<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Francis Chan Archives - My Rose Colored Shades</title> <atom:link href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/tag/francis-chan/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/tag/francis-chan/</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2015 03:25:25 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">68676972</site> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit?</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:30:28 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Crazy Love]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Francis Chan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fruit of the Spirit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Galatians 5]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lukewarm Christian]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8039</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I just finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it was altogether eye-opening, challenging and convicting. His description of a lukewarm Christian and those that are Christ-obsessed really pushed me to do an introspective examination as well as evaluate … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/">Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8044" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-1024x769.jpg" alt="faith, God, Jesus Christ, Bible, Scripture, Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5, Crazy Love, Francis Chan, lukewarm Christian, words of wisdom, inspiration" width="560" height="421" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-1024x769.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I just finished reading <em><a href="http://crazylovebook.com" target="_blank">Crazy Love</a></em> by Francis Chan and it was altogether eye-opening, challenging and convicting. His description of a lukewarm Christian and those that are Christ-obsessed really pushed me to do an introspective examination as well as evaluate how I’m living my life here on earth in light of eternity. Chan states that “the life of a lukewarm Christian wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.” And if I were to be completely honest with myself, aside from not going to church every Sunday and reading the Bible on a regular basis, not much else would change if I stopped believing in God. He really pushed me to evaluate all aspects of my life, and imagine how different it would look if I surrendered each and every part to God in order to live a life that is truly obedient to the Cross.<span id="more-8039"></span></p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>I had to assess whether the fruit of the Spirit was being manifested </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>in my attitude, in my communication with others, in my relationships </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>with loved ones as well as my interactions with strangers.</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>The question, of whether my life would look any different if I stopped believing, moved me to first look inwards and examine my heart and what it was producing. I asked myself whether I was living by the Spirit and producing fruit that can only come from the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Galatians 5:22-23</a>). I had to assess whether the fruit of the Spirit was being manifested in my attitude, in my communication with others, in my relationships with loved ones as well as my interactions with strangers.</p> <p>Am I living by the Spirit? Do I exercise patience with my loved ones? Do I display gentleness and self-control when rebuking my children? How is my tone of voice when I communicate with others? Do I always treat others with kindness? Do I exude joy? I think these are questions that we need to ask ourselves on a regular basis and surrender every one of them to God, especially those areas in which we are weak.</p> <p>In light of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NIV" target="_blank">Matthew 25:31-46</a>, Chan challenges us to think of how our lives would change if we actually thought of every person we come into contact with as Christ. He mentions “the person driving painfully slow in front of me, the checker at the grocery store who seems more interested in chatting than ringing up my items, the member of my own family with whom I can’t seem to have a conversation and not get annoyed.” I seriously felt like he was speaking directly to me. Let’s say these are my areas of weakness, and my attitude in these situations has been far from commendable, or even downright disobedient to the Spirit. I have a funny feeling that God always puts me behind a slow car when I’m driving. Coincidence? I think not.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">…we need to live by the Spirit, </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">be led by the Spirit and </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">keep in step with the Spirit. </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s a continuous process of daily surrender to </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">God’s will </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and letting the Spirit lead the way in the path of righteousness.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>The biggest challenge yet is posed when Chan talks about love, of which Paul says in Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Chan reminds us that we are to love not only those that are lovable and can reciprocate our love, but we are also commanded to love our enemies and do good to them. This means that if someone hurts us, we don’t retaliate as the world would, but we forgive them and love them back instead. According to Chan, lukewarm Christians love those who are easy to love, those who love them back, like family, friends, and others they connect with. But he reminds us of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A27-36&version=NIV" target="_blank">Luke 6:32</a>, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” God commands us to love without expecting anything in return.</p> <p>I realize that I cannot will myself to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Only the Spirit can produce its fruit in me. As it is emphasized in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Galatians 5</a>, we need to live by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit. It’s a continuous process of daily surrender to God’s will and letting the Spirit lead the way in the path of righteousness. It says in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Galatians 5:5</a> “For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.”</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I will be sharing how <em>Crazy Love</em> has challenged my outlook on life in my next Weekly Wisdom post.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/08/why-i-chose-to-be-pro-choice/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/08/will-you-abandon-it-all-for-sake-of.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/08/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-116.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://momsmorningcoffee.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-54/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/08/19/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-202/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-61/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/but-god/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/08/cozy-reading-spot-106.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff85_blessing/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday38" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a title="Faith & Fellowship" href="http://www.simplemomentsstick.com/2015/08/faith-and-fellowship-blog-hop_21.html" target="_blank">Faith & Fellowship</a> | <a href="http://thebrowntribe.net/2015/08/being-grateful-and-grace-truth/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/finding-god/" target="_blank">Purposeful Faith</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/">Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>6</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8039</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2015 10:30:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Francis Chan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Judge]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Parable of the Talents]]></category> <category><![CDATA[weekly wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=7853</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I have been so hungry lately. Hungry for the word of God, that is. Psalm 119:103 comes to mind, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” God has been revealing so many truths to … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/">Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-7858" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-1024x683.jpg" alt="lifeishort_liveforeternity" width="560" height="374" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-300x200.jpg 300w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity.jpg 1050w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-1024x683.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I have been so hungry lately. Hungry for the word of God, that is. <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A103&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 119:103</a></strong> comes to mind, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” God has been revealing so many truths to me in a way that I can understand, I feel the need to share some of the things that He has been impressing upon my heart. I shared on my IG feed how the popular Sunday school song, <em>I Keep Falling in Love with Him</em>, holds true for me now more than ever. The more I feed on His Word, the more I fall in love with Him.<span id="more-7853"></span></p> <p>I’m planning to read the Bible on my own from beginning to end, without the pressure of having to finish it in a year. I’ve also been listening to sermons by well-known theologians and preachers such as John Piper and Tim Keller. In the process of searching for their sermons, I happened to stumble upon a few of Francis Chan’s sermons. I have to admit, I had never heard of him before. I now know that he is a well-known preacher who used to lead a megachurch in Simi Valley, CA called Cornerstone Community Church. At the height of his career, he decided to leave his church because he felt he was becoming a hindrance to the spiritual growth of its members as they were depending too much on him and not enough on the Holy Spirit. From the little I know of him, I get the impression that he is a man who practices what he preaches. Several of his sermons have touched a chord in my heart, but there were two short videos, probably already known to many, that really convicted me and compelled me to re-evaluate my outlook on life.</p> <p>These may be the most meaningful 10 minutes of your time this week, this month, or this year, for that matter.</p> <p><iframe title="5-Minute Message: "The Rope" with Francis Chan" width="560" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cbjEZez2_Sk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>In this first Rope Illustration, Francis Chan uses a very long rope as an analogy for the timeline of our existence. Our time here on earth is represented by small 3-inch colored portion of the rope. This illustration made me think of how fleeting our time here on earth is. It made me take a hard and serious look at how I want to use my life. Do I want to use my time and energy to invest in fleeting rewards here on earth, or do I want to spend them to store treasures in the eternal kingdom? <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+39%3A4&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 39:4</a></strong> echoes my desire to be reminded of this truth daily, “<span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.”</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Francis Chan - Balance Beam" width="560" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LA_uwWPE6lQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>In the Balance Beam illustration, Francis challenges us to step outside of our comfort zone and to live a life that is worthy of God’s calling. When my time here on earth is up and I find myself standing before our Creator and Judge, will I be able to look Him in the face and honestly say that I did my best for Him. Do I want to continue on living my safe, self-serving comfortable life or do I want to surrender myself to God and not be afraid to go wherever He leads me, even if there will be hardship and suffering?</p> <p>It made me think of the Parable of the Talents in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=NIV" target="_blank">Matthew 25:14-30</a></strong>. The servants, who doubled the number of talents that their master gave them, took risks and used what they had to add to their master’s riches. The one who hid the talent in the ground played it safe and ended up producing nothing for his master. This video challenged me to start taking risks for God because I know that He will always be there to pick me up when I fall. And the blessings that come from serving Him wholeheartedly are beyond what we can imagine. We are reminded of this in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4%3A17-18&version=NIV" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:17-18</a></strong>, “<span id="en-NIV-28877" class="text 2Cor-4-17">For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.</span> <span id="en-NIV-28878" class="text 2Cor-4-18">So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”</span></p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/07/friend-sharpens-friend-link-up/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/07/fix-your-eyes-on-jesus.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/07/adoption.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://momsmorningcoffee.com/coffee-conversation-link-party-51/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a title="Thursday Favorite Things Linkup" href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/07/22/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-199/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-57/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/empowered/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2015/06/24/thriving-thursday-624/" target="_blank">Thriving Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/07/cozy-reading-spot-102.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me Linkup" href="http://www.garaytreasures.com/2015/07/matchingmintandmarriage/" target="_blank">Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff82_who_is_god/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday-some-news" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a title="Faith & Fellowship" href="http://www.simplemomentsstick.com/2015/07/faith-and-fellowship-blog-hop_31.html" target="_blank">Faith & Fellowship</a> | <a href="http://rebekahmhallberg.com/put-to-flight-grace-truth.html" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/">Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>7</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7853</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>