Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 10
June 12, 2023
037: Jason and Kathy Bergstrom on Raising Nine Kids, Becoming a Family of American Ninja Warriors, and How to Turn Your Home into Ministry
Jason and Kathy Bergstrom insist that competing in American Ninja Warrior was not the hardest thing they have ever done. They are devoted to sharing their faith with others through building a backyard training course, owning a gym, and, last but not least, raising nine kids. Jason and Kathy are dedicated to making their life story all about God’s story.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. This week we are launching a FREE-3 part video series called The Disciple Making for Churches Masterclass.
Hey, I’m Zach Zehnder, and for more than ten years, I’ve challenged and helped more than 1000 churches make greater disciples of Jesus! I’ve taken the best of everything I’ve learned and created a FREE masterclass to help your church make greater disciples.
In this three-part FREE video series, you’ll learn:
Video 1: The Problem with Disciple Making in Churches and the Best First Question to Ask
Video 2: The Number One Mistake to Avoid in Making Disciples
Video 3: The Top FAQs to Help Churches Make Disciples
Ultimately, by participating in this FREE video series, you’ll be well on your way to learning how to make greater disciples at your church. So register today and share the link with your pastor and church leader friends about it!
www.redletterchallenge.com/masterclass
Resources mentioned in the episode: Key insights from the episode:
You don’t know what to expect when God’s leading the journey! – Kathy Bergstrom
Raising nine kids is harder than competing in American Ninja Warrior. – Jason Bergstrom
Jason had only been training nine months before competing on ANW. – Kathy Bergstrom
When you love people, they bring people that need love to you. – Jason Bergstrom
Make your home a safe place with no physical or emotional harm. – Jason Bergstrom
God gave us our yelling voice for sporting events or emergencies. – Jason Bergstrom
Athletes are a dime a dozen, but having a story is unique to you. – Kathy Bergstrom
I think you learn the most from failure. – Jason Bergstrom
God will always give you more than you can handle so that you can learn dependency on Him. – Jason Bergstrom
God will never give you more than HE can handle. – Jason Bergstrom
The older you get, the more you have to lose, which leads to fear. – Jason Bergstrom
Your identity has to be bigger than this sport. – Kathy Bergstrom
We tell our students ANW is not the coolest thing they are going to do in their life. – Jason Bergstrom
Bergstrom’s challenge: Take a step of faith out of your comfort zone; one way is giving someone a compliment.
Remember, this week we are launching a FREE-3 part video series called The Disciple Making for Churches Masterclass.
Hey, I’m Zach Zehnder, and for more than ten years, I’ve challenged and helped more than 1000 churches make greater disciples of Jesus! I’ve taken the best of everything I’ve learned and created a FREE masterclass to help your church make greater disciples.
In this three-part FREE video series, you’ll learn:
Video 1: The Problem with Disciple Making in Churches and the Best First Question to Ask
Video 2: The Number One Mistake to Avoid in Making Disciples
Video 3: The Top FAQs to Help Churches Make Disciples
Ultimately, by participating in this FREE video series, you’ll be well on your way to learning how to make greater disciples at your church. So register today and share the link with your pastor and church leader friends about it!
www.redletterchallenge.com/masterclass
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 037: Jason and Kathy Bergstrom on Raising Nine Kids, Becoming a Family of American Ninja Warriors, and How to Turn Your Home into Ministry appeared first on Red Letter Living.
June 6, 2023
036: Joshua K. Smith on Robots, the Future of AI, and Why Chat GPT is Going to Disrupt Education
Joshua K. Smith is not afraid of robots, AI, and answering difficult questions about technology. His love for technology and his passion for faith come together in this episode that tackles strange AI uses such as truck drivers and girlfriends, Chat GPT and its use in education, and how robots can be an important part of the church world. To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. At its core, Red Letter Living creates resources to challenge all people to be greater disciples of Jesus. Our newest resource is Serving Challenge. Get ready to embark on a 40–day journey that leads to more personal fulfillment than ever.
You were made for more than just believing and existing until you die. You were made to follow the way of Jesus. You were made to serve.
Right now churches are jumping into the First Wave of Serving Challenge. The resource will be ready to launch in churches worldwide on October 1, 2023. You can lock in the best pricing you’ll ever see by joining the First Wave right now at www.servingchallenge.com. Have questions? Go to this web link or email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com.
Resources mentioned in the episode:North Morton Baptist Church from Mississippi
Robot Theology book by Joshua K. Smith
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Philosophical theology collides so well with technology because it is all about asking, “What is going on inside?” – Joshua K. Smith
Humanity is always longing for some kind of magic; technology gives them that. – Joshua K. Smith
What we envisioned about what AI would be today was wrong. – Joshua K. Smith
I’m hopeful for the future of AI. You can misuse any tool, it depends on the human, not on the tool. – Joshua K. Smith
There is also false information that can come from AI. It’s not a magic cure for everything. – Joshua K. Smith
Christians are guilty of deciding what something is first before choosing how to treat it. I think that’s wrong. Instead, treat things ethically regardless of what you think it is. – Joshua K. Smith
We don’t feel judged by robots. – Joshua K. Smith
Our mandate as Christians is to make things that lends toward flourishing. – Joshua K. Smith
AI is free for you right now because you are being experimented on. – Joshua K. Smith
Joshua K. Smith’s Challenge: Make something that is going to inspire creativity, awe, and joy.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. So we extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the following steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 036: Joshua K. Smith on Robots, the Future of AI, and Why Chat GPT is Going to Disrupt Education appeared first on Red Letter Living.
May 9, 2023
What Age Should a Child Own a Smartphone?
As parents of high school and middle school boys, Zach and I feel like we are treading in a whole new world, magic carpets excluded. This new frontier is the digital world of social media, smartphones, and other devices. In this new world, we are facing questions that no other generation of parents have ever had to deal with.
What age should your child own their very own smartphone? What age is appropriate for them to engage in social media?What are appropriate screen time limits and expectations to have with your child?
We certainly are not experts in this field. We are very much still parents-in-training. But, we feel compelled to share our example, hoping it will help you as you navigate parenting in a digital age. If anything, you will see that amidst all of the questions we still have, the best thing that parents can continue to do is have regular conversations with their kids.
Should All Children Be Treated Equally?
When our oldest son turned twelve, we got him an iPhone. Here are a few different reasons for this decision:
Our son had begun working for us and had earned enough money to not only purchase a phone but then make the additional monthly payments on the phone.The boys were going to be making a cross-country airline flight to their grandparent’s house and we wanted a way to contact them on their layover.Our son was filming trick shots and we were tired of sharing our phones for his hours-long hobby. Any other parents relate?!Participation in sports made having a phone almost mandatory. A quick text could let us know when to pick up if a schedule change had happened, when a practice ended early, or when a meet or game was over.
Fast forward three and a half years later. Our second son just turned twelve and we faced a problem. There was no question as far as our younger son was concerned. He believed that since his older brother got one at twelve, then he would too. But we had some reservations. Having experienced monitoring a phone for a while, and becoming (hopefully) wiser and (definitely) older parents, we knew what we were getting into. So we broke the age-old parenting rule of thou shalt treat all thine children equally. He didn’t get a phone.
Although it was for him to understand, it was even harder for us to explain as parents. It boiled down to prayer and a gut feeling. We felt angst and not peace about him having his own smartphone. I don’t think we made a mistake getting our older son a phone, but I also don’t think we have made a mistake postponing it for our second.
You can make different boundaries for your kids based on their own individual needs.
While we as a nation have a set age rule about driving (16), voting (18), or drinking alcohol (21), we don’t have many regulations for owning a phone, except that you better pay your monthly payments. And while some social media platforms have a mandatory age of 13, statistics show those mandates are at best unknown or flatly ignored. In 2018 it was reported that the average age of children who were signing up for social media was 12.6 years old. Cleveland Clinic found that 50% of children 10-12 years old and 33% of children 7-9 years old use social media apps. (For more on that follow this link.)
In a world where less than 5% of the Earth’s land is unaffected by humans, it was assumed that there were no new frontiers to explore. Then social media burst onto the scene. A group of moms has been making news recently for pushing Congress to make social-media companies more accountable. They are advocating new territory for us as humanity. Some say that phone usage is a guardian’s decision. Others say that the government needs to step in, specifically to implement stricter social media policies. And that is what makes this topic so challenging for parents.
Regardless of where you land, it is not a fad, and it is not going away. The answer certainly can’t be to completely ignore what’s happening, but rather to enter into what’s happening wisely. Zach wrote a blog about stewarding your smartphone here. (To read this blog click here.)
Communication is Key Adults need to be proactive in their conversations with kids when it comes to social media.
While there are clear guidelines for some of the boundaries with social media, (the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time to two hours a day for children), other guidelines are vague. One of the most important things you can do as a parent, regardless of whether you allow your children to have social media or not, is to keep open communication about it. Whether they participate or not, they are seeing it and they are affected.
This new frontier has all of us scrambling for advice and information. No matter what information we use for our own parenting, the foundational place we should always land is the Bible. The Bible gives us wisdom for how we are to use all tools God has given us. From Scripture, we can glean a starting point on which to begin building our own boundaries on the good gifts God has provided.
Friends influence you. 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’”Use communication to build others up. Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”Encourage peace. Ephesians 4:1-3: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”Be your true self. 2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Conversation Starters
Out of these foundational truths, we can begin talking to one another and our children about social media. Many parents want to talk to their children about social media, they just don’t know where to start. We have compiled a list of great conversation starters to help your family discuss the proper usage of technology and social media. Access the free PDF below!
The digital age with smartphones, apps, and social media may be a brand-new frontier, but it is not a new concept. Discussing ideas, connecting with other humans, having heated debates, sharing our likes and dislikes, and sharing memories are all age-old practices. As parents figuring this out, let’s have grace for one another, but let’s also commit ourselves to being intentional with our children about how to use this technology for good in the present and future.
We can use new technology in a way that lifts one another up, creates space for new ideas and endeavors, shares hurt and heartache in a safe way, and work together for a common good.
There’s a whole new world that God has for us in Jesus. A kingdom we can be a part of now. I’ll take a Savior in Jesus over a Genie anyday.
So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
We’d love to hear from you! What age, or factors, do you believe is appropriate for a child to own a smartphone? What are some other conversation starters you can have with your kids about their digital devices?
FREE DOWNLOAD:Parenting Questions in a Digital Age
Get 22 Conversation Starters that Parents Can Have with their Kids about Smartphones.
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April 26, 2023
Feeling Sorry is Not Practicing Compassion: The #1 Key for How to Be Compassionate Like Jesus
“Compassion fatigue” is a relatively new term. It was coined in the 1980s and is defined as an “indifference to charitable appeals on behalf of those suffering, experienced as a result of the frequency or number of such appeals.”
To keep up with all the news is a full-time job and many are walking away from the modern-day news cycle. Journalist Amanda Ripley, writing for the Washington Post, said that over 42 percent of Americans say they actively avoid the news. She cites that “part of the problem is today’s news is not designed for humans.” I think what she’s saying and what we are all feeling is that it is just too much to see and hear all the negativity, suffering, and injustices in our world.
I get it. It’s exhausting. It can feel overwhelming. Someone shared with me the other day that those who are high-school age have grown up every single year with a school shooting. This is normal for them. But this is not normal. This is a result of the world’s brokenness.
A long time ago, the only poverty you knew about was the poverty you saw. The only natural disasters that affected you were local ones. The only divorces you knew about were the families you were in relationship with. Today, the quantity of negative news can easily lead each of us to feel desensitized, or helpless, in solving the world’s problems. Rather than entering into the world’s injustices, I’ll admit it’s easier just to remove ourselves.
The problem with removing ourselves from the world’s injustices and pain is that we are Christians. The Christian way is not to remove yourself from problems, but to enter into the world’s problems and bring the hope of Jesus.
But how do we do this?
Sadly, for many, the answer is nothing more than to feel sorry for someone. But, is that really compassion? The answer is no.
Slacktivism
“Slacktivism” is a relatively new term that combines “slacker” and “activism.” It is the practice of supporting a political or social cause that involves very little effort or commitment. Studies show that those who engage in particular causes on social media by clicking, liking, or sharing actually end up being less likely to donate time or money to the very cause they supposedly support.
Kris Kristofferson, who led a study for the University of British Columbia, states, “Our research shows that if people are able to declare support for a charity publicly in social media it can actually make them less likely to donate to the cause later on.”
I wonder, though, if this hasn’t crept into the Church as well. The danger in our social-media-crazed world is that we often attribute feeling compassionate with actually being compassionate. But is feeling compassion enough?
The Compassion of Jesus
As we study Jesus, the most common emotion attributed to Him is compassion. His compassion drew others to Him. But amazingly, when you look at the stories that feature the compassion of Jesus, Kyle Idleman points out there is something that shows up time and time again after compassion. He says, “The conjunction ‘and’ almost always follows His feeling of compassion.” Idleman then points out several stories where this happens. Here are a few:
Matthew 14:14: Jesus had compassion on the multitude and healed all their sick.Matthew 15:32: Jesus had compassion on the crowd of 5,000 and miraculously fed them.Matthew 18:27: In telling a parable about a master who represents God, the master was filled with compassion for his servant and forgave him of his debt.Matthew 20:34: Jesus had compassion on two blind men and touched their eyes.Mark 1:41: Jesus was moved with compassion for a leper and healed him.Mark 6:34: Jesus had compassion on the crowd and began to teach them many things.Luke 7:13-15: When Jesus saw a woman grieving her dead son, He had compassion on her and raised her son from the dead.Luke 15:20: In telling a parable about the love of a father who represents God, the father had compassion on his lost son and ran to him and welcomed him home and threw a party for him.
So, what do we see in the life of servant Jesus?
True compassion is more than a feeling. Shockingly, the Oxford Dictionary claims that the opposite of compassion is indifference. To practice compassion means that whatever is happening on your inside must elicit a response on the outside.
Returning to Idleman’s words, “The test of compassion is in the and.”
True compassion is a feeling followed by an action.
If we are to embody the way of Jesus as a servant, it is not enough for us to just feel compassion toward the world’s injustices. We must act on it, or we prove to be no different than the ordinary person in the very world in which we are called to stand out.
I believe that many of us genuinely want to help those in need. So, why then do we struggle with this? I want to offer three reasons from my own life:
I don’t feel like my actions will make a difference.
Compassion fatigue leads to a never-ending news cycle that highlights injustice and negativity. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed. It typically forces me to end up asking a series of intrinsic questions. Here’s a few that go through my brain:
There are so many injustices in the world, so where would I even start?Even if I help somebody, aren’t there others who are far worse off that need my help?If I help someone a little bit today, does that mean I’ll need to do more in the future?
When I start down this line of thinking, many times I never actually do anything except feel sorry on the inside.
I believe someone else is more equipped to help.
There may be an opportunity for me to serve someone that’s right in front of me, but I might shrug it off and think that someone else who is better equipped will take care of it.
I’m a big believer in finding out how each of us is uniquely gifted so we can make our biggest difference in this world. But I can get so caught up in my “strengths” or “gifts” that I miss out on an opportunity to be obedient and serve the person right in front of me. I must not believe the lie that someone else is far more equipped to help serve that person.
I don’t plan to serve beyond having good intentions.
A lot of people with good intentions never do anything. Intention is a good thing, but intention without a plan is honestly quite worthless.
Intention without direction leads to confusion. But intention with direction leads to transformation.
Two things will help to go beyond intention.
One is to plan and partner with a church or organization on a regular basis for a serving opportunity. If I don’t do this, I will revert to comfort every time.
The other is to pray every day for God to show me opportunities to serve. When I keep serving front and center in my mind, it shows me that I don’t have to go overseas to serve. There are a ton of things I can do right now in my context to serve.
Can I be real with you? Just putting the concept of serving like Jesus before me while preparing my new Serving Challenge book has opened my eyes to more serving opportunities than I would have ever known.
So, what does this mean for you? Each of you will have to diagnose this. But I know I’m feeling convicted today of one particular area where I have failed in the past to practice compassion. I have not always known my place and role in helping the Church fight against racism. My heart often stirs up against this injustice, especially for those in the black community. But because I am a white, 40-year-old, blue-eyed, blond-haired, middle-to-upper class, 6-foot male, I haven’t always felt equipped in this battle. Thankfully, I have friends and allies in the black community who help me see more clearly. I do have a role and a part to play.
It’s time for the disciples of Jesus to step into the “and.” Feel for people “and” do something. If we always wait on someone else to do the work, so many injustices will continue to spiral downward right in front of our very eyes.
Thankfully, God didn’t just feel sorry for us. But He acted. He came down, died, and rose from the dead to rescue and redeem us. And now, He calls us to do the same. Let’s do this!
The blog for today was taken from a devotion from our upcoming Serving Challenge. If you’d like a resource that will move you and your church to serve more like Jesus, this is a phenomenal resource for you! And good news, you can preorder for your church right now and get in the First Wave at this link. Many churches are launching October 1, 2023.
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April 19, 2023
Oak Trees and Letting Go
While writing Serving Challenge Kids, I did a lot of research on trees. I noticed a couple of oaks around my neighborhood didn’t change colors much in the fall. Late in the season their green leaves finally faded to a crusty brown color. Then throughout winter these oaks stubbornly hold onto their leaves, especially the stringy sad ones at the base, as long as they can. Winter snows come, then freezing temperatures or blustery Nebraska winds seem to be able to shake them. They held on tight without letting go!
So I went home and wrote a poem about what I saw.
Mr. Oak Tree“Why don’t you let it go?” I asked
the trembling oak tree.
Fall has passed, then winter comes,
Still, you clutch those crusty leaves.
Those tired wispy little strands
just need to be let go,
Embrace your baldness, oak tree.
Come on then, tally ho!
You’re not a fir, your brown dead leaves
have faded into gray.
The other bare and quiet trees
have accepted winter’s fate.
Enter calm and restful hush;
the emptiness it brings.
Relax, you balding scared old man!
Don’t you see, there’s spring!
Scientists are not in agreement about why some trees hang onto their leaves. Some think it is because keeping those old dead leaves protects next year’s buds from bad weather or animals who are looking for a snack. When spring comes, the new buds push the old leaves off the branches and they finally fall to their resting place. Others debate that they are just simply dead things with no purpose.
Whether they are useful or not, the consensus is the same, the leaves are dead things. If you have been following along with us, we just finished the season of Lent. Lent is a time of letting go of dead things that may be hanging onto us.
In a season of change, we have to let go of the old in order to find the new.Ask yourself these questions about letting go:
What is dead right now in my life?What am I scared to lose?What’s keeping me from letting go of my original plan?When those green leaves bud on Mr. Oak Tree, the old leaves fall gracefully. Are we so quick to do that? I know I struggle to let go of old things. I like to make and cross off things on my to-do List. It makes me feel in control. I like to meditate and dream about a future vacation, what I will pack, and what we will do. It takes me out of my reality. I like to criticize all the things I don’t like in my life, what I would change, and what could be better.
I don’t want to let these dead habits in my life fall off: negativity, checklists, and fantasizing about vacations. But they take up way too much space in my brain.
Is God calling you to let go of some dead habits in your life? Here are some signs you might be headed toward a new season:
A habit you had is fading away. You feel the way you always did something is changing.You feel compelled to do something that’s outside your normal scope of ability. (Antsy or bored.)You don’t have all the answers to a future question. Things outside your control seem to have just happened in the right and place with details outside of your control.Others are speaking to you regarding a new thing without your initiation.Even if you did not participate in Lent this year, you still felt the chill of winter. You likely saw the dead landscape and now the buds of something new.
Seasons are God’s design. I actually have a theory that everything should be cyclical: the ingredients we choose to eat should cycle with the seasons, the activity we do should vary with the time of year, and our participation in social media should have winters and summers. I even believe companies that plan for and implement a “dead” period will thrive and be better for it.
Daniel 2:21 says,
He [God] changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding.
In the anticipation of spring, what is God calling you to shake off today? What new season is He ushering in for you?
Challenge: Let go of something today. Do a spring cleaning. It might be a closet or a wardrobe switch. Perhaps it’s something inward and more spiritual. What needs to be cleaned out today?
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Three Things You Can Do After You Finish a 40-Day Challenge
In our 40-day challenge books, we do our best to challenge and help readers develop habits and practices based on the life, words, and habits of Jesus. When we are writing the books, here are some of the questions we think about internally:
What do people already know?What new thing(s) do we want to share with people?What habits are going to be formed during this time? What is the goal at the end of the book?
During challenges, we provide a goal and focal point that readers will accomplish to finish the forty days. But then what?
Let’s look to Jesus.
Jesus’s 40 Days
The story of Jesus in the desert is a great model of Lent and our forty-day experience. You can read the short story here. There are seasons in our lives when we have to pull away from something. So to look at Jesus’s forty days is worthwhile. But it struck me, nothing is written about Jesus’s actual forty-day experience. Jesus’s temptations didn’t occur DURING His fast. They occurred AFTER His fast.
As fun and testing as our daily challenges are, for some, the hardest thing you will have to face is not the forty days itself, but afterward.
Like Jesus, it’s when the forty days were up that the real battle began.
Jesus’s biggest struggle started at the end of His 40-day challenge.
His seeking of good resulted in a more vicious attack than ever. This is what it meant for Jesus:
His 40-day experience was assumed to be relatively trouble-free.He felt more weakness and persuasion from Satan after His forty days were over. He relied on His memory to get Him through the hardest temptations.
The three words that Jesus used most to battle the devil’s temptations were “It is written.” These three words just may be the most powerful words to battle the devil’s temptations. But, you need to know God’s Word in order to use that phrase effectively! Do you know God’s Word?
What Jesus’s experience teaches us is that without a plan for after your challenge, you might end up right where you started.
The Three Rs
The 40-day challenge books are a great way to kickstart a transformation in your life.
It encourages you to take on challenges for 40 days and commit to a daily time of Bible study. It can help you to focus on your spiritual goals or make progress on the ones you already have in your life. However, once the forty days are over, people have found that it can be difficult to know what to do next.
Here are three things you should do after completing a 40-day Challenge book:
1. Reflect: Take some time to reflect on your journey and everything you have achieved. Think about what challenges were easy and which were difficult for you.
Practical Questions to Ask:
How was your attention? Did you start faithful but get distracted toward the end? Was there a part of the challenge that you did really well but another that you struggled with?What did you want to accomplish at the end of the 40-day challenge book?Have you made a new relationship as a result of the 40-Day challenge?Have you discovered a spot you liked to read or study? Could that be a place you continue to do quiet time?
2. Reassess: After reflecting, reassess how you are doing spiritually. If you’ve achieved some of the life transformations you set out for, then it’s time to set new ones!
Practical Next Steps:
Read and study some more! Check out our other 40-Day challenge books if you haven’t read all of them. If you have exhausted our library, check out all of the studies by one of our partners RightNow Media.Take our FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment to measure how you are living out your faith according to the 5 Targets of Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.Our podcast, Red Letter Disciple, offers a great way to be practical with your faith! We have guests who share the way they practice or teach discipleship in their circles of influence.
3. Recommit: Once you’ve reassessed your goals, it’s time to recommit to them. Make a new plan and stick to it. This will help you to stay motivated and keep on track.
Practical Ways to Recommit:
Read your Bible. Use YouVersion’s free app to find bible plans, more free devotionals, or specific studies (including some written by us that you can find here.)Pray. Continue to maintain an open conversation with God, whether it is sporadic, a scheduled thing, or written out. Research shows that you remember things that are hand-written more than anything else, so try writing down prayer requests!Find a church. Also, if you are not already, join a small group at that church. Here’s a great article on how to find a church that’s right for you. If much of the stuff in that article is too difficult for you, I think the key is finding a Christian friend and simply asking where you could fit in.
Conclusion
The 40-day Challenge book is a great way to start a transformation in your life. But it’s not enough just to make a plan and commit to it for forty days.
The hard truth we all face is that no matter how you live or what choices you make, things won’t always go well. You will miss the mark sometimes. Trials and temptations come no matter how you live. Ordinary life is not smooth and not good, even if no one messed up. Even if you didn’t make a mistake, someone messed up and it is affecting your life.
No one leaves unchanged after an encounter with Jesus. Moving from one place to another requires death. The death that was paid for was the one done by Jesus. Jesus will change you from the inside out. He will do that through your baptism, He will do it through the reading of God’s Word, He will do it through a song, or a sermon, or another believer who walks alongside you. He will do it through a Red Letter Challenge book, or your small group. He will do it on your best day, and even on your worst day.
Jesus will never stop pursuing you. It’s a lifelong journey.
In summary, now that you are ready for the next thing, take some time to reflect, reassess, and recommit after your 40-day challenge book is over.
40 days aren’t the start, it’s just the beginning!
The post Three Things You Can Do After You Finish a 40-Day Challenge appeared first on Red Letter Living.
April 18, 2023
Flipping Unhappiness to Make the World a Better Place
“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him…the people who give you their food give you their heart.”
-César Chavéz
When I read that overall levels of happiness among teens are a record-low, my initial reaction is disappointment. That response is normal considering that happiness and comfort in life are the bars we set not only for our kids but ourselves as well. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal confirms that an overwhelming share of Americans aren’t confident that their children’s lives will be better than their own. In this blog, I want to attempt to identify what the problem is in our kids’ lives, how we have contributed to that problem, and why serving is the solution to flipping unhappiness.
First, what’s missing in our kids’ lives? Certainly not knowledge. In a recent podcast, we interviewed Stuart Hall who said, “ The next generation is the smartest, most educated generation in our country.” (For more on that podcast, click here.)
It’s also not comfort. We have more material wealth, better information in our medical fields, and more entertainment opportunities than ever before.
We have more access to people than ever before. Reality TV combs the country for outlier personalities to stick together on an island and watch what they will do. Diversity and inclusion are discussed more than they ever have. Kids today are exposed to a greater variety of people groups than at any time in history.
So if we know more than ever before, if we are more comfortable, and have more access to people, what is the problem?
I believe the reason for the unhappiness is ourselves. As a whole, we are pretty self-absorbed, lack a community, and forget to live for something greater outside ourselves. While researching for our upcoming books, Serving Challenge and Serving Challenge Kids, we found that people who served were overwhelmingly content. If this is the case, serving others might be the biggest factor in increased meaning, purpose, and happiness in our lives.
A great example of this is a young man named César Chávez. César didn’t have an easy life; it was full of suffering. But what is worth studying is what he did with that suffering.
California Dreamin’When he was a young boy, César’s family lost their farm because of the Great Depression and moved to California to become migrant workers. Because his family moved around so much, César attended sixty-five schools. This adds up to an average of more than five moves each year. Cesar grew up speaking Spanish in his home and as a result, he was punished when he couldn’t speak English properly at school. At age fifteen, he quit school to take care of his family because his father got hurt.
So let’s look at what this kid was handed:
PovertyA Disabled fatherInability to get established in a stable communityLack of language skillsJust one of these is enough to affect the happiness of anyone. But César didn’t try to move on or forget his troubles. He used them.
When César grew up, he remembered how unfairly farm workers were treated. Even though César was shy, he spoke out and urged other poor farmers to vote. He also fought to make sure they were treated better. At the time grape pickers earned only one dollar per hour. César started the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC) and in an attempt to get the attention needed to spread the word, made the drastic choice to not eat until farmers treated their workers better.
It worked! Farmers began to pay their workers more money. Senator Robert F. Kennedy flew across the country to give César his first piece of bread to break his fast! Later, César fasted again to help improve the chemicals sprayed on the plants to keep the workers from getting sick. When César died, President Bill Clinton gave his wife the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Change for the Better
César wanted to serve the migrant workers of California because He knew what life was like for them. He had lived it himself! Instead of getting angry at the farmers, he decided to get their attention and work his entire life to make sure others were treated better than he was. César Chavez served others his entire life. He said,
“Being of service is not enough. You must become a servant of the people.”César knew there was a difference between serving and being a servant. Serving is something you do now and then. But being a servant is something deeper; it is a continuous attitude of giving and helping.
A crucial piece of this story is César’s faith. Knowing that Jesus suffered for him helped him to be willing to suffer for others. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Food, Fasting, and Faith
César fasted to protest the terrible work conditions of farm workers. He gave up eating until the workers were treated better. While fasting is a way to retreat and connect with God, the opposite is also true.
Food also helps us connect with others. Sharing a meal with our family, friends, or the community is a way to connect with someone outside yourself. It is one way people tell others they care about them. Jesus showed sinners He cared about them by eating with them—even though not everyone agreed with his tactics. One meal can change everything. For example, Jesus changed Zacchaeus’s life forever just by sharing a meal with him.
The Last Supper
Sharing a meal was so important to Jesus that He spent His final hours eating and drinking with His disciples. Millions of Christians continue to participate in a meal every Sunday, sharing Christ’s body and blood in the bread and wine, as a way to take part in a kingdom that will someday be our everyday reality.
That unhappiness isn’t just isolated to teens. Before we go pointing fingers, we need to take a long look in the mirror ourselves. Why is it that we think life is going to be worse for the next generation? Could it be that we have grabbed more than we should? Have we worked more than we should? Have we complained and criticized more than we should? With that kind of a setup, it’s no wonder our teens are full of unhappiness. It’s what we’ve handed them, wrapped up nicely in a bow.
I believe it is the unhappiness, not the happiness, that is the catalyst for movement, change, and action. Rather than doing everything we can to boost happiness, what if we used that unhappiness as a starting point? What needs to move in your life? Where can we encourage our teens to think of others? To participate in something greater than themselves? It can start at our own tables. Share meals together. Divide up chores and have everyone participate in the making and cleaning up of the meal. Something as little as loading the dishwasher creates an environment where teens are pulled outside themselves and practice serving.
Will they grumble along the way? They might. But it’s a step towards less self-focused action and more inner peace. I want to see that WSJ trend change. Let’s have so much excitement and hope for this future generation. They are amazing, intelligent, quick, and compassionate. They are welcoming of differences and embrace those who are hurting.
Serving others is the key to a content and fulfilled life. You need to be a hero, you’ve already got one in Jesus.
Challenge: Your challenge today is to flip your routine to catalyze the movement of unhappiness. One way to do this is to share as many meals as a family as you can this week. Something as simple as eating with others is a way to serve each other.
The post Flipping Unhappiness to Make the World a Better Place appeared first on Red Letter Living.
April 12, 2023
4 Ways Brain Science Impacts Discipleship
MIn 1930 an Austrian scientist named Theodore Erismann created goggles that made his whole world look upside down when he wore them. He wanted to see what his brain would do to the images if he kept wearing the goggles. Within five days of keeping the goggles on his face his brain completely adapted to the vision change. Even though the goggles were still upside down, he saw the world right-side up, just as you and I do.
What does this science experiment teach us about discipleship?
It teaches us that we are built for discipleship. You are capable of the change God desires for your life! The better we understand how God created our minds and bodies to work, the better we can use them for His glory. A disciple is a learner. Disciples are moving and growing people of God.
But many of us feel stuck. We feel like we have gotten lodged into a tight space, and to learn something new would be too hard for us. But if the brain can adjust to having its whole world flipped upside down, there’s hope for us.
Below are four ways that brain science impacts discipleship.
1) Brains can change.
Like the goggle experiment shows, brains can literally flip the world upside down in less than a week. This matters when we talk about discipleship because discipleship is a transformative work. It changes us from the inside out to become more like Christ.
Ephesians 4:9-11: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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.
This discipleship work is HARD WORK! But the changes are difficult so the results will be easy. Dallas Willard says that true discipleship is when we easily and naturally do what Jesus would do and say what Jesus would say if He were in our shoes right now.
What gives us hope in a time of change is that God gives us the ability to do so.
Neuroscientist and Stanford professor Dr. Andrew Huberman said, “The human species was given this tremendous gift of neuroplasticity, the ability to change ourselves and be better in deliberate ways.”
As we fix our eyes on Jesus, we have hope in the knowledge that when He says He will finish the work He has started in us, He is dead serious. (No pun intended! Maybe we should say, He is RISEN-serious!) He absolutely will. Not only will He complete what He started, but He wired our brains to cooperate!
2) We have two halves of our brain, and both sides need to be trained for effective discipleship.
Jim Wilder wrote about these “half-brained” churches and Christians in his book The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation. He said, “Churches are filled with leaders who are gifted at theology, preaching, and vision-casting, but may not have relational and emotional skills.”
This means many of us know the Bible stories, are sure we are going to heaven when we die, understand the gospel, and can tell you a lot about what we believe. But we aren’t experiencing it in our everyday life. And when trouble comes, many disciples are getting crushed because they have only been training their left side. After studying the brain, scientists tell us our identity and connection comes out of the right side of the brain.
Wilder said, “The right brain processes these questions: Who is happy to see me here? What do I feel right now? Is there anyone here who understands me? How do I act like myself right now? What do my people do in this situation? The answers to these questions drive our character development.”
So how do we connect left with right?
Have Christian friends or mentors who we are able to talk heart-to-heart with. The first step? Ask someone to meet once a week for six weeks. Build a trusting relationship over time. Don’t force it!Talk to God in a conversational way inside your head, (out loud works too!) throughout the day. When things happen in your life, good or bad, connect those experiences with God. What’s He orchestrating right now? How is He leading and guiding you?All these are important things that need to be taught and practiced in discipleship. We can’t just leave them to chance.
3) Joy is essential to our brains.
Pastor Jim Wilder shared a story of people who came in for therapy. They came in sad, depressed, and anxious. (That makes sense, people generally wait until it’s bad before getting help.) The problem was their “joy tank” was so low that when they started trying to work on the trauma or places they were stuck, it ran them into the ground. Most of them had to be admitted into the hospital.
So, the therapists tried something else.
When people came in, the first thing they worked on was building joy. Joy-building activities vary between people, but almost everyone benefits from shared meals, eye contact, laughter, and feeling safe. All those things started filling their tanks slowly but surely. So by the time they started talking about their trauma or hardships, they were able to avoid their bodies shutting down.
We can’t work on an empty gas tank. God is the author of joy. He loved His creation and called it good. He wanted to be with His people, and found ways to do it, whether it was a burning bush, incense, a holy altar with gold cherubs on it, a cloud, a fire, a wind, and finally, through Jesus.
Jesus was a joyful person. He was honest and kind. People flocked to Him. They couldn’t help it. I don’t think they just wanted to see a magic show, they wanted some joy. We need to practice relishing and enjoying the process, not just the outcome.
Dr. Andrew Huberman said it this way, “We can use play as a means to enhance neuroplasticity and explore novel situations, regardless of age.”
Here are ways to start building joy:
show others you are happy to see them there by making eye contact and light up when you see each other. Let your face do the talking! Ask yourself: If I cannot talk, how would I show this person I am happy to see them? What kind of face would I make? In a conversation, don’t let your eyes or mind wander. Lock in and focus on them. This all builds joy!
4) Our brains need community.
Pastor Jim noticed that most people who were struggling to grow in their training as a disciple of Jesus had a right brain issue, and a lot of that came from a lack of community. Here is what he said,
“What I realized later was that the people who did not respond to training likely had right-brain obstacles: low joy, isolation, a lack of loving community, poor identity formation, and unhealed trauma. Each of these was a relational/emotional problem requiring right-brain development. As a pastor, I did not realize that these obstacles even existed. I was ignorant of relational skills and could offer my people encouragement, prayer, Scripture, and spiritual disciplines. For some, it worked well; for others, not at all.”
As we grow into adulthood, the connections in our brain grow stronger and stronger, especially the things we do over and over. Every new experience that you have makes a new connection in your brain. If you do not use connections, they disappear and we forget them. That is why your brain can forget the foreign language class you took in high school.
Those connections are the same with relationships. Being in relationship with others on a continual basis is important. It helps your mind solidify those connections.
What About Red Letter?
As the writers of our challenge book series here at Red Letter Living, we encourage people to do 40-day challenges as entire communities, churches, or small groups. Why? Because it’s what our brain needs. Doing discipleship in groups raises joy, removes isolation, gives you a loving community, helps you form a strong identity, and allows a safe place for processing old scars and wounds.
We took this knowledge about left and right-brained discipleship and took a good hard look at our material. Where are we leaning to the left? Where are we tapping into the right? Here is what we found: our daily devotions typically focus on left-brain learning but the challenges help you take that left-brain knowledge and incorporate it into your right-brained everyday life. You are taking what you know, and making it grow! It will give you a mix of the left AND right-brained discipleship.
Conclusion
It’s exciting to think about our role as a learner, a disciple, of Jesus. It encourages me that I am not stuck in myself, and there is an opportunity to change the trajectory of my future. Absolutely, there are changes we can make. There are ways and places we can improve. But the most important fact of all is that someone didn’t just change a connection in our brain, He changed our connection with God. Jesus changed our destiny, and it’s to Him that we give all honor and thankfulness.
Yes, Theodore Erismann changed a connection in his brain in five days.
But Jesus saved the world in three.
The post 4 Ways Brain Science Impacts Discipleship appeared first on Red Letter Living.
March 30, 2023
How Guest-Friendly Is Your Church? + 10 Ways Your Church Can Become More Guest-Friendly
Many churches work really hard to get new guests to attend our physical churches. Getting guests to attend our churches takes time, energy, vision, money, staff buy-in, and more. It is poor stewardship of our time to not also invest the time, resources, and energy to do everything we can to ensure that our guests who are joining us for the first time have a top-notch experience at our church. So, how guest-friendly is your church?
I’ve created a quick, 40-question assessment to help you discern how guest-friendly your church is. So, take 7 minutes (the average for how long it takes to finish) and see what score your church gets.
Also, I would encourage you to have other staff members or key leaders in your church take the assessment.
From the beta test of more than 100 churches, here are some numbers:
The average score was 70.63%.
Challenge: Make a goal to improve by 10 points in the next 6 months, then retake the assessment 6 months from today.
How?
Focus and improve on the questions that get rated the lowest collectively.
These 10 questions were rated the lowest collectively. Most of our churches have opportunities to grow in our guest-friendliness by improving on these 10 things.
1. Our church has parking lot attendants that welcome people to the church year-round.
78% of church leaders admitted they do not have this. As a result, we miss out on giving a great first impression when we are not willing to greet or help guests who arrive on our campus for the first time. It’s also an excellent opportunity to answer guests’ questions before they enter our building.
2. Our church gives a generous FREE gift to its guests.
56% of church leaders admitted they do not give a free gift to their guests. Not only do we miss out on an opportunity to reflect the heart of our God through our generosity, but a gift is an excellent reminder of their experience. A gift can also be a great way to collect information from our guests, which is vital.
3. Our church has a crafted guest experience from the moment they arrive on our campus.
54% of church leaders admitted not having a crafted guest experience in their churches. Many churches assume guests are familiar with their space, language, check-in system, etc. These are false assumptions, and we ought to do everything possible to help our first-time guests feel comfortable.
4. Our church provides invite cards every Sunday.
51% of church leaders admit to not providing invite cards. According to Rich Birch, leader of UnSeminary, the number one key to church growth is invitability. Therefore, giving invite cards is vital to increase the number of guests you receive on a Sunday.
5. Our church leadership discusses guest feedback monthly to make improvements.
51% of church leaders admitted to not meeting monthly to discuss the feedback to make improvements. If our intention is to grow by receiving more guests, it is important stewardship to schedule regular discussions about our guest’s experiences.
6. Our church has a strategy to send a handwritten thank you to first-time givers.
50% of church leaders admitted they don’t have a strategy to send a handwritten thank you to first-time givers. Sending a handwritten note, especially from pastoral leadership, is a low-time investment that pays big dividends. It gives a nice extra touch and proves to our guests how valuable they are to us.
7. Our church gathers feedback from its guests.
47% of church leaders admitted to not gathering feedback from their guests. Guests have fresh eyes and can help reveal blind spots to us. You may find that church leaders rated themselves way higher than guests in certain areas. For reference, a few of the questions that church leaders rated themselves highly were:
they felt their worship services were welcoming, their sermons were clear and relatabletheir worship is authenticthey don’t use insider languagetheir worship experiences were easy for guests to participate in from start to finish.I’ve guest preached and secret-shopped at enough churches to know that not all those things are true. Guests are really the best ones to ask those questions.
8. Our church follows up promptly with its guests within the first 24 hours.
43% of church leaders admitted this wasn’t a reality for them. For as much time, energy, vision casting, staff, and money we spend to get guests to attend, if someone actually gives you their information, it would be a lost opportunity to not follow up fast and well with your guests.
9. Our church knows how to identify guests.
36% of church leaders admitted to not being able to identify guests. Creating a guest experience, offering a gift to guests, and establishing a particular area for guests are ways churches can help identify guests. It’s essential to identify guests and develop ways to receive their information so we can continue to grow.
10. Our church provides weekly content that our people share.
34% of church leaders admitted not providing content throughout the week. Living in a digital age offers us opportunities to give our people something to share with potential future guests and provide future guests with a front-door experience before they ever step foot in our physical building. “Seeing inside” before stepping inside allows a higher comfort level when guests visit for the first time.
How guest-friendly is your church? Which one of the 10 can you commit to growing in?The post How Guest-Friendly Is Your Church? + 10 Ways Your Church Can Become More Guest-Friendly appeared first on Red Letter Living.
March 28, 2023
035: Lutherans for Racial Justice on Racism in America, Where the Church Has Gotten it Wrong, and Why There’s Hope for the Future Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Matt Gonzalez, Janine Bolling, and Josh Salzberg are founders and leaders of Lutherans for Racial Justice. They discuss the church’s involvement in racial injustice, why fighting racism is discipleship, and the practical next steps for individuals and organizations. It’s a really important conversation that hopefully stirs all disciples into action.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. At its core, Red Letter Living creates resources to challenge all people to be greater disciples of Jesus. One of our integral FREE resources is a Red Letter Challenge Assessment. It only takes 7-10 minutes to complete.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. So we extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the following steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Resources mentioned in the episode:Dear Church…It’s Time by Pastor Matt Gonzalez
A Time For Burning 1966 American Documentary
Urban Christianity: Restoring Black Dignity with the Gospel by Eric Mason
Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley
The Color of Compromise: the truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism Jemar Tisby
I am Not Your Negro Documentary by James Baldwin
Key insights from the episode:When it comes to racism, there is a disagreement on what the problem is. – Janine Bolling
We are taking an issue that should primarily be addressed from a faith perspective and making it political. – Matt Gonzalez
History has been ‘whitewashed.’ – Josh Salzberg
We are trying to preserve our own culture, people, and family. – Josh Salzberg
Racism is driven by fear. – Matt Gonzalez
God wants to chill with his people. – Matt Gonzalez
When we are segregated in our own little circles, it’s not what new creation is. – Zach Zehnder
Consider an assumption you have, then dig into it to see if it’s true. – Janine Bolling
Lutherans for Racial Justice’s Challenge of the Week: Do one thing this week to learn about racial justice.
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness.
Before we can truly bring reconciliation to others in the world, we first need to be reconciled back to God. Thankfully, He doesn’t withhold His grace of forgiveness from anyone of us. It’s time to receive the freedom that comes in the forgiveness of God. Because, a forgiven person becomes a forgiving person!
We’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Forgiving Challenge.
The Forgiving Challenge takes you on a life-changing journey to experience the gift of God’s grace so that you can share it with others. It also helps you identify and walk through the five phases leading to freedom.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll upload every episode of The Red Letter Disciple on our Youtube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 035: Lutherans for Racial Justice on Racism in America, Where the Church Has Gotten it Wrong, and Why There’s Hope for the Future Gen Z and Gen Alpha. appeared first on Red Letter Living.
