God unBoxed - Latest Comments

Re: Living for someone other than yourself

doulos2k — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:39:08 -0000

Love the Rohr quote - I'd never heard it before. Thanks!

Re: Living for someone other than yourself

Brandon Hatmaker — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:09:23 -0000

I appreciate your thoughts, Larry. Especially the end... "Living for Jesus? Yep - it takes intentional living. We have to reformat our brains into realizing the word “living” in this context is not and cannot be passive."

I like how Richard Rohr, author of “Simplicity” put it, “You cannot think your way into a new kind of living. You have to live your way into a new kind of thinking.”

Jesus knew what He was doing when he offered the challenge to "feed my sheep". Thanks for the reminder.

Re: Church planting collaboration

doulos2k — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:23:13 -0000

Thanks Brandon! Would love to meet and chat with you sometime.

On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 10:44 PM, 'Disqus' (
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Re: Church planting collaboration

Brandon Hatmaker — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:43:30 -0000

Good things Larry. Keep it up!

Re: Reading and responding to “Pagan Christianity” - introduction

Pete Renucci — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:11:09 -0000

Jill, give me a call or email me if you'd like to talk about biblical organic churches some more.
My email is peterenucci@hotmail.com

Re: Reading and responding to “Pagan Christianity” - introduction

Pete Renucci — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:09:24 -0000

This is Pete, the Christian brother that Larry had a disagreement with over the meaning of 1 Cor 14:26 and some of the concepts in Frank Viola's book Pagan Christianity. When I first was introduced to Frank’s material it was very unsettling for me but as I read and thought and studied and prayed, I realize that he has a very compelling biblical argument. There are actually 3 books that should be read in order to get a full context of where Frank is coming from: 1) The Untold Story of the New Testament Church 2) Pagan Christianity and 3) Reimagining the Church. Frank Viola's blog and website is www.ptmin.org and has a very informative Q&A blog.
If anyone reading this blog wants to talk to me about this, please call me at 698 6720. In the Father's love, Pete

Re: Loving where God has placed you

Jana — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:20:01 -0000

I haven't heard from you in the blog world in a little while. I'm anticipating the next thing....

Re: Reading and responding to “Pagan Christianity” - introduction

Larry — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:19:10 -0000

Jill - thanks for the comment... but let me get through this one first and then I'll decide on whether I wish to read "Reimagining Church."

Re: Reading and responding to “Pagan Christianity” - introduction

Jill — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:56:50 -0000

The sequel to “Pagan Christianity?” is out now. It’s called “Reimagining Church”. It picks up where “Pagan Christianity” left off and continues the conversation. (“Pagan Christianity” was never meant to be a stand alone book; it’s part one of the conversation.) “Reimagining Church” is endorsed by Leonard Sweet, Shane Claiborne, Alan Hirsch, and many others. You can read a sample chapter at http://www.ReimaginingChurc.... It’s also available on Amazon.com. Frank is also blogging now at http://frankviola.wordpress...

Re: Church planting in the great city of Austin, TX (part one)

Larry — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:31:48 -0000

Thanks Jacob - would love to meet you and chat with you sometime. I'm thinking about doing full profiles of the planters I know here in Austin. Sent you a friend request in Facebook.

<abbr>Larrys last blog post..Anti-social behavior does not a good church plant make</abbr>

Re: Church planting in the great city of Austin, TX (part one)

Jacob Vanhorn — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:28:37 -0000

Hey there Larry, glad to have you and Richard in Austin. While Richard is a Facebook friend, we have never actually met. We are planting Soma Austin in South Central Austin. Blessings in your efforts.

<abbr>Jacob Vanhorns last blog post..Matt Chandler Blog</abbr>

Re: Stop being a poser Christian

Larry — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:56:50 -0000

You're welcome - I needed it more than anyone. Every day, man... every day.

Re: Be careful what you wish for…

Larry — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:55:51 -0000

Mark - thanks for commenting... yes, I like that one. I really like it because of the "duh" that comes into my head after it.

Re: Be careful what you wish for…

Mark B — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:22:47 -0000

I've heard a slightly more encouraging version (I think it might have been from Shane Caliborne)

"If you ask God for Patience, is he likely to give you patience or more opportunities to learn patience?"

Re: Stop being a poser Christian

Mark B — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:10:20 -0000

Great challenge... thanks for this

Re: Disciplines and Practices - where do we go from here?

John Y Ford, IV — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:46:54 -0000

As a friend, I thank you and bless you for the time you invested in looking to God's Word for guidance. These things I will take to heart. Do not take the time to "beat yourself up" over your frailties. Complement yourself over your strengths. Revel in what you have accomplished in life.

Now, regarding turning 41. Do not give it one more thought! I am nearing 42 and luckily do not look a day over 35 but that is not the point. When I talk to my daughter Jade, who is truly my progeny, I know I have done well just by the she speaks to me. When I was told how well Jade behaved when she went to see a children's musical, I know I have done well. Also, when I gaze upon the vast plains of matrimony and see all of those who have roamed the field and have lost their way, I look at my marriage, and know I have done well. So have you, my dear friend. God bless. John

Re: Challies: Bibleman, Bibleman, does whatever a Bible can… - God unBoxed

d2k — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:02:40 -0000

Stephanie! So good to hear from you! Thanks so much for commenting.

You are so right - in the end, we must trust God. We, as parents, must be diligent to live out and communicate the Gospel consistently to our children... but God is sovereign and He will do what He does. We have to trust Him with our children. Most of what we do as parents, we simply do out of habit and much of our habit stems from ignorance of any other way. God gave me these precious children to raise to His glory and not my own.

Thanks again for reading (and commenting!). Blessings!

Re: Challies: Bibleman, Bibleman, does whatever a Bible can… - God unBoxed

stephanie — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:01:06 -0000

that experience did necessary violence to your view of parenting. I liked that sentence.
good.
because you probably thought if you did all the right things you could come out with exactly whatever you were programming for....ah, but you did not create the DNA--God did. And you only provided for the foundational experiences early on....it is so hard. It is so humbling.
Often, I battled the TV question. I did not let my children watch anything magical (that's right ---no Disney....no halloween) and yet I was 100% on with the secular ideas of beauty and fashion (although I am not good at that stuff, but my inept experience led me to ensure that my daughters would have a choice. I taught them HOW to beautify and left it to them---sadly, I created monsters and even WORSE--I love it)
I put my children in public school because I was unable to isolate through home schooling. There was a cost for that---however, they are very socially able and that might be a good thing---time will tell.

I think it takes two parents sold out. Not that Steve is "un-sold-out" whatever that would mean--only that he was not committed to the standards I was upholding and so it turned into a choice for the children. it ended up sounding like mom's nagging instead of a presentation of how WE live in this life.

I've always been sold out for Jesus, praying, studying, living out my life outloud before my children with Jesus as my hero.

Their walk seems to be three steps forward and two steps back and in the end I have to entrust them to the Lord because I know I've presented the gospel and service and devotion.

but I still did not get what I wanted!

I wanted missionary, pastor, or worship leader children.

do you know what God has shown me recently?

that I wanted the elite.
OUCH!
just like for myself.
I've wanted to be a missionary to China and God showed me it was just like choosing to go to Northwestern--I wanted the elite.
WHAT?
no way!
I'm WAY too humble for that! way too insecure, as a matter of fact.
well, if God says it, He knows what He's talking about.

So I have now let go of deciding I need to be important (while still checking the fruit to be sure I am in the faith!) and neither do my kids need to be important.
and working on a Jesus centered view where my children are not my gods. (This honestly is not my usual area of struggle, though we parents all have a measure of the problem).
My children do not have to be saved.
If God so chooses (and I've held this view all along), then let Him be glorified! In light of His magnificence, I will forget them. (although I can only see through the glass dimly, so they are a major concern at this point)
May God be glorified.

am I making any sense?

I just got on here because I followed the link from your Facebook and then started reading.....and then of course my hands started typing straight from my brain.

but it is good to wrestle with all of this.
Let our devotion and love unto God be true and deep and let us

Re: The Anatomy of a Media Fast - God unBoxed

Xylena — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:57:05 -0000

oh, yeah -- Way to go on the bike riding. I can't wait until I can use your treadmill once I feel better! Hope service was awesome tonight... ;)

Re: The Anatomy of a Media Fast - God unBoxed

Xylena — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:56:02 -0000

I am praying for ya'll!!! ;)

Re: Transforming Culture - end of day one - God unBoxed

Richard — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:45:18 -0000

Thanks for sharing some of the content and your thoughts, despite your exhaustion. It is a huge blessing to all of us who attending vicariously.

Re: Recovering gracefully - God unBoxed

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:57:40 -0000

BTB(by the by), dig that format song...

Re: Agendaless neighboring - God unBoxed

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:55:53 -0000

Well, if you ask me, which you're not, but if you did ask me, specifically about what you just said, and whether or not I'd thought it sounded like you were on the right track; I think I'd say yes. If you were asking that is....even though your not, but maybe you are, without asking, kinda rhetoricaly, but different Ok, I'll stop now.

Re: Reaching your neighbors - God unBoxed

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:12:07 -0000

I like where you're going with this. I think one of the downfalls of modern Christianity is the evangilism itself. I mean, Christianity has been around for two centuries and most modern evangelism has not strayed far from the guy in town preaching doom and gloom if you don't repent. And I'm not saying the message hasn't changed, but the means of delivering the message. It's very seperatist. The us and them mentality. It's very off-putting for non-Christians.

The ideal evangelistic method in my head is one where the Christian doesn't ask someone else about their faith, but vice versa. It's a wave in advertising that started a few decades ago, actually. Some advertisers instead of telling you what you want, they looked for ways to make you want what they were selling. I think Christianity, heck any religion should be like that. Don't thump with the bible, just be yourself. Act like Christ, to as much of an extent as you can, and see the reaction. Do you think Jesus laid out chick tracks? Went door to door, more set on converting then conversing? No, people saw Jesus, talked to him, and said, wow.....I want that. I want to be like that. I think modern Christians should stop seeing themselves as Christians, and as people. Make friends, with ANYONE! There was NO ONE too bad that Jesus wouldn't befriend. And through making a friendship, learn about that person. Because there is no one way to witness. Every person is different. Different wants, different needs, different hot spots, likes, and dislikes. But if you create a real friendship with someone, and not even witness, and let them see how you live, and how YOUR life has been changed by Christ, then maybe they'll want to change too.

But it has to be honest. It cannot be "witnessing" or "evangelizing", at least in the context that we know it today. There is to be no motive behind the befriending, no hidden agenda. Because I know, a lot of times, if you befriend someone, get to know them, then start droping the invites to church events (especially the ones targeted at bringing new people in), or start talking about faith and God, and they find out you're a Christian, it might not end well. They won't see it as being cared about, or that you wish to bring them happiness. They will feel targeted, singled out, and worse of all, that the friendship has been a sort of sham to cover up your true intentions of conversion.

I've talked to tons of non-believers who've had situations like this, and the most flabbergasting thing I hear a lot is, after they confronted their Christian "friend" about their true motives, they never hear from them again. That alone proves the point that they had in their head, that all the other person wanted from the friendship was to convert, and once called out on it, they stopped. Stopped caring, cause of lesser chance of conversion, or possibly an awkwardness that they brought to the relationship.

Now don't get me wrong, I by no means mean to imply that this "convert above all else" mentality is actually what the Christians who employ these tactic are really thinking, but it is how others view them.

I just think the Christians should focus on their lives, enriching them through God, and then hope that others will see God's splendor in their lives, in their personality, and then think to themselves, "That Larry, there's something about him. I mean, I know he goes through stuff, like us, but he's always more centered, more peaceful. It's like he knows something, something we don't....a wonder what it is?"

Re: Senseless sensibility - God unBoxed

d2k — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:19:11 -0000

Actually - to start with I was just trying to get my crazy playlist to appear - then I'd consider moving toward the goal of modifying it to match moods and seasons of life. But... let's see if I get up the motivation to actually take this idea to the first phase.

Regarding getting together - I look forward to spending some time together and renewing an old friendship. God has been gracious and changed me in a lot of ways since we last spent any real time together and I'm pretty sure the same would be true of you. So - I look forward to sharing stories of the journey to see where God has brought us to this point and why, now, he's gotten us back in touch with one another.