Author: Jonathan Dodson

Fighting the “Identity-of-the-Moment”

Posted on March 23, 2010

On Sunday, I shared how we can consistently see through our sin to our “identity of the moment” (Know your Sin), put that false identity to death (Fight your Sin), and turn to Christ for life and joy (Trust your Savior).  Here are three easy steps to fight for true joy in Christ!

1. Know Your Sin: Look for the sinful patterns in your life and trace them to “identity of the moment” that you are looking to for worth, meaning (good pastor, faithful parent, creative person, successful entrepreneur). For instance, your sin could be sulking and your false identity could be victim. Acts 29 has recently posted some helpful “X-ray Questions” from David Powlison, which help us see through our sin to our misplaced sense of identity.

  • Identify sinful patterns
  • Trace patterns to your “identity of the moment”

2. Fight Your Sin. Once you know your sin/identity issue, you can begin to fight it. There are two primary ways God calls us to fight our sin. First, confess your sin to God and ask for his forgiveness for your God-belittling desires and decisions (1 John 1:9). Follow your confession to God with confession to community so you can experience healing and encouragement of the church (James 5:16). Second, encourage one another to take sin seriously, to “put sin to death” (Rom 8:13; Col 3:5). Don’t let identity-twisting sin just roll off your back. Get tenacious about glorifying and enjoying God!

  • Confess your sin (to God and one another)
  • Get serious about fighting for true joy

3. Trust Your Savior. Trusting our Savior for gospel identity instead of an identity-of-the-moment is the most difficult and important part of being a disciple. Robert Murray McCheyene said: “For every look at sin, look ten times at Christ.” How does Christ offer you a better identity than the false identity? My sin was sulking and my identity was victim. 2 Peter 1:3 reminds me that my identity is godly, a partaker of the divine nature. I was sulking in ungodliness because I thought I deserved better circumstances. I felt weak. Peter reminds us that we have “divine power granted to us for life and godliness.” This scripture reminded me of my identity—godly—but it does not stop there. It also offers us a Savior to trust, a counter-promise of divine power necessary to live a godly life, not a sulking life. What a relief! Our identity is godly, and our promise is divine power!

  • Find your Gospel counter-Identity
  • Trust your Biblical Promise

We’ve outlined these basic principles are in Fight Clubs: Gospel-centered Discipleship, a community-based, gospel-centered approach to following Jesus. Pick up a copy, find some friends, and start fighting for true joy!

Theology Fail: Jesus isn’t God

Posted on March 23, 2010

According to Arius, the Son was created before time. In other words, he was not co-eternal with the Father. As he put it, “Before he was begotten or created or appointed or established, he did not exist; for he was not unbegotten” (Letter to Eusebius). Furthermore, the Son was not of one divine substance with the Father. He was rather of a similar substance with the Father (homoiousios). On this view, the divine qualities of the Son are given to him by the Father.

Read more about this historic Theology Fail.

Burmese Refugees Need Jobs, Justice, Hope!

Posted on March 22, 2010

Myanmar is a nation of contrasts. In many places children live and grow up without any opportunity to receive an education whatsoever. It is ironic that if you go into any market it is not difficult to find people selling produce who have studied to degree level but they can’t find well paid jobs with qualifications.

Add to this reality that many of the peoples of Burma have been run out of their country, persecuted, and forced to flee into neighboring countries like Thailand. Sadly degrees obtained in Myanmar are not accepted anywhere else but in Myanmar. Refugees from Burma often can’t obtain a work permit. Well educated and trained people are forced into subsistence living. As you can imagine, they find very little hope! – (adapted from a missionary who works in Burma and Thailand)

FYI: We have Burmese refugees right in the city of Austin. You can do something about this now, here! They need old computers.

  • Consider joining a team of people that can go to address these problems long-term. Of all people, Christians should be at the forefront of these issues!
  • Pray that those in authority will not feel threatened by the people but learn how to use their greatest resource for the benefit of the country.
  • Pray for those unemployed or doing menial jobs after spending years in education. Pray that in their depression they would not grow bitter but seek after the one who brings meaning, hope and purpose to life.

To subscribe to regular prayer updates contact pray4burma@bigfoot.com

Read more about the Shan peoples of Burma here.

Reflections on SXSW & Creativity

Posted on March 21, 2010

There’s something about getting around good art that makes you want to create. It stirs you to make stuff, but not just any old stuff, good stuff. Good art inspires good art, excellence, and creativity. This is precisely how I felt as I walked back up the ramp from the Broken Bells concert that took place in a lower level concrete parking garage during SXSW.

Broken Bells / Creativity

Danger Mouse (The Grey Album, Gnarles Barkley) and James Mercer (The Shins) are the primary creators behind Broken Bells, and they’ve got a good track record of creative excellence. The remarkable combination of sounds that is Broken Bells is simultaneously mesmerizing and pulsing. It’s a combination of a good pop record with some indie, hip-hop (not too much), and an electronic twist. Oh, throw in some horns too. And then there’s the three part melodies. And the 17 keyboards (okay, more like four). Maybe you’re starting to get the idea?

Venice is Sinking / Community

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of extra time or energy to catch shows this week, and I never made it to SXSW films or interactive. However, I did have the pleasure of listening to Venice is Sinking at the Ghost Room. Thanks to John Wages, I’ve been enjoying VIS for some time. This Georgia band makes music that puts you at ease. I can write to it. The violin, the vocals, the occasional horn. Isn’t it amazing how different types of music do different things for us? VIS helped me chill out toward the end of a very demanding week. Add to that the companionship of the Wages, and you get musical-community-as-therapy?

Music for the City / Mission

I finished out the week with the Music for the City: Art of Giving showcase. This showcase was packed with talent from Miranda Dodson to Soldier Thread to Quiet Company. Sorry, Jordan, I missed your act. 🙁 Eastside Yoga allowed MFC to convert their yoga studio into a buzzing showcase. The place was packed for hours, all for a good cause. MFC is on a mission to bring Austin, Charity, and Music together. It felt great to be a part of their mission.

This year they are putting on a Festival and a Compilation album of local artists (including visual art) to benefit local charities–Austin SafePlace and Austin Children’s Shelter. Nate Navarro and Kristin Vasquez did a great job putting this showcase together. It was fun, creative, communal, and missional. Plus they had some pretty cool T-shirts for sale.

Final Thought on Creativity

You can listen to Broken Bells below, a video from the Austin SX concert, but while you’re doing so allow this creative excellence to stimulate more creativity in you. For my wife that means making a new dress. For me it means writing a new article, book or sermon. What does it mean for you? Before you write yourself as “not the creative type”, consider this quote by Harold Best: “Biblically speaking the making of art is not an option but a command.”