The Christian life is one filled with joy, challenge, and risk. On this edition of Live the Promise Owen Strachan joins us to share his views on the risk-filled life of the Christian.
“The book came out of a desire to try to lift up fellow believers. [Too many Christians believe] we’ve got this big, bad, secularist culture advancing on us… it can feel like the world is too big for us. In reading the Bible I was struck afresh by just how awesome God is, and God is not cowed by the world. Jesus isn’t shivering in the corner because of Satan, because of sin. I was driven to inspire people to see God in His beauty.”
Owen shares some ways we can become “re-enchanted” with God:
• Read the Bible and seek out God’s character. Rather than being a Santa figure, or an all-powerful genie, He is all-loving, all-holy, and all-righteous. Owen explains.
“In reality, following Jesus may make your life a lot harder. There are terrible things in a world cursed by sin – following Christ doesn’t mean these things cease to happen. It means we are kept forever by God.”
• Ask God what in your life has taken His place – media, relationships, food – and make the choice to refocus your time and affection on God instead.
• In Owen’s words, “Build stuff.” Living out a risky faith means that we build churches, families, companies – not out of a sense of competition but out of a desire for the glory of God.
Owen calls us to live in the Spirit we already have.
“Christians in America tend to want a supernatural display of God’s power. We believe if we don’t hear a thunder clap from the sky, we’re not sure which job to take. Here’s the reality – God has given us His Word, His Spirit, His church – we have what we need to live a victorious Christian life.”
Owen’s book is Risky Gospel.
Key Scriptures: Isaiah 33:14; Hebrews 12:28-29; Romans 8:37
Theme Song: I Will Boast by Chris Tomlin
