A handful of different encounters have got me thinking about the next level of Christian Blogging.
- In an email conversation I had with Ron, we mentioned it being an hour for Christians to take authority from the Word and become a Voice of truth and conviction. Not too sure if there’s such a thing as Apostolic Blogging but I want to reach for it and take a bunch of bloggers with me.
- Ben has talked about wanting to make the 9rules religious community a quality place for discussion.
- When talking with Dave Sliker the other day we mentioned how Josh Hawkins should start blogging because he has a message.
- Have you seen Ian’s Blog? It’s a daily commentary on the New Testament.
- And here’s Steph. She’s a blogger who wants to take the word you read on her site to fan the flame of passion in your heart for God.
All this has my mind thinking over the issue of being a messenger. Has the thought ever crossed your mind that the Lord has given you a stewardship with your blog? A stewardship with your readership.
You Have a Voice
The Lord has given you something to say. He has put the Word in your heart. What if one of the mediums for you to share your faith is through your blog?
An earlier conversation on this blog touched the topic of prophetic speech. If we will speak encouragement and truth on our blog we are already tapping into the prophetic testimony of Jesus. And that is just a starting point.
I think the Lord has given many of you an audience on your blog and you have an invitation to steward them. To speak the revelation that He has put in your heart.
Prophetic Messengers
99% of the church that is called to share the gospel, and teach the Bible are not preachers. You have an invitation from God to teach the Word to believers and unbelievers. Even though you don’t work on Sunday from behind a pulpit you can still proclaim Truth.
Why not use technology and one of the largest growing communities on the planet to our advantage?
You have a voice. You have something to say. You are called to be a messenger, and the planet needs some people to wake it up.
The Challenge
Find your voice. Speak truth. Be a Matthew 5:19 messenger. Be one who does the commandments and helps and teaches others to do the same.
Take your blog to it’s next level.
Ben Hailstone said:
Dude this is a sweet challenge.Oh yeah check out my site and see who I got to vote for me.
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Stephanie said:
Shawn, I am so with you on blogging being a mode to enlighten others with Christ. The only problem I have with this post, is you did not mention one woman in your list of people blogging about spiritual matters. I think women need to step up to the plate and start writing the truth about what it means to be a female in America and striving to live devoted for one man: Christ Jesus. Anyways, I hope you take more than just the “guys” with Apostolic Blogging and I also hope that more women will begin to use a blog to communicate truth. (ok, I’m getting off my soapbox now)
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Abby said:
I agree, Josh Hawkins should blog, he always has the best replies in the OneThing discussion forums.
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Ronalfy said:
@Stephanie,
It would be awesome if a woman was blogging about Christian matters. Women bring a unique perspective to just about anything.
@Shawn,
I do try to write about Christian things on my blog, but the ones I do write are anything but Apostolic. Perhaps you can give an example of a good Apostolic post?
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Shawn said:
@Stephanie: I meant it to be a universal challenge, not guys only. I really like what you had to say. Thanks for calling me out to edit though.
@Ron: I could give you an example of what I think an apostolic post would contain:
The idea about apostolic blogging is that we as Christians grow in our walk with God and use our blogs to voice the truths the Lord is writing on our hearts. It’s the Holy Spirit that makes it Aposotlic.
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Ronalfy said:
Sounds like a good idea for a group blog.
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Scott said:
Yeah, and it was somewhat of a wake-up call. I didn’t start my blog with any sort of goal in mind, but rather through “speak[ing] the revelation that He has put in [my] heart” it grew into something beyond my intentions. I still enjoy blogging, but there’s also a certain level of reluctant responsibility I feel about it.
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 9:50 pm
The other Andy said:
Great post, great post. Definitely made me think about some things.
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Shawn said:
@Scott: You say you didn’t start you blog with any sort of goal in mind…
…I’ve heard many people say that we rarely start a prayer meeting or a worship service already in the Spirit. We start in the flesh. But by having an open heart and perseverence we are able to connect with God.
Posted on January 9, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Scott said:
@Shawn: Good analogy. I see no reason why we ought not to see blogs as a stewardship opportunity, especially if we’re coming at it from an “all of life redeemed” perspective. My reluctant responsibility came from the realization that the blog was more public and had a further reach and impact than I anticipated. Because of this, I realized that have to be more intentional and careful of what you say.
One other aspect of blogging that I’ve thought about is that you’re putting yourself out there in print to be read, analyzed, engaged in debate, etc…thus, you are bound to be criticized for both good reasons and bad. There’s a certain sacrificial/dying-to-self thing going on with all of that.
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 8:54 am
C. Wess Daniels said:
Makes me think about what we’re trying to do with theDailyScribe.com as one of the leaders and a Christian I hope to facilitate conversations there that help make room for the kingdom of God. It is of course different in many ways as well, but even for people who aren’t Christians, I think we all want to and are looking for ways to encounter the living God.
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 8:58 am
Shawn said:
@Scott: You said
I am so glad you said that. I think it is a big issue with blooggers. There’s a lack of feeling accountable to the words that are said, thus having an un-bridled speech.
I actually like when people have a critique or analazation. It helps me to sort out the issues better and get a clearer grasp on why I believe.
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 9:33 am
Shawn said:
@C. Wess: From what I’ve seen, I am excited to see where the Scribe is going. I think it is off to a good start with some good people involved… *ah hem*
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 9:34 am
Jerry James said:
I started blogging about six months ago. My intention has always been to share the truth about God’s heart as I have encountered Him. But as in so many other areas of life, it is easy to get lost along the way. I think we all enjoy having someone leave a comment, but I sometimes find myself in a “seeker sensitive blogging condition” . . . just trying to say what a reader might like to hear. And then when I get down to it and blog the “really good God stuff”, I worry that I might offend someone. Shame on me. I repent, recieve forgiveness and intend to blog and sin no more . . . at least try.
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 12:14 pm
ChriS said:
Jerry, I know what you mean about worrying about offending people. I know my blog has family members who read it and would completely disagree with me, and I am sometimes hesitant to blog “Whole-heartedly”.
People have said and done things they would never do in person, on a blog. So yes the Call to Apostolic Blogging is a good one and must call for some repentance.
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Ruth said:
I agree with you Jerry on the seeker-sensitive thing. That’s so much easier. When I talk to people i’m sometimes afraid to offend them as well. But truth should be spoken/written at all times.
When I read/hear something that offends me, (i’m talking about truth) then that’s a great opportunity for me to find out what’s in my heart. Something’s wrong. I should search my heart, or even better, let God do so.
Now, i’m not saying that I love to feel offended, but i’m saying that i love it when truth is being spoken. don’t we all? Let Truth sink in..the great purifier! Jesus wasn’t afraid to offend the people He was talking to. That’s something for me to remember
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 1:44 pm
The Gospel According to Blogs | TCRA said:
[…] Shawn Blanc wrote a very interesting post on the responsibility we have as Christian bloggers to use our blog as a platform to share the good news of Jesus Christ. This really spoke to me because I find myself afraid to come right out and share the gospel here, which I find odd. I am so quick to debate things but when I start to say “Jesus died for you” I start stumbling over myself. I know God loves all of us more than any of us will ever know and I need to share that. I want everyone to know the things God has done in my life, the joy he has given me. I have decided that I need to take the step, I need to get out of my comfort zone. God has given me the ability to write, although the ability is not as developed as I would like, I need to use it to glorify him. A fear I have is that this will turn off a lot of readers, I hope this is not the case. This blog will not be GODBLOG or anything, I will still write about the usual things but I will be more open with my faith. Please be patient with me as I start to be completely open with you about my faith, I am making myself very vulnerable here, and I am excited. You might say “Nick, what do you mean? You just did a post on separation of church and state, isn’t that about God?” Well yes and no. I told you I believe in God but that’s about it. There is so much more than that. You will soon start to learn about why I am a Christian, where I started and where I am now. God is a huge part of my life and I can’t keep him out of this part of my life any longer. […]
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Ian Barker said:
Well this is a very good discussion indeed. I’ve only been blogging for a couple of months now and was hesitant to start because there are plenty of great and godly blogs out there. And who wants to read yet another blog by a faceless person? But God kind of snuck up on me and now I am blogging a running commentary of the New Testament. My reason is for personal growth in study and writing. But now I realize that I do have a tiny platform, and that might grow. It may never get more than a few readers, or it may turn into something big that edifies people and teaches people the word of God. That’s terrifying! So now I have a little fear of the Lord whenever I hit that ‘Publish’ button. After all, it is the end of the age and God is raising up messengers. That includes blogs. This is terrifying but exciting.
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Shawn said:
@Ian: You said it perfectly:
Posted on January 10, 2007 at 10:17 pm
His Hand is on the Door » People who really should be blogging…. said:
[…] Shawn Blanc and I have been talking for a few weeks now about getting Josh Hawkins to blog. So far he has stubbornly refused our not-so-subtle pressure, but I am hoping that my skillful apologetic shifts his thinking. This post is dedicated to him, actually. But the thing that really got me thinking was reading Amanda Beattie’s comment in my “Seeker Sensitive” post. When I saw her name, I thought - wow! She should be blogging! Really, how many other people are around that we could really benefit from in this way? […]
Posted on January 12, 2007 at 10:06 am
Ducky said:
I started my blog so my family could see what I was up to during my Onething internship. I still have a large amount of posts about random things from my daily life. But increasingly I blog about spiritual stuff, and my heart comes alive when I do so. I feel like that’s the reason I’m blogging. Maybe I’m not up there with the theological heavyweights, but the L-rd has given me a voice and I intend to use it.
I agree that we have a responsibility to the audiences G-d has given us, however large or small they may be. We are to be faithful to the sphere of influence the L-rd has given us, especially in the last days. As the L-rd said to Habakkuk, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie” (Hab. 2:2).
Posted on January 14, 2007 at 11:01 pm
With Talent on Loan From God | TCRA said:
[…] I have really been thinking about this post Shawn did over at fighting to stay awake, I know I mentioned it before but it is still on my heart. I got to thinking, this challenge shouldn’t just be for us bloggers, it should be for everyone. God has given us all talents, what are we to do with them? Some of us are very gifted at writing, others are gifted at graphic design, and so on, how can we use these talents to glorify God? A talent I have, that I don’t really use much anymore, is magic. I used to be really good at it, I had gigs at restaurants and parties, and I would also teach others, but I wanted to do more with it. My pastor asked me to go with him and some others to Lower Wacker drive in Chicago, and he told me I should do tricks for the homeless people down there. I was so nervous at first, but I realized, if this will brighten up someones life for even a few minutes, God will be happy. I went, and I did my thing, after some amazement and a few hugs from the men down there we left, we left knowing we did God’s work. Not just me, but everyone who went, some were gifted with hospitality, others with listening, and together we made a difference for God’s kingdom. God has given us these talents and abilities, he wants us to use them, we need to use them. I urge you to sit down, make a list of your talents and abilities, and then brainstorm ways you can use these to better someone else’s life, and or glorify God. […]
Posted on January 20, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Ramblings » Blog Archive » Happy Birthday to Shawn said:
[…]  If you have read any of Shawn’s blog this past year, I recommend you jump over there and subscribe.  A couple of my favorite posts are: Blogging Challenge: Apostolic Stewardship and his series on 168 hours to a focused life. […]
Posted on January 28, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Giftings at electric weekend said:
[…] Recently I have been hearing, reading and seeing a lot of stuff about using our gifts for God. It was in a part of our talk at CU on Tuesday, I’ve read posts on blogs about it, and it’s really making me think particularly with the end of Uni approaching fast! […]
Posted on January 30, 2007 at 6:01 am
Building an Apostolic Blog | Fighting to Stay Awake said:
[…] EVER SINCE I WROTE on Apostolic Stewardship I’ve had a lot of energy to build FTSA into a more effective, influential, high-traffic blog. Even though I am seeing a steady amount of growth, and have exceeded my original expectations in terms of comments and daily visits - it’s not enough. I have set my goals higher. Much higher. […]
Posted on February 17, 2007 at 2:09 pm
New focus, new blog « Standing on the Wall (Isaiah 62:6) said:
[…] Shawn Blanc has said, The Lord has given you something to say. He has put the Word in your heart. What if one of the […]
Posted on March 1, 2007 at 12:46 pm
the listener said:
Hi Shawn,
I am not too sure this is the appropriate medium to highlight a few things. Anyway i will take my chances. I have gone through a lot of your posts and advice on how to set up blogs properly etc and done a few things you suggested.
Please bear in mind i am new to this but i felt so convicted to start some sort of web evangelism on the 31/12/06 which is why i set up the website http://www.whatsonyourmind.org.uk. I have had visits to the site prayer requests and has responded to to at least 70 odd emails thereabout from people who post on the site. I began thinking about blogging todays ago and also ways by which i can improve on the site and establish more traffic which led me to setting up the flash movie and the blog http://dlistener.blogspot.com/.
Your criticisms will be highly appreciated and your words of counsel will be aheard to having looked through a few posts from people. I have that strong passion to be a vessel of encouragement and i am treading this part for the very firsst time
Your comments will be appreciated.
Posted on March 31, 2007 at 4:51 am
Apostolic Blogging: 2 Lies About Ministry | The Fight Spot said:
[…] for too long may not be familiar with the A.B. category. I suggest you read the first post on apostolic stewardship and then this intro post on building and apostolic blog. Also, those of you who write for a […]
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 8:55 am
The Best of Apostolic Blogging | The Fight Spot said:
[…] remember the first post on Apostolic Blogging… All this has my mind thinking over the issue of being a messenger. Has […]
Posted on July 3, 2007 at 5:02 am
Talitha said:
wow… this is my second reading of your blog. rather education, I must say. my friend matt encouraged me to read your blogs, because i’ve been very discouraged the past couple years from blogging. I have such a passion to write, but find it difficult to at times.
will keep reading your blogs… motivation to write myself
tali
Posted on August 15, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Eric said:
I love this idea of apostolic blogging. I’ve been consumed by the Spirit of the Lord in the place of blogging for about the past 7 months. I used to hate blogging but then the Lord gave me a real passion for it. And through the encouragement and in depth theological teachings that are birthed at IHOP I have been professing the glory of Christ and his return in all of my blogs since then. I absolutely love this site and even moreso cannot wait to come out to IHOP in the fall of this year and attend TheCall Institute. May the God of glory rest upon you and thunder through you in Jesus name! Thanks for this encouragement!
Much love as a brother in Christ,
Eric
Posted on January 6, 2008 at 2:11 am