Catalyst Conference 2011 – Dr. Cornel West

Dr. Cornel West, professor, civil rights activist, socialist, and actor (Matrix) spoke at Catalyst.  I’m not a Cornel West fan as it pertains to his political ideology.  I’m not really into socialism.  HOWEVER, Dr. West absolutely captivating in his interview.  He is an effective communicator with some really great things to say.  Two ideas stood out so loudly that they are the only two things I want to share here:

————

1. “I am a Christian with gangster proclivities.” I used to do those things. Now I don’t…but, I still wrestle with it.

2. “A hatred for Xenophobia isn’t the same as love for everyday people.”

————

Maybe, it’s just me.  But, I find it easy to be “against.” It’s much more challenging to be “for.”  God is not satisfied with us being against injustice. He wants us to love.  It caused me to think about how Jesus overturned the money changers in the Temple.  He was against their actions.  But, he did not cause them irrecoverable loss.  While Jesus was against their actions, He was also for their recovery and redemption.

Therein lies the beauty of the revolutionary Jesus.  He not only rises up against.  But, He is so FOR that He lays down His life for the very ones who killed Him.  It’s for that reason that Christianity went viral, unstoppable…a movement of against would’ve never made it past the first century.

Catalyst Conference 2011 – Mark Driscoll Takeaways

Mark Driscoll, lead pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA has had a profound impact on me and a number of other young pastors.  While I don’t agree with him on everything (He’s reformed. I’m more Armenian. He’s Complimentarian. I’m not), I respect and am encouraged by his passion for Jesus, the Scriptures, cities, and Gospel mission.

I thoroughly enjoyed his talk about Fear at Catalyst.  My takeaways:

• 40 is the new 80. I’m tired, people!
• Stress manifest in the body…he’s blown out his adrenal glands twice due to stress.
• Luke 12:25
• Fear isn’t always a sin. But, it is an opportunity for sin.
• When you fear someone, you cannot love them.
• We let people take the place of God as a sort of a functional god.
• Prov 25:29
• Who has too much influence on your emotional well-being?
• Is your appetite for praise consuming you?
• Are you committed to people and things that God didn’t call you to?
• You may be very busy but not very holy.
• Fear is vision without hope.
• Fear is not always rational but it is very powerful.
• Fear preaches a false Gospel.
• Fear turns us all into false prophets.
• We predict a future that isn’t coming.
• WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO FEAR? -> The Bible says, “Fear not. I am present with you.”
• Others who struggled with fear? Adam in Gen 3, Abraham in Gen 15, Isaac in Gen 26, Jacob in Gen 28, Moses in Exodus 34, Elijah in 2 Kings 1, David in the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23), Jacob in Isaiah 41, Jeremiah, the weeping prophet im Jeremiah 1, Daniel 9, Haggai 2, Mary (pregnant) in Luke 1, the women at the tomb in Matthew 28…to all of these people, God said, “Fear not, I am with you!”