Integrated Faith:

1

• Integrated Faith
• making a difference in the real world
• Jon Kuhrt, Livability Community Mission
• St Stephens Twickenham, May 2009

2
Who has been the best witness to Christianity?
3
Dis-integrated faith?

• Todays disillusionment (especially within the
  church) about Christianity that is disconnected,
  disengaged faith that makes no real difference
  in the real world
• What difference does faith make to how we live?
  How we spend our time, our money, relate to our
  neighbours, our political commitments?
• How the church relates to its community is it
  just large building into which people disappear
  once a week, what would be effect on your
  community?

4

• The greatest cause of atheism is Christians who
  acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out
  the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That
  is what an unbelieving world simply finds
  unbelievable.
• Brennan Manning

5
Material Poverty
Poverty of identity
Poverty of relationships
6
Lily Allen The Fear
And I am a weapon of massive consumptionAnd its
not my fault its how Im programmed to
functionIll look at the sun and Ill look in
the mirrorIm on the right track yeah we're on
to a winner Forget about guns and forget
ammunitionCause Im killing them all on my own
little missionNow Im not a saint but Im not a
sinnerNow everything's cool as long as Im
gettin thinner
I want to be rich and I want lots of moneyI
dont care about clever I dont care about
funnyI want loads of clothes and I want loads of
diamondsI heard people die while they are trying
to find themAnd Ill take my clothes off and it
will be shamelessCuz everyone knows thats how
you get famousIll look at the sun and Ill look
in the mirrorIm on the right track yeah Im on
to a winnerChorusI dont know whats right
and whats real anymoreI dont know how Im
meant to feel anymoreWhen do you think it will
all become clear?Cuz Im being taken over by
The FearLifes about film stars and less about
mothers Its all about fast cars concussing each
otherBut it doesnt matter cause Im packing
plasticand thats what makes my life so
fantastic
7

• People of Hope
• Instead of being people of the Fear how can we
  be people of hope?
• 1 Timothy 617-19
• Command those who are rich in this present
  world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in
  wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their
  hope in God, who richly provides us with
  everything for our enjoyment.
• Command them to do good, to be rich in good
  deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
  In this way they will lay up treasure for
  themselves as a firm foundation for the coming
  age, so that they may take hold of the life that
  is truly life.

8

• A recipe for hope
• Reject arrogance and hope in money
• Acknowledge God is the source of everything
• Be rich in good deeds, generous, willing to share
• Building a firm foundation for the age that is
  come

9
Conclusion

• Clip of Shane Claibourne speaking from the Square
  Mile course DVD info www.communitymission.org.uk/r
  esources/courses/default.aspx
• Making a difference in the real world is being a
  great witness to Christ like the well known
  people we spoke about earlier.
• We can show that the way of Jesus is not just
  right (the world is full of people telling others
  they are right) but that the way of Jesus is
  real. No one can argue with a changed life.
• Actions show that our faith is real - but not
  simply that we are nice people but that we show
  what God has done, what he is doing and what he
  will do.