Lay Down Your Fears

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Carl Simmons

A great deal of the sin in our lives is little more than a lame attempt to protect ourselves from the possibility of being sinned against. Whether it’s a preemptive strike or a full-scale retreat, we’ll do just about anything to avoid the hard work of loving others. But the way to God is through loving others. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18). We long to be perfect, but God’s perfect work in us cannot be completed without a willingness to expose ourselves fully to the people and situations God has placed before us.

Even the difficult matters in our lives are signs of God’s love for us. When we can place ourselves before those circumstances, neither shrinking back not attacking, the perfect love of God can be fully manifested in us.

Almost all of us struggle with fear, whether we show it or not. No less a man than Timothy—who helped Paul write the books of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon—clearly struggled with fear throughout much of his ministry. Consider the advice from Paul, near the end of his life and while in prison, to the man who by this time had become bishop of Ephesus:

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.  Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you (2 Timothy 1:5–14, emphasis mine).

What’s Paul remedy to fear, then? Several exhortations come up here:

  • Remember your faith, and who you are in Jesus (v.5).
  • Take the spark God’s given you, and fan it into a flame (v.6).
  • Exert the “power of love and self-control” you’ve already received (v.7).
  • Be willing to take some heat for the gospel you believe (v.8).
  • Remember that Christ conquered death—what more is there to fear (v.10)?
  • Accept suffering as part of the package of both sanctification, and of life itself, and realize that even in those times God’s protection remains upon you (v.12).
  • Do what you know to be true and right. Obey God, faithfully and in love (v.13).
  • Through the Holy Spirit, guard what God’s already given you (v.14).

Which of these is at the top of your list right now? In what ways can you step out of fear and into “life and immortality to light through the gospel”? Eternal life begins now. So lay down your fear, and step boldly into the light.

Lay It Down Today

If you can’t do this final activity immediately, do it in the next twenty-four hours: Read Paul’s two letters to Timothy in one sitting. They’re ten fairly modest chapters (less than two hundred verses total), but chock full of fatherly advice and en-courage-ment to a son in the faith. As you read, put yourself in Timothy’s place, reading these personal letters from a spiritual father he might never see again in the flesh. Think of these letters as a mentor writing to you, sharing his life experience while he still has the opportunity. Feel the immediacy.

After reading, ask God to show you how to act upon what you’ve just read. Which of Paul’s words struck you hardest, and why? What does God want to do with that? Spend time praying through that, “pushing” God for an answer. Don’t stop until you’re satisfied you’ve laid all out your fears, anxieties, and concerns before God. Then let him go to work, and watch what happens.

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Lay Down Your Expectations

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Rather than attacking today’s idea from the front—and our previous rumination on goals and plans hit on many of the ideas inherent in this next idea already—I’d like to approach today’s meditation from a different angle.

Over the last several years, and from multiple sources, God has reinforced the importance of expectancy in my life. Meaning: When we lay down our time, our possessions, our attitudes, whatever, to actually give God something to work with in our lives, do we truly expect that God will show up?

At the same time, I’ve realized how little expectancy bears resemblance to expectation. If I bring my own agenda to the table, even with the best of intentions, about the only thing I can expect is disappointment—and I’m likely to do more damage than good, not least of all to myself. That’s not only true about my relationship with God, but about every part of the life he’s given me.

Conversely, when I turn to God and say, “This is your gig; do what you will” (or the old-fashioned but still effective “not my will, but thine”), things tend to fall into line much more easily—because they’ve been left in the hands of Someone who can draw a line correctly.

Hopefully, it’s obvious that being expectant doesn’t translate to “do nothing.” It means: Go about the business God’s called you to, and let the results take care of themselves. The parable of the talents nicely illustrates this:

“A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Luke 19:12b–26).

In re-reading this recently, something hit me that I hadn’t previously noticed. There’s a bit of conjecture to it, but it makes sense: The king comes back after receiving his kingdom, and upon seeing the faithfulness of the first two stewards gives each of them authority over several cities. Where do you think those cities came from? My bet’s on the kingdom that the nobleman just received. Someone’s got to watch over those cities, after all.

Likewise, God wants to create new things through us, not just give us control over things (and kingdoms) we already know. We can only prepare to receive those things by remaining obedient to the King, and by remaining faithful to his kingdom and the things he’s already entrusted to us. Expecting God’s goodness (or in the third steward’s case, his “badness”) to look a certain way is usually a futile exercise. God will show us what we need when we need it. Sometimes we get a glimpse into what God’s fulfilled vision in our lives will look like, but more often he’ll let us know when it’s time to move forward, and into what new kingdom.

So stop expecting too much from yourself spiritually, or otherwise. Stop expecting instant regeneration, or instant success. Trust God as you once did. Don’t try to anticipate his moves before he’s made them. Allow him to grow you at his pace, instead of thinking you can run out ahead.

At the same time, don’t underestimate what God can do. Be faithful with what God has already entrusted to you, and live in the expectancy that the good things he’s already entrusted to you will produce even better things beyond your expectations. 

Lay It Down Today

We’re going to try a little parallel Bible study today, reading both versions of the parable of the talents—Matthew 25:14–30 and Luke 19:11–27. Note the similarities and the differences between each account. More importantly, note what God’s saying to you through each version.

Then, reflect on this: What can you identify as things God has already entrusted to you—things you know God wants you to do? It could be a specific calling or impression of the Spirit, or something as profoundly “mundane” as being a better parent or spouse. Whatever those things are, list them out now. Then, pray over your list. Ask God to help you “[be] faithful in [the] very little” he’s already given you, so that you may be ready to receive the authority you need for the new works he has in store for you—both here and beyond.

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Lay Down Your Goals

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Let’s return to the idea of us “taking things out of God’s hands” through our own control issues—specifically, through the plans and goals we lay out for ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with having goals for our lives. They give us focus; they inspire us; they inspire others. And quite often, those goals are things worth aspiring to.

But there’s a down side: Namely, they’re our goals and plans. Thus, they can become a wall that gets between us and God’s plans for us—even when what we have in mind and what God has in mind look very similar on the surface. God is always more concerned with what’s going on under the surface. Let’s look at one of Jesus’ more in-your-face parables, and dig down from there:

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:15–21).

While this parable specifically addresses our possessions, we would be wise to expand our definition of the word “possessions” here. Let me ask a simple question: When you’ve reached a goal, whose accomplishment is it?

If you answered “mine,” congratulations: You have a possession.

It’s no coincidence that Jesus follows up this parable with his command to not be anxious (which we explored in Day 1, via Matthew). When our goals are more our goals than God’s, we feel we’re the ones who need to protect them. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34).

The next time you’re feeling stressed, ask yourself, “What am I protecting here that God can’t protect a million times better?” Again, it may not be the goal or the plan that’s wrong, but who’s being glorified by them. If God truly wants us to pursue such things, then we can lay them down at his feet, confident he’ll take care of them.

In my previous book, I’d put forth a series of questions for those considering pursuing a “God-given vision”—specifically, to determine whose vision it really was. I think, with a few minor tweaks, those same questions are a good filter for any goals and plans we have in life. Think about two or three goals you have right now, and then apply the following questions to each of them:

  • As I’m pursuing this, am I sensing God revealing more about the things he truly cares about?
  • Once this goal has been reached, will it reveal more about God to others, or just more about me?
  • Which pieces of the plan were clearly not my idea (even if I’m excited about them now)?
  • Have I tried letting go of my plans, only to find God bringing them up again?
  • Would I still want this to happen even if someone else did it—or even if I did it and someone else got the credit?

How did you do? It’s OK (for now) if you thought, “Well, it’s both, actually—it’s me and God; it’s flesh and spirit.” But it’s critical that we stop to figure out what’s God and what’s just us, because at some point we’re almost certainly going to find ourselves disagreeing with God on some things. And when that happens, guess what? God’s right. At that point, you’ll need to remember what’s truly God’s, so you’ll be able to keep trusting him when you don’t understand what’s going on. Hold your own plans loosely, and hang on for dear life to God’s plans.

Lay It Down Today

Read Luke 12:13–48—or rather read, review, and reflect. This longer passage combines today’s passage, a reiteration of Day 1’s passage, and two more parables that are tied in more than you might think, so read slowly. When you get to verses 35–48, read them aloud. Put some inflection into your reading; think about how Jesus said these words to his disciples as you read—because, after all, you’re one of them.

Reflect on today’s questions again, in light of what you’ve just read. Allow God’s Word to be “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:11). Ask God to help his Word penetrate more deeply into your goals and plans, so that the parts that are “just you” are cut away—if even if that means all of them. Trust that God’s plans are far better than anything you could come up with, and act on his leading as it comes.

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Lay Down Your Doubt

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Our anxiety expresses itself through doubt. And our doubt expresses itself by taking things into our own hands. Whether we say it or even consciously think it, trying to make things happen on our own says, at best, “God’s not giving me what I want when I want it, so I’d better make it happen myself.” And despite what seventy-five percent of Christians believe (Barna, 2005), the phrase “God helps those who help themselves” does not come from the Bible.

In this season of my life, God has been confronting my tendency to live out of my doubt. Ask anyone: I’m good at coming up with a plan, pulling things together, and making them happen. I am, to use a human compliment, resourceful. Heck, I like referring to myself as “tenacious.” And yet, in this season all my efforts have come to nothing. Instead, God says, “Depend on me. Let me handle it.”

I try every idea at my disposal, thinking one of them will work. They don’t. And then something that wasn’t my idea shows up and accomplishes what all my bright ideas and efforts couldn’t. Again, God repeats, “Depend on me. Let me handle it.”

Sometimes we already know things are out of our hands. And yet, we wrestle with the same problem as the anxious and the self-reliant—the failure to acknowledge that things still in God’s hands. We see a great example of this as Jesus encounters a boy with an unclean spirit—and even moreso in the people surrounding Jesus and the boy:

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (Mark 9:14–29).

I love the incredulousness of Jesus’ “If you can!” here. It not only carries the sense of “Who do you think I am?” but also “Who do you think you are, in God’s sight?” Which is borne out by Jesus’ next sentence, “All things are possible for one who believes.”

While it’s not simply a matter of “God helps those who help themselves,” our inability to “make” God’s will manifest might indeed be a matter of us not being in position for God to use us. Our doubt restrains God’s ability to operate. Not that he couldn’t blow past it any time he liked, as Jesus in fact does here. Nonetheless, God wants us to believe, and is willing to withhold his temporal blessings and deliverance until we do so.

I’m not advocating a “name-it-and-claim-it” theology here, but I am suggesting a principle of “believe it and you’ll receive it”—provided it’s what God wanted to give you all along. Psalm 84:11b affirms this: “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” There is a truth buried within the more positivistic twistings of the gospel, and it’s this: So much of God’s will for our lives remains unclaimed, because we can’t bring ourselves to believe that God would really want to do something good for us.

Thus, I suspect that the prayer and fasting the disciples lacked for this situation wasn’t purely a matter of failing to press the right spiritual buttons—let alone “if you do this spiritual discipline more regularly, you’ll be so much more effective for the kingdom.” There’s truth to that, but there’s a deeper truth here: Like every spiritual discipline, prayer and fasting was a way for the disciples to humble themselves before God so that they too could see the situation properly, become acutely aware of their own fallenness, human inability, and just plain lack of trust—and acknowledge, as the boy’s father did, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Lay down your doubt, and let Jesus help your unbelief, so that you can receive the good things he has already prepared for you.

Lay It Down Today

Let’s get more creative with today’s passage from Mark. Read it again right now, putting yourself in the disciples’ place. Experience the inability to heal, Jesus’ rebuke, and the curiosity/humility afterward. Then read it once more, from the perspective of the father—the overwhelmedness and desperation for his son to be delivered, and the equally deep desperation to want to believe fully that Jesus could, and would, deliver his son.

Who do you identify with more right now? Spend some time giving up your doubt, and the roadblocks you’ve placed to reinforce that doubt, to Jesus right now. Hand over to him those things that make you anxious or overwhelmed. Let him handle them, and ask him to keep those things out of your hands from this day forward.

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Lay Down Your Anxiety

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Let’s begin our exploration of our future at its most immediate location: Today.

11-59My dad has a phrase I’ve used a lot in the past couple decades: “He’s the God of 11:59.” In other words, God intervenes in our lives when he’s supposed to, at our time of deepest need—not when we think he ought to show up, or when it would be easiest for us. Those who constantly take faith-filled risks live in 11:59. The rest of us would do well to remember that 11:59 might, in fact, be the best place to live our lives.

Peter wrote the following about the Day of the Lord, but I believe it applies pretty well on this day, too: “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:8–9).

What I interpret as God’s slowness in making my life less stressful is, rather, his patience in waiting for me to repent and be willing to live in 11:59—to fully accept the easy yoke of Jesus, so that I move at his correct pace, knowing that his provision will always be there when I need it, and that his provision to me in fact brings him glory.

Thus, I’m also often been fond of adding a corollary phrase to my dad’s: “I need to reset my watch.”

The truth is, we often have no clue about God’s timing. But a good rule of thumb is this: Remove yourself, and anything else other than the God you trust in, from the equation—which is also to say, remove the pain that “waiting” brings to you—then view the situation again. At that point in time when it’s clear there’s nothing you can do to meet that need, there God will be.

I’m writing today’s entry in such a season. Over the past year, things I thought I could depend on—schedules, promises, routines, people—have failed or fallen by the wayside. My wife and I are in a place where each week could be the one when we no longer can successfully pay the bills, when work may or may not come. And yet, weeks and now months like this have now gone by, and a check or an assignment arrives in time, or the money went further than expected. Thus, if we look at the situation objectively rather than with an anxiety about our future, the fact is… we lack nothing.

We are already residing in eternity, even here. The more I realize that, the less I need to worry that God will take care of our needs. We all have to rely on God, whether we care to admit that or not. The blessing, when it comes right down to it, is when we realize that and live as if it were true. Because it is.

Matthew 6, the center of the Sermon on the Mount, is loaded with Jesus’ assertions about our future: The Lord’s Prayer, the promise that our private giving—and fasting—will be rewarded openly, the encouragement to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, but most apparently in the following passage used by every one of us who worry about the future—thus, I’ll step aside and let Jesus close today’s thoughts, because after all they’re about today:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:25–34).

Lay It Down Today

We’re going to spend some extra time in the Word in the coming entries, to discipline ourselves in this habit. But first, let’s try a little experiment. Find a watch or a clock with a second hand. Then, do not be anxious: Close your eyes and wait before Jesus right now. In fact, do it for exactly 1 minute and 59 seconds—or at least what you think is 1 minute and 59 seconds. Keep your eyes closed until you think that amount of time has passed, then look up. Note how close you were (or weren’t). Read Matthew 6:25–34 again, then reflect:

  • How hard was it to still yourself and wait, for not even two minutes? What kinds of things went through your head during that time? Why?
  • Why do we seem to be able to do everything but wait? Why does that make us so uncomfortable?

Close your eyes once more—this time to pray. Ask God to “reset your watch,” that you can live more within his perfect will and timing, free from anxiety about your future—including your future today.

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Lay Down Your Love (Retreat Session 4)

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Carl Simmons

Throughout the course of this retreat, you’ve been exposed to—and sometimes thrown into in—just a few of the spiritual disciplines. (And if you haven’t, check out the previous three entries below.) But the fact is, every spiritual discipline is a form of worship. It’s a way of being intentional about recognizing God’s “worth-ship.” As you’ve hopefully experienced, they get us out of our own way so we can see and appreciate God for who he is.

shawn in the valleyIn this final session, we’re going to focus more on worship in the more “conventional,” outward sense, as well as use the above disciplines, with Revelation as our guide. We need to always remember that our lives are prep time for eternity. Right now, we’re being prepared to live forever in God’s presence. Just thinking about that should help us view our lives differently. Thus, we’ll also consider what God still has in store for us here—how we can serve the world he’s placed us in, for his sake. So let’s begin to pick up our new life in Jesus, put it on, and walk it out.

Take fifteen minutes to think and journal on these questions:

  • Out of the activities you’ve done during this retreat—study, prayer, silence, confession, “alone time with God” (and fellowship and service, if you’ve been with a group)—which have helped you connect with God the most? Why do you think that is?
  • Which disciplines would like to do more often? How can you become more deliberate about doing so?
  • Think about a meaningful time or season of worship (of any kind), or of closeness to God, that you’ve experienced. What made that time so meaningful? What did it feel like? How did it affect your thoughts and actions?
  • How has your idea of what worship is (and isn’t) changed over the course of your Christian life? How has your own approach to worship before God changed, as a result?

Leaders: Take twenty minutes for this as a group. If you have ten people or fewer, do this initial discussion time together; if more than ten, use your subgroups. Give a few minutes’ warning when your twenty minutes is almost up, and regain everyone’s attention when you’re ready to move on.

Read Revelation 7:9–8:3. Then read it again. Once more, if you need to, to get the whole picture of what’s taking place here. Then move on.

We’re not going to observe an entire half-hour of silence, but we are going to take a few more minutes to just sit and be silent before God. Close your eyes, and put yourself in the middle of this passage. Go from being an observer to a participant, because that’s what you’ll be one day. Meditate on this passage until you can truly see yourself there. Once you’re ready to leave the scene, take at least ten more minutes to reflect on these questions:

  • How did you feel as you reflected on this scene? Were you excited? Uncomfortable? Scared? Or did you have a hard time resonating with it at all? In any case, why?
  • Regardless of your answer, how does (or should) knowing our eternal future with Jesus help us make worship—however we do it—a higher priority in our lives?
  • How easy is it for you to accept the idea that you’re created for God’s pleasure—and that God delights in growing you even further? Explain.

Leaders: Encourage group members to read through Revelation 7:9–8:3 as many times as they need to, in order to get the picture here. Then, move on to the instructions in the next paragraph. Ask everyone to be totally silent for the next five minutes, imagining themselves in the midst of this passage. When five minutes are up, have everyone get back into their subgroups. Give everyone fifteen minutes to debrief their experience and to discuss the questions that follow. Again, give a heads-up when a few minutes remain. Ask for volunteers from each subgroup to share their answers and insights afterward.

Before you move on to the next section, spend some time worshipping God, in whatever form you’re comfortable doing it. But do something audible and visible before God—maybe even shout, cry, and fall on your face. Get ready to become a part of what you’ve just experienced in Revelation 7.

Leaders: After your discussion time, take a worship break. Take at least fifteen minutes to sing, pray, praise—whatever comes most naturally to your group. Encourage group members to be audibly and visibly expressive in their worship during this time.

Then, read Revelation 21:1–7, 21:10–22:5. Read it as many times as you need to for the images here to sink in. Then think once more about the people you’ve reflected on during the course of this retreat. Consider this: They, too, with be with you for eternity. In fact, you’re going to spend eternity with every believer who’s ever walked the earth. Then, take fifteen minutes to reflect on these questions:

  • How can remembering your destination enable you to begin living eternal life more fully right now?
  • Where is it most apparent to you that you’re not yet “one who conquers”? How can the One who has conquered help you in that battle?
  • Even more important than you: Who are the “conquered” in your life right now? Who needs joy? Healing? Comfort? A sense of God’s presence? Refreshing? A sense of their value to God? How could God use you to help bring that to them? Be specific.

 

Leaders: Get back into your subgroups, and take twenty minutes for this next section. Take turns reading this passage, twice around, and then discuss the questions that follow. Give subgroups a heads-up when a few minutes remain. Afterward, ask people to share their answers and insights. Encourage as many responses to that last question as possible, but don’t force anyone to answer.

Take at least fifteen minutes to pray in response to that last question. Ask God to build upon and expand the vision he’s begun to place upon your heart. Ask him to guide you to those people that either you can come alongside or who can come alongside you, or both, depending on your situation.

Try to have an extended time of worship between you and God to close your retreat time. Pray, sing, talk… give whatever you can give to God. When you feel you’ve done that, thank God once more for your time together, and then get back out there—because eternal life starts now.

Leaders: You can either do this section as an entire group or in your subgroups, depending on your size. If you do get into subgroups, bring everyone back together after fifteen minutes and close your prayer time together. Then, spend at least fifteen more minutes in worship. Again, encourage group members to be audibly and visibly expressive. If you need to sing or pray or anything else longer, do it. Let the Spirit do his full work in your midst, and don’t end your time together until you’re satisfied you’ve allowed that to happen fully.

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Lay It Down and Lay It Out (retreat session 3)

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Carl Simmons

God has called each of us as individuals, and to respond to him in the unique way he’s called each of us… but we’re not in this alone. God wants us to share what he’s done and give him the glory for it—and he wants to accomplish much of that in the context of Christian relationship.

The trick here isn’t to pursue relationships with other Christians, but to pursue Jesus together as Christians. The two things sound similar, but there’s all the difference in the world between them. When Jesus is our focus, suddenly all the little things that often get in the way in our relationships don’t seem so important. When we pursue Jesus together, our relationships naturally become closer and deeper—because Jesus sets the tone. Jesus is never going to steer us the wrong way.

We’re going to use Romans 12 as our roadmap from the individual to the corporate. In some ways this chapter seems all over the map, but as we work through it you’ll hopefully begin to observe the connections between who we individually should be before God, and how Jesus wants us to serve the world together as his Body.

Read Romans 12:1–2, repeatedly. Reflect on your time spent on this retreat so far, and then take at least ten minutes to respond to these questions:

  • Based on what’s gone on between you and God so far, how do you believe he’s called you specifically to “present your bod[y] as a living sacrifice”? What do you think your next move actually looks like?
  • When do you find it easier to try harder, or “be conformed to this world,” to get things done, rather than be “a living sacrifice”? What would God’s “good and acceptable and perfect” will look like in those situations? (And if your answer is “I don’t know,” what do you need to change in your thinking to find out?)

Leaders: Have everyone get into their subgroups. Let them know they’ll be working together for the entire session. You’ll be prompting them along the way to transition from section to section, but otherwise the extent of your leadership is getting them started and wrapping things up. Introduce the session, saying something along the lines of our introduction. And then let your groups get to work. Allow fifteen minutes for them to talk through this first section; prompting them when there’s a few minutes left. In this group context, it’s only necessary to read the passage once. Also, encourage your subgroups to stop and pray for one another throughout their time together. Don’t just save it all up for the end of the session; begin inviting God in as you sense your need for him.

Read verses 3–5, again repeatedly. Then take at least fifteen minutes to reflect and write concerning the following questions:

  • Why is it important to remember that we’re part of a body—and only one part? Come up with at least one example to illustrate your answer.
  • Likewise, why is it important to remember that God has given each member a measure of faith?
  • When have you seen a healthy church body (or group) work together? What made it work so well?
  • On the other hand, when have you seen God’s purposes thwarted by his body? Complete this sentence in response to that situation: “If only….”
  • What was your part in that “If only…”—or what should it have been?

Leaders: Give subgroups twenty minutes to talk through this section. Again, prompt them when they have a few minutes left.

Before beginning your next reading, take two or three minutes to think of all the commitments you’re responsible for in a given week, and write them down as they come to you.

Now, read and re-read verses 6–10. Take at least fifteen minutes to journal on these questions:

  • Where do you fit into this “short list” of spiritual gifts—or wish you did? How else has God gifted you that’s not listed here?
  • Who exhibits some of the gifts that make you say “that’s so not me”? How could working together with that person or people benefit both of you, as well as benefit those you’re serving (or would like to serve)?
  • Stay on those people you just thought of. How does showing mutual love and honoring those people help smooth over those places where it’s painfully obvious how different you are? Can you think of an example when that’s happened? Write that down as well
  • What would mutual love and honoring look like, specifically, in your life right now?
  • Look at the “commitments” list you made earlier. How does this passage, and your responses to it, help you keep “your” work for the Lord in perspective?

Leaders: Give subgroups twenty-five minutes to talk through this section. Again, prompt them when they have a few minutes left.

Go on to verses 11–20. Read it, then re-read it. Take ten more minutes to reflect and respond:

  • Which of these commands—if any—do you look at and say, “Hey, no problem”? On the other hand, which of these commands just make you cringe? In both cases, why?
  • Reflect once more on your co-workers from the section above. What, specifically, could that person or persons teach you that you lack?

Leaders: Give subgroups thirty minutes to talk through the following section—but even moreso, to pray for one another. Help everyone to key in on the follow-up question, “Which of these sections resonated most with you as you studied and journaled?” and pray together over each other’s answers. The Spirit is probably doing some serious work in people’s lives right now; take advantage of that. Encourage groups to open their hearts even further to God, and to one another. Encourage them to recognize and honor one another’s gifts as they pray. Again, let everyone know when there’s a few minutes left.

This session has probably brought up a lot of current struggles. The good news is: God wants to help you in those struggles, and so do the people you thought about during this session—more than you know, or likely suspect. Now’s the time to invite God in (and if you’re in a group, others as well).

Which of these sections resonated most with you as you studied and journaled? Spend time talking to God about it. Ask him for wisdom, and for people to walk alongside you, as you pursue God’s “good and acceptable and perfect” will for your life. Also ask that your heart be changed toward others, so that you may “[l]ove one another with brotherly affection” and “[o]utdo one another in showing honor.”

Leaders: Bring everyone back together. Invite people to share prayer requests, and how the Spirit has been moving among your entire group. Then spend at least a little more time praying together, and for what God wants to do in your midst next.

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Lay Down and Listen (retreat session 2)

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Carl Simmons

trail ridgeEven if you’re with a group, this session is about you and God spending time together. Just you and God. This might seem scary, or lead to unrealistic expectations, if you’re not used to “wasting time with God.” Don’t let it be. I’ve had profound, life-changing experiences with God during these some of these retreat times. Other times, I didn’t sense God’s presence at all, even when I really desired to hear his answers. Yet other times, it was something in between—I felt God’s presence, if only briefly, but didn’t come back with “the answer from the mountaintop.” But my time with God has always been a time to be refreshed and to regain some perspective. If you go in with any expectations at all, let it be that.

Leaders: Instruct everyone to come back in ninety minutes. Chances are several will come back early; others may not return on time. Again, if God’s talking, don’t circumvent that. Move on together as a group at the ninety-minute mark, and let those who straggle in later share as they’re led. If your meeting location has a lot of property, or is located near a park or natural area, add up to thirty minutes to this “alone time with God” piece. This will give people time to find (and return from) a nice, secluded spot, and will be even more conducive to their hanging out with God just a little bit longer.

Take at least ninety minutes for your “alone time with God.” Find a secluded (or at least private) area; bring your book, your journal, and something to write with. Once you’ve found your spot, spend some time in prayer, asking God to prepare your heart. If some things from Session 1 have bubbled to the surface, spend time talking to God about them as well before moving on. Don’t be surprised if distracting thoughts pop up during your prayer time or “alone time.” If it’s something that has some legitimacy—for example, something you need to remember to do when you get back home—just jot it down in your journal, then forget about it and move on.

Read 1 Kings 18:17–19:18, slowly. Then read through it again, before proceeding.

Note that God not only provides sustenance, but also provides fellowship and support. In the midst of Elijah’s turmoil and depression, God points him toward Elisha, his disciple and successor. In our next session, we’ll focus more on the power of prayer and on those God provides to support us. (If you’re with a group, some of those people might even be waiting for you when you get back.) But for now, think about this:

  • When have you had an Elijah-type experience—where you’ve had a huge success, followed by an emotional/spiritual collapse? When have you wanted to (or did) say, “God, just kill me now?” How did God meet you during that time—or do you still wonder where he was or why he allowed it to happen?

Be brutally honest with this question. It’s not as if God doesn’t know the answers already, but maybe you need to acknowledge the pain you still feel—or properly express the joy of having experienced God’s provision and deliverance. Or both. Talk to God about that time right now before moving on. Spend more time in repentance, if you need to. Cry, scream, shout in praise, or be quiet and calm—respond to God as you need right now. Again, take as much time as you need to “clear the decks.” But also, even now, begin giving God the opportunity to respond.

When you’re done, take at least fifteen minutes to be totally silent before God. You may or may not hear God’s “still small voice” during that time, but give him the chance to speak to your heart, and your mind. If God does bring something to mind, and/or you realize there’s more you want to speak to him about, write it down. But don’t interrupt your time of silence; save your words for later.

Afterward, reflect on these questions. Again, write out your answers, and include details—try to think through the “why behind the why”:

  • When have you found yourself expecting to hear God in the big circumstances—in the windstorms and earthquakes and fires—rather than in the calm that followed? When have you tried to “force” God to speak by creating a windstorm of your own?
  • When have you felt alone and abandoned, as Elijah did? Or that everything you’d truly felt you’d done for God was worth nothing? How did that affect the other parts of your life?
  • What might you have been expecting of God during those times that were more about what you wanted than what God wanted?

Again, when you’re done, take a couple more minutes to be silent. Deal with your feelings, and contrast them with God’s truth. Then, spend some more time talking things through with God before moving on.

When you’re ready, read through John 15—the entire chapter—at least once. Then, reflect on these questions, and respond to the corresponding prompts for prayer:

  • At what point do you usually realize you’ve stopped “remaining”? Why then?
  • Why is staying connected, rather than being connected in stops and starts, so critical to bearing fruit?
  • Ask forgiveness for the times you’ve turned away from Jesus—again, be specific if there are instances you haven’t already prayed about during your retreat time—and for the strength to “stay remained” in him.
  • How have you felt God pruning you over the last few months? What’s been the fruit of that process so far? Thank God for the growth he’s produced in your life—and even for the pain that might have occurred in order for that growth to happen.
  • Conversely, how have you felt more connected to Jesus, or to other Christians, over the past few months? How can you strengthen those connections further? Ask God for wisdom and insight on how to proceed.
  • What’s one way you need to remain in Jesus, in a way that you really haven’t? More specifically: What has God impressed upon you during this alone time, and what do you think he wants you to do about it? Who might he want you to do it with?

Close your alone time in prayer, thanking God for your time together, and asking for his strength and wisdom to live out those things he’s impressed upon you during your time together.

Leaders: Have a debriefing time together as a group to wrap up. Allow thirty to forty-five minutes for this time. It’s likely you’ll be amazed and blessed by what God has already shared with your group members. Start at the time you asked everyone to return, whether they’ve all returned yet or not. Open the floor up; invite people to share how they spent their time with God and what they heard. Chances are 1) they’ll have something to share, and 2) they won’t want to be the first ones to speak. Therefore, be ready to share your own story, to get the wheels rolling; then step back and watch what God does (and already has done).

Close your sharing time in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to “waste time with him.” Thank him for what he’s revealed to each person in your group already, and ask him to help keep your eyes and ears open to his presence for the remainder of this retreat—and beyond. Then, enjoy your lunch together! Chances are, even more will get shared as you relax and enjoy your meal together.

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Lay Down… No, Seriously, LAY DOWN (Retreat Session 1)

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Carl Simmons

During this retreat—this interlude—we’re going to, in the famous words of Thomas Merton, “waste time with God.” As we lay down our time and just immerse ourselves in God’s presence, we’ll more deeply realize that no time with God is wasted. In addition, we’ll begin converting into experience an idea we’ll be exploring from here on out: Eternal life starts now. As we learn to give more of our time to God, and encounter his infinitude, we very consciously and deliberately prepare ourselves us for eternity with him.

mountains ypsilonIn each of the following sessions, we’ll not only prepare our hearts but begin using practices we can integrate into our daily lives—and that we’ll get to practice more in the weeks to come. They’re commonly known as spiritual disciplines, but don’t let that phrase intimidate you. We’re going to take some tiny steps during this interlude, and trust God to move us forward from here.

We’re not to approach the disciplines as a way to “manipulate God,” but as we should approach God in every part of our lives—with a sensitive and repentant heart. In a sense, through the disciplines we preach God’s goodness to ourselves, even when we’re unable to feel it. We acknowledge that our hearts grow cold all too easily; but by choosing to focus on God’s presence, we also acknowledge our desire to truly know God better and to allow him to transform our hearts. From that position of weakness, God can make us truly strong. So let’s begin.

**********

In our second session, we’ll focus specifically on listening to God and what he has to say to us right now. However, it’s hard to listen when your mind, heart, and spirit are so cluttered with everything but Jesus. This session, therefore, is about clearing the decks and beginning to prepare your heart so you can hear.

Be patient with yourself during this process, but be willing to deal honestly and thoroughly with the things that have come between you and Christ, and to give the Spirit permission to bring up those things.

Leaders: Before getting started, have your group forms smaller subgroups of three or four. Let everyone know that you’ll be working and discussing together in these subgroups often throughout this retreat. Once your subgroups have formed, tell everyone that for this first section, they’ll each need to find a place in their meeting area where they can think and write quietly. They can stay in their seats, if they want—as long as there’s plenty of space between them and others. Instruct them to work through the reading and questions for Luke 10 below, and to plan on coming back together in twenty minutes. It’s a good idea to give people notice before bringing them back together. After fifteen minutes, quietly say, “You have five minutes left.”

Read Luke 10:38–42. Then read it again. Once more. Write down your immediate impressions.

Then, think about and write down your answers to the following questions, spending at least five minutes on each bullet-point group of questions:

  • If you’re a Martha:
    If you had (or have) a Mary in your life, what would your complaint(s) about her be?
    What do your complaints reveal about your own priorities?
    How do those priorities line up with Jesus’ priorities, especially in light of what you’ve studied these past several weeks?
  • If you’re a Mary:
    How do you react to the Marthas in your life?
    How guilty or anxious do you feel about all the things that aren’t done—or at least about how it’s making the Marthas in your life feel?
    What legitimate points do your Marthas have?
    How does all this distract you from sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening?
  • Why is it so hard to stop and listen to Jesus? What do you think you’re giving up by doing so? Be brutally honest with yourself here.

Leaders: Bring everyone back together and get them into their subgroups. Allow ten to fifteen minutes for subgroups to discuss insights from their reflection time. Afterward, gather everyone’s attention, and ask for a volunteer from each group to share their answers. Then, ask everyone to go back to their “quiet places” and spend thirty minutes working through the reading, questions, and activity for Revelation 2 (the remainder of this session). Again, give everyone a heads-up when your time is nearing a close.

Now, read Revelation 2:1–7. Again, read it a few times and write down your impressions before moving on.

Reflect on and write down your answers to the following questions, again spending at least five minutes on each bullet point:

  • What do you think—or at least hope—Jesus will commend you for? Again, be honest; this is an opportunity to invite Jesus into your struggles, and the things you take even legitimate pride in are part of that struggle.
  • Recall when you first came to know Jesus. What’s different now? How have you forgotten, or at least neglected, your first love?
  • What attitudes or activities have quenched your first love—complacency, opposition, inattention, busyness, something else? Name each of them now. Be specific; add detail as you need to.
  • How do you get back to where you once were “and do the works you did at first”? (Note: If your answer is “I don’t know,” don’t panic; you’re just starting this retreat. Just begin trying to process. Give the Spirit time to respond to, and shape, the desires of your heart.)

Part of the answer to the final question can be found in your answers to the previous question, and in Revelation 2:5. We’ve considered how far we’ve fallen, and acknowledged our need “do the things [we] did at first.” There’s one word between those two phrases, though, that we’re going to deal with now: Repent.

Review your list of attitudes or activities that have quenched your first love. You’ve named them; now spend time in prayer lifting each of them up to God and repenting of them. “Repent” means to turn around, and by turning around we begin heading in the direction Jesus first pointed us in—and toward the destinations, both on this earth and beyond, he’s intended for us.

When you’re done, spend some more time remembering your first love in Jesus. Remember the joy you experienced in “do[ing] the things you did at first.” Then close your first session in prayer and thanksgiving—both for what Jesus has already done in your life and what he’s going to do as you lay down your life to him.

Leaders: Bring everyone back together after thirty minutes. Invite people to share how God spoke to them during this time, and invite prayer requests. If your group is ten people or less, close in prayer together for one another; if more than ten, have everyone get back in their subgroups to pray for one another and instruct them to stay or leave quietly as they finish.

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Lay Down Your Triggers: a small-group session

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Carl Simmons

For this session, you’ll need….
• a DVD of the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. (Note: You can still have the discussion without viewing the clip, but it’s a good way to set the mood/get everyone relaxed.) Cue the movie to 1:21:02 (DVD Chapter 27), where Evelyn is cruising into the parking lot.
• a 6-8’ strip of masking tape. Before your session, place your tape strip across the floor of your meeting area, making sure there’s room both in front and in back of it.

Laying Down Your Day (15 minutes)
Watch your scene from Fried Green Tomatoes; stop the DVD at 1:23:08, where the two young women are left dumbfounded and crying. Then discuss the following questions:
1. How do you normally react when you’re irritated? How long do you hold onto your reactions afterward?
2. What’s one circumstance or behavior that truly “sets you off”? How do you react? Why do you think that particular circumstance or behavior sets you off?

Ask someone to read the following excerpt from “Lay Down Your: Circumstances“:

Our circumstances reveal who we are and what we really trust. The situations we face each day—especially the bad ones—tend to bring out what we’re made of, whether we want them to or not. We may be shocked by what our circumstances reveal about us, but God isn’t. He wants us to stop being shocked, too, so that we trust him rather than ourselves to get through them.

Then say something like: We all have our triggers—things that upset us, anger us, or make us anxious or fearful. They might be trivial, or they might be so serious that we feel justified in the things we say and do as a result. But all of these triggers indicate places where we need to develop a deeper trust in God and in the work he’s doing in our lives. Let’s look further into that.

Laying Down the Word (30 minutes)
Ask for one or two volunteers to read the following excerpt from “Lay Down Your Boundaries.” Then discuss the questions that follow:

Often without even realizing, we place limitations on what God wants to do in our lives, who we’ll reach out to, when we’ll make ourselves available, where we’re willing to go for his sake. Once God’s done laughing at our plans, he gently—or sometimes quite abruptly—pushes us past the boundaries we’ve tried to impose upon his infinite intentions for us.
It’s OK to realize how insufficient we are, or for that matter how truly little we love the people around us. God already knows it. But it’s not OK to resist God’s will because of our insufficiency, as if he won’t provide everything we need to perform his will.

3. In what ways do you feel you’re unqualified to represent Jesus? Explain.

4. On the other hand, in what ways—or with what kinds of people—do you just not want to represent Jesus? Why?

Have someone read 1 Corinthians 1:26–31. Then discuss:
5. Think again about your answers to questions 3 and 4. How does this passage address the issues you brought up? How should it affect your responses to those situations?

As a group, take turns reading John 17:1–26. (Review the bullet list from “Lay Down Your Self-Consciousness” also, if it’s helpful.) Then, discuss these questions:

6. What has Jesus already done for us? What does he expect us to do with what he’s given us, according to his prayer for us here?

7. Which parts of Jesus’ prayer are easiest for you to receive? Which parts are hard to understand, or maybe even accept? In both cases, why?

Laying Down Your Life (20 minutes)
One of your challenges in “Lay Down Your Self-Consciousness” was to find a Christian friend or mentor to whom you can “confess your weakness” and be accountable. You’re still encouraged to find someone, but for the remainder of this study, we’re also going to do that informally within this group. Take a few minutes right now to stand up and find a partner. Try to pair up with someone you don’t know as well, if possible. Stay standing when you’re done.
Allow up to three minutes for group members to pair up. If people are hesitant to find a partner, help facilitate this as leader. Also, if you have an odd number of people, it’s OK to have a third member, but have no more than three people together.

Leader: Read the entire italicized piece that follows:
In your pairs (or triads), read Matthew 18:18–20 and James 5:13–16. Then discuss between yourselves:
8. What promises do you find in these passages?
9. Where do you most need to take hold of those promises in your life right now? Put another way: What “triggers” do you most need God’s help in overcoming right now?

When you’re done reading and talking, pray for one another about what you’ve shared. Also, set aside a time each week when you can touch base with one another, whether that’s in person, by phone, e-mail, texting, whatever. Again, from now until this study is finished, these people are your partners in growing together. So let’s get started.
Give pairs fifteen minutes to talk and pray, and then bring your group back together, keeping them standing in their pairs. Guide them to the masking-tape line you set up before your session. Have one of your pairs step up to the line, then say something like:
Think again about what you’ve just shared together over the past fifteen minutes. Then, think of our tape line as those triggers you’ve shared about—the ways you’ve restricted yourself from stepping into what God has for you next. Take a moment to quietly reflect on that together, and how you can help each other get past that boundary you’re each facing right now. Then, when you’re ready, cross over our line together. You don’t have to hold hands or anything—unless you want to.c

Give each pair (or triad) time to reflect and cross over; maybe even give them each a round of applause as they start this commitment together. Close your time together in prayer, saying something like:

Lord, we thank you that you bring people and situations into our lives to help us grow. Help us to begin seeing the people we’re paired with in that way. Help us to learn from each other… to inspire each other… to pull each other up. Help us to be faithful in connecting with each other outside of our time here. We thank you in advance for what you’re going to do with these spiritual friendships you’re creating between us, and we ask your blessing upon us in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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