hey it’s me, yes, I’m idealistic say some people.. :S WELL… i just listened to Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill on ‘Temptation from Worldliness’ (tks abi!) So.. here we go… with some of my honest thoughts behind.. ",

1 Peter 2:4-12
The Living Stone and a Chosen People

5 Points.

1. Our Cornerstone
     -Who is Jesus? Peter asks us to see Him as our Chief Cornerstone
     -Upon which we lay all other stones.. other things in our lives
Are there areas in our lives, e.g. relationships, we need to completely unstack the bricks, lay down the chief cornerstone, Jesus, and REstack the other bricks?

2. Our Identity
     -Who are we? Jesus’! We didn’t choose God, God chose us!
     -v9. We are a chosen people, people belonging to God, to declare His praises!
     -Jesus, who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!

3. Our Worship
     -What is our life? -An act of worship!
     -v5. we are being built into a spiritual house…holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices!

4. Our Community
     -v10 5. Our Mission
     -v11-12
     -Live counter-cultural lives..
Abstain from fleshly temtations, as ‘aliens and strangers’ in the world.. sinful desires war against our souls.. Do everything differently! Keep our conduct honorable!

There are 2 extremes of religious people: Religious fundamentalists & Religious liberals. The cornerstone for the fundamentalists may well be: Tolerance, judgementalism, arrogance, self-righteousness. The cornestone for the liberals may well be: Tolerance, diversity, acceptance.

Both need Jesus. We need people in going the 3rd way! Love Jesus. Love the liberals, reject sin, love the religious fundamentalists, reject ‘religion’.

AND… finally, some thoughts…

Something we all can think about… WELL.. Why does it matter? Don’t waste your life, and ‘fit in the Jesus brick or slot it wherever you can in your life! With Jesus as your cornerstone, build everything else upon it! I’ve always thought of giving my life to something that really counts, that lives on after I go! SOmething that really matters!

Is there a lack of urgency? Get back to basics! Is Jesus your cornerstone.. is your life, work, marriage, work, relationships, LEGACY built on Him? In these areas, do we need to unstack, relay the Cornerstone, and re-stack?

Ah… so fully and earnestly believe in that… Don’t we all struggle between idealism and realism? I do, all the time! Some would know… But I pray He’d give me an ambition… and I’d live heavily on that cornerstone, knowing that He can take that load! Pp ask me what i wanna do with my life! Do I really wanna be practical? I don’t think I’ll be satisfied walking through this life phase after phase… mudane… money, work, money… getting the highly coveted pay check and job.. i dunnoo… so meaningless.. meaningless, everything is meaningless (Ecclesiastes) haha! Until I can find a clear purpose and meaning in that.. I’ll not be satisfied… how can i be??

Am i jaded? I don’t htink so… I’m just being realistic, looking forward to the end of this race..what really matters?

I tell people, when they ask me: So, what do you wanna do in this life? ie, after I grad lah… I’d say… I want to do sth different! They will stare… but i’m dead serious… what exactly? I can’t say for sure.. but something that… counts…i’m still searching.. i’m not wasting this life as Mark Driscoll would say..

Then again, dear friends, do i make sense? too ideal? for all we know, you might see me say 10 years down the road… living realistically, in the eyes of the world… mag, get back down to earth huh!

Christ in me, the hope of glory..