Archive December 2008
Resolving
Have you ever noticed how a different form of a word can sometimes bring added insight? Instead of speaking of “New Year’s Resolutions,” I’d like to say something about resolving. Yes, resolving to do something is an act of determined will, a conscious choice. But, when resolving to do the right things, you will find yourself resolving many of the problems, challenges and issues of y0ur life.
Let me suggest that you give some serious and prayerful thought over this holiday season to resolving in at least three basic areas of life. I’m only giving you some starter thoughts because I am sure you can take it from here. If you have some resolutions to share that might encourage others, we would all appreciate you letting us know.
Resolving matters of personal discipline and character
What areas of personal discipline and character deserve attention toward resolving them in the year ahead? Some ideas:
- Resolving to finally drop those unwanted, unflattering and unhealthy pounds.
- Resolving to be consistent in some important area of life such as giving, Bible reading, prayer, making disciples, serving, etc.
- Resolving to eliminate some nasty habit like smoking, chewing tobacco, or not flossing your teeth.
Resolving matters of personal spiritual growth and development
World Changers never stop growing, never stop learning. What specific steps will you take this year to be certain that by this time next year you will be a more mature individual?
- Resolving to read through the Bible at least once this year. If you want some ideas about how to do this, read here what I wrote last year at this time about my personal habits.
- Resolving to read a book each month in 2009 that will contribute to your spiritual growth.
- Resolving to make 2009 the year you finally get around to going through the Directions study and laying a foundation of truth in your life. This is the basic entry step toward living life as a student of Jesus Christ.
- Resolving to take one of the many courses available throughout the year that are designed to address specific areas of personal development. Rather than link to a specific list of classes, check out the website here and look around. The website, by the way, will soon undergo a huge makeover.
Resolving to engage in God’s family
- Resolving to get involved in one of our adults classes on Sunday morning. They are called Ministry Fellowships, and they meet either at 8:30, 9:45 or 11:15am. Do this and you will accomplish growth in this area and the previous at the same time. Two for one New Year’s Sale!
- Resolving to find a place to put your talents, spiritual gifts and interests to work. Again, investigate the website, talk with friends, or someone in the Ministry Fellowship you just joined.
- Resolving to join a missions prayer team, plan to be part of a short term mission in 2009, or some other special project.
- Resolving to invest your time in the Children Ministry.
Whatever you may be resolving, I am resolving to do the best I can this next year to continue teaching you the Bible and how to apply it to your life. Have a Happy New Year, everyone!
Laser-Sharp Focus
With 2008 coming to an end, this morning we went back and reviewed the lessons we have been learning the past few months about how God builds world-changers. Most of our study was in Acts 9 using Saul of Tarsus transformation into Paul the Apostle as our example of the type of supernatural transformation that results in a world changer.
This morning I asked some questions that are good fodder for reflection in these final days of the year. If you were not able to be with us today, you can see the entire sermon next week on our website, www.kcbt.org next week). Whatever the case, these questions are relevant for all of us. I’m sure you can come up with more good questions and there are not even all that I posed, but the following are a good place to begin a personal inventory in preparation for 2009.
- What do you really want in life? Honestly.
- Where are you on the pathway of spiritual growth and development?
- How will you know if you make progress this next year? What specific, measurable goals will let you know whether you succeed or fail?
- What are your two greatest strengths?
- What are your two greatest weaknesses?
- What will you do this next year to address those weaknesses?
Our text this morning was Philippians 3:4-14, a pretty good summary of the lessons we have been learning. From this text I gave you three suggestions to achieve God’s plan for your life.
- Know who you are and where you are on the pathway of spiritual growth and development.
- Know your mission, why you were placed on this planet. Have a purpose beyond graduating, getting a job, having a family and being comfortable.
- Stay focused on your purpose and mission. Or, as Paul said, “this one thing I do.” Find what you are good at and do it! If you have no idea of your mission, you’ll be pulled apart by the many demands, temptations and opportunities that come along, both good and bad.
In closing, I shared with you something I got from Erwin Lutzer, how a young African some years ago was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ. Shortly after his death, they discovered something he had written and left behind in his room. Several of you asked me to send this to you, but it will be easier just to put it right here. (Thanks for the idea, Stephanie!)
I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made — I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ — I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure — I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.
My face is set , my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.
I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me and when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.
Find Your Star and Follow It
Matthew tells us of the wise men who saw the Messiah’s star in the east and came to Jerusalem seeking to worship him. After their journey of what would have been at least a couple of months, not counting preparation time, they saw the star again and were led of God to Bethlehem where they found the young infant Jesus and his parents.
This time of year always surfaces speculation as to what this star really was. I’ve never hesitated to offer my own theories. Speculation about something of this magnitude can be fun! While I am convinced that the biblical account is absolutely true and accurate, I must honestly admit that no one really knows what that star was. Not even me!
Was it a comet? an exploding super nova? a conjunction of planets? an astrological sign? an angel, since they are sometimes symbolized by stars in the Bible? Those are but a few of the ideas, and a case can be made for most of them to varying degrees. Whatever that star may have been, here are some things we know for certain:
- God wants to communicate with mankind and reveal the amazing fact of the Incarnation. God does not hide his truth; he reveals it to those who believe. Whatever the star was and however it worked, God initiated the communication.
- God uses scripture to communicate his truth. The magi, or wise men, were from the area we know today as Iran and Iraq. In all probability there were followers of Zoroaster and heavily influenced by the biblical Daniel. They probably were familiar with large sections of what we know as the Old Testament and could possibly had access to most of it, if not all. In scripture (Numbers 24:17?) they learned of some sort of celestial phenomenon associated with the Messiah.
- Whatever the star was, God gave them the sign they sought. The sign did not contradict scripture but rather fulfilled it. God wants to communicate with us! Something out-of-the-ordinary caught their attention, captured their imagination and compelled them to make a long, expensive journey to worship the newborn king.
You love God, are a follower of Jesus Christ and familiar with the Bible. That’s good. But what is God saying to you through the scripture? You can be sure he’s speaking! If you look closely and believe, God will give you a star – whatever that is. Move out! Follow your star wherever God would lead you. It may be to translate God’s Word into a language where it does not exist. Maybe your star will lead you to reach out to immigrants struggling to find their way in a new culture and you will show them Jesus. Who knows where your star will lead you!
Merry Christmas!
May Each of Your Days be Fresh!
Learning can take place anywhere at any time and in any way. This morning I visited my doctor to get some test results (all good!) and we got to talking about things beyond medicine. My doc is a great guy and a dedicated student of Jesus. His widowed father lives with him and, after suffering a stroke a few years back, has lost some aspects of his memory. The subject arose as the doc complained that his father must have made him decaf coffee this morning and he was suffering the absence of caffeine, struggling to wake up. To keep his father occupied, they have assigned him basic chores such as getting the paper, the mail and making the coffee.
The conversation continued with interesting insight into adjusting to learning to care for his father in this diminished mental capacity. As a child he remembers how he and his father loved to watch classic movies together. Recently, he discovered that his father had recorded a collection of some of the films he loved the most. Sitting dad down on the couch, he loaded up one of his all-time favorites. His father was absolutely absorbed in the movie and was seeing it as though for the first time, even though he had seen it countless times. He continually looked over to his son and squealed with youthful excitement what a wonderful movie it was and how much he was enjoying it.The doc learned that all he has to do to bless his father and make him happy is to load up a classic movie. Dad loves them all as though he were seeing it for the first time.
What an approach to life! If only we could see each day with the same freshness! What if we knew this coming year was to be our last? How would we relish and cherish each day and every experience? Isn’t this what we should be doing anyway?
Perhaps the finances are not what you would want them to be this Christmas, but how about living Christmas this year with the fresh expectation of a child? What about savoring this season as though it were the first or the last? What about entering the new year with this same sense of excited freshness at each new day?
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Musings on Mentors
Mentors are hot. The word “mentor” is freely tossed about with much being said and written about being a mentor. Mentors are trendy, and trendiness often makes me uneasy. I really don’t have much interest in reading the latest, greatest book on mentors or mentoring. I do, though, think often about what it means to be a mentor.
Mentors are nothing new and are all over the Bible. The ancient system of the mentor and his apprentices is what we often call discipleship. The relationship of Jesus and his Twelve Apostles is the classic example that comes to mind, but we could talk about Paul with Timothy and Titus, Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha and many others. Through the centuries there has been a close relationship between mentor and apprentices, and the mentor teaches as much through his life as through his teachings.
I have had several meetings this week with other ministers as part of ongoing relationships that could perhaps loosely be classified as a mentor-like association. These are men that have known me for an extended period, have observed me in all sorts of circumstances, have heard me teach repeatedly and with whom I have spoken on numerous occasions. I guess I have reached that stage of life and ministry where I have made enough mistakes and been around long enough that others seek me out to see what they can learn. While both humbling and frightening for the responsibility, I sincerely welcome the opportunity to have a positive influence in others and to be a pastor to pastors.
In Western civilization, the temptation is to develop a curriculum with slick notebooks, programed systems, assignments and accountability to facilitate mentoring. I believe in systematic teaching, but I’m not sure that this is what mentoring is all about. I’m not even sure I can succinctly define what it is. Education, classrooms, curriculum and courses are extremely important. They are foundational for life, development and even form a foundation for mentoring. Mentoring moves a bit beyond education.
In no particular order, here are some late night thoughts on the subject of mentors and their pupils. Maybe you will have some thoughts of your own to add.
- Mentoring is a relationship, not a program or curriculum. There must be an ongoing relationship in order for mentoring to take place. This is not necessarily a weekly or monthly meeting, but simply a relationship that is open, honest, instructive, edifying, loving and trusting.
- The relationship of mentoring must take place in the real-time laboratory of life where the students learn as much by observation as by lecture, where spontaneous events of life are tackled, problem solving is modeled and where students can enter into dialogue.
- A great part of mentoring is listening carefully so as to know how to have the greatest impact with the fewest words when responding.
- Part of mentoring is being a mirror – helping the disciple to see personal strengths and weaknesses.
- Part of mentoring is stretching students to think new thoughts, develop new and more mature attitudes, to polish character and patch moral foundations, to make students squirm, sweat and wrestle with difficult questions.
- Mentors are wise to not give out all the information and answers, but to nudge students along the right pathways where some of life’s greatest lessons are learned more by the joy of discovery than by taking notes and prepping for an exam.
- Mentors are heavy on coaching, very light on controlling.
Looking back over my life, I can very clearly single out seven men who have been mentors to me to varying degrees and at various seasons of life. How about you? Can you identify your mentors? Have you reached the stage in life where you are now mentoring others? Any wisdom to add to the very basic and simple observations above? What does it mean to mentor, or to be a mentor?