Seeing Jesus with Paul Miller

Paul and Liz talk with seeJesus Arab World Trainer "Mafdi" about what we can learn about discipleship from someone who lives in a country ruled by a King.
"Every believer has things in their life that are 'footwashing' – where you have to do humble tasks that someone might have shoved in your face, or they're just difficult to do and they're every day. Seeing them as something my King is asking me to do changes those tasks. And we know he told the disciples after the foot washing, 'if I, your Lord and master have washed your feet, so you are to wash one another's feet.' "
"It's an honor for me that the King is asking me to do something for him."
"If the King asks me to do something for him, I will joyfully say, 'Yes, sir.' With a big smile on my face. It's an honor for me that the King is asking me to do something for him. Like if someone asked me to help with something while I'm busy doing something for the king, I'd say. 'I'm sorry, but I'm doing so-and-so for the King.' "

Liz and Jon interview our Student Ministry Director, Robert Row, and Mid-Atlantic Coordinator, Christian Graham. "I do think the tide is turning, and there's a shift in the middle of the coming generation, in the younger half of it. I wouldn't describe them as an anxious generation anymore. I'd describe them as a generation that's bringing revival to the country, to our country. I can't speak to it necessarily around the world, but I know it's happening here."
"We have to be ready, because this generation is bringing revival in some really beautiful ways."
"It seems that evangelism has been based on how much knowledge you have, so that you can answer all the questions that come at you. But we're really training students to study God's Word by asking good questions and then to enter into these interactive studies. Jesus is the King of question-asking, and before he even says a word, you have wise men and shepherds, who come experience this Messiah laying in a manger and then go tell others."

Jon and Liz interview Jill Miller, seeJesus' Adaptive Curriculum Writer, about her new Bible study, Advent, and her children's book, Tully's Christmas Mess. You can view these new books and past advent podcasts and blog posts here.
"It was December 26, and I put the tree away after it fell down again. Paul said, 'Why are you putting the tree away? It's only the day after Christmas.' I said, 'Hon, she did what she could.' I love that verse!"
"Jesus adapted the majesty that he came from, so we can get a grip on it, a tiny grip."
"If you only know the nativity moment of the Christmas story, it is like coming in at the end of a movie - you miss all that that stuff that helps you feel the climax of the moment. But the Advent Study, as we move through Isaiah and then the story leading up to Jesus' birth, we actually have a drum roll. It starts out really soft, but as it goes through the story, it gets louder and louder when Jesus comes. Then, we have the cymbals!"

Paul, Liz, and Adam Barker, our A Praying Life Ministry Director, sat down to share ideas about how to lead a good prayer meeting -- whether an "official" meeting or any gathering of Christian friends who pray for one another.
"I watched my dad over the years leading prayer meetings. There were so many little things he did, but it seemed there were two aspects that were really key. First was the people there and what was on their hearts. The second was drawing people into the larger work of God. If you get too heavy on either side, the meeting gets unbalanced."
"A good prayer meeting brings love and prayer together: people are listening to one another before prayer and listening to one another during prayer."
"Sometimes, you have to stop and celebrate as opposed to rushing on. Being curious, remembering past requests, drawing people out. There's this huge exercise of love behind a prayer meeting, which hopefully helps the people praying learn to love too. It is just just lovely when that happens."

Paul, Jon, and Liz continue their conversation about discipleship, looking at the relationship between sin identification and beauty formation.
"Sin identification and beauty formation are mirrors of one another. The beauty of Christ, which God is by his Spirit forming in us, is where we're going. And sin is the missing of the mark right where we are."
"Beauty formation actually has an end goal: getting ready for heaven."
"We are his workmanship. Our salvation begins this process of God working in us the beauty of Christ. He's the artist working on us, and the result is that we then become artists ourselves."