fragments of Lay Down Your Gifts

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Carl Simmons

There will likely come a time where we will have to lay down our very calling before Jesus—it will likely be because our identities have become so wrapped up in what we’ve been called to do by Jesus that our identities are really no longer in Jesus.

For that matter, it’s very easy to fall in love with the idea of “I’m called to do this particular thing.” It’s much easier to get excited about something new and unique than it is to get excited about doing what everyone else is doing. And yet, every day God calls us to many seemingly mundane acts of obedience that are no less important—and might well in fact be more important.

Doing God’s will and living in God’s will are not the same thing. One is obeying a very specific directive from God; the other is God giving us the freedom to live creativity within His broader will. Both please Him.

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As important as it is for us to use the gifts God’s given us, it’s more important to develop the fruit of the Spirit—those qualities that grow from our new life within.

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Jesus’ ministry was literally crucified. Why should we dare to think that we would be exempt?

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The seventy-two certainly had something to rejoice in when they used the gifts they had received: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name”  (Luke 10:17). We tend to read Jesus’ response, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (v. 18) as something that happened at that very moment. I’m not so sure.

What if Jesus really meant this: ”I was there when Satan fell. I was there when he became so full of pride about what God had given him that he exalted himself above God. Be careful the same doesn’t happen to you.” It certainly would explain what Jesus’ says next: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you”—because after all, you’re not the first one to have cherished that, and it’s not good company you’re keeping—“ but rejoice that your names stand written  in heaven” (v. 19).

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How to Lead Without Being the Boss

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Carl Simmons

We know a gifted leader when we see one. We recognize that God has given that person certain abilities or character traits that make him or her the obvious (or at least easiest) choice to lead others. What we may miss, though, is that God has given us all leadership qualities and abilities, and has placed each of us where we can set the tone for those around us.

This isn’t meant to dismiss obvious gifts of leadership. But let’s expand our vision to realize that each of us, at some point, will be given the opportunity to set an example for others. We do this as spouses and parents, as we’ve seen the past couple Wednesdays, but this week we’re going to see how God might want to use each one of us to lead—or maybe how he’s already using us, without our even realizing it.

And whether you’ll groan or get excited all over again, nothing says “illustrative movie clip” like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This scene’s from The Fellowship of the Ring—specifically, the scene at the council of Elrond. (If you’re in a hurry, you can just view from around 3:15-6:15.) When you’re done, reflect:

• What motivated Frodo to act? How did it differ from what motivated the other leaders?
• How did Frodo’s willingness make him a leader, despite his stature (in more ways than one)?
• When have you said, “I do not know the way,” but were willing to do what it took to get something done? How did others respond initially? later on?

The late John Stott said this: “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” And a much earlier saint said this:

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:4-9).

• How do you see leadership by example here? What things are “imitated” or passed on?
• What good results do you see from these churches “imitating both us and the Lord”?
• What are some ways we model, and help to “reproduce,” Jesus in others?
• Who models Jesus to you? What’s one thing you’ve learned about Jesus from them?
• What’s one thing God has shown you that you wish everyone else could see as clearly? How might God use you to be the one to help others to see or even imitate it?

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

   “God opposes the proud
   but shows favor to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:1-7, NIV).

• Who’s your “flock” right now? In other words: Who has God put in your care or your sphere of influence—regardless of the official authority you have (or don’t have) over them? (And for our purposes, a flock can be one person.)
• Where else do you think God might be calling you to be more of a leader, whether it’s by example or in a more official role? What do you feel you need in order to take the next step?

While reading this, you may have thought of someone you’re leading right now, if only by example. Think of a practical way to put your words and actions together this week. Make it evident to this person that you’re not only leading; you’re also following the greatest Leader of all. God knows what He’s doing by putting you where you are. Ask Himto reveal how he wants to use you where he’s put you, and for the strength to walk that out.

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Locating the Body

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Carl Simmons

One tricky thing about leadership is… well, somebody has to be the leader. At the same time, you’re still a member of the team you’re leading. You don’t get to completely separate the two. And it can be difficult to balance your responsibility to “get the job done” with the responsibilities you have to the people you’re working alongside, to help them develop as unique people with unique gifts.

But the good news is: Again, these aren’t two completely separate things. The people God’s given you to work alongside are the same people God wants to use to fulfill his purposes—to complete that bigger picture you’re responsible for. It’s not just your job. So let’s get a better understanding of how God wants to guide and lead those he’s put you with, and how all of you can serve God and each other better.

Andrew Purves, in his book The Crucifixion of Ministry, says, “Wherever Christ is and wherever we are joined to him, there truly is the intentional disciplined and faithful ministry of the church. It is not our ministries that make Christ present; it is the present, living Christ who makes our ministries possible.”

The Bible tells us that we’re all part of the body of Christ. Let’s see what the body looks like on a smaller level—with those teams, those “little bodies,” most of us deal with every day. And let’s not restrict ourselves to only ministry situations, but apply this idea to any teams God might have us in charge of.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord (Romans 12:3-11, NIV).

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:18-27, NIV).

• What attitudes, good or bad, can we take toward our roles or abilities, according to these passages?
• Which of these attitudes do you struggle with most? Why?
• What would “measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us” (Rom. 12:3) look like in your own life? How would it change the way you measure yourself and others you work with?
• Honestly: What can make it difficult for you to believe that “God has put each part just where he wants it” (1 Cor. 12:18)?

Let’s take a different look at it, via this scene from Apollo 13. As you might recall, astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert “have a problem”—several, in fact. Their scheduled landing on the moon has been scrapped; no-one’s sure they’ll make it back alive; and we’ve just learned that they’re slowly being poisoned by the heightened levels of carbon dioxide they’re breathing. Enter Houston’s ground crew (and watch here).

• When has a group or team you’ve been involved with had to deal with putting a “square peg in a round hole… rapidly”?
• How did you respond—“We gotta come through… get some coffee going,” “We can’t do it,” or some other way?
• On the other hand, when have you seen of “plenty of talent in the room” but no teamwork? What happened then? What could have happened if everyone had worked together?
• How do our attitudes affect how well we perform, both together and as individuals?

So let’s bring this a little closer now:

• Who has a “special gift” that corresponds with your special “fault”—that is, who’s strong in an area you’re weaker in? Do you normally seek that person’s help or run the other way? Why?
• Think again about the teams you’re already on. Who on those teams have gifts that complement one another—even if they don’t realize it? How could you help them appreciate each other more?
• Who brings out the best in you (or has done so in the past)? What is it about that person that inspires, challenges, provokes you into giving your best?
• How might God use you to bring out the best in someone else you work with—even (or especially) if that person is built differently from you?

Thank God for the people he’s put each of you with—in your ministries, your workplaces, your families—and ask Him to show you how to bring out the best in every one of those people, even if you can’t understand what makes them tick. Ask for the Spirit’s help and insight to know the right things to say and do for each person God’s put you with, so you work together to accomplish God’s purposes.

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Lay Down What’s Done, Part 2

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Our experiences, to a large degree, have made us who we are. But we are more than just our experiences, let alone our negative ones. There is a life in Christ waiting for us that goes beyond what we would limit ourselves to. “Laying down what’s done” doesn’t mean we forget the things in our past. And it certainly doesn’t mean we stop feeling anything when they come to mind (although hopefully we move on more quickly). It does mean that we no longer allow ourselves to own those things, and that we no longer allow them to own us.

By laying down the things of our past, they can become instruments for God to use for something far better, instead of the prison they’ve become for us. (And that goes for positive things as well; we’ll spend more time there in future weeks.) And very often, they become the means to bring deliverance and transformation to others, as we share how God has changed us in those areas—and maybe even by our vulnerability in confessing our willingness to be changed, even as we continue to work through those issues.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10, NIV).

All of us are “pieces of work” in some way. And all of us are works in progress. By being willing to lay down our baggage, we give God full permission to get on with the work He’s prepared us for since the day we were created. And we might be surprised by how far-reaching that work becomes.

 

Lay It Down Today

1) Take a chunk of time right now to think about how God has transformed one area of your life (or more). Spend some time thanking God for the changes He’s already brought in your life.

2) Or perhaps this devotional stirred up something you’d really thought/hoped you’d moved on from, where God needs to do an even deeper work. Spend some time bringing that issue up to God (and leaving it there). Allow Him to transform it.

Either way, think about this: How could sharing about your past enable someone else to get past theirs? If someone just came to mind, make time to share about it with that person. One thing to note: If it truly required—or requires, if it’s something you and God are dealing with right now—God’s intervention, it’s already important. That’s enough. So look for an opportunity to let God speak through your life, and let God take it from there.

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How Has God Gifted You, and for What?

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Carl Simmons

When you hear the phrase “spiritual gifts,” what comes to mind? Why that reaction?

No matter what your reaction: When we each use the gifts God’s given us, together, He’s able to create something unique that can bring joy to others. God has a bigger plan, and every one of us is a part of it. He knows what we’re ready for, and He wants each of us to know it, too—whether we’re feeling ready yet or not. So let’s start figuring out together what God has in mind for each of us.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:8-11, NIV).

Now, read 1 Corinthians 12:4-12 and Romans 12:6-8, then think about these questions:

• What spiritual gifts do you see mentioned in these two passages? What are some others not mentioned here? (And yes, you could cheat and use the graphic on the right.)
• How could you see each of these gifts being used, either in the church or outside it?
• Let’s be honest: Some of these gifts look like things that anyone could do—and are. What, then, is the difference between a spiritual gift and a natural ability?
• Let’s take this to another level. Based on what you already know about yourself, which of these gifts make you say “That’s not me”? How could someone who has that gift help you?

There’s a quote I love by Watchman Nee, in his book Changed Into His Likeness (which I’ve only read, oh, maybe a dozen times) that I’ll share here: “When we see the holy purpose to which we are called, and then look upon ourselves, we too are utterly undone…. To know as a fact that the work is too sacred for me to touch—that is the beginning of my usefulness.”

So let me pick it up there: Do you really believe that God could actually call you to do His work? In what ways does His work still seem “too sacred for [you] to touch”?

And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s OK—as long as you push through into discovering the answer to this question: Do you see any places right now where God is tugging on your heart to get involved? What do you think—or wish—you could contribute to that situation?

Don’t give up on yourself. God certainly hasn’t. Ask God to begin to revealing what He’s called you to, if you don’t already know. Ask Him to reveal the gifts He’s already given you, and for the faith and courage to step into whatever He’s calling you to do with them. And may God reveal things about both Him and you that you couldn’t have imagined earlier as you do so.

P.S./Addendum: Since for reasons I can’t really explain, this is by far the most-visited post on this blog, it’s probably worth pointing out that it’s adapted from a lesson in Season 3 in the Growing Out series, Growing in Your Gifts. So if your small group wants to explore their gifts in a lot more depth, go fetch.

And please check out the rest of the blog, too. There’s gotta be 100 better posts on here than this one, I swear.  For that matter, there’s several more on the subject of spiritual gifts — just search on the tags “growing out” and “spiritual gifts” and have fun. 🙂

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Learning to Value Leadership

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Carl Simmons

What makes someone a spiritual leader? Who have you seen demonstrate that kind of leadership? How so?

We’re entering a new Monday series today, focused on spiritual leadership*. The fact is, you’re all leaders, whether you have a spiritual gift of leadership or because God’s blessed you by putting you where others rely on you. No matter how you got here, you’re leading in some way even now, and God wants to help you lead better.

And that’s not just in church—that’s family, work, even among your friends. You’re here today because God has grown and matured you, and whether you see yourself as a leader or not, someone does. So let’s honor the faith that others have placed in us. And while we’re at it, let’s better understand at how we can honor those God has already raised up as our leaders.

Grab yourself a coin, and hang onto it as you read. I’ll explain why later. In the meantime, let’s look at a couple different examples of leadership within one passage:

So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well (Luke 7: 6-9, NIV)

What different types of leadership do you see here? How is that authority both recognized and honored by others here? What happens, as a result?

Now, for a tougher one—especially this morning*:

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”…

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light….

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor (1 Peter 2:4-6, 9, 13-17, NIV)

• What connections do you see here between trusting God’s authority and trusting human authority? How might all authority be seen as spiritual?
• So, does rejecting human authority mean rejecting Jesus? Why or why not?
• Take note the coin in your hand. In light of the answers you just gave, how much value do really you attach to being a leader?
• When have you been able to take the lead with something that really mattered to you? What did you learn from the experience?
• Without naming names, who’s a spiritual leader you know—who truly loves God—but whom you nonetheless have trouble working with? How can you see God working in him or her, and how can you honor that more openly?
• This time we’ll name names: How do you still struggle with seeing yourself as a spiritual leader? What would you want God to change about you right now?

Look again at the coin in your hand. Think of it as the responsibility God’s entrusted you with—again, no matter what that looks like right now. Take a minute to silently ask God to help you value what He’s trusted you with, and to also help you recognize the value He’s placed upon others through the responsibilities He’s given them. I’ll throw my own prayer in here:

Lord, we thank You for raising each of us up and trusting us to represent you in our churches, our homes, our workplaces, our relationships—even if we can’t understand why You would. We also thank You for the leaders you’ve given us. Help us to honor and trust their judgment, knowing that ultimate they’re accountable to You even more than to us. Help us to trust You in the circumstances you’ve placed us, and to let You lead all of us in the way You see fit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

*** P.S. It’s worth noting that most of this content was written two  years ago and this was “just its time” to repurpose it. Perhaps God’s timing as well. And as always, a reminder to myself before anyone else….

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Lay Down Your Strength: a fragment

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Even the strength we think we have comes from our need to compare ourselves to others. We may be correct in thinking we’re much more gifted in a certain area or areas in comparison to others. But what is that in comparison to God? Even our strength is weakness, and until we’re willing to acknowledge that, even what little strength we have is useless to God.

Study the life of Abraham sometime. On a personal level, that may have been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in terms of understanding how God operates in our lives. Over and over, you see this cycle: God calls –> Abraham tries to do things his own way, and fails miserably –> Abraham finally “gets it,” relents and allows God to accomplish His will in His way and with His timing –> Abraham himself begins to truly reflect God’s will. Thus, in the end, Abraham gets where God wants him, but in God’s way and God’s way only. Abraham was an ordinary man, with an extraordinary God.

Likewise, we often want to do God’s work, but nearly as often don’t want to do it in God’s way. But unless what we do starts and ends with God, it’s worth nothing. Do we want to give birth to an Ishmael or an Isaac?

Our strength—or rather, our reliance upon it—is still pride. And likewise, it must be broken. Watchman Nee, in his book Changed Into His Likeness, put it this way, “The characteristic of those who truly know God is that they have no faith in their own competence, no reliance upon themselves.” When we reach that point, then we are truly useful to God.

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Loving and Growing Your Children

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Carl Simmons

We’re continuing our Wednesday explorations of  bringing Jesus further into our deepest relationships, and this week we focus on our relationships with our children. For some of us, these might be the deepest relationships we have.

But unlike our relationships with our spouses and our friends, this role carries a much broader set of responsibilities. We have to do more than love our children—we’re charged with raising them. To teach them. To discipline them. To model Jesus to them.  To use just a couple modest examples:

• What’s one phrase or habit that always reminds you of your mother or father?
• How have your tried to emulate or avoid your parents’ behaviors in your own life?

Let’s face it, this responsibility can be both scary and overwhelming. But as we let Jesus work through our relationships with our children, He can accomplish far more than we’d hoped—and the results might look very different from what we had in mind.

Not all of you have children, but we still need to learn to love those closest to us the way Jesus loves them and help them to grow the way Jesus wants them to grow. You may well be in a relationship where you can help another person do that—where you’re a spiritual parent. So stay with me; there may be something here for you, too.

And with that, let’s looks at a general example that can work wherever we’re at:

“[A]lthough we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became  little children  among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children, with such affection for you we were happy  to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you recall, brothers and sisters,  our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe. As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children,  exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you live in a way worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and his glory. And so  we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message,   but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-13, NET)

How does Paul describe his behavior toward the Thessalonians? What did he model for them? How do you see that model being passed on to others here?

Likewise, what are some positive traits that your parents, or other adults, have modeled for you? How has that modeling affected your walk with Jesus? How have you been able to pass those traits on to others?

Now, let’s get a little more parent-specific. There’s a great scene in the animated movie The Incredibles, about a family (re-)discovering and learning to use their superpowers for good. In fact, you can watch it here.

• Think about the quote “Your identity is your most valuable possession.” In what ways do you think that’s true (or not)?
• How do you see Violet’s identity change during the course of this scene? What things enabled or forced her to change?
• What character traits do you believe you model well for your children? Which traits does your spouse or others model that you wish you shared?

Every child, regardless of age, is a promise from God—and God wants to fulfill His promise in each of our children’s lives. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in a given situation with our children—or so wrapped up in ourselves—that we forget that. So let’s slow down for a moment.

What’s one area in which you know you could honor your children more? Maybe it’s quality time; maybe it’s any amount of time at all; maybe you need to ask your child’s forgiveness for something and let God’s grace work through that process.

Silently reflect on that now, and begin handing it over to God. Pray something like this, and I will at this end, too:

Lord, we want our children to become the people You want them to be. Help us to release them into Your hands so You can do what You want to do. And use us to reveal Yourself to them. We also thank You for all the ways You ’ve used us to speak into our kids’ lives, even when we weren’t aware of it.

At the same time, we acknowledge that we’ve failed sometimes—probably lots of times—and we ask that You help us become better parents. Right now we confess our need for You in…[say whatever’s appropriate here].

We know You honor our prayers, and we ask for Your Spirit to work through us to become the parents You want us to be, even as You help our kids become the people You want them to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Rumors of Glory

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson imagine a church that lives up to the teachings of its Lord and Savior, and invite us to dream along—and then do something about it.

Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson. Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You’ve Only Heard About. Softcover, 192p., $15.99. Thomas Nelson.

The authors, childhood friends in Australia both now pastoring in the States—Whitehead at Willow Creek, Tyson at Trinity Grace Church in New York City—challenge our faith as well as provide some concrete examples of how they’ve seen it lived out in the course of their ministries. If you read these kinds of books often, much of what’s here won’t be new—chances are you have in fact witnessed “the faith you’ve only heard about,” albeit wished you saw it more consistently—but the authors’ enthusiasm is contagious. And I do appreciate  that it’s not just another “here’s what’s wrong with the church” book (or worse yet, yet another “here’s why people hate the church and we’d better adapt” book).

As some point of comparison: Think a decidedly more winsome version of David Platt’s Radical—not as in-your-face (which cuts both ways), but not as proscriptive either: Whitehead & Tyson throw out the challenges and the real-life illustrations to go with them, then leave it up to you to figure out how that’s going to work in your situation.

A couple chapters stand out from the pack, “Giving Up Your Rights” and “The Green Room.” Both push us to insist on, and live out, God’s justice and mercy rather our own version of “justice” (which often bears more resemblance to revenge). Key quotes from the latter chapter:

• Regarding The Lord’s Prayer: “Jesus’ prayer was not that souls would be saved so the people could go to heaven. Jesus told us to pray that God’s kingdom would come here, now.”

• And the refrain that closes more than a few paragraphs later in the chapter: “When we steward our privilege, the kingdom comes.” Translation: God has given us the blessings we have for a reason, and the reason isn’t us.

Looking at the book from a small-group perspective: The Reading Group Guide in the back is rather congested—each “question” is more like 4-5 questions all at once (I can hear the entire group saying “Can you repeat that?” as I read it)—but the talking points are relevant and useful. I would have loved to have seen some applicational questions as well, though.

All in all, there’s better books to be had out there, but if you don’t already have them, you could do far worse than to start here. Whitehead and Tyson envision a church that’s far more than what it is right now, and will help you do the same.

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The Neverending Story

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Carl Simmons

What’s your favorite story, and how does it end? (Here’s mine –> . For the record, I didn’t know the ending when I started reading it, let alone that I would find myself in the same place as Raskolnikov only a few hours before I found out.)

Think also about the story you and God are writing together right now. How have you recently seen God working in your life and your relationships? How has seeing that helped you to grow? How does all that fit into the bigger story of your lifelong—your eternal—journey with Jesus?

It’s been said that we might be the only Bible some people will ever read. That can be a scary thought, especially given some of the chapters that we’ve already written. But the good news is: God is still writing. We don’t always understand why God adds or allows certain chapters in our lives, but we do know that He’s crafting our stories to end well.

Robert Gelinas, in his book Finding the Groove, states, “Every person we encounter is someone who is also on the verge of encountering Christ incognito.”And as with any good story, God builds on what he’s already done. If we cooperate, our stories will always be moving forward, no matter how much we or other people might see or don’t see.

So let’s consider what the next chapter in our lives might look like, by considering what God’s written already, both in our lives and in His word. Let’s start with arguably my second-favorite passage in the Bible (and the other isn’t far behind—in fact the latter paragraph, last I heard, is my youngest daughter’s favorite passage):

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present,  there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from  the Lord, who is the Spirit”(2 Corinthians 3:8-18, NET).

“More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung!  – that I may gain Christ,  and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. My aim is to know him,  to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

“Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.  Brothers and sisters,  I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded:  Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God  in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8-14, NET)

How does staying focused on what God’s going to do help keep you going right now? How does it also help you to let go of your own expectations or fears, and to just smile and say, “OK God, whatever’s next—bring it on”?

We are always learning. “We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners, all our life!” as Thomas Merton says. Still, we do know what God has already taught us, and that might well be an indicator of what He’s preparing us for. So think about this:

• What are you doing (or need to be doing) right now that you know Jesus wants you doing? Sum it up in a sentence or two; be specific.
• What do you think the next chapters in your story might look like? Who are the main players in it? Feel free to dream aloud here.
• Who can continue to support and encourage you, and vice versa, as you begin the next chapter?

Spend some time praying right now. Thank God for being with you always, and for the people He’s put in your life—whose examples, whose challenges, whose friendships help keep you growing out further and yet closer to God. Thank Him for the parts of your story He has yet to write, and for the parts He’s already written.

May you be able to celebrate the love God has for you, and your love for one another—and to take that love wherever God sends you next.

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