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Anyone else taking the "Radical" challenge?


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Have you read the book "Radical: Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream"? How did it impact you?

 

It has made such a huge impact on my dh and I. We have been slowly moving our lives in this direction and this book has really helped to bring it all together for us.

 

We have decided to take the author's challenge and are working toward putting all the details together.

 

What about you? Anyone else onboard?

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Can you summarize the challenge for us?

 

ETA: Oops, just saw you don't want to give it away.

 

Well, you really need to read the book to truly get it but a quick summary involves a one-year commitment to:

 

1. Pray for the whole world through the year (if you go to this website they will send an email each day about a different country/people group you can pray for and by the end of the year you will have prayed for the whole world:http://www.operationworld.org/prayer-movement-sign-up )

 

2. Read through the entire Bible in a year. This website will send you the scripture for each day right to your email: http://www.bibleplan.org/

 

3. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose (set a cap on your spending and give everything above that to someone/something for the purpose of God's glory).

 

4. Give of your time in another context (meaning outside your normal city/town/area). For us this goes together with #3 as we will spend our time and our money in a ministry here in Malaysia. This is the one we are still working out the details on but most likely it will be with a local orphanage since adoption is so close to our hearts.

 

5. Commit your life to a multiplying community. No more church shopping/hopping...no more going to church just to "receive"...commit to a group of believers and grow in Christ together. This one is the hardest for us as almost every church on the island is of the charasmatic/prosperity gospel mindset and we are not. We have gone to different churches and have yet to find a fit. So we are still trying to figure this out...maybe a home/cell group?

 

At any rate...that's the gist of it. The book explains it so much better. You can read the first chapter for free here: http://www.radicalthebook.com/resources.html

 

Be forewarned...it will challenge you! :D

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Heather - we live right down the road from David Platt's church! Have always wanted to visit, but we're too into step #5 :D

 

Thanks for the outline. I've been. . . . hesitant. . . . .to read the book, since our life is just such a mess right now I've not had any emotional energy to think about anything other than where we're at. But you know? Your brief summary is - encouraging. OK, so we can't do step #3. In fact, we're pretty much the recipient of everyone's step #3 right now.

 

But we can do everything else.

 

I'm going to encourage my dh to read it.

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I have not read that book, but one that has challenged my thinking is Crazy Love by Francis Chan. We are going to make some changes around here from what we read in there. However, because so many others are serving right now, we will wait till after the first of the year when everyone goes home. :)

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I am currently reading through the book. My DH bought it to read after seeing a clip on David Platt's online, but I got to it first:D

 

It is exactly what I've been looking for. Lately, I have questioned my faith, only in the sense that I don't think I can believe in the Bible and who Jesus is and not live a more radical, for lack of a better term "sold-out" life for Him. But when I have presented these thoughts to friends, who I love, I seem to get the response that I'm doing enough. My life is busy enough I have enough going on.

 

But how can I be busy enough to serve God?

How can I not tell everyone and seek ways to serve Him more if I believe Him to be the Savior?

Particularly for my family we have a strong urge to adopt. My DH and I are both on board, but everyone says then we won't have enough time or money for giving our current kids what they "need".

 

I'm excited to finish the book, to hear there are like minded people:)

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It is exactly what I've been looking for. Lately, I have questioned my faith, only in the sense that I don't think I can believe in the Bible and who Jesus is and not live a more radical, for lack of a better term "sold-out" life for Him. But when I have presented these thoughts to friends, who I love, I seem to get the response that I'm doing enough. My life is busy enough I have enough going on.

 

But how can I be busy enough to serve God?

How can I not tell everyone and seek ways to serve Him more if I believe Him to be the Savior?

Particularly for my family we have a strong urge to adopt. My DH and I are both on board, but everyone says then we won't have enough time or money for giving our current kids what they "need".

 

 

 

I have not read this book but we are on our second reading of George Muellers autobiography. I got the same responses from fellow Christians when I talked about how I felt challenged to "give up" more of what I have and depend on God more to provide for our daily needs as He has promised.

The big response was, "Well, God does not want everyone to give up all they own." Hmm... except we own nothing it's all God's to begin with!

The book ya'll are talking about sounds like something that would be a great follow up to the George Mueller book.

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I am currently reading through the book. My DH bought it to read after seeing a clip on David Platt's online, but I got to it first:D

 

It is exactly what I've been looking for. Lately, I have questioned my faith, only in the sense that I don't think I can believe in the Bible and who Jesus is and not live a more radical, for lack of a better term "sold-out" life for Him. But when I have presented these thoughts to friends, who I love, I seem to get the response that I'm doing enough. My life is busy enough I have enough going on.

 

But how can I be busy enough to serve God?

How can I not tell everyone and seek ways to serve Him more if I believe Him to be the Savior?

Particularly for my family we have a strong urge to adopt. My DH and I are both on board, but everyone says then we won't have enough time or money for giving our current kids what they "need".

 

I'm excited to finish the book, to hear there are like minded people:)

 

I know exactly what you mean. He makes a great point in his book about christians who say they just don't feel "called" to evangelize. But according to the Bible we are ALL "called". Dh and I have been having lots of serious discussions about big changes we will be making for 2011... praying for you and your decisions as well. Adopting two of our children has been the most amazing blessing!

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