I like reading books because they make me think. Sometimes they make me think a lot. Sometimes they change my thinking. And sometimes all that thinking makes me uncomfortable. That's because sometimes it makes me stop and wonder just what I've been doing.
That is what happened as I read The Radical Question / A Radical Idea by David Platt. It's two books in one, which means more bang for your buck.
The Radical Question is an introduction to David's book Radical, which is just that, radical. It asks the question that every Christian should be asking themselves.
What is Jesus worth to you?
A Radical Idea takes the main points from Radical Together. Here David contemplates "the force of a people who come together to enjoy God's grace in the church while the extend God's glory in the world." These books are just small portions of David's books on the topic. So reading these vignettes could cause you to want to read the whole thing. Just as likely is that you will be forced to ask yourself the important questions found here.
As a Christian, I normally ask the first question about Jesus' worth to me. But as a pastor, it was the radical idea that pushed my thinking. Why does the church exist? Jesus gave us that mission long ago. We can argue all we want about philosophies of ministry and methods we prefer given the society we are a part of. But at some point we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to set aside our comfort and preferences for what will actually be effective.
Reading radical ideas is the kind of stuff that can ruin you for the normal that you've become accustomed to. Thanks for that, Mr. Platt!
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