Thoughts on Suffering from Life Action

I thought I'd share some thoughts from the Life Action teaching, mixed with some things that God added through thought and meditation on the subject of suffering.

Suffering is an avoided concept in Scripture.  It's not pretty.  No one wants to do it (certainly not me).  I really don't like that this is a part of Scripture, but it is and it is a part of being a Christian.

I think we think we can ignore it and it will got away, then life will be easier and everything will be fine, but that's not true.  Jesus said that if you are to follow Him, you'll have troubles, period...going to happen.  That signifies that "sin" is in the world...it's a given.  Things don't follow God, there are problems.

If you ignore it, it will do you know good, because you'll have troubles and life will be hard, but you still won't get the benefit of suffering.  1 Peter 2:20-21 says this

20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it?

 In other words, when you go against God or do something that is unwise that God has told you not to do or not told you to do and life is tough...that's not suffering...that is "conflict" and there is no good in you toughing out that.  That's foolish.  That's natural consequence of refusing to acknowledge and follow God.  If you don't follow Christ at all and your marriage is in a shambles, that's not suffering for Jesus.  That's trying to do something in a way and for a reason that it was never intended for, because marriage doesn't work without Christ in the center...because he's necessary for the reason it exists.  I've heard it said best that "Marriage doesn't exist to make us happy, but to make us holy."  Yep, not so we can have kids, grow old and die together and always have a date on New Year's Eve.

Also, it's not "chastisement"...you have participated in something so long that God is allowing extra consequences to come to you because He's trying to steer you away from damaging behavior, thoughts or directions that are hurting you and dishonoring Him...that's not "suffering" and it holds no benefit to keep doing the thing that causes the "chastisement".  Chastisement is meant to train us, but it's not punitive...we aren't "paying for our sins" in the global sense, THAT is more horrible and at a greater price than we can pay.  Jesus did that...He took the ultimate punishment, this is God trying to get us back on the right way by making the wrong way less attractive, but ultimately, we'll make that choice to keep enduring the harshness or turn from it and experience healing and peace.

Then Peter writes...

But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.A)"> 

But suffering is different.  Suffering is when you do right for God and things aren't just rosy and wonderful and you trust God is right anyway...that's a good thing.  It's not just that God is proud of that, but also that it is beneficial for you.  1 Peter 1:7 says these type of trials worth "more than gold"...so basically, these type of sufferings are more valuable than any amount of money for you.  It's amazing that a lot of the time, we miss these trials for 15/hour or whatever the next promotion pays....or we actually PAY money not to have them.

It's like working out...working out is hard...it hurts and sometimes you get injured doing it and you need healing, but it's healthy for you.  You HAVE to carve time in your schedule for it, it's not just an easy thing always.  The same is true in our faith...suffering is God's workout for us.  It's difficult, it's a moment that our weaknesses are exposed, the places that we need help and we are to cry out to God, when we fail Him or when facing a struggle, that we need Him and to "lift our weight" to Him.  How?  By trusting that if we follow what He has said for our lives in His Word, that He will provide...

If you don't think suffering is for you as a Christian, then you might want to mark vs 21 out of your Bible.  It says this...

21 To thisB)"> you were called,C)"> 

Bad start...to "what", to this type of "suffering"...that's what Christ "called" you to do.  These are things like "pressure" or "tough schedules" or "struggles" with things that you don't want to believe or do or sickness or death or whatever...even against the desire to do the "easy" things that aren't of God.  These struggles change us.

I always love the excuse that "God made me this way, so He meant for me to be this way"...what a completely illogical argument in Scripture.  When we accept Christ, we are to become a "new creation", because what we were is in conflict with God...  I want to say "Who is this magical, mythical person who becomes a Christian and just does everything, thinks every way, follows every desire, that there were following before?  They don't exist"... and the ones that do AREN'T Christians, according to Scripture.

I think about a friend who met a very needy person at work one day...and as unattractive and hard (and honestly, repulsive) as this needy person's situation was, my friend saw this as God's call for him to change it.  He took her into his home and treated her as his child.  He clothed her, washed her, cleaned up after all the things that she couldn't do for herself because of her physical limitations...it changed him...no, God used it to change him.. 

When she died recently, he said afterwards to me "she was never a burden"...no way?  If I were to list the energy draining schedule,tasks and the sacrifices that he willingly made, when no one else would, not even her family would...you'd call him a liar, but he was "dead serious" and I believe him.  

Why?  

Because in embracing the hardship, God had strengthened him, given him purpose, taught him about loving people, added to him all along the way and made him into something that he was not...God upgraded him.  

I seriously doubt that he would call what he did "suffering", he'd laugh at me if I told him that, but it was, but he found it.  He's already considering the next person he should take in and how God has prepared him for that next experience through this one...when I would be taking a breath, he's raring to jump back into it, because he found the value of suffering.

We should all learn from his example with the sufferings we are to face in our lives...

Sufferings are also things like when God allows a hardship in our life as a test to see where we are, to give us hope in how we've grown while pointing out where we still need Him to function properly ("I need You."). 

Sometimes, these are attacks from Satan that God allows to reach us so that He can use the hardship to better us...and that absolutely must burn the enemy.  When we submit to these and see them as they are, it's like our opponent keeps shooting at his basket and the ball just curves in the air and goes to the other end of the court and goes in ours...that would be maddening for a basketball player if that ever happened.

Then the verse ends with this...

...because Christ suffered for you,D)"> leaving you an example,E)"> that you should follow in his steps.

So this is all because Christ suffered for you...He didn't ask you to do anything on the scale of what He had to do and He never will, but He made the biggest sacrifice first.

Peter points out that this was an EXAMPLE.  That's different.  An example is something that you are to look at to understand in a greater, more vivid way whatever you are given to do is supposed to be like.  It's a picture and suffering is a part of that.

It's an example and in that, we'll follow in His steps.  What we see from Jesus is just not a beaten man, but who at the pinnacle of His suffering, was strengthen and motivated through joy, while being on the cross (Hebrews 12:2)...  We'll never endure what He did, but He proved that joy is possible in the midst of suffering for Christ.

Suffering is necessary, but not wanted.  It's vital, but hated...but unless we embrace it and look at it purposefully, we will be the ones who are left without blessings that God intended for us.

Misquoted Scripture hurts

"God won't give you more than you can bear."  We've all heard this before and it sounds all spiritual, but it's not really...in the way that people usually use it in response to some physical, emotional or mental struggle.  I read a blog today that lamented this phrase because of a tough thing that the writer had gone through...they called it a "nice sentiment", it's not a sentiment...it's a misquoted Scripture and like all misunderstood/misquoted Scripture, it's dangerous if you act on it because you are acting on air.

The origin:  The idea seems to come from 1 Corinthians 10:13 "...And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear..."  (1 Cor 10:13) which means there's nothing that anyone ever faces in being tempted to sin that hasn't been seen before, and that every time you are tempted to sin, you have a choice not to...as a Christian.  It says nothing about physical, mental, or emotional struggle.  It means that when presented with a choice to do what God says or not do what God says, as a Christian, there's never a time where you can say "It was just out of my hands, I had no choice."  There is no urge, desire, or mitigating loophole that takes sin's choice out of your hands.  Every time you are tempted to do wrong, you can choose not to, as a follower of Christ.

The danger:  If someone thinks that God won't give them what they can't bear, then people think, when they blow it, that God is against them or God isn't really in control or God lied or something's wrong with them or junk like that.  The reality is that people have died following Christ...they obviously couldn't "handle" that physically.

The action:  Please stop saying that phrase, if it's your "go-to" when things get bad for someone...in fact, God will sometimes, give you more than you can bear, so that you will turn to Him and follow Him, rather than just rely on yourself unsuccessfully...read the Psalms..no, turn off the "Chill Jazz" and the Lava Lamp and read them...David is not in a "I'm cool, I've got this" mode a lot of the time.  He's in places where he absolutely CAN'T handle LIFE well.  He's in the "God if you don't show up, I"m done for" mode...but he demonstrates that he knows who he needs to come to for strength, help and sustenance when he finds himself in that situation...to God.

Sometimes, you can't handle stuff and that's fine, because God can and He really does have it under control...that's the point.  For someone who places God first, God will help you, God will be there for you, God can heal you, God can sustain you through it, God honors those who honor Him...all these things are true for those who place God as the first priority in their life...

Ways to integrate the Bible & prayer into an "on-the-go" lifestyle

Are you an on-the-go person and looking for a way to integrate God's Word into your day?   I like to use little ways to augment my personal time with God that I have in the morning, as reminders for things.

While there are no substitutes for a time in my schedule daily to God's Word.  Here are some tricks for people on the go, feel free to respond and share your tips.  Most of the time, things like this I use while I'm waiting for files to render or copy or waiting for an appointment or when I'm filling the car with gas or whatever...in the cracks of the day.
***For the non tech person, I'll add some "Low tech solutions" for some of the ideas as well.

1)  If you have a smart phone, look into youversion's bible app from Life Church.  They have a daily verse of the day that can be delivered to your phone automatically...there are versions for Android and iPhone/iPad.
***Also, we put our sermon notes on this each week, so you can follow along with my sermons,  send in a prayer request, share a bible verse or a thought on social media, take notes on the sermon, and email the notes to yourself to keep or a friend who couldn't make it today.

2)  If you'd rather twitter than app, follow @daily_bible and the daily verse is posted there for you.

3)  If you drive a lot, the Youversion app has an option where the Bible can be read to you.  I have a blue tooth speaker that I hook up to my phone and listen to my Bible, while I'm in the shower, mowing the yard or while I play video games, instead of the radio.
Low (er) tech solution:  By a CD player and buy the Bible on CD.  There are all kinds, even ones for reading it through in a year.  Check your local Christian bookstore (or Barnes and Nobles even) or search it on Amazon...here's a link

4)  I use an Android app called "Remember Me" which helps me organize the verses that I'm memorizing each day.  It's quick and I can review a couple of verses in about 2 minutes waiting on something or before a meeting.
Low tech solution:  If you aren't a tech person, then carry an index card with a Scripture on it in your pocket (or two or three) and review them when you are are waiting

5)  We all have breaks that happen in our day (lunch or right after appointments or meetings or the drive home), I use my Google calendar to set up prayer reminders for certain things (and you can set up reminders to recur for several days...these work great to read right before you are driving somewhere...NOT during the drive.  ;)
Low tech solution:  Write a prayer request on a card and place it to the left of the speedometer on your car or a sticky note on your bathroom mirror or in the book you are reading or on your day planner (when you open it the each day, just move it to the next day).

What's your favorite way to integrate spiritual disciplines into your day?  Feel free to post below.

What really is thankful…

Every year, we approach this season of “Thanksgiving”.  We meet together with family, watch football, and avoid that relative that always has to bring up the controversial debate topic (or maybe that’s us).  For some it’s a “family” time, for others it’s a time of remembrance for what God has done for us, for some it’s both.  The theme of the season though is thankfulness.

For most of us, thankfulness is something that we do, which really fits in with the taking a day each year, but for the Christ follower, it should be a way of life.  All over God’s Word, he speaks of thankfulness.  Psalm 69:30 says that I will “glorify Him with thanksgiving”.  In other words, the way I glorify God is to point out the work He’s doing (His glory) here and to thank Him for it.  We sing to thank Him when we gather together (Psalm 147:7; Psalm 69:30)  In 2 Corinthians 9, the writer tells us that God gives us everything we have so we can, out of thankfulness for what we do have (not bitterness for what we don’t) be generous with those things to others, and THAT very generosity will result in thankfulness to God.  In every request of God, we should ask with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).  If “in everything” missed anything, there’s one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (emphasis added).  The greatest thing to be thankful for is that Jesus who allows us to reconnect with God  and to know what life is meant to be.  The Bible, a collection of 66 books, written by 40 different writers over a period of 2000 years, without consultation between authors, simply inspired by God Himself, just drips with the message “Hey BE thankful.”

It’s amazing the pain that people can get used to, we adjust and adapt, as a God given ability to survive, but at the same time, we adjust the other way.  It’s amazing the blessings that we can get used to and overlook.  In fact, we don’t usually realize they are there until they are gone.

As you approach Thanksgiving, don’t just take a moment for thankfulness, but commit to live in thankfulness all throughout the next year.  Get a post it note and write something you can be thankful for each day and stick it on your desk.  I have a friend who starts each day posting on Facebook something he’s thankful for.  Get creative, but resign to live a life that is thankful...you will find that a thankful life is better than a demanding one, and everyone might enjoy you better this Thanksgiving as well.

My Dad is Better Than Your Dad

When I was young, we boys would periodically have a bout of “My Dad is better than your Dad”.  We’d throw out some awesome feat...NEVER embellished or exaggerated.. that our Dads had done, that was obviously an achievement that clearly made him the “Dad over all”.  While that was fun (even if it was more than a little bit of perjury if we’d have done it in a court of law), what is cute as kids, often becomes ugly as adults...especially with Christians.

More and more on social media, I see other Christians rolling out some blog or scathing video about “nationally-know pastor” or “those type of churches”.  It always makes me cringe, because rarely is anyone ever pointing at themselves and their church in repentance.  Mostly, it’s a finger pointing exercise at the “really bad” Christians over there...that aren’t me.

A defining statement like John 13:35 gets thrown away.  Matthew 18, Galatians 6 and Proverbs 16:18 are ignored.  It’s like trying to find the next “sinner” to expose has become the national distraction for what Christians should be doing.  If that’s you, let me share something with you...you don’t have to search for sinners, because we all are and if someone says they aren’t, then they are lying...which is a sin.  

As a fellow believer in Boston told me recently, “no one ever says that the problem with the church is that we’ve got TOO many people telling others about Jesus.”  Like anything else, purpose gets lost in the wake of distraction.  What’s sad is this rash of stuff rarely produces solution, only division.  It is really just an indirect method of pointing to how YOU have it all together...leaving Jesus out of the equation.  That type of stuff between Christians really just ends up looking like two second graders, fighting about whose Dad is better. and then you come to find out that they are siblings and the “Dads” they are comparing is the same guy.

Don’t seek out the “angry ones” who live to create conflict as your influences.  If you see someone caught in a sin, resist the urge to run to Facebook, Twitter or Sunday School to nail them with your cool insult, no matter how famous or wrong they appear to be.  I want to do that too, sometimes, but even though it’s hard, try praying for them instead.  I really fail more than I’d like to admit, but it’s always better when I succeed.  Spend 1000 times as many words as you ever say about someone in criticism, either in loving restorative (sometimes difficult) words to them directly or in talking to the only One who can ever make a real difference (See Gal 6, Matthew 18, etc..).  You might find yourself more compassionate than contrary, or maybe even becoming more “Christlike”...and if that happens, maybe your Dad will, with lack of comparison, brag on you.

How do you know if God is speaking to you?

I always say in messages that you should listen to God and do what He says, regardless of if it fits with what you think is in your path, He should be the one who directs your steps.

Someone asked me yesterday "How do I know if what I'm hearing is God speaking to me or if it's just my own idea that I want to do?"  While I can't speak directly to everything that God says to you or anyone, I can give you some guidelines to test whether God is directing you are not.

1)  You need to have a relationship with Christ.  This is crucial.  It means that you've accepted that you've been at odds with God and that can be as simple as not doing exactly what He wants from you (we've all been there) at some time in your life.  Realizing that Romans 6:23 says that the wages or price of that sin is death or separation from God.  God sent Jesus, His son, to live on Earth as a human and Jesus lived as no one has ever done before or since...He never did anything that God did not want from Him, He never sinned.  Then he was killed for our sin, so that justice in Romans 6:23 could be satisfied, but we could have a way not to be eternally separated from Him.  The way we accept this is to confess with our mouth that Jesus is our Lord (in other ways, we do what He says to do and live our lives for His purposes not our own) and believe in our heart (total belief) that He was God's Son.  That's the first thing.

2)  Begin to read God's Word daily and spend time praying (talking) with Him...and listening.  Jesus said in John 10:23 that the people who follow Him know His voice.  So, as we follow HIm, His voice is more evident...it's cumulative.  Also, He will never tell you to do something against His Word.  He'll never say "Hey, your wife is mean..leave her, you've put up with enough."  Or  "Your husband is an inconsiderate loser...leave him, that'll show him."  That's contrary with the Bible's clear teaching on marriage, so better check that..  As you spend time with God following Him, you'll get to know him more and more.  Also, during each day, I look for other ways for God to communicate or shape the direction that He wants me to go and it's amazing how things begin to line up.

3)  Plug into a Bible teaching church that you can trust.   You should be able to trust that the leadership seek God personally...that people in the church do the same.  It should be a place where you connect with people and that's on you to try as well, not just on them to do all the work of relationship.  Then you develop relationships with people who you know are following God and have your best interests at heart.  Proverbs tells us that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"...we are meant to learn in groups, sharing what we learn and building on it.  Many times, I've sought others' viewpoints on what God is telling me and they've affirmed it or what's going on with them/what God is teaching them has helped shape the direction.  It's giving God more avenues to speak to you.

If it's a life-altering decision, like a career change or a location change or something big, like say God was telling me to quit my job and start a ministry to help the homeless, I might meet with someone from "His Place Ministries" or from "Our Daily Bread" (ministries in Melbourne/Palm Bay area) and see how God inspired them to start these ministries and look for affirmation or shaping in those discussions.

Relationship with Christ -- testing what is said against God's Word and listening to Him -- looking for signs and messages around you -- plugging into a community of believers who give God more opportunities to speak to you...all these things are great for you.  If you are married, your spouse will be a big player in this, because nothing you do is separate from them...so they have to be in with you to a degree.  It might be in the "okay, we'll try that" or in the "alright!!! I'm in!!!" mode.  God has directed the timing of moves in my life by the way He's spoken to my wife or the time that He's taken to speak to her and vice versa, her with me.

Hope that helps you to know if God is speaking to you on a certain issue.

I hope this helps...

Changes coming to KIDzone

Each week, Katye or I or both ask our kids what they learned each Sunday and I"m blessed to hear the Scriptural principles and lessons that they are learning in KIDzone each week.  Still, I know that we don't develop for the moment, we develop with the future in mind.  Over the last month or so, I've asked Raul to pray and think about our overall strategy in KIDzone, in light of preparing our kids to eject seamlessly into our church worship when they graduate from KIDzone one day.  

In thinking and praying through that directive and having some valuable conversations with some of the KZ leadership, Raul came to me with some changes to propose for our KIDzone that not only continues to address the needs of our children, but also, begins to prepare them from the beginning for what they will experience when they leave KIDzone and begin to worship in our main worship center.

Currently, we basically have a children's church at 3 groups:  Nursery/Toddlers, Pre-K (3 years- Kindergarten) and Elementary (Grades 1-6).  In each area, we take that group and work with curriculum and activities that are age appropriate for that group.  I believe that while I try to put the "peanut butter on the lowest shelf so everyone can reach it", so to speak, as a communicator, a 35 minute lecture style setting doesn't do the greatest job with our younger believers of getting across the tenants of Scripture.  In our day and time, there are loads of materials and curriculum that created by Christians who have devoted their lives to teaching children about Jesus in ways that get the maximum impact in their lives.  I totally believe in that.  I grew up sitting in church services with large words and illustrations that I really didn't understand, geared to the majority of the room...adults.  As a result, I remember to this day the look, feel and lesson of the only time I ever attended children's church at my great aunt's church at Ozark Baptist and learning in a setting and way that I understood...and that's been 30+ years ago.  Still, when our kids leave KIDzone, they are put into our worship service at 7th grade and then it's a whole new ballgame...how do we make that transition more seamless?  Well, there are two subtle changes that Raul is leading us toward.

1)  Our Nursery will begin to add two elements, loosely structured.  Music and the Word.  In the past, we've focused on showing the love of Christ to our little ones, helping them to understand that church is a loving place and to represent God as a loving caring parent.  We'll still focus on that, but we'll be looking to add reading to our kids from interesting story books of God's bible stories and playing music that has a message of Christ throughout the hour...maybe even challenging our workers to sing a song with the kids.

2)  In our Elementary KIDzone, we'll begin this Sunday, September 29, 2013 to go a little bit "old school" and bring this age group into the service with us during the first portion of our adult service.  At a point in the adult worship service, the leadership will clearly and seamlessly direct parents to let their kids leave with their KZ leaders en masse and we'll continue in our service as normal.  This change allows our kids to witness/participate in things like singing to God together, video testimonies, and other elements of our services that works great for them, getting a taste of our worship service.  It also allows those of our Elementary aged kids who have accepted Christ to participate in The Lord's Supper (or Communion) when we take that together as a body.  It will be up to the parents to educate and guide their kids through these times, which further helps the family bond.  At the same time, they will eject from the service to get the benefits of directed teaching, in a format that they can understand and benefit from the most.  

Will that be a little more crazy that we are used to?  Yep, some kids will have to adjust (probably mine - ;) ) and it will take time for them to learn their surroundings to be a part.  Sometimes, they will be impatient and they will be fidgety and will probably do things that adults would NEVER do...that's cool.  We are TEACHING them as much as participating with them and part of teaching is learning to have grace through innocent mistakes, as well as willful ones.

How can you help?

1)  You participate in the service and put your attention on God.  Be sensitive of the time of the service and what's going on and model engaging in what we are doing.

2)  Don't be a distraction to the kids...they'll have plenty.  Resist the urge when that cute 1st grader wants to peak over their shoulder at you to start the "pee-pie" game or something that seems innocuous...you know when to quit, many of them haven't learned that yet and their parents are trying to get them to participate...so don't be a sour guy that's gives them the "scowl", but just redirect them subtly, while leaving it to their parent to do the "heavy lifting"..it takes a village to raise and child and that's true in church as well.

3)  If you see someone NEW that looks lost, step out and help graciously.  We went to another church years back that did this and all of a sudden the kids started leaving the service and we didn't see it...a kind lady behind us tapped us on the shoulder with a smile and said "Hey would you like for your children to go to children's church?", then another lady offered to walk my kids to the workers with her kids...I'm not sure if we were having a meltdown and they were really trying to get us moving OR if they were just being welcoming (lol), but it didn't matter, they were loving people and that's how we accepted and appreciate it.

4)  Be patient, kind and loving, not disapproving and elitist.  Just because a kid is having a bad morning, it doesn't help to give the parents "the stare".  I'm telling you, as a parent, we are well aware when our kids aren't behaving and our brains are working overtime to try to solve the situation somewhere between "bringing the hammer" and making it worse AND ignoring it and letting it grow...we know and the "stare" that tells us we are failing and you'd do it better, doesn't help at all.

Right now, there will be no changes to our Pre-K area, they are just fine.  They already have elements of our worship service introduced to them in ways they can get right now.  Overall, we feel that this represents a gradual, yet purposeful approach to developing our children to be a part of the body as adults, not just an age group, while STILL maximizing their experience and teaching, preparing them for a seamless transition into our services.

As a pastor, I'm very grateful to Raul for his work and passion in this area and the time he's been putting in to make things run smoothly, especially through the transition into his new role and into the new location at the same time...we really threw him into the fire.  Good job, man!

All our leaders (Randy and Nathan) really put their hearts into what they do and are doing a great job as well.  Please continue to pray for and support your leaders.