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Book Review - "Surprise the World" written by Michael Frost |
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First thoughts...
This book written in 2016 has been highly acclaimed and distributed all over the world... Michael suggests on page 1 of his book that the biblical model for all of us is to be evangelistic missionaries in our own neighborhoods... later in the book he suggests some people are evangelists; some are needed to support evangelists
by prayer; and that both types are needed... then later in the book he suggests 5 traits that ALL Christians should devote themselves to doing!
Read more about his book below. |
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Biblical references... Ephesians 4:11... "--- some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers." Colossians 4:2-6... "Devote yourselves to prayer, ------ that I may make it clear in the way that I ought to proclaim it. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." 1st Peter 4:10-11... "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen." Romans 12:6-8... "However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." 1st Corinthians 7:7... "Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each has his own gift from God, one in this way, and another in that." |
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Discussion thoughts...
Paul clearly states in
Ephesians 4:11 that
some are apostles, some prophets, etc. and in
Colossians 4:2-6 he
specifically states to pray for him and how Christians must conduct themselves
with others.
1st Corinthians 7:7
also points out that each person has his own gift.
1st Peter 4:10-11 is explicit that God provides a
"great variety" of spiritual gifts and Romans 12:6-8 states "we have gifts that
differ... and that each of us is to use them properly"! |
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Here are the 5 traits that Michael suggests: 1 - BLESS... I will bless three people this week, at least one of whom is not a member of our church. 2 - EAT... I will eat with three people this week, at least one of whom is not a member of our church. 3 - LISTEN... I will spend at least one period of the week listening for the Spirit's voice. 4 - LEARN... I will spend at least one period of the week learning about Christ. 5 - SENT... I will journal throughout the week about all the ways I alerted others to the uni- versal reign of God through Christ. |
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My Beliefs... no one would suggest that the 5 traits mentioned are bad ideas...
they are all good ideas! The problem I have with the book is "forcing" people to bless three people each week and eat with three people each week... for many reasons this may not be possible every
week (eating with 3 during the Covid crisis might not be a good idea). Setting an arbitrary number of "3" will cause people to drop the program entirely or cause them to feel despondent (or inadequate, or
discouraged, or dejected, or downcast, or possibly suicidal). Traits 3 and
4 are excellent ideas!!! Trait 5 is "forcing" everyone to be an
evangelist... Apostle Paul clearly states that not everyone is to be an
evangelist (this can lead to the same problem as described about traits 1 and
2... and if they forgot to write something down last Tuesday does that make them
a bad person)! |
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Rather than "forcing"
things to happen... my philosophy is the old adage "do what you can, as much as
you can, when you can"... in that regard, listed below are traits that fit that
"adage". |
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Rather than the "books" 5
Traits... I would suggest the following 4 Traits: 1. Keep the Bible commandments 2. Study the Bible 3. Listen for the Spirit's voice 4. The "other" traits listed below are "acts of kindness"... do as many as you can!!! (doing these "acts of kindness" are sometimes called "stepping out of the box"...) |
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1. Bless (compliment) someone 2. Eat with someone 3. Keep your promises 4. Always say "Thank You" 5. "Forgive" - do not hold a grudge 6. Bake a batch of cookies for someone 7. Volunteer at a homeless shelter 8. Volunteer at a food pantry 9. Do a 5K for a good cause 10. Help at an animal shelter 11. Pick up litter 12. Let someone go in front of you in line 13. Give a stranger a compliment 14. Make dinner for a family in need 15. Insert coin in a parking meter that is about to expire 16. Leave money on a vending machine for someone 17. Leave post-it note of encour- agement on someone's car... like "tomorrow will be a better day!" 18. Buy flowers to hand out on the street 19. Buy a movie ticket for the person behind you 20. Pay for someone's meal at a restaurant 21. Write letter to a soldier 22. Donate Christmas gift to an orphanage 23. Participate in a fundraiser 24. Donate to a charity 25. Hold open a door for someone 26. Thank a teacher 27. Donate to Salvation Army 28. Help a "senior citizen" carry their groceries 29. Shovel snow off a neighbors driveway 30. Walk a neighbors dog 31. Baby-sit for free 32. Plant a tree 33. Do a favor for someone 34. Take someone new to town to a tour of the area 35. Buy an ice cream cone for a child 36. Learn to say "hello" to people in different languages 37. Prepare a meal for your family 38. Pay a stranger's library fees 39. Send a valentine card 40. Hand out drinks to people on hot days 41. Send a letter to a good friend instead of a "text" 42. Take donuts to someone 43. Help a child cross the street 44. Help a "senior" cross the street 45. Water a neighbors lawn 46. Water a neighbors flowers 47. Snap a photo of a couple 48. Give someone a gift card that you do not plan to use |
49. Wash someone's car 50. Read story time at a library 51. Plan a surprise party for someone 52. Plan a concert at a retirement home 53. Help do chores at a farm 54. Save "pop tabs" for a fund raiser 55. Leave waiter a generous tip 56. Mentor a younger child 57. Spend time with your grand- parents 58. Make breakfast in bed for a family member 59. Hold the elevator for someone 60. Pay for someone's dry cleaning 61. Pay for someone's layaway 62. Pack someone a lunch for a day 63. Write encouragement note on a napkin 64. Do chores for someone without them asking 65. Offer to take a shopper's cart to the cart corral 66. Help someone with a flat tire 67. Let someone else what to pick to watch on TV 68. Send package to a soldier overseas 69. Rake leaves for your neighbor 70. Mow neighbor's lawn 71. Take a day to not complain about anything 72. Write a list of things you adore about a friend 73. Pay for someone's morning coffee 74. Participate in Pack-A-Backpack for a child 75. Instead of posting negativity on-line, spread encouragement 76. Post favorite bible verse on a bulletin board 77. Give your seat on a bus to another person 78. Pay for someone's bus fare 79. Offer someone your pen 80. Lend a friend a favorite book 81. Lend a friend a favorite movie 82. Recommend your favorite book to someone 83. Recommend your favorite movie to someone 84. Take someone out and play in the rain 85. Make hot chocolate for your family on a cold day 86. Take time to appreciate the sunrise 87. Take time to appreciate the sunset 88. Write someone an encour- aging poem 89. Send coloring books to sick kids in hospitals 90. Celebrate your own best friends appreciation day 91. Help tutor a struggling student 92. Pay for student's lunch 93. Give a friend a ride home |
94. Take time to listen to someone 95. Recycle things you see on the road or street 96. Help sick animal find a home 97. Make someone a home- made blanket 98. Make someone a home- made scarf 99. Feed birds in the park 100. Leave change at a wishing fountain 101. Help out a janitor at school 102. Donate your hair after a haircut 103. Give your umbrella to a stranger 104. Volunteer to work overtime at your job 105. Ride your bike to work 106. Walk to work 107. Give a compliment to a friend 108. Buy your waitress dessert 109. Wash a neighbor's dog for free 110. Buy groceries for the person behind you 111. Reconnect with old friends 112. Hide money in random places for strangers to find 113. Be king to yourself 114. Just be nice! 115. Make others a priority 116. Check on someone's well- being 117. Visit someone you have not seen in a long time 118. Listen when someone talks 119. Show empathy 120. Point out the positive in a situation 121. Promote someone's skills 122. Help someone with a house repair project 123. Do you have a skill that you can help someone 124. Provide advice if asked 125. Tell someone that they do matter 126. Teach someone a new skill 127. Show interest in someone by asking questions 128. Be honest 129. Be accountable... admit mistakes 130. Stand for something 131. Send a Thank You Note to to someone 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. You get the idea... add some of your own "acts of kindness" |
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Send us an Email telling about the "acts of kindness" that you have done... we will publish your list on this website (without your name... using your initials only)... and tell us "acts of kindness" not on the list so we can add to the list. Revised 5-2-21 (added 1st Peter 4:10-11). |
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[Return
to home page to see the list of other questions discussed] |
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