Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 12
January 30, 2023
027: Pastors Walter Hooker and Andy Kaup, Co-Leading the Same Church, How to Make Friends, and Sharing Kidneys
Pastors Andy Kaup and Walter Hooker have a 30-year age gap. Andy is white, and Walt is black. Both men were up for the senior pastor position at their church. When Andy got it, it brought division into their church. During this time, Andy was found to be a perfect kidney match for Walter and gave him his kidney. Would that be enough to keep their church together?
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. If you are a pastor, consider a 40-day challenge to start the Lenten season. These 40-day challenges will help your church grow their small groups, bring unity in divided times, and give a much-needed break to your staff by providing turnkey resources. Let’s partner up. Find out more at www.redletterchallenge.com/join.
Shut up and listen. –Walter Hooker
77% of white people don’t have black friends, and 65% of black people don’t have white friends. – Walter Hooker
Be intentional. – Walter Hooker
My world is not the whole world. – Andy Kaup
You will become genuinely curious about other people when you accept that what you know isn’t all there is. – Andy Kaup
Curiosity drives friendships deeper. – Andy Kaup
Sharing a table with somebody is opening up your life to them. – Andy Kaup
Once you get the go from God, all the fears, doubts, and anxieties change. – Walter Hooker
God is faithful and unchanging. You can trust him. – Walter Hooker
Andy’s Kaup Challenge: Surrender something.
Walter Hooker’s Challenge: Ask yourself, “Why not me?”
Lead yourself (and your church) to be more like Jesus.
As Pastors Andy Kaup and Walter Hooker were talking in the interview, it showed me the power of God’s freedom that comes through forgiveness.
We’d love to help you and your church discover what freedom in forgiveness feels like by exploring the powerful forgiveness that Jesus offers to each and every one of us.
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. So many are jumping into this 40-day challenge for Lent, which is just around the corner.
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 027: Pastors Walter Hooker and Andy Kaup, Co-Leading the Same Church, How to Make Friends, and Sharing Kidneys appeared first on Red Letter Living.
January 26, 2023
My Failure Resume
It’s mid-January, the time of year when we begin to hear the phrase “fall off the wagon.” Initially, ‘fall off the water wagon’ referred to carts used to hose down dusty roads in the 1920s, when Prohibition was law. A person “on the wagon” drank water rather than alcoholic beverages. Now falling off the wagon can mean resuming any lousy habit: overeating, Netflix binge-watching, and compulsive online shopping included!
Fast forward 100 years, prohibition is no more, but ditching alcohol is still a thing. Dry January began in 2012 as an initiative by Alcohol Change UK, a British charity, to “ditch the hangover, reduce the waistline and save some serious money by giving up alcohol for 31 days.” Now, 11 years later, more and more Americans seem to be jumping on the wagon and trying out Dry January, giving up drinking any alcohol for the entire month. This article says up to 35% of Americans are now in on this trend.
I don’t know what you gave up this month or didn’t give up. Maybe this year, like me, you felt that making resolutions was just another reminder for you of all the many ways you are not measuring up and of all the potential ways you could fail.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the concept of resolutions: saving money, feeling better, and being healthier are all fantastic! But as much as I always want to have an “onward and upward” mentality, the failures in my life creep up on me now and then.
What if that was ok? What if, instead of only looking forward this year, we spent some time looking backward at our ‘desperate to forget’ failures?
The word remember is found 240 times in the Old and New Testament, and it isn’t just referring to highlight reels and rose-gold memories. God calls us to remember the sucky stuff too. The stuff that didn’t work out, the times things fell flat.
Remember your tough situations that were out of your control.
Deuteronomy 6:12
Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Remember your temptations.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Remember your mess-ups.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So I made a failure resume. I added my resume down below if you want to check it out!
I wrote down my biggest disappointments and failures. Some of them were not my fault, but there’s no room on resumes for excuses, backstories, and what happened. They are short, descriptive, and straightforward.
You failed.
Having multiple decades between me and the event, I realize those were the precise moments that shaped me. It was in failure when a toxic relationship ended, a career path was blocked, or a personal weakness was exposed and prevented from growing more destructive. God uses the failures in our life as much as the successes. In an upcoming podcast episode of Red Letter Disciple, Neuroscientist Jessie Cruickshank tells us that for true growth to happen in our lives, we ought to be failing about 20% of the time. (For more, check out episode 32 on our website here.) If this is true, then why are we ashamed? Our failures could be the very thing that connects us to someone else.
Susan Cain, in her book Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, said it this way:
“If we could honor sadness a little more, maybe we could see it—rather than enforced smiles and righteous outrage—as the bridge we need to connect with each other. We could remember that no matter how distasteful we might find someone’s opinions, no matter how radiant, or fierce, someone may appear, they have suffered, or they will.”
Everyone has fallen off their wagon, but have we shown it to people? Have we touted our failures? I doubt.
What if we tried this motto? Transparency in 2023.
That’s a wagon I think I can jump on.
Challenge: Make a failure resume. It could be for 2022 or for the last decade. Or for your whole life. Write them down and then spend some time reflecting on how God used those tough times. Share it with a friend or even on your social media platform. You can also email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com and privately share a failure and how you are waiting for God to act, or what you have learned in the failure. When you connect your failure with God’s redemption, that, my friend, is your testimony.
And so you will bear testimony to me.
Luke 21:1
The post My Failure Resume appeared first on Red Letter Living.
January 23, 2023
026: Alan George on How to Discern the Voice of God, and How Disciples Can Win Digitally
Alan George was the leader at Life Church Online when 30,000 churches flocked to them overnight during Covid. Hear the amazing story about how he and his team navigated this change. And then, just a few months later, seemingly out of nowhere, he felt God was calling him to something else. How do you know if it’s God’s voice that is moving you? Alan loves helping churches and people experience Jesus digitally and you will love this episode of the Red Letter Disciple.
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. If you are a pastor, consider a 40-day challenge to start the Lenten season. These 40-day challenges will help your church grow their small groups, bring unity in divided times, and give a much-needed break to your staff by providing turnkey resources. Let’s partner up. Find out more at www.redletterchallenge.com/join.
Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Get Alan’s FREE eBook: Discipleship in the Digital Age free eBook by Alan George
Online As It Is in Heaven Masterclass by Alan George
Key insights from the episode:
Who I am becoming fuels what I do. – Alan George
We carry the burden of ministry but is it ours to carry? – Alan George
At the end of the day, [technology] is about meeting people where they are at. – Alan George
Online church is a tool, not a barrier to people. – Alan George
Because of technology, we don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to reach our people. – Alan George
A great online experience leads people to want to meet because that is how we are wired. – Alan George
Uncertainty is a gift when it allows us to trust in God more. – Alan George
Alan George’s Challenge: Release heaven on earth in your own unique way.
Lead yourself (and your church) to be more like Jesus.
For so many Christians, the discipleship process isn’t very clear.
They know they need to go to church, pray, not sin, and maybe attend a small group. While these are great things, they don’t outline a clear path leading people to live more like Jesus.
We’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Red Letter Challenge.
When you and your church take the challenge, you’ll have a clear 40-day discipleship path that will help you master five key areas of discipleship
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Some not-so-key insights:
Alan is a world-champion foosball player (in his home!)
If you see foosball spins, you know you are going to win! – Alan George
Do not high-five all the kids in the 2-year-old room, or you will be sick. – Alan George
Chris Johnson was initially hired as the church secretary, and was the worst secretary ever.
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 026: Alan George on How to Discern the Voice of God, and How Disciples Can Win Digitally appeared first on Red Letter Living.
January 11, 2023
End Racism – 6 Biblical Steps to Pursue Racial Reconciliation
On August 28, 1963, ten speakers took the stage to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The last speaker, Martin Luther King, Jr., had prepared an 11-minute speech to close the day. The crowd of 250,000 people had been there for hours already. Even though the last time slot is, in many respects, the worst one to have, King Jr., delivered a speech that would forever change the world.
Upon taking the stage, King Jr. realized that the crowd hadn’t experienced an “aha” moment yet. While progress in race relations over the previous 100 years presented a reason to celebrate, the reality is that the fight for equality amongst races was nowhere near completed.
As King Jr. took the stage, he slid his prepared speech to the left side of the lectern and delivered a 17-minute speech that is arguably the GSOAT: Greatest Speech of All Time.
He spoke of a dream that all men and women would be equals and that racism would no longer exist. Ultimately, he hoped that as all people would come together as one, the glory of the Lord would shine brighter than ever. To read the entire “I Have a Dream Speech,” go here.
Almost 60 years later, as we celebrate and honor the life of this extraordinary disciple and leader, we still stand at a crossroads. Things are not as they ought to be. Racism still exists. All are not treated equally.
In 2023, it’s time for all of God’s children, white, black, brown, red, and yellow, to make peace and pursue reconciliation. To stop this injustice and put an end to racism. At the heart of the Gospel is the fact that Jesus reconciled us broken, sinful people back into a right relationship with God the Father. We who have received the peace of God now must give it away to others and give it away in droves.
How many more people do we need to lose? How much longer will we wait? When will we fight against the injustice of racism? How do we even do this?
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9
He also said these words in His most famous sermon, and it’s time we put these words into action. Remember, Jesus didn’t just say this phrase and expect it to fall on deaf ears. No, he closed this famous sermon with these words: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24
The words of Jesus are to be heard and followed.
Therefore, the children of God are called not just to keep the peace but to make peace with one another.
Many of us want to help, but we’re unsure what to do. When we are uncertain of what to do, it’s essential to gain wisdom from God. The great news is that when we ask Him for wisdom, He gives it to us.
The central place to gain wisdom is in God’s Word.
Thankfully, God’s Word isn’t silent on this topic. There are six critical steps that we can take to pursue racial reconciliation, and I believe the order of these 6 are essential and intentional.
PrayThe first step we can take is to pray.
Some people say that you should do more than pray. You should speak. You should act. And they are correct. But, true reconciliation has to start with prayer. Prayer matters.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says this: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The reason why this step is first is because we need help from heaven. We need God to show up. If we try to make peace with others without personally being changed on the inside and hearing from God, our efforts will be futile. We cannot do this alone.
So how can you start to pursue racial reconciliation?
You can pray.
Pray for those who are hurting.Pray for those in leadership to make wise decisions. Pray for compassion. Pray for justice. Pray for those who suffer unjustly and for those who protect us bravely. Pray for the victims and for those who serve. Pray for opportunities to use your voice and to act. Pray for unity in the body of Christ. Pray that God would reveal to you how you can help make peace.Every injustice in this world, including racism, is a spiritual problem. Racism is not primarily a political issue. It is a spiritual issue. We battle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities of this dark world. Prayer is not our last line of defense; it is our first line of offense. It ought not to be a last resort but a first response.
A lot of us want to make a difference in this world. Typically, we will talk about all of the things we can do. But the truth of the matter is that God is far more powerful than you. God can do more in one second than you can do in your entire lifetime. In light of that, what you should be praying for, and focusing on, is allowing God to move mightily and making room for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully.
And because of this reality, biblically speaking, the biggest difference you can make in this world is not by things that you do but by prayers that you pray.
After you pray and invite God into the situation, here’s a second step.
ListenWhen injustice is seen, it creates emotions in us. And we want to do something. And we want to say something. But before we move to those steps, it’s essential to listen.
Solomon, the wisest man in the world in the Old Testament, said this in Proverbs 18:13:
“To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.”
If I were to hold a Coca-Cola bottle up and show it to you, we would see different things.
If you see “Coca-Cola,” on your side, then on my side I would see all the nutrition facts showing me all the reasons I shouldn’t be drinking this stuff!
This simple illustration tells us that two people can be looking at the same thing but seeing it completely differently. And until everyone walks to the other side to see how the other sees it, we will continue to be at odds with one another.
When someone is hurting and crying out, it is our responsibility to understand why they are hurting and crying. When Mary Magdalene couldn’t find the body of Jesus, she was crying, and before doing anything, Jesus came beside her and said these four words, “Why are you crying?”
That powerful question gives a person the opportunity to speak about what is going on in their story. I have found this practice to be so helpful. To have someone else share their story with me has helped me see the waters I swim in that much more clearly.
Walking to the other side is vital for everyone, but it’s God’s children, the ones who have received God’s grace, that must take the first step. God took the first step in reconciling us back to Him.
Thank God that Jesus took the first step and walked to your side, and came into your life. Where would you be without Him taking those steps in your life?
In our day, we have the option to listen to just about anything or anyone. Of course, we ought to listen to a wide variety of people, but the best form of listening we can do is with an actual real person who is different from us. With all of the injustice in the world right now, you can become easily overwhelmed or desensitized. But when you have a real relationship with someone different than you, you gain a much greater understanding. Problems become real when on the other side of the problem is a person you know.
In our effort to “walk to the other side,” another critical step is to continue to educate ourselves.
EducateI have found that with the topic of racism, many people will give opinions. It’s great to hear what others share but if we are going to really understand, it requires work on our part. It requires a level of intentionality.
Again, the wise man Solomon said in Proverbs 18:2: “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”
When it comes to educating ourselves in this matter, you must receive your education from more than one place. Even though we can learn and educate ourselves from more sources than ever, most people listen to the same echo chambers repeatedly. And it’s only making us more divisive as a whole. Quit listening to the same echo chambers, or simply, one talking head, especially if that talking head looks and sounds like you already. But, instead, listen, read, and watch a diverse mix to be clear-eyed about the situation. I hope you consider this blog, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you read.
Here’s what I would say is one of the critical things I have learned regarding this issue of black and white. I’m speaking for me. Some of my learning over the past few years deals with the fact that as a white person, I think it’s easy for me to look back at our history in our nation and say, “Well, as bad as things were, at least things are moving in the right direction now.”
It’s easy to point to a list of things going in the right direction.
In 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery.In 1870, the 15th amendment gave blacks the right to vote.In 1954 and 1955, Brown vs. the Board of Education and Rosa Parks helped give further rights back to the black community.In 1964, the Constitution officially ended segregation and discrimination based on race.In 2008, the first black president Barack Obama was elected.Despite those steps in the right direction, what we have seen in the past couple of years, has clearly shown us we haven’t arrived at the finish line. There is more work to do. Systemic oppression and persecution for centuries doesn’t just end with a law or two or a milestone or two or a figurehead or two change everything overnight and make things an even playing field.
Several years ago, I was convicted that I needed to be a part of the solution for racial reconciliation. But, unfortunately, I had a long way to go to educate myself properly. I felt like I had a very limited, sheltered experience growing up.
I enrolled in an initiative that brought together about 16 men and women of different races, genders, and professions to learn what it’s like to be a person of different skin color. As part of this initiative, we experienced three full-day field trips. One of those trips was to the local courthouse in Orlando, Florida.
What I experienced that day forever changed my perspective. I can’t un-see what my eyes saw. I’ll remember many things, but what stuck out to me the most was the pretrial hearings. Each defendant received about one minute in front of the judge in that room before they entered their plea. Every defendant, about 25 people in total, was either black or brown skin. Not one white person. Not one.
I know every story is different and unique. I understand that some white people have grown up in oppression, and some black people have grown up in riches. But overall, historically, it has been easier to succeed in America having white skin than black skin. And there are still differences that exist today. It’s why our black brothers and sisters have been crying out so passionately for decades.
Continue to educate yourself. Perhaps, on this MLK Jr. holiday, you will do as I’m doing and read his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”
After putting it in God’s hands through prayer and listening, and educating ourselves, we are ready for our fourth step.
ActSome of you might be thinking this isn’t my problem. I’m not a racist. Helping end racism is for someone else.
I think that most children of God don’t believe that they live with racism or bias in their life.
But, statistically, Christians are more likely to be considered racist than those who are not Christian. Unfortunately, hatred and bigotry are words people associate with Christians too often. And the church hour of the week is one of the most segregated hours of the week.
“Our research confirms the fear that the church (or the people in it) may be part of the problem in the hard work of racial reconciliation. If you’re a white, evangelical, Republican, you are less likely to think race is a problem, but more likely to think you are a victim of reverse racism. You are also less convinced that people of color are socially disadvantaged. Yet these same groups believe the church plays an important role in reconciliation. This dilemma demonstrates that those supposedly most equipped for reconciliation do not see the need for it.
More than any other segment of the population, white evangelical Christians demonstrate a blindness to the struggle of their African American brothers and sisters. This is a dangerous reality for the modern church. Jesus and his disciples actively sought to affirm and restore the marginalized and obliterate divisions between groups of people. Yet, our churches and ministries are still some of the most ethnically segregated institutions in the country.”
I think a more common problem for children of God in the pursuit of racial reconciliation is not sins of commission (a sin we commit) but rather sins of omission (something we omit or don’t do). A convicting thought I’ve had in my life regarding this issue, and I think it could be said of the church as well, is this, “Might it be that our greatest sin in this area is what we haven’t done and said?”
The closer I get to Jesus, the more I see how far away from Him I genuinely am.
I certainly have my list of sins that I have to confess to of things I have done, but I think my list of sins of omission would be far more damning and numerous than my sins of commission.
In the Letter from Birmingham Jail referenced above, King Jr. echoes similar thoughts to the above research. We are still struggling decades later with the same issue. Here are his sentiments:
First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
I come before you today knowing that I need to repent. I haven’t acted as much as I could have in some areas. But I know I’m not alone. Apathy and indifference are not the answer. The church is called to reject apathy and embrace action.
Our first action step is repentance. Repentance, though, does not mean that we return to life as it was. To repent means to turn. It leads to acting in a new way. Sadly, too many churches, pastors, and Christians got together to repent after the George Floyd tragedy, but then just went back to what they were doing. No, after repenting, we must act in a way that brings reconciliation. It’s up to the children of God to continue the work of Jesus in bringing peace to this world. Paul says it so clearly to us in these words of 2 Corinthians 5:17-21:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Yes, everyone needs to walk to the other side, whites to blacks, blacks to whites, police officers to blacks, blacks to police officers. Yes, yes, and yes. But those who have been reconciled, children of God, are called to take the first step.
We have a God who was proactive and not reactive for us.
Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
He did not wait for us to have it all together. He came down into our broken, messy stories. We have a God who crosses lines to love people in, not draws lines to keep people out. If you are a child of God and are any part of the church of God, you have the ministry of reconciliation.
So what do you do? Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” Your step might be different than mine, but take the first step today. Pray, Listen, Educate, Act.
Then we move to the fifth step, which, sadly, is most people’s first step.
SpeakYour first step doesn’t have to be posting something on social media to make it seem like you care. I’ve seen so many posts go awry due to ignorance or speaking in the heat of the moment.
Prayer, Listening, Education, and Action should all come before speaking. Please don’t hear me wrong, though. At some point, we are called to speak up. And it’s best done after action. Why?
Actions before words make your words more powerful.
We have been called, the Bible says, out of darkness and into His marvelous light so that we would declare His praises. There is a time to declare, speak, and proclaim God’s truth. The ministry of reconciliation requires the Gospel of Jesus. Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.
Pastor and Dr. Charlie Dates says, “Believers of color want their brothers and sisters to call out the injustice around them. They want to stand in unity in rebuking a wayward culture.”
The word unity is essential. The world doesn’t need your voice right now to bring division. I’ve seen so many posts lead to more division, political arguments, blame, and hatred. D.L Moody once said: “You may find hundreds of faultfinders among professed Christians, but all of their criticism will never lead one solitary soul to Christ.”
Rather than accusing blame, let’s encourage peaceful protests and voices that unify.
Here’s something you can say right now:
“Racism is real.”
You can wholeheartedly be against racism and injustice and wholeheartedly for honorable police officers. You don’t have to choose sides. But you do need to speak the truth. Racism is real. And it’s wrong. Even if you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Until we acknowledge the problem, we can’t be part of the solution. So we have to recognize it.
We are called to speak about this in our home, not just in public. So if we talk more about this in public or on social media than in our very homes, we have to ask what our motivation is.
And here’s another thing you can say:
“Racism is wrong.”
No one should ever be mistreated, hurt, or oppressed simply because of the color of their skin.
There is a great debate right now with the three words “Black Lives Matter.”
I understand the debate. It’s hard because, as a statement, those three words are entirely true. But, as a movement, it’s tough to stand for some of the things this movement is promoting.
But rejecting the truth that comes from this statement, or trying to alter it, is not helpful.
So many people will push back and say, “All Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, Unborn Lives Matter” Yes, Yes, Yes, and Amen. But sometimes, you have to be very specific and personal.
I have two kids. If one of my kids is left alone, abused, and hurting, I won’t go up to him and say your life matters as much as your brother’s. No, I would look at him and say, “You Matter” because I love the individual as well as the whole. When someone is hurting, they don’t need to hear the politically correct phrase; they need to hear your voice say “Your Life Matters.”
I have asked my black friends if my white voice really does matter regarding this topic.
Not everyone who is black may share their opinion, but they told me resoundingly, “Yes, we need your voice. You have a platform. And sometimes, white people will hear things differently from a white person than a black person. We are asking you to speak out on our behalf. We’ve been crying out for a while against this injustice, and we need your help. Please.”
So as a white pastor in the pursuit to let our black brothers and sisters know that their lives do matter, I would go so far as to say that white voices do matter in the pursuit of racial reconciliation. You cannot have reconciliation if only one party wants it. Therefore, the children of God of all colors must all use their unique voices and actions to bring the peace of God into this situation.
Another truth that must be shared when it comes to speaking. Too many Christians can be known for what they are against but not what they are for. So, yes, let’s speak up against racism, but let’s also speak up for diversity, equity, inclusion, loving our neighbors, etc.
After these five steps, I truly believe the 6th step is where we will start seeing some significant movement in this pursuit of racial reconciliation.
ExpectWhile we can take steps to help, only God can move mountains, part seas and walk on water. When you invite God’s power and presence into injustice and then use your unique calling and gifts that He has given to you, this is when God moves mightily.
You might feel like this will never get better. But our God has a history of coming down and making a way when it seems like there is no way.
For four centuries, there has been an injustice to the black community in our nation. How can we make a change now? You can’t, but God can.
Let us not forget that it was for four centuries that God’s people, the Israelites, were enslaved to the Egyptian superpower under the rule of King Pharaoh. Things were progressively worsening for the Israelite people, and now they had escalated. Innocent lives were being murdered as Hebrew baby boys were killed for no good reason.
At this time, God came down in a burning bush and said, “I have seen the misery of my people. I’m coming down to rescue them.”
When God turns an eye toward injustice, it will be defeated.
Injustice will bow down to the power of our mighty God. It will not prevail in the presence of God. Darkness doesn’t stand a chance in the light of God.
So what happened? God came down powerfully, working through human beings like Moses and Aaron, to bring deliverance to an entire race of people. He brought them out of four centuries of oppression and into a good life with His presence.
God right now is looking down at our nation. He sees those who have been hurting and oppressed for four centuries. He sees those who have been hurting for just a little while.
If you are trying to find where God is in all of this, He always positions Himself to be on the side of the oppressed and the mistreated. So, no matter who you are, if you are hurting, oppressed, and mistreated because of your skin color, or if you are continuing to serve faithfully as a police officer, God sees you.
When we bring God into racial reconciliation, we can expect God to move. You and I cannot change people’s hearts. But, through our prayers, our relationships, and what we say and do, we can give the Holy Spirit room to change people’s hearts. God is the one that changes hearts, but He invites you and me, the children of God, who have been reconciled by the grace of Jesus, to continue the ministry of reconciliation.
Please be a part of the solution.
PLEASE
Pray
Listen
Educate
Act
Speak
Expect
God will make this right. And until He comes back and we glorify and worship Him in His full glory, with every nation, every tongue, and every tribe, let’s do our part, knowing that Christ has already done His.
Today is not the first time that a great division has existed. In the New Testament, the Jews and Gentiles had a turbulent history and past and didn’t always get along. And these were words written by Paul to the two tribes. So as you read these words from Ephesians 2:13-20, may it help you grow in your expectation that God can and will bring reconciliation.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”
The world needs the peace that only Jesus can bring. You have that peace inside of you. Will you PLEASE help?
I’ll end with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s closing to the speech. These words summarized what would happen, if and when, this dream of equality was finally accomplished.
“When this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”
The post End Racism – 6 Biblical Steps to Pursue Racial Reconciliation appeared first on Red Letter Living.
January 5, 2023
3 Reasons We Don’t Hear God’s Voice
When Jesus sent out His 12 disciples, He said this to them:
Matthew 10:27: What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
The other day I was reading a devotion for my children at the breakfast table. Apparently, everyone in my family thinks I read and talk way too loud! So I read aloud because I see my kids’ attention quickly going away from what I’m saying! We were reading about the story of Elijah. He had single-handedly defeated hundreds of false prophets in a duel to prove who the real God was (found in 1 Kings 18-19). It’s a fantastic story of a faith-filled prophet who wouldn’t take anything from anybody.
But amazingly, after this incredible victory, this faith-filled prophet suddenly became a fear-filled prophet. After his success, the wicked queen Jezebel wanted to kill Elijah and became so scared. So he went on the run and contemplated suicide. Eventually, he ran to a cave where amazingly, God visited him.
As he was in the cave, there was an earthquake, a giant wind, and a fire. But God didn’t speak to Elijah in the earth, wind, and fire. Instead, His voice came to Elijah through a gentle whisper, and the whisper said to Elijah, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So after some back and forth, God sends Elijah out again by encouraging him, and then this faith-filled prophet is back on his way.
Many people struggle to hear from God even though they want to hear from God. For example, one year, I polled my church on the most important questions they had regarding their faith. The number one question they were seeking an answer to was, “How do I hear God’s voice?”
I believe we have a God who loves to relate to His children.
Dallas Willard says, “If God doesn’t speak today, then the greatest disservice we could ever do to people is to tell them that they could have a personal relationship with God.”
If we struggle to hear God’s voice in our life, the problem is not that God isn’t speaking; it’s that we aren’t listening.
Here are three reasons why we struggle to hear God’s voice today. Additionally, here’s a sermon of mine about hearing and discerning the voice of God.
1: Busyness
Let me boldly say that you can’t do everything you are currently doing. We are more and more stressed today than we were a year ago, and the statistics are only getting more discouraging. Until we figure out what life is about, spend our time, energy, and priorities on those things, and stop trying to do everything that everybody asks us all the time, we will burn out and be too busy.
Something has to change. Here’s a practical thing I’ve implemented in my life that I learned from Carey Nieuwhof’s High Impact Leader Course: Decide what you will do ahead of time.
Someone else’s priorities will quickly become yours if you don’t know what you need to do. For instance, think about this. You will never be asked to complete your top priorities. They will only ask you to achieve theirs. That’s why they email you, right?
As a pastor, I’ve never gotten an email from anyone saying, “Hey Zach, will you make sure you spend 5 hours today working on your sermon so that it’s awesome on Sunday?” Instead, the emails I get are “Hey, can I meet up with you,” or “I need to talk, can you meet,” or “I need help with this….” And if you aren’t careful with your time, you won’t get your stuff done because you’ll be completing other people’s stuff.
If you aren’t careful and don’t schedule a time to BE with God (remember, BEING is one of the five targets of great disciples, and I would argue the most important), how can you expect to hear God’s voice? So be intentional about scheduling time with God. Amid your busyness, decide ahead of time when you will have your one-on-one time with God.
2: Competing Voices
God could be speaking to you clearly, but if everyone else is screaming at you, you won’t hear him.
Usually, I never want to watch or listen to TV commercials. Instead, I’ll record something so that I can fast-forward through them. The only time I may want to hear TV commercials is during the Super Bowl. But what’s crazy is I usually can’t listen to them because many others surround me as we watch the “Big Game” together. When everyone else is talking, even though I want to hear the commercial, I’m unable to amid the competing voices.
This is a small picture of what it’s like in our world today. There are so many competing voices that we often don’t hear God’s voice in the midst of it. Perhaps there are no louder voices than the digital ones coming at us: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch (you can tell I’m an Apple fan, huh?!), social media, etc. It’s all right in front of us, and it’s hard to drown out those voices when we are constantly “on” to the world’s voices. If I get a notification on my wrist every minute from my Apple Watch, how can I expect to hear God’s voice in the midst of that?
Kids between 8 and 18 spend 7.5 hours daily, 53 hours a week on screens. Then some of us will bring our kids to 1-1.5 hours of church on a Sunday. God barely has a chance with all these other competing voices. Social media and the digital world need to have their place.
What rules can you set in your house?
Screen basketSet a time every day when your devices are offNo devices until you’ve spent time with GodFind something that works for you. And, as a side, one of my pet peeves is when parents complain about their children’s screen time. That’s not your child’s fault; that’s your fault as a parent. You get to set the rules when that child is under your roof.
I’ve written more on how to master your smartphone and not be dominated by it in this blog.
You have to turn down the world’s volume to hear God’s voice.
I’ve also noticed that the enemy’s voice is much louder than God’s. It feels like the enemy is shouting while God speaks in a still, small, gentle whisper.
Why is this? It’s because God reminds you that He doesn’t need to shout. The enemy must shout because he is busy prowling around, seeking someone to devour. He doesn’t want to get close to you or spend time in a relationship with you. No, he wants to shout something so loud at you and then keep moving on. But God, He’s right by your side. He’s close. He’s near. His voice is still speaking, but is your life so filled with distractions that you can’t hear him?
God can speak to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Still, I wonder how often we miss hearing from God because we don’t spend time quieting the noise of this world.
3: Fear
Many people can’t hear God’s voice because they’re unsure if they want to. Deep down, they know they aren’t living in a God-honoring way, so rather than coming close to God, they run further from Him. They fear that if God speaks, His voice will condemn them further and bring even more shame and guilt than they are going through. This is a lie from Satan.
Much of the problems we experience in this world come from listening to the enemy’s lies far more than God’s truths.
I have good news for you. When our God speaks, he speaks words of encouragement meant to save you, not to condemn you (John 3:17).
It is, after all, God’s kindness that leads us to change.
If you’ve not heard God’s voice because you’ve been avoiding it, remember that God has welcomed sinners back from the beginning of time. You, my friend, are no different.
There is nothing too big or extreme that you could have done that God wouldn’t welcome you back home. So today, hear God’s whisper to you: “Come back. I love you. You are my child. I’ve got big plans for you.”
Which of these three, busyness, competing voices, or fear, do you struggle with the most?
21 Days of Prayer Challenge!
Want to study more about hearing God’s voice? Join us for a 21 Days of Prayer Challenge. It’s starting this Sunday, January 8th-28th. You can join me on YouTube daily at 6:33 AM as we grow in prayer together. So, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and let’s start the year hearing the voice of God! For more info on the FREE challenge, go here.
The post 3 Reasons We Don’t Hear God’s Voice appeared first on Red Letter Living.
December 14, 2022
5 Reasons to Launch a 40 Day Challenge in January 2023!
Is it me, or are pastors’ mindsets starting to turn slightly? In a poll with more than 200 pastors responding, 75% reported feeling optimistic or hopeful coming into 2023 (numbers taken from my Red Letter Pastor’s Group and Carey Nieuwhof’s Art of Leadership Academy).
Praise God! We’ve had some long years these past few years, so I am glad many of you are feeling optimistic coming into 2023! And, even if you are not quite feeling hopeful yet, I’ve got a question for you:
Pastors, how would you like 692 hours of FREE staff time done for you?!
Yes, you heard me right! Our hope is that you run hard right now, celebrate the birth of Jesus like never before, and finish the year strong. You can do all this because when you come into 2023, you’ve already got 692 hours of work (hour breakdown below) done for you!
As you plan your 2023 calendar, January is the perfect time to do a churchwide challenge. Seriously, over the past four Januarys, we’ve literally helped propel hundreds of churches into the New Year with a 40-day challenge to help them become greater disciples. Along the way, these challenges have increased their small groups, grown their worship attendance, and brought unity to their church as they’d never seen before. Amazingly, all those things happened without bringing more exhaustion or weariness to the church staff!
So, in light of that, let us help you start 2023 with a BANG! Here are five reasons why launching a 40-day challenge in the New Year is perfect for you!
Oh, we have a 48-hour coupon that is good for any challenge at the bottom of this blog.
Get 692 hours back for your church staff!
It would take you and your team at least 692 hours to create the first drafts of all the resources and daily materials needed for 40 days. Or you can partner with us, launch a 40-day challenge in your church, and utilize the thousands of hours we’ve put into each 40-day challenge. Plus, we’ve got the proven results of more than 800 churches!
We’ve created these 40-day challenges to be as turnkey as possible so pastors and their church staff can give their all in other matters. Included with our 40-Day Challenges are FREE sermon manuscripts and videos, small group materials, kids’ curriculum, graphics package, etc. In addition, there are kids’ workbooks available to help kids learn and be challenged in their faith. We’ve even created training videos for FREE for you to help you learn how to implement a 40-day challenge in your setting. Here’s the estimated time investment it would take for you to produce first drafts of similar things we’ve created:
6 sermon manuscripts: 20 hours/per sermon = 120 hours6 sermon videos: 3 hours/per video = 18 hours6 weeks of kid’s curriculum: 15 hours/per week = 90 hours6 weeks of small group study guides: 3 hours/per week = 18 hours6 weeks of teen small group study guides: 3 hours/per week = 18 hours6 weeks of small group video writing, filming, and editing: 20 hours/per video = 120 hours100+ graphics: .5 hours/graphic = 50 hours12 How-to-Videos for how to launch a 40-day challenge: 1/hour per video = 12 hours41 daily devotionals: 3 hours/per daily devotional = 123 hours (for first drafts)41 daily kid’s devotionals: 3 hours/per daily devotional = 123 hours (for first drafts) People are open to change at the beginning of the year.
Let’s face it! Many people set new goals and resolutions as the new year begins.
There are no better goals, resolutions, or habits to put into place than what Jesus calls us toward. The success behind accomplishing New Year goals and resolutions (which Jon Acuff, author of Finish, says is only 8%) is those who have just enough discipline to create new habits. Not all habits are created equal, however. As people are thinking about the new year and bolstering their faith, there is no one greater to learn habits from than Jesus Himself. So why not invest 40 days into the life, words, and habits of Jesus to give your people something that will make next year their most significant year ever!
Nothing brings unity like Jesus!
The last few years have been ripe with division. Staying unified has been challenging, whether due to opinions on the pandemic, masks, vaccines, or rising racial and political battles. I recently heard thought leader Carey Nieuwhof say that only 9% of pastors reported no division amongst their churches in the last 18 months. The answer for how to cut through division is Jesus. As we study the life of Jesus, people will find themselves immersed into not only a great model and teacher but a great Savior and Lord. The more people experience Jesus, the more unified your church will be.
A resource for in-person and digital!
The church has gotten more complicated as we seek to create engaging in-person worship experiences while still ministering to our online audience. Our 40-day challenges are meant to make your Sunday services great and tie your physically divided churches together during the week with ready-made small group materials, daily readings, social media posts, etc. Churches of the future will be looking for resources to not only help them have a tremendous in-person experience on the weekend but also help their people Monday-Saturday.
A 40-Day Challenge will Produce Results All Year Long!
We’ve heard countless stories of people who have completed a challenge in our books that will then go on and continue to implement the same challenges after the fact. So what can you expect? There will be people in your church as a result of these 40-day experiences that will grow in their relationship with God, forgive someone they never thought they would be able to forgive, serve in a more meaningful way, be generous towards your church and community, and share the Gospel with those in their lives. As individuals grow in their faith and become greater disciples, it will transform your church!
What are you waiting for?
Take the next step. If you are a pastor, you can request a FREE copy of a 40-day challenge, and we will mail it to you. No strings attached. And if you decide to move forward with a church challenge, we’d be honored to work with you. We have some ready-made church packs ready to go at this link.
And, for reading this far along, we’ve got a coupon for $100 off any order on our website over $1000. So, start with our bestseller Red Letter Challenge, move forward with Being Challenge, or embark on a 40-day journey leading to freedom with Forgiving Challenge. Just enter “NewYear100” at checkout.
If your New Year is already spoken for, Lent 2023 is right around the corner too. So lock it in now, and we’ll still honor that coupon above. But hurry, it’s only good for 48 hours.
Let’s start 2023 by bringing people back into a relationship with the incredible God we serve!
The post 5 Reasons to Launch a 40 Day Challenge in January 2023! appeared first on Red Letter Living.
December 9, 2022
26 Ideas for How Your Church can Overcome the 5 Main Obstacles to Evangelism
The state of our faith in our nation is in rapid decline. This may surprise you, but the majority of people in 2022, 63%, still self-identify with the Christian faith. You would think with that high percentage that collectively, our reach and influence would extend across every spectrum, but sadly, we seem content to remain silent on the margins. While 63% of people is still a significant majority, over the past decade, that number has slid down from 74%. 11% may not sound too extreme, but that represents nearly 35 million fewer people in a decade who no longer identify with Jesus being their Savior. Pew Research has done some future charts to show that if things remain similar, those with the Christian faith will no longer be the majority between 2050-2070. That is not far off; literally, one or two generations away.
Over the past few months, I’ve interviewed 12 lead pastors in Omaha, NE, about the state of evangelism in their churches. I’ve done this in partnership with a group called Within Reach, a group of pastors working together to reach the city of Omaha for Jesus. It’s truly a remarkable organization, and I’m proud to play a small part in it.
Thom Rainer, founder, and CEO of Church Answers, believes we are now living through the death of evangelism in the North American church. His company has been tracking data in the church since 1996. They’ve looked at the primary purposes of the church, like evangelism, discipleship, ministry, worship, fellowship, and prayer. As they’ve analyzed the data over 25+ years, they have noticed that the “evangelism number almost looks like nothing but a downhill rollercoaster.”
People in the church are concerned about this decline, but the activity is still dropping. He says those concerned about it “don’t know what to do about it.”
To summarize, we are aware of the problem of the state of evangelism, but we are not clear on the answer.
I grew up on the tail end of what’s known as the “Evangelism Explosion” model. Of course, some will knock this model, and our world has changed since this method became popular. But can I be honest with you? Any model, even if it’s ineffective, is better than no model at all.
These interviews have opened my eyes to what’s happening in the church world regarding evangelism. In addition, I’ve seen common trends in obstacles the church faces that emerge from these conversations. Hopefully, by seeing these trends, we can come up with an effective strategy to combat these obstacles.
Listed in the blog are not just five obstacles, but 26 ideas and resources that we can use to help our churches in our pursuit to bring new life and energy to the state of evangelism.
People are too busy.
When I ask someone how they are doing, one of the most common responses is, “Busy.” That’s crazy!
Corrie Ten Boom once said, “It the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.”
The number one obstacle that showed up in my interviews was the overall busyness of our culture today. It could be a variety of reasons that people are busy:
Choosing our career and working long hours in our pursuit of the American DreamIdolizing their children’s sports or activities (this specific example came up more than any others in my interviews)Choosing entertainment and social media over their faithWe want to please other people, and so we say “yes” to things we ought to say “no” to
Another possible reason is that people don’t intentionally think about how they spend their time. I actually believe people are far less busy than they think they are. The problem is that they choose to spend their time on things that don’t bring fulfillment.
As churches, we must preach against and provide resources that bring to light the evil of the rushed, hurried, and frantic pace that many live. It’s also crucial that we help people spend their time wisely. Anxiety, worry, stress, loneliness, and depression are all trending in the opposite direction. When will we learn that just filling a calendar does not equal a fulfilling life?
Recommended ideas and resources:
John Mark Comer: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: Comer masterfully paints how busy and hurried we are as a society and gives practical tips and tools on how we can be more as Christ has called us to be. Consider using this in your small groups through a website like RightNow Media.Being Challenge: A 40-Day Challenge to Be Like Jesus: Only one person ever existed in a perfect relationship with God, and His name is Jesus. This book will introduce you to five keystone habits that Jesus practiced to “be” with God, giving you specific challenges to help you along the way.Carey Nieuwhof: At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor: Nieuwhof’s book (and my preferred option, his online course) really helped me understand the value of calendar blocking and doing what I’m best at when I’m at my best. Consider getting access to this online course or book for your entire staff.Provide a calendar worksheet to pass out to those in your church to see how much time and margin they actually have. Email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com, and we’d be happy to send you a sheet.Individualism has created fewer friends.
The rise of technology and smartphones present us with more opportunities than ever to connect with others. The result? North Americans have never statistically been as disconnected as we are right now. And the disconnection is resulting in more loneliness than ever in our nation. The younger you are, likely the lonelier you feel.
Here’s the thing about statistics. Those numbers have real people behind them.
We shouldn’t be shocked at the rise in loneliness because, since our nation’s existence, we have celebrated individualism. But, while individualism has some positive elements to it, it becomes the opposite of the life that Jesus calls us to live when lived out to its fullest.
Individualism is perhaps most seen in the following slogans of our day:
You be you.Find yourself.Follow your heart.Have it your way.
When we are taught to pursue our interests and heart and go with our feelings, it often leads to very lonely lives. Many spend their “off” hours binge-watching Netflix, scrolling through social media feeds, planning and going on vacations, and trying to fill every waking hour with entertainment options to avoid boredom. Most Americans don’t know most of their neighbors—and they barely talk to the ones they do know. It’s tempting after a long day of work to drive home, close the garage, and tune the rest of the world out.
Left to our own devices, we will often choose what is most comfortable at the moment. And what is most comfortable is typically the comforts of your own home.
Americans have fewer friends than ever. In just 30 years, we’ve seen the number of friends rapidly decrease. In 1990, 33% of Americans reported having ten or more close friends. Now, it’s lower than 13%. Similarly, in 1990, 73% of people had more than three close friends. Currently, only 51% do. Our friendship circles are getting smaller. And, if our goal is to tell the Good News of Jesus to others, and the most winsome strategy is to be friends, and in a relationship with another person, then it’s no wonder our evangelism numbers are declining.
If our people are suffering from this, so are pastors. Sometimes I wonder if we struggle with this more than the average person. As a pastor, it is so easy for me to surround myself naturally in a Christian bubble. Without intentionality, I could go a long time without having a significant relationship with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. That’s comfortable for me. But it’s not right.
If we want our evangelism efforts to be strong in churches, we must push people towards relationships and out of individualism.
Recommended ideas and resources:
BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World by Dave Ferguson: An excellent, practical, simple-to-read, and implement book on how to be better and more intentional neighbors.Give your church members some money to throw a block party. Especially in the urban areas, one of the number one needs that those in the community wanted were block parties. Small Groups: Go all-in on small groups at your church. Did you know that we’ve worked with more than 1000 churches to help grow their small groups? I’ve created a FREE, super-simple, easily-doable 5-step guide to grow your small groups. Find it here. Challenge each church member to start a new project with at least 3-5 new people in the coming year. Provide a list of project ideas to help them.For those who are surrounded by only Christian friends, ask them to join a sports team, club, or business group.Churches are too inward-focused.
Not all of the obstacles of evangelism’s root problems are because of our people. Some are because of our leadership. In my interviews, many lead pastors admitted that they offer far too much inside the church walls. This left no time to do anything outside of the church.
I can relate.
I had just planted a church in 2011, and my core group was extremely solid, loyal, and committed to the inward-focused aspects of the church. They were generous, showed up way more than the national average for weekly worship, and volunteered to help with things inside the church. But, I noticed any attempt to push them outside the church walls, specifically serving others in the community or inviting their friends to come to church, seemed to fall on deaf ears.
I had no other ideas for mobilizing an entire church, so I challenged the church to do what Jesus said. I took 40 random commands of Jesus, wrote blogs to go with them, and challenged them to do what Jesus said literally. Over time, this idea of hearing and doing the words of Jesus would develop into Red Letter Challenge.
When you look back at the words of Jesus, over and over again, Jesus calls us to go. To make disciples. To preach the Good News. To share our faith. To be a worker in the field. Even Jesus’s final words before His ascension describe His followers as witnesses to the ends of the earth. Yet, the structure of the churches that many of us have either inherited from previous generations, or built ourselves, are primarily centered around a model that takes most of its time, energy, and priorities in caring for its own.
There is nothing inherently wrong with building facilities and having excellent worship services. But, when a church becomes known for only what happens inside its four walls, we have a severe problem. To be a pastor and focus your time, energy, and priorities on those who already attend inside the four walls of your church may be comfortable for you, but it’s not right. To extend beyond the four walls of the church and to seek those who are lost, sometimes even at the expense of those who are found, is highly uncomfortable, yet this is what God calls us to do.
Recommended ideas and resources:
Red Letter Challenge : In the bestselling Red Letter Challenge, readers will understand how important it is to be a disciple and learn five targets for how to follow Jesus. The targets include challenges that will get the people into the community and world to make a difference for others.Look at numbers in your church to determine what percentage of staff hours, budget, and volunteering goes towards things inside the church vs. outside of the church.Link up with non-profit organizations in the community that will provide opportunities not only to give financially but to volunteer or serve regularly. Put these non-profit organizations before your people periodically and share testimonies of those whose lives are being impacted.Serving Challenge: Coming out in the Fall of 2023, this 40-day challenge, more than any other, will get your people outside of the walls of your church to serve like Jesus. Join the waitlist here.Do a BIG push as an organization to have everyone in your church volunteer or serve in the community for a week. Here’s a great model that Within Reach in Omaha, NE, uses called CityServe.Many churches lack a strategy for evangelism.
Nearly every pastor I spoke with believed that evangelism is crucial. Many said it was one of the most vital things that they do. But pastors were truly split on whether or not they actually had an evangelism strategy or plan.
I believe the church has a problem indicative of most Christians in North America. I do not think we have an intention problem in our nation regarding living out the call to follow Jesus. But, while we don’t have an intention problem, we do have a planning problem. To want something but not create a plan, strategy, or system to accomplish the desire would be extremely foolish. And yet, this is the reality for many churches. They desire to excel in evangelism but have no clear system, playbook, strategy, or measurables. It’s a confusing message.
Intention without direction always leads to confusion.
If we say something is essential yet have no strategy for it, it’s not really that important. So, pastor, how would you characterize your church’s plan for evangelism? How would the rest of your church describe how they fit into the plan?
In the complex world in which we live, each church ought to have its own unique strategy. So rather than doubling down and thinking that your evangelism strategy should fit every church, a healthier attitude recognizes every church will look different.
In the churches with an evangelism plan, I was amazed at the diversity of strategies found in the same city. I was intrigued and impressed by the various ways God can work through each church. Here are a few examples:
A suburban church multisite features a uniquely gifted, once-in-a-generation communicator and a charismatic leader. Their approach to evangelism is to train those who attend to invite others to attend the weekend services. Then, when a guest does show up, they will hear the Gospel presentation every week and be given a chance to respond. This strategy is wrapped around the weekend service, and though it may appear to be old-school, this church happens to be a part of the largest church in our nation. Another church heavily focuses on pre-conversion efforts. In other words, they focus on deconstructing some cultural assumptions or beliefs that people may have about Christians. Their evangelism strategy, then, is to use their weekend services to train their people how to engage in apologetics and, additionally, how to use their own homes in their neighborhoods to bring everyday people into groups. Their services are less seeker-friendly and almost more of an apologetics training ground that helps foster groups in every neighborhood they live.An urban church has a pastor with a gift and desire to start kingdom-minded businesses, especially amongst the black community. So, rather than the traditional model, this church focuses a lot of its evangelism efforts on bringing good to the community through starting new businesses. As they launch a business incubator school and entrepreneur training, they are then allowed to share the Gospel of Jesus with others.In 2010, a suburban church started a program called OneLife. The pastor wanted the people in his congregation to see that every person mattered. So they began asking the people in the church to nominate their neighbors, friends, or those in need around them. They would choose one person each week to bless with a special offering. They would then give that offering to the church member to present to their neighbor or friend in need. As they became generous and caring of others, it allowed them to share the Good News of Jesus with those they’ve helped. Many who had been helped would eventually become a part of this church and are now helping others.
Those are just a few of the many different ideas and examples that came from my conversations. The point isn’t that your church should match a, b, c, or d perfectly. Instead, your church needs to have an evangelism plan in place. Additionally, in all of the examples above, the strategy came out of the heart, the giftings, and the experiences of the lead pastor.
Recommended ideas and resources:
Write out or print out your evangelism plan (if already written). Ask the leadership of the staff what the plan is for evangelism at your church and record their answers. This will likely show you how straightforward (or not) your strategy is.If you are the lead pastor, identify what you are passionate about and how you came to faith or grew in your faith. Is there a model or strategy that you can employ that can be based on your experience?Choose to interview a few local pastors to hear their evangelism strategy. Hearing theirs can help inform yours.Many who attend church don’t believe it’s their personal responsibility.
One pastor I interviewed expressed his desire that people would feel the opportunity and the personal responsibility that each of them holds when it comes to evangelism. There is nothing quite like bringing a friend to know Jesus; we all want to experience that.
According to a recent Barna study, Christians increasingly believe that evangelism is the local church’s job, not personal responsibility. This number has nearly tripled in 25 years, from 10% in 1993 to 29% in 2018. Additionally, if you look at actions, only 52% of practicing Christians have shared their faith at least once with someone in the last year. With fewer and fewer people evangelizing combined with shrinking circles of friends, it’s time that churches rethink evangelism.
In the previous obstacle, we talked about the importance of having a strategy. Let’s get more specific about what I noticed in the growing churches. The growing churches employed an evangelism strategy with both a corporate solution and an individual responsibility.
Even though the evangelism strategy may be uniquely tied to the lead pastor’s heart, giftings, or experiences, each of the strategies employed their people to be a part of it. Your evangelism strategy needs to include every single person in your church. They need to clearly understand how they fit and the role they uniquely play in it.
For this, I turn to Rick Warren’s four truths about evangelism:
1. Each of us needs to accept personal responsibility.
We are God’s plan, and there is no Plan B. We are His ambassadors, and He is making His appeal through us. People need to understand that they don’t need to have a doctoral thesis on the Bible before they can start sharing the Good News. Jesus asks us to be His witnesses.
2. Develop a personal relationship.
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. So while a variety of evangelism strategies can and should take place today, everyone agrees that being in an honest, caring relationship with someone else can only help bring Jesus to someone’s life.
3. Share your personal story.
Evangelism is less about telling other people what is wrong with them; instead, it’s telling them what has happened to you. So when I challenge people to talk to someone else about Jesus, these are the two questions I encourage them to answer:
What has God done for you?What difference has God made in your life?
4. Give a personal invitation.
The church has much room to grow in helping people give an invitation not just to a church service but how to follow Jesus. Some evangelism models are still very tied to attending a church service, but even better is when we can begin training every person in our church to invite someone to believe in and follow Jesus.
Recommended ideas and resources:
Lead a weekend sermon series on the importance of evangelism, stressing the personal responsibility of every church member.Host an evangelism workshop, training, or small group series at your church.Host a role-playing evangelism night. The more we practice scenarios and dialogue about our experience, the better we will become. Use the role-playing guide here if you’d like.Challenge each person in your church to write out their testimony. Answer the questions “What has God done for you?” and “What difference has God made in your life?”Visit www.iamsecond.com to watch some incredible testimonies to help inspire others to write their own.One church employed a “My4” strategy. They would give people a card with four blanks. On each of the blanks, people would write the name of someone they would commit not only to pray for but also look for opportunities to share the Gospel within their lives.Highlight someone in your church who has a gift evangelistically and ask this person to share more about how they do what they do.Share regular stories publicly in your church service about someone sharing Jesus with a friend and its impact.Utilize the important people who have helped someone else come to faith more in the newly converted person’s baptism celebration at church.
I hope that by seeing the obstacles in front of us that we can now more effectively build out a plan. Jesus is the hope of the world. That’s why I’m not nervous, even if every statistic I see trends in the wrong direction. He wins. And those that are in Christ Jesus win. Have faith. Stand strong. But let’s not just sit idly by.
Let’s share the Good News of Jesus with the world, one person at a time.
Then, once we get them into our churches, that’s where discipleship comes into play. For more on that, see this blog.
Blessings!
Zach Zehnder
Growing your church ChallengeGrowing Your Church Challenge is an eBook that unpacks 10 Ideas to Grow Your Church for Little to No Money!
As we focus on getting people into the front doors of our churches, there are some really simple, practical, and inexpensive ideas that you can implement to grow your church.
What pastor or church leader doesn’t love growth and saving money?! In Growing Your Church Challenge, Pastor Zach unpacks the playbook that allowed his church to grow from his family to more than 800 in attendance in just 7 years.
The post 26 Ideas for How Your Church can Overcome the 5 Main Obstacles to Evangelism appeared first on Red Letter Living.
December 8, 2022
26 Ideas for How Your Church can Overcome the 5 Main Obstacles to Evangelism
The state of our faith in our nation is in rapid decline. This may surprise you, but the majority of people in 2022, 63%, still self-identify with the Christian faith. You would think with that high percentage that collectively, our reach and influence would extend across every spectrum, but sadly, we seem content to remain silent on the margins. While 63% of people is still a significant majority, over the past decade, that number has slid down from 74%. 11% may not sound too extreme, but that represents nearly 35 million fewer people in a decade who no longer identify with Jesus being their Savior. Pew Research has done some future charts to show that if things remain similar, those with the Christian faith will no longer be the majority between 2050-2070. That is not far off; literally, one or two generations away.
Over the past few months, I’ve interviewed 12 lead pastors in Omaha, NE, about the state of evangelism in their churches. I’ve done this in partnership with a group called Within Reach, a group of pastors working together to reach the city of Omaha for Jesus. It’s truly a remarkable organization, and I’m proud to play a small part in it.
Thom Rainer, founder, and CEO of Church Answers, believes we are now living through the death of evangelism in the North American church. His company has been tracking data in the church since 1996. They’ve looked at the primary purposes of the church, like evangelism, discipleship, ministry, worship, fellowship, and prayer. As they’ve analyzed the data over 25+ years, they have noticed that the “evangelism number almost looks like nothing but a downhill rollercoaster.”
People in the church are concerned about this decline, but the activity is still dropping. He says those concerned about it “don’t know what to do about it.”
To summarize, we are aware of the problem of the state of evangelism, but we are not clear on the answer.
I grew up on the tail end of what’s known as the “Evangelism Explosion” model. Of course, some will knock this model, and our world has changed since this method became popular. But can I be honest with you? Any model, even if it’s ineffective, is better than no model at all.
These interviews have opened my eyes to what’s happening in the church world regarding evangelism. In addition, I’ve seen common trends in obstacles the church faces that emerge from these conversations. Hopefully, by seeing these trends, we can come up with an effective strategy to combat these obstacles.
Listed in the blog are not just five obstacles, but 26 ideas and resources that we can use to help our churches in our pursuit to bring new life and energy to the state of evangelism.
People are too busy.
When I ask someone how they are doing, one of the most common responses is, “Busy.” That’s crazy!
Corrie Ten Boom once said, “It the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.”
The number one obstacle that showed up in my interviews was the overall busyness of our culture today. It could be a variety of reasons that people are busy:
Choosing our career and working long hours in our pursuit of the American DreamIdolizing their children’s sports or activities (this specific example came up more than any others in my interviews)Choosing entertainment and social media over their faithWe want to please other people, and so we say “yes” to things we ought to say “no” to
Another possible reason is that people don’t intentionally think about how they spend their time. I actually believe people are far less busy than they think they are. The problem is that they choose to spend their time on things that don’t bring fulfillment.
As churches, we must preach against and provide resources that bring to light the evil of the rushed, hurried, and frantic pace that many live. It’s also crucial that we help people spend their time wisely. Anxiety, worry, stress, loneliness, and depression are all trending in the opposite direction. When will we learn that just filling a calendar does not equal a fulfilling life?
Recommended ideas and resources:
John Mark Comer: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: Comer masterfully paints how busy and hurried we are as a society and gives practical tips and tools on how we can be more as Christ has called us to be. Consider using this in your small groups through a website like RightNow Media.Being Challenge: A 40-Day Challenge to Be Like Jesus: Only one person ever existed in a perfect relationship with God, and His name is Jesus. This book will introduce you to five keystone habits that Jesus practiced to “be” with God, giving you specific challenges to help you along the way.Carey Nieuwhof: At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor: Nieuwhof’s book (and my preferred option, his online course) really helped me understand the value of calendar blocking and doing what I’m best at when I’m at my best. Consider getting access to this online course or book for your entire staff.Provide a calendar worksheet to pass out to those in your church to see how much time and margin they actually have. Email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com, and we’d be happy to send you a sheet.Individualism has created fewer friends.
The rise of technology and smartphones present us with more opportunities than ever to connect with others. The result? North Americans have never statistically been as disconnected as we are right now. And the disconnection is resulting in more loneliness than ever in our nation. The younger you are, likely the lonelier you feel.
Here’s the thing about statistics. Those numbers have real people behind them.
We shouldn’t be shocked at the rise in loneliness because, since our nation’s existence, we have celebrated individualism. But, while individualism has some positive elements to it, it becomes the opposite of the life that Jesus calls us to live when lived out to its fullest.
Individualism is perhaps most seen in the following slogans of our day:
You be you.Find yourself.Follow your heart.Have it your way.
When we are taught to pursue our interests and heart and go with our feelings, it often leads to very lonely lives. Many spend their “off” hours binge-watching Netflix, scrolling through social media feeds, planning and going on vacations, and trying to fill every waking hour with entertainment options to avoid boredom. Most Americans don’t know most of their neighbors—and they barely talk to the ones they do know. It’s tempting after a long day of work to drive home, close the garage, and tune the rest of the world out.
Left to our own devices, we will often choose what is most comfortable at the moment. And what is most comfortable is typically the comforts of your own home.
Americans have fewer friends than ever. In just 30 years, we’ve seen the number of friends rapidly decrease. In 1990, 33% of Americans reported having ten or more close friends. Now, it’s lower than 13%. Similarly, in 1990, 73% of people had more than three close friends. Currently, only 51% do. Our friendship circles are getting smaller. And, if our goal is to tell the Good News of Jesus to others, and the most winsome strategy is to be friends, and in a relationship with another person, then it’s no wonder our evangelism numbers are declining.
If our people are suffering from this, so are pastors. Sometimes I wonder if we struggle with this more than the average person. As a pastor, it is so easy for me to surround myself naturally in a Christian bubble. Without intentionality, I could go a long time without having a significant relationship with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. That’s comfortable for me. But it’s not right.
If we want our evangelism efforts to be strong in churches, we must push people towards relationships and out of individualism.
Recommended ideas and resources:
BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World by Dave Ferguson: An excellent, practical, simple-to-read, and implement book on how to be better and more intentional neighbors.Give your church members some money to throw a block party. Especially in the urban areas, one of the number one needs that those in the community wanted were block parties. Small Groups: Go all-in on small groups at your church. Did you know that we’ve worked with more than 1000 churches to help grow their small groups? I’ve created a FREE, super-simple, easily-doable 5-step guide to grow your small groups. Find it here. Challenge each church member to start a new project with at least 3-5 new people in the coming year. Provide a list of project ideas to help them.For those who are surrounded by only Christian friends, ask them to join a sports team, club, or business group.Churches are too inward-focused.
Not all of the obstacles of evangelism’s root problems are because of our people. Some are because of our leadership. In my interviews, many lead pastors admitted that they offer far too much inside the church walls. This left no time to do anything outside of the church.
I can relate.
I had just planted a church in 2011, and my core group was extremely solid, loyal, and committed to the inward-focused aspects of the church. They were generous, showed up way more than the national average for weekly worship, and volunteered to help with things inside the church. But, I noticed any attempt to push them outside the church walls, specifically serving others in the community or inviting their friends to come to church, seemed to fall on deaf ears.
I had no other ideas for mobilizing an entire church, so I challenged the church to do what Jesus said. I took 40 random commands of Jesus, wrote blogs to go with them, and challenged them to do what Jesus said literally. Over time, this idea of hearing and doing the words of Jesus would develop into Red Letter Challenge.
When you look back at the words of Jesus, over and over again, Jesus calls us to go. To make disciples. To preach the Good News. To share our faith. To be a worker in the field. Even Jesus’s final words before His ascension describe His followers as witnesses to the ends of the earth. Yet, the structure of the churches that many of us have either inherited from previous generations, or built ourselves, are primarily centered around a model that takes most of its time, energy, and priorities in caring for its own.
There is nothing inherently wrong with building facilities and having excellent worship services. But, when a church becomes known for only what happens inside its four walls, we have a severe problem. To be a pastor and focus your time, energy, and priorities on those who already attend inside the four walls of your church may be comfortable for you, but it’s not right. To extend beyond the four walls of the church and to seek those who are lost, sometimes even at the expense of those who are found, is highly uncomfortable, yet this is what God calls us to do.
Recommended ideas and resources:
Red Letter Challenge : In the bestselling Red Letter Challenge, readers will understand how important it is to be a disciple and learn five targets for how to follow Jesus. The targets include challenges that will get the people into the community and world to make a difference for others.Look at numbers in your church to determine what percentage of staff hours, budget, and volunteering goes towards things inside the church vs. outside of the church.Link up with non-profit organizations in the community that will provide opportunities not only to give financially but to volunteer or serve regularly. Put these non-profit organizations before your people periodically and share testimonies of those whose lives are being impacted.Serving Challenge: Coming out in the Fall of 2023, this 40-day challenge, more than any other, will get your people outside of the walls of your church to serve like Jesus. Join the waitlist here.Do a BIG push as an organization to have everyone in your church volunteer or serve in the community for a week. Here’s a great model that Within Reach in Omaha, NE, uses called CityServe.Many churches lack a strategy for evangelism.
Nearly every pastor I spoke with believed that evangelism is crucial. Many said it was one of the most vital things that they do. But pastors were truly split on whether or not they actually had an evangelism strategy or plan.
I believe the church has a problem indicative of most Christians in North America. I do not think we have an intention problem in our nation regarding living out the call to follow Jesus. But, while we don’t have an intention problem, we do have a planning problem. To want something but not create a plan, strategy, or system to accomplish the desire would be extremely foolish. And yet, this is the reality for many churches. They desire to excel in evangelism but have no clear system, playbook, strategy, or measurables. It’s a confusing message.
Intention without direction always leads to confusion.
If we say something is essential yet have no strategy for it, it’s not really that important. So, pastor, how would you characterize your church’s plan for evangelism? How would the rest of your church describe how they fit into the plan?
In the complex world in which we live, each church ought to have its own unique strategy. So rather than doubling down and thinking that your evangelism strategy should fit every church, a healthier attitude recognizes every church will look different.
In the churches with an evangelism plan, I was amazed at the diversity of strategies found in the same city. I was intrigued and impressed by the various ways God can work through each church. Here are a few examples:
A suburban church multisite features a uniquely gifted, once-in-a-generation communicator and a charismatic leader. Their approach to evangelism is to train those who attend to invite others to attend the weekend services. Then, when a guest does show up, they will hear the Gospel presentation every week and be given a chance to respond. This strategy is wrapped around the weekend service, and though it may appear to be old-school, this church happens to be a part of the largest church in our nation. Another church heavily focuses on pre-conversion efforts. In other words, they focus on deconstructing some cultural assumptions or beliefs that people may have about Christians. Their evangelism strategy, then, is to use their weekend services to train their people how to engage in apologetics and, additionally, how to use their own homes in their neighborhoods to bring everyday people into groups. Their services are less seeker-friendly and almost more of an apologetics training ground that helps foster groups in every neighborhood they live.An urban church has a pastor with a gift and desire to start kingdom-minded businesses, especially amongst the black community. So, rather than the traditional model, this church focuses a lot of its evangelism efforts on bringing good to the community through starting new businesses. As they launch a business incubator school and entrepreneur training, they are then allowed to share the Gospel of Jesus with others.In 2010, a suburban church started a program called OneLife. The pastor wanted the people in his congregation to see that every person mattered. So they began asking the people in the church to nominate their neighbors, friends, or those in need around them. They would choose one person each week to bless with a special offering. They would then give that offering to the church member to present to their neighbor or friend in need. As they became generous and caring of others, it allowed them to share the Good News of Jesus with those they’ve helped. Many who had been helped would eventually become a part of this church and are now helping others.
Those are just a few of the many different ideas and examples that came from my conversations. The point isn’t that your church should match a, b, c, or d perfectly. Instead, your church needs to have an evangelism plan in place. Additionally, in all of the examples above, the strategy came out of the heart, the giftings, and the experiences of the lead pastor.
Recommended ideas and resources:
Write out or print out your evangelism plan (if already written). Ask the leadership of the staff what the plan is for evangelism at your church and record their answers. This will likely show you how straightforward (or not) your strategy is.If you are the lead pastor, identify what you are passionate about and how you came to faith or grew in your faith. Is there a model or strategy that you can employ that can be based on your experience?Choose to interview a few local pastors to hear their evangelism strategy. Hearing theirs can help inform yours.Many who attend church don’t believe it’s their personal responsibility.
One pastor I interviewed expressed his desire that people would feel the opportunity and the personal responsibility that each of them holds when it comes to evangelism. There is nothing quite like bringing a friend to know Jesus; we all want to experience that.
According to a recent Barna study, Christians increasingly believe that evangelism is the local church’s job, not personal responsibility. This number has nearly tripled in 25 years, from 10% in 1993 to 29% in 2018. Additionally, if you look at actions, only 52% of practicing Christians have shared their faith at least once with someone in the last year. With fewer and fewer people evangelizing combined with shrinking circles of friends, it’s time that churches rethink evangelism.
In the previous obstacle, we talked about the importance of having a strategy. Let’s get more specific about what I noticed in the growing churches. The growing churches employed an evangelism strategy with both a corporate solution and an individual responsibility.
Even though the evangelism strategy may be uniquely tied to the lead pastor’s heart, giftings, or experiences, each of the strategies employed their people to be a part of it. Your evangelism strategy needs to include every single person in your church. They need to clearly understand how they fit and the role they uniquely play in it.
For this, I turn to Rick Warren’s four truths about evangelism:
1. Each of us needs to accept personal responsibility.
We are God’s plan, and there is no Plan B. We are His ambassadors, and He is making His appeal through us. People need to understand that they don’t need to have a doctoral thesis on the Bible before they can start sharing the Good News. Jesus asks us to be His witnesses.
2. Develop a personal relationship.
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. So while a variety of evangelism strategies can and should take place today, everyone agrees that being in an honest, caring relationship with someone else can only help bring Jesus to someone’s life.
3. Share your personal story.
Evangelism is less about telling other people what is wrong with them; instead, it’s telling them what has happened to you. So when I challenge people to talk to someone else about Jesus, these are the two questions I encourage them to answer:
What has God done for you?What difference has God made in your life?
4. Give a personal invitation.
The church has much room to grow in helping people give an invitation not just to a church service but how to follow Jesus. Some evangelism models are still very tied to attending a church service, but even better is when we can begin training every person in our church to invite someone to believe in and follow Jesus.
Recommended ideas and resources:
Lead a weekend sermon series on the importance of evangelism, stressing the personal responsibility of every church member.Host an evangelism workshop, training, or small group series at your church.Host a role-playing evangelism night. The more we practice scenarios and dialogue about our experience, the better we will become. Use the role-playing guide here if you’d like.Challenge each person in your church to write out their testimony. Answer the questions “What has God done for you?” and “What difference has God made in your life?”Visit www.iamsecond.com to watch some incredible testimonies to help inspire others to write their own.One church employed a “My4” strategy. They would give people a card with four blanks. On each of the blanks, people would write the name of someone they would commit not only to pray for but also look for opportunities to share the Gospel within their lives.Highlight someone in your church who has a gift evangelistically and ask this person to share more about how they do what they do.Share regular stories publicly in your church service about someone sharing Jesus with a friend and its impact.Utilize the important people who have helped someone else come to faith more in the newly converted person’s baptism celebration at church.
I hope that by seeing the obstacles in front of us that we can now more effectively build out a plan. Jesus is the hope of the world. That’s why I’m not nervous, even if every statistic I see trends in the wrong direction. He wins. And those that are in Christ Jesus win. Have faith. Stand strong. But let’s not just sit idly by.
Let’s share the Good News of Jesus with the world, one person at a time.
Then, once we get them into our churches, that’s where discipleship comes into play. For more on that, see this blog.
Blessings!
Zach Zehnder
The Great Advent-ure
A FREE 25-Day Christmas Devotional!
The Great Advent-ure is a 25-Day Christmas Countdown with the Red Letter Kids.
If there is one word that can describe the holiday season, it’s busy! So when the three Perez children get locked in an attic until they complete a Names of God challenge, they are forced to slow down and work together to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
The post 26 Ideas for How Your Church can Overcome the 5 Main Obstacles to Evangelism appeared first on Red Letter Living.
November 20, 2022
What is Happening to Family Togetherness?
A significant obstacle to families today is space. There’s too much of it. The National Association of Homebuilders reported that the average size of homes is now over 2500 sq. ft.
Not only is our physical space widening but so is our mental and emotional space. We don’t want anyone too close. For example, each family member has a tablet, device, or screen. Every child has a sport or activity. For many kids, their closest community is their friends. Sadly, the same is true of many adults. Undistracted family time feels like an impossibility.
Christmas is a time to reclaim togetherness.
Before we can emotionally get close, we need to get close physically.
Snuggle in. Get comfortable with sharing personal space. This may look like turning off all the lights and lighting an Advent wreath at the dining room table. It might be piling into mom and dad’s bed for devotionals or turning on the fireplace and wrapping up with blankets to listen to the Christmas story. Perhaps togetherness happens in carline when everyone is physically the closest they will be that day.
All that togetherness is complicated too. The closer you get, the clearer you see cracks in others. But what if we didn’t just see the cracks, but we had a way to heal them? Togetherness through Advent devotionals can heal the cracks in your family.
Jesus never talked about Advent. It became a practice over 1500 years after He died. It may not be mentioned in the Bible specifically, but many verses address Christian practices in our homes and families:
Proverbs 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
1 Peter 5:2-3 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
Deuteronomy 6: 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
2 Timothy 3:14-16 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
Psalm 78:1-4 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
What is Advent?
Advent is a man-made tradition dating back to the 16th century.It comes from the Latin word adventus, which means ‘coming.’Advent is a season of waiting or anticipation before Christmas.Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas.Advent dates change yearly, but it always starts on a Sunday.Advent is often celebrated with the Advent wreath.In the 19th century, a German pastor took a wagon wheel and put 20 little white candles and four big red candles around it to use as a countdown to Christmas.Most Advent wreaths today consist of four candles. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, with one candle lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the color violet is a color that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice. The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy.
How can we practice Advent?
1) Use an Advent wreath. Put it in the center of your dinner table or common area. Take turns lighting and blowing out candles.
2) Use an Advent devotional book for daily readings.
3) Pick a time in your day that you can stick with: bedtime, carline, or even mealtimes all work as good times to create a habit with your child.
What do Advent Devotions Do For My Family?
1) Advent devotionals are a routine part of your Christmas celebrations.
2) It creates a simple countdown and incorporates faith in the excitement of the holidays.
3) Advent devotionals promote focus by igniting the senses: the smell of the candle after it’s blown out, the sight of the fire in a dim or dark room, and hearing stories and questions about faith.
4) Advent creates a time of quiet reflection in a busy and chaotic stream of activities.
5) It encourages discussion and establishes a ritual vital for healthy kids growing in their relationship with Jesus.
6) Advent devotionals create togetherness.
No one was more serious about togetherness than Jesus. He came down into the womb of Mary, which is as close as we can get to another human. He grew up with an imperfect family and spent time with them for 30 of his 33 years. He invited twelve disciples to live life with Him. Even when everyone abandoned Him on the cross, the first thing he did after rising again was to find his hiding disciples. He stopped at nothing to be together with them.
This is why Red Letter Kids is offering our brand-new twenty-five-day devotional, The Great Advent-ure. Each day consists of a reading with two discussion questions. We want to foster family togetherness. The Jesus that died for you loves you. That same Jesus longs for togetherness with you and your family. He brings peace, love, and kindness. Jesus will stop at nothing to see your family gather together with Him at the center. I pray blessings over your Christmas season and your time of gathering.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6
– Allison Zehnder
Kiersz, A. (2015, June 3). America’s houses are getting bigger. Retrieved from Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/house...
The Great Advent-ure
A FREE 25-Day Christmas Devotional!
The Great Advent-ure is a 25-Day Christmas Countdown with the Red Letter Kids.
If there is one word that can describe the holiday season, it’s busy! So when the three Perez children get locked in an attic until they complete a Names of God challenge, they are forced to slow down and work together to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
The post What is Happening to Family Togetherness? appeared first on Red Letter Living.
November 17, 2022
The 305 Questions Jesus Asked with One Shocking Discovery
I’m not the best listener. A couple of years ago, my extended family, for some odd reason, voted on who the worst listener in our family was. Somehow, I won the crown. Jokingly, when they told me this, I said, “What did you say? I wasn’t really listening.” And while it was done in an informal, casual, funny way, I haven’t forgotten that moment. And, even if it’s just a little bit true (which I’m sure it is), I don’t like that about me.
As we are at the forefront of a new year, I’m on a journey to see if I can become a better listener. Unlike some other goals or resolutions, it feels harder to measure. But one thing I’ve learned on this new journey is that a good listener asks good questions. So, if I want to be a better listener, I need to learn to ask better questions.
How do we grow in the art of asking better questions?
As a disciple of Jesus, there is no one I try to pattern after more than Jesus. So, I did what I knew was best: I literally found and recorded all the questions Jesus ever asked. There were 305 of them, and for your sake, you can find them all listed at the bottom of this blog. As I reviewed all 305 questions, I discovered 4 fascinating truths about Jesus’s questions. The fourth one truly shocked me.
As you read through my quick insights, feel free to comment below on what insights you would add about Jesus’s questions. After all, I’m listening! And your insight might just help me on my journey to be a better listener, which I’m sure my family would love!
1. Jesus asked curiosity questions.
Carey Nieuwhof has interviewed more than 500 people on his podcast. From my estimation, he has crafted the art behind asking great questions. He says, “Curiosity is your best friend as a leader. So when you’re interviewing, act more like a 6-year-old than a 36-year-old.”
The two best questions to ask if you are curious:
“How…”
“Why…”
Altogether, about 80 of the questions that Jesus asked are “how” and “why” questions. He asked questions like “Why do you doubt?” and “Why are you thinking these things?”
Great leaders remain curious. They want to know how and why things work, understand how and why people are the way they are, etc. What stands out to me even more, though, is that Jesus was not only fully man but also fully God. Jesus was omniscient, all-knowing. So, in one sense, Jesus didn’t have to ask curiosity questions. He already knew everything! And yet, He still did!
Why did he do this?
To help us grow in our faith. Some would argue that questions are opposed to faith, but I think it’s fairer to say that our faith and questions together form a powerful pair. Our faith grows more in uncertainty, doubt, and trying times than it does when everything is in perfect order. Jesus asking questions of curiosity allowed His listeners to wrestle with their faith.
2. Jesus asked open-ended questions.
As you scroll through the questions that Jesus asked, there aren’t many that could have a “Yes” or “No” answer. They go beyond the superficial “How are you doing” and “What do you do” questions that we typically start with.
On numerous occasions, Jesus would ask questions like “What do you want?” and “Why do you call me good?” These are questions that require the person to honestly think before responding. They likely can’t be answered quickly.
One of the things that prevent so many of us from asking good questions is that it feels like we are too hurried. If we ask open-ended questions and are genuinely interested in their answers, this means we need to have time for people.
Jesus, who had the most critical responsibility and task of anyone to ever walk this planet, was able to spend time going deep with family, friends, and sometimes even strangers. Do you have the time to do this?
3. Jesus asked challenging questions.
The heart of the Gospel is an invitation to be in a life-giving real relationship with God. This relationship includes the opportunity to follow Him daily, right here and now. As Jesus was announcing the Good News through preaching, teaching, and healing, He was unafraid to issue challenging questions to His followers and those listening.
Questions like “Will you really lay down your life for me?” and “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul?”
The invitation to follow after Jesus is the most incredible opportunity any of us will ever have. It is a life filled with significance, meaning, and purpose. But, to truly live out the faith that Jesus is inviting us into will require a substantial cost. To do anything of significance comes with significant challenges, and following Jesus is no exception.
As a pastor, I often wonder how much growth the church loses out on simply because we don’t ask or challenge our people enough. I think most pastors are skilled at proclaiming the justification of Jesus, but far fewer are skilled at challenging their people towards a life of holiness. It’s good to ask someone to believe in Jesus, but it’s deeper and more challenging to ask someone to follow Jesus.
Amazingly, only once in Matthew, Mark, and Luke does Jesus ask a question with the word “believe” in it. Of course, we should never abandon the invitation to believe in Jesus, but we certainly should frequently be challenging our people to truly follow Jesus.
4. Jesus didn’t ask when questions…ever.
We ask a lot of “when” questions.
“When will I find a spouse?”
“When will we have a child?”
“When will I get my dream job?”
“When will the pandemic be over?”
“When will the Cleveland Browns win a Super Bowl?”
“When will Jesus come back?”
I think that Jesus will be back before the Browns ever win!
Amazingly, not once, in all the 305 questions that Jesus asked, does Jesus ask a “when” question. So think about that, in everything we know that Jesus said, He never asks “when.”
While you will find the word “when” in 11 of His questions, never was “when” the question’s emphasis. For instance, Mark 22:35 says, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” Though the word “when” is in the question, the question’s emphasis is “did you lack anything?”
What could all of this mean?
Maybe “when” you live with an eternal framework as Jesus did, the “when” questions just aren’t as important. The more you have certainty and confidence in who Jesus is and the promises He declared, the less critical our “when” questions are. All of the “when” questions we ask may feel important at the time, and I don’t mean to trivialize what we go through in this life, but “when” you already know the outcome, you don’t need to live with worry. God is in control. More important to Jesus than when things happen is who we are following and how we are growing.
I hope that helps. Without further ado, here are the 305 questions that Jesus asks. Which one sticks out to you, and why?
Matthew:
1. 5:13 But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
2. 5:46: If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
3. 5:46: Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
4. 5:47: And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
5. 5:47: Do not even pagans do that?
6. 6:25: Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
7. 6:26: Are you not much more valuable than they?
8. 6:27: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
9. 6:28: Why do you worry about clothes?
10. 6:30: If this is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
11. 7:3: Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
12. 7:4: How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
13. 7:9: Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
14. 7:10: Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
15. 7:16: Do people pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
16. 8:26: You of little faith, why are you so afraid?
17. 9:4: Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
18. 9:5: Which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”?
19. 9:15: How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?
20. 9:28: Do you believe that I am able to do this?
21. 10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
22. 11:7: What did you go out into the desert to see?
23. 11:7: A reed swayed by the wind?
24. 11:8: If not, what did you go out to see?
25. 11:8: A man dressed in fine clothes?
26. 11:9: Then what did you go out to see?
27. 11:10: A prophet?
28. 11:16: To what can I compare this generation?
29. 11:23: And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies?
30. 12:3: Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
31. 12:5: Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
32. 12:11: If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
33. 12:26: If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
34. 12:27: And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out?
35. 12:29: Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man?
36. 12:34: You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?
37. 12:48: Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?
38. 13:51: Have you understood all these things?
39. 14:31: You of little faith, why did you doubt?
40. 15:3: And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
41. 15:16: Are you still so dull?
42. 15:17: Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?
43. 15:34: How many loaves do you have?
44. 16:8: You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?
45. 16:9: Do you still not understand?
46. 16:9: Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
47. 16:10: Of the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
48. 16:11: How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?
49. 16:13: Who do people say the Son of Man is?
50. 16:15: But what about you?
51. 16:15: Who do you say I am?
52. 16:26: What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
53. 16:26: Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
54. 17;17: O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you?
55. 17:17: How long shall I put up with you?
56. 17:25: What do you think, Simon?
57. 17:25: From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?
58. 18:12: What do you think?
59. 18:13: If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off?
60. 19:4: Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”?
61. 19:17: Why do you ask me about what is good?
62. 20:21: What is it you want?
63. 20:22: Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?
64. 20:32: What do you want me to do for you?
65. 21:16: Have you never read, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise”?
66. 21:25: John’s baptism—where did it come from?
67. 21:25: Was it from heaven, or from men?
68. 21:28: What do you think?
69. 21:31: Which of the two did what his father wanted?
70. 21:40: When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?
71. 21:42: Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes”?
72. 22:18: You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?
73. 22:20: Whose portrait is this?
74. 22:20: And whose inscription?
75. 22:31-32: Have you not read what God said to you, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”?
76. 22:42: What do you think about the Christ?
77. 22:42: Whose son is he?
78. 22:43: How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him “Lord”?
79. 22:45: If then David calls him, “Lord,” how can he be his son?
80. 23:17: Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
81. 23:19: Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
82. 23:33: How will you escape being condemned to hell?
83. 24:2: Do you see all these things?
84. 24:45: Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
85. 26:10: Why are you bothering this woman?
86. 26:40: Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?
87. 26:45: Are you still sleeping and resting?
88. 26:53: Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
89. 26:54: But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?
90. 26:55: Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?
91. 27:46: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Mark
92. 2:8: Why are you thinking these things?
93. 2:9: Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk?”
94. 2:19: How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?
95. 2:25: Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?
96. 3:4: Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?
97. 3:23: How can Satan drive out Satan?
98. 4:13: Don’t you understand this parable?
99. 4:13: How then will you understand any parable?
100. 4:21: Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed?
101. 4:21: Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?
102. 4:30: What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
103. 4:40: Why are you so afraid?
104. 4:40: Do you still have no faith?
105. 5:9: What is your name?
106. 5:30: Who touched my clothes?
107. 5:39: Why all this commotion and wailing?
108. 6:38: How many loaves do you have?
109. 7:18: Are you so dull?
110. 7:18: Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them?
111. 8:5: How many loaves do you have?
112. 8:12: Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign?
113. 8:17: Why are you talking about having no bread?
114. 8:17: Do you still not see or understand?
115. 8:17: Are your hearts hardened?
116. 8:18: Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?
117. 8:18: And don’t you remember?
118. 8:19: When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?
119. 8:20: And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?
120. 8:21: Do you still not understand?
121. 8:23: Do you see anything?
122. 8:27: Who do people say I am?
123. 8:29: But what about you?
124. 8:29: Who do you say I am?
125. 8:36: What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
126. 8:37: Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
127. 9:12: Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?
128: 9:16: What are you arguing with them about?
129: 9:19: How long shall I stay with you?
130: 9:19: How long shall I put up with you?
131: 9:21: How long has he been like this?
132. 9:23: If you can?
133. 9:33: What were you arguing about on the road?
134. 9:50: Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?
135. 10:3: What did Moses command you?
136. 10:18: Why do you call me good?
137: 10:36: What do you want me to do for you?
138: 10:38: Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?
139: 10:51: What do you want me to do for you?
140. 11:17: Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?”
141. 11:30: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?
142. 12:9: What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
143. 12:10-11: Haven’t you read this scripture: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?”
144. 12:15: Why are you trying to trap me?
145. 12:16: Whose portrait is this?
146. 12:16: And whose inscription?
147. 12:24: Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures of the power of God?
148. 12:26: Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?”
149. 12:35: How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?
150. 12:37: How then can be his son?
151. 13:2: Do you see all these great buildings?
152. 14:6: Why are you bothering her?
153. 14:14: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?
154. 14:37: Simon, are you asleep?
155. 14:37: Could you not keep watch for one hour?
156. 14:41: Are you still sleeping and resting?
157. 14:48: Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?
158. 15:35: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Luke
159. 2:49: Why were you searching for me?
160. 2:49: Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?
161. 5:22: Why are you thinking these things in your heart?
162. 5:23: Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk?”
163. 5:34: Can you make the bridegroom fast while he is with them?
164. 6:3: Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
165. 6:9: I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?
166. 6:32: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
167. 6:33: And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?
168. 6:34: And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?
169. 6:39: Can a blind man lead a blind man?
170. 6:39: Will they not both fall into a pit?
171. 6:41: Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
172. 6:42: How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?
173. 6:46: Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” and not do what I say?
174. 7:24: What did you go out into the desert to see?
175. 7:24: A reed swayed by the wind?
176. 7:25: If not, what did you go out to see?
177. 7:25: A man dressed in fine clothes?
178. 7:26: But what did you go out to see?
179. 7:26: A prophet?
180. 7:31: To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation?
181. 7:31: What are they like?
182. 7:42: Now, which of them will love him more?
183. 7:44: Do you see this woman?
184. 8:25: Where is your faith?
185. 8:30: What is your name?
186. 8:45: Who touched me?
187. 9:18: Who do the crowds say I am?
188. 9:20: But what about you?
189. 9:20: Who do you say I am?
190. 9:25: What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
191. 9:41: How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?
192. 10:15: And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies?
193. 10:26: What is written in the Law?
194. 10:26: How do you read it?
195. 10:36: Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?
196. 11:11: Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
197. 11:12: Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
198. 11:18: If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?
199. 11:19: Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out?
200. 11:40: Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
201. 12:6: Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
202. 12:14: Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?
203. 12:20: Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?
204. 12:25: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?
205. 12:26: Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
206. 12:42: Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?
207. 12:51: Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?
208. 12:56: How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
209. 12:57: Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
210. 13:2: Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
211. 13:4: Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
212. 13:7: Why should it use up the soil?
213. 13:15: Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?
214. 13:16: Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?
215. 13:18: What is the kingdom of God like?
216. 13:18: What shall I compare it to?
217. 13:20: What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?
218. 14:3: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?
219. 14:5: If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?
220. 14:28: Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
221. 14:31: Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
222. 14:34: Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
223. 15:4: Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
224. 15:8: Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
225. 16:11: If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
226. 16:12: If you have not been trustworthy in with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
227. 17:7: Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, “Come along now and sit down to eat?”
228. 17:8: Would he not rather say, “Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me, while I eat and drink?
229. 17:9: Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?
230. 17:17: Were not all ten cleansed?
231. 17:17: Where are the other nine?
232. 17:18: Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?
233. 18:7: And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?
234: 18:7: Will he keep putting them off?
235: 18:8: Will he find faith on the earth?
236: 18:19: Why do you call me good?
237: 18:41: What do you want me to do for you?
238: 20:4: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?
239: 20:15: What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
240. 20:17: Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?”
241. 20:24: Whose portrait and inscription are on it?
242. 20:41: How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David?
243. 20:44: How then can he be his son?
244. 22:11: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?
245. 22:27: For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?
246. 22:27: Is it not the one who is at the table?
247. 22:35: When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?
248. 22:46: Why are you sleeping?
249. 22:48: Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?
250. 22:52: Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?
251. 23:31: For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?
252. 24:17: What are you discussing together as you walk along?
253. 24:19: What things?
254. 24:38: Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your minds?
255. 24:41: Do you have anything here to eat?
John
256. 1:38: What do you want?
257. 2:4: Dear woman, why do you involve me?
258. 3:10: Do you not understand these things?
259. 3:12: How then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
260. 4:7: Will you give me a drink?
261. 4:35: Do you not say, “Four months more and then the harvest?”
262. 5:6: Do you want to get well?
263. 5:44: How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
264. 5:47: How are you going to believe what I say?
265. 6:5: Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?
266. 6:61: Does this offend you?
267. 6:67: You do not want to leave too, do you?
268. 6:70: Have I not chosen you, the Twelve?
269. 7:19: Has not Moses given you the law?
270. 7:19: Why are you trying to kill me?
271. 7:23: Why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?
272. 8:10: Women, where are they?
273. 8:43: Why is my language not clear to you?
274. 8:46: Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?
275. 8:46: If I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me?
276. 9:35: Do you believe in the Son of Man?
277. 10:32: For which of these do you stone me?
278. 10:34: Is it not written in your Law, “I have said you are gods?”
279. 10:36: What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?
280. 10:36: Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, “I am God’s Son?”
281. 11:9: Are there not twelve hours of daylight?
282. 11:26: Do you believe this?
283. 11:34: Where have you laid him?
284. 11:40: Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?
285. 12:27: Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?
286. 12:27: Father, save me from this hour?
287. 13:12: Do you understand what I have done for you?
288. 13:38: Will you really lay down your life for me?
289. 14:9: Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?
290. 14:10: Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?
291. 16:5: Where are you going?
292. 16:19: Are you asking another what I meant when I said, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me?”
293. 18:4: Who is it you want?
294. 18:7: Who is it you want?
295. 18:11: Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?
296. 18:21: Why question me?
297. 18:23: But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?
298. 18:34: Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?
299. 20:15: Woman, why are you crying?
300: 20:15: Who is it you are looking for?
301. 21:5: Friends, haven’t you any fish?
302. 21:15: Do you truly love me more than these?
303: 21:16: Do you truly love me?
304. 21:17: Do you love me?
305. 21:22: If I want him to remain alive until l return, what is that to you?
The following are questions that Jesus speaks, but He quotes from others. Therefore, I have not included them in His original questions.
Matthew 6:30, 7:22, 13:27, 18:33, 20:6, 20:13, 20:15, 22:12, 25;26, 25:37, 25:38, 25:39, 25;44
Mark 11:3
Luke 12:17, 16:2, 16:3, 16:5, 16:7, 19:22, 19:23, 19:31, 20:13,
Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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