CBS is not

Sometimes after you watch a deep meaningful movie with a strong "life message", you have to debrief yourself. Movies like Eat Pray Love, or even movies like Avatar. Any kind of inspirational movie with a message. You gotta discern the good-sounding-but-slightly-wrong messages. That's what I have to do right now. Except I'm not debriefing an inspirational movie. I'm debriefing a deep conversation.

In conversations, I can pick out the heart of what is being said (usually), and transition from one topic to a similar topic, but I'm not good at thinking on my feet and being quick to discern. I tend to agree with people, but then the next day realize that I don't completely agree anymore. I'm a slow but deep thinker. So, anyway. This is for myself.

CBS is not. a clique, a fraternity. It is not "just another social group". I joined CBS so I could be in a community with other people who also love Jesus, so I could grow with them in Christ, and obey Christ together, and encourage each other in Christ.

It's about Jesus. Any Church, or Christian fellowship, or group. No matter what it seems like on the outside.

Christianity is not. a belief, a philosophy. It's not just a way of life. It's not just how you get by life. It is not "positive thinking", even though believing in God's promises and cultivating a thankful heart may involve thinking positively, or perhaps just thinking differently, keeping God in your thoughts.

So yes, we can agree with our friends on the general concept that the way you see and think about life makes a difference on your happiness. But ultimately, it is Jesus who makes that difference, and it is Jesus who changes us. We can agree with non-Christians that friends make us happy and a loving community makes us happy, but Jesus is the Spirit behind everything and who we are. The source. It's not about a philosophy of how we live or how we find enjoyment, or how any of the teachings of the bible are different from conventional wisdom and philosophies. It's not about how this Jesus way of life "works for us".

Jesus and Christianity is not this thing that "works for me".

Jesus is beautiful.

To non-believers, God is useful; to believers God is beautiful