Tuesday, January 8, 2019

BE LIKE JESUS: BE A THINKER

"God is no fonder of intellectual slackers than of any other slackers. If you are thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you you are embarking on something which is going to take the whole of you, brains and all."



~C.S. Lewis



*C. S. Lewis (2003). “A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C. S. Lewis”, p.123, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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I wrote an article in July 2018 for the Growing Deeper Roots blog titled: "The Beautiful Mind of Jesus." The article challenges the idea that being like Jesus can be reduced to showing grace to others. It also requires being a thinker and pursuing truth. I invite you to check it out.

OTHER RESOURCES:
My Class: "Love God With All Your Mind"
*This is Week 2 in my series "How to Have Confidence in Christ That Changes the World (Apologetics 101: A Cumulative Case)" which I began September 8, 2019.
*MP3 Audio (45 minutes)
*PowerPoint Slideshow: When you click on this link, you will note the option at the top to "Open with Google Slides" or you may open with MS PowerPoint or OpenOffice Impress (which is free).
*Class Handout
*I recommend opening the audio and using the PowerPoint Slideshow as you listen and/or the handout.
*The entire 16-week course may be found here: "HOW TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST THAT CHANGES THE WORLD (Apologetics 101: A Cumulative Case)"



"What Does It Mean to Love God With All of Your Mind?"
(J.P. Moreland & the One Minute Apologist: 1 1/2 minutes)

Videos
*Moreland, J.P. "What Does It Mean to Love God With All of Your Mind?" (1 1/2 minutes)
*Piper, John. "Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God" (2 minutes)
*Huff, Wesley. "Loving God With Your Mind" (34 minutes)
*Moreland, J.P. "Loving God With All Your Mind" (43 minutes)


Articles (& Book Chapters)
*Moore, Caleb. "Churches Made of Sand: Why People Are Leaving the Faith"
*Groothuis, Douglas. "Jesus: Philosopher and Apologist"
*McDowell, Josh and Sean McDowell. Evidence That Demands A Verdict (2017 edition). "Introduction" Section I., third point: "Jesus the Apologist" (Section of Book)

Books
*Groothuis, Douglas. On Jesus (Wadsworth Philosophers Series). (Book: 112 pages)
*Sire, James W. Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling.



EXTRA THOUGHTS....
*The word “disciple” (μαθητής) occurs 261 times in the Gospels. It means “a learner or pupil; one who follows the teaching of another.”

*Thinking is hard. It requires effort and therefore commitment and giving. When we use our brains to seek to understand God and his Word, it is a pleasing sacrifice to him. For the average adult in a resting state, the brain consumes about 20 percent of the body’s energy. The brain’s primary function — processing and transmitting information through electrical signals — is very, very expensive in terms of energy use.” (quote is from an online article at BrainFacts.org)