"Fringe" Issues

Right after the Psalm 100 debacle at UNC I was talking to my college pastor's wife (check out her blog!) about how Christians differ in their views on homosexuality and other "fringe" issues (homosexuality, abortion, birth control, females in ministry, etc.). She said something super insightful (that was actually something her husband had said) that has stuck with me ever since: "fringe" issues aren't really "fringe" issues because they reveal what we think about God and his Word - they're really more like core issues.

For the sake of this discussion, "fringe" issues should be thought of as intrinsically on the "fringe" of Christian doctrine. The issues themselves are not inherently problematic to doctrines such as salvation, and are therefore thought of as unimportant, treated with apathy, or brushed over in order to minimize differences in the church at large. 

In some ways, I think exchanging thoughts, ideas, and opinions with believers whose beliefs differ from yours on such issues is helpful and insightful. After all, God created each individual different, each in his image, each to express a different facet of his character in some way. I personally have benefited from friendships with believers who were on the opposite end of the theological spectrum on  a number of issues. And, to be perfectly honest, the definitive answer to fringe questions is often not clearly marked in the Bible. In such instances, believers ought to interpret the issue through the lens of the Gospel, scripture as a whole, and God's character.

In Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer said "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

Just take that in for a minute. What you think about God is the most important thing about you. Why? Because how you think about God determines how you act towards and interact with God and others. In terms of "fringe" issues, Christians often deviate from a biblical, gospel-centered worldview (note: not a "Christian" or "right-winged" worldview) when they deviate from God's word and his character. Their thoughts about his character are severely skewed, thus mangling their opinion on issues that, in their minds, don't matter.

Don't get me wrong, your opinion on homosexuality isn't crucial to securing your salvation. By far the most important issue Christians need to have a strong, unwavering opinion on is the Gospel.

But when it comes to other issues, don't look to a political ideology or even another Christian's view on the subject, look to "core" things like scripture and God's character, and make a gospel-centered decision, giving grace to others who disagree with you.

Do Jews and Christians Worship the Same God?

**Disclaimer: I feel like this is an appetizer platter of an answer to this question. There is lots more to it, and I am by no means an expert!**

 

I've heard people, people of various religious affiliations, inquire about if Muslims & Christians worship the same God before. To me, that's not really a big question that fills my mind with crazy thoughts - Allah's character is altogether different from God's character. Boom. Done.

Since my freshman year of college, however, I've been thinking about the more puzzling question of whether Jews and Christians worship the same God. It all started when I heard a Christian woman talking about "a nice Jewish lady she worked with." According to this Christian, herself and her nice lady co-worker definitely, hands-down worshipped the same God. I wasn't so sure though. I mean where did the Trinity come in? What about Jesus?!

This concept popped up in my small group last night and got me, once again, thinking about it. Since my fiance is super smart and has, like, 18 books on systematic theology, I asked him what he thought. I think he came up with a pretty good analogy (which, like all analogies will break down at some point, but I think it still helps!). And since I'm pretty much the best artist ever (of stick figures that is), I've illustrated it for you :)

A Jew telling a Christian that they worship the same God is kind of like two guys who have the "same car." Guy 1 (the metaphorical Jew in this situation) pulls up to Guy 2 (the Christian) and says, "Hey man, we have the same car! Cool!" Guy 2: "Uhh, no we don't. Your car is just a shell of my car. It's not going to get you very far because it doesn't even have an engine or wheels or lights."

 (Obvi Guy 2 is headed down the right path because he's jamming out to Carrie Underwood.)

Okay, cheesy, I know. But to an extent it totally works. While Jews recognize the God of the Old Testament, they vehemently neglect Jesus. Because the Trinity is God in three persons, but wholly one, they are in essence rejecting God.

In Romans, Paul talks about the "remnant" of Israel that will come to salvation. In order to come to this salvation, they must ultimately accept Jesus as their Messiah, Savior, and Lord. As Gentiles, we're grafted into God's family if we accept Jesus' sacrifice and triumph over sin and death. Romans 11 says that Jews too can remain on this metaphorical tree of salvation if they accept Jesus or, if they reject Jesus then can turn from their sin and accept him and be grafted back in. 

The question of Jews & Christians worshipping the same God ultimately boils down to salvation and thoughts about the Trinity. Jesus said he was the only way, the only truth, and the only life, and that no one can come to the Father except through him (John 14:6)! While God's covenant with the Jews is still in tact, and he desires all peoples, especially his chosen people, to come to salvific knowledge of him, Jews must ultimately accept Jesus to receive salvation. God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son are a one-package-deal. Rejection of one means rejection of all.

The Proposal!

*Drum roll*

This past Friday my mom came into town for us to spend the day together and look at reception venues. Since Miles & I were (slash are) courting, I wasn't afraid to start planning without a ring. Plusss I may or may not have seen a confirmation email regarding a certain engagement ring so I knew it was in the works :)

We went to multiple places in Durham and were scheduled to see one of Summit's venues (BC South) last. I was somewhat suspicious because my mom made me freshen up before going to BC South by using not one, but two oil absorbing wipes. Thanks for looking out for me, Mom. We walked down to BC South from the church office and as soon as I went in I saw the TVs in the lobby projecting Psalm 34:3 (Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!), which is the verse I've prayed over my future husband since middle school. I was so surprised & excited and at that point knew exactly what was happening.

I went inside the main sanctuary to find this:

A table full of Easter lilies and daisies (my favorites!), candles, and the Valentine's Day card I made for Miles on the screen.

And I saw this handsome man waiting on me!  

 

He started off by talking about why he chose BC South to propose - it's where we met, where we fell in love during Kid's Week, and where he fasted and prayed for me throughout the summer. Then he read Proverbs 31:10-31, explaining that he had prayed over that passage for over two years, praying with expectation that God would bring him a woman that lined up with those verses.

Next, he read a poem he wrote me this summer. I wish I could remember all the wonderful things in it, but I was just too excited to remember my name, let alone a long string of beautiful words. The coolest, nerdiest part of the night was the fact that the Proverbs 31 passage and the poem Miles wrote were both acrostics!

The last line of the poem was about never being apart in this life and then he, fittingly, asked me to marry him!

I, of course, said yes! About 0.35 seconds after screaming "yes," I shoved the ring on my finger. No waiting around on Miles. Whoops.

He picked me up, gave me a bear hug, and prayed for our new life together!

After everything went down, I noticed that TJ, Miles' friend, had been taking pictures the entire time! Thanks for capturing these sweet moments, TJ! 

We went out and my mom was so relieved because she could finally come clean about being suspicious all day. Then Miles said his family and my brother & my dad were all on their way to celebrate with us!

It was so incredibly perfect and sweet! I'm so excited to marry this godly man!

"Dear 8 Pound, 6 Ounce, Newborn Infant Jesus..."

*This post is inspired by the Summit College Leadership Team retreat I went on this past weekend. I was extremely challenged by the words of my college pastor on this topic, so I definitely can't take full credit!*

Chances are if you haven't seen Talladega Nights you've at least seen the clip of the entire family gathered around the kitchen table saying grace, each describing how they see Jesus. Some see him as a bearded man, while others prefer to think of Jesus as a baby, watching Baby Einstein videos, or singing lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Watching this part of the movie may seem hilarious or sacrilegious or off-base, but I think this scene is a good depiction of how the church sees Jesus. 

If you grew up as a Sunday School goer, maybe you think of Jesus like I do - holding a lamb, with a curly mullet, smooth blue eyes, and a docile demeanor (my boyfriend calls this depiction "the Jesus he could beat up"). Or maybe you see Jesus as a principal, who's only interested in what you're doing with your life when you mess up. Maybe you see him as a means to get what you want or need. If you're in a jam or about to take a hard test, you and Jesus are suddenly BBFs. 

Even though we probably wouldn't admit it, as the church, our views about Jesus often mirror a scene from Talladega Nights rather than scripture. 

So what does scripture say about Jesus? 

    Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
    When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
(Revelation 1:12-19 ESV)

This Jesus doesn't have blonde hair and blue eyes, he has A SWORD coming out of his mouth! Even his voice was overwhelming, like the roar of a waterfall. This Jesus is a warrior. This Jesus, the biblical Jesus mind you, is nothing like the genie Jesus or innocent little baby Jesus - he's fully God!
And though he is infinitely strong and mighty, he's boundlessly tender - he reaches down to John, laying his hand on him and telling him not to be afraid. This act in and of itself easily could've killed John if Jesus were only righteous and holy and just. While he is undoubtedly wholly righteous, holy, and just, he is also fully loving, merciful, and gracious.

So my question is, how do you see Jesus? Is your view culturally driven or scripturally derived? Praise Him that he is a crazy, strong warrior who defeated death, but is outrageously tender and loving Savior who reconciled us to the Father so that we may have life both in this life and in eternity with him.

VeggieTales: Light-Hearted Teaching or Flawed Theology?

If you've been keeping up, you know I help out with Route 56 (a 5th and 6th grade transitional ministry) at my church. My wonderful boyfriend teaches and it's honestly pretty high up there on my list of favorite things to do to hang out with crazy awkward kids and hear his wisdom and teaching every week. Recently, we started a series on Jonah (to mirror the Jonah series in "big church" that their parents are hearing). It's been awesome so far and you should totally check out JD's wisdom on the book and listen to the sermons.

Starting the series, I recollected on my Sunday School days, remembering felt boards with Jonah in a whale, running from God, and then turning back to God to happily witness to the people of Nineveh. I was surprised by my own flawed memory of the story, however. Maybe I was never taught it correctly, or maybe I remembered it incorrectly - either way, I had some details wrong, specifically regarding the sailors, Jonah's time in the belly of the big fish, and how Jonah really felt about the Ninevites. All that to say, I didn't have the story 100% correct going into this series.

That being said, I was floored by the way our 5th and 6th graders responded when they heard we were learning about Jonah. Let's just say nearly all of them had seen the Veggie Tales version of the story. Not only had they seen it, but when we asked them details about the story, they regurgitated facts like "Jonah was just a veggie" and "The Ninevites were mean people because they slapped each other with fish all the time." Wait. What? Yes. Those are direct quotes. And they were eerily stated with Biblical weight. They genuinely thought that was true! Nowhere in the Bible are those things stated. Yes, for sure we know that the Ninevites were crazy mean people, but slapping people with fish? Really? 

Some of the students were particularly curious about what Jonah did while he was in the belly of the big fish. "How did he eat?" "Did it smell bad?" "Was he actually in the stomach?" "Did he, like, eat the other fish that the bigger fish had already eaten?" "How could he even see because it would've been dark?" (The questions 5th & 6th graders can come up with really are quite astonishing.) Finally one student put everyone's questions to rest by stating, in Veggie Tale style, that Jonah saw because there were angels in the belly of the fish, which made it light, and he ate from the ship that the big fish had previously eaten.

...Seriously? 

Okay, I'm not blaming the kids for remembering crazy things from the only source they know about Jonah. I'm not necessarily blaming the parents either. I mean they probably gave the babysitter instructions to let the kids watch it while they went out for date night. Totally understandable. I've thought about a few years down the road when I have kids, would I rather them watch an outlandish Barbie movie about fairies or Veggie Tales? Probs the latter. 

So, here's my beef: kids are detail-oriented. They don't remember the big picture or the general message from something. Our 5th and 6th graders can't recall the lesson we learned two weeks ago, but they can remember the obscure nickname they gave a student in the middle of August. So when kids watch things like Veggie Tales, they remember small details that are seemingly harmless, not the general Bible story. Also, kids have a hard time distinguishing fiction from reality. It would seem logical that a child would understand that Jonah didn't choose being a veggie for his occupation, but when asked what Jonah did, all they can remember is that he was "just a veggie." Personally, some of my friends who grew up watching Veggie Tales still to this day, as college students, have a hard time remembering if details of the Bible stories they watched were fact or fiction.

Real talk: I think Veggie Tales is super clever and catchy. Let's be real, the songs are awesome. And I'm still undecided on if I'll let my kids watch them or not. If kids are allowed to watch Veggie Tales (and other Biblically based things), they need to be told what the Bible actually says about what they're viewing. Kids aren't going to remember that Jonah angrily fled God's presence and that God pursued him, which is a huge display of the Gospel. They are going to remember details which may or may not be in line with Scripture. Students need to be set straight on Biblical details so that they can later form solid theology fully based on Scripture.

Passion Debrief: Francis Chan

Before Passion I had never heard Francis Chan speak. Holy cow, if you're in that boat, jump ship & listen to him. He's so passionate (fittingly punny) and unintentionally funny while being super poignant. His "sermons" aren't really sermons - it's more like he's grabbing coffee with his friend and is stringing together a bunch of random biblical stories that tie into his main point. 

He talked about whether or not we actually believe what the Bible says. He kept saying "just do it," meaning just obey what the Bible says and don't sugar coat commands or re-interpret them. 

One of the examples he used came from these verses:

 ¹² Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” - Luke 12-14

He (sarcastically) told us what it meant in Greek: When you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind. Although it seems super straightforward, we totally do this in the church - circumvent commands, sensationalize Bible stories, and selectively ignore Scripture. I was so challenged by his teaching because I definitely do this in my own life. I know Scripture in my head but don't always allow it to impact my heart and change my actions. May we allow Scripture, the whole of it, to seep into the deepest crevices of our hearts and truly believe and accept it, and out of that allow it to mold our actions.

 

Passion 2012!

I just got back from Passion 2012 in Atlanta with 45,000 of my closest friends. It was awesome, to say the least. We got to hear from Louie Giglio, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, and John Piper. The theme for Passion this year was human slavery, because there are 27 million slaves in the world today, both labor and sex slaves - this number is so significant because today, in 2012, there are more slaves in the world than at any other point in history! Crazy. We, a bunch of college students, raised over $3 million dollars in a matter of days to support multiple organizations to prevent, rescue, and rehabilitate slaves. Even crazier.

I haven't even really begun to process some of the things I learned, but my goal is to blog about them in the next week as classes start :( So stay tuned!

It was awesome to worship with believers from all over the world, catch up with friends, soak up the Word, and get pumped for being unashamed this semester!  

A Response to Russell Moore's "Women Stop Submitting to Men"

A few weeks ago, Russell Moore wrote a blog post about how women should, outside of a marriage covenant, stop submitting to men. I loved the post, outside of a few messages from my pastor, I'd never really heard such statements made. Moore (who I'm a huge fan of, by the way) says that the poor and demeaning manner in which women are often treated and value themselves is all because women too often submit to all men. He even attributes the pornography industry and restaurant chains which "enable men to pay to ogle women in tight T-shirts while they gobble down chicken wings." You go, Russell Moore. Seriously. Awesome, awesome post chocked full of truth. 

But. (You knew it was coming.)

I'm totally tracking with Russell. He talks about how all creatures are created for submission:

It just isn’t so that women are called to submit while men are not. In Scripture, every creature is called to submit, often in different ways and at different times. Children are to submit to their parents, although this is certainly a different sort of submission than that envisioned for marriage. Church members are to submit to faithful pastors (Heb. 13:17). All of us are to submit to the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17). Of course, we are all to submit, as creatures, to our God (Jas. 4:7).

Here's my beef: If men are called to submit to God first and God-sanctioned institutions second, and then be a leader of the institution of the family, how are they ever going to learn to lead? I personally think the church has to be the safest and best place for men to learn to become leaders, both as husbands and fathers, long before they earn those titles. This summer I saw firsthand men slowly and steadily learn to lead, because headstrong women (myself included) took a half step back and created a leadership vacuum. The men I was with this summer were preaching sermons by the end of our time together - something I highly doubt they would've done if they hadn't stepped up to the plate by us ladies stepping aside. Am I saying we submitted to them? Not necessarily. Am I saying we made them grow a little? Perhaps. Did it work and are those men better suited to be loving husbands and awesome fathers? Absolutely. Granted, I'm not taking all the credit here, I think being a part of a challenging church brought this on, which is the point. The church needs to be a place where men learn to lead, not a place where women defy gender roles and stick it to the guys just because they can, hogging leadership positions and coordinating every church-held event. Women, yes, by all means, please stop submitting to men, and let them become godly leaders by allowing them to step up to the plate. 

Maybe don't volunteer to pray every single time the opportunity presents itself. Try not being type A and take control every time you're in a group situation. Try letting the guys lead, when they become men, their wives will thank you for it.

Wordless Wednesday: SC United

Thankful Things: Part I

Praise the Lord it's almost Thanksgiving. This girl needs a break. All this paper writing is slowly ebbing away my motivation. So instead of writing final papers, I thought I'd take a break and write a quintessential Thanksgiving blog post about things I'm thankful for.

(To even out the former complaint about school...) Even though UNC wasn't my first choice, I am so so thankful I ended up here. Academically it's not been easy, but I've learned a lot, both in  & out of the classroom. I've gotten some pretty great opportunities like being a TA and doing research that I probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. And if I hadn't come to Carolina, I wouldn't have ended up at the Summit.

I'm indescribably thankful for the Summit Church for a ton of reasons. Through the Summit, I've learned what the Gospel really is and seen what it looks like to live out the Gospel on a daily basis. The City Project was completely instrumental in helping me learn these things. I've also gotten to be a part of solid community through TCP and my awesome women's small group! 

I'm also super thankful for the wonderful Summit staff and their wives. It's been such a blessing to get to network with and glean knowledge from them, especially when it means getting to play with their cute kids or having a home cooked meal :)

And I met this man through the Summit, which has been indescribably wonderful, fun-filled, and sanctifying.

It's been so wonderful helping lead Route 56. I'm so thankful for this crucial ministry within the church and feel so blessed that I get to help out with it. 5th and 6th graders are crazy and hysterical, immature and mature, awkward and cool, deep and shallow all at the same time.

I'm so thankful for the things God has allowed me to experience in the past few months. God constantly put himself on display in Kenya. He is ultimate source of beauty. For realz. 

I'm so thankful for how God is growing my heart for the nations. I pray that this process only continues throughout my life.

Matt Papa: This Changes Everything

If you're familiar with the Summit, you've probably heard of Matt Papa. In fact, you may have even had the opportunity to have him lead you in worship. One of my favorite things about the Summit is showing up to an event to find out Matt Papa is leading worship. If you're unfamiliar with him, Matt Papa is a short, squirrely looking man, with crazy red hair, and a big heart for the God of the Gospel. He also has the coolest jacket in the world. 

Matt Papa's new CD, This Changes Everything, is drenched in the Gospel. Every song is theologically sound and spiritually challenging.  I have listened to This Changes Everything almost every day since I got the CD this summer. It's a poignant reminder of the Gospel, which I have to immerse myself with daily. Plus, its just good music.

With songs like "Stay Away from Jesus" and "The Lord is a Warrior" you know you want to buy it.

(And if you're a college student, come to Summit College United this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Brier Creek South to worship with Matt Papa and fellowship with college students from around the triangle!) 

Why I Love 5th & 6th Graders (Part II)

6 reasons I love 5th and 6th graders: 

1) They think I'm cool even though I'm super nerdy.

2) They let me take bathroom pictures. Sans judgment.

3) They love hugs and pats on the back, just like me.

4) They can be talked into doing just about anything, like eating a doughnut off a string or consuming baby food and guessing what flavor it is.

 

5) They wake up at 6 a.m., alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic.

6) They genuinely care about and for other people (even if they don't know how to express it). And they laugh at my jokes.

Why I Love 5th & 6th Graders (Part I)

The most normative picture taken at the Route56 Fall Retreat

I love 5th and 6th graders. In my opinion, they comprise the most diverse age group ever. Everything about them is ALL over the place, from maturity, what they like, what vocabulary they use, their train of thought, their spiritual growth. This craziness not only varies from student to student, but from minute to minute. Seriously one minute a student will be talking about how the Gospel affects their life, then asking prayer for Peaches, their grandma's cat (and to thank God for making Peaches, both the cat and the delicious fruit). (True story.)

As far as my own experience and knowledge goes, I think the Summit is pretty unique in having a separate ministry for 5th and 6th grade students. Most churches omit this age group, leaving 5th graders in elementary ministries while 6th graders long to be a part of their church youth group but often aren't allowed to join until 7th grade. Some more progressive churches do allow 6th graders to move up to youth group, but often this fails too because they're not ready to be a part of that institution yet. This is such a sad reality in the church today. The secular world is devouring this age group while the church idly sits back and lets them sit in limbo for a few years because, if we're honest, they're awkward (or at least that's the stereotype). While the church is debating over whether 6th grade Johnny should be allowed to play on the youth group basketball team, advertising agencies and the porn industry are showing Johnny what it's like to be older, to be a "teenager." Marketers know if consumers start buying and using their products late in elementary school and early in middle school, they'll have them hooked for life. Marketing agencies aren't the only ones with this knowledge, the pornography industry knows this full well. The average age a child sees porn today is 11. Eleven. Let that sink in. If nothing else, that fact alone should scare the church into caring for this unique age group.

At the Summit, we call Route56 a "transitional ministry." We try to care for 5th and 6th grade students (and their parents) during a crazy time of transition and change in their lives. The church as a whole needs to address this age group too. If you're hesitant about working with 5th and 6th graders, I hear ya. I was skeptical too. But if the church doesn't care for these students and preach the Gospel to them in word and deed, they will find solace and purpose and identity in other things, worldly things that are seeking to devour them.

From Flannelgraphs to Gospel Facts

I grew up in a conservative home and an equally conservative Southern Baptist church. I was indoctrinated with Biblical principles from a very young age. I thank the Lord that he allowed me such an upbringing and love how my seemingly mundane testimony (grew up in the church, saved at an early age, baptized soon after, etc.) puts God's faithfulness on display. Like many of my friends, I learned oodles of Bible stories in church. If I was lucky, my Sunday School teacher would bring the aesthetically pleasing flannelgraph, circa 1994, to visually display such stories. The point of these stories was typically morality or, if the teacher was going super spiritual, to learn a specific facet of God's character. I knew that God sent Jesus to die for my sins on the cross and then Jesus rose on the 3rd day so that I could live with Jesus in heaven forever, but that was just another flannelgraph reserved for Easter, not a weekly concept that was visited. The Gospel provoked a one-time decision, not a lifestyle.

Enter how in the world this relates to anything...

Over the summer, I interned at the Summit with Route 56, a really unique transitional ministry for 5th and 6th graders. Fifth and sixth graders are probably the most awkward, most awesome, mature, yet simultaneously immature, group of people on the planet. I love them. I'll save why I chose to work with Route 56 for a later time, but will highlight an interesting dynamic I and the other R56 leaders have noticed.

Unlike how I and many other people my age grew up in the church, kids today, especially in Gospel-centered, urban churches like the one I go to are indoctrinated with the Gospel every time they walk through the doors. They can clearly articulate the Gospel. They know there is nothing they can do to earn salvation. They know that nothing they have done in the past and nothing they will do in the future can make God love them less or more. They know that the Gospel is the impetus behind good deeds. They know the Gospel brings them back into right relationship with God. And while it is awesome that they know the Gospel, it seems to be just head knowledge. It doesn't really change how they live. It's not heart knowledge.

I know that it's not my responsibility to make head knowledge of the Gospel seep into the precious hearts of 5th and 6th graders. That's the Holy Spirit's job, thank goodness, and something that even if I wanted to, I couldn't do. But it is my job to be a catalyst for the transition from head knowledge to heart knowledge.

Don't get me wrong, the Gospel is undoubtedly the most important thing we could ever teach or convey to younger children and students. If we expect students to simply retain the Gospel as a string of facts, we might as well use a flannelgraph. If we desire for facts to become the ultimate source of life and salvation, our lives must boast the Gospel as much as our mouths.