4.5 years of my life is chronicled in 140-character tidbits which, if I did the math correctly, comes to approximately 2,800,000 characters. I’ve been thinking this morning about the the ways God has used twitter in my life and ministry.  We hear a lot of the dangers and abuse of social media and the Internet, but on occasion we will hear a report on how it has positively impact someone’s life.  I for one can say that it has been a great experience thus far, for at least the following five reasons.

1.  People I’ve Met with Twitter

Between blogging and Twitter, the overwhelming majority of people I know in evangelical life came through these digital avenues.  My life has been enriched by friendships, several that developed to a greater degree offline and in “real life”.  Twitter opened the door and created accessibility to people who I otherwise would have never had the opportunity to meet.  Often times late at night, I end up having an extended conversation via direct message with people I’ve rarely (if ever) talked to on the phone or email. So Twitter has essentially flattened the world for guys like myself who don’t pastor a large church, published a book, or have influential people in my corner to have opportunity to connect, network, and build relationships online.

2.  The Twitter Help Desk

If ever have a question or practical need, I ask my Twitter followers first. Seriously. I cannot recount to you how many times I have been helped by people, many I don’t know, who care enough to reply when, for instance, my son decides to practice drawing with a massive permanent marker all over our furniture, television, and flooring. On more serious matters, I was leading our church to transition to small groups, and for 3 hours one day, I had over 15 people dialoguing with me via Twitter which tons of experience and practical counsel, logging in over a hundred tweets tailored specifically to helping me lead my church. It was like a customized, decentralized conference with a panel of folks from across the country address the specific challenges with incredible relevance. I was blown away that day. And still am.

3.  Tim Keller Reading Group

Two years ago, I started a Twitter experiment based on similar tweets from friends.  We all apparently were reading similar Tim Keller articles and tweeting them the same day. I decided to create a Tim Keller Reading Group using Twitter exclusively with no other online or offline promotion. The result was a six-month journey with 75 people from 24 states and 11 denominations and 12 video conference calls.  Twitter provided this platform, and many of the guys I got to know during that process have become good friends.

4.  Social Media/Networking Training

I find this really crazy, but over the past couple of years, I have been asked to speak at three conferences on the role of social networking and media to the local church and ministry.  They have ranged from church planting bootcamps and seminars to collegiate conferences.  If I ever thought I’d speak at conference, social networking would have never been on the radar. Yet, God has allowed me to encourage hundreds of church leaders and students on using social networking for the glory of God, for that I’m grateful.

5.  Resource and Renewal Aggregation

Before Twitter, I relied almost exclusively to Google Reader for aggregating information and resources. With increasingly limited time, I use Twitter for my main stop for helpful links and encouraging devotional thoughts.  I even took the time to compile a 36-part series from Scotty Smith with 720 tweets of “signs you are growing in grace.”  To a smaller degree, I have done this also with tweets from Paul Tripp and Tullian Tchividjian. God has used Twitter to bring me encouragement, exhortation, and rebuke from people I know and have great respect.

I could give you several other ways Twitter has been worth the (little) time each day. I hope that the 20,000 tweets logged over the past 4.5 years have been some profit and encouragement to you as well.

For other articles on Twitter by me, check out:

* Twitter Is Not Real
* Twitter – The New Traffic Generator
* Twitter for the Local Church
* Don’t Waste Your Tweets
* Why I Use Twitter

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: It takes more to bug you, longer to rattle you and less to humble you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You find yourself saying, “How did I ever miss THAT?”, about old familiar Bible verses.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t speed up just to keep from being passed on the inside lane.

A sign you’re growing in grace: The ability to pay for something is no longer an indication of its affordability to you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not arrogant, you just get bored quicker in churches without a heart for evangelism.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You use less confetti at your pity parties.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t spend as much time talking yourself out of being generous with money or mercy.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You know spending too much time regretting is like spending too much time eating rotten eggs.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You derive 70% of your peace from the occupied throne of heaven and 30% from getting your way.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You won’t spend as much time today needing to be right, or looking good or spiritual.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When you hear/use the phrase “the poor”, you have faces, names and streets in mind.

A sign you’re growing in grace: For every “buy me” catalog you get in the mail during Advent, you pray for 3 missionaries.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You spend more time adoring Jesus during Advent than criticizing Christmas “folly”.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t try to fix people as often, or just try to talk them out of our their pain.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Approaching you and talking with you is easier than ever for others. You are not as prickily.

A sign you’re growing in grace: While standing in long Christmas checkout lines, you pray more than you seeth.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t need to have children as an excuse to see (and enjoy) the new Muppet movie.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You complain less and encourage more, and you’re more flexible and less irritable.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t have an emotional doghouse in which you put people who disappoint you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’d rather give and receive costly heart-gifts than expensive stuff-gifts.

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: You realize anger is not the only emotion you can chose for responding to provocation.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When you overhear gossip but miss 1/2 of what was said, you don’s ask for the other 1/2.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not as obsessive about getting credit, even when credit is very due. You chill more.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t use your brokenness and weaknesses as excuses, but as fuel to drive you to Jesus.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not arrogant when you bring your “A game” and not despondent when it’s your “B game”.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Being in Christ affects who you are behind the wheel.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t hurl silent imprecations at slow moving rubber-necking drivers in front of you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: People are more offended by the gospel than your graceless defense of the gospel.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You won’t be the calorie or fat-gram counter for anybody this Thanksgiving. Feast on!

A sign you’re growing in grace: Reconciliation means more to you than validation.

A sign you’re growing in grace: How Jesus names you drowns out and trumps the names everybody else gives you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Instead of jumping to conclusions you saunter into listening and understanding.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t play as much hide-and-seek from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.

A sign you’re growing in grace: It takes you less time to move from resentment to forgiving to hope to reconciliation.

A sign you’re growing in grace: No matter WHAT else is going on, the gospel is your reason for great joy and thanks today.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t offer as many unsolicited suggestions, or unnecessary criticisms or opinions.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Even if they’re hard to be with, you love your extended family more than you used to.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You now value remembering other people’s names more than you obsess about hearing yours.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not thinking about work yet, this holiday weekend. Your family has your attention.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t really think about “signs” that much, but you do CRAVE more growth in grace.

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: The more you love theology (the study of God), the more you love people (those made in the image of God).

A sign you’re growing in grace: You can recognize sooner when your anger at some people has very little to do with them.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t dump or stuff your anger as much. “Be angry & do not sin” makes sense. Eph. 4:26

A sign you’re growing in grace: The gospel of grace has freed you to tremble at God’s Word more than the law ever could.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When your heart affections for Jesus grow cool, you take that condition very seriously.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not as likely to second guess every decision or obsess about outcomes.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t use as much “insider” religious verbiage or cliches when sharing your faith.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You spend less time liking or not liking pictures of yourself. Your vision is expanding.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not quite as vain as you used to be. It doesn’t take you as long to get “ready”.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not embarrassed to use the index to find Nahum, Obadiah & Philemon in your Bible.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re more grateful for the gifts God’s gave you than envious of the one’s he gave others.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t get bored as quickly with other people or distracted in their presence.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not as hair-trigger sensitive as you used to be. You take stuff less personally.

A sign you’re growing in grace: It takes you less time to get unstuck from an angry funk, sulking mood or pity party.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Rejection hurts, but it drives you to Jesus more so than to anger, despair or revenge.

A sign you’re growing in grace: It’s been a while since anyone’s commented on your sarcasm and poor stewardship of humor.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve readjusted your expectations of people by the gospel. Some lower/some higher.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t choose who’s call to return first primarily based on who can do the most for you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You offer fewer generalizations like, “Oh those Calvinists” or Arminians/Charismatics/etc.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re a paradox. You are more settled in your theological position and more gracious towards those who differ wtih you.

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: When critiquing a theological position, you don’t use unnecessary negative adjectives.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You let people finish their sentences and you don’t put your meaning on their words.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re just as passionate about pleasing God as you are in resisting legalism.

A sign you’re growing in grace: People suffering from depression don’t duck when they see you coming. You’re more merciful.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You love your Christian friends, but you’re making more time to be with non-believers.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Some things that used to REALLY irritate you now only mildly bug you, because of grace.

A sign you’re growing in grace: As this day begins, you see the log(s) in your own eye much better than other’s specks.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When you ask someone an important question, you can repeat their answer the next day.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Your gentle answers outnumber your harsh words at least 50 to 1. Proverbs 15:1

A sign you’re growing in grace: You overlook as much stuff as you can because you’re a peacemaker, not a peace-faker.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When provoked, you turn the other cheek a ratio of 10 to 1 to committing heart homicide.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You have no need to be cynical, snide, defensive or super-spiritual about Halloween.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You crave a fresh gospel-baptism like Luther had when he kicked off the Reformation.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When listening to a sermon, the Word critiques you more than you critique the preacher.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When offered something chocolate to eat, you do.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Because (not in spite of the fact) you love the gospel, you take Sabbath rest seriously.

A sign you’re growing in grace: On this Reformation Day, you love the doctrines of grace because they make you righteous in Christ, not just right.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You no longer use the word “saint” to refer to super-Christians, but everyone in Christ.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Nobody will welcome and enjoy children more than you tonight, with a joyful and festive heart.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve gladly given up trying to predict, domesticate and manipulate Jesus.

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: You realize, more than ever, you simply cannot & MUST NOT do the Christian life alone.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Your friends hooked into pornography know they can come to you for care, grace and strength.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t fall into gifts, smarts or looks envy as much as you used to.

A sign you’re growing in grace: The collective stories and wisdom of older friends has become a most sweet gospel nectar.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You not only treasure the riches of the gospel you obey the implications of the gospel.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Being misunderstood and miss-labeled stings, but it doesn’t freeze or cripple you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You have a few friends who genuinely sense they are a priority in your life.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Your spouse is encouraged by your priorities and the trajectory of your life.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Money, success, activity and being appreciated don’t control your moods as much.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When feeling insecure, confused or incompetent, you no longer pretend otherwise.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re better about waiting on the Lord when tempted to take matters into your own hand.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When asked, “What’s the Spirit convicting you about?”, you don’t have to hesitate.

A sign you’re growing in grace: The line between grace works and dead works is growing increasingly distinct to you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t count calories, monitor manners or record sins of other people.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t treat accountability like a four-letter word OR a savior.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You know God is greatly delighting in you even when he’s painfully disciplining you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: It takes you less time to get over sulking, pouting, whining and blame-shifting.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You buck the trend of being a member of 1.6 churches, ’cause it’s about Jesus, not you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: People don’t feel they have to stop mid-joke when you come into the room.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You rave more about the beauty of Jesus than you rant about the brokenness of the world.

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: You no longer promise or insinuate you’ll do stuff you don’t have time or intent to do.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When someone asks you how you’re doing, you don’t automatically say, “Fine”. You lie less.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You get convicted about your sin MORE because you feel condemned for your sin LESS.

A sign you’re growing in grace: The gospel has given you better tools for dealing with your shame and contempt.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re careful not to live vicariously through your kids. Their story is THEIR story.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When things get difficult in your church family, you engage your heart & control your tongue.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re less nosy. You don’t pressure people to bend or break confidences.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Romans 8:28 is becoming more like long term health care than a Biblical band aid to you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve reached peace that nothing is as it will be one Day.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You know who to call when you’re about to do something stupid to minimize your pain.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re willing to disappoint people who have the power and will to make you pay.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve never worked so hard to understand the other person’s perspective in a conflict.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You talk less about the gifts God gave you & more about the glory & grace of the Giver.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Though you may choose not give anything to a panhandler, you still treat them w/ dignity.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t cop a graceless attitude towards people who say you emphasize grace too much.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Though not literally a hand, you have “cut off” something that causes you to sin.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve repented of “I had a good day” righteousness. Jesus forgives your “goodness” too.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You know the difference between “covering a matter” out of love versus out of fear.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t use your justification as justification for acting like a graceless moron.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When using your car horn, you know when you’ve crossed the line from warning to shaming.

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: When people don’t “show up”, you don’t cop an Elijah attitude (1 Kings 19:9f).

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t confuse high self-esteem with beloved-ness in Christ.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You take “The ONLY thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love” very seriously.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You can even find Jesus in the Book of Obadiah.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When you’re well planned & prayed over schedule gets derailed, you fume & pout less.

A sign you’re growing in grace: The time lapse between your bad attitude and repentance is significantly shorter.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When confronted by a friend, you don’t default to defensiveness or self-contempt as often.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When disheartened, you take up a towel to wash feet rather than just throw in the towel.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re more likely to forgive than ferment; listen than launch; kiss than curse.

A sign your’e growing in grace: The crowd you’re most interested in following is pretty small: Father, Son and Spirit.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not necessarily good with directions, but your heart is growing a gospel GPS.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When not included in something other friends were, it hurts, but it doesn’t undo you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: The addicts in your life consider you someone who understands their struggle.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not at all surprised when Jesus reveals just how self-centered you still are.

A sign you’re growing in grace: It doesn’t take you as long to relax or obey.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Though you have a preferred worship aesthetic, the gospel is increasing your band width.

A sign you’re growing in grace: A sermon saturated w/ the gospel can enable you to endure bad music, but great music can’t enable you to endure a gospel-less sermon.

A sign your’e growing in grace: Your commitment to relationships is based more on God’s glory than your fulfillment.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’d sooner trust your kazoo playing to pay your bills than lean upon your own understanding.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t tell other people about other people’s failures as much. You confess your stuff.

Your weekly installment of 20 grace tweets from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace: In the past 6 months, someone’s commented on your being more childlike or fun 2 be with.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re talking less but saying more.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’re not one of those people in Starbucks who sits in the best chair for hours.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When at the grocery store, you don’t eat more free samples than the food you buy.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When in a grumpy, mumbling-under-your breath, touchy mood, you don’t blame others for it.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When you start gossiping, it tastes more like rotting carp than chocolate pie.

A sign you’re growing in grace: Prayer is more about fellowshipping with your Father than convincing him to do stuff.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve got a gospel posse that knows your darkest stuff and current struggles, bar none.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve got a few people in your life with whom to dream dreams only Jesus can fulfill.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve traded in insecure dogmatism for loving orthodoxy. You speak the truth in love.

A sign you’re growing in grace: It’s been quite a while since you’ve forgotten anniversaries or birthdays of loved ones.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You chose being known as someone needing God’s mercy & grace, versus hiding the real you.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When given poor service in a restaurant or a wrong order, the gospel shapes ur response.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t use “non-eye-contact” as a way of leveraging a better position in any line.

A sign you’re growing in grace: When someone hurts your feelings, you neither pretend otherwise or repay in kind.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You don’t treat theology like a hobby or a sport, but as a sacred stewardship of truth.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You finally realize you don’t really hold a grudge, it holds you, hostage that is.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You’ve given up trying to explain yourself (sell) to everyone.

A sign you’re growing in grace: You no longer get drunk with whine.

A sign you’re growing in grace: After talking with you individually, people who take really different positions don’t all feel like you agree with them.

Monday: lapsus » fall, lapse (specifically, the fall of Adam and Eve from original righteousness)

Tuesday: gratia particularis sive specialis » particular or special grace (grace of God given savingly only to the elect)

Wednesday: rations aeternae » eternal or divine ideas (archetypal ideas or universals which exist in the mind of God and are foundation for human certainty)

Thursday: consilium Dei » counsel of God (the decision of God, the active & eternal willing of all things)

Friday: rectitude » rectitude, uprightness (the condition of man as created in the image and likeness of God)

Saturday: prothesis » purpose or plan; the divine purposes (e.g. Rom. 8:28)