A Question of Balance

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Carl Simmons

What do you normally do when you have too much to handle—let go of one thing to do another, or try to somehow do everything?

Likewise, spiritually, how do you deal with having too much on your plate—let go of your time with God, let other responsibilities drop, or somehow try to do it all? How well does that work for you?

With this new year, you might be thinking through priorities—what to hang onto, what to let go of. Sometimes being overloaded is unavoidable—we have deadlines; there’s a family crisis; sometimes everything in our lives comes to a head all at once. But many times we’re overloaded as a result of our own choices. We take on as much as we think we can handle, but it turns out we thought wrong. Or we really did take on as much as we could handle—and then the unexpected hit, and we didn’t have the physical, mental or emotional resources left to deal with anything more.

Learning to rely on Jesus goes a long way toward getting us through whatever challenges we face. But God also wants us to use wisdom in choosing our priorities and in deciding how much we really can handle, so our lives don’t get overloaded and imbalanced in the first place.

And that might include ministry as well. As Watchman Nee observes in Changed Into His Likeness, “We experienced no difficulty at all in losing sight of what God wants us to do! Just a little overwork—indeed we might say, just a little extra work for God—is all too capable of diverting our eyes from that ultimate vision.”

So tab up, and read Deuteronomy 8:10-18; Matthew 6:24-34; Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 10:38-42; and James 1:2-8. After each passage, ask yourself the following three questions:

• What’s the problem here?
• At what point does it become a problem?
• What’s God’s answer to the problem?

Now that you’ve looked at all four passages together, here’s another couple questions:

• Which of these passages hits closest to where you’re at right now? Why?
• Based on your own reflection earlier, what should your response be—and what would that look like for you specifically?

Now, let’s think about what we might be able to do about the things we’re dealing with. We’re going to start by doing a little dreaming. Make yourself an empty pie chart, maybe 2-3 inches in diameter. Fill it in what you’d like your typical day to look like, if it were up to you. Be realistic—don’t put in 12 hours of sleep followed by 12 hours of rest. But dream a little, too—what good things do you wish you could give more time toward, but just don’t seem to right now?

Here are some general ideas to help you started; use as many of them as you want, or add your own. Be as specific as you’d like. Take maybe three minutes to do this exercise:

• work (including commute)
• sleep
• ministry/service
• eating (including prep time)
• TV/online/texting/gaming
• Bible study/prayer
• family time (where the family actually gets your attention)
• “alone time” with your spouse
• exercise
• chores
• what else?

So, based on the chart you just drew, what things matter most to you?

OK, let’s make another chart. Only this time, you’re going to make your chart represent how your life is really going right now. Take another two minutes to do that right now.

Now, spend some time wrestling with what you’ve just learned about yourself. Reflect on these questions:

• What’s the biggest difference between this chart and your first one?
• What do you think would be different if your life were more like your first chart? How would you be different?
• Be honest: What’s really stopping you from making these changes? What do you think is your first step toward addressing those issues or attitudes?

Take the time to pray about the gaps you see between where you want to be and where you are right now. Pray that God would reveal what things you can let go of, as well as “multiply the time” you have so you can serve God and others you care about the way God’s calling you to—without damaging yourself in the process.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Go With God, and Keep Going

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Carl Simmons

I was half-thinking of riffing on my last book review and titling this “So Simple, Even a Senior Pastor Could Do It.” I eventually thought better of that idea, but my reasoning was sound… granted, someone could also have fun misconstruing the title I ultimately landed on….

Anyway: In this book, David Holt talks about the privilege and responsibility of pastoring in a way that’s eminently spiritual and yet thoroughly sensible. Even if you just want to better understand your pastor—or at least understand what your pastor ought to be doing—this book is well worth your time.

Dr. David Holt. Pastoring With Passion: Ministering Effectively With Heart and Hands. Foreword by Dr. Wayne Grudem. Softcover, 312p., $17.00. ChurchSmart Resources.

The premise that drives Pastoring With Passion is a simple one, and yet so many churches and pastors miss it that it bears repeating—and heeding. And we start to get it in the very first paragraph, courtesy of Bill Hybels: “The greatest gift you can give your congregation is a spiritually alive pastor.” The entire book is built around that one simple yet often elusive premise.

Holt draws extensively from his 17 years’ experience as senior pastor at First Evangelical Free Church in Onalaska, Wisconsin, which grew from a congregation of 80 to 1,500 during his tenure there. We repeatedly see someone (and a community of leadership) who has no choice but to lean on God, and repeatedly sees the fruits of that leaning.  And yet you don’t some away feeling like, “Well, that’s just him.” The path is tough and less traveled, but it’s fairly well-marked, and Holt puts up a few more road signs to help leaders at every level to rely on God.

In a lot of ways, much of what’s here will feel familiar to pastors. That doesn’t mean, however, that Holt’s just recycling the same old stuff. There’s a freshness to the writing here—this isn’t just someone sharing past experience that he’s moved on from but the feel of someone who’s “in it” saying “Here’s how I keep my relationship with God, and with each person in my church, alive and vital on a daily basis.” And that’s a refreshing thing to read, in more ways than one.

And keeping one’s passion for God, while maintaining a sense of perspective, is at the head of all this. Thus, each chapter focuses on one aspect of that passion, while closing with practical ideas to walk each of them out—passion for God, family, church, purity, word and spirit, humility, identity, preaching, worship, building and capital campaigns (yeah, I thought that too when I first saw it—but once you read it, it all makes sense), and finally, perseverance and longevity (something far too few pastors these days get to reap the benefits of).

Both appendices focus on serving out of our identity in Christ, and seem like the basis for a good book in themselves (maybe the next one?).

Pastors, leaders—you’re not as alone as you often think you are. And Pastoring With Passion will remind you why it’s all worth it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Patience, My Dear

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Carl Simmons

What’s the longest time you’ve ever spent waiting for something? How did you handle the wait? What did you learn from it?

In recent Wednesdays, we’ve taken the time to remember that God is still in the mission He’s put us on, even when we run into adversity or failure. Today we’re going to look at another kind of difficulty, which for some people might be even harder to deal with.

And that’s… nothing. We know what God wants to do, but right now everything just seems kind of dead. We might even feel kind of dead. But remember, it took time for God to grow his vision within us, so it’s also going to take time to see that vision grow outwardly.

Making God’s vision real takes a lot of work—in fact, probably a lot more than “what we signed on for.” It might take a while to see any kind of momentum, and even longer to see actual fruits from all our labor. But along the way, good things do happen. And when they do, we need to recognize them—not downplay or dismiss them simply because they’re not what we hoped for, but celebrate them. It’s the little victories that will keep you and your team going while you wait for the big victories God’s got in store.

Recently, we looked at how God got Jacob where he wanted him, despite Jacob’s best attempts to sabotage himself. In this session we’re going to look at a more classic example of patience—Jacob’s grandpa, Abraham. Not that Abraham didn’t sometimes get in the way of God’s plan through his own impatience. So let’s spend some time breaking Abraham’s story down in our groups.

Tab up, read Genesis 15:1-6, 16:1-6, 20:1-7, 20:14–21:3, then think about this:

• What mistakes did Abraham make while (or instead of) trusting and waiting on God?
• What things did Abraham do right? How did those things help fulfill God’s plans for Abraham?
• Which examples did you find yourself more focused on, the mistakes or the successes? Why?
• What right now has got you wondering, “Why hasn’t this happened yet?”  If your impatience were to get the better of you, what would your Ishmael look like?
• What small successes could you focus on, while you wait for “this” to happen?

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3-8).

Think about a time in your life when God showed up just in time—not your idea of “in time,” but God’s. Then think about this:

• Why does God’s timing in fulfilling his promises usually look so different from our timeline?
• How does remembering what God’s already done help us wait for what He has next?
• What’s one thing God’s doing in your life or someone else’s life right now that you can celebrate, while you wait?

Spend a little more time waiting right now. Just be silent before God, speaking to God as you feel moved to speak—or just continuing to listen.  Wrap up your prayer time by thanking God for his patience with you. Ask God to help you develop that same kind of patience with others, and with the vision He’s given you, and to develop a deeper understanding that God’s time is indeed the right time.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fill ‘Er Up!

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Even if there’s not one currently in your refrigerator for the holidays, it’s very likely that you’ve experienced the sheer joy of a roll of cookie dough. Some of you can’t even wait to cook the stuff, and just eat the dough raw (or stuff it in your ice cream)….

So, with those images evoked: How would you describe your spiritual state right now? Baked to a golden brown and ready to serve? Half-baked? Burnt to a crisp?

No matter whether you’re in a good place or a bad one right now, it’s always important to remember: No matter how hard we try—no matter how important our “ministry” is to others, or truthfully, how important it makes us feel to be doing it—we won’t get far without God’s power. Or, for that matter, without recognizing that everything we do should glorify God.

Everything we do—no matter how mundane or normal it might seem to us—can be an act of worship. Everything we truly do for God is worship. But we need to stay connected to God to do it. And as incredible as it sounds, we need to allow God to serve us—to give us the things we need so that we’re really serving him back.

As John Piper says in Desiring God, “God’s insistence that we ask Him to give us help so that He gets glory forces on us the startling fact that we must beware of serving God and take special care to let him serve us, lest we rob Him of His glory.” As we reconnect and stay connected with God, the Spirit gives us the power and direction we need to do the things God’s built us for. Without that power, it’s just us thinking we’re doing God a favor. So let’s start by thinking about this:

• What things just seem to drain all the energy out of you whenever they happen?
• Which of the situations you thought of tend to pull you away from God rather than cause you to lean on Him? (Be more specific than “all of them.”)

Now, let’s begin refueling, by spending time in God’s Word. Tab up and read the following passages, and then think through the questions that follow.

• Psalm 50:7-15
• Isaiah 40:21-31
• John 15:1-8
• 2 Corinthians 12:6-10
• Revelation 2:1-5

• Which of these passages resonates most with you right now? Why do you think that is?
• We’ve already talked about circumstances that pull us away from God. When have difficult circumstances pushed you closer to God?
• Why do you think your reactions during those times were so different from those we discussed earlier?
• How can you respond differently to the things that do tend to pull you away from God?

We need “down time” with Jesus, too—time to just rest in Him. Here are just a few ideas to help get you reconnected. Try one, try them all, or better yet, try whatever God’s putting on your heart right now:

• Spend some more time in this week’s readings, especially those that are speaking loudest to you right now. What’s God trying to tell you, and what are you going to do about it? Spend time reconnecting with God and finding out the answer to that question this week. Then take the steps to make God’s direction your reality.

• Think again about how you normally connect with God, and what other ways you might do so. Then try this: Spend an entire day worshipping God in those new ways. At some point during the day, share with someone else what you’re doing, and why. Letting others know you’re making God—and only God—your priority might help them do the same.

• How can you connect with God—in public? This idea isn’t for everyone, but if you’re musically gifted or don’t mind praying with others looking on, find a nearby park and invite a group (maybe this one!) to sing, pray, or worship along with you. Be respectful of others’ “personal space,” but don’t be afraid to let your faith and joy come out. Sure, some passers-by could be put off, but others might be curious about what (or Who) makes you tick. Who knows? You might even get some additional participants—or at least the opportunity to share the Source of your joy.

• Plan a weekend (or at least all-day) retreat, either alone or with your small group. It doesn’t have to be on a secluded mountainside, but it should be far enough from home to not pose a distraction. Be sure to not only set aside times for eating, recreation, prayer and worship, but also at least one extended time (an hour or more) to get alone with God to receive His guidance, meditate upon His word, and appreciate His creation. If you do this as a group, be sure to gather together after this solitary time to share what God may be saying to each of you.

But for now:  Re-read John 15:5, then take some time to confess when you’ve let “doing”—even “doing for God”—disconnect you from Jesus’ strength. Ask for God’s forgiveness and guidance to help you stay connected, even when other things in life try to pull you away. And may you experience Jesus’ love and power even more deeply as you abide in Him.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lay Down Your Independence

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Carl Simmons

We’ve spent a lot of time in recent Fridays talking about how to deal with our feelings toward those who’ve opposed and hurt us. Therefore, we’re going to widen our net ever-so-slightly to include one more enemy—you.

All of us have been God’s enemies. And I’m not just talking in a positional, “before we were born again” sense. I’m talking experientially. Like, earlier today—maybe even right now. We habitually assert our “in-dependence from” God. Note how I split that word, and the implications of that. Every time we take matters into our own hands, we very deliberately (however unwittingly) separate ourselves from trusting in God. For all practical purposes, in that moment we’re declaring ourselves His enemies in those matters. We might well come slinking back in repentance later, with spiritual hat in hand… but that’s later.

This isn’t meant to beat anyone up—simply to acknowledge that we operate in this manner a whole lot more than we’re normally willing to admit. And yet, Jesus continues to love us, even when we’re opposing Him (again, intentionally or not). This is why He can so authoritatively command us, “Love your enemies, and pray for them who persecute you.” He not only lived this out during his time on earth, but has confronted our opposition since the garden—and since His resurrection as well.

Think about how you feel when a loved one is hurt or threatened. Jesus feels that way about each of us, especially those within His church. And He’s just as offended, if not moreso, when those who seek to hurt His people are those within the church.

Again, while our offenses might not be as egregious as the ones committed by those people you thought of just now, we’re not innocent here either. We too oppose Jesus far too often, in order to assert our own identity apart from Him—because, well, we just don’t totally trust Him. We withhold love from others because we believe it’ll be rejected or discarded. Jesus says: That’s not the point. The point is: Do you trust Me enough to lay down your independence and obey Me?

We need to love the enemy known as us, too, just as Jesus does. Who needs love more than someone who clearly doesn’t have any?

In a large sense, then, laying down our independence isn’t only about letting Jesus in, but letting others in as well—to run the risk of incurring enemies, to run the risk of even good people opposing your good plans. And then, love them anyway. God does not let us off this hook. Because Jesus Himself was not let off this hook. The people in front of Jesus weren’t obstacles in His path—they were His path. And we’re called to follow that path.

You were never in this alone. You never will be, no matter how much you choose to live as if you were. So lay down your independence, and become the person Jesus calls you to be.

Lay It Down Today

Who are your “enemies” right now? Again, broaden your definition as far as you need to. Don’t only focus on those who’ve hurt you—again, you hopefully dealt with a lot of that last week—or those who obviously oppose the gospel. Who’s “in your way” right now? Who’s standing between you and what you want? And how is Jesus calling you to respond to them in love, instead of responding to how they’re opposing you?

Release your hold on your way, or your need for vengeance or justification, to God right now. Confess your insistence on your own way—the way you’ve treated God like an enemy—and ask Him to help you receive His love and to help you extend it to others, particularly those you’ve just named. Then, take the steps you need to express that love tangibly, and trust God to be there when you do.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Grow, Team!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Carl Simmons

What’s your favorite team or organization? Why? (And hey, who doesn’t love a team with a mascot that looks, and frankly acts, like Barney’s deformed brother? –>)

What’s the best team, organization, or group you’ve been a part of? What made it such a positive experience?

If you haven’t already guessed, we’re going to look at the importance of teamwork. The people you pursue a God-given vision with are the people who’ll make it real to everyone else; therefore, and the more life you share with them, the more life your vision will take on. Your team isn’t just a group of people trying to accomplish a task; hopefully you’re also becoming friends working toward a common vision. As Watchman Nee notes in Changed Into His Likeness, “Everyone knows how difficult it is for Christians to live together! When by the grace of God it happens, and continues to happen, even hell takes notice.”

Friends have fun together, too. Sometimes a little fun is exactly what you need to become closer and move forward together. So consider working through today’s post with your team—and I’ll write with that assumption in place. Maybe it’ll even serve as a good holiday icebreaker. (And if you’re doing this alone, talk to yourself instead of the group. It’s OK, nobody’s gonna hear you talk to yourself anyway—you’re alone, right?) Have some fun today, and discover how far you’ve already come together:

Give everyone a piece of paper; make sure they all have something to write with. Then say something like:

For the next three minutes, you’re going to spend time discovering what you have in common. And you’re going to have to talk to each other to find out what those things are. Maybe you like the same kind of music, the same foods, or the same activities. So find a partner and ask.” (And again, if you’re alone, think of your team members, then start thinking this through.) You can’t take the cheap way out and talk about physical features like ‘We both have blue eyes’ or ‘We both have noses.’ Discover something new about the actual person you’re talking with.

Once your pair has come up with something, find someone else to pair up with and discover something you have in common with that person. Then go on to the next person. You can’t use the same thing twice; it has to be something unique to the pair you’re in.

Again, you have three minutes to come up with as many matches as you can. Go!

Give a warning when 30 seconds are remaining. When time is up, find out who has the longest list and give him or her a round of applause. Then discuss:

• How easy or difficult was it to discover things you have in common?
• What activity might you be able to do with someone you talked with, based on what you discovered together?

Let’s look at other ways we can build teamwork as Christians. Today we’re not going to break down a Bible story for our case study, but we are going to look at a longer passage where Paul is encouraging a specific church:

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality (Romans 12:3-13, ESV).

• Which of the roles Paul talks about best describes you? Which of your current (or potential) teammates would fit into some of the other gifts mentioned?
• Look again at verses 9-13 (the 2nd paragraph). Who do you know who excels in some of the specific character qualities listed here? Talk a little about him or her.
• Think about the “teammates” you currently have in pursuing this vision. What other things do you already have in common? How could you use those in a way that builds up your team?
• How could you also celebrate the variety of gifts, passions, and qualities in your team members? Be specific.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in Life Together, puts it this way: “Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.” So before our next activity, let’s take a quick step back, exhale, and think about a few things we may have forgotten or overlooked over the course of this season.

Find some wall space you can use, at least temporarily—if you can leave your work up afterward, all the better. Either put up a long piece of newsprint, or give everyone two pieces of paper. Also give everyone a Sharpie or marker. Divide your sheet or wall space into three sections—”Before” on the left, and “After” on the right; leave the middle space blank for now. Then say something along the lines of:

Think about the fact that you’re working through this session together. Now, think about the fact that there are people around the country either working through this right now or who already have worked through it***. So, you’re already a part of a much bigger group. And you’re part of a far bigger group than that. You’re a part of Jesus’ church. The church He started.  The church He’s been renewing the vision of for centuries. The church He’s coming back for.

The vision you’re a part of is going to get bigger, too. As that happens, you’ll draw more and more people onto your team, and that will mean sharing the vision and allowing it to expand with each person you share it with. So we’re going to have a little more fun today making that idea come to life. We’ve talked a lot about sharing the “big picture.” But today—with this entire group as our team—we’re going to make a big picture. And all of you are going to contribute.

Each of you are going to draw two pictures. Don’t worry about your artistic ability or the lack thereof—just draw two pictures that illustrate the following: The first picture, on the ‘Before’ side, should portray your church or ministry today. Your second picture, on the ‘After’ side, should represent what you believe your church could be in the future, as result of this vision God’s planted in each of you. Make sure there’s a connection between each of your ‘Before’ and ‘After’ pictures.

You’ll have 10 minutes to make your contributions to our poster. So grab a marker and get started.

After 10 minutes, bring everyone back together. Ask for a few volunteers to share about their drawings. Congratulate everyone for bringing their vision to the table—or more specifically, the wall. Allow them to take a good long look at their full “Before” and “After” pictures. Then discuss:

• What do your “Before” and “After” frames tell you about how we currently view the church—and about the kind of church/ministry we envision?
• What did you discover about each other through the pictures and visions we’ve shared together?
• What connections do you see between the different pictures people drew? What does that suggest about what God can do with the teams you’re on?

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves (Philippians 2:1-3, ESV).

Take another look at the column in the middle of your big picture, then discuss:

• What would best help get your team “working together with one mind and purpose” right now—and help move them from the “Before” column to the “After” column?

Read Philippians 2:1-3 again, and then close your group’s prayer time. Ask God to give each person a deeper sense of belonging to one another—and a deeper sense of how much all of you belong to Jesus. Ask God to open each person’s eyes to new opportunities to connect with their “teammates,” and to help each other allow God to take those connections as far as He wants to.

**********

***True, this is only a blog post, but as it’s based on a session from Season 6 in the Growing Out series, Growing in Your Mission, it’s also a true statement. (And you can get it dirt-cheap right now — follow the second link.) Thus, to my knowledge, there’s very arguably been 5,000 people who’ve worked through this alongside you. If you let that sink in at your end, I’ll let that sink in at mine. 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Without Love, I’m Nothing

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Think about your last bad experience while going out to eat, whether it was a four-star restaurant or a fast-food joint….

What went wrong? What could have been prevented, and how? How could—or did—others help make things right, even if it wasn’t their fault? Would you give that place another chance? Why or why not?

The fact is, we all mess up from time to time—even when we’re genuinely trying serve others. And as we begin to take our spiritual gifts and passions and venture out into the unknown, it’s pretty much guaranteed that we’ll fail on occasion. But part of moving forward—maybe the biggest part—is how we respond to those failures, because it reveals a lot about what our motivations really are. If we’re simply trying to fulfill a task, make ourselves look good, or save face, we’ll usually end up looking more like those “servants” who gave us all such memorably bad meals.

So let’s explore further. You might be able to recite the second half of the following passage by heart, but let’s also see what leads into it:

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3, ESV).

• Think about a time when you did all the right things for someone, but not in a loving way. What were the results?
• What would you do differently if you had another chance?
• Go back to verse 27, and reflect once more on your dining experience. Why is it important to “pick each other up” rather than leave others to fend for themselves? What are some of the challenges in doing that?

As Mother Teresa once said, “We can do no great things, just small things with great love. It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it.” So let’s look more at how the love of Jesus can spill over into every other part of our lives—and into others’ lives as well.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything (1 John 3:16-20, ESV).

• How does John’s command to “give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” make you feel? Challenged? Frightened? Overwhelmed? Something else?
• Regardless of your reaction, why is it still important to do it?
• Think of someone you’ve had a particularly hard time showing Jesus’ love to. What’s one practical way you could “give up your life” for that person?

Since it’s Christmastime, let’s cut to that classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Go here, move the counter to 5:13, and let it rip. Afterward, reflect on these questions:

• When has love given you the strength to do things you couldn’t have done otherwise?
• What would other people see if your heart “grew three times”?

Now, let’s circle back to the remainder of Paul’s description of what love in action looks like:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part,but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:4-13, ESV).

Think about the things you’re passionate about. What gets you excited? Who’s God given you the biggest heart for? What can’t you imagine not being able to do? Think about the one thing that’s most important to you right now, then take yourself out of the equation—imagine someone else doing it—and think about this: What would love in action look like in that situation, or with that person or persons, you’re thinking about right now?

Now, go ahead and insert yourself back into your situation, and think about this:

• Realistically—not ideally—what would your love in action in that situation look like? What, if anything, needs to change?
• Who could help you bring more love into that situation or relationship, either by coming alongside you or by his or her example?

Ask God to help you gain a deeper appreciation of His love for you, and that as you understand God’s love more deeply, you’ll know how to show the love of Jesus to those you care most about. And to all, a good night. 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lay Down Your Doubt — a start

Posted on December 9, 2011 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 75 percent of Christians believe (Barna, 2005), “God helps those who help themselves” does not come from the Bible.

And 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 complement, resourceful.  Heck, I like calling myself “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. And then they don’t. And then something that wasn’t my idea shows up and accomplishes what all my bright ideas and efforts couldn’t. And again, God repeats, “Depend on Me. Let Me handle it.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Failure IS an Option—Just Not the Final One

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Since there’s more reading than usual today, let’s ease you in with a nice movie clip, from the movie October Sky. There’ll be another clip later on, but for now, think about this: 

• What relation do you see between the boys’ failures and the adjustments they make?
• How do you usually respond when your plans don’t go… well, as planned? Give up, try harder, slog through it, turn negative, blame others, blame God?

For the last several Wednesdays, we’ve focused on how to develop and share a God-given vision, and how to stay focused on the great things God wants to do through us and those with us. For the next few weeks, though, we’re going to shift the focus and talk about the tough stuff. Because once this all gets real, things don’t follow the plans you had in your head. Things go wrong, or at least look wrong. Even when we’ve done our best, we might begin to wonder if we’ve disobeyed God somehow, or feel like we’ve done everything right but failed God anyway.

“I have discovered that it is so much harder than you think to create something out of nothing. Things happen that you never imagined would happen to you,” says Ruth Haley Barton in her book Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. “[Y]our own foibles [are] so much more real, more deeply ingrained and more obvious to others than you ever knew.”

In fact, there might well be a point in time—if not a long stretch of it—where you’ll stop and ask yet again, “God, was that really You?” It’s always OK to ask God that question. We need to keep talking with God, especially when we don’t understand. But once God answers “yes,” it’s our job to keep walking, even if we’re not sure where God’s leading us. Even if things aren’t going the way we planned. Even when our feelings fail us and we think we’re not good enough to do what God’s called us to do. God knows better. He called us to this. God’s plan is always better than ours, and we need to trust God so we can discover more about what His plan is.

We’ve already stepped out in faith. That’s what this latest Wednesday series—really, our entire Christian walk—has been about. Now, we start learning how to keep walking, even when we have trouble seeing the details of God’s plan, and why it’s worth it.

Our case study for today comes from the life of Jacob—who God changed into Israel. And that transformation was something only God could bring about. You’re probably familiar with much of his story, but this session will hopefully shed some new light on it. On your own time, read Genesis 25-50 in that new light, and find out what else God might want to show you through Jacob’s life. As a bonus, you’ll also read about his son Joseph, whose own vision from God didn’t exactly go according to what he’d have planned either.

For now, we’re going to look at a few key passages, then look at what changes God might have to make in us and our plans—and maybe already has. So tab up, and let’s start with Genesis 28:10-22.

• What does God promise Jacob here? How would you have reacted to all this?
• Look at verses 16-17 and 20-22 again. How could Jacob’s fear and amazement of the night before have changed so quickly into “If you do this, this, and this, God, then I’ll do this for you?”
• How are we guilty of trying to negotiate God’s blessings with him, especially when we’re in over our heads? Is it always wrong? Why or why not?

Now, let’s jump more than 20 years into Jacob’s future. To give a brief summary of what’s happened in between: Jacob runs away to uncle Laban’s; falls in love with Laban’s daughter Rachel, and agrees to work seven years for her hand in marriage; gets tricked by Laban on his wedding night into marrying Rachel’s older sister Leah; works another seven years for Rachel, and then another seven years after that in which his wages are changed 10 times (presumably not for the better), before he finally escapes with his family and all the blessings he’s tricked Laban out of.

And now, Jacob’s about to meet his brother Esau—the same brother he ran away from in fear for his life just prior to our last passage. So now, look at Genesis 32:1-12, 32:21-32, and 33:1-9,  then reflect on these questions:

• What different responses does Jacob have to his circumstances?
• What do those responses reveal about Jacob? God? Us?

Jacob wrestled with “the Man,” who obviously had better things in mind for the man who became Israel. Clearly, though, Jacob still had difficulty believing that. Maybe you’re in the same situation right now. More than anything, what you need to know is that God is still in this vision.

Whether you’ve reached this point yet or not, we always need to remember which parts of this vision are truly God’s, so we can keep trusting him even when we can’t understand why things are going the way they are. Several weeks ago, we gave ourselves a reality check, to determine whether this “vision thing” was really a God thing or not. So let’s step back and give ourselves another reality check. We’re going to look at the same questions, but in terms of what that looks like now. Then, just as you did the first time, come up with one action point—one thing you’re going to do in response to what God’s showing you now. Here we go—again:

• As I’m pursuing this vision, am I sensing God revealing more about the things he truly cares about?
• Will this vision, once it’s realized, reveal more about God to others, or just more about me?
• Which parts of this vision were clearly not my idea (even if I’m excited about the idea now)?
• Have I tried letting go of this idea, only to find God bringing it 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?

Now, whether you did this exercise back here or not (and if so, review your answers from back then), think about this:

• What’s changed about this vision so far? What’s changed about you?
• As specifically as you can share, what have you been wrestling with as this vision has unfolded?
• What do you need to hear from God right now, to be reminded that this is still God’s idea? 

Jacob had an incredible vision of God’s plan for his life. But he also saw a lot of failure and frustration before that plan was fulfilled. Again, read Jacob’s full story on your own time. Take the time to appreciate what God did in Jacob’s life, and the far-reaching results of that.But for now, let’s jump ahead another 40-plus years and look at how God fulfilled his promises to Jacob—and fulfilled the promise He saw and created in Jacob.

Read Genesis 47:7-10, 48:2-4, and 49:28–50:9. Then think about this: One moment Jacob’s years are “few and painful”; the next he’s talking about God’s blessings; and then he’s passing those blessings onto his sons—the nations God promised him. Think also about our first scene here: Jacob walks in, blesses the most powerful man in the world at that time, and then just leaves.

• If the Jacob of our earlier passages had met Pharaoh, what do you think would have happened?
• What point of your strength do you think God may be trying to break, so He can use you to truly be a blessing to others?

OK, back to October Sky we go. Watch this. Then: Think about the first scene you watched (and go back and watch it now if haven’t already). Think about Homer’s brother and everyone else watching. Think about what’s going through the boys’ heads just before the launch.

• How does success tend to erase all of the fears and concerns we have, once we’re on the other side of a challenge?
• What help do you need right now in “keeping your eyes on the prize”?

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this session, and there’s always more to go. We never see the whole picture. We want to. We think it would be easier. We think that if we controlled the circumstances, things would be better. But God shows us what He needs to show us, when He needs to show it to us. We’re blessed when we have visions like Jacob’s ladder, but we’re also blessed when God allows us to go through things that are painful but which enable us to become the blessings He wants us to be to others.

Take a minute to silently reflect on this—especially if you’re already in that place where you’re asking God, “Why is this happening? Why this way? Why me?” Remember: Anyone doing anything useful for God isn’t qualified for the job—if we were, we wouldn’t need, or make room for, God. So give God some room right now to work. Shut your eyes and reflect for a minute, and I’ll close us in prayer.

Lord, thank you for stretching us and challenging us, so we can become the blessings you want us to be. We acknowledge that we’re often our own biggest enemies, even when we’re sincerely following you. Get us out of our own way. Help us become the people you want us to be, so we not only overcome the problems and failures we experience, but so we can experience your joy on the other side of those struggles. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sharing the Gift

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Carl Simmons

When have you felt “left out”? Choose any kind of situation you like. What could you have offered that you felt wasn’t being asked for or wanted?

On the other hand, when have you been the one who kept your gifts or abilities to yourself? What could you have offered that really was needed, and why didn’t you?           

We all have something to offer one another. God has created each of us uniquely, so we can fit together perfectly to accomplish whatever God wants to accomplish through us. And yet, it usually takes some effort to discover what each person’s real contributions are, or can be. It’d be great if we all instantly liked and understood each other, but the fact is, it takes time.

The good news is: It’s worth your time. So let’s reflect on why it’s so important to be connected to each other, especially as Christians, and how we can encourage each other and help make those connections happen. Open up a new tab, check out the following list of passages, and then think about the questions that follow:

• Romans 15:13-14
• 1 Corinthians 12:14-26
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22
• Hebrews 10:24-25
• 1 Peter 4:7-11

• Why should we encourage each other, and what should that encouragement look like? Try to come up with some personal examples to go with the biblical ones above.
• How are the examples you came up with we described different when God’s involved, rather than when it’s just us?
• When have you seen people join together for a bigger purpose? How did your examples  come into play?

You’ve just reflected on the importance—and the joy—of working together, and bringing all our different gifts to the table. So let’s consider another couple questions:

• What keeps these moments from happening more often in our lives?
• What do you think of Paul’s statement in Romans 15:14, that your “brothers and sisters… are full of goodness”? How would (or does) believing it change the way you approach and work together with them?

We need each other. There’s no way around it. God built us not only to serve him, but to serve him together. Encouragement—openly recognizing that God built the person next to you the way he wanted, and for his good purposes—is a lot of the glue that holds that together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in Life Together, puts it even more strongly:  “It is the fellowship of the Cross to experience the burden of the other. If one does not experience it, the fellowship he belongs to is not Christian. If any member refuses to bear that burden, he denies the law of Christ.”

So let’s consider some ways to walk it out. Pick one of these options—or better yet, if God’s putting something else on your heart, do that!

• Spend some more time this week with this week’s Bible passages. Meditate on them. Pray about them. How do they impact you? Will it mean getting out of your shell and “putting yourself out there”? Or does it mean letting go of control so others can bring their unique gifts alongside to help you? Or does it mean something else? Spend time using God’s Word as a catalyst to finding (and pursuing) the answers God is offering you.

• Find ways to support others in your church or group who are in need—as you would a member of your own family. Taking a pot of soup to someone who’s sick. Make a phone call to encourage someone who’s hurting. Take a couple of bags of groceries or a gift card to someone who’s struggling financially. Or… what unique way might God be showing you?

• Is there a friend or co-worker facing a difficult choice or circumstance? Commit to praying for that person specifically about those choices, and let him or her know you’re praying. If it’s appropriate, put that person in touch with members of your group or church who have the gifts and talents to help your friend. It would build both sides up, and probably be a pleasant surprise for both, too.

• Think about how you could stretch your boundaries this week. Is there a leadership role you could help fill, either in church or elsewhere? Is there some service project you could get involved in? Is there a ministry in your church where you could give someone a much-needed break this week? Commit to taking that step and how you could join with others to support the gifts they’re already exercising—even if they don’t yet know Jesus.

• Become an ally to an organization or cause in town that really needs support. It doesn’t have to be a Christian organization—in fact, it may prove to be more powerful if it isn’t. How can you support your police or fire departments, or an organization that specializes in showing mercy and compassion to the more “marginalized” members of your community? Be creative, and then be involved.

[W]e may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:14-16, ESV).

Ask God to help you see new ways they you help other Christians, “so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” And ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to build up others who don’t know Jesus, and that God would use you to show those people how Jesus wants to build them, too.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment