Ben Stuart
Preaching is not a gig, not a performance. It is a way of life. And God is using us, in spite of ourselves. “Finishing well is the result of living well every day until you finish.” - Mark DeMoss
YOUR CONTENT MUST CONNECT WITH YOUR CONTEXT CULTURAL REACH (DISTANCE) CULTURAL CONNECTION AND SOURCES SUBVERSIVE FULFILLMENT AND CULTURAL CONFRONTATION
Behavior always follows belief. While cultural ideas change with time, powerful ideas drive behavior. Light will push back the darkness every time. We must understand our time. The cultural narratives of our day:
TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GOOD RETURN FOR THEIR WORK. IF ONE FALLS DOWN, HIS FRIEND CAN HELP HIM UP. BUT PITY THE MAN WHO FALLS AND HAS NO ONE TO HELP HIM UP!
WHEN YOU START TO READ GOD’S WORD, IT’S FILLED WITH OUR IDENTITY. WHO WE ARE. NOT EVERYONE'S GOING TO LIKE YOU. I CANNOT LET PEOPLE DETERMINE WHO I AM, WHAT I DO, WHAT I SAY, AND WHAT I BECOME.
Pain, suffering, and grief are not linear. There is no quota on suffering on this side of heaven. When we go through the fire again and again, there is a different kind of hope, because you live differently based on where you’ve been. You can enter into the ongoing hurt with ongoing hope because you’ve seen how Jesus can show up in your story.