Monday, March 5, 2012

The Dare

This Sunday I’ll be wrapping up a message series based on David Platt’s book, Radical. The book culminates with a suggested experiment of faith. Platt calls it an experiment; I call it The Dare. We’ll start on April 1.


The Dare is a challenge to make five commitments for a year, stretching yourself beyond your normal routine. As Platt says, some of these commitments may not be sustainable for the long run, but can be handled for a limited time, like a year. It is a dare because it will be hard. It is an experiment because you can see if your life is really different after a year.

In the words of Platt, “I challenge you to an experiment. I dare you to test the claims contained in the gospel, maybe in a way you have never done before. I invite you to see if radical obedience to the commands of Christ is more meaningful, more fulfilling, and more gratifying than the American dream. And I guarantee that if you complete this experiment, you will possess and insatiable desire to spend the rest of your life in radical abandonment to Christ for his glory in all the world.” You can find more info at http://www.radicalthebook.com/.

I suggest that we begin this experiment on Sunday, April 1, 2012. It will all culminate on March 31, Easter Sunday, 2013. This will be an amazing time of celebration as we see what God has done in us and through us.

Here are the five commitments:

For one year:

1. I will pray for the entire world.

2. I will read through the entire Word.

3. I will sacrifice my money for a specific cause.

4. I will spend time in another context.

5. I will commit my life to a multiplying community.

To explain and recommend resources for The Dare, I’ll be writing separate blogs for each of the commitments. You can read about them and pray for God’s leadership. Then we can start the experiment on April 1. Yes, that is ironic…or maybe not.