordinary man who ate at McDonald’s for breakfast each morning. This was definitely an encounter of the best kind! •LR•

©© Will Bryan /Shutterstock

an Unusual encounter of the Best Kind

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2011• Living ReaL

Living Real in the Classroom by Dustin Fowler

s a public school teacher, teaching high school World History can be cumbersome when it comes to teaching world religion as a topic of historical study - especially if you are a Christian. The law prohibits teachers from expressing and trying to impart their views upon the students they teach. I can teach students about Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity all I want, but I cannot tell them why I believe, through faith, that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of all human-kind.

I would love to tell them that the only way to spend eternity with God the Father is through the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Christ who died and rose again to defeat death so that we may all have life abundantly. Being able to actually teach Christianity has never been a problem for me in the public school system. It is foolish to think that most of popular culture at a global scale is centered around the examples of the Western World, but then discredit Christianity as a topic not worthy of discussion - even though it was a crucial factor in molding the western culture so prevalent in today’s global society. On a similar note, should we not discuss the basic principles of Islam in a high school setting when we as a country are directly involved in the controversy surrounding terrorism of Radical Islam? My dilemma is not with teaching religion, but is more related to the struggle of not being at liberty to tell my students why Christianity is different from the others. I can’t share my testimony of how Jesus works in my life with my students in the classroom.

Living Real • 2011

With all this in mind, it is important to point out, that even though I cannot express in the classroom what Christ has done for me, all of my students know that I am a Christian. My students have never heard me tell them that Christianity is right and everything else is wrong. My students know I am a Christian because of the way I am and the things I do. They have seen me in church, and when they ask, I tell them about some of the things that my church is doing. When students come to me to ask questions about Christianity, I do my very best to answer the questions they pose. For the last two years my students have independently asked me if they could come in to my classroom to pray and have small group devotions during our lunch break. What happened as a result is nothing short of amazing. Both years, I have literally seen a sort of revival among my students. In both instances, when this small scaled Bible devotion occurred in my classroom, I saw a group of 4-6 teenage followers of Christ evolve into bold warriors for Christ. They would talk, discuss, read,

“It is foolish to think that most of popular culture at a global scale is centered around the examples of the Western World, but then discredit Christianity as a topic not worthy of discussion...”

It is overwhelming to see this type of spiritual growth, especially considering how lost some of these students are. My role is quite different from what you might think- I just sit there and eat my lunch. I don’t participate in any way because I can’t encourage them to be Christian. All I did was open my door to give them a place to come together. I was careful to set guidelines as to what these students could say or do (for example, some confessions are not appropriate in a school setting, especially when not all present are Christian).

- Dustin Fowler

Both years that this revival occurred, it became so big that I couldn’t have them meet in my classroom. Our administration opened up the auditorium 2 days a week for them to go in and host a lunch-wide Bible study devotion, supervised by a local youth leader. A true transformation began taking place in the lives of these students. I have had students become so challenged by the conviction of Christ that they could no longer justify not doing their classwork. Students began sticking up for the same kids they used to laugh at, and they began to hold each other accountable to do the right things in every way. Other students would look at this and judge them, calling them fake and trying to get them to fail in some way to prove a point. What I witnessed was truly the work of Christ. Even if many of the students present attended to be part of a fad, or because their boyfriend was there, or whatever the reason, I know that this was very real for some of them, and even life changing. Although I can’t take credit for any of it, I love that I was able to watch this happen in my classroom. Credit, as always, goes to God, and of course, you can’t forget the courage of a few kids who realize that serving Christ is more than going to church a couple times a week and singing and having fun with friends. When you do what you can to serve our Lord, He will do what you never thought possible. •LR•

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confess and cry- and then they began to ask me if they could bring in friends. The next day, there would be three or four more than the day before. The next day, it would be about 12-15 total, and within a week or two, my classroom would be filled. I could spend a whole class period trying to quiet down a group of 25 or more students, but there was no need to do so in this setting. The students would come in with their lunch, sit down and listen to whichever student held the floor. Often they would have a group discussion, but the original core group would actually read, present and teach what the Lord had shown them in their personal devotions.

2011• Living Real

Lily of the Field A

T ABOUT THE AGE OF 12, I came to know Jesus as my Savior. I never shared this with my parents as they were not strong Christians and had no knowledge of a personal relationship with Jesus. There was no one to help me grow, read me the bible, or teach me about God. So when I grew up and left home to go to college, I made my own rules. I “forgot” about what I had learned when I accepted Jesus. I made some pretty bad choices, living in the moment and only for myself. But through every wrong choice, I felt a tugging inside. I felt conviction. But I didn’t know what to do with it. My husband, Jason, and I met in college. We quickly fell in love and began a relationship. We married in 1997 and proceeded to build a life together. We also made the decision to start attending church. We both thought it was the “right thing to do”. We would sporadically attend services but intentionally hid in the shadows so no one could hold us accountable. We chose to sleep in often, and we didn’t want anyone to “miss” us. But I continued to feel that tugging, and slowly we began to attend more regularly.

We decided to start a family, and it took us almost a year to conceive. The pregnancy seemed to be going well, but when I was 6 months along, we were involved in a car accident. We were on the way to Babies R Us to purchase our first crib. A nice

Living ReaL • 2011

By: Kristine Hoskins

elderly couple came to assist us since we landed in their yard. I was rushed via ambulance to the hospital due to concerns of preterm labor. I started feeling contractions immediately. God was on our side, although we weren’t aware of just how He was working in our lives. You see, we were self-proclaimed fencesitters. We wanted to go to church, but after Sunday was over so was any sort of worship or discussion about God. We were going solely because it was “the right thing to do”. God knew what we were doing. But He still watched over us and kept me in the palm of His hand. Alex, our son, was born healthy and our lives seemed just perfect. We started to really connect at church. We felt God’s urging to be baptized and join the church. We obeyed. Life was great. It was during this time that I met a woman named Angela. She became a dear friend instantly. She was Alex’s preschool teacher, and also a member of a Sunday School class. She began to ask me (almost daily) when we were going to start attending the class. I put her off for a while, but told Jason that sooner or later we were going to have to go because she was driving me crazy! Just to appease her, we went one Sunday and have been back every Sunday since. Remembering how long it took us to conceive our first child, we began trying for a second one. I became pregnant within the

first two months of trying. So the first thing I did was call my best friend, Angela, to share the great news. She had a bombshell for me – she started laughing and said, “I think I’m pregnant too!” We laughed and cried together, dreaming of the babies we would grow, raise, and love together. We talked daily about our pregnancies, our doctor appointments, possible names, etc. What an amazing experience to share. Our due dates were two weeks apart with mine being earlier. My pregnancy started out normal; morning sickness, weight loss, throwing up, all the good stuff. Things seemed right on track. Then one morning I woke up and felt great! I wasn’t sick! I was puzzled because with Alex, I was sick every day until twenty weeks. It was barely ten. I called the doctor and they told me to be thankful. I must have turned the corner. Jason and I had planned a vacation for just the two of us; a long weekend in Florida. While we were there, I started spotting just a little. I had no cramps or discomfort, just a hint of blood.

Before I could register what had happened, I felt Jason’s hand relax, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he was moving – downward. He had blacked out from the shock. My doctor leaned over in a split second to catch him, apparently pulling his back out in the process (which took over a year to heal. He still reminds me of that 6 years later). It was a lot of news to absorb so fast. There had been no signs. No cramping or gushing of blood. I had gone in for a routine visit thinking everything was great and got the worst news of my life. My baby was dead. My baby inside of me was dead. We sobbed together and went home. My doctor scheduled a D&C procedure for that very afternoon. I didn’t have much time to process the information and get used to the idea before my baby was going to be gone forever. I remember thinking, “GOD! Why did You do this? Why me? I am a good person. I am even a Christian! I am one of Your children! How could You take what was mine?” I was completely broken. I allowed myself only one day to hide and

“No matter what scenario I conjured up, in my mind, it was entirely my fault. I continued to take that guilt along with my grief and push them both deep down.” I was on the phone with the OBGYN, and they said it was probably normal but to check in with them when I got back. During our get-a-way, we selected a name for the baby if she was a girl, but we were still arguing about names for a boy. Since I was only 12 weeks, we knew we had plenty of time. When we returned, we went directly to the doctor’s office, and they took us straight to the ultrasound room. Because of the bleeding, they wanted to see the baby first. I was nervous, but I just knew everything was going to be alright. After all, we were Christians and God would take care of us and the baby, right? Well, the technician quickly went to work and found the baby. Everything looked fine. Then I noticed something; there was no movement on the screen. I remembered from Alex’s ultrasound that there was a lot of movement; blood flowing, heart beating, baby squirming…. This baby wasn’t moving at all. In fact, it was like a still image. It didn’t register with me at first, thinking it was the machine, so I continued to look while the nurse took measurements. She had a funny look on her face. I finally asked, “Where is the heart beat?” Her face became ashen and she suddenly turned the machine off and said, “I will be right back with the doctor.” I decided that probably wasn’t good. I looked at Jason and he looked at me. We were both too afraid to speak. He squeezed my hand and we sat there and prayed. The doctor was in quickly and turned on the machine to have a look and then said, “You are a smart woman. You know what you saw. The baby didn’t make it.” LivingReaLMag.COM

sob and grieve. After that day I stuffed it way down deep and put a brave face on for everyone to see. Everyone was telling me, “God is good; He will use this for good.” Sure that’s what I had learned in church and from reading the Bible. But now I was being tested. It is a huge leap from reading it to TRULY believing it. Now I somehow had to face Angela, and her strong and healthy baby. How was I going to do that? God must really think I am a superwoman. My best friend and I were going to do this together. Now I would NOT be doing it at all. Instead, I would be watching her as she did. How was I going to endure the remaining months of her pregnancy, watching her grow, hearing her complaints, the baby shower, and then the birth? This just seemed too much for me. I put on a brave face whenever I saw her. It wasn’t her fault – it was just so incredibly painful! Knowing what she had and what we could have shared together seemed almost too much to bear. I cried daily, but only when I was alone; mostly when we were in bed and Jason was asleep. He never knew. I held on to a world of guilt, that somehow I caused the death of my baby. Maybe it was that cup of coffee. Maybe it was too much stress to go on a vacation. Maybe God is punishing me for my past sin! No matter what scenario I conjured up, in my mind, it was entirely my fault. I continued to take that guilt along with my grief and push them both deep down. The day after the miscarriage, I went outside to look at my flowers. I love to garden and seeing how my plants are growing 2011• Living ReaL

always makes me feel better. I headed to the side of the house because that is where I had planted some lilies. As I turned the corner, I saw the most astounding sight. There, alone, was the most gorgeous, white lily that I had ever seen. It was absolutely perfect! I knew it was a message from the Lord. He was telling me that everything was OK, that His hand was in this. How did I know that? Well you see, I planted those lilies the year before, and I know that the only color I planted was orange. I NEVER planted a white lily. Remember I mentioned we had chosen a name for our baby if it had been a girl? The name we had chosen…. “Lily.” This was God’s first reminder that He was still with me. I was too blown away at the moment to think to take a picture. I went back out later with my camera and the lily was no longer there. It was just for that moment – it had served its purpose.

me. I felt such a peace deep in my soul, and I knew then that this wasn’t about the dog. It was about me, and my healing. The nice lady called Animal Control. They said they would be there in about 30 minutes to get the dog and euthanize her humanely. I was convinced her injuries were so extensive that she wouldn’t make it if I moved her or tried to take her to the vet, so I agreed. We all waited, but the dog’s breathing got more raspy and slow. I continued to love on her, petting her, and talking to her until she stopped breathing all together. As she died in my arms, Animal Control arrived. After speaking with the older couple I realized that they seemed very familiar. We exchanged addresses, and I recognized theirs. When had I been there? How did I know them? Then God whispered the answer to me. They were the couple

“I felt such a peace deep in my soul, and I knew then that this wasn’t about the dog. It was about me and my healing.” One month to the day after the miscarriage, I was on my way home from a women’s meeting. It was late, around 10:00 pm. At the close of the meeting I asked for prayer for myself and was still feeling emotional about it as I drove home. When suddenly out of the black night came a dog, right in front of my car! I hit the dog, screaming while I did so because I couldn’t stop the car in time. Then I stopped the car and got out. This dog lying in the street looked a lot like my beloved pet that had recently died. I was beside myself. I didn’t know what to do. I had never hit an animal before and I was so heartbroken. I tried to move the dog, but she was so heavy. I was also afraid to move her because of her injuries. I had no choice; I pulled her off the road so she wouldn’t get hit again. So there I was; a heaving wreck emotionally, at 10:00 at night dragging this 40-plus pound dog across the other lane of traffic. I chose to move her to the other side where the street lamp was so maybe I could see how bad she was hurt. Although people were driving by, not a single person stopped to help. I couldn’t believe the cold-heartedness of all the people around me. That just added to my sadness. It seemed all the grief and guilt I was holding in since the miscarriage began pouring out of me like water from a garden hose. As I sat with this dog, crying and praying, I felt a hand on my back and heard a voice ask, “What happened?” I turned to see a middle-aged woman with a kind face. I told her the story between sobs. She said, “I know someone who can help. I’m going to call my parents. Don’t worry. They’ll know what to do.” I was thinking, “Your parents? They must be in their 70’s. Why would they care about me or this dog? Are you crazy? They must be in bed!” What seemed like just moments later, a car pulled up and the older couple got out. They walked right over and put their arms around me. They prayed for the dog and then they prayed for

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at the scene of the accident when I was pregnant with Alex. It was in THEIR yard that my contractions began. It was THIS couple who had prayed with us, and now they were allowing God to use them again! When was I going to get the message? This was no coincidence. It was definitely a divine appointment. God had revealed how much He loved me through providing an outlet for my anguish and my pain. If I hadn’t had that release I don’t know how else I could have handled all the pain and guilt inside. God knew I needed some obscure place to “lose it”; away from my normal surroundings. People who know me KNOW I am the rock. I am the one most turn to for an ear, prayer, or advice. I wasn’t comfortable with the role of “basket case” and I hadn’t talked with anyone about my pain. So God provided that avenue, when I needed it the most. He provided again, two months later. When Angela found out she had Placenta Previa, the doctor ordered complete bed rest. I suddenly had a job to do –but couldn’t do if I had been six months pregnant. THIS was my calling. I had to force her to stay in bed so I could take care of her needs. Since my spiritual gift is service, Angela became my personal project. In Romans 8:28 it promises that “all things will work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.” Angela’s son, Noah, was born healthy, without complications. By the time he was born, I was pregnant again. This time I carried to term and had a beautiful baby girl. When trying to choose a name, we debated about using “Lily”, but I knew in my heart that I couldn’t. She was only with me a short time but I couldn’t give her name away. Instead, God led me repeatedly to Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” We chose the name “Caroline Faith”. I knew I wanted to be reminded again and again of how God gave me a beautiful “Lily” to grow my “Faith”. •LR•

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To order, call toll-free: 1-866-909-2665 or contact: www.matureministries.com 2011• Living ReaL

(the book of matthew 28:19a-20)

What IS the Great Commission? by Dr. Wayne J. Edwards, Mature Ministries, Inc.

ark said Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. When he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, fishing. Jesus said unto them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:16-17) And they immediately dropped their nets – their basic livelihood – and followed Jesus! Yes, Peter failed Jesus on the night of His crucifixion and returned to his old ways of life. But when Jesus came to him again and challenged him— “You follow Me.” Peter abandoned himself to Jesus. (John 21:22) The time and effort between those two calls is the process our Lord referred to as discipleship –a life changing a life, one truth at a time. Even though each gospel writer worded what we know as the Great Commission a little differently, the original language is the same! The Greek verb translated “make disciples” (matheteuo) is a command: just as Jesus invested three years of His life in twelve men, His followers are to make disciples out of those who come to them for a deeper understanding

Living Real •

of what it truly means to be a “born-again believer” - they are to become “living epistles” of all Jesus Christ revealed to them of Him, and prayerfully and patiently communicate those truths to those who will teach others also. At the beginning of the church, the Apostles (Pastors) followed the Lord’s example –preaching the gospel to the crowds, inviting them to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and surrender unto Him as Lord, and then spending the rest of the day and night, “teaching them” all that Jesus had commanded them. However, as Christianity spread, the world became more “Christianized” - it became easier to identify with those who called themselves Christians, even though they didn’t know or understand the doctrines of the Christian faith, and the church became more “secularized” - one could become a follower of Christ without having to take that first step of discipleship— death to self! In his writings on the Cost of Discipleship, German Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ! It remains an abstract idea which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son.

going deeper

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

There is trust in God, but no following of Christ!” As one who stood firm against all those pastors who sided with Adolf Hitler, Bonhoeffer well understood that the essential cost of discipleship was nothing less than absolute surrender –yes, the sacrifice of one’s life! But it was William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, who forecasted the decline in discipleship. A newspaper reporter asked Booth what he regarded as the chief danger facing the church in the 20th century, and Booth replied without hesitation: “Religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God and heaven without hell!” It is without question that the evangelical church is weaker today than at any other time in its history. Not only are we not transferring that body of Biblical truth to the next generation, we are trampling on that truth in the name of “church growth” - afraid to even mention the very claims of discipleship, much less the necessity, for fear of losing attendance.

Since Linda and I entered the ministry in 1974, we have intentionally discipled hundreds of youth and many young adults who committed themselves to such a study. Yes, many of them walked away from the challenge, because they didn’t see the need for such devotion, or they weren’t ready for the sacrifice required. But as we look back over these 30+ years, we rejoice in the “continued fruit” of those who dedicated themselves to their own discipleship. Over the last five years, I have also spent hundreds of hours with today’s youth – listening to their questions, pointing them to the Scriptures, and encouraging their Spiritual Growth. I discovered that today’s youth are hungering and thirsting for the same thing as the youth were 30 years ago—someone to be bold enough to tell them the truth, without trying to fit it in with their culture or tone it down to fit in with what they are hearing in other places. They want to know the old, old story of Jesus and His love and how they can trust Him and hold on to Him in these days and in the days to come!

On any given Sunday, “Cheap grace is the deadly enemy only 17% of Americans are involved in of the church” said Bonhoeffer in his last days. David made the same when he refused to anyone’s church - that’s down from a little statement accept the threshing floor as a gift from Araunah. David said, “No; over 20% in 1990 - just 20 years ago. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God of that which does (2 Samuel If the trend continues, by the year 2050, the 24:24)costYes,meournothing!” salvation is a GIFT of God—not as a result of our percentage of Americans attending church works, but it was not cheap! God’s forgiveness of sin cannot be “on sale” on Sunday will be less at the price of “attendance”, for apart from the evidence of genuine repentance there is no forgiveness! than 10%. I believe we are on the verge – perhaps with-

On the surface, it may appear the church in America is growing, if you look at the mega-churches and the many new “kinds” of churches being started for certain “kinds” of worship styles or lifestyle choices. But underneath the façade of the bright lights and loud music, reality is raising its ugly head and the church as we know it is dying. The “cheap grace” of the contemporary concept of Christianity has failed to capture the minds of the post-modern generation or convince them of their need for Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

in this decade – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity, not only because of the percentage of Americans who will or will not attend church, but because, in our efforts to keep our children entertained, we have failed to pass on to them an orthodox form of faith that can take root in their hearts and survive the secular and socialist onslaught they are about to endure from every facet of society! This decline in the American church began in the early 90’s, but began to show up in 2000 as Christians attached their movement with the culture wars rather than God-focused worship, Biblical education, evangelism and discipleship! During this same period, billions of God’s tithes were spent by Pastors and Youth Ministers on things that had absolutely nothing to do with Spiritual Growth! And as a result, we have a generation of youth, some who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but who know next to nothing about the Bible or about the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith.

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Yes, every sinner can come before the Lord “just as they are, without one plea!” But if they truly receive God’s gift of grace, they will not remain as they are, and to even allow them to do so is to cheapen the very grace of God! Apart from that intrinsic desire to “follow Him”, which is true discipleship, there is no trust in God, no faith in Jesus Christ and no assurance of salvation. The cheap grace we see being offered today is marketing God’s forgiveness without genuine repentance, believer’s baptism without death to self, communion without confession—in essence salvation without a cross, and that is just not possible! •LR•

dr. wayne j. edwards pastor & author

2011• Living Real

Radical:

Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by Will Bryan

I should not be surprised. Some of the best times of my life have been in the inner city slums of Haiti and in the orphanages of Romania. When I go to another country to share my faith and to try to be a blessing to those in need, it has always ended up being some of the most meaningful and personally satisfying times of my life. Does it make sense that I can be most satisfied when I am in some of the poorest and most dangerous environments in the world? David Platt discusses this in his book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. Platt makes the strong case that we Christians in America are not living authenic Biblical lives, but instead

Living Real • 2011

chose to apply only the aspects of the Bible that jive with our culture. Or more simply, we are living out a “Christian-spin on the American Dream.” “We are molding Jesus into our image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church building to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not be worshipping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead we may be worshipping ourselves.”

Throughout the book Platt goes on to show how the life Jesus teaches us to live is one of radical abandonment to purposes very different from the American Dream more specifically, taking the good news of the Gospel to those who have never heard it and caring for the needs of the poor and the oppressed. From our typical American perspectives what Platt challenges us with, which in essence is Biblical obedience, seems absurd in practice. That is until you experience some of the things Platt prescribes LIVINGREALMAG.COM

recently returned from a week-long trip to the mountains of Guatemala. Twelve of us from three different churches hiked into several mountain village communities to bring food, share the Gospel, and pray for the people living there. I have to say it was one of the best weeks of my life.

- after which you may very well come to realize how building our personal kingdoms of comfort render us completely irrelevant to the purposes of God and, in most cases, actually end up robbing us of the abundant life Jesus promises. In Guatemala, our team was able to be one of the first groups of outsiders to enter a very isolated village settled in an old guerilla training camp. Most of the villagers had never even heard the Gospel. Nor had their parents. Nor had their grandparents. Nor had their great grandparents. We were telling the first generation of this community for the first time that God truly loves them. As men and women and children came forward with tears in their eyes to pray and surrender their lives to God’s love, I thought to myself, “There is absolutely no amount of money that could replace this.” We went out and celebrated with the community by cooking and serving food to the hungry women and children. I know I will never forget that experience. In our group were Cubans, African-Americans, Mexicans, Caucasians, and Guatemalans - teenagers to senior citizens. We prayed together, ate together, and worshipped together. We had deep meaningful conversations about life, our experiences, and our interpretations of the Bible. We shared our personal struggles and past pains with each other. When we left, I had twelve new very close friends with whom I shared a life-defining week. Think about it. How long would it take you to make twelve close friends? How many of us even have twelve very close friends? This sense of intimate community is something that the American Dream cannot deliver, but the way of Jesus cannot truly be experienced without it. Is participating in intimate community on your list of life goals? Here in America, there is this unspoken assumption that faith in God equates to prosperity, but no teacher of the New Testament, including Jesus, ever promised wealth as a reward for being obedient. Instead what Platt correctly points out is that obedience leads to a life of meaning, a life of purpose, and a life of satisfaction. How much would you pay to be completely satisfied with your life? When I came home from Guatemala, I loved my wife more, I loved my daughter more, and I loved God more. Every aspect of my life was better, and nothing had changed but me. How much is that worth? “Improve every aspect of your life in a week!” What would be monthly installments on that? “The purpose of our lives transcends the country and culture in which we live. Meaning is found in community, not individualism; joy is found in generosity, not materialism; and truth is found in Christ, not Universalism. Ultimately, Jesus is a reward worth risking everything to know, experience, and enjoy.” I have found that in my life taking that risk doesn’t seem to be all that radical anymore. •LR•

will bryan art director, daddy, washed-up athlete LIVINGREALMAG.COM

“We have molded Jesus into our image, He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church building to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshiping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead we may be worshiping ourselves.” ~David Platt 2011• Living Real

Living Real • 2011

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My Husband: The Acronym Fanatic By Cherie Nettles

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

God’s Holy Word, the Bible, is God-breathed. That means that every single word in the Bible was inspired by our living and loving God. The Bible can be used daily to teach us the way of life, to rebuke – or teach us to mend our ways in life, correct our disobedient ways in life, and finally to teach us the righteous or right way to live our lives. That pretty much covers it all! So, basically before we leave this earth, if we want to know how to live, we must read and apply the Word of God. That is what is basic about the Bible.

My favorite acronym he uses is the one for Bible. He says B-I-B-L-E stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I love that acronym. He didn’t make it up – but he uses it all of the time. Now, you may be thinking that there is nothing basic about the Bible, but just stop for a minute, and think about this. The word basic can mean “simple,” but this word can also mean “fundamental,” and fundamental means serving as an origin or source. With that understanding, the Bible is our basic instructions before leaving earth. The Bible is our origin for Jesus, the Logos – the Word, is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and Jesus is our source of life. Therefore, if we want to know how to live our lives we should consult daily with our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

My husband is an acronym fanatic, but a fanatic is one that is “marked or moved by excessive enthusiasm and intense uncritical devotion.” Therefore, if something is going to move me in life, and if I’m going to be enthusiastic about anything, it is my prayer that it will always be about the Bible - my Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth! I guess that really means my prayer is that I will be just like my husband, an acronym fanatic.

y husband is an acronym fanatic. He makes up acronyms for everything! He even makes up acronyms for things that already have acronyms. For example, he loves the acronym SAT. Now, we all know it means Scholastic Aptitude Test, but he insists when talking to our seventeen-year-old soccer playing daughter that SAT means Soccer Aptitude Test. We all get a good laugh out of his acronyms … but sometimes we cringe at his corny acronyms.

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Dear God, thank You for Your Word that is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and teaching us Your ways of righteousness. A-men. •LR• cherie nettles christian comedienne, author & speaker

the lighter side

2011• Living Real

By Kelly Coakley Do you ever stop to think about what you are thinking about? Let me phrase the question a different way. Do you have a thinking problem? Before you say no, the word of God says otherwise. As believers in Christ we have received the Holy Spirit and are completely forgiven. We are free from accusation and we have all the power of Christ living in us, yet so many of us are still bound by chains. Romans 12:1-2 explains the connection between the way we live and the chains still binding us. Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform 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 (NIV). These verses indicate our minds need changing. As believers we have been changed through faith in Christ, but after that point of receiving Him, begins the process of becoming more like Him. These verses also show us how that happens. Paul very quickly gives us the motivation for changing the way we think – God’s mercy. What is God’s mercy? The salvation Jesus’ death on the cross makes possible for everyone who believes. Take a minute and think about the many ways God has shown you mercy just over the last week. When we offer our bodies as living sacrifices that does not mean our minds are excluded from the act. The body is simply the means through which our thoughts and desires are expressed. In other words, we are called to willingly offer all our ways of thinking, acting and reacting. Again, the reason is because of God’s great mercy. Paul says this is our spiritual act of worship.

Living Real • 2011

If you are wondering how to offer yourself that way, verse 2 explains it. This is where the way we think matters. We live in a fallen world and are surrounded by a lot of patterns of thinking that are contrary to the ways of God. Galatians 4:17-18 describes the world’s pattern of thinking as futile. The word “futile” means useless or hopeless. Do you ever find yourself thinking useless or hopeless thoughts? We all have worldly and ungodly thought patterns. They can be about our spouse or children, our looks or abilities or simply how God sees us. Paul says stop conforming to the pattern of this world. Thank God He is nice enough to tell us how! Paul says we need to be transformed by renewing our minds. That means we have to identify our worldly and ungodly patterns of thinking. The best way to do that is to compare them to Scripture. Once we recognize those patterns we need to replace them with God’s truth. We have to choose to dwell on the things and ways of God. Scripture memory is a big help in this area! Start asking God to help you identify thought patterns that are contrary to His ways. I promise He will use the Word to show you. Then choose to think on the truth He reveals. Renewing our mind takes work, but it is worth it. The end of the verse comes with a promise. Paul says if we will stop conforming and start renewing our minds, then we can know what God’s will is. Did you notice the adjectives Paul uses to describe God’s will? Good, pleasing and perfect. What a promise! How comforting it is to know our God wants us to know His will and that He has given us the tools to do so! •LR•

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kelly coakley news anchor, speaker & pastor’s wife LIVINGREALMAG.COM

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What IS the Great Commission? 24 Radical Faith and the American Dream 26 The Lighter Side: The Acronym Fanatic 28 Word Studies: Romans 12

22 Going Deeper:

A Story of Loss and Rebirth

16 Living Real in the Classroom 18 Lily of the Field

Living Real on Campus 06 A Real Fireproof Story Forgiveness Under Fire 10 Legacy House The 5 Senses of Your Home 12 The Blue Jean Dream The Heart of Worship 14 A Devine Encounter The True Story of a Biscuit Maker LIVINGREALMAG.COM • VOLUME 2 • 2011

04 Midtown Fellowship

Editor & Publisher Melanie Shull melanieshull7@gmail.com Art Director Will Bryan will@gencreative.com Design/Layout Genesis Creative www.gencreative.com Contributing Writers Melissa Barkley Will Bryan Kelly Coakley Dr. Wayne J. Edwards Dustin Fowler Lara Gopp Kristine Hoskins Joeli Mulligan Cheri Nettles Cover Illustration Will Bryan Shutterstock/Wrangler Advertising (803) 603-1735 melanieshull7@gmail.com Editorial Office 1117 Blakely Court W. Columbia, SC 29170 (803) 603-1735 www.livingrealmag.com Copyright ©2011 Living Real, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Living Real, LLC is prohibited. Printed in South Carolina. When you have finished with this magazine please live real and pass it on or recycle it.