After Deconstruction, What Remains?

After Deconstruction, What Remains?

Garrett Jones

Some of us may feel like the bastion of certainty that used to be our faith is now riddled with bullet holes. Few walls remain standing. Some may feel that their spiritual life has suffered so many body slams, they aren’t sure if there is any pulse remaining. I read a poignant confession from someone who misses Jesus like she misses an ex. She misses the comfort in knowing that sweet Jesus is with her and looking out for her. She misses praying the prayers that she now no longer believes to be valid prayers. Her confession of post-deconstruction loneliness mirrors the feelings of a widow yearning for a lost lover, or of an amputee having ghost feelings in a lost limb.

Becoming Royalty: A Story of Invitation, Forgiveness, Adoption, and Commission

Becoming Royalty: A Story of Invitation, Forgiveness, Adoption, and Commission

Garrett Jones
Catharsis: Predestination

There once was a king who wanted to throw a party. He prepared the finest food and drink and adorned the palace with lavish decorations. But more shocking than all of the extravagance were the unprecedented surprises he planned unveil at the feast. Unknown to the attendees, the king prepared three envelopes for every invitee. The first was a cancellation of all financial and legal debts. The second was a certificate of adoption, giving any person the right to become a son or daughter of the king. The third was the most scandalous of all. It contained a deed of co-ownership of the kingdom and a royal edict to share all authority with the king. Nothing like this had ever been done.

Inclusiveness—Not Chosenness—is the theme of the New Testament.

Inclusiveness—Not Chosenness—is the theme of the New Testament.

Garrett Jones
Catharsis: Predestination

At first glance, Romans 8:29,30 seems to say, “God first chose you to be conformed to the image of Christ, then he called you, then he made you righteous and then he glorified you.” Chosen, called, saved, glorified—in that order—for each individual person. So, this proves that if Joe was not first chosen, then he cannot be called, saved and glorified. Right? Not quite.

"All who were appointed for eternal life." If not predestination, what then?

"All who were appointed for eternal life." If not predestination, what then?

Garrett Jones
Catharsis: Predestination

Some use the phrase, “all who were appointed for eternal life believed,” from Acts 13:48 as proof of predestination. I hope to show you, that’s not what Acts 13 is saying. Contrary to the way the phrase reads in the NIV, this passage is not suggesting that only individuals who had been chosen by God beforehand can believe. We must remember that the biggest and most culturally disruptive revelation of the New Testament is inclusiveness.

"Many called, few chosen." If not predestination, what then?

"Many called, few chosen." If not predestination, what then?

Garrett Jones
Catharsis: Predestination

Invitations go out first to the few and then to the many. In the first story, the reward is the wages; in the second, the reward is the banquet itself. Both stories  seem to focus on people freely choosing or refusing an invitation. So, why would Jesus conclude, “many are invited to be saved, but only few are chosen to be saved?” He wouldn’t. Because, that  isn’t the point of these stories.

A Free-Will Theist's Take on Predestination

A Free-Will Theist's Take on Predestination

Garrett Jones

Predestination is the idea that God chooses who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell regardless of any human merit, effort or virtue. Calvinism teaches that God must regenerate an individual before she is converted. In other words, before a person can desire to come to Christ and thus truly be saved, her desires must be changed first. And desiring God itself is a gift from God. For a person to really want Christ in their heart, their heart must first be changed to want Christ. (Confused yet?)

Lessons on God from Fathering Children

Lessons on God from Fathering Children

Garrett Jones

These are mediations on God’s Fatherhood. Each meant to complete the sentence: As a Good Father, God….(#2: …Is a Generous giver. A father wants to give to his kids. He can’t stop it. Yesterday’s gifts aren’t enough for a good father. There are always new things to give.

Are you a Staid Believer or a Frayed Be-Leave-er? Join the Renovation, Part 1

Are you a Staid Believer or a Frayed Be-Leave-er? Join the Renovation, Part 1

Garrett Jones
Join the Renovation

God is Renovating the Church. He is Refining his Bride. This is a time to embrace change, not refuse it. A growing number of people identify themselves as those who “love Jesus, but not the church.” Hashtags declare #EmptyThePews and #Exvangelical. Statistics show a drastic decline in church attendance in North America. This is troubling for church leaders, who consider this mass exodus a moral crisis for faith and for Christianity. This series of blog posts (I don’t know how many it will be, yet) will address why church as an institution seems to be dying in the West and why church (as a collection of people) is booming in the Global South and East. What sort of DNA…

Did Jesus leave his weapons behind Hacksaw-Ridge-style?

Did Jesus leave his weapons behind Hacksaw-Ridge-style?

Garrett Jones

We have this beautiful poem in the New Testament—the Kenosis Hymn—to invite us into the same “Aha moment” that the early church celebrated and commemorated. This “Aha” will change the way you see everything. It will redefine strength and godlikeness. It will become a flaming example of humility that burns away all pride and fear of smallness…

It All Starts with How You See the End (Embracing a Hopeful Eschatology)

It All Starts with How You See the End (Embracing a Hopeful Eschatology)

Garrett Jones

I grew up in a tradition that generally believed that the world was getting worse. The idea was in the atmosphere. It was also explicitly taught as coming from the Bible. There would be teaching series from the pulpit on Bible prophecy and what to expect for the future. It was always pretty negative. And depending on whether you believed in a pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or post-tribulation rapture, you would have varying levels of anxiety regarding your future. But rarely ever hope. 

Get This One Thing and Fear Will Stop Sabotaging Your Dreams.

Get This One Thing and Fear Will Stop Sabotaging Your Dreams.

Garrett Jones

This is so foundational to the way the universe works that even if you don't know that God sees you and has real affection for you, when you operate with this, doors will open. Things will happen. Resources will flow toward you. Opportunities will greet you. There are countless stories floating out there proving this principle.

We Are One. A Declarative Poem of Corporate Identity.

We Are One. A Declarative Poem of Corporate Identity.

Garrett Jones

...We are the wisdom of Solomon.
We are the heart of David.
We are the faith of Abraham.
We are the fear of Isaac.
We are the courage of Deborah.
We are Jonathan’s armor-bearer.
We are the strength of Samson.
We are the favored ones.
We are the mantle of Elijah.
We are the many-colored coat of Joseph.
We are the staff of Moses.
We are Joseph’s best dream.
We are the light of the world.
We Are One...

This is why I came to Jesus. It may surprise you.

This is why I came to Jesus. It may surprise you.

Garrett Jones

And then I saw it. And it seared an image into my soul that persists to this day. It awakened a hunger I did not know was possible or even permissible. Three rows in front of me, two of these seniors—two eighteen-year-old guys who appeared to be tough, masculine, strong and confident—had their arms around each other. One leaned his head on the shoulder of the other. I lost my breath. My eyes welled up with tears. I knew…at that moment…

For Sale: Used Tombstone. Huge Discount. Proven Defective.

For Sale: Used Tombstone. Huge Discount. Proven Defective.

Garrett Jones

No one had precedent or capacity to expect the resurrection. But it happened. And now that one event re-defines everything (power, love, freedom), speaks to everything (ego, insecurity, sin, woundedness) and calls us upward into the kind of people we are meant to be (hope-filled, dreamers, servants, lovers). If death can be undone, if the greatest glory can emerge from the ashes of the hugest defeat, then how are we to look at our light and momentary problems? Grieve them? Definitely. And then wait five minutes, “Lazarus, come out!” Or three days, “He is not here; he has risen.” Grief will be dissolved away by the breakthrough of resurrection that follows. All tears will be turned into laughter. All mourning into dancing.

Stop Living as a Judge. Enjoy Life Like an Artist.

Stop Living as a Judge. Enjoy Life Like an Artist.

Garrett Jones

Don't live one more day as a judge. Get drunk with the abundance of divine love. Wield the paintbrush and the eye of an artist. Swing the quill with the playfulness of a poet. Combine passion and oration to stir the souls of men, women and children. Be free to be playful or serious when the rhythm of love demand either. We don’t play the flute or sing the dirge for Love to respond. It’s the other way around. 

The Key to Good Parenting: Know You Are Loved (On Parenting, Part 2)

The Key to Good Parenting: Know You Are Loved (On Parenting, Part 2)

Garrett Jones

How do we reflect God’s character at home with our kids? How do we continue to bear fruit of the Holy Spirit that our kids have the privilege of eating? (By they way, all fruit have seeds. When you bear the fruit, seeds get left behind for more of the same fruit.) Could it be that the best kind of responsibility flows from being loved?—and not from being yelled at? Can we really use gentleness to fight fire? Is it really possible to quell rebellion with patience and grace instead of anger? I believe this is where the gospel—the real-life example of love on display even to the uttermost—has something to say to how we parent.

Telling your child this is scary but so rewarding. (On Parenting, Part 1)

Telling your child this is scary but so rewarding. (On Parenting, Part 1)

Garrett Jones

I remember the beginning of the unraveling. It was a few years ago when our oldest was four. She wanted a banana at bedtime. I said no. Back in those days, I was of the opinion that if I had said “no” it was unchangeable. “The father hath spoken the irrevocable NO.” But four year olds don’t get that, so she kept asking for a banana. Using my brilliant parenting logic, and channeling the spirits of my parents and their parents and hundreds of generations of parents down the line, I said...

The "Rod of Iron" loosens its grip on Jesus.

The "Rod of Iron" loosens its grip on Jesus.

Garrett Jones

Have you ever heard that when Jesus returns, he’ll rule the nations with a rod of iron? What image comes to mind? If you’re like me, a picture of muscly Rambo-Jesus crushing rebellion with a heavy fist is somehow the first picture that pops up. Funny. But not so funny. Because it’s not true.

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