Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 16
June 8, 2022
Helping Your Church Respond to the Generosity Warning Signs
Are you concerned with where your church finances are? Is your church’s overall money or financial situation something that you think about more than you know is healthy?
Today, it is my privilege to feature a blog by our friends at The Giving Church. One of the five targets of discipleship that Jesus most often teaches is giving. In fact, out of the five targets we detail in Red Letter Challenge, this is the one that He most frequently mentions. I’m convinced with all that Jesus says, it’s impossible to be a stingy Christian! So, how do we steward generosity, not only in our personal lives but in our churches as well?
In today’s blog, Phil Ling, founder of The Giving Church, will help us see that generosity warning signs already exist. Not long ago, they commissioned a study of more than 4000 churches and uncovered some data that will help us see some warning signs around generosity. This objective data is crucial for us today because it allows us to respond well for our future.
If you’d like to connect with Phil and his team, his contact information is at the bottom. They’d also love to give you a free PDF to help your church grow in its giving. What pastor wouldn’t want that?! You can find the 5 Keys to Grow Your Church Giving here.
Without further ado, here are Phil’s words for us today.
When the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra unleashed the cataclysmic tsunami on December 26, 2004, it propelled a storm estimated to have had the power of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. The storm radiated as far as 3,000 miles, and despite the several hours, it took from the time of the earthquake for the deadly waves to reach the devastated shores, nearly 230,000 people lost their lives that day. The puzzling part of the storm afterward was why some beaches, such as Phuket, Thailand, had been able to avoid disaster.
The answer was simple- they heeded the warning signs. In Phuket, a nine-year-old girl noticed quickly receding waters and a frothy foam head on the tops of the waves and immediately began to warn everyone. All 300 people on the beach were saved because they heeded the warning signs.
Two Big Warning Signs
The COVID-19 Pandemic has microwaved and accelerated warning signs for the American Church. The warning signs are clear as churches struggle to survive or face a very real financial lid to growth and world-changing ministries. Before the pandemic, our team studied the giving patterns of 4,000 churches. 45% of the average American church had givers that contributed less than $200 in a year. COVID-19 certainly has not impacted that number positively.
Church consumerism has created a mix-and-match buffet where families often identify with multiple churches in their community where the family attends different ministries. As donors become less attached to the church, discipleship of biblical generosity remains lacking, and leadership remains void. A storm is beginning to take shape that will place a lid on growth and ultimately extinguish churches. We have the warning signs.
The question remains: what will we do with them?
One Big Obstacle
What stops us from intentionally building and developing a culture of generosity? I’m convinced the answer to that question comes down to fear.
Amid the greatest depression ever seen, Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in as President of the United States on Saturday, March 4, 1933. On that day, he gave his 1,883-word, 20-minute speech that left a mark on Americans. He began the speech by dispelling the idea of fear by saying,
“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
I have seen fear bring paralysis to church leaders and pastors while turning advance into retreat when considering the concepts and ideas of teaching biblical generosity. Yet Jesus spoke and taught openly on the subject. I have seen churches take bold steps of caution because of a fear that permeates the topic.
So what can we do today in light of all of this?
Two Big Options
First, we can continue as usual. We can hope that the small minority who currently gives the majority continues to do so, and somehow, they will rub off on others. However, that strategy is short-sighted, and unfortunately, will only last as long as those donors survive within the church. It leaves the church open to disaster and destruction in the event of the death of a key donor or another critical crisis- such as COVID-19. At the most, this approach lasts for the current generation.
The second option is to prepare for the impending storm and build a generosity culture. Craft a clear, crisp, and compelling vision that elevates participation, creates momentum, solidifies unity, builds authentic relationships, and depends on a big God. Begin to teach biblical generosity and provide inception opportunities for new potential donors. Begin to embrace generosity as a critical ministry of your church from this point on- not just a plate passed on Sundays while we make announcements.
The options are simple. The outcomes are very different.
Churches that talk about generosity and genuinely begin to develop cultures of intentional generosity are the churches that will survive the impending storm. The warning system has been sounded. Will you heed the warning? Will you craft a clear, crisp, and compelling vision that elevates participation, creates momentum, solidifies unity, builds authentic relationships, and depends on a big God? If so, you will not just survive the impending tsunami but bring an impact to countless real lives for very real eternities.
About Phil Ling
Phil Ling is the founder of The Giving Church, helping churches leverage vision to grow cultures of generosity. Prior to providing energetic leadership and strategic direction to The Giving Church, Phil served as Vice President of Development for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and as Executive Vice President for INJOY Stewardship with John C. Maxwell, leading the mega-church capital campaign division. Phil has helped nearly 1000 churches realize their vision through generosity. If you’d like to reach out to Phil and his team at The Giving Church, click here.
The post Helping Your Church Respond to the Generosity Warning Signs appeared first on Red Letter Living.
June 6, 2022
004: Dave Ferguson on Church Planting in America Today
Church planting is the future of Christianity. This is why Dave Ferguson is so passionate about reaching his goal of seeing 16% of churches in America be either a reproducing or a multiplying a church. Dave also helps us see as individuals how we can love our neighbors well.
Season 1 of The Red Letter Disciple Podcast could not have been possible without our friends from The Giving Church. Did you know 45% of those that give to church give $200 or less in a year? The potential to increase giving is certainly in your church and The Giving Church can help you unleash greater generosity. Go on over to www.thegivingchurch.com/red and download a FREE PDF for how to grow your church’s giving!
Resources mentioned in the episode: Key insights from the episode:
Exponential Conference’s mission is to get 16% of the churches in North America to be level 4 (a planted church) or level 5 (reproducing churches.
Current Landscape of American churches:
35% declining35% plateau30% growingThe five different levels of church growth: 1) a church in decline, 2) a plateau 3) growing 4) reproducing church planting 5) multiplying: church multiplying itself. Usually, people only think of the first three levels of growth, but the goal ought to be level 4 and level 5. – Dave Ferguson
In order to get to level 4 or 5, you have to reproduce micro before macro. Make disciples inside the church before you can recruit disciples outside of the church. – Dave Ferguson
Overseas churches are rapidly reproducing disciples. Part of the reason we don’t see that same growth in the United States is that we can’t figure out how to multiply disciples. – Dave Ferguson
India and Africa are growing the fastest because they are planting the gospel and making disciples, not worrying about the logistics of the church. There it is less about the production and more about the relationship. – Dave Ferguson
When Dave gets it right, the practice he does to stay focused is his RPMs through Journaling: Read, Prayer, and Meditation.
Prayer doesn’t always need to start with talking, but with silence and meditation. Create space for the Holy Spirit to move. – Dave Ferguson
The 5 steps on how to love your neighbor (BLESS)
Begin with PrayerListenEatServeStoryDave’s Challenge of the Week: Have an “I See In You (ICNU)” conversation with someone. Encourage someone close to you and speak a blessing over them.
(Example: I see in you, Chris, a future on a video in Exponential Conference.)
Lead yourself (and your church) to be more like Jesus. Red Letter Challenge
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:
Top Parenting Tip: DON’T LET YOUR KIDS WIN. Hang on to every bit of athleticism as long as you can, because you will eventually lose to them. – Zach Zehnder
Most speakers really enjoy being parodied at Exponential Conference. – Dave Ferguson
Bohemian Rhapsody was sung to Max Lucado, which frazzled Lucado so much that he gave the wrong talk.
Francis Chan has the largest hands to frame ratio.
Dave Ferguson’s disaster attempt at discipleship was verbally assaulting people at Applebee’s.
Chris is high charisma, but low intelligence.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 004: Dave Ferguson on Church Planting in America Today appeared first on Red Letter Living.
May 30, 2022
003: Rebekah Gregory on Surviving the Boston Bombing
On April 15th of 2013, Rebekah Gregory was attending the Boston Marathon. She and her son were three feet away when the bomb went off, and miraculously, God protected them both. Today she shares what she’s learned from this tragedy and how it’s forever changed her life.
Did you know that a Boeing 747 is made up of over 6 million parts?! Even if we had all the parts, none of us would know how to put everything together. Only the experts would know-how. Speaking of experts, our friends at The Giving Church have helped more than a thousand churches raise more than a billion dollars for kingdom dreams to come to fruition. If you need help with anything financially, as small as coaching or consulting or as big as a capital campaign, let these experts help you put your kingdom vision together. Go on over to www.thegivingchurch.com/red and download a FREE PDF for how to grow your church’s giving!
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Here’s a great TikTok to introduce you to Rebakah’s sense of humor.
Here’s another hilarious TikTok
Key insights from the episode:
I believe it’s a privilege to struggle. – Rebekah Gregory
The emotional trauma had almost more of an impact than the physical trauma on me and my son. – Rebekah Gregory
There are very limited resources available to help kids work through PTSD. – Rebekah Gregory
It’s often where we’re most broken that our purpose is revealed. – Zach Zehnder
We’ve helped over 250 families receive therapy treatment for their trauma. – Rebekah Gregory
God makes good things happen out of the bad. – One of Chris’ mentors
Forgiveness isn’t for the other person. It’s for you. – Rebekah Gregory
I wanted him to look at me. I wanted him to know that he didn’t defeat me. – Rebekah Gregory
I got to stand in front of the biggest enemy of my life and tell him he didn’t win. – Rebekah Gregory
Throw your expectations for your life out the window and appreciate what it is right now. – Rebekah Gregory
Life is beautiful, and I’m very blessed. – Rebekah Gregory, amputee and survivor of the Boston Bombing.
Rebekah’s Challenge of the Week: Throw the expectations you have of your life out the window. Appreciate what you have right now. So, count your blessings, not your problems.
Lead yourself (and your church) to find freedom in forgiveness. Forgiving Challenge
Like Rebekah said in this interview, “Forgiveness isn’t for the other person. It’s for you.”
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.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Some fun insights about Rebekah:
Humor is key in Rebekah’s family.
Rebekah’s first new leg was named Felicia. Every new leg Rebekah gets has its own name and personality.
According to Rebekah, she’s on her last leg whether she likes it or not, so she’s going to have fun with it.
Rebekah is the coolest robot mom on the planet!
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 003: Rebekah Gregory on Surviving the Boston Bombing appeared first on Red Letter Living.
May 24, 2022
002: Zach Windahl on Why Reading the Bible Is So Hard
So many people start reading the Bible, get discouraged, and quit by Leviticus. Why does this happen? Today, Zach Windahl talks about the first time he understood the Bible, reconstructing his faith, and why he wrote The Bible Study.
Season 1 of The Red Letter Disciple Podcast could not have been possible without our friends from The Giving Church. Did you know 45% of those that give to church give $200 or less in a year? The potential to increase giving is certainly in your church and The Giving Church can help you unleash greater generosity. Go on over to www.thegivingchurch.com/red and download a FREE PDF for how to grow your church’s giving!
Resources mentioned in the episode:
B90X 90-Day Bible Reading Plan
Key insights from the episode:
Understanding the story of the Bible completely changes the reading experience. – Zach Windahl
So often, the Bible can be the most intimidating book in the world. – Zach Windahl
Whenever I’ve met someone struggling with their faith, it’s always been a problem with people. It’s never had anything to do with the Bible, Jesus, or their relationship with God. – Zach Windahl
Don’t let another person’s faith or actions justify your own deconstruction. – Zach Windahl
We need to actually give people the grace we preach about on Sundays. – Zach Windahl
God has incredible dreams for us if we’re open to hearing them. – Zach Windahl
When you look at the whole story of the Bible, you learn things that are hard to learn when you just look at pieces. – Zach Zehnder
If you’re struggling with believing in God, Luke and Acts are incredible books to start with. – Zach Windahl
If we don’t take care of ourselves physically, we aren’t going to become our best selves spiritually. – Zach Windahl
Did you know that studying Scripture is one of the 5 Keystone habits of Jesus? That’s right. If you want to go deeper into leading yourself (and your church) to building the habits of Jesus, we’d love to introduce you to the 40-Day Being Challenge.
Many Christians today aren’t great at maintaining the habits of Jesus.
Even the most “mature” Christians struggle with opening up in community, prioritizing prayer, and seeking regular solitude. But that doesn’t have to be your story.
The Being Challenge guides you through 40 days of practical, simple-to-understand challenges to help you learn, develop, and grow in the five keystone habits of Jesus.
You can learn more about the challenge here!
Some not-so-key insights:
Try to be as non-cheesy as possible. – Windahl
Chris is no longer allowed to sing on the podcast.
You probably shouldn’t name your coffee shop “He-Brews.”
Zach Zehnder purchased the entire P90X curriculum but only went through three days of it.
Chris has always dreamed of being a game show host.
Chris is not a totally fair game show host.
Watch the entire season for free:
We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 002: Zach Windahl on Why Reading the Bible Is So Hard appeared first on Red Letter Living.
May 17, 2022
001: Carey Nieuwhof on Leadership vs. Discipleship
Leadership and discipleship often look like two very different things. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Today, CEO, leadership expert, and founding pastor Carey Nieuwhof joins us for the first episode of the Red Letter Disciple Podcast.
Season 1 of The Red Letter Disciple Podcast could not have been possible without our friends from The Giving Church. Did you know 45% of those that give to church give $200 or less in a year? The potential to increase giving is certainly in your church and The Giving Church can help you unleash greater generosity. Go on over to www.thegivingchurch.com/red and download a FREE PDF for how to grow your church’s giving!
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Red Letter Challenge 40-Day Discipleship Challenge
The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast
Episode 1 of the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast with Andy Stanley.
Key insights from the episode:
Don’t despise small beginnings. – Carey Nieuwhof
Good leadership and discipleship can often look very similar. – Carey Nieuwhof
Jesus calls us to do things leaders wouldn’t normally do. – Zach Zehnder
As a leader, use your power for the benefit of others. – Carey Nieuwhof
Sometimes, doing the right thing is going to cost you. It’s worth the cost. – Carey Nieuwhof
You have three to five highly productive hours a day. Do your most important work in those hours. – Carey Nieuwhof
As a Christian, do your devotional time during your most productive time. It’s the most important thing you do, so it deserves your best attention and focus. – Carey Nieuwhof
The superpower we all need is focus. – Carey Nieuwhof
More and more people aren’t even touching anything electronic for the first few hours a day. – Carey Nieuwhof
Prioritize your kids when they’re at home. – Carey
If you work with your mind, relax with your hands. – Carey
If you listen longer than most people listen, you hear things most people never hear. – Carey
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:
“My mother always taught me that if I have nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all, so I’ll keep quiet.” – Carey when asked about people who have Traeger Grills.
Zach owns a Traeger Grill.
Chris occasionally mows the yard prematurely to avoid cleaning the house.
Off-brand Big Green Eggs are just as unacceptable as Traegers.
Carey still mows his own lawn.
Watch the entire season for free:
We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!
The post 001: Carey Nieuwhof on Leadership vs. Discipleship appeared first on Red Letter Living.
May 5, 2022
Everything You Need to Know about the Red Letter Disciple Podcast
Well, have you heard the news?! We are so excited to announce the first season of The Red Letter Disciple podcast is launching on May 17th!
Truly, I think this podcast could be the crown jewel for Red Letter Living! Before it launc hes, I wanted to write a quick blog about the vision behind this podcast!
Why launch a podcast?
Launching this podcast truly boils down to a stewardship issue for me.
For some reason, God put an idea in my lap 11 years ago: “The best way to follow Jesus is to follow Jesus.” I tried to be faithful to this, and over 7 years, I wrote Red Letter Challenge. After publishing the book, I thought that was the end of my stewarding that idea. But, as I continued to see God move mightily, and more and more of my colleagues were asking for next steps beyond the book, I felt called to continue to create resources that were Jesus-centered, simple to understand, highly practical, and challenging to complete.
What started as one book then turned into multiple books (especially with the help of my wife, Allison). Then, not long after, we added regular blogs, small group studies, ebooks, and YouVersion Bible reading plans.
In the past few years especially, I’ve come to understand that my unique role in this world is to continue to steward that original idea until the day that I die.
My life’s mission is to challenge people of all ages to become greater disciples. I am passionate about unleashing the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus possible. I believe that when we truly live as disciples of Jesus, the world will forever change. I want to do my small part in making that happen.
The podcast is a natural next step for us. As much as God is working through our printed resources, I want to continue to create different types of resources that engage with as many people as possible. I’m particularly excited about the podcast avenue because of the number of younger people listening to podcasts.
What’s unique about this podcast?
The podcast will feature 45-minute interviews with some world-class disciples and leaders.
In all of our resources, we try to be Jesus-centered, simple to understand, highly practical, and challenging. This podcast will be no different. In fact, the last question we ask every guest is to challenge our audience to do one thing in the coming week to grow as disciples. You are going to love hearing these challenges each and every week!
If there is something incredibly unique about this podcast, I think it is our desire and intent to bring great content and great entertainment. We believe that there is great joy in following Jesus.
I’ve brought my friend, Pastor Chris Johnson, onto the podcast as a co-host. Chris and I have worked together for years and built a great rapport. Chris and I will do our best to bring a bunch of humor and fun to the show. The number one phrase we heard from our guests on Season 1 was, “This podcast is unlike any other podcast I’ve ever been on.” Expect to laugh.
Who’s on the podcast?
Our podcast is bringing on some incredible guests. Over the last few years, we’ve had the privilege to meet some extraordinary disciples and leaders in our world. So who’s on the first season? It is an all-star cast filled with entrepreneurs, pastors, authors, leaders, survivors, etc.
When will the podcast episodes be released?
Our plan is to release the first episode on Tuesday, May 17th, and then the following Tuesdays. Season 1 is 12 episodes. We are planning to create additional seasons so that each and every week, you will have fresh discipleship content that you can access.
Where can I listen/watch?
All the usual places like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Plus, they’ll all be available via video on YouTube.
How can I support the podcast?
Listen or watch our first 5-minute season preview. Once there, you’ll be able to subscribe to the podcast. Once you subscribe, you’ll start seeing new episodes pop into your feed or platform each Tuesday starting May 17th.
Please share the podcast via social media or through your own email campaigns. The podcast platforms feature share options that will help others to be able to access the content that much easier.
Also, if able, we’d love your 5-star review. Oh, did we mention? If you subscribe, give us a 5-star rating, and review on any podcast platform, you can enter to win a pair of Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones on June 9th. And, in case you are wondering, the headphones are red!
Finally, if you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to us at hello@redletterchallenge.com. We keep our sponsorships very limited but would love to hear from you.
ENTER TO WIN THIS SWEET PAIR OF BEATS STUDIO3 WIRELESS HEADPHONES
GO TO: https://redletterchallenge.com/red-letter-disciple-podcast
The post Everything You Need to Know about the Red Letter Disciple Podcast appeared first on Red Letter Living.
April 21, 2022
3 People to Talk to When You Are Suffering
The past two years have affected all of us in some way, shape, or form. For most of us, we’ve experienced some severe suffering. Loved ones have passed on far too early or all too sudden. Friendships have been ended all too early due to pandemic beliefs. Racial tensions are still at all-time highs, and divisions amongst political parties are way uglier than we like to admit. The last two years have left a whirlwind behind it. Names like JCPenney, Lord and Taylor, Nieman Marcus, Men’s Wearhouse, Hertz, GNC, Chuck E’ Cheeses have all filed for bankruptcy. Jobs have been lost, high school graduations, and sports seasons canceled.
If you’ve made it through the last couple of years completely unscathed, you are either an outlier or an outright liar!
On top of all of this, the church looks different. Most of our buildings are not as full. And we are still wrestling with how to do church online and the long-term ramifications of an online church. As a result, many pastors are thinking about whether they want to throw in the towel now.
Talking about it is an essential part of the healing process for those who have felt some loss, pain, or suffering. Thankfully, as we suffer, we can have some crucial conversations. I see three different conversations in the Bible, and the first is the most important.
Talk to Jesus
Because I wrote a book called Red Letter Challenge, I’m now known as the “Red Letter Pastor.” The red letters are in reference to the words of Jesus in the 4 Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However, deeper in your New Testament, there are just a few places where we see more red letters of Jesus.
One of those places is 2 Corinthians 12:9, which we’ll look at in just a moment. But first, let’s understand the context.
Paul’s authority has come under question in this particular book written to the Corinthian church. To prove his authority, he goes through a list of qualifications. Chapters 11 and 12 highlights an impressive resume of suffering he has endured to follow Jesus. This proves that following Jesus does not equal escaping suffering in this world. And many times, it may be because we are following Jesus that we are suffering.
After listing his resume of suffering, Paul then turns his attention to a conversation he had with Jesus. Whether this happened on this earth or through an out-of-body experience or a dream is debated. But, in this verse, Jesus says these beautiful words to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Not only do I love the specific words that Jesus gives to Paul here, but for our purposes today, I love the fact that in the midst of long-suffering, Jesus talks to Paul. We have a God who cares deeply for us and will enter into our stories of suffering with us.
Remember that one of the names of Jesus is “The Suffering Servant.” He knows what you are going through and can empathize with you in your weaknesses. So no matter what you are going through, especially if you are suffering, you have a God who wants to talk to you and encourage you.
The apostle Peter, who indeed relied on Jesus in his times of struggle, offers us this powerful advice in 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.”
God promises He will never leave you or forsake you. Just because you are going through hard times doesn’t mean that our God isn’t with you. He has a history of coming down into the midst of turmoil and suffering to comfort us and rescue us.
The problem is when His rescue schedule or plans don’t match ours. As human beings, we tend to rush through suffering as quickly as possible, as if it is something to escape entirely. And while in heaven we are promised a time of no more tears, pain, or suffering, in this world, we are not. So rather than rushing through it, embrace the moment to lean into relationship with God. What is God trying to teach you through your suffering? Can you learn anything about the character of our God amid your suffering?
When I look back at my suffering, I have often found that pain and suffering have been some of my best teachers. Some of the most extraordinary things that have been against me in retrospect have been some of the best revelations of God that I’ve experienced.
Talk to a Christian friend
God set up the church to be filled with brothers and sisters who would care for one another, love one another, and be kind to one another.
Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
It can be very easy to keep to ourselves when we go through suffering, but we are not meant to carry our burdens by ourselves. We live in a world pulling us more and more towards isolation, but God has wired us for a genuine Christian community.
Amazingly, even though the relationship between man and God was perfect in the garden when God saw Adam, He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” These ten words are the first recorded revelation of God to humanity. They highlight the importance of relationships with one another. He is declaring that as important as the relationship between man and God is, you were also made for relationships with others.
If you have been going at your suffering alone, be bold and challenge yourself to open up to a Christian friend. I highlight “Christian friend” because we often have to be careful who we are talking to and getting our counsel from. Bad theology and advice abound in particular when dealing with suffering. So it’s important to confide in someone who is strong in their relationship with God.
Talk to yourself
The harshest and rudest comments about myself often come from me. According to Cleveland Clinic, the average human has 60,000 thoughts per day, and of those thoughts, 80% are negative. That’s one thought per second in every waking hour. That’s a lot of negativity shouting at you every day.
It doesn’t have to be that way!
King David in the Old Testament was not immune to suffering. As he was following God, he recorded in Psalm 43 some adversity he faced. Many enemies were trying to overthrow him, and he even felt like God had abandoned him. But after reflecting on all of this in the first four verses, he decided to take a different posture and a new conversation in verse 5.
Look at this:
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Amid great adversity and suffering, David preached to his own soul.
Rather than focusing on your circumstances, and even if you may not “feel” God at the moment, it’s important to remind and preach to your own soul the promises of God.
Suffering is hard. But it’s also an opportunity.
It’s an opportunity to talk to Jesus and come near to Him. God will reveal Himself to you. It’s an opportunity to come near a Christian friend and establish and grow in a real relationship with someone else. And it’s an opportunity to speak truth to your very own soul.
Which of the three do you need to talk to today?
The post 3 People to Talk to When You Are Suffering appeared first on Red Letter Living.
April 14, 2022
3 Steps to Address Sexual Brokenness in Your Church
For three years in a row, we did a sermon series at our church called “You Asked For It.” The pastoral team at our church provided a list of 20-25 questions and surveyed our people, asking what they wanted or, in many cases, needed to hear about from God’s Word. The top responses were usually along the lines of hearing God’s voice, how to deal with stress, how do I forgive, etc. However, each year, a question finished at the bottom: “How can I heal from my sexual brokenness?” Nobody wanted to talk about it. It made me think a good sermon series to preach would be “Things You Didn’t Ask for That You Need to Hear.”
Sexual brokenness is more than all around us; it’s something every single one of us deals with, or has dealt with. Rather than sweeping it under the rug, what if we took serious steps to deal with this?
In today’s blog, I’m inviting my good friend Chris Burns, a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, founder of Rewrite Recovery, to help us as pastors know what proper next steps could look like in our churches. Chris Burns is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met, and if anyone would like to take this conversation further, you can see how to reach Chris below.
Without further ado, here are some beneficial words from Chris to us.
I often tell men that I work with that if shame were the antidote, everyone that struggled with unwanted sexual behaviors and porn addiction would be cured. Shame is a killer. Addiction, like sin, is both chronic and progressive, which means that it not only persists, it escalates and doesn’t just simply go away.
Porn destroys intimacy, marriages, and lives. Yet, porn is big business — it’s a 97 billion dollar industry. Late last year, the New York Times released a scathing opinion piece shining a light on the very successful PornHub, a website that garners 3.5 million visits a month. Individuals are consuming millions of pornographic images a day, including sexual child abuse and rape of women and girls. This is an insult to the Imago Dei — we are all children of God, created in His image. The church should be on the front lines of this battle, and the battle starts within the church’s walls.
The Conquer Series, a biblical anti-porn ministry, has recorded some shocking statistics regarding porn usage in the church:
• 68% of church-going men and over 50% of pastors view porn regularly.
• Of young Christian adults 18-24 years old, 76% actively search for porn.
• 59% of pastors said that married men seek their help for porn use.
• Only 13% of self-identified Christian women say they never watch porn – 87% of Christian women have watched porn.
• 33% of women aged 25-and-under search for porn at least once per month.
• 57% of pastors say porn addiction is the most damaging issue in their congregation.
• 69% of pastors say porn has adversely impacted the church.
• And perhaps one of the saddest statistics listed: only 7% of pastors say their church has a program to help people struggling with pornography.
So, What Can The Church Do?
1. STEP ONE: Recognize the problem (without shaming and judging)
Just like in the first step of the 12 Step Process, we (churches and pastors) need to admit there is a problem; we are powerless over the size and scope of the issue, and it has become entirely unmanageable. This initially looks like speaking openly about the problem — may be starting a small group that focuses on this issue — talking about it in a sermon series — or posting about it on social media. But be conscious about “how” you are speaking about it.
Often, churches will unwittingly shame their congregants, which only pushes the problem deeper into the shadows. Keep in mind the percentages posted above, and remember: most of the people in your church have struggled with this issue at one time or another (including you). If the church isn’t a safe place for individuals to be openly broken, then people will not share and seek healing. So let’s speak the truth to the problem but deliver it with grace.
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
— JOHN 1:17
2. STEP TWO: Create a culture of redemption and restoration
You may think, “I do this every Sunday!” I know. Many churches can preach redemption and restoration, but can you see it? Can your church see it? In other words, who are the people that have come in broken and are now transformed by the Spirit? Do you know them? By name? We are called to share our stories of hope and healing, and one of the best ways to let people know that hope can be found in your church is through personal testimony.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
— REVELATION 12:11
You mustn’t rush this process, quickly scrambling to bring people up on the platform or trying to gather video footage of transformed lives. But you will need to be intentional about the process, being both prayerful and mindful of the comfortability level of individuals and respecting the confidentiality/anonymity of people’s stories (which is why you need STEP THREE).
3. STEP THREE: Develop ministries within the church that allow for healing
Let me first say that many churches understand the problem of sexual brokenness and unwanted sexual behavior. Maybe that is you and your church! If so, well done. But unfortunately, many pastors and church leaders feel stuck, out-gunned, and ill-equipped to face the problem. Do you have someone in your church, possibly a volunteer or staff member, that is a licensed therapist? Maybe someone who didn’t necessarily go to seminary but has the training to care for people you trust theologically? If not, find that person. Raise up that person. Dream with them about what a ministry focused on healing would look like in your church. Connect it to the vision of your church and give it a budget. It will be worth it.
Final thoughts: The hope is for the church to create a safe and sacred space where people can come, be known, and heal together in the context of a Christ-centered community. We live in a broken world, and we are all in need of healing and restoration. We know that Jesus is the Healer and the only one capable of restoring us. We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, which is a Spirit of Restoration. We see this in Luke 7:21-23:
“At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
— LUKE 7:21-23
Let’s be the church and help some people.
__________________________
Chris Burns is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. He is also the Healing Minister at theCross, a church in Mount Dora, Florida, where he oversees Restoration Nights, DivorceCare, GriefShare, Life Disciples, and the Stephen Ministry.
In conjunction with his private practice, Chris provides consultation services to pastors and churches in the United States. Are you in the 93% of pastors that say their church has no program to help your congregants struggling with pornography and other addictions? Contact Chris today for his consultation services.
LINKS:
https://www.rewrite-recovery.com/
https://twitter.com/RewriteRecovery
https://www.facebook.com/rewriterecoverycounseling/
EMAIL:
The post 3 Steps to Address Sexual Brokenness in Your Church appeared first on Red Letter Living.
April 7, 2022
10 Tips to Help You Preach Incredible Sermons
Some of Jesus’s final words are found in Mark 16:15: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
What a privilege and honor that our Savior and Lord would entrust such a powerful tool to us ordinary human beings! Historically, preaching has played a prominent role in building the church and changing individuals and communities.
At the end of 2016, Pew Research completed a study that determined the top reasons why people chose a particular church. Coming in at number one, chosen by 83% of the people, was the quality of sermons. If sermons are that important, we need to ensure that we are giving it our best.
I’m a 4th-generation preacher who has been fortunate to deliver more than 1000 sermons in just over a decade. I love to preach. I know what it’s like to preach 50 times in a year, and I know what it’s like to preach 15 times in a year (and trust me, there’s a difference). I have preached in rooms filled with ten people and to an audience of thousands. I’ve preached 5-minute sermons, and there was this one time that I preached a 53 hour and 18-minute sermon (yes, that’s true). I joke that Jesus had the greatest sermon of all time, but, according to Guinness, I have the longest sermon of all time.
So, today, I want to give some tips that I’ve learned in my preaching. They are extremely practical. If preaching is truly that important to so many people, we need to continue developing and growing in our preaching. My list is certainly not exhaustive, and I would love for you to add a tip or two in the comments below that you have found helpful in your preaching ministry.
Without further ado, here are ten tips to help you preach incredible messages:
Block time in your calendar for sermon preparation.
People expect a quality sermon from you every Sunday, but not once in my ministry has anyone in my church ever reached out to me to tell me to take time to prepare for my sermon. They will reach out to me if they have a need, want me to jump into a meeting, or need to fill me in on something they deem vital for me to know.
I remember the adage from Seminary that you should prepare an hour for every minute you preach. I’m not entirely sure the numbers make sense. The average sermon in America is 37 minutes, and so that would literally mean a regular full-time week of 40 hours would leave you no time to do anything else! And for most pastors, that’s not reality, nor intelligent. However, the flip side is also unwise.
The more time you spend on your sermon, the higher quality your sermons will become.
When I was preaching every week, I found it exhausting to “fit in” preparing for a sermon. My sermon preparation got the leftovers and was often at the expense of my relationship with God or my family. Because I was tending to the needs of others and not intentional with my time, I neglected what people statistically say is the most important reason they chose to come to the church I pastor.
So, if you read nothing else, give yourself permission to spend time on your sermon. It wasn’t until about eight years into my ministry that I began blocking time in my calendar every week for sermon preparation, and it was a game-changer. So, whether it’s three 3-hour blocks or five 2-hour blocks, whatever it is, block that time, and be diligent about protecting it. Likely no one will ever applaud you for doing this, but it’s a massive step in preaching more quality sermons.
Listen to many preachers—some like you and some who are not.
As someone who loves to deliver sermons, I also love to receive sermons. But, to be fair, I cannot turn off my Seminary brain when I listen to a sermon. Nearly every sermon, I find myself critiquing, discerning, and studying. But, listening to a wide variety of preachers allows me to hear God’s Word differently, discover unique delivery techniques, and find lines, ideas, or illustrations that relate to the audience.
Through podcasts and YouTube, we live in a day of age where we can consume great content. Thus far in 2022, I’ve listened to or watched more than 40 sermons a month. I maximize my time exercising or driving to consume most of these. Without a doubt, the quality of the sermons you preach will only get better if you listen to many sermons.
Also, as a bonus, it happens to be one of the best places for me to discover new sermon or sermon series ideas.
Watch and listen to your own sermons.
It’s not vain to watch and listen to yourself. It’s smart. After I preach, I will watch or listen to nearly every sermon. It’s one thing to have a gut feeling about your sermon before and even during preaching, but receiving your message as an audience member is another thing. I have found that sometimes I’ve been too hard on myself for a word or phrase that came out wrong (only I noticed), and other times, a point I was trying to make that I thought went over well fell flat. Also, reviewing your own sermons helps uncover some tendencies in your delivery. For instance, early on in my ministry, I noticed I was saying “um” way too often. Then, when I kicked that, I went through a season where I said, “you know,” a lot. Most pastors have a word or two that they use way too much. So, um, you know, review yourself!
Let others preview and then review your sermon.
Nearly every Sunday, you’ll have a handful of people that tell you, “Good sermon today.” I’m sure some of them genuinely mean this. But, I’m also sure that some people don’t know what else to say, so it’s the first thing that comes out of their mouth!
Getting regular critique or thoughtful feedback both before your sermon and after will only improve the quality of your sermons. In some settings, this may be easier than others, but truthfully, I believe most pastors can make this happen with some intentionality. Even if you are a solo pastor, there is another solo pastor that you could team up with and give feedback to each other every week.
Each week, I have my messages reviewed leading into the Sunday. We do this on a Tuesday. I have made very few changes in some of these meetings, and the team gives me great confidence in my message. Other weeks, they could help me see glaring changes, difficult transitions, Bible passages, or an illustration that would help bring home the point that much clearer. This feedback ensures that the message I deliver is that much stronger.
After I preach, we review the previous sermon at that same meeting. We talk about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and anything else necessary. They’ve helped me see some of my natural strengths and weaknesses. This is crucial as I move forward and plan more sermons in the future.
Write more, not less. But don’t read what you wrote.
I believe the key to quality sermons is preparation. Preparation for me is twofold.
1.Getting words on paper
Even after preaching more than 1000 sermons, I still write out full manuscripts. Every week I try to hit a 4000-5000-word count for a first draft. Then, through collaboration, edits, and maybe a few days to let it simmer, I like to land in the 4000-word count world. In the end, I know that will equal about a 30-32-minute sermon.
2.Getting those words on paper into my head.
Once I’m confident in the words on paper, I rehearse my entire sermon at least three times before delivering it live. This allows me to understand the pace, the cadence, and the flow. It lets me know when to raise my voice and lower it. When to speed up and to slow down. Doing all of these rehearsals allows me to feel comfortable with my sermon. It also gives me flexibility when I deliver the sermon to be spontaneous or make any changes that I think are necessary as I respond to the audience.
I still bring up a complete manuscript, but I don’t read it. And neither should you. I like to have it there, primarily because in my writing, I’ve got specific phrases or words that I’ve spent considerable time crafting, and I want to get them just right. But, by being comfortable with the sermon, I can usually hit about 75-80% of my words just right without even having to look. I also know the 2 or 3 times in the sermon that I can get away from the preaching stand for several minutes and the 2 or 3 times in the sermon when I likely need to be close to get the words just right.
Every preacher is different, but the quality of sermons comes in the content and the delivery.
Preach data-driven sermon topics.
Sure, there are times when God is working a message inside of you that needs to come out at some point. There are a few sermons that I’ve developed over time that made me feel like Jeremiah, like I got this message inside of me that must come out! But, more often than not, it is wise to let data drive sermon topics.
One practice that I have found particularly helpful is polling our specific church once a year to discover what questions or topics are on the top of their mind? We call the series, like many other churches, “You Asked for It.” We’ll send out a list of 20 questions that we often hear as pastors and ask them to vote on which ones they’d like to hear. Again, it’s a way to ensure that we are listening to the needs of our people. Whatever the top 5-7 selections are will then form an extremely relevant sermon to the people in our church and community.
I’ve recently written a blog on the number one reason for church decline, and I genuinely believe it’s because the church, and present-day Christianity, are perceived as irrelevant.
If the sermon topic is relevant, then guess what? They are far more likely to not only attend but invite others. So, speaking of relevance, number 7.
Include some “you’s” with your “we’s.”
This one might get some debate.
For a long time, I’ve heard as a communicator that I need to be preaching not just to those in the room but to me too. As pastors, we want to help our people see that we understand what they are going through. So, it’s essential that we include ourselves in the sermon. When we are speaking a hard truth, calling out a sin, or even proclaiming grace, we must include ourselves in those moments.
But do you know what the most powerful word in marketing is? Hint, I used the word in the last sentence. I also used the word in the blog title. The most powerful word in marketing is “you.”
People are asking, “What’s in it for me?” WIIFM.
So, as vital as it is to include “we” and “us” and not elevate or minimize yourself in your sermons, ensure that you speak to the needs of the people in the room. Answer the question “what’s in it for me” in each message to ensure you stay relevant.
Ask God, “What do the people need to hear?”
After spending a total of 10-25 hours preparing a sermon, every Sunday morning, I spend an extra 5-10 minutes asking, “God, what do the people need to hear?”
Of course, I ask it during the week leading up to it. But I’ve found returning to this question at the very end, in the hours leading up to delivery, to be extremely helpful. Usually, it’ll come out like this, “God, I’ve done what I know how to do. I feel like I’ve been faithful to give my best time and effort, but remind me, what do the people need to hear today?”
Then I just spend time listening and quieting my soul. I can’t tell you how many times God will give me something new in that 5-10 minutes or encourage me to reinforce a particular segment of the message. But, do you know what I’ve found more than anything with this question? Nearly every time I ask this, I feel the Spirit put it on my heart to give grace. It’s almost always a reminder to preach more grace. It helps me to remember that preaching is, as Jesus said, “Gospel.” It’s Good News!
Stories matter, but they don’t all have to be about you.
Perhaps nothing is more critical to preaching engaging sermons than incorporating stories and illustrations. A story or illustration at just the right time can help the audience understand in new ways.
Just this past week, there was a message that I was connecting with, but not completely. Then, a well-told story, shown with a couple of images on the screen, helped me see this entire message come together. I was inspired, I was encouraged, and I was moved. God’s Word had me intrigued, but it was the preacher’s illustration that helped me see God’s Word in a new and refreshing way.
It’s essential as a preacher that you engage with your audience and that they see you as a real person. That’s why illustrations from your life, family, and experience are important.
But, can I be honest with you? So often, we can lean so heavily on our own experiences that there could be more robust illustrations or stories elsewhere. Sometimes when I hear a preacher’s own experience, I can highly relate, but other times, that may work for the preacher, but not for me.
So, include stories and illustrations about yourself. But, if all your examples are your own, not only could your audience feel disengaged at times, but there could also be more helpful illustrations that exist elsewhere.
Give a clear and specific call to action.
God’s Word is not only about relaying information; it’s meant to produce transformation.
One of the most fruitful sermons ever preached was by Peter in Acts, chapter 2. After preaching, a number of God-fearing Jews from all over the world were “cut to the heart” and wanted to know what to do. Peter gave a clear call to action, “Repent and be baptized,” and that day, more than 3000 people were added to the church.
If God’s Word is preached, trust that it still cuts people to the heart today. The audience may not vocalize it as clearly as the original Pentecost, but people want to know what to do and how to respond.
Many preachers are incredible at proclaiming the justification of Jesus but leave a lot to be desired when it comes to sanctification. I genuinely believe this is one of the most missed opportunities in our preaching. So many in our churches simply don’t respond, grow in their faith, or take the next steps not because they don’t want to but because we don’t ask them to.
I encourage you for every sermon that you prepare to process and proclaim what you want the listener to do in response. What’s their takeaway? Is there a challenge that you could issue based on the information presented? Is there a next step that lines up with the sermon? Then, in your message, at the appropriate time (it doesn’t always have to be at the end), I urge you to use straightforward, non-confusing language. Things like:
The one next step I’d like to encourage you to take today is __________.The practical takeaway from today’s message for you is __________.Based on today’s message, I’d like to challenge each of you to do _____________.You may be wondering what do I do with today’s message. Here’s what you can do ___________.
Conclusion
Sermons, when delivered from God’s Word, do not return void. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that they accomplish what God wants them to accomplish. Praise God! This reminds me that as important as my best effort and attempts are at preaching quality sermons, His Holy Spirit turns hearts at the end of the day.
Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten regarding preaching is from my great-grandpa C.R. Zehnder. I never met him, but he passed on a statement to my grandpa Ron that was passed on to my dad Mark that was then passed on to me: “Preach the Gospel and love your people.”
I hope these tips help you to become a more effective preacher. What tips would you add?
The post 10 Tips to Help You Preach Incredible Sermons appeared first on Red Letter Living.
March 31, 2022
The 5 Most Important Discipleship Targets to Hit: How do I follow Jesus?
We have discipleship problems.
Chief among them is that nearly every Christian understands how important it is to be a disciple but has very different definitions of what that even means. So, let me clear it up.
A disciple is a follower of Jesus. Nothing more, nothing less.
Many Christians know we are supposed to follow Jesus, but we aren’t sure practically how that looks today. Crazily, we are living in a day of age where we have more discipleship information than ever. Yet, I would argue more confusion than ever.
Disciples need clear targets.
As Christians, we can have the best intentions in the world, but if we succeed at things that don’t actually matter, we can do more harm than good. D.L. Moody once said, “Our greatest fear shouldn’t be of failure but of succeeding at something that doesn’t matter.” So I’ll go a step further and say my greatest fear is that Christians succeed at something that actually pushes people away from Jesus.
It’s fine to have good intentions. But, in our good intentions, somehow, we’ve missed the targets that Jesus is most known for. Jesus is known for love, grace, good works, kindness, and unity. But, sadly, Christians, from the book UnChristian, are known for judgment, hypocrisy, division, and being out-of-touch.
If Jesus is known for grace, which is getting a free gift you don’t deserve, and we are known for judgment, which is getting what you do deserve, we have miserably failed. By definition, judgment and grace are opposites. We have missed the mark. If Jesus is known for unity and we are known for division, we’ve missed the mark. If Jesus is known for His good works and we are known for our hypocrisy, we’ve missed the mark.
We haven’t just missed the mark a little bit. Instead, we’ve become known as the exact opposite of the One we are called to embody.
Intention to follow Jesus without precision on Jesus leads to confusion.
It’s time to shoot at the correct targets. If our intent is to follow Jesus, let’s take precise aim at Jesus. Why would we look to anyone other than Jesus for how to be a disciple? It’s not like we have to guess what a disciple looks like. God sent His Son Jesus into this world to not only give His life for us, but He also showed us the path to follow Him as well.
Intention to follow Jesus with precision on Jesus leads to transformation.
About a decade ago, as I was planting a church, I had this longing to lead my church beyond its comfort zone. I noticed strengths from my core group. Loyalty, commitment, and generosity to support a church plant were chief among them. But, when it came to serving in the community or inviting a friend to go to church, I noticed pushback. So, I came up with this crazy idea. If they won’t listen to me, someone they certainly cared about but was new in their lives, might they listen to Jesus? So, here was the question I began pondering:
What if we take the words of Jesus and actually put them into practice?
Literally.
Before you start giving me too much credit for my idea, I must admit that I stole the idea from Jesus Himself. Jesus provides us with the key to following Him at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
“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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27
If you have read the Sermon on the Mount, you know it’s rather difficult to understand. Jesus uses humor and sarcasm and introduces counter-cultural ideas. It amazed all who were in attendance. It still amazes us today.
But what stuck out to me is that He closes this sermon with an illustration so simple that it reminds me of the children’s story “The Three Little Pigs.”
Jesus is saying, “If you want your house to stand up and not to blow over when the winds, or the storm, or the bad, evil wolf comes, practice what I’m preaching. Do what I say.” Jesus says in Luke 11:28: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” James, the brother of Jesus, says it even more simply in James 1:22: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
That’s the big idea. To change the picture we are giving of Jesus, we will take Jesus’ words, the ones written in red letters in your Bibles, and put them into practice. That’s the very unoriginal yet revolutionary idea that will change not just the followers of Jesus but the world in which we live!
Another way to say it is this: The best way to follow Jesus is simply to follow Jesus!
So, on the heels of this Jesus-centered idea, I read through all of the Red Letters in the Bible. You know, the words of Jesus. I analyzed everything He said, mainly regarding what He is calling, commanding, and asking His followers to do.
The more I looked at what Jesus asked, called, and invited His followers into, I found what I believe are the five most important targets for disciples to shoot for. These five targets form the basis for the bestselling book Red Letter Challenge:
BeingForgivingServingGivingGoing
Let me break each of these down for you quickly. But before I teach these targets to you, I must point out that if you are on a discipleship path, and it’s working for you, Praise God! Keep going! Most of us aren’t. Most of the people we pastor in our churches are not. And so why not start with the targets that most frequently came out of the mouth of Jesus?!
Target 1: Being
Before God ever asks us to do anything, He simply asks us to be with Him.
After years of seeing hundreds of thousands of people complete Red Letter Challenge, I genuinely believe that being is the most important of all of the targets. Why? Because all of our doing flows out of being in a relationship with Him.
Jesus often speaks of ways we could “be” with God. For example, there are verses where He asks us to abide in His Word, pray earnestly, and worship God. Other times Jesus references fasting, eating, celebrating, and Sabbath. All of these are opportunities to spend time with God and grow in our relationship with Him.
At the root of it all, God desires to be in a relationship with you. He doesn’t have to. And here’s the truth about God. He doesn’t need you. He doesn’t require you, me, or any one of us. But He wants us. He desires a relationship with us. He invites us into it.
Our doing flows out of our being. I hope our ministries flow primarily out of the overflow of our hearts, our relationship with God. If not, while results may come here and there, all of our doing will eventually end in our burnout, moral failure, or some slow bleed into mediocrity and apathy.
Many people want to be greater followers of Jesus, and they want some handles on the process. It doesn’t start with rules—it begins with a relationship. There was only one person who ever existed in a perfect relationship with God, and His name was Jesus!
The best way to grow in our relationship with God is to learn from Jesus, the only One who had a perfect relationship with God.
Jesus invites us into this opportunity. Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG) says it this way: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Many of us talk about wanting to be great followers of Jesus. You cannot be a great follower of Jesus without being in a great relationship with Him. Our doing is just so much more effective when it comes out of our being.
When we look to Jesus, we will learn just how to “be” like Him. To be like Jesus, we need to be with Jesus. If you’d like to learn more about how Jesus connected with God, what habits were in His life, check out Being Challenge.
Target 2: Forgiving
Jesus speaks a lot about forgiveness. Sadly, though, we have a forgiveness problem. We aren’t gracious of others because we are rarely gracious to ourselves. Most Christians have a more challenging time receiving God’s forgiveness for themselves than they do in actually forgiving others.
Incredibly, nearly every time that Jesus speaks of forgiving others, it’s connected to your own receiving of God’s grace.
Matthew 6:12: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.Luke 6:37: Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.Luke 11:4: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
Even the Apostle Paul doubles and triples down on it in his words.
Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Colossians 3:13: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.All of this leads me to this conclusion:
Forgiven people become forgiving people.
Jesus paid the penalty of sin for you and for me. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it perfectly for us: “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
After receiving His forgiveness, then you learn and grow in forgiving others. The world needs the grace of Jesus like never before. So start today and receive His forgiveness in your life. To go on a 40-day journey to help you receive God’s grace, check out Forgiving Challenge.
Target 3: Serving
We live in a world starving for meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Sadly, most people attempt to consume more, consume greater, and consume bigger. And, ultimately, that will lead us to fulfillment. We’ve never consumed more than today, yet collectively, statistics show that we’ve never been as empty as we are right now. I wonder how much longer we will chase after the things of this world to fill that void.
The reality is that fulfillment doesn’t come with consumption. Fulfillment is best experienced in contribution. There is a very little-known verse in the very well-known story of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus says in John 4:34, “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Jesus reminds us that what nourishes and fills us up is not when we consume but rather when we contribute. Jesus felt more revitalized, rejuvenated, and filled up when he served others.
That way of thinking goes entirely against our human nature, doesn’t it?
Sin has turned our perfect attention away from serving God and others to instead serving ourselves. See, at the core of every one of us is sin, and sin makes us self-centered and self-aware. By default, we automatically think of ourselves first. By nature, we are natural consumers. “Have it your way” comes easy and natural to us. Contributing does not.
Not surprisingly to me, psychology teaches this truth of Jesus to us. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs introduces what brings human beings ultimate fulfillment. He teaches that the greatest fulfillment we can have on this side of heaven is when we help serve someone else so they can achieve their highest potential. So if you are running empty, or trying to find why you exist in this world, serve God. Not only does it help others, but it profoundly fills you.
After we’ve spent time with God (BEING) in a relationship and received His grace (FORGIVING), now we can’t wait to use our gifts and talents (SERVING)! In fact, directly after the grace-filled verses we read earlier, the apostle Paul writes, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
It’s no coincidence where this verse sits.
Our gratitude for what God has done leads us to serve Him. We don’t serve God because we have to or because it’s how we earn our salvation. Instead, we serve God because of everything He’s done for us, and for this reason:
While serving others won’t save you, it just may help save someone else.
You have what the world needs inside of you. His name is Jesus. As we spread His Light into this world, we give people the opportunity to glorify our God. And nothing is more fulfilling and rewarding than making an eternal difference.
Target 4: Giving
Jesus talked about money more than he did love, heaven, or hell. In fact, he spoke more about money than any other topic except the kingdom of God. Yes, money.
The more I read the words of Jesus, the more I’m convinced it’s impossible to be a stingy Christian. We cannot follow Jesus well and, at the same time, ignore his teaching on money. If you are truly following Jesus, you are generous.
Why would Jesus talk about money so much? He knows the power that money can have in our lives. That’s why He said, in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus wants a relationship. He wants our hearts. And where our money is there our hearts are. Where is your money?
He also talked about money because people desperately need wisdom and perspective regarding their finances. We live in a nation with unparalleled prosperity. Yet, amid that prosperity, financial stress is the norm. You see it in almost everyone you come in contact with. Look at this list of things that are considered normal:
living paycheck to paycheckpaying off monthly paymentsacquiring debtexperiencing worry, anxiety, and fear in your financeshaving tension and fights in your marriage (it’s the number one topic of argument in marriages, according to a Stanley and Markham study)having little or no financial margin.
If those things are considered normal, I want to be weird. I want to be different. It turns out that when we make this life all about collecting more, it doesn’t actually equate to a fulfilling life.
Jesus shows us and offers us a better way.
The heart of the Good News is that we have eternal life because God gave His one and only Son Jesus. And Jesus gave up His life for you and for me. So when we give, we reflect the heart and character of our God.
Giving like Jesus will definitely challenge you, but why not? Our typical approach to finances is not working. So let’s be weird like Jesus. After all, Jesus said, “Is it better to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
Target 5: Going
Final words are important. In courtrooms, closing statements have had the power to sway a verdict of guilt or innocence. In addition, the last recorded words of a person’s life carry importance to them. We have four written Gospel accounts on the life of Jesus plus the story of His ascension in the book of Acts. Therefore, there are five opportunities to see what could be the “final red letters” of Jesus. While the words that close Matthew known as the Great Commission are the most popular, Jesus, in fact, issues a similar invitation at, or near, the end of all four Gospels. And, if that’s not enough, He reminds us again in His very few and final words before He ascends in Acts 1.
Don’t take my words for it. Look at His words:
Matthew 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.Mark 16:15: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.Luke 24:47-48: Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.John 20:21: As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.Acts 1:8: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
In Jesus’s final words, He reminded us that what God put inside of us is meant to come out of us. Let us not overcomplicate things, though. At the end of the day, Jesus is asking each of us to be His witnesses. And what is a witness? Someone who tells their story. We do not need a doctoral dissertation or understand how everything lines up. We don’t need to share facts about the whale that consumed Jonah or how God created the world in 6 24-hour periods. I’m not saying any of that isn’t important. I’m simply saying the power in sharing the Good News of Jesus is connected to your story.
Because while some people may argue about the creation, the flood, or the whale, you know what they have a more challenging time arguing about? Your story. Because they can’t. It’s yours. There is power in your story. And, when you tell your story, you also have God’s promise that you do not go alone! God sends His Spirit with you.
I love how Revelation 12:11 puts it:
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
How do we overcome the enemy? By the blood of the Lamb. That’s the blood that Jesus has already spilled for us on the cross. AND the word of our testimony. Before Jesus, we all had a death sentence hanging over our heads. Jesus removed it by His grace. And now, He calls us to go. With the power of God inside of us, go, share your story with others.
When we share our testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives, we will see death sentences removed from people all across the world.
Conclusion
Following after Jesus is the single greatest opportunity of our lifetime.
After all that Jesus has done in all of our stories, the stakes are too high and too crucial for us to settle for a mediocre, broken-down, shadow-at-best version of Jesus. So instead, let’s show the world who Jesus really is. When we collectively give the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus that we can possibly can, that’s when the world will change.
But, the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus simply cannot happen without you.
We need you. Others need you. You need us. And we all need more Jesus.
Let’s do this.
The post The 5 Most Important Discipleship Targets to Hit: How do I follow Jesus? appeared first on Red Letter Living.
