See 2

Sketches 2

In order to be missional, we must engage culture through its individual domains. Practically, that means that doctors are to be doctors to the glory of God and use that position in ways which serve the kingdom. Artists are to be artists to the glory of God and use that position in ways which serve the kingdom. We are all ministers within the unique contexts of our time, place, talents, abilities, etc. - Geoff Ashley

Tough 2

When we come to the New Testament church, people often assume a switch of direction from “drawing in” to “going out.” But in fact the attractional missiology of the Old Testament continues. God’s new covenant people are to be a light to the world, attracting people to God’s reign (Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9-12). What has changed is the center! The center is no longer Jerusalem, but hundreds of small communities of light, littered across the world. We simultaneously draw in (through our community life) and move out (through church planting).

The problem with a lot of attractional churches is not their missiology, but their ecclesiology. Church is seen as a meeting. Attracting means attracting people to an event or even a performance. But biblical mission is about a community life, ordinary life, lived under God’s Word that attracts people to God.
Mark Driscoll

Sing 2

This song is good. Please watch the video and hear the music as well. The views of this church and mine may or may not be the same on everything. But I think we can all agree on this.

A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Chorus 2x
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out

Speak 1

You could be wondering why I would post a blurry picture from my wedding day. You could also wonder after reading this why I would make my first “Speak” post on marriage when I’m only 2 months into it. Over the last two months something has become very clear through reading in Ephesians, reflecting on a sermon I heard by Russell Moore, and also reading through John Pipers book “Momentary Marriage”. It seems that this picture that of Christ and the church is supposed to be slightly more accurate than I had even thought. It is by grace that am even able to have a woman that would want to live with me (God has abundantly blessed me there). With that grace being known I am to love her “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish”. This is where it gets challenging. I’m supposed to love her as Christ loved the church... and Christ loved the church knowing that it was full of people who are prone to sin. He gave his life to cover those sins which separate us from God. I am to love my wife, forgive her, wash her with the word so that she will be without blemish knowing that she is sinful like me. I am not only to love her but on top of that she is supposed to submit to me as the head of the house like Christ is to the church. How simple is it to realize that I have to be right and walking in the light for her to have anything to submit to without the whole thing collapsing? Its all so very simple and I doubt that anyone who reads this will find new knowledge here. But the picture of Christ in marriage is much stronger than any other analogy that I have ever heard. Its almost like God made it to show a picture of something...
My question to you and to me is how blurry is the picture in your marriage? If your not married, how are you killing the foxes from the vineyard in preparation for marriage? I encourage you to have a blurry picture from your wedding as a reminder of what you don’t want things to look like. If not it might be just as good to think about it.
Paul ends Ephesians 5 with “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband”.
Good stuff, hope it helps as a simple reminder.

See 1

Sketches 1

Worship is an outward expression of an inward obsession

Tough 1

"If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."
- Charles Spurgeon"

Sing 1

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Structure

Each week I will attempt to post 5 times. Because of my life consisting of working at an ad agency, helping out at church, and being a newly wed (married almost two months now) I will be posting with a structure that will be easy to blog while still being use full with my space and schedule.


Day 1 of each week will be titled “Sing”. “Sing” will be a post consisting of song lyrics and a brief explanation of the song if I know it or it is an original. Hopefully you if you know the song it will be a lyrical reminder to sing praises. If you don’t know the song then you should read it and think about. Or you could do what I tend to do and add my own tune if I don’t know it (warning this particular method, while fun, can often times mess you up during the middle of someone trying to teach you the song).


Day 2 will be titled “Tough”. This will most likely be the harder one for me to write. This will simply be hard words written by someone else other than me. Truths or something to think about, reply about, or even discuss.



Day 3 is called “Sketches”. By far this will be the post in the week that gave me the idea for blogging. Every week I will try my hardest to create Original art pieces to illustrate the blog for the week. If the art is not original I will credit the artist (send me art if you would like to be a guest blogger).


Day 4 is titled “See”. See is a video that I would like to share. The goal is to keep it short. Please let me know if they become to long. Once again these will be other peoples unless its a special occasion.


Day 5 is “Speak”. “Speak” will be the original blog post from me. This could very from week to week as to what I blog but once again I will try keeping it short. I’m new to the blog world and not sure if anyone would enjoy this very diverse assortment of short blogs. I do how that you feel free to comment or email your thoughts.

Jonathan Bean

Introduction

I find titling a blog to be a very difficult task because you have to live with that title for quite some time. So I figured I would make sure it was something very fitting to my purpose in writing. I love my job, and the coolest part about it is that people come to my company and ask us to illustrate with images what they are trying to communicate (I’m a graphic designer). In the same way I love to write. My joy in writing is to illustrate with words when a picture can’t (or would be less effective) be used.
The blog title Design 1:24 is taken from 1 Peter 1:24-25
1Peter 1
13Therefore,preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

I love this passage as it is packed full of the Truth of Christ and our redemption and finished with an illustration from Isaiah. Completed with the statement “but the word of the Lord remains forever”.
Stay tuned for periodic posts.