Choosing To Cheat

I knew I would get your attention with that title.  Choosing To Cheat is a book by Andy Stanley that I highly recommend to anyone who is having a hard time finding balance in this crazy journey, we call life.  Andy goes on to share that we all have very busy schedules.  How do we balance between work, relationships, school, kids, sports, etc…?  The answer, we have to learn how to “cheat” something!  But, we must prioritize the right “things”to cheat and the wrong “things” not to cheat.  Life is fast, lets not miss what really matters.

Dollar Cost Living

Here are some follow up thoughts from last nights part 3: Dollar -Cost Living at WatersEdge Church.

Who wants to be average?  Well, apparently, rich people.  Survey after survey reveals that when it comes to generosity, rich people rank equal to, if not below, those with fewer resources.  But as people who have been blessed with both extra time and money, this should not be.  Those who have the extra responsibility to be more than average when it comes to using what they have to serve others.

Discussion Questions

1. Who are the most generous people you know? How do they spend their extra time and money?

2. Read I Timothy 6:18.  When have you had the opportunity to use your extra time to serve others? When have you had the opportunity to use your extra money to share with someone else?

3. What keeps us from being rich in good deeds and willing to share with others?

4. How could you be rich in good deeds by pre-determining where you spend your extra time? Where could you invest time on a weekly or monthly basis?

5. How can you share more of your extra money with others? What are the benefits of regular percentage giving to selected organizations?

Think About It

How are you currently spending your extra time? Where could you carve out more time to serve others? Where are you currently spending your extra money? How could you carve out more money to give to others?

Changing Your Mind

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. I Timothy 6:18

Exposed

I want to take a quick break from my thoughts on church and the culture and share something in my blog that has been on my mind for a few days:

Could it be that our downturn with the economy is the best thing that has happened for individuals, families, our country – the world? Could it be that we have just gotten so spoiled with the blessings of God that we forget who they came from?

Look back at the Israelites in the Old Testament.  What a bunch of whining people.  God blesses them, they get comfortable and fall into sin – then God blesses them, they get comfortable and fall into sin.  It seems like a vicious cycle.  That is, in fact, what I hear a lot when I hear preachers talk about the Israelites. But when you look at the Scripture, what you see happen over and over again, is when a individual or a nation goes through a tough time – it exposes them.  It exposes there faith (or lack of it), it exposes who (or what) they are trusting in, it exposes there priorities, it exposes there attitudes, etc.  It is easy to “love” God when everything is good – but when things are just not the way we think they should be, then we are exposed.  Look at some individuals in the Bible:  The testing of Job, how about Noah, Abraham and Isaac, Mary and Joseph, Paul, David, Moses and Jonathon and the list goes on.  Each exposed, and each showed their true colors during their trials.

I encourage you to take some time and challenge yourself, are you exposed right now?  Maybe you are in the midst of, or know someone who is, having some difficulties right now.  How are your faith, trust, hope, and priorities today?  Before you know it the “sun” will come behind the rainy cloud again, and we will be talking about how the economy is finally getting better.  But, what did God teach you through all of this. If the Israelites heard us talking about how whiney they were in the Old Testament, how would they respond to you today – would they look at you and say, “look who is talking.”

It could be a great time right now for us as individuals, families, a country and even the world, to adjust our perspective!

Psalms 64:1 “God, hear my voice when I complain.”

Common Goal

John Hunter shares, “Cultures are shaped when networks of leaders, representing the different social institutions of a culture, work together towards a common goal:  Again and again we see that the impetus, energy and direction for changing the world were found where cultural, economic and often political resources overlapped; where networks of elites, who generated these various resources, come together.”

It all dates back to the Garden of Eden when, on the sixth day of creation, a momentous transference takes place as God hands Adam the responsibility to pick up where He left off.  Adam is called to reflect God’s image and to have dominion over all things, to steward God’s good creation and all of its resources in the service of God and man (Genesis 1:26-28).  Humans were called to partner with God in the work He wanted to do throughout creation.

Psalm 145: “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that He has made…The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.  You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”  Jesus also referred to it when He admonished us to: “Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.”

“God cares not only about redeeming souls, but also about restoring his creation.” – Chuck Colson

Changing the Perception

Let’s look at some examples of some influential leaders:

“In the ‘Dark Ages’, after the fall of the Roman Empire, it was the monastic movement in Ireland that reserved the classic works of antiquity into the Middle Ages. Irish monks copied down vast amounts of Western philosophy, poetry, history, and commentary playing a key role in future scholarship and education throughout Europe. Imagine being on a remote island and faithfully hand-copying word for word from historic manuscripts, not even sure they would survive but doing so because you believed that history, theology and literature were the wellsprings of culture.” – Gabe Lyons

By the late 1500’s many Christians had their own copy of the Bible as a result of Johannes Gutenberg creating the printing press.

Michael angelo Buonarroti’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Johann Sebastian Bach, who composed for use in worship services his epic, The Passion of St. Matthew. Even a radical skeptic like Friedrich Nietzsche admitted upon hearing it, “One who has completely forgotten Christianity truly hears it here as gospel.” (quote from, Mark Galli, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know)

How about the Puritan Reformers who founded Harvard College in 1636 to the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire in 1883.

Throughout history, Christians were know for their wide and significant contributions to culture. There is a lot we can learn from history. But somewhere along the line, Christianity’s positive influence on culture changed. Here is my question, What are you (and I) going to do over the next 30 years to help change the perception of Christianity to the world?

Powerful Influence

When Christians live out what the Bible teaches, we have an influence on our culture.  Rodney Stark, in The Rise of Christianity shares:

“Christianity revitalized life in Greco-Roman cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with urgent urban problems.  To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope.  To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments.  To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family.  To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity.  And cities faced with epidemics, fires, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services.”

Matthew 5:13-16 “YOU are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but  to be thrown out and trampled on by men.  YOU are the light of the world.  A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lamp stand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.”

Christianity must reverse its current image and become dynamic, genuine and real.

“Gabe Lyons says it best, “There is nothing more powerful than a Christian life lived out in obedience; there is nothing worse than a flat, self-righteous form of faith that parades around in Christian clothes.”

Cultural Influence

Can the church “influence” the culture of a society?  I want to take some time these next few blogs and explore this idea – and lets see how this goes.  I would love to get some feedback sent to my email address, or through joining our WatersEdge community through facebook:

Charles Colson shares, “God cares not only about redeeming souls but also about restoring his creation.  He calls us to be agents not only of his saving grace but also of his common grace.  Our job is not only to build up the church but also to build a society to the glory of God.  As agents of God’s common grace, we are called to help sustain and renew his creation, to uphold the created institutions of family and society, to pursue science and scholarship, to create works of art and beauty, and to heal and help those suffering from the results of the Fall.”

The idea of cultural influence is not new.  As we dig back into the historic roots of Christian practice  and theology you will see that the influence of the church made a big difference and led the way in establishing culture.  The practice of the church over the last 2,000 years, especially during the first three centuries A.D.,  was their deep involvement in the fabric of their culture.  But sadly, as Gabe Lyons shares “Christianity has gained more conversations in America over the last two hundred years than any other faith.  Simultaneously, Christianity has steadily lost cultural influence despite its rapid conversation growth.”  So what is going on with the church?

Lets’ have some fun and explore this idea for a while…

“Daddy’s Money” follow-up

This is a follow up from last nights worship service at WatersEdge Church: Part two – “Daddy’s Money”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Read I Timothy 6:17.  How does money lead people to become arrogant? How have you seen signs of arrogance in your life because of money (e.g., you think you are smarter or more important than other people)?
2. Read Proverbs 18:11. Why are we tempted to put our hope in wealth?
3. Read Ecclesiastes 5:10. Why is it foolish to put our hope in wealth?
4. When have you seen the uncertainty of wealth?
5. Read Matthew 6:24.  How does it affect us when we put our hope in wealth?
6. What does it look like to put our hope in God?
7. Do you normally think of God as the one who has richly provided you with everything you need? Or do you think of yourself as the provider? What difference does it make when you acknowledge God as the source of everything you have?

THINK ABOUT IT
Are you leaning on your money, or are you leaning on God? Answer these four diagnostic questions to determine where you’ve placed your trust.

1. Which of these statements creates the most anxiety for you:
a. There is no God.
b. There is no money in the bank.
2.  Does your lifestyle/debt impede your ability to give?
3.  Does fear of not having enough impede your giving?
4.  Do you have money in the bank, but no peace in your heart?

WHAT WILL YOU DO?
How can you remind yourself this week that it is God who has richly provided you with everything that you need?  How can you remind yourself to put your trust in him?

“Lorica”

“I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise.
Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,
Christ in my mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today.”

This poem of prayer is named “Lorica” – named for a Roman coat of armor that is meant for the protection of the one who is wearing it.

Hope

I continue to be amazed at the stories that keep coming out of Haiti.  Just recently, we have heard about  people who were trapped under buildings for 10-12 days, who have now been found and are living to tell there stories.  One story caught my heart.  It was about a man who had been trapped for 11 days and was found, he had enough strength to say a few words when the military found him.  When asked what kept him alive, he said “I had HOPE”.  That is a deep illustration of true, genuine HOPE.  I heard this morning on the radio a Pastor share that HOPE is the confidence that everything is going to be ok.

Norman J. Clayton wrote a song, “My Hope is in the Lord”

My hope is in the Lord who gave Himself for me,
And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary.
No merit of my own His anger to suppress,
My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness.
And now for me He stands before the Father’s throne.
He shows His wounded hands, and names me as His own.
His grace has planned it all, ‘tis mine but to believe,
And recognize His work of love an Christ receive.
For me He died, for me He lives, and everlasting
Life and light He freely gives.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe (hope) in God, believe (hope) also in me.” John 14:1