In celebration of Internet Evangelism Month, this is the fifteenth in a 15-part blog project discussing the book, @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online.
I remember the excitement around selecting my wedding invitations. Oh! the details. I took great care choosing the invitation design and color; next, it was on to selecting the weight and the texture of the paper- it had to feel just right in my hands; then, on to the sample of fonts-I was in search of a font that was delicate and whimsical; and finally, the wording had to set the tone for an occasion of love, joy, and gratitude. Every invitation that went out carried our hearts’ desire that our guest would accept, and be present for our special day.
In the online world, followers of Christ have the privilege of sharing the GREATEST invitation ever!
The possibilities for the Kingdom in the online world are real, they’re here and they’re now. The invitation exists for anyone with access to the Internet. Transformation has started, and you are here to be part of it. ~ @sticky Jesus
The invitation exists…
God the Father has prepared the most exquisite invitation. This invitation is divinely designed and weighted with His glory. The Father’s invitation beautifully presents his beloved son Jesus Christ, and announces a glorious work of redemption done on Calvary’s cross. It is an invitation open to all.
As a follower of Christ, you have already RSVP’d yes! Yes Lord, to your will and to your way. God makes His appeal through you ambassador of Christ! Go and present the invitation to the wandering hearts online. Go and encourage the wandering hearts to RSVP yes to the King’s invitation.
It is however, a wake –up call promoting you to get intentional about how you spend your time online-connecting, serving, and leading the conversation in such a ways the others will seek to know Christ personally. ~ @sticky Jesus
Wake-up call!
We can no longer passively post and tiptoe tweet; especially, when we can read cries of distress in folks’ statuses. As believers, we do have a purpose for being online- that purpose is to bring the light of Christ that dispels darkness. Personally, I would like to dedicate more time to learn about the people in my online community. As extroverted as I like to think I am, I can still be a little timid about reaching out to people I don’t know. Nonetheless, I stand with a willing heart, net in hand, awaiting the Holy Spirit’s unction to go fish.
Tell somebody what I’ve done for you.
Any opportunity to talk about God’s goodness in your life is a great opportunity! So here it goes:
I believe the Lord heard my heart’s cry, and connected me to the @sticky Jesus group blog project. Prior to the @sticky Jesus group blog project, I struggled with my purpose our web-based world. Thanks to the insight of co-authors Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong, I understand that part of my problem was a condition called “streaming me”; I had no idea such a condition existed lol! Over the last five weeks, I’ve learned what it means to live out my faith online. I’ve also witnessed God’s presence in the online world too. Throughout the @sticky Jesus group blog project, the Holy Spirit was always there sending me love notes and reminding me to trust Him all the way. I will always remember how He lovingly led me to the still waters of this blog project, so I may receive His online plan for me. Truly, He is my shepherd and He gets all the glory!
Questions:
- Can you describe a time when The Holy Spirit was leading you to move and “cast a divine line into your online waters?”
- How has your online witness grown or changed as a result of the @sticky Jesus group blog project?
- Have you received RSVPs to Christ’s invitation?
14) demystifying: content gathering <– @StickyJesus project –> Wrap-Up: 3 Takeaways & 3 Questions
14 Comments
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Kawanzaa – What a beautiful way to end this blog project. You have a gift my friend and God's ready for it to be unwrapped for the world and His purposes in it. Bless you for saying YES to the greatest invitation ever extended, your willingness to embrace the time in which you were born, and to make Him famous through your life. Your story in this post was worth it all!
I'm deeply inpsired by this blog project and grateful for the community that has developed because of it. My prayer is that more believers will wake up to the power and Kingdom possibility of online communications. Imagine if every believer would seize the day and this way we can share and live out the great hope within us. I would love to see the social media streams jammed with His Word and His people speaking Truth. No more darkness – only Light. I also pray for our church leaders that they recognize what God is doing here and determine to lead the body as faithful stewards of this ministry gift we have at our fingertips.
Many thanks to Paul for his vision and heart for digital outreach. Bless you for gathering a faithful team of bloggers and charging them to read, interpret, and instruct others about how to live out faith online. Thanks to all the bloggers – each and every one – for doing the work and letting God speak through you. You've challenged us beyond where we started and made us all eager to do more. Thank you!
Blessings on all of you – He continues to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever dream. That's our God.
And by the way, dear Kawanzaa, you'll find me next to you, holding up my part of the net, and going in right beside you!
"I would love to see the social media streams jammed with His Word and His people speaking Truth. No more darkness – only Light". <— I am so there too; and I know it's coming!
Tami- your words always bless me and continue to be a wellspring of encouragement- thank you 🙂 I thank God for you and for this great work He has accomplished through you. It is a seed destined to produce much fruit. The @sticky Jesus book and its community of bloggers is a most amazing gift to me. How great is our God!!
And you said you were the rookie blogger? Kawanaa, you have blessed my heart deeply with your thoughts and interpretation of this chapter. So true: We can no longer passively post and tiptoe tweet. What a great post.
In the process of writing the book, the holy spirit began to "deal" with me on a lot of little things I was doing online that weren't "outwardly" or obviously apart from His spirit but the more subtle things like hitting the "like" button on a sarcastic comment, using humor to express a "gripe," and even agreeing with some kind of heated rant.
We didn't start out writing this book as "pros" on the topic. It was a journey that we shared as God revealed. So it's been cool to see others on that journey too. We are always learning and adding to the testimony of what God is doing in this area.
I've learned so much from each of you in these past weeks. May He be glorified through each and every thought, and courageous decision to post in the online space.
I love you fired up digital scribes. And so does He. xoxox
Hi Wanda,
My feet broke out in to a dance when I read that you shared before the assembly of saints that God laid on your heart to carry His word as a digital scribe! Isn't your heart ablaze for Him?! I hear ya about Facebook too; but thanks be to God that He is raising you up for such a time as this.
I will look for you fellow trailblazer as we walk in our calling to be God's digital scribes! Uh oh! There go my feet again- just dancing 🙂
Oh Toni! I am so rookie lol, but I receive your encouragement. Just remind me to tell you the full story when we get together F2F 😉
I appreciate you talking about the those "subtle things". It is the subtle things, if go unchecked, grow into noisy, hard to miss things. And who else can "deal" with us so perfectly but the Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus for sending the Comforter.
I thank God for you! Thank you for submitting to God and putting your hand to writing @sticky Jesus. I say with confidence that He has indeed accomplished a wonderful work through you, because this work, has blessed- my-soul! 🙂 Great is the our God and greatly to be praised!
love this chapter and love this post! i so so so so SO love this part: God the Father has prepared the most exquisite invitation. This invitation is divinely designed and weighted with His glory. The Father’s invitation beautifully presents his beloved son Jesus Christ, and announces a glorious work of redemption done on Calvary’s cross. It is an invitation open to all. As a follower of Christ, you have already RSVP’d yes! Yes Lord, to your will and to your way. God makes His appeal through you ambassador of Christ! Go and present the invitation to the wandering hearts online. Go and encourage the wandering hearts to RSVP yes to the King’s invitation.
that just so says it all!
heres my take: http://onepassiononedevotion.wordpress.com/2011/0…
Hi Paul,
I like that —> "Digital Great Commission." Let's go and make disciples online! That is what it's all about.
The balance between humility and Godly confidence is so key online and offline; I couldn't agree with you more!
Thank you for your leadership Paul! I really enjoyed this experience! 🙂
What a beautiful post. Thank you for your words and I am looking forward to fulfilling the great commission with you online!
Sorry I am late in commenting today. I have been away.
Hi Christie,
No worries; happy to hear from you 🙂 I look forward to linking arms with you too, my sister in Christ!
See you around cyberspace!
Hi Paul: I like your focus and it relates to a similar focus for me. Are you open to an interview. God has called me to write a book on Christian leaders and leadership in the marketplace. I fear than many believers compartmentalize their faith and check it in at the front door of their place of employment, rather than live for Christ in a vibrant way. I have interviewed some amazing Christians in the past week about how they integrate their faith and vocation. I would like to get some of your thoughts on this topic. Are you up to that?
Blessings….Merle
Hi Merle, sure I'd be up for an interview. I'll email you so we can work out the details. And thanks for sharing your passion for calling Christian leaders to live out their faith in the workplace. I think it's a hugely important issue.
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