Break/Fast
Don’t know what you call it but I will be taking a ten day break/fast from blogging. Nothing is wrong, I’m just taking a little time off before I launch in December with a 25 days of Christmas blogging marathon. From December 1st to December 25th I plan on blogging everyday about Christmas. Some days will still have church, leadership, students and family content but the focus will be on 25 days of Christmas. I hope it will be fun and engaging for you as you prepare for the Holidays. Over the next ten days my goal is to prepare for the December 1st launch. I will however continue to tweet and you can follow me at twitter.com/ryangeiger
Controversy
It’s been a while since I have written a blog that made people angry and caused them to litter my inbox with hate mails and questions of my faith, so I thought I was due.
I have been chewing on something for a while now that I think may make you angry but if you step back I believe will challenge you to live different each day. Recently many people have come up to me saying that we need to talk more about the end times and the book of Revelation and prophecy. My question to that is, why? Now before you call for my resignation and call me a heretic hear me out.
The truth is why focus so much on the future when most can’t even live for today? Why be so concerned about the details of pre-tribulation, mid-trib or post-trib? Why be so concerned about when Jesus is coming back? I ask why because does it really change anything? My answer is, it shouldn’t. Shouldn’t we live each day as if it is the last? Shouldn’t we have the same energy and passion to tell people about Jesus and a relationship with Him regardless of when or how the end times will occur? Shouldn’t we not be so concerned about scare tactics as we are with a passionate plea of repentance and life change?
I grew up hearing all about the end times. I believe as Christ followers we need to be educated about the book of Revelation, but I believe we should be just as educated about the Gospels and living out that Gospel. The end will come and there is nothing we can do to change it, except to live today with a passion and a sincerity that engages people with the love of Christ. I hate being caught up in all the details and miss the main message. I love a good debate and I also get just as intrigued as anybody else about what is going to happen and when its going to happen, BUT, I must live in the now and teach Jesus, His Love, His Death, His Burial and His Resurrection that will be what draws people to Jesus.
Live today as if it were your last. Live it with such passion and conviction that people will be drawn to Christ. Live it with such integrity that you do no harm to God’s name. Live today with a desire to see everyone you know have a powerful, life changing relationship with a loving, sacrificial God. Live today as if it were your last.
Saturday Randomness
I could ask for a caption but I am pretty sure your all gone say the same thing. But this is just funny. Is this an over reaction or a legitimate threat?
Are we over promising and under delivering? This applies to more than just the church culture, this applies to our families, friendships and workplacess. It’s a great question to ask yourself. Are you doing your best? Are you giving your best? Are you accurately marketing yourself and God?
Social Media Revolution
Inverted Christianity
This was an incredibly insightful post from Mark Batterson that you need to read.
Two thousand years ago Jesus extended an unbelievable invitation: “follow me.” And the invitation is still on the table. But let me drill down on this a little bit. I think there are lots of people who think they have accepted the invitation. They think they are following Jesus. But the reality is that they have invited Jesus to follow them. And there is a world of difference!
For the first nineteen years of my life, if I’m being totally honest, I think it was more about Jesus following me. I didn’t want to go anywhere without him. But it wasn’t about me serving His purposes. It was about Him serving my purposes. I think many Christians have an inverted relationship with Christ. Call it spiritual selfishness. Our relationship with Him is all about us. And then we wonder why we’re unfulfilled and bored with our faith.
Are you following Jesus? Or is Jesus following you?
The Naked Gospel
Anybody who knows me knows that I love to read. I love to read for personal growth not for personal entertainment, although I find entertainment in personal growth. I started reading a book called The Naked Gospel that was recommended to me by Shari Kelly our Life Group Director here at Fellowship Church. I want to share a snippet of one chapter that really challenged my thinking. I think it made me angry, I think it made me question, I think the book did exactly what it was supposed to do, and it was only chapter two. Check this out, it’s a quiz. Try and take it as well. Questions are true or false.
- Christians should ask God to forgive and cleanse them when they sin.
- Christians struggle with sin because of their old self within.
- We should wait on God even before making everyday decisions.
- When we sin against God, we’re out of fellowship until we repent.
- Old Testament law is written on Christians’ hearts so we want to obey it.
- The Bible tells us that Christians can obtain many rewards in heaven.
- Christians will give an account for their sins at the great white throne.
- Christians should tithe at least 10 percent of their income to the church.
- God gets angry with us when we repeatedly sin against him.
- God looks at us as though we’re righteous, even though we’re really not.
“The Biblical answers to each of the Naked Gospel quiz statements is false. Yes, false. So how’d you do? Are you ready to peel away layers of religiosity in order to discover an exhilarating reality-always keeping in mind that truth is supposed to set you free?”
Interesting book so far but I will say that I disagree with him from a Biblical point of view on his interpretation and application of the scripture in this book and that’s okay that we agree to disagree. I know where I stand theologically and that won’t waiver. I am however open philosophically to a shift or change if I am wrong. I do like to be challenged in my thought process and how I come to conclusions. The quiz may leave you feeling the same way that I did with questions and even some anger that things I grew up learning were wrong according to him, but with thought prayer and a step-back approach I realize that this is one person’s point of view but I think for some who are not progressive at all it is one point of view to consider in that it may stretch your thinking.
Veteran’s Day Rememberance
I said yesterday that there was a unique set of circumstances with my family as it dealt with the past. My father was smuggled across the Berlin Wall when he was 5 years old as he was sponsored by a Lutheran Church to come to America, he moved to LA as soon as he came to America. My mom grew up in Iowa and moved to LA at a very young age. Who knew that both of their fathers had the past that they had with each other from a distance.
- My grandfather on my mom’s side was an American soldier who raided the beaches of Normandy during WWII.
- My grandfather on my dad’s side was a German officer who fought for and led part of the Nazi party during WWII.
It blows my mind that although they didn’t fight each other in face to face combat, my two grandfathers countries fought each other during the same war. It amazes me that two completely different paths would eventually lead to kids meeting and me being born.
I am grateful for my heritage and I am grateful for our troops and the sacrifices that they make for our freedom.
Berlin Wall Anniversary
Twenty years ago yesterday marked the fall of the Berlin Wall and the freedom for the oppressed East Germans. This holds a special place in my heart because I remember watching 20 years ago on our TV as the news came on this image was shown. I remember seeing my dad with tears in his eyes watching intently.
Geiger is my last name and it is German. My dad was born in East Germany in the 50′s and was smuggled across the Berlin Wall when he was five years old and sponsored by a Lutheran Church to come to America. To see the wall come down for my family who is all from East Germany was a monumental event because they remember what it meant to live under a communistic government.
I beleive anytime somebody can move from being held in bondage to experienceing the freedom they were meant to experience it is a good thing. I would not be here today if it had not been for family who fled from East Germany to America. The link between East Germany and my moms side of the family is a crazy story as well which I will share tomorrow.
You can click on the picture to the left and see the difference between the new Germany vs the old Germany. I found it interesting.
Weekend Wrap Up
If you missed this weekend you missed out on one of the most exciting weekends at Fellowship Church in a long time.
Friday Night- Kid Kollage, Dan & Kristi do and incredible job reaching kids and their families. A lot of fun for the whole family. You must check this out on the first Friday of each month.
Saturday Morning- Men of Ice, Lee White does a great job of helping men get deeper together.
Saturday Night- UNITED and we had a good turnout. Lots of guests and we had 9 students received Christ. Great energy from the band and we did a black light drama that was very powerful. I challenged the students to be Purple People Leaders.
Sunday- we got to hear from Eric Koehler and hear his heart on the local church and how it is the hope of the world. Eric is a gifted communicator who we believe God has brought to us to lead Fellowship into the next generation. Excited about what God is doing here and where we are headed. Below are both videos of Eric introducing his family as well as his talk on Sunday Morning.
Introducing Eric Koehler from Fellowship Today on Vimeo.
Eric Koehler from Fellowship Today on Vimeo.
Backside Deserts
Winston Churchill once said, “Almost every leader goes through a time of the ‘backside of the desert’ before becoming what they were made for.” I love that quote because it’s a quote of hope and there is almost a promise in there. But that really depends on your perspective. You can easily read that and only focus on the ‘backside of the desert’ part of it. You can focus on the curve balls that life has thrown you. The empty promises, damaged relationships and obstacles that seem to impede your process. Or you can focus on the ‘becoming what they were made for’ part of it. You can focus on what God is doing through you and in you when you are feeling like nothing in life is going the way you want or planned. Winston Churchill finished that quote by saying, “Sometimes this even happens after some initial, lesser success.” I read this and think for some of you life is good but it could be great. You have a good marriage, good relationship with your kids, a good job and a good life. There will come a time when you feel like it may all be falling apart but that could be right before you experience what you were made for on the other side of the ‘desert’ experience. Keep your head up and your eyes focused and stay persistent. God is not finished making you extraodinary.
