Bringing It to Life

Fostering Spiritual Formation in our Young People

2010-08-28T14:38:00.000-04:00

An interesting article here on teens becoming "fake Christians".

I think there are some very valid points made in the story, but I fear the premise upon which the story, and the book Almost Christian may focus is faulty. While I have not read the book, I intend to at some point in the near future and reflect further.

But as I read this story linked above, it feels like the author is sucking the audience along in the assumption that our young people should emerge from their high school years with a significant and fully formed faith. Based on my own experience and my observation in others, I'm just not certain that this assumption (which I'll dub the fully formed adolescent faith (FFAF)) is accurate.

First, I should describe by what I mean by FFAF.

Next, I want to probe why I believe FFAF is a false assumption.

Finally, I want to discuss the implications on ministry and parenting working on my assumption that FFAF is false.

Fully Formed Adolescent Faith (FFAF)
FFAF is the assumption that a common American Christian teen-ager is able to form a mature, critical understanding of their Christian faith and an ability to integrate this understanding into a permanently rooted lifestyle that looks and feels likes evangelical Christianity. In other words, it's an assumption that we should expect a "finished-product" by the time a young person comes around to the age of 18.

FFAF is A False Assumption

There are always exceptional cases, but I think for the average young person on a faith journey, 18 isn't the finish line, it's prime growing season! If we're expecting a finished product, as parents or as ministers, we should consider that we may be setting the bar far higher than it should be set. I believe this is culturally entrenched in us and that our disagreement with this notion may be based in expectations that have been built by culture rather than the experience being lived out by our young people.

I'm not saying that an 18 year old is incapable of deep spiritual understanding and living. I am saying that it isn't the norm, given how our culture develops the young person.

Speaking purely from personal experience, I did not begin to develop a deep hunger and thirst for spiritual things until my late teens and early twenties. I was raised in a committed evangelical Christian home. Faith was the center of our home. I went to church every Sunday. I was taught the Bible stories and memory verses. I developed an initial understanding of concepts like salvation, grace, and sanctification.

While there was some transformation happening in my teen years, most of the process was informational. In other words, I was learning the language of Christianity, but I wasn't close to becoming fluent.

There is much good that happened during my adolescent and late teen years spiritually. But I had not come close to FFAF. As I look at my own children, they have made great informational progress and have demonstrated significant signs of "transformational" progress in their faith. But despite all the exposure to knowledge and their own "practice" of their faith, I would gather to say that FFAF isn't going to happen by 18, nor should I expect it to be.

Implications for Christian Parenting
From a parenting perspective, I really don't believe it is realistic to expect for my sons to attain FFAF by the time they graduate from high school. It would be wonderful if that were the case, but if this my approach to parenting, I feel I may be missing a huge opportunity.

As parents, we need to see the opportunity to help foster an even deeper faith journey in our teens as they emerge from high school. Our young people are on a long spiritual journey as much as any of us adults are. We should be cautious about building an unrealistic expectation that they should attain FFAF by the time they graduate.

If anything, we should understand that graduation from high school is a key moment of searching, exploration and faith crisis for our young people. Instead of pushing them out the door, spiritually speaking, we need to be looking for opportunities to foster a deeper faith journey.

In other words, the job isn't finished at graduation! It's just beginning. And the hard part about this phase of the job is that it is no longer about "information." This is where the dialogue and the ministry has to become more and more about "transformation." When they were smaller, we had more control of the situation. We controlled the faith-building process. We took them to church an intentionally exposed them to the doctrine and heritage we chose. At this older stage, however, we as parents have less control of their formative process. Our role becomes less about "control" and more and more about "influence".

Rather than view our emerging young adults as FFAF, we need to grasp the importance of continuing to "influence" their spiritual formation.

This, I would argue, is where we must focus on the power of the village.

Implications for Ministry
Ideally, I want to raise children so they are equipped to become fully functioning in their faith (FFF). I'm not expecting FFF to be accomplished by the time they leave my home at adult. But I do have a responsibility as a parent to make certain I've done everything in my power to set them on the right path. I also continually need to understand that I need to depend on the Holy Spirit to play a role. I can set the stage, but I can't force a choice and I can't replace the power of the Holy Spirit in the process.

In my mind, there are two important influences that need significant consideration for our young adults to be able to stay on the path and develop into FFF's.

The first is a strong emphasis on young adult ministry in the local church. The second is strong consideration for Christian higher educational institutions.

Young adult ministry is probably one of the most strategic ministry areas for any church. Church's that neglect young adult ministry are leaving a gaping hole in their ability to grow and retain young people. We spend so much effort in children's ministry, youth ministry, and ministry for adults age 25 and over. We cannot under-estimate the importance of a deep formative ministry for the 18-25 age group. These are the MOST important years for spiritual formation. These are the years where the opportunity for FFF occur. And research shows that if it doesn't happen here, it's not likely to happen later. If we miss the opportunity to influence our young people during this time, all our efforts in those earlier years are, many times, for naught. And let's not sell our young people short here. Many of them hunger to continue in their journey toward FFF. And they vote with their feet finding congregations that have deployed to fill this need.

Another crucial piece of the puzzle is consideration of Christian higher education. How many times do we see the story play out? Junior is raised in a Christian home, from childhood through high school, making significant "faith strides" along the way. Then junior goes to a secular university, gets a great education, but falls away from faith, never to return to the path toward FFF. That story is all too common.

For young adults who choose secular higher education institutions, we as parents need to encourage them to continue to engage in their faith-journey by finding a church with a strong young adult-based ministry (as mentioned above). But Christian higher education is also an important potential influence.

From my own experience, choosing to go to a Christian university provided not only a sound education upon which to build a good career, but it also provided an atmosphere that kept me focused on my faith journey. It was life-changing. I made huge spiritual commitments during my time in college--commitments I'm not certain I would have pursued in a secular environment.

The point
The main point in all of this is that we need to make sure we aren't setting unrealistic expectations for the spiritual formation of our young people. This also entails making certain that parents and the church understand the opportunity to continue to encourage spiritual formation in our young people at such a critical time in their lives--namely from 18 to 25.

The young adult years are fertile ground for spiritual formation. Are we poised to take advantage of the opportunity? Or are we pre-maturely washing our hands and contributing to the production of "fake Christians?"

My thinking continues to evolve on this. What do you think?

Out of Whack

2010-06-24T22:30:00.002-04:00

I’ve been learning first hand lately about the importance of balance and how the seemingly smallest thing can throw our entire lives out of whack.

It all started on afternoon in early May while I was at a business lunch. I sat down with my colleagues and everything was fine, but as we waited on our meal to be served, my head started feeling funny and I knew something wasn’t right. It was all I could do just to stay seated upright in the booth at the restaurant until final the spell cleared just a bit.

Knowing when to cut my losses, I quickly excused myself from the meal and headed for home, continuing to get struck with dizzy spells along the way. After a quick trip to the doctor, we identified the apparent problem--an ear infection.

An ear infection? I’ve never had one in my life, but apparently I was now the proud owner and little did I know how much it would change my life over a short period of time.

While the infection went away, I continued to have “vertigo”. If you’ve never experienced this wonderful feeling, consider your self highly fortunate. For about six weeks, the residual effects and a return of the ear infection threw me for a loop. I couldn’t maintain my balance. I couldn’t even sit still in a chair without getting so dizzy that it made my stomach churn.

This lingering “vertigo” affected my life in all dimensions--at work, at home, at church. You name it, my energy and effectiveness level plummeted.

Fortunately, I’m on the mend. But I’ve learned a few things.

First, when our lives are out of balance, we’re not able to live up to our full potential. I think it is true physically, but I also believe there is a spiritual truth here also. When we have imbalances in our lives caused by unresolved sin or other issues, it affects our ability to become the people God meant for us to be.

Second, the smallest things can create havoc in our lives. If you would have told me an ear infection would so significantly lower my quality of life for such a long time, I would have laughed. Sin works the same way in our spiritual walk. Even little matters of sin, left unresolved, can throw our entire spiritual life out of whack. It can make us ineffective in pursuing our personal calling. It can sap our energy and motivation to serve. Satan would love for us to just sweep it under the rug, but the real cure is in confession and redemption.

Finally, when we lose our balance, we compensate in ways that can lead to other problems. I found myself doing all sorts of crazy things to compensate for the physical lack of balance. I’ve been doing so many crazy things with my neck and head to regain balance, I think I need to visit Dr. Hatfield. Unresolved sin can also cause us to do crazy things to compensate. And those other actions don’t really fix the problem. They just create new ones.

Just like I needed to get the right treatment for my “vertigo”, we need to seek the right spiritual treatment to make sure we don’t have sin creating imbalances in our spiritual lives. This means daily submitting ourselves to Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us to keep us balanced spiritually.

My doctor said my “vertigo” would likely fade away over time, but it may recur. Rest assured, if it hits me again, I will definitely be prepared to pursue the proper treatment--and quickly.

Jesus not only offers us redemption and atonement for sin, but ultimately, He offers us balance--balance to realize our full potential. Let’s resolve to not let sin throw our lives out of whack.

Let’s get treatment--and quickly.

What's It To You?

2010-04-27T20:50:00.002-04:00

We all know the story of how Peter is reinstated by Jesus in John 21 to become a pastor and to lead in the building of the church.

You know the story. Peter had denied Jesus three times and, poetically, Jesus asks Peter three times in this episode if Peter loves him.

While most Bible studies on this passage may focus on the three "Do you love me?" questions, I think it is compelling to consider that the most important question Jesus poses to Peter isn't the first, second, or third question, but rather the fourth.

Fourth?

Yes. Jesus most certainly is making an important point with Peter regarding the trifecta "Do you love me?" query. Perhaps, however, an equally vital spiritual issue for Peter is embedded in this fourth inquiry by Christ.

Question #4 is found embedded in John 21: 19-22:

"Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" ²⁰Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") ²¹When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" ²²Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

As Jesus provides direction and focus to rehabilitate this fisherman, we get a glimpse at a "heart issue" that plagues Peter and so many of us in our spiritual journey.

I would argue that Peter's issue isn't that he failed to love Jesus. No, Peter deeply loved his Rabbi, teacher and friend. Peter, like many believers, falters because he fails to focus on the right thing.

Jesus simply commands Peter to "Follow me!" This command is an echo dating all the way back to Christ's initial calling of the original disciples: "Come, follow me." "Obey my commands."

Instead of maintaining a singular focus on Jesus' command, Peter instead is focused on competing with John. "Lord, what about him?" Peter totally misses the point. He's supposed to focus on following Jesus, not how he stacks up with others.

We are naturally competitive critters, we humans. And as citizens of Liberty, we're conditioned for equal or better treatment. We want our fair share. And to make sure we maintain our social standing, we're constantly working to "keep up with the Jones'".

When we focus on jockeying for position, comparing if we're getting dealt a better hand in life, or subtly working to accumulate more toys than our neighbor, how can we possibly maintain a singular focus on following Jesus? The simple answer? We can't.

Peter's issue wasn't his love for Jesus. Nor is ours, much of the time. Peter's issue was taking his focus off of Christ and placing it on less important things.

And you know what? Jesus calls him to the carpet. "What's that to you, Peter!? You must follow me!"

The next time we're tempted compare our situation to others, to make a power play or to keep up with those pesky Jones', we need to question our motives. Will this help me focus on following Jesus or is it a distraction?

The answer to that question could be life changing. It was for Peter, and consequently, for all of Christendom.

"That Were I am You May Also Be"--Jesus

2010-03-21T22:00:00.000-04:00

When Jesus was sharing with his diciples in the upper room in John 14, he was comforting them as he shared the fact that he was going to be going away for a while.

He said he was going away to prepare rooms for them in his Father's House.

He also promised that he would be back for the disciples so that he could bring them to where he was at.

I don't know about you, but the comfort in this passage doesn't come from the fact that Jesus is preparing a home for me in Heaven. The comfort--for me--comes from the fact that Jesus is coming back for those who believe and we'll be able to be with Him.

Give me a mansion without Jesus and I give you an empty mansion.

Give me a shantee with Jesus and I'd say "that's paradise!"

Sermon on the Mount

2009-01-04T16:07:00.004-05:00

This week in class we began a journey through the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. Over the next few months, we'll be taking an in-depth look at what is the closest thing to a manifesto that Jesus laid out for his disciples.

A few key points as you study the Sermon on the Mount over the next few week:

Read and study through the eyes of the disciples to whom Jesus preached this Sermon. They were living in a time and culture where the Pharisee's defined and enforced their own brand of righteousness. This sermon from Jesus was radical to them. To us it is so familiar that we forget just how radical Jesus' teachings were.
Read and study through the lens of Matthew 4:17: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!" Matthew Henry states that this passage is the text of the Sermon on the Mount. If that's the case, then this sermon is all about what living a life of repentance looks like. How does your life stack up to these Scriptures? Read and mediate, evaluating how well these words fit yourself.
Realize that the Sermon on the Mount is preached in the context of meeting the peoples physical needs. Doing so not only gave Jesus credibility, but by meeting their physical needs, the people were able to become more aware of their spiritual needs as well. Do we miss this opportunity to open doors today to the Gospel?
Reflect on what "righteousness" is to you as your read the Sermon. The Pharisee's had developed a special set of rules to define righteousness, but their rules had become a heavy weight around the necks of the people. Are we guilty of the same mistake today, with our own special rules?

Our "book" for this study is the Scripture itself. Take some time this week to linger in the Sermon on the Mount.

One writer I read recently states that our familiarity with this sermon inoculates us from its power. We can breeze through it, without being changed at all because we know it like the back of our hands. Discipline yourself. Prayerfully meditate on these passages and be prepared to share in class new insights the Spirit is revealing in your life.

Our New Study Focus: Resurrection

2008-11-09T11:54:00.003-05:00

We've been spending a lot of time studying what the Bible has to say about suffering and pain.

Hope is the one thing that keeps us moving forward through the bad times, isn't it?

Our hope is based in the real Resurrection of Jesus Christ! It's not just a story! It's history! It really happened and the power and hope available because of this historical event is life-changing.

My goal over the next few weeks is to simply get you to focus on and mediate about the reality of the Resurrection and the power of Resurrection in your life! If we acheive only that we will succeed.

For homework: read the Resurrection accounts in Scripture (all four). You read one on Sunday, if you were in class.

Focus on the details of each eyewitness account.

How did each person in each story react to the Resurrection of Jesus in the moment?

Write out your answers and mediate on them.

How do you react to the Resurrection in everyday life?

For other musings on Resurrection, click here....

What a Great Revival!!!

2008-10-30T20:52:00.002-04:00

To be blessed, you must be blessable!!

To receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit, remove the lid from your barrell!

Do you have any Isaac's you need to deal with?

There is a healing balm in Gilead!

Holiness is to be Christ-like!!

Thank you Dr. Dabydeen for you obedience during revival this week!

Pain Sharpens Our Eternal Perspective

2008-10-20T22:22:00.004-04:00

This week in class we were discussing how pain can actually help us gain and maintain a better eternal perspective.

What is an eternal perspective?

It's is coming to the realization that living for the "here and now" is just one tiny fraction of our journey. It is realizing that what we are facing in this moment may feel like it will never end, but from an eternal perspective, it's very temporary and short lived.

It is really difficult to gain and understanding of eternity.

Remember when you were a kid? Remember how it seemed like forever from the time school started until Christmas. The days would crawl? The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed like they would never end.

Now, as an adult, I'm starting to panic about Christmas because it's the end of October and I haven't begun to prepare. Time is flying faster and faster. Every year seems to go more quickly as I get older. That gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Zoom!

Why is that?

In my opinion, it's all relative. When we are younger, experiencing the passing of a year is perceived as a long time. For a five year old, one year is one fifth of one's life. So it seems really long. As a 38 year old, one year is 1/38th of my life. That's a lot smaller fraction and when stacked up against all my other years, it seems to go faster (based on my experience and perception). When I'm 65, a year will be 1/65th of my life...and so on and so on.

Compare that to eternity. When we've been there 10,000 years, even 10 years of pain and suffering will only seem like (10,000 divided by 10) 1/1000th of our life. Just a very short time.

Does that make sense? To restate my earlier point: what we are facing in this moment may feel like it will never end, but from an eternal perspective, it's very temporary and short lived.

Experiencing pain allows us to develop a keener sense of eternity. For me, it is stirs hope to know that the vast majority of my existence (eternally) will not be spent in pain and suffering, because Jesus is my Savior.

If we were to only experience pleasure, who would want to think about tomorrow. Pleasure blurs our eternal perspective and prevents us from keenly appreciating the eternal promises of glory in Heaven with our Savior.

It's easy, when experiencing pain and suffering to argue that we deserve better than this. But it is important to realize that God can use this current pain to shape and form us into the image of Christ, into the people He needs us to be to build his kingdom.

I like the quote from our book this week: “God will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas, but for scars.”

He'll recognize us by our scars. Someday they will reap a harvest of righteousness for us in Heaven.

It's about Character, Not Comfort!

2008-10-15T20:46:00.003-04:00

Angie L. shared this with me by email...a great read...and right on point for what the class is studying right now:

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK WARREN (AUTHOR OF "A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE")

Interview with Rick Warren , author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California .

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a
nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last
forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--
but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions
of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life
isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just
coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character
than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making
your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of
life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the
toughest, with my wife getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark
time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe
that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of
like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something
good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something
bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something
good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,
"which is my problem, my issues, my pain."

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off
yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of
thousands of people, God was not going to heal my wife or make it easy
for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her
character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a
testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For
instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million
copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with
before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego
or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety
and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide
what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our
lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from
the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace
Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the
sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since
I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be
able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions?
Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness?
Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God,
if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and
love You better ...

God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more
interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human
beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD

Heavy Lifting!

2008-10-12T22:21:00.003-04:00

We really did some heavy lifting in class this week! Our discussion around the perfect nature of Jesus was excellent. If I can do anything in our class-time, I desire to engage your mind to explore the depths of the Word and it's Truth. When we do theology in community (as we did Sunday morning), it challenges us to listen to one another, to identify and confirm truth, and to still be able to leave the discussion loving each other. Thanks to everyone for the great participation.

We discussed how Jesus lived his life "down-side up". In other words, Jesus lived life not quite the way the world does.

When wronged, he forgave rather than seeking revenge.
When hated by his enemies, he loved them, rather than hating them back.
Instead of seeking credit for good works, he sought no recognition at all.
Instead of valuing money and materials, he sought to store up riches in heaven.

And when it came to pain, instead of avoiding pain, Jesus embraced pain.

Why did Jesus embrace pain? Why did he choose to suffer?

In his suffering, he was made complete. Ironically, the more He became just like us, the more completely He was and is able to save us.

Consider this: God became like us through the suffering of Jesus. We become more like Jesus through our suffering.

The fact that Jesus embraced pain and suffering doesn't mean that we should go out looking for more agony in our lives.

So what does it mean to embrace pain?

To embrace pain is to:

Acknowledge that we are fully human. The author of our book correctly observes that humanity seeks a life without pain, but that is a false pursuit. Pain is a part of being human.
Adopt a realistic attitude about pain. We can react two different ways to pain and suffering. We can be angry, resentful and bitter, seeking to cover up and deny the fact that we've ever bee so weak as to have had to experience pain. OR we can accept the pain that life brings and learn to love and grow in spite of the burden. Which attitude do you have about pain right now?
Become familiar with heroes who achieved pain in spite of what they suffered. History is replete with people who suffered great pain and suffering, yet were able to overcome and impact their world. They didn't allow their pain and suffering to push them into defeat. In spite of their pain, the overcame. Who are your pain heroes?

Jesus did not relish pain. On Gethsemane, he begged the Father to take the cup of pain away. As I stated in class, I can see how this was the greatest moment of temptation in the life of Jesus. He easily could have slipped away (the disciples were sleeping) and avoided the load of suffering about to come his way. But instead of running, he embraced the pain ("not my will, but Your will...") and he moved forward in spite of His circumstances.

Aren't you glad Jesus embraced pain and suffering! He did it for you and I. He did it because He loved us so much. He embraced pain and suffering....even to the point of death...yet HE LIVES!!!! Can you say "Resurrection"?

As we learn to embrace pain....we need to remember Resurrection is on the horizon.

Joy comes in the morning!!!

Worthy of Our Worship Regardless

2008-10-02T20:54:00.004-04:00

This past week, in class we focused on the issue of justice and suffering.

I'll have to admit that leading these classes has been difficult, especially knowing that so many folks in our church family have been traveling through deep valleys.

How can a just God allow suffering? In our study, you will recall we spent some time look at John 9:1-5. In that passage we saw that Jesus pointed out that suffering isn't the result of God throwing down judgment on humanity. Rather, suffering provides God the opportunity to heal and restore those who are broken.

From an eternal perspective, our current suffering will not last, but for those who suffer here and now that can be a bitter pill to swallow.

My biggest concern is that after taking multiple punches, it is easy to get discouraged, depressed and to even become apathetic to God and God's presence in our lives. We can become so spiritually dazed by overwhelming suffering that we become numb to God's presence.

I can't stress enough that Scripture strongly encourages the Body of Christ to help each other in instances of suffering. We need to exhort each other to remain faithful, to get up on our feet, and to continue on the journey of faith.

People are hurting all around us. If you aren't hurting, consider yourself blessed.

Count your blessings. But don't stop there.

Look beyond yourself. Look for those who are suffering.

Reach out to those around you who are suffering and share the Hope of Heaven with them.

I really like the story in the book for this weekend about the Jews who put God on trial in a Concentration Camp during WW II. They held a public trial in the midst of their suffering and, after much deliberation, found God guilty for allowing suffering and pain in the World. As they dispersed from the session, a senior member of the group basically said, "Now it's time for evening prayers."

And they all worshipped together.

We can't explain suffering. We can convict God for allowing it.

But God is still worthy of our worship and our adoration, regardless.

Note: Just a reminder that there is no Sunday School class this Sunday, October 5, 2008. Instead, plan to come and join us for the Centennial Breakfast in the Family Life Center as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Church of the Nazarene.

Why?

2008-09-25T20:12:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday in our class, we discussed why suffering and pain are part of our existence.

Through the pain, through the suffering, through the trials, through the bad stuff, Romans 8:37-39 tells us we "are more than conquerors."

"More than conquerors." What is a conqueror? It's one who achieves complete victory and domination over one's opposition. Complete victory. Total domination.

In Christ, we are more than victors. More than dominators over the things that cause us to suffer.

How can that be?

Could it be that "overcoming" pain and suffering in a physical sense isn't the point?

When we think of complete victory over physical pain and suffering, we naturally think about physical healing. But Scripture tells us that in Christ, we are more than victors over physical pain. Sickness, suffering, pain...they can't really touch who we really are in Christ.

When we look at suffering from an eternal viewpoint (and that is really hard to do in the midst of it), we find hope. Suffering and pain are temporary. Someday, Jesus will wipe all the pain away. Jesus will wipe out all the suffering. No more tears.

We have an eternal hope...even in the midst of ugly suffering. Let's help each other remember that eternal hope. Let's not try to rationalize suffering or defend God in the presence of pain. Let's instead remind each other of who we really are in Christ Jesus.....More Than Conquerors.

In class, I mentioned I thought that in Heaven we'd all potentially find the answer to the question, "why suffering?" Dawn H. stopped me afterward and correctly observed that, when we get to Heaven, we won't care about "why?" anymore in the awesome presence of our Heavenly Father.

That, my friends, is hope.

A Perfect World?

2008-09-15T22:04:00.008-04:00

From a worldly point of view, a perfect world would not include pain or suffering.

This week in our class discussion, we covered some of the implications of a pain free world. It's important that we understand that such a world may not be all it's cracked up to be.

In looking at the Genesis story, we explored how our freedom to choose is connected to the fact that there is pain and suffering in the world.

Think about how God felt when He decided to let Adam and Eve choose to eat the apple. He knew their would be hurt and pain, but He also knew that if He eliminated their ability to choose, our existence would be meaningless

What makes us uniquely human, besides that thumb you have on your hand, and the ability to symbolize in our minds, is our free agency. God gave to humans, over all other animals, the freedom to consciously choose our path. We are unique in that we can choose.

We can choose to walk with God, or to hide from him (just as Adam and Eve chose in Genesis 3:8-9).

Ultimately, this ability to choose gives meaning and purpose to our individual lives. It is important, regardless of our circumstances, to keep the eternal perspective in view as we live life.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 tells us that we should view pain and suffering as temporary. Keep the faith in the midst of these times because God is going to do something about it. One day, he will remove pain and suffering from the equation.

Remember, this too shall pass.

That's hard to embrace and believe, especially if we are in the midst of pain and suffering...but it is true! It really is! And we need to remind each other of that Truth when appropriate.

Sometimes, life is too overwhelming to really believe it, and we need others to help us remember. We're all in this together and we need to urge each other on in the faith, especially during times of suffering.

You may be suffering so much, you can't believe "this too shall pass". You may not be capable, at some point, to even believe that God is good and that He shares your hurt. You may not be able to believe that He is going to do away with pain and suffering someday.

That's OK. I'll believe for you. And I only ask that when I come upon a time when I can't believe, that you will believe for me.

Pray for each other this week, especially those we know of personally who are going through tough times. Believe for each other!

A Long Obedience

2008-09-04T19:21:00.004-04:00

In class this week, we wrapped up our study of John Ortberg's book, The Life You've Always Wanted.

I enjoyed our study and our discussions over the past three months as we've focused on this book and the Scriptural principles behind it. I hope you have also.

Recall that quote from atheist Friedrich Nietzsche that we discussed:

"The essential thing 'in heaven and earth' is…that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living….”

While Nietzsche was an atheist, this quote is steeped in Truth.

The journey of the morphing Christian requires a long obedience. To me, that means that when we get knocked down or bumped around by life, we need to make sure we get right back up and continue pressing toward Christ likeness.

Below are some lesson notes I had to rush through to complete our class on Sunday. Take some time to reflect on Philippians 3 and answer the questions for yourself. Feel free to post any comments or observations if you feel so moved.

Lesson notes

The Journey will require the right confidence, the right attitude, the right perspective and the right frame of mind.

Philippians 3:3 The Right Confidence
If we’re not to put our confidence in the flesh, where do we put our confidence and what does that mean to you?

Philippians 3:7-9 The Right Attitude
What “attitude” is reflected in these verses? How does that contrast to the attitude of the world? (Recall, Ashley's observation about the faith of Abraham in Genesis 22: "We'll be back..." For more insight on Abraham's faith, check out Hebrews 11:17-19)

Philippians 3:12-14 The Right Perspective
What kind of perspective does Paul have in these verses regarding transformation? When we stumble, how may this passage help us get up and keep going?

Philippians 3:16 The Right Frame of Mind
What is key to “living up to what we’ve already attained? What do you do to "remember" the things you've read in Scripture, learned in class or heard in a Sermon.

Whatever hand your dealt in life, keep pushing ahead! Keep morphing and don't give up!!!

The Long Haul....

2008-08-30T11:31:00.006-04:00

Achieving the life you've always wanted can sometimes make us feel like the fella in the picture on this post.

Life can beat us up and make us feel defeated.

Last week, Victoria helped the class focus on how suffering plays a role in transforming us into the people God wants us to be.

No one likes to suffer, but it is a part of life. As we wrap up our class this week, we're going to focus on the long view of our spiritual journey with Christ.

Just as our response to suffering tests our faith, so do times where we face tough choices, times where we face success, and times where we face impossible odds!

The challenges and triumphs of life can be stumbling blocks or leverage points on our spiritual journey toward the life we've always wanted.

Are you committed to finishing the race of life well? What is worth sacrificing or enduring in order to finish well for you?

What can we do to spur each other on to finish well?

Your Spiritual Heart Beat

2008-08-22T13:57:00.003-04:00

Last week in class we discussed the modern tendency to pursue "balance in our lives."

You'll recall that Ortberg, in his book, casts this "balancing act" as a 21st Century middle class activity and not something that is necessarily Biblical.

Instead, God calls us to a "well-ordered life" where we are pursuing the right things in the right way at the right time in the right spirit.

Are you struggling with the "balancing act"? Are you trying to compartmentalize your spiritual life so it balances with everything else? This can be frustrating for a Christian aspiring for transformation.

Instead, make an intentional effort to permeate your entire life with the spiritual component.

In order to do this effectively, we need to punctuate our lives with a steady, frequent, and intentional effort to incorporate spirituality into everything we do. Satan has a strategy to distract you and to mess up the order of the life you always wanted. That means you need a strategy.

In class we asked the question: what is your spiritual rhythm? What are the things you intentionally do every week, every day, every hour to knit an awareness of your spiritual quest into "right now"?

Would your spiritual EKG have just one spike every 7 days when you go to church? Or is it punctuated on a daily, hourly, even moment to moment basis?

When we intentionally incorporate habits (like prayer, praise, music, etc.) into the rhythm of our lives, we open ourselves fully to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christ's image.

If you haven't already this week, map out your spiritual EKG. Do you need to be more intentional? What helps you on a daily basis to be ever mindful and open to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Post a response and share with others....

NOTE: I will be out of town this week, but you have a special guest teacher. Victoria will be teaching the class this week. I'll be back August 31st to wrap up our study of the Ortberg book and launch us into our new focus--growing spiritually through different types of suffering.

Fighting Approval Addiction

2008-08-11T20:33:00.004-04:00

In class this week, we explored "approval addiction" and how it can impact our lives.

Cain was the first victim in the Bible who we know suffered from approval addiction....and it led to murder.

We also discussed how "secret service" (hence the picture) can help combat approval addiction.

Do you struggle with approval addiction? Take the following quiz. If you answer "yes" to any one of these, you should outline a plan on how you will address this area. We didn't get to this activity in class on Sunday and it is right out of the Ortberg video guide.

APPROVAL ADDICTION QUIZ: Yes or No

I am often hurt when other people express less than glowing opinions about me.
I habitually compare myself to other people.
I am competitive in most ordinary situations.
I have a nagging sense that I'm not important enough or special enough.
I envy someone else's success.
I try to impress people.
I'm afraid someone will find out how much I worry about receiving approval.
My sense of self-esteem depends on whether someone notices how smart, attractive, or _____ I am.
I find it difficult to love someone who expresses disapproval of me.
The opinions of others really affect me.
I measure my accomplishments against those of other people.
My concern for what others think inevitably leads me to shade the truth.
I resent the person whose approval I seek because too much of my well-being rests in his or her hands.
I am consumed by impression management. Much of what I say is to control how other people think of me.

One step you can immediately take to fight approval addiction is to act on the note card you took from class on Sunday.

Do an act of kindness or service for the person on the card you choose from the red box.....and don't tell anyone (that means no one!).

Humility: Prescription for Pride

2008-08-04T22:16:00.005-04:00

In class this week we spent quite a bit of time talking about how pride can really drag down our spiritual transformation.

Victoria told me the kids in Bible Blitz also talked about humility this week. When she asked them to describe humility, one child said, and I quote: "It's what happens when the air gets really moist and sticky..." I laughed really hard at that one.

While we adults don't confuse humility with humidity, we do tend to confuse what it really means.

Remember, we can be humble, yet be strong. We can be humble, yet stand firm in our convictions. We can be humble, but we can lead.

What does genuine humility (not humidity) look like?

Philippians 2:6-11 may help us out:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that the name of Jesus every knee should bow,in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If we want a real definition of humility, we find it here.

Humility bows to God. Remember Adam and Even's problem? They were tempted to be equal to God, and they fell. When we are humble we realize God is God and we are not. We are here to serve Him. He is not here to serve us.

Humility serves. Those who are proud seek to be served by others to meet their own selfish needs. Those who are humble simply serve others--without seeking credit, praise, or even a thank you. They serve in love, simply love.

Humility is obedient--regardless of the cost. Jesus was obedient to death! When the Spirit speaks to us and guides us into humble service, we need to relentlessly respond in obedience.

So how do we develop this discipline of humility? Remember Ortberg's simple tasks and adopt one this week:

The Ministry of the Mundane: Serve, not for credit, but out of love. Even if its boring. Even if it is not glamorous.

The Ministry of Interruptions : Be available, even when it is not convenient. Those interruptions may be opportunities for Spiritual Transformation.

The Ministry of Embracing Your Limitations: You are not Superman...or Supergirl. You don't have to have all the answers and you may not have time to do everything. It's okay.

The Ministry of Holding Your Tongue: What brilliant insights do you have to offer? Keep them to yourself. That is a humbling experience.

The Ministry of "Bearing": If you see someone bearing a burden...go to them and bear it with them. Drop your important agenda and bear their burden with them.

Which of these would you find most difficult adotping? Why?

Try it this week.

Sensitive to the Spirit

2008-08-01T19:36:00.002-04:00

In our class this past week, we discussed how we need to practice being sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.

Remember Jacob and how he reacted to the dream he had about the ladder to heaven? He said "Surely the Lord is in this place and I wasn't even aware of it." (Gen 28:16)

How has your week been? Busy, hectic crazy???

In spite of all that stuff going on, and believe me, it's been a whopper of a week for some of us, the Lord is in the place where you are....are you aware of it???

Don't forget the challenge we offered for this week: With each and every person with whom you interact, listen for what the Spirit is saying to you about that person and that relationship....and then be responsive to the Spirit!

What would it be like if we were to be relentlessly responsive to the Holy Spirit every time we are spoken to by that "still, small voice".

What would the world around us look like today if we were relentlessly responsive to the voice of God?

Are you willing to take that risk?

Larry Fairbanks Passes Away Unexpectedly

2008-08-01T19:31:00.013-04:00

Please remember our District Superintendent’s family in your prayers. If you hadn’t heard, Dr. Larry Fairbanks passed away Thursday morning in his sleep at his home in St. Mary’s. Funeral service were held Monday, August 4th at the District Center in St. Mary's, Ohio. Dr. Fairbanks was 58.

The official obituary is posted in the St. Mary's Evening Leader.

Obit information is available via the Nazarene Communications Network at http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?id=10006247

If you didn’t know Dr. Fairbanks, he was a kind, gentle man with a passion for spreading the Gospel. Remember his wife Kathy, his son Russ (who pastor’s the London, Ohio CoN and our former youth pastor here at Marysville) and his daughter Julie right now.

It’s especially shocking since this happened during our District Camp Meeting this week up at the district camp ground in St. Mary’s, so keep those services also in you prayers.

Russ and Dr. LeBron Fairbanks (Larry's brother) officated a beautiful service on August 4th at the NWO District Center in St. Mary's. .

A very sad, sudden, and tragic loss.

Please feel free to express your thoughts and sympathies, memories and tributes to Dr. Fairbanks by posting a comment below.....

You can also send condolences through the Miller Funeral Home websiste.

Curing Double-Mindedness

2008-07-22T22:59:00.005-04:00

One of the main things that blocks the path to spiritual transformation is double-mindedness.

This is something that we focused heavily upon in our class this week.

Remember the video we watched? Remember watching the two men in the canoe facing in opposite directions, rowing in opposite directions. Their "double-mindedness" sent the boat in circles. The canoe could not sail a straight course in any particular direction because the forces of double-mindedness had it in a tail-spin.

What can we do to cure ourselves of this condition? Ephesians 5:25-26 shed light for us: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word..."

We need to wash ourselves in the Word of God.

The Word of God is like soap. I don't know about you, but when I go more than a day or so without soap, my world gets a tad odoriferous.

We wash ourselves in the Word by deliberately, intentionally studying God's word on a regular basis. We need to do this to be reminded of the thoughts of God. You see, all the clutter and stuff in this world can distract us and "dirty us up" with regard to our spiritual state. In order to clean up, we need to bathe in the Word on a regular basis.

Here are some key tips from the Ortberg book we can cling to as we consider the importance of meditating on Scripture as a spiritual discipline:

Biblical meditation cannot be done quickly.

Biblical meditation is so important it is mentioned more than 50 times in the OT!

Meditation implies sustained attention and is built around a simple principle: "What the mind repeats, it retains."

The purpose of meditation is not to gain information, but to open ourselves to become the transformed into people from whom goodness flows on a consistent basis.

For some more thoughts on why we need to set our mind on the Word on a regular basis...click here

....and here.

Transformation without Confession?

2008-07-14T23:22:00.003-04:00

Can we be transformed spiritually without making the discipline of confession part of who we are?

Based on our discussion Sunday, the discipline of confession (and sincere repentance) open us up to our true potential in Christ. Without confession at conversion and without the ongoing attitude of confession in our daily walk, sin has a nasty tendency to creep in and distort our perception of reality.

In Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus teaches about the "plank" in the Pharisee's eye:

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

We've all gotten a speck of dirt in our eye. It hurts. It makes us wince. It blurs our vision. In some cases, it totally interrupts our ability to see. Imagine how much more a "plank" would distort our ability to see clearly.

In the story of David and Bathsheba, the sin in David's life was driven by pride and prevented him from being able to detect and deal with the sin that had ensnared the great King of Israel.

Sin, in the form of a speck or a plank, distorts our ability to see properly.

Sometimes we may be too proud to acknowledge the sin to confess it. Sometimes we're too ashamed. Sometimes we fear the consequences of owning up to our sinful acts.

Take some time this week to note how God responds to those who confess. Check out these passages:

Isaiah 43;25
Joel 2:12-13
1 John 1:7-9

Also, take a look at the freedom we experience when we have the courage to confess (even Christians need to confess sometimes):

Psalms 32:1-2
Acts 3:19
2 Corinthians 7:10

Practicing Prayer

2008-07-08T20:26:00.003-04:00

I hope you had a nice 4th of July holiday. Our family enjoyed the vacation time away. We needed to reconnect with each other.

We will reconvene as a class on Sunday morning at 9:45 in the old sanctuary upstairs (our usual place).

As you move through the "In's" and "Out's" of the week, lift each other up in prayer.

Our last class focused on prayer as a discipline.

Practicing prayer is like practicing piano. None of us will likely master the art of praying in this lifetime, but we can learn to get better at it.

How can we practice prayer? I remember when I practiced piano as a kid, my teacher made me learn and play the scales. This helped me learn the location of the keys on the key board so the notes on the page would make sense.

Do you know which "keys" on your prayer keyboard help you enter into effective, meaningful prayer with God?

Pluck a few of these keys to get started:

Thank God for who he is (Father, Creator, Master)
Thank God for his goodness and mercy
Ponder God's righteousness
Thank God for his saving grace
Thank God for his promises

Plucking the keys of thanksgiving are a great way to enter into a time of authentic prayer with our Father in Heaven.

For more musings on "practicing prayer" click here.

What helps you pray more effectively? Feel free to share....

See you Sunday in class!!!

Prayer Obstacles

2008-06-29T19:21:00.009-04:00

In our class this week, we discussed prayer as a spiritual discipline.

Prayers of desperation are not sufficient to sustain us spiritually. Instead, like an athlete in training, we need to learn to incorporate prayer into our daily spiritual regimen.

How strong are your prayer muscles? Could they stand to become stronger if you would just commit to the practice of prayer more regularly?

Here are some tips that may be helpful as we all strive to become better people of prayer:

Pick a time: This one is almost cliche. I don't think God really cares when you pray, but I think we should all strive to pray when we are at our best. For some that is the morning. For those of us who are more nocturnally oriented, it's in the evening. When are you at your best mentally? Try scheduling some prayer time around that time.

Pick a place: When you pray, pick a place that is free from distractions. In Mark 1:35-37 we read: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Peter seemed almost offended that it was tough to track Jesus down. But that was the point. Jesus needed some "J-time" to pray. Pick a place that allows you to have some "U-time" with God, uninterrupted.

Know your prayer path: Some people find it easier to pray outdoors. Some people like to focus on a picture or a sculpture to help get them in tuned with God. What is your prayer path? You may not have discovered it yet. Keep seeking it. You'll find it.

Pray authentically: Don't pontificate to God. Be authentic. Pray to God what is on you heart right where you are at that time.

Remember, as we learned in class, "history belongs to the intercessors." Pray boldly, like Abraham did and intercede on behalf of others.

For some more thoughts on prayer...check some of my other musings.

Whispers

2008-06-22T13:26:00.003-04:00

God tends to speak to us in whispers.

His "still, small" voice has something for you to hear on your journey from what you were to what He has in store for you.

Remember our passage we studied in Luke 8:14? It reads:

"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature."

Life's worries, riches, and pleasures create tons of noise and distraction that prevent you and I from hearing the transforming whispers of God. No one is immune from this reality.

Remember that other passage. Mark 6:31? It's your invitation from God today:

"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Find a place to turn off the "noise" and listen for whispers this week.

Pseudo-Transformation

2008-06-22T13:16:00.003-04:00

We've talked in class about how faking transformation leads to pseudo-transformation.

This is when we really don't have the fruits of the Spirit growing in our lives, but we really do a good job of looking the part. We may not have the real thing inside, but we go to church twice on Sunday, tithe, pray a really good prayer, and keep up our privacy walls.

In Ortberg's book, he poses some tough questions to determine if we are settling for pseudo-transformation:

Am I spiritually "inauthentic"?
Am I becoming judgmental or exclusive or proud?
Am I becoming more approachable, or less?
Am I growing weary of pursuing spiritual growth?
Am I measuring my spiritual life in superficial ways?

Interesting, isn't it, that we're always becoming and growing.....but becoming what? Growing into what?

Are you becoming the real deal? Or is it just a good show?

Transformation Take Time!

2008-06-22T13:03:00.001-04:00

What is the difference between a T-Bone steak slowly cooked over the fire and one that is cooked in the microwave in 4 minutes?

Transformation takes time. We are transformed over time into the image of Christ.

Sometimes the changes the Holy Spirit makes in our live are instant and some take years to complete.

Billy Graham wrote that when we are saved, there is immediately peace between ourselves and God. It's an instant transformation in our relationship to God. But Graham notes that it takes much more time for that peace to permeate our lives in relation to other people and the world around us.

In order for God to be able to change us into what He wants us to be, we need to intentionally orient or arrange our lives in a manner that allows Him to do so.

Remember the metaphor of the sail boat? What can you intentionally do in your life to unfurl your sail to catch the wind of the Holy Spirit? You can't catch the wind if you don't hoist your sail?

We Are Made to Transform!

2008-06-22T12:56:00.001-04:00

Redemption is all about transformation.

When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we are saved from the eternal punishment we deserve, but we're also save for something else.

We are saved to be transformed into the likeness of Christ....not just to look good, but to BE GOODNESS to a hurting world.

God's intent for us to be transformed from our old yucky self into the image of Christ is laid out in 2 Corinthians 5:16-20:

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. (NIV)

You and I are made for this!