Jason Silver

Wednesday, April 20th, 2005

The Church of Irrestistable Influence

I've just finished this grand book, and I must say I am challenged!

Here's the point: so many churches are all about building people, giving them skills, helping them discover their gifts, growing them up-- but they never stop to think "why?"

Why are we doing this? Is the point just that I'll be more mature? Or is there a greater cause here? Is there something greater than myself that's at stake?

The author makes a great point, backed up with real-life stories and many examples from the Bible, that the point of all this is to serve the poor, the hungry, the destitute, the prisoners... they're the ones Jesus was speaking of when he said, "Whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done for me."

This book comes at a perfect time as Philpott Church starts to look outside itself, at the community we find ourselves in. Perhaps it is no accident that we are dead center in an area of poverty, of new immigration; of need.

Get this book and read it. It will help you to think bigger than your own needs, and remember the point of this adventure: to glorify our God by giving him hands and feet to do his work on the earth. He doesn't need us-- come on-- He's God! But we will find ourselves changed as we participate with him in doing his work.

~Jason