Archive for the ‘Bible Study’ Category

Forgotten Virtues: week 1 (Honor)

Posted: January 2, 2012 in Bible Study, Character & Virtues
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Every now and then, we’ll catch a movie that grips our hearts and brings a tear to our eye. Yes, chick flicks can do that (for some of us), but the type of movie I’m talking about are the ones that are laden with HONOR.

Saving Private Ryan, The Last Samurai, Braveheart…to name a few. These are classics and grip our attention and hearts because the heroes of these films possess one common character trait – HONOR.

This week, we’ll be starting a new series on virtues that we, as a culture, have begun to neglect. HONOR is one of them. I hope you’ll join us this week at Frederick Lifegroup as we explore the lost virtue of Honor, and how we can get that back in our families, work places, and lives.

DO YOU HEAR A ROOSTER? Lifegroup Bible Study

Posted: June 30, 2010 in Bible Study, Faith
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Do you truly buy into the things that you say you believe?

None of us would “deny” Christ in this day and age (at least not the same way Peter did) – Jesus is too popular a figure in our culture. But what does our life say? Are we denying Him that way? Are we holding back from joining conversations about faith because we don’t want people to find out we are a christian? After all, if they did find out, that would mean having to live a higher standard than the rest of them, and that just doesn’t sound appealing, does it? Are we denying Christ every time we start ranting and raving in our car, flicking the occasional bird? Or how about when we go out for a night out at bars and clubs? Are we denying Him then? How about our romantic relationships? Do they look any different than someone who is a non-christian? Hmmm…

Are we ashamed of our faith?

You might be thinking, “Hey, that’s not a fair statement. I’m not ashamed, but I just don’t think I have to be that radical to call myself a believer. After all, look at Peter. He denied Christ three times! AND he was one of Jesus’ closest friends.”

But if you take a look at Peter’s response, he repents and breaks down almost immediately.

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept. – Mark 14:72

What’s the key to being unashamed of our faith in Christ? Paul gives us an answer as he writes in prison after having been persecuted for his faith in 2 Timothy 1:12:

“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day”

The key is:

1) you must KNOW Christ…not just know of him.
2) you must believe in Him.

Did you catch that? Paul was not ashamed because he KNOWS who he has BELIEVED in.

Do you think Paul would have proclaimed Christ as his Lord and Savior if he wasn’t completely sold out for Him? Did Paul think his faith was worth going to prison for? Uh…apparently.

But that’s Paul, he’s a super christian. He’s nothing like the rest of us.

Is that what you’re thinking? Well let’s take a look at the secular world. If you stop to think about it, people proclaim some crazy things – The Lock Ness Monster, Big Foot, UFO’s and Aliens, Evolution…because they actually believe it. No one is going to proclaim something they don’t believe, unless of course you are a liar.

If you aren’t proclaiming Christ in your life (through your words AND actions), maybe it’s because you are ashamed. And if you are ashamed, maybe you don’t believe in Him to begin with.

-Nathan Fitzgerald

“Fake it till you make it” – don’t just fake it

Posted: May 12, 2010 in Bible Study, Childhood stories, Life Happens, Videos, What would Jesus do?
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College was a unique experience, or depending on who you’re asking, maybe not so “unique”.

The transition from high school to college was a big one. I went from being a big fish in a small pond, to being a small fish in a big pond. I was no longer one of the smart kids at school. I had become “average” overnight. I received my first “F” on an exam in the history of my educational career, and received my first “C” and eventually “D” for a class, which was a HUGE blow to my confidence. And all of that was happening while studying harder than I had ever studied IN MY LIFE.

From an athletic standpoint, despite my being labeled as the #1 recruit for Bucknell’s soccer team, I found myself sitting on the bench faster than I could lace up my cleats. The athletes were bigger, faster, and meaner than I had ever seen. Division I was no joke. I didn’t know people could shoot so hard.

And then there was the social scene…

High school was great. I made First Team All-State despite Frederick High School’s notoriety for being brawlers, not soccer players. I was in the top 10% of our class academically, taking AP classes galore. I was in tight with our principal, and had plenty of attention from a popularity standpoint. To illustrate the point, for homecoming my junior year in high school, I found myself in a situation where my best friend and I were interested in the same girl.  Unbeknownst to each other’s proposals, we had both asked her to the dance. It was only a matter of time before we found out of each other’s mutual interest in her, and when she was slow to make a decision on who she was going to choose, we decided to drop her, and instead take four of the hottest girls we could find as our dates. We succeeded.

But when I got to Bucknell, that whole landscape had changed.

I was a nobody.

I had to rediscover myself all over again. For some people, this was a blessing. For me, it was a curse. For those who were a nobody in high school, they had the opportunity to become somebody because they had a clean slate. But for me, I had to reprove myself all over again. And my entire freshman year was about reproving myself to others, as well as to myself.

Then I had my big break. One day, my RA (resident assistant) came up to me and personally invited me to a big party his fraternity was hosting. It was one of their biggest parties of the year – Hawaiian Night. And this wasn’t just any fraternity…this was THE fraternity, and they had a reputation for having the best parties with the hottest chicks. Anybody who was somebody got invited to their events. I quickly called up my buddies from the soccer team to see if they had been invited as well. A few of them had.

The night of the party, we all got ready together while listening to music in our dorm rooms. We were excited and nervous at the same time – it was a rush.

You could hear the life of the party as we neared the fraternity house. The line was long, but we waited with anticipation as we heard the pounding woofers blaring from the house. And as we got closer and closer to the doorstep, we could feel our hearts pounding out of our shirts in sync with the beat.

Get out!

You’re not on the F’in list!

We all looked up with bewilderment as we watched a group of guys getting denied at the door. Ryan, Rob, and I looked at each other in terror as we watched several fraternity brothers crowd around as bouncers, practically pushing the kids off of the porch.

Would we be on the list? Of course we would…we were personally invited by Justin who was secretary of the house. But what if we weren’t? The three of us started to panic.

What’s your name?

One by one, the three of us gave our names as we watched intensely as he scanned down his tablet of sacred names, hoping to have our name scratched off the list. He flipped the page…still no sign of our names. He flipped another page…still no names. And when he reached the end of the list, he looked up and said politely,

Sorry guys. You’re not on the list. We don’t know you.

In a last ditch effort to reclaim our night, we protested by explaining how we were invited by Justin. “He’s my RA!”. It didn’t matter though. The list was the list, and they didn’t make exceptions (at least not for freshmen guys).

Having witnessed the scene moments before, we decided to leave quickly and quietly. We didn’t want to make matters worse than they already were. So we kicked rocks as we walked back to our dorms, venting and vowing that we would never be like that one day – JERKS!

But as I read Matthew 7:21-23 and prepared our Lifegroup for this study, I couldn’t help but think about my experience in college.

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!'”

– Matthew 7:21-23

I can just see myself now…

“but God…I led a Lifegroup for years, and I volunteered all the time for our church. I attended every church service I could attend…and I even raised my hands when I worshiped. Anyone will tell you, I have a great reputation – they know I love you. They’ve even told me how inspired they were by my passion for you…Remember? I was even on the big screen promoting Axis Young Adults for our church during Easter weekend! How can you say you don’t know me?”

It’s a scary thought…to get to the door of eternal life and find out you’re not on the list. It’s scary to think that I could be that guy who thought he was on the list, but God will say

I never knew you.

Away from me, you evildoers!

That’s the christian way of saying, “Get off of my F’in porch!”

Ouch!

Tuesday night’s message was a good reminder that we shouldn’t get too comfortable in thinking we are good to go.

In a message to the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6), they are reminded and warned of the consequences for faking their faith. They may have started out on fire and passionate…and that’s probably where they developed a “reputation of being alive”; but the reality was that they were actually dead in their faith.

This week, I came across this video by Francis Chan, and it was hilariously yet frighteningly on point with how we view ourselves and our calling in life. Is it possible that this group of people is who God was talking to when He said “you are dead”?

Are these “Christians” faking it? Do you or I ever “fake” our Christianity?

Consider this – there are times when we have to fake it. For example, we may not “feel” like worshiping God one day, so we don’t want to raise our hands in worship. Do it anyway. We may not “feel” like praying for weeks at a time. Do it anyway. We may not want to serve and help others in need. Do it anyway.

Fake it till you make it.

The statement doesn’t just read, “Fake it”…there’s a second half of that statement that is vital…”till you make it”. Being authentic in your faith doesn’t mean that you don’t do things you don’t feel like doing…it often means that you do.

Watch out for weeds

Posted: May 6, 2010 in Bible Study, Life Happens, Relationships
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Do you ever feel like your life is spinning out of control and God can’t get there quick enough to save the day? Ever wonder why God hasn’t shown up yet, or wonder if He is even planning to show up?

I’m starting to shift my thinking. That is how I used to feel but now I’m really beginning to appreciate how God works. His timing is perfect!

… If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
Habakkuk 2:3

GOD is so on point!

This week’s Lifegroup was a testament to that fact. It was a breakthrough night for the United Nations Frederick.

You see, for a while now, I’ve been feeling that we’ve reached a bit of a plateau, so I started taking a deeper look into our group. When I started doing that, I started sensing that we haven’t been paying much attention to our own “gardens” lately, but I didn’t know how to address that to the group. Do I tackle it head on? Do I run the risk of offending people by showing them what I see? Do I let it go and just hope the problems go away? I didn’t know what to do.

Then, God answered my prayer by speaking through pastor Dale’s message this past weekend. He talked about identifying weeds in our life that will ultimately choke out our plant from being fruitful (Mark 4:7). It was the confirmation I needed to move forward, and it gave me a framework to address this issue AGGRESSIVELY, just like we should be aggressive about pulling weeds from our gardens. I don’t believe it was a coincidence that the “Watch out for weeds” sermon came at the time that it did.

We were in desperate need of gardening.

God used Tuesday night to speak to us individually about the weeds in our lives. Here are the weeds that people identified:

  • Self-righteousness (“I have a hard time seeing other people’s point of view…”)
  • Self-centeredness (“I like to do things MY way…”)
  • Pride (“I’m not going to be the one to apologize…”)
  • Resentment (“I can’t believe they haven’t reached out. And why did they do that? And then…”)
  • Anger (“I’m not even going to listen to you anymore. In fact, I might just leave”)
  • Fear/worry (“It prevents me from doing things”)
  • Complacency (“I find myself saying I’m going to do it, but then it doesn’t get done”)
  • Stubborness (“I just can’t do that unless they meet me halfway”)
  • Busy-ness (“I find myself making excuses (even if they are legitimate) for not doing certain things”)
  • Gossip (“I find satisfaction in knowing that I have information other people don’t have”)
  • Lip service (“I call myself a christian, but then I curse a lot when I’m around my co-workers”)
  • Lust (“It’s a constant battle for me to keep my thoughts pure and to fight from feeding my eyes”)

Then we took that a step further, and we talked about the weeds that are growing in our “Lifegroup garden”. Has our Lifegroup (plant) been choking and has its ability to bear fruit been affected as a results of weeds that have been growing in our garden?

Our group was quick to identify a prevalent weed:

Cliques

It’s ironic, because this is the one “weed” that our group had prided ourselves on not having. What initially drew people to our group was our warmth, our openness, and our welcoming atmosphere. But somehow, over time, we have become a clique. Even within our own group, cliques have formed.

It just goes to show that in the same way that weeds grow fast in a real garden, and it’s a constant process of keeping your garden free of weeds, we must constantly assess our spiritual health by pulling weeds from our life, even if we think we don’t have them. We almost always do – sometimes even the same types of weeds we’ve pulled before.

It was an intense night for us all. We were all convicted on some level. But as we identified and confessed our weeds to each other, burdens were lifted, hearts were softened, and love prevailed. There is no doubt that God’s presence was felt that night.

Praise God for intervening and convicting us ALL and softening our hearts to hear His message.

Think your garden is weed free?

Think twice. Those things grow faster than you think…and they are more destructive than you could imagine. What weeds do you have in your life?

Lifegroup Bible Study: HOW TO TAP INTO GOD’S PEACE

Posted: February 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Relationships, Trust
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Have you ever been in a state of panic?

I’m not talking about the type of panic that you experience when you’re trying to figure out what to wear on your date. I’m talking about true panic…the kind that literally paralyzes you (or causes you to behave in a way you’ve never behaved before). I’m talking about the kind of panic that has you staring at death (as you see it).

With that said, I’m going to be 32 yrs old this week, and I’m staring death in the face!

Ok, that’s being dramatic, and I’m totally kidding (about me staring death in the face), but I do recall a time several years ago where I literally thought I was going to die.

I was off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and had just jumped into the water with flippers, goggles, and snorkel gear in tact. My world was practically in mute, except for the deafening muffled sound of my suppressed breathing. I was Darth Vader. I had never snorkeled in my life, and here I was, abandoned by my friends and family and immersed in a foreign world.

To my right was the boat. Within ten feet of me was an idling propeller, keeping the boat from drifting into the cliff nearby. I kept envisioning getting sucked under the propeller and becoming bait. To my left was a coral cliff, with waves crashing into it like a round of punches from the Russian boxer, Ivan Drago in the movie Rocky IV. Beneath me was a world of creatures I’ve never met in person before. For all I knew, sharks and Piranhas were waiting for my tasty dangling feet (yes, I know that Piranhas are freshwater fish, but when you’re panicking, all logic is out the door). And then there was the plastic contraption in my mouth that was force feeding me filthy, feces infested salted water, taunting me with thoughts of death by drowning.

Did I mention I’m not a good swimmer? And no, I did NOT have a life vest on. My girlfriend at the time was a former Division I swimmer that had been olympic bound. I wasn’t about to humiliate myself that way too.

Well, this must have been the sort of panic that was robbing the peace of the Israelites as they were sandwiched between an army of Egyptians and a large body of water. They had no where to go, and they were facing imminent death (or slavery).

So, what was their reaction?

In Exodus 14:11, you’ll see that they turned on their leader, Moses. After all, they were terrified.They had plenty to say:

Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!

Do you think they were panicked? Do you think they feared for their lives?

Now, let’s look at this from Moses’ perspective. How must he have been feeling? Well, its speculated that there were approximately 2-3 million Israelites that followed him out of Egypt…so you tell me. Would you have been scared if even 100 people wanted to kill you? Moses had many more angry and terrified people regretting their decision to follow him.

But this was his response:

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Seriously? That was Moses’ response? Have you ever told someone who was panicking for their life to stop panicking and to be still? That’s not going to help you if you’re trying to save a drowning person, so what gave him confidence to say this to them?

WHY WAS MOSES AT PEACE?

If you read Exodus 14, you’ll notice a few things.

  1. God didn’t tell the Israelites His plan. He only told Moses.
  2. God didn’t reveal every detail of His plan, but He did give him a promise.
  3. God instructed Moses to do something crazy (verses 2-4)
  4. Moses Obeyed

Isn’t that interesting? God didn’t tell the Israelites what He told Moses. Why do you think that is?

I don’t know much about those Israelites (and neither do we), but we know a lot more about Moses and his character. We know that he loved God. We also know that he was tight with God. They were homeboys. They had a bond. And when you have a relationship that strong, you become privy to knowledge that someone “outside the circle” won’t know, and that brings peace of mind.

So what can we learn from this?

THERE ARE (4) KEY ELEMENTS TO GETTING PEACE IN OUR LIVES

  1. The stronger our RELATIONSHIP with God, the greater the peace we experience in our lives. (see Ephesians 2:12-16, Psalm 29:11)
  2. You can’t have a relationship without communication. If we are going to communicate with God, we must PRAY. (see Phillippians 4:4-9)
  3. A relationship without TRUST has no peace. (see Isaiah 26:3)
  4. We must OBEY God if we want peace in our lives. (see Isaiah 57:2, Psalm 85:8)

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

Remember, God spoke to Moses because he had a close relationship with him. If you’re not hearing God’s whispers, maybe your not that tight with Him. Moses was always communicating with God. And over time, as that relationship grew, Moses gained trust in God’s word, power, and character.

But keep in mind, God didn’t give Moses the play-by-play. He didn’t tell Moses HOW he was going to save them, He just said he would save them. It ultimately required Moses to step out in faith and obey God in order to see God’s promise realized.

Wanting God’s peace in your life? Are you finding that you exhibit more characteristics of an Israelite in times of panic? Or are you like Moses? Focus on your relationship with God by praying, trusting, and obeying Him, then you’ll experience God’s peace in your life.

Lifegroup Bible Study: HOW TO TAP INTO GOD’S POWER

Posted: February 1, 2010 in Bible Study
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Several years ago, I was really into poker. And when I say I was really into poker, I WAS REALLY INTO POKER.

I would drive to DC on a Friday night and hang out at my friend Ben’s house, sitting around a table and shuffling cards with four other guys while watching reruns of the World Poker Tournament (WPT) in the background.

The more we played, the more we were hooked, and eventually we had to experience the real thing. So we made a trek to AC (Atlantic City).

Some people love the atmosphere…the pinging and zinging of slot machines in the background, the cheesy outfits, the smell of burning pockets.

Me? I’ve always loved the feel of the felt tables. The way the chips make a faint dull thud when they land in front of you. The way you can press your fingers under the cards to lift them up just high enough to peak at the surprise underneath. Would it be Ace / King or Deuce / Seven? Pocket Rockets or a same suit set?

So when we came back from our AC adventure (I lost $300), I made it my mission to make a poker table. I wanted to bring that experience home. Sure I could have bought one online for $150, but what was the fun in that? I’ve always enjoyed being a creator and I usually appreciate a good challenge. And since I was without a job and heading for prison, I welcomed the distraction. I figured it would take my mind off of things.

So the first thing I did was plan. I went to a local billiards supply store and scoped out the high end poker tables. I obviously couldn’t afford a $2,000 poker table, but I figured that I might be able to pick up a few tips just by observing what was out there.

But this poker table had to be transportable and it had to be able to fit into my trunk. Getting the guys to drive to Frederick from DC would have never happened on a regular basis, so I knew I needed to bring the table to them. So when I got home, I began drawing up some plans, and using techniques from my internship at an architectural firm from when I was in High School. My schematics produced a solid wood, folding, transportable poker table with a padded felt surface. A one-of-a-kind poker table that couldn’t be bought in any store.

I looked around the garage and searched for any tools that I thought might be applicable for the project. I found a table saw, jig saw and power drill. As far as I knew, I had everything I needed to get this project under way.

I was anxious to get started. I couldn’t wait to make my first cut. Surprisingly, it didn’t take me very long. The actual construction of the poker table only took me about seven hours to build. But if I didn’t have the right tools in my garage, if I didn’t know how to use them properly, and if I didn’t possess the initiative to follow through and actually build that poker table, it would never have happened.

So this week, as I was preparing for our bible study for lifegroup, I was thinking about the lives of its members, and the challenges we were all facing. Many of us are facing addictions of sorts – things that we want to change but can’t seem to make happen. For some of us it’s pornography or lust, or impatience and irritability towards others. Some of us are struggling with trusting others because of the betrayals that we’ve experienced from people that were close to us, and others have been struggling with trusting in God’s perfect timing for things in our lives. The bottom line is that we each recognized that we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and we all have a need for tapping into God’s power to create something beautiful.

Ever notice how we are well intentioned and talk a lot about change? We talk a lot about becoming someone or something, and yet it rarely ever happens. We go to conferences, we read self-help books, and we are told to get rid of bad habits, to stop thinking and being negative. And sometimes, we have the will power to break out of these cycles for a short time, but usually we just fall right back into our mold. Our projects never quite get off the ground. They remain in the planning stages of our minds. Sometimes we get motivated enough to even gather the supplies and begin the project, but we don’t finish them because we get exhausted with the process.

So what does it take? How do we change?

I thought about the process of building a poker table and began to think that it’s not all that different from how we should go about changing our lives. There are practical steps you need to take to building a poker table, and similarly, there are (6) practical steps (required steps) to building a life that is pleasing to God.

1) YOU NEED A PLAN:  You need to know what you’re building before you start a project. Spiritually speaking, the Bible is our blueprint for how we should live our lives. It shows us what we should be working towards, and gives us hope that change is possible. Psalm 119:105 tells us that “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

2) IDENTIFY WHAT TOOLS YOU’RE GOING TO USE – You need to ask yourself,

What resources has God placed in my life?

God has given each of us gifts. He has equipped us with the necessary tools (1 Corinthians 1:7). So it’s not a question of whether we have enough tools available to us to make necessary changes in our lives.  The Bible says that we’re not lacking any.

3) KNOW HOW TO USE THE TOOL: read the manual (the Bible). Be honest with yourself. How are you using the “tools” that God has given you? For his glory? Or for yours? If it’s for yours, it’s not being used as intended, which means that it won’t be as effective. Think of it this way. If you had a jig saw, and you were using it to cut wood, how effective would that tool be if it wasn’t plugged into the electrical socket? Are you using that tool correctly if you don’t plug it in? 1 Peter 4:10 says that “each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

How do I know how to use the tools that God has given me?

Just ask. Yeah, it’s that simple. Read the manual (the Bible), and ask God how He wants you to use the tools He has given you. James 1:5 says that “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

4) PLUG THE POWER TOOL INTO ITS SOURCE: A tool is virtually worthless without a power source (you can’t do it in your own strength…you need the Holy Spirit. Imagine using a power drill, jig saw, or table saw, but without electricity).

What is the power source we should be plugging into in order to use our tools more effectively?

Philippians 4:13 says that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (see also Colossians 1:15-17). And Romans 8:1-2 says “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

How do we we know that there is power in Jesus Christ?

Just take a look at the the sick woman who touched Jesus’ robe (Mark 5:21-34). Jesus instantly notices and says, “someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46). Interesting choice of words, “power has gone out from me”. Sounds kind of like an electrical socket to me.

5) USE THE TOOL – It’s one thing to acknowledge the power, it’s another to have faith and put it into action. I wouldn’t have gotten very far if I hadn’t actually picked up the jig saw or drill and started cutting away. I could have acknowledge that those tools would get the job done, all day long, but if I hadn’t taken action to use them, there would be no poker table built by me. Similarly, the sick woman not only acknowledged the power of Jesus, she believed. Then she took that belief and put it to action. If she never took action, she would never have been healed.

Scripture tells us that it’s not enough to believe. Even the demons believe (James 2:19). And it was Jairus’ belief in Jesus’ power and his action to pursue Christ for help that healed his sick daughter (Luke 8:40-42; 49-55)

6) PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Do you think that a carpenter becomes great at his craft after his first project in his career? No way! It takes many years of practice and repetition to build beautifully crafted objects (unless, of course, you are me, and you build a beautiful poker table on your first try). Similarly, we shouldn’t get disappointed and discouraged when we don’t change overnight. In fact, you should expect scars and injuries along the way.

The important thing to remember is that with God’s power, change is made. We are reminded in Colossians 1:29 “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” and that “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

We will become tired and weak, but “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)

So here’s a final question that I’d like to see you answer on this blog.

What would happen if you 1) had a plan, 2) identified what tools you had, 3) knew how to use those tools, 4) used those tools, and 5) practiced, BUT didn’t plug those tools into the power source? Do you think you would be able to complete your project?


Lifegroup Bible Study: THE NECESSITY OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Posted: November 25, 2009 in Bible Study
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We had a great group meeting last night. Three members from the Damascus group came (Alex, Justin, and John) due to a last minute cancellation. It worked out great for us because they balanced out our guy to girl ratio.

We discussed The Necessity of Spiritual Growth, and addressed such questions like:

  • How have you grown over the past 1-2 yrs?
  • How can you tell?
  • Where do you still need to grow?
  • What does a “mature” christian look like?
  • What are consequences for refusing to grow?

If you think about it, baby’s are cute with their little bibs, but a 20-something year old, wearing a bib with food all over his face is anything BUT cute. Much like a baby grows in Height, Weight, and Appearance, we should be growing similarly in our spiritual life. How?

As we get taller, we have a different perspective. Spiritually, we should be getting “taller” and getting different (and better) perspectives as God’s Will is revealed in our lives.

As we gain weight, we get stronger. Big strong muscular people are heavier than small, thin, weak people. In the same way, we should be putting on healthy spiritual weight (knowledge in the Word, strength in numbers with christian fellowship, etc.) to help us combat the enemy.

We literally change in our appearance as we mature. We become more shapely, grow hair, and develop style and personality. Ever notice how we’ve received comments from distant relatives about how much we’ve “blossomed” or “grown”? Similarly, there should be a noticeable difference in our appearance as Christians. There’s value to consistency in some things, but we should not look the same from year to year spiritually. People should be able to notice how you’ve changed for the better over time.

Check yourself. If you’re not GROWING, are you becoming that disgusting guy with a bib, talking baby talk and pooping your pants?

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:11-16

(Contact me if you’d like a .pdf of the handout for this bible study.)

Birds of a feather…

Posted: September 15, 2009 in Bible Study, Childhood stories
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Birds of a feather

Oswald Chambers Daily Devotion (My Utmost for His Highest) – September 11

Watch the kind of people God brings around you, and you will be humiliated to find that this is His way of revealing to you the kind of person you have been to Him. – Oswald Chambers

Wow! This is the statement that popped out at me when I read this devotion the other day. I thought to myself, “really? This is how I’ve been to Him?”

Then I got distracted and made it about me. My mind quickly went to all the people who had ever disappointed me. The list is just too long.

If you’ve spent any length of time getting to know people, you WILL be disappointed. And, maybe “disappointed” is the wrong word. Maybe you have flat out been hurt by a friend. Maybe they’ve betrayed you in some way. Maybe they turned their back on you, or lashed out against you in a way that even your worst enemies wouldn’t have considered. Just ask someone who’s recently broken up from a relationship, or a parent who’s child wants nothing to do with them, or a grown adult who was molested by a close family member at a young age. Ask them if they’ve been disappointed by the people in their life. Ask them if they’ve been hurt by someone close to them…by someone that they loved.

I thought about the people I’ve surrounded myself with over the years.

Birds of a feather, flock together

Birds of a feather, flock together (I took this photo in the Outer Banks in '07)

Ever heard of the expression, “birds of a feather, flock together”? This is what came to mind when I read this quote by Oswald Chambers. And although I used to hear this expression as a kid, it never really resonated with me until recently. My mother used to stress how important it was to have good friends…and the reason, of course, was so I wouldn’t be negatively influenced by the kids around me. But what did I care? All I wanted was to have fun, go to the mall with them, spend the night and watch movies, play video games, and meet girls. I wanted to hang out with the people that I liked – not the people my mom or dad liked. They weren’t the ones hanging out with them, I was.
My 11th Birthday - Don't let the smile fool you...it was my nightmare year of middle school.

My 11th Birthday - Don't let the smile fool you...it was my nightmare year of middle school.

My sixth grade year was perhaps the hardest year for me – socially speaking. It was a year of dichotomous proportions. I was going through puberty. My voice was changing and I was breaking out with the nastiest zits in the world. Well maybe not the nastiest. Although it seemed I was ahead of the curve in this regard, I remember another guy who was going through this change too…but he was even more progressive than I was. This was a good thing for me because that took the attention off of me…but I still got my share of ridicule.

Despite these physical changes, I was still a relatively popular kid. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t the #1 or #2 most popular boy…but I was definitely in the top 10. I know this for a fact because that was the year that the Top 10 popularity survey went around school. There was one for each grade, and that year, being determined by the cutest, most popular girls in our class, I made the list!

So it should’ve been a good year for me – but it wasn’t. The reason it has been forever etched in my mind as the worst year of my social career is because I never knew what the day would bring. For example, one day during first period, it was smooth sailing. Kali, the cute gymnast in our class, passed me a note, asking me if I wanted to be her girlfriend.

6th Grade note

(YES PLEASE). But by sixth period, Social Studies, I was the focal point of jokes by my “best friends” (#1, #2, and #5) who decided that talking in asian voices with their eyes stretched to a slant was hilarious. I put on a brave face and retorted with comments like, “that’s not even funny guys”, or “you guys are stupid, can’t you come up with something original?”, but if they could’ve seen what I was thinking, they would have seen a little boy who wanted to run home and cry in his closet.

Oh, and that note from the cute girl, asking me to go out with her? That was part of the joke too. It was all part of a grander scheme to ridicule me and make me look stupid.

Mission accomplished.

Finding out that bit of information was enough to make me want to transfer schools. Ironically, I ended up dating her in 9th and 11th grades just a few years later, and she was the first girl I ever kissed. And judging by her technique, I was her first kiss too.

Me at 11 yrs old in DC with the family

Me at 11 yrs old in DC with the family

When I stop to think about how those “friends” treated me in sixth grade, it actually brings back feelings of shame, embarrassment, hurt, and anger. They were cruel. The thing that gets me is why did I choose to call them my friends? Why did I choose to be around them over another group of friends who would’ve respected me and esteemed me? It’s sad, even at a young age, I valued fame, power, and popularity over what I knew to be the best for me in my life. Where does that come from?

But the point is, people are cruel and mean. They act out of cowardice and fear. Those boys didn’t want to be the center of negative attention, so what they did is found people around them to make fun of, so that the attention would be diverted off of them. Maybe they had older brothers who treated them this way (actually I know for a fact that they did), and so they were simply a product of their own environments, perpetuating a negative behavior to take out their own frustrations. There are tons of other motivators and triggers for the reasons why we treat people poorly, but the fact of the matter is, we’ve all done it in some fashion or another.

It’s easy to recall the hurt that’s been done to you, but it’s not as easy to remember the pain we’ve brought on others – mostly because we’re not on that end of things. We can’t know the pain we’ve caused someone else because we’re not the ones experiencing it.

Have you ever stopped to think about how we’ved done this to Jesus? We’ve “broken up” with Him, we’ve turned our backs on Him, we’ve mocked Him, and worse. We’ve done the unthinkable to our Lord and Savior, and often don’t think twice about it. If we lived in Jesus’ day, there’s a good chance that most of us would have been the ones spitting in His face and shouting “Crucify Him!” as He dragged the cross to His impending death.

What kind of people are you being surrounded by? Is it a reflection of who you are? If they aren’t quality people, why are you choosing to be around them? If you don’t like what you see, consider how their attitudes and behaviors might mirror your own behaviors to your close and personal friend, Christ.

Stay away from a foolish man,
for you will not find knowledge on his lips. – Proverbs 14:7

He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm. – Proverbs 13:20

A Fresh Pot of Coffee

Posted: September 4, 2009 in Bible Study, epiphanies
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Looks good right? You just going to let it sit there?

Looks good right? You just going to let it sit there?

I didn’t have much time for a QT (quiet time) yesterday morning. In fact, I had exactly 7 minutes to pray, read scripture, get through reading a devotion, and allow those thoughts to simmer in my mind. NOT ENOUGH TIME.

I went over 7 minutes. In fact, I didn’t get to work when I wanted to. I did my QT in 15 minutes. Still not enough time…(That’s a whole other topic and worthy of discussion) BUT, God did tell me something that morning.

In 2 Samuel 23:16, David pours out some water that he was craving. It had been given to him by fearless men who put their lives at risk just to give him a drink. Why would he do that? He wanted it so badly that his men were willing to put their lives at risk to give him what he wanted. Why, after all of that, would he just pour it out onto the dry, sandy ground? WHY?

16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. – 2 Samuel 23:16

The Message version translates it as follows:
But David wouldn’t drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God, saying, “There is no way, God, that I’ll drink this! This isn’t mere water, it’s their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it!” So David refused to drink it.

King David wanted that water so badly. He was thirsty. He had asked for it. And now he had it. It had been given to him as a gift – and great sacrifice had been made to give it to him. And now he pours it out “before the LORD”? He was obviously making a statement.

An interesting question was raised by Oswald Chambers in my devotion this morning.

“What has been like water from the well of Bethlehem to you recently – love, friendship, spiritual blessing?

I thought about that question for a good minute, and the big blessing that came to the forefront of my mind was my relationship with The Benz. And I had to ask myself…why don’t I identify with David?

The answer: I’ve been satisfying myself through this relationship. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s wrong to enjoy the things that God has given us as blessings…but we must not hoard them for ourselves. Why?

If you have become bitter and sour, it is because when God gave you a blessing you clutched it for yourself…If you are always taking blessings to yourself and never learn to pour out anything unto the Lord, other people do not get their horizon enlarged through you. – Oswald Chambers – My Utmost For His Highest (September 3)

I knew in that moment what I had to do. It’s ok that the Benz and I are loving the time we spend together – in fact, it’s a beautiful thing. But if all we do is keep our blessings to ourselves, how can we expect God to keep pouring into us?

Think of it this way – Have you ever had a full cup of coffee sitting in a room for a week or two? No, of course not right? Who would do such a thing? I’ll tell you who…my sister. Anyway, do you know what happened to that coffee after that length of time? It became cold, bitter, and moldy! I wish I had a picture of what it looked like, but the way she described it was disgusting! But when she first had that cup of coffee, it was a wonderful thing. It was filled with warmth, flavor, and energy.

Is this what you have to offer?

Is this what you have to offer?

Now picture yourself as a coffee pot. From time to time, God will fill you up to the brim with His blessings. We should drink it, savor it, and even share it with others who are craving that ‘coffee’, right? As we pour into others, what happens? Our coffee pot becomes empty, right? That allows God to pour more into us and “make more coffee”. But if we just sit here idle, just enjoying the fact that we have a full pot of coffee (life of blessing), what will happen? It will be wasted, and no one will benefit. Furthermore, we’re not even in a position for God to pour more into us because we have hoarded it for ourselves.

So I’ve decided that the Benz and I need to serve together. I’m not sure yet what specifically we will be doing, but I do know one thing…I don’t want to become bitter, old, moldy coffee. I want to constantly be brewing a fresh pot of blessings from God!

What blessings are you keeping to yourself? What happened to those blessings when you just hoarded them?

A Fork in the road

Posted: August 13, 2009 in Bible Study
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Oswald Chambers’ daily devotion (My Utmost For His Highest) – August 11

As I read 2 Kings 2 this morning, I felt like I was reading this for the very first time. Actually, it may have been the very first time that I’ve actually read this passage. I have certainly heard of the story about Elijah being carried off by chariots to Heaven, but I didn’t recall so many of the details of how it actually played out.

For example, I was sad for Elisha when I saw how he was desperately holding on to his mentor and friend. He was following him everywhere like a puppy because he knew the time was coming for Elijah to leave him. It was as if he didn’t want to let him out of his sight because he wanted every waking moment with him before he left. He didn’t even like it when other prophets reminded him that Elijah was going to be taken from him.

Yes, I know…but do not speak of it.

2 Kings 2:3

It made me think of life, and how we grow so comfortable with familiarity. We enjoy the people in our lives, the jobs or careers that we have, the possessions that we keep…and we will go to great lengths to keep from losing those things. And why wouldn’t we – especially if they are good things? Why would we want to see them gone?

But when I stop to look at my life and consider the times that I’ve grown, it wasn’t in the moments of familiarity or comfort that I grew, it was the times of change where I was met with a challenge of unprecedented proportions that forced me to yield to a fork in the road. Those were the moments where I grew. Those were the times that I became a man.

Take, for instance, my move to Bucknell University. I was scared out of my mind. I didn’t know a single person. And now I had to start all over, make new friends, prove myself all over again. What scared me most was that maybe I wouldn’t deliver this time. Maybe I would have lost my touch. Maybe I had become too comfortable, and was banking too much on the infrastructure and empire that I had built. At that point, I had a choice. I could have transferred out, and run back home to familiar ground, back to where I was comfortable. Or I could face the challenge, and use what I had learned to test my skills, and see if I could do it on my own.

Then, at 25, after I had built my empire of success and familiarity back up, my “Elijah” was taken from me again, and I was stripped of everything I ever had – my money, my career, my girlfriend, my friends, my credibility, my dignity, and my pride. My journey was long and painful. Prison was no joke. And once I got out, I had to start from the beginning.

I admire those who come from third world countries and “make it” in the U.S. I know there are people out there that hate the idea of someone coming from another country and staking their claim in “our home” so to speak…but personally, I admire them. I would imagine that life for them is not all that different than someone coming out of prison. For starters, no one seems to want them around. We look at them as a disease to our society. The way I see it, shame on us. One of the reasons we don’t like the idea of foreigners coming here and taking our jobs is because we just want to continue doing business as usual without any threat for change. What kind of growth would we experience if we were never challenged?

And imagine for a minute, what it must have been like to come from a foreign country, speak little to no english, have barely enough money for the basic necessities of life. What would you be thinking? Many of us would grow depressed and give up at just the thought. Are you the type of person that would embrace that opportunity and move beyond just striving for mediocrity, but rather, for exceptionality? I would venture to say that not many would. If I were to be honest, I would be tempted to say that I would settle for just paying the bills. And yet, somehow, it’s many of these desperate yet exceptional individuals who are the ones that end up making it big. Why? Because they were put to the test, they were challenged, and they were forced to apply what they had learned. We have become far too complacent a society…that’s why many of us don’t succeed.

Elisha was met with this challenge. His master and friend was whisked away, and he was left all alone. He had to prove himself now. He had to “put to the test now what [he] had learned when [he] was with…Elijah.” (Oswald Chambers – My Utmost For His Highest – August 11) And what did he ask for? What did he want? Was he looking to just get by as an average, run of the mill prophet? No way! He asked to inherit a DOUBLE portion of Elijah’s spirit. Boy was he thinking big!

Who is our Elijah in our life? Is there someone that has been doing the thinking for us? Is there someone who has been leading us? Have we become dependent on them? What would happen if they suddenly disappeared? Would your world crumble? Or would you stand up and face the challenge? Maybe your “Elijah” is a lifestyle of comfort or familiarity. What choices would you make (or did you make) if your Elijah was whisked away in the blink of an eye?

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