A Template for Life
The Beauty and Expectations of John 3:16
by
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The literature on church growth is rich on models and concepts on how to grow the church numerically, but offers little or no guidance on how to harness the numerical growth as a mighty army into a force for spiritual and social transformation, especially in the two-thirds world where the separation of church and state is, right or wrong, taken literally. Then there is the literature on social transformation and political activism in the tradition of liberation theology which is rich in cultural and prophetic mandate theologizing, but with little emphasis on personal faith commitment, spirituality and piety. This book is written to fill the void, an inadvertent vacuum created by unnecessary polarization of the Christian faith. The aim is to offer an alternative that serves as bridge to a holistic Christian living based on the expressed and implied beauty and expectations of John 3:16; 10:10 and existential narratives throughout the scriptures. Far too many godly people are not happy with their life here on earth. Rather than praying and, as they felt led, do something about their life circumstances, they settle for a pathetic living here on earth, while simply waiting and hoping for the life to come. They reason that the earthly life here hasn’t been fair to them and conclude that they’ve missed out here on earth and hope they will not miss out on heaven. They’ll do whatever they possibly can to avoid committing any humanly known sins and eschew all vices. They spend most of their time in worship center and very much given up on the world which, they conclude, has given up on them. They live their live in isolation and self segregation. Then there are the godly people on the other extreme end of the spectrum who have partied for far too long as on-again-off-again believers. They sort of take life as it comes with a philosophy of no plan, no goal, and no problem. While there probably is nothing overly wrong with these and other approaches to godly living, there is however more to godliness than a zero sum game. Far too many godly people have started the godly walk quite well but only to fizzle overtime due in part to living a zero sum godly life. It is not enough to live on the edge by just barely staying out of trouble, rather than leading a life that is a salt to the earth and a light to the world. As Jesus puts it, this is the work of the enemy who is not a good shepherd. The goal of the enemy is to keep people and their ungodly deeds in the dark for as long as possible. But Jesus came so that you might have light and life. He wants you to lead a godly life in the light of the scriptures so that people will see your good works and praise your father in heaven. So when you are under stress, always remember that God loves you, believes in you, and want you to have life. God wants you to flourish spiritually, socially, economically and politically, and not fizzle as many have throughout the scriptures and history. The purpose of this book has been to provide you with a personal reflection on the scriptures. The book has pointed you in a direction that recognizes God’s love for you, his faith in you and his desire for you that you should not perish but have everlasting life. The book calls for your commitment to you at least as much as God does. From that commitment flow a derivative love, a derivative faith and a derivative life that are enriching to you as well as compel you to love God and your neighbors as much as you love you. Such a godly life reflects an abundant life to which Jesus invites you to partake in. The book explored the dimensions of a holistic godly life lived to the full in the area of spiritual life, social life, economic life, and political life. With life lived according to the beauty and expectations of John 3:16, your life can only be busy and not bored. It is a template for life, now and forever. I hope you have found the book uplifting as much as I was uplifted in writing it. If not, I’d like to hear from you how the contents of the book can be improved upon. The goal of the book will have been accomplished if your spirit has been lifted so that you can reach your full potential in living a godly life to the full as God intended for you. To that end, may glory and honor and praise be to God, Almighty!
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About the Book
Perhaps due to my age—or maybe due to my everyday effort to raise my children—I began to realize the beauty and expectations of the verse John 3:16. Of course, I have always counted myself fortunate to be a Christian through the work of missionaries in the village where I grew up. I know God loves me and cares for me. But it had never really occurred to me how great that love is—how much I mean to him. He actually wishes more for me than I could ever truly imagine. My everyday walks and talks with children, personally and professionally, have opened a tiny window into the depth and scope of how much God loves me and wishes for me and for all Christians. A primary purpose of this book is to share the lessons learned in those walks and talks.
About the Author
Sunday A Aigbe is a product of missionaries—from his upbringing in an African village to his college and graduate education in Africa and the United States. He worked with missionaries in Africa and the United States before his career in both public services and the private sector in Colorado and now in Washington, DC. He received his PhD from the Fuller School of Intercultural Studies, and he earned his MPA degree from the University of Colorado Denver: School of Public Affairs. Sunday and his wife, Doris, live in Bowie, Maryland. They have three grown-up children.