Mission Minded Network: Convictions

Attending the newly launched Mission Minded Network over the long weekend has been a most fruitful experience for me. I have learnt so much; it is hard for me to summarize everything in a single blogpost. Rather than attempting to do so in vain, it may be more helpful for me to list down some of the points that got me thinking further or issues that challenged me:

• Our conviction in Christ's saving grace should shape our lives to be Christ-centred and set us apart from this world with its worldly convictions.
• It is when we understand who Jesus is and why He comes that we may understand what He requires of us (i.e. die to our lives for Christ) is so appropriate.
• One only bears witness in the context of opposition in order to profess the truth in the face of disagreement - witnessing Christ does not come without suffering or persecution (after all, the Greek word for "witness" means "martyr").
• The Holy Spirit comes to continue the work of Jesus and not start another work.
• While Saul's conversion is the most famous in Acts of the Apostles, Cornelius' conversion may well be the most important as it marks how Gentiles can now receive God's saving grace as well.
• Christians are on a journey to enter a world led by God: a glory to head for, a rest to strive after, a city to enter.
  
• Jesus is God's final song that keeps us on our journey to the end as we avoid letting the voices of this world drift us away.
• Will we live by the present world that we can see or by the future that we hear about from God? (i.e. Will we live by sight or by faith?)
• Life is filled with littered unfulfilled dreams and disappointments; it is a fast march to death - will we be patient for the future world than the world in this life?
  
• If our convictions as Christians are similar to the convictions of a minister (e.g. desiring salvation for others, serving others, being above reproach, thanksgiving, prayer, role-modeling, resisting temptations, etc.), what is stopping us from doing full-time ministry?
• Where can one best live for the sake of gospel work instead of comfort or convenience?
• Are we willing to put aside our day job for ministry?

Hopefully some of these thoughts will similarly challenge you to reconsider how you can best serve the gospel and perhaps sign up for next year's MMN on the theme of Character... =)