There is this nice house around the corner from me.   Somewhere along the line they decided to add an addition to their house.  The addition is all framed out and ready to go.  The problem with the addition is that there is no sign that it will be finished.  The wood is all gray and dark, indicating that it has been up there for quite some time.  We have lived at our house for three years and there has been no movement on that addition.  Every time I drive by that house I think: "when is this addition ever going to be finished; did they run out of money; did they run out of energy; was there an emergency that caused them not to be able to finish it?"  Fundamentally, I see the house as incomplete and less than it is designed to be.

In Luke 15:25-33 (link to passage here) Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship.  He uses the example of a man who builds a tower, but cannot finish it because he did not count the cost of building the whole tower - essentially the tower is incomplete because of the lack of planning and commitment of the builder.  Jesus says that those who walk past will notice the incompletion of the project and wonder what happened.

Jesus' point is this - Christians need to be intentional and not only build a foundation for their discipleship, but carry it through to its fruition.  Christ followers need to remember that discipleship doesn't end with a belief in Christ - that is the basis of discipleship.  Fruits of the Spirit follow faith in Christ.

Discipleship invades every area of our lives: relationships, finances, time, attitudes, etc.  When there is an area of our life that is "incomplete" much like the tower or the house, those around us will wonder why.  Their wondering may even extend to "this person says they are a Christian (a tower), but their attitude doesn't reflect that (incomplete building)."

Today and this week, consider what areas of your life are incomplete in your walk of faith - what could be pointed at and said "that area is in shambles, it's totally incomplete."

Don't stop halfway - go all in!

Those at BRCC know that I am relentless in my insistence that people examine their media intake.  The Bible teaches us that our bodes (including our minds) are temples of the Holy Spirit (click here).  We are to protect our body as it doesn't belong to us, but to God who has redeemed it with the work of Christ on the cross.

Steve Turner has just come out with a great book on the subject - POPCULTURED.  Simply put, in the book Turner reminds us (especially Christians) that we cannot haphazardly consume culture - they have a responsibility to "watch" what they take in to protect their temple.

Here is a link to a review of the book on Christianity Today's web site - check it out!

Today I as reading a passage from Luke, 9:57-62.  The picture is basically a picture of what seriously following Jesus looks like: