DRIVE

A great primary indicator of a person’s heart is whether or not he is aware of the driving forces God has placed deep within him. As my heart continues to become more fully alive with Him, I find myself living into, and then out of, three driving forces.

DRIVE ONE:  ART IS GOD’S DOORWAY

The Bride of Christ is beautiful. But the world doesn’t see her as the beauty we know her to be. Her beauty will not be experienced with a more persuasive Christian argument. Nor will it be seen by candy-coating the Kingdom message of Jesus, making it more “nice”. And her true beauty will most definitely not be seen if the political Right effectively “defends” itself from the political Left.

The Bride of Christ will be experienced by the world, in all of her radiant beauty, as artists (i.e. filmmakers, pastors, Christian businessmen, bloggers, authors, graphic designers, screenplay writers, and Christian philanthropists) present the Bride with the true beauty she ALREADY possesses. The way you and I live out the other six days of the week, banded together with the gracious environment we create around us, possess an invitation for the blessed unchurched to gaze.

DRIVE TWO: CLEAN WATER FOR EVERY HUMAN

I am deeply concerned with clean water initiatives in Third World countries. We cannot ever win the war on HIV without clean water. People will never learn how to function hygienically without clean water. Corrupt political systems may even come tumbling down as clean water options are introduced into their countries.

In October 2009, I traveled with a group of 8 friends to El Salvador.  While there, we partnered with Living Water International to dig a clean water well in a remote village.  It was life changing for me, for my friends, and (most importantly) for the village just outside of San Salvador.  I cut together a 2 1/2 minute video of the event here.

In addition, my partners and I (at Floodgate Productions) have produced a DVD Volume called “The Quench Project”. All proceeds of its sale go to Living Water International. The layers of this project are thick with ministry partners and volunteers. To read more, please visit the website.

DRIVE THREE:  DAILY GRACE IS RECEIVED, THEN GIVEN

Grace is something beautiful that God gives us. But for so much of my life, His grace has stopped with me. I continue to realize that His grace is something that only really works when I give it away to people. Grace is the absence of judgment. It’s the gift of allowing people in my life to look at me and say “no”. Grace doesn’t question a person’s motives, but trusts in that person’s goodness. Grace sees the simple beauty that legalism makes invisible. Grace drops the stone and walks away.