Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 23
September 8, 2020
3 Ways To Master Your Smartphone And Not Be Mastered By It
Listen to these warnings and try to decide what they are referencing:
• Negatively affects your eyesight
• Causes anxiety through chronic information or brain overload or overstimulation
• Can give you constipation and other medical ailments due to decreased activity
• Recognized by the medical community as addictive, psychological, and it will affect sleep habits negatively
If you said smartphones you would be wrong.
These were warnings actually written and spoken in history against books and literacy.
For centuries physicians, poets, philosophers, teachers, and other respected members of the community warned against books and the educating of the masses. The rise of the printing press gave way to more and more literature shifting people’s practices to center more around reading in their homes rather than relying on communal spoken word for news.
And people were skeptical at best and fearful at worst.
They weren’t necessarily wrong. Some literature has been used for terrible things throughout history. But we can also see the many wonderful things that have resulted from the spread of books and literacy.
When we contrast the warnings of books with the warnings on smartphones they are remarkably similar. Although smartphones are a new thing, the feelings people have had about them are not.
King Solomon’s Warning
King Solomon of the Old Testament was the richest and wisest man who deprived himself of nothing. One of the often-misunderstood phrases of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:9 is this:
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
What Solomon is saying in the larger context is not that there won’t be new things, but rather, the fact that there are new things is not a new thing.
Just as books were a new thing at one time, so are smartphones a new thing for our generation. The Bible says God’s mercies are new every day. There are new things, but new things are not new and our feelings about those new things are also not new.
The Rise of Smartphones
The following chart shows the percentage of Americans who own the following equipment:
Landline Phone Cell Phone Smartphone
1960 80% 0 0
1980 93% 0 0
1990 95% .05% 0
2000 93% 62% 35%
2019 39% 96% 81%
The first iPhone, which revolutionized the industry, was invented just over a decade ago. Steve Jobs said of the iPhone that it was a magical object.
Kevin Noose, writer at the New York Times, says, “Right here, in my pocket, is a device that can summon food, cars and millions of other consumer goods to my door. I can talk with everyone I’ve ever met, create and store a photographic record of my entire life, and tap into the entire corpus of human knowledge with a few swipes.”
Smartphones will continue to be used and are powerful objects. How can we address them as Christian leaders?
With the rapid and sudden rise of this technology, it’s important we understand that these devices are not going away. It’s inappropriate for us to avoid or neglect them completely. It’s also inappropriate to give free reign without any intentionality into how we use these devices.
How do we appropriately steward smartphones? First, we need to realize that with this device comes incredible challenge, but also incredible opportunity.
Your smartphone can either be a terrible master or a terrific servant.
Here’s 3 words that will form a checklist to help you master your smartphone and not be mastered by it.
1. Contentment
There is so much content on this device. What content are you consuming?
We are consuming a lot of content through smartphones. According to BankMycell, the average use of smartphones and tablets a day is 4 hours and 33 minutes per day, 1 hour and 16 minutes of social media apps, and over 2167 swipes, clicks, or taps on your phone each day. Ericsson Mobility Report states that back in 2016 the average data being consumed on a smartphone per month was 1.4GB. In 2021, it is estimated that the average user will be 8.9GB of data every single month, more than 6 times the amount from just 5 years earlier.
You know the phrase, “You are what you eat.” What you put in will come out.
People who feed their minds with lots of entertainment develop lazy minds. When we watch too many movies and too much television, we’re letting other people do our thinking for us. Those who feed their minds on a steady diet of celebrity gossip are more prone to become shallow. People who feed their minds on pornography will become sexually immoral in their thoughts and behaviors.
But what of those who feed their minds on quality literature, some educational materials, truly relevant information, and regular Bible Study? They become wise and sought-after leaders.
The Bible says it this way in Romans 8:5: “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of this Spirit.”
What content are you consuming? Look at your app usage and you can get a good picture.
Have you ever noticed that the word content is in the word contentment?
The content you consume has a direct impact on your level of contentment in this world.
If you are not content, it’s because you are not consuming godly content. So is the content you are consuming bringing you to more contentment or less contentment?
2. Companionship
There have been rises in anxiety and depression since 2011, but specifically amongst teenagers. In 2011, sociologists noticed an unprecedented increase in anxiety and depression among teenagers. As Cal Newport points out in his excellent book Digital Minimalism, the only factor that also dramatically increased at this time was the number of teenagers owning their own smartphone.
Cigna reported before the global pandemic forced many to quarantine that 61% of Americans experienced loneliness.
Today many people claim to have stronger feelings with a person online than in reality. It’s even affected our marriages. Many men and women can become aroused easier having an online encounter with an image or a video than they can with their spouse in-person.
In light of 2020, many of us have been forced to do relationships digitally. And what we’ve found is that you can have some very meaningful, lasting, and rich conversations. It’s amazing to see how advancement in technology has helped us stay somewhat connected in a time where we’ve had to be distanced.
It’s amazing that we can “be there” for one another digitally in ways we’ve never been able before, but we are called to be more than “digital” friends. We are called to do life-on-life. The author of Hebrews reminded the people to “not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing.”
We have traded real in-person relationship for cyber-relationships. And that’s not a good stewardship of this powerful machine. When we are stewarding it well, the smartphone, with all of its features, is a great way to be supportive, and help further relationships, but not the primary place that relationships are intended.
As you assess this, has your smartphone (or other devices like it) become your primary or secondary place to help you form and grow in relationship with others?
3) Communication
This is the most powerful communication tool the world has ever seen. That presents great opportunities for us and also great challenges.
There is a term that has come up called “Internet Courage,” and what it represents is that often times people will feel more comfortable using language and saying offensive things on social media, message boards, etc. than they would in person.
The words that we use make a difference. Listen to these two proverbs of Solomon to show how helpful or harmful words can be.
Proverbs 16:24: Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 11:9: Evil words destroy one’s friends.
Words are not just helpful or harmful for the other person, but for you as well.
Proverbs 11:17: Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.
The world needs our positive voice. We have to communicate, especially in a year where opinions, division, and sides have been drawn. As disciples of Jesus, we cannot all escape and throw away our devices and delete all of our social media accounts. There could be a select few that need to go that way, and likely there may be a few apps or social media accounts that would be wise to delete. But the world needs us as the followers of Jesus to not just consume but to contribute by bringing the voice of Jesus into all things.
As followers of Jesus, we don’t want to make our name great. We want to make His name great. And this device affords us the opportunity, unlike any other time in human history, to do it at levels never before known. We can communicate the Gospel of Jesus like never before through the smartphone.
Use your platform to introduce people to Jesus.
Practical Steps
Do regular screen fasts. Have a set time every day or a set day each week you set it aside.
Check your Screen Time regularly and make adjustments as needed. Take a screenshot of your screen time and find someone to hold you accountable.
Parents: take responsibility. If you hand your child a smartphone (or any device similar), know that the tendency will be for your child to be mastered by it rather than use it as a servant. Set limits and boundaries.
Choose one way on social media that you are going to bring light into the darkness.
The post 3 Ways To Master Your Smartphone And Not Be Mastered By It appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
September 3, 2020
4 Core Values of Apple that Could Help the Church
In today’s blog post I’m going to share 4 core values of the world’s most valuable company, Apple, that have not only led to their success, but could also help the church.
It took Apple 42 years to reach a $1 trillion valuation, and just 2 years to double to $2 trillion. It is now the world’s most valuable company. Even more stunning is the fact that all of Apple’s second $1 trillion came in the past 21 weeks, while the global economy shrank faster than ever before in the coronavirus pandemic.
One of Jesus’ best-known teaching styles was the use of parables, which essentially, are made up stories that illustrate a point. Jesus used parables from a wide perspective, but I’m particularly intrigued in how often Jesus would arrive at spiritual truths through the use of some of the popular businesses of His day. He would use examples from:
Farming
Agriculture
Fishing
Working in the vineyard
Wise and Faithful Servants
Shrewd Manager
Starting with a biblical worldview, we can draw spiritual truths out from the world in order to bring spiritual truths into the lives of those who follow Jesus.
On the heels of Apple splitting its stocks 4-1 for its shareholders, let’s explore 4 core values of Apple that the church and its leaders can learn from.
Focus on a Few
After four decades of innovation that led Apple to a $1 trillion valuation, the past two years the company actually hasn’t done much of anything new. Instead, they have focused on making a few great products better. While innovation and creativity were key to their initial $1 trillion, it’s been their hyper-focus on making their premier products like iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks better that has led to their rapid next $1 trillion.
CEO Tim Cook summarizes one of their core values this way: We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us.
What does this mean for the church?
Rather than trying to do everything, churches would be wise to focus on doing a few things excellent.
What is it that your church does, or could do, excellently?
There is a time to be innovative and creative, but what would it look like for you to spend time refining and focusing and making the few things that you already do great that much greater?
Each individual expression of God’s church shouldn’t feel the pressure to do everything excellent, but rather, to identify what it is they can do with excellence. Discovering this could be done through a survey, by looking at the natural gifts of the leadership, and assessing what the needs are in the community. After discovering which few areas to focus and excel in, consider pouring more time, energy, staff, and budget to these endeavors.
Let’s remember that just as each individual expression of church has people that are filled with particular gifts, so too, in the “Capital C Church” are certain local churches uniquely gifted. Not every church should do every thing.
First Impressions Matter
In 2018, a study found that 72% of Americans believe the design of a product’s packaging influences their decision to purchase. Apple hopes to create a sensory experience anytime a customer opens one of its products. Truthfully, Apple products are one of the only products that I will purchase and feel somewhat guilty when I throw the packaging away. In a world filled with clutter and constant bombardment, Apple creates first impressions that are simple, yet incredible.
Another of Apple’s core value statements says: We believe in the simple, not the complex.
Simple doesn’t always mean easy. In fact, Apple employs a designer whose sole job is packaging. They are continually thinking, nitpicking, and strategizing about how to make this first impression experience for the customer even better. Adam Lashinksy, executive editor of Fortune Magazine, gives us an example of how far they’ll go in this endeavor: “To fully grasp how seriously Apple executives sweat the small stuff, consider this: For months, a packaging designer was holed up in this room performing the most mundane of tasks – opening boxes.”
What does this mean for the church?
Whether someone comes to a building or a website for a church experience, we need to be hyper-focused on creating a sensory experience from the moment we are engaging with people. Multiple studies have shown that the first ten minutes is, far and away, the most important ten minutes of a visitor experiencing your church. This tells us that no matter how excellent your preaching or music ministry is on a Sunday, visitors may not hear a single note or word before already having made a decision on whether they’ll be back. We ought to spend ample time on sermon and music preparation but not at the expense of thinking, strategizing, and training around the first-time guest experience.
Teaming up with another local church, it’d be a great idea to swap a “secret shopper.” This person can come in from another church with the sole focus to give you feedback about their first-time guest experience. Getting clarity on these things can help your church create greater first impressions.
How valued they were in the experience
Appropriate signage
Overall friendliness
Understanding of their next steps into your church
In the past, we have thought of the church experience existing in a building, but now we also should be devoting time to a proper welcome and introduction to our online visitors looks like. Having an online host that greets people prior to the service and informs them on what to expect, how long the service will be, where they can engage in practical next steps, and even how to worship online feels very appropriate.
Make it Easy
Apple products are so simple that many toddlers know how to operate them. When they design their products, they keep the customer they are trying to reach in mind rather than acting upon their own preferences.
One of Steve Jobs’ initial core values of the company was this: Each person is important; each has the opportunity and the obligation to make a difference.
Keeping in mind the broader audience base they are trying to reach, they continually strive to make products that are easy to use and understand for the whole.
What does this mean for the church?
Identify who your target audience who is God calling you to reach, and create methods and strategies that are easy entry points for those people. We should never apologize for making it easy for people to experience Jesus.
Churches that make people jump through a lot of hoops and don’t speak the common language of the people they are trying to reach are only making it harder on themselves. When a church leans more on their own preferences, as opposed to what is best for the ones they are called to reach, they are essentially closing the front door of their church.
The words of Jesus in Matthew 5:47 ring true today. And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Jesus is reminding us that we aren’t about creating churches just for ourselves. Our churches need to exist for others. Let’s keep in mind that to do church the way God is instructing us always has a pull towards thinking about reaching those that aren’t even here yet. Providing simple entry points with great next steps into following Jesus is crucial.
But what about the disciples already in our church? Just as Apple makes simple products that are easy to understand, they also offer so many opportunities to learn, and to grow in a particular craft. Similarly, churches can offer an easy entry point, and at the same time, offer experiences for disciples to grow deeper as well.
Privacy is a Priority
Apple is committed to protecting the privacy of its customers. Despite receiving national attention in many occurrences, both positive and negative, Apple will not budge when it comes to giving over user information without permission.
Their core value statements include the following: We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make.
This core value has led to many legal battles and public arguments. Privacy may seem like an odd value to hold onto this tightly, but their business is certainly proving through history and time that this is one that will remain a priority.
Privacy is becoming more important in our world. 2020 has accelerated trends that had already begun. Entertainment, grocery shopping, exercising (did you hear Apple is coming out with their own fitness app subscription?), and even church have all moved online and into our homes. DuckDuckGo, which is a search engine that promises privacy, is the fastest growing search engine in the last quarter of 2020. Not only this, but many people are considering leaving their public life in the city for a more private life in a less populated area.
What does this mean for the church?
Life is messy and the foundation of the church is still, and will always be, built upon the saving work of Jesus. The Good News of Jesus is greater than broken marriages, sins, substance abuse issues, and a myriad of other problems. As churches continue to bring Jesus into people’s lives, life change will happen. It’s just that life change is not clean, it’s very messy. It often times requires serious conversations, deep confessions, and many tears. People need to know that their church is a safe place to fail, to be broken, and to be made whole.
Part of coming together is to help one another become whole through Jesus. James, the brother of Jesus, writes: “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
If we are going to provide opportunities for confession and the life-changing Good News of Jesus then we must fight to keep our churches safe places for people to heal. These spaces must not include gossip, breaking the confidentiality or trust of a person, or judgment. Sadly, far too many churches are known more for those things than they are for grace, love, and trust.
If we go to all the work of doing a few things excellent, creating simple and incredible first impressions, making it easy for people to encounter Jesus, let’s also put in the hard work of ensuring that our church remains a safe place for all people to fall into the grace of Jesus.
I’m sure there are other values of Apple that may translate over to the church, and still others that wouldn’t. As you think about where your church is right now, which of the four comes naturally for you, or that you are already doing well? Which one could you use more help in?
Are there other core values of Apple that you think the church could learn from?
The post 4 Core Values of Apple that Could Help the Church appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
August 24, 2020
5 Mind-Blowing Statistics that Every Church Leader Needs to Know
I remember my grandpa telling me that an effective pastor has two things in his hands at all times: the Bible and a newspaper. Grandpa, I’m sorry, but I haven’t held a newspaper in a really long time. But, his point remains true today. Pastors and church leaders first and foremost need to know God’s Word, but we also need to understand what is happening in the world.
While the mission of the church never needs changing, the methods certainly can and should adjust as needed. Carey Nieuwhof says, “When things change and you don’t, you become irrelevant.”
2020 has not just been an interruption to the way things were, but a major disruption. We’ve seen new trends arise out of nowhere and other trends that already were on their way accelerated at warp speed.
With that in mind, here’s 5 mind-blowing statistics that I believe the church and its leaders need to pay close attention to. If the first four statistics bring uncertainty for how to effectively lead a church, the 5th statistic should give you all the strength, peace, and contentment that you need.
1) 50% of people are still working remotely from home
Belay Solutions, a leader in the virtual assistant world, claim that more than half of the workforce is still working from home. Remote working was certainly a trend on the rise coming into 2020, but now, out of necessity, it has exploded.
And this trend is here to stay for a while.
Google just recently announced that they don’t envision their workers coming onsite until end of summer 2021. Usually businesses and churches tend to lag behind the tech giants before making similar decisions. Regardless, this decision shows that remote working isn’t going away any time soon.
Another reason it’s not going away is because more people are happier in their jobs working from home than ever before.
While you can look at the major shift in work alone, truthfully, 2020 has been the year where everything is coming to the home.
Grocery shopping has been made easier through delivery services like Instacart. Major players Walmart and Amazon now offer bringing these goods right to your front door.
Going out to eat is now being replaced by dining in. More families are cooking at home or using services like DoorDash and GrubHub to bring restaurant food to their door.
Exercising at the gym is being replaced by fitness at-home businesses like Peleton and the Mirror. Apple just announced they’ll be offering a new fitness service shortly.
Going to the movie theaters has been replaced by streaming services that are now dropping blockbuster new releases and major Broadway plays.
Everything is coming to the house.
What does all of this mean for the church?
Firstly, the church needs leaders who understand how to lead a remote team. Some people thrive working from home and others don’t. Getting self-motivated, focused people on your team is a must. Leaders will need to create job descriptions that have as much clarity around expectations and goals as possible. The effective leader of a virtual team will have to look more at results and performance than simply checking hours.
Secondly, if people are moving to home habits, we have to position the church in the home as well. Utilizing the medium of technology, we have to learn how to not abstain from technology, but to use it to help disciple our people. This major disruption can be a great opportunity to remind, resource, and empower individuals in the home to help them grow their faith. While we can move more discipleship efforts into the home, we have to continue at the same time to help people thrive in real relationships with others outside of their home at the same time.
2) 40% of Americans are thinking of moving to less populated areas
A recent Harris Poll gives us this statistic. Moving into rural or less populated areas would be a reversal of a centuries long trend of people moving from rural areas to cities and suburbs.
Along with rising infection rates and the ability that most people are finding that they actually can work, produce, and be satisfied doing so at home, many are thinking of moving to less populated areas. Ditching the long commute and investing in cheaper, but larger living space is appealing to more people than ever in our country. As statistic number 1 showed us, everything is moving into the home. It makes sense to have a larger space and more square footage to allow for home offices, and even personal rooms for exercising or entertainment. As long as the Wi-Fi is fast and Zoom works without error, there are millions of people thinking and considering this lifestyle.
If this trend is here to stay, it forces some serious questions for your church.
Will those that leave the big city for the less populated areas still connect with their big city church either in-person or online, or will they be looking to connect with a new church in the community to which they are moving? For churches that are in the big cities, does this mean that big buildings and commercial leases will be a thing of the past? Should you invest more in your online ministry to expand your reach and “go” with the people that once connected with you that are now leaving?
For churches in rural areas, are your facilities guest and visitor-friendly? Is your church and the people that attend your church ready to accept those who are moving into your community?
3) Google just suffered its first decline in search for the 1st time in its 22-year history last quarter
Before you start feeling bad for Google, don’t worry, they still own more than 92% of the search engine market. But upon further looking into this, there’s a search engine that’s 6th on the list that is rising astronomically called “DuckDuckGo.” In 8 years they have gone from 1.5 million to 66 million searches per day. The reason this one will be interesting to watch is that it promises something that Google and other top search engines don’t: privacy.
There’s a good and bad side to this.
I can understand not wanting to be watched over every little thing that we do in life, or even online. It does feel intrusive when I have a thought in my head about wanting to buy a golf club, and then nearly every website I visit is an advertisement for the golf club I wanted.
But the downside is particularly really dangerous for two reasons.
1) Sometimes the reason people want more privacy online is because they are doing things and visiting sites they shouldn’t be visiting.
2) Coupled with the pull towards isolation and individualism we were already feeling before 2020, I’m concerned about the long-term effects of our desire for privacy.
How much privacy do we really need? We are not meant to live completely private lives. I’m understanding of the different personality types that exist in this world, but not even introverts are meant to be alone. We are meant to do life-on-life. We were wired to be in relationship with others. I’m not against you using a search engine that offers you privacy. I am against you living a completely isolated life. For the church, this means we have to invest in one-on-one discipleship methods to make sure that everyone has at least one person that they can truly talk to. Putting more emphasis on accountability partners for all people in our church could be a wise strategy.
4) Research indicates that pastoral well-being is at an all-time low
According to Church Pulse Weekly and Barna Research, data suggests that pastoral health is declining and quickly. Some of the numbers include:
12% of pastors report they are in excellent emotional health right now
13% say they are in excellent relational health with others
18% say it’s easy to invest in their own spiritual well-being
These are the lowest numbers that Barna has ever seen, and they’ve been tracking these numbers for decades now.
This has not been an easy year for a lot of people. Having to deal with a global pandemic alone is difficult. When you couple it with the racism and protests that have gripped our nation, and then back into further political and reopening differences, it’s easy to say that 2020 has been the most difficult year for leadership in our generation.
I like how Pastor Levi Lusko described it. He explained 2020 and the state of what we are leading through like this:
“I think we all feel a sense of exhaustion because we didn’t know we weren’t running a marathon. When you run a marathon, you use everything in the tank to get to the end. But [now], when you get to the end, you realize it’s a triathlon. In ministry, we tend to build seasons. As a pastor, you have it in your head that this season is when you have built in rest and this season is when you accelerate, but this year has defied all of that.”
When you feel like you weren’t even trained up for a marathon, but you ran it anyway and actually got to the end, only to get a bike for the next leg and not the rest or medal that you were expecting, it can be deflating.
Pastors and church leaders have the honor, and the responsibility to lead their church and to glorify God. Churches are led best out of the overflow of the pastor’s relationship with God. If there is exhaustion, burnout, fatigue at the top, it can lead to very devastating consequences.
If you know a pastor or church leader, reach out to them or send them some form of encouragement. Remember that church leaders are not immune to the ups and downs of this world any more than you are.
If you are a pastor and not feeling well, please take care of your soul. Take a rest. Breathe. Relax. Enjoy God. Get in His word. Pray. Invest in your relationship with God. Simply BE with God. Reach out to someone. Get help. And be encouraged that you can actually do all of these things mentioned with integrity because the next statistic is also true.
5) God has changed 0%
In a year where so much has changed, this one defies all the odds.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.”
God is:
Just as loving
Just as kind
Just as merciful.
Just as much in control
God is not nervous in heaven right now as he watches the news on CNN or Fox News. He’s not pacing back and forth wondering how we are going to get out of this mess. And He’s not biting his fingernails as He sees the alarming statistics brought on by the coronavirus.
Even if you don’t know what to make of all things 2020, trust in His promise that in all things God will work for the good of those who love Him.
The church has changed, needs to change, and will look very different than it did just months ago. Take comfort in the fact that this is God’s church and not yours. Fast-forward to the end. After all the crazy ups and downs that have come since the beginning of time, God wins. His church wins. The gates of Hell will not prevail against Him.
This all-powerful, all-knowing, fully-in-control God is still the same. And the way He feels about you is still the same. He’s not mad at you. He’s madly in love with you.
Continue to proclaim Jesus in all things. Let’s keep running the race together.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
The post 5 Mind-Blowing Statistics that Every Church Leader Needs to Know appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
August 21, 2020
One Thing Kids Need to Know Before Trying to BE like Jesus
By Allison Zehnder
Landon squinted as the sun peaked over the edge of the stadium and shot blinding rays into his eyes.. He looked around the stadium and remembered the days of tryouts he went through last week. Just he and one other 6th grader had made the middle school football team.
As the coach called for them to huddle up he jogged over to the sideline feeling excited and nervous. He wanted to prove to coach that he had made the right choice in picking him.
“Landon, you will play quarterback,” Coach instructed showing them an iPad with the play on it.
Landon squinted again trying to memorize exactly where he should throw and where his teammates should be. It looked so easy on the iPad; all the black Xs and Os lined up perfectly. The lines and arrows showing the exact places to run and where the ball should be was really neat and tidy and made perfect sense.
But, as Landon found himself out on the field, all of those crisp arrows and lines started to fall apart. No one blocked where they should, the guy catching the ball ran in the opposite direction to avoid getting tackled, and Landon’s throw sailed way over the receiver’s head, far from where the ball was supposed to go.
It was a mess.
Landon couldn’t wait to get off the field. He found a bench and hung his head. How could he be a part of the team if he couldn’t even follow the playbook? Coach joined him on the bench.
“What’s the matter Landon?”
“I can’t follow the plays. It looked so simple and we made it into a big mess. I’ll never be able to be on this team.”
Coach sat quietly for a second. Landon was in agony. This is when he would be asked to leave. He just didn’t have what it takes.
“Landon,” Coach said gently but firmly, “we don’t have a playbook because I expect you to follow those plays perfectly. Sometimes they work, sometimes things happen and they don’t work. Sometimes it will be your fault, and sometimes it won’t. Even though they won’t always happen perfectly, I still need to show you what it looks like to play on this team. You and your teammates need to know what you are trying to shoot for.”
After another pause Coach added, “You aren’t learning the plays in the playbook to try and earn your way on the team. There are no more tryouts. The playbook is only to show you what it looks like to be a player on this team.”
Nervousness and anxiety trickled out of Landon as he heard these words.
Coach wasn’t mad at him for making a mess of things. He picked up his helmet and then gave Coach a fist pump.
He was on the team. He belonged.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As we look at the habits of Jesus and talk about habits with our kids, it can be tempting to approach it like a play book. Targets and arrows, crisp and clean on the page, seem like a fool-proof plan. How hard could this be? Seems simple enough. One challenge at a time.
But often I can feel like Landon on the field. Life does not fit in neat boxes and plans don’t follow crisp arrows and lines: kids don’t cooperate, schedules get busy, time slips away and the task of discipling our kids seems impossible.
It can be tempting to see the targets as bullseyes that we have to hit in order to feel like we are doing okay as parents. Heaven forbid someone see our kids throwing a temper tantrum or tells us we have the “rambunctious child” in Sunday school. I can slip into using targets as marks of my own performance rather than a picture of what God intended for his people.
The starting point for parents is always an understanding of your own position; our faith is a gift and we belong because Jesus earned it for us. Faith is given by God alone, therefore you cannot earn or give faith to your child. Salvation isn’t dependent on something you do, rather, it is something you were given.
My husband and I just wrote a book that gives targets for kids to shoot for in their faith. And as important as it is to shoot for targets…and, it is important to know what to aim for…
The most important thing we can do as parents is to remind our children that they are ALREADY on the team. They don’t have to hit a target, complete a challenge, or follow a playbook in order to get accepted.
We belong because someone else executed perfectly what we could not. Jesus hit every target perfectly, he executed every play accurately, and he followed every arrow precisely.
You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 1 John 3:5
Because he lived a perfect life and died and rose again, we are able to be on the team. Nothing can separate us from God. Following the habits of Jesus doesn’t help you get accepted, you follow because you have already been accepted.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
What Jesus did changes everything for us. And now we want to aim to be just like Him, but we understand that even when we fail, we are still on the team. We still belong.
Being Challenge Kids is now available for pre-order here.
Many parents know that they are the number one spiritual faith formation person in their child’s life, but few have an intentional plan to help disciple their kids. This is a book that will give your child targets to shoot for to help them grow in their relationship with God by being just like Jesus.
The post One Thing Kids Need to Know Before Trying to BE like Jesus appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
August 18, 2020
6 Biblical Steps (In Order) to Pursue Racial Reconciliation
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9
Jesus 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 meant to be heard and followed.
Keeping with this simple truth, this means then, that the children of God are called not just to keep the peace, but to make peace with one another.
And in 2020, it’s time for all of God’s children, white, black, brown, red, and yellow to make peace and pursue reconciliation. 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? It’s time.
Many of us want to help but we’re not sure what to do. When we are uncertain of what to do, it’s important to gain our 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 6 important steps biblically that we can take to pursue racial reconciliation, and I believe the order of these 6 is very important and intentional.
1. Pray
The first step we can take is pray.
Some people say that you should do more than pray. You should speak. You should act. And we’ll get there. But it 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 I have this step first is because we need help from heaven. We need God to show up. If we are trying to make peace with others without personally being changed on the inside and hearing from God, then 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.
In all of the injustices that occur in this world, including racism, it is a spiritual problem. At the root of it, this is not a political issue. It’s 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 be a last resort, but a first response.
A lot of us want to make a difference in this world. Typically then, 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 giving God the opportunity to move mightily and making room for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully.
And because of this reality, I want to tell you, that biblically speaking, at least, 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, after you invite God into the situation, here’s a second step.
2. Listen
When 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 important 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, this is what you’d see.
But as I’m holding the bottle out to you, if you see “Coca-Cola” 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 it’s possible for people to be looking at the same thing but seeing it completely different. 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?”
Those are such powerful words that 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’m swimming in that much more clearly.
Walking to the other side is important for everyone, but it’s God’s children, the ones who have received God’s grace, that must take the first step. This is the very thing God did for you and for me. 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. It’s fine to listen to a wide variety of people, but the best form of listening we can do is with a real person who is different from us. With all of the injustice that is happening in the world right now, you can become easily overwhelmed or desensitized. But when you have a real relationship with someone who is 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 important step is to continue to educate ourselves.
3. Educate
What I have found in the midst of this awful tragedy is that there are a lot of people who will give opinions, and truthfully, I’m not sure all of them come from wisdom.
Again, the wise man Solomon said in Proverbs 18:2:
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
I need to say this speaking of education. You need to get your education from more than one place. Quit listening to the same echo chambers, or quite simply, one talking head, especially if that talking head, looks and sounds like you already. Listen, read, and watch a diverse mix in order 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 key 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 important steps, 2020 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 with a law or two or milestone or two or figure head or two change everything overnight and make things an even playing field.
A few years ago, I was convicted that I need to a part of the solution when it comes to racial reconciliation and noted that I had a long way to go to properly educate myself. Personally, 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 race, gender, and professions to try to learn what it’s like to be a person of a different skin color. As part of this initiative we did 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. In that room, each defendant received about one minute in front of the judge before they entered their plea. Every single defendant that was in pretrial, about 25 in total, was either a black or brown skin. Not one white person. Not a single white person up for pretrial.
I know every story is different and unique. I know that there are some white people who have grown up in oppression and some black people who have grown up in riches. But overall, historically, it has been easier to succeed in America having a white skin than a black skin. And there are still differences that exist today. It’s why our black brothers and sisters have been crying out so passionately not just in 2020, but in years past as well.
Continue to educate yourself.
This leads us to our fourth step.
4. Act
Some of you might be thinking this isn’t my problem. I’m not a racist. This 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. Hatred and bigotry are words that people associate with Christians 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 are not sins of commission (a sin we commit), but rather a sin of omission (something we omit or don’t do). I’m not saying we haven’t committed sins in this area but I am convicted by this question:
“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 truly am.
I certainly have my list of sins that I have to confess to of things that I have done, but I think my list of sins of omission would be far more damning and numerous than my sins of commission.
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. And after repenting, we 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.
This is our ministry that God has given to us. 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 any part of the church of God, you have the ministry of reconciliation.
Then we move to the fifth step, which sadly, is most people’s first step.
5. Speak
Your 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. Don’t get me wrong though…we are called to speak. And it’s after action.
Actions before words make your words more powerful.
We have been called, the Bible says, out of darkness and into His marvelous light in order 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.”
That word unity is important. 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.
A couple of things you could say right now:
Racism is real. You can be 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 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. We have to acknowledge it.
We are called to speak about this by the way in our home and not just in public. If we speak more about this in public or on social media more than in our very homes, we have to ask what our motivation really is.
And here’s another thing you should say. Black Lives Matter. This isn’t a statement, it’s a truth.
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 matters.
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 they would a black person, and 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 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.
After these five steps, I truly believe the 6th step is where we are going to start seeing some great movement in this pursuit of racial reconciliation.
6. Expect
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 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 getting worse for the Israelite people, and now they had really escalated. Innocent lives were being murdered as Hebrew baby boys were being killed for no good reason.
This is the time when God came down in a burning bush and said “I have seen the misery of my people” and “I’m coming down to rescue them.”
When God turns an eye toward injustice it will be defeated. It will bow down to the power of our mighty God. Injustice will not prevail in the presence of God. Darkness doesn’t stand a chance in the light.
God came down in a powerful way, 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 promising 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, look for Him to be on the side of the oppressed and the mistreated. No matter who you are, if you are hurting, oppressed, and mistreated because of the color of your skin, or as you serve faithfully as a police officer, God sees you. He’s already come down to rescue you, and He’s coming again for you.
When we bring God into racial reconciliation we can expect God to move. At the end of the day, 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 I, 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.
I want to close with these words. This is not the first time that a great division has existed. In the time of the New Testament, the Jews and Gentiles had a rough history and past and didn’t always get along. And these were words written by Paul to the two tribes. 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. Will you PLEASE help?
The post 6 Biblical Steps (In Order) to Pursue Racial Reconciliation appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
August 13, 2020
3 People to Talk to During Suffering
2020 has affected all of us in some way, shape, or form, and for most of us, we’ve experienced some serious suffering. Loved ones have passed on far too early or all too sudden. Racial tensions are at all-time highs and divisions amongst political parties are only beginning to ramp up. Names like JCPenney, Lord and Taylor, Nieman Marcus, Men’s Wearhouse, Hertz, GNC, and Chuck E’ Cheeses have all filed for bankruptcy. Jobs have been lost, high school graduations and sports seasons have been, and are still, being cancelled.
If you’ve made it through 2020 completely unscathed, you are either an outlier or an outright liar!
For those of us who have felt some loss, pain, or suffering, talking about it is an important part of the healing process. Thankfully, as we suffer, we can have some important 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, which are largely laid out 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.
In this particular book written to the Corinthian church, Paul’s authority has come under question. To prove his authority, he goes through a list of qualifications. In Chapters 11 and 12, he highlights an impressive resume of suffering he has endured in order to follow Jesus. This proves to us 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 up for debate, but read these words Jesus says 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 is able to empathize with you in your weaknesses. No matter what you are going through, and especially if you are suffering, you have a God who wants to talk to you and encourage you.
The apostle Peter, who certainly 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. In fact, He has a history of coming down into the midst of turmoil and suffering to not only comfort us, but to also 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 entirely escape. And while in heaven we are promised a land of no more tears, pain, or suffering, in this world we are not. 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 in the midst of your suffering?
Often times when I look back at my suffering, I have found that pain and suffering have been some of my best teachers. Some of the greatest 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
The burdens that we face in this world weren’t meant to be carried by yourself. 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.”
When we go through suffering, it can be very easy to keep to ourselves but you are not meant to carry your burdens by yourself. We are living in a world that is pulling us more and more towards isolation but God has wired us for real Christian community.
Amazingly, even though 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.” This is the first recorded revelation of God to mankind and highlights the importance of relationship with one another. He is declaring that as important as relationship between man and God is, that you were also made for relationship with others.
If you have been going at your suffering alone, be bold and challenge yourself to open up to a Christian friend. I do highlight “Christian friend” because often times when we go through suffering we 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. 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 myself. According to Cleveland Clinic, the average human has 60,000 thoughts per day, and of those thoughts 80% are negative. 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 records in Psalm 43 some adversity in which 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 4 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.
David, in the midst of great adversity and suffering preached to his own soul.
Rather than focusing on your circumstances, and even if you may not “feel” God in 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 to 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?
One resource that can really help in a time of suffering and grief is a brand-new book by Sharon Zehnder. This book will give many words of encouragement from God to help you in your time of trouble that will ultimately bring you to a place of healing. To see more, click here.
The post 3 People to Talk to During Suffering appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
August 11, 2020
5 Simple Ways to Mentor Your Child’s Faith
By Allison Zehnder
I have struggled in the past to know the best way to encourage my kids to follow Jesus. I don’t want it to be like a chore or homework they have to do. Childhood habits are important, and I really wanted to help my kids establish not only good habits for their physical, mental and emotional well-being, but their spiritual as well.
Everyday Emotional Intelligence claims that “our range of emotional skills is relatively set by our mid-20s and that our accompanying behaviors are, by that time, deep-seated habits.” I really wanted to see that my kids are growing in their faith, but knowing where to start and what to shoot for can feel daunting.
The breakthrough for me was when I realized that God had given me these children, and wanted to work with me in bringing them up as Jesus-followers. He didn’t wait until I had it all figured out, until I was some spiritual giant of faith, to give me children. God’s intention was that we grow together as a family in our faith.
Everyone who is raising kids has the potential and capability of discipling them. It’s okay if you are not where you want to be yourself. You can grow with your family. Remember, only God can give your child faith, but you can help grow it. Knowing who you are in Jesus will affect how you parent your child.
Modeling and mentoring your child’s faith as a gift from God is the most important thing you can do for your child. All other aspects of parenting flows out of your own relationship with God. Barna research says that 85% of Christian parents believe they are the number one primary spiritual faith formation person in their child’s life. But when you read a little bit further, very few have any intentionality or plan to disciple their children. In other words, we know we are an important person in our children’s faith journey, but few of us know practically how to lead them.
In light of that, here’s 5 things that you may consider doing in your home to mentor your children’s faith:
‘Fess Up.
Be honest with them about your own faith walk. Talk about your highs and lows, and be real with them about your desire to grow in your faith. If you have older children, share with them your past: when faith became real to you, who was helpful in your walk with Jesus, and even some mistakes that God used for good.
Put God time within an arm’s reach.
Make incorporating faith and Bible story reading easy and ready to use throughout the day. Structured devotionals are great if you have time to do them…but kids do a lot of waiting at the table, in the car, or in the bathroom brushing their teeth (or doing other things!). Keep visuals, books, and written family goals in a highly trafficked area of your home. Keep your kid’s Bibles on the table or counter where you eat and exchangeable memory verses on the mirror or in a frame next to the bathroom sink. Upload Bible-based apps on their devices or tablets and give them extra screen time if they spend some time in their Bible apps. Leave Bible story books or Christian books in your car next to the car seats or boosters.
We’ve all been surprised at how far that reach can get, even with little arms! Keep good content close by!
Keep it basic.
Start with 5-10 min. We currently have been using 7-8 minute videos by www.BibleProject.com. When you can do it at the house, that’s awesome. But you could also play the video (or audio) in the car on your commute to school or practice. Focus on Bible stories. Our family has gone through the same Bible story devotional book 5-6 times. It’s okay if it is repetitive. As they grow, those stories will become richer and deeper.
Use the Chuck ‘E Cheese model.
Okay, even though they just filed for bankruptcy, and perhaps you are more of a Dave & Buster’s family, it’s clear that their arcade model mastered the art of giving prizes for good performance in a fun way. As a parent, you can go to one of these arcades, spend $100 on games, and feel like you wasted a bunch of money. But kids, as they leave with a single serving of Haribo gummy bears and a small plush doll feel like they hit the jackpot.
We have two convictions we are working with in our home as of lately:
We want our kids to know the Bible. AND…
We want our kids to type well and fast.
So we just incentivized (ok…bribed) our middle school son to help achieve both of those end goals. For every chapter of the Gospel of John that he types out we’re paying him $1. I don’t know if the strategy will work out with him, and this technique may not be for everyone, but incentivizing may be something we all do more than we realize.
Of course, we want our kids to act out of good motives. It is an important and ongoing conversation to have; but we also have to realize that kid’s mental capacity to understand the why behind spiritual habits is a developmental milestone that they may not reach in elementary years. Obedience comes before understanding. A toddler must learn to wash their hands after using the restroom before they could ever comprehend germs and their immune system.
Zach, my husband, was paid $40 by his parents if he read the entire Bible when he was in middle school. He did it in about 9 months and was excited about the money he got at the time, but now as an adult he is grateful for the habit that he established as a youth of reading his Bible.
If you have to have a goal to shoot for, throw a reward in there at the end…tickets and tokens optional!
Do monthly check-ins with your children.
If they are younger, this may be simply quality time spent together one-on-one. As they get older, you can begin helping them set goals and targets to accomplish in their faith and spirituality. More than anything, listen to them.
Zach always says that if you have targets that you are working towards, and your system is working, then keep going. But if you are one of those parents who knows how important you are in your child’s faith but don’t have a plan, then feel free to use the 5 targets that came from the mouth of Jesus that are featured in Red Letter Challenge.
At monthly check-ins our family goes through the 5 principles of RLC and we ask our children:
1) How are you BEING with Jesus? What habits have you put in your life to help you grow in your relationship with God?
2) What do you need to FORGIVE in others and yourself? Have you done anything that you feel you need God’s forgiveness of? Are you holding a grudge against anyone who has done something to hurt you?
3) When are you SERVING others?
4) Where are you being generous through GIVING in your life?
5) Who are you showing Jesus to by GOING in your life? Is there anyone in your life that you can model and speak about the love of Jesus to?
After hearing their answers, I let my kids set a goal around one of those 5 targets and check in with them the following month.
So just as I ask my kids to pick one goal for the month…which one of these 5 above looks doable for you and your family?
For more resources to help disciple your children, check out Red Letter Challenge Kids or BEING Challenge Kids.
The post 5 Simple Ways to Mentor Your Child’s Faith appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
August 5, 2020
10 Bold Predictions about the Future Church in America
It’s been a wild ride leading a church over the past decade, but the ride has gone crazy wild in 2020. Nothing and no one could have predicted we’d be where we are right now. It’s been far and away the most challenging year of ministry for myself, and for all the pastor friends that I know.
What we don’t know is what will be of the church when the dust settles. But it’s important as pastors who lead people to at least be thinking about the future and in light of that, I have made 10 bold predictions about the future church of America.
Some of these predictions are based on data, and some of these are just random musings that I could totally be wrong about, but here goes…
Church has never been more complicated in America and it will never go back to normal.
If pastors have ever needed your prayers, this is the season. Many pastors are left with one congregation but in several formats (in person, online, and those going back and forth). Finding resources and tools to unify a divided congregation will be paramount in the church of the future There are many pastors who are simply waiting and buying time for their church to go back to normal but I have a hunch it never will. Partly because…
30% of the churchgoers have not just left the building, but are gone.
It’s hard to keep track of who’s truly in your church anymore, but even for this optimist, I think a more natural outcome of the pandemic is that churches will get smaller, not bigger. While there will be exceptions to this rule, I have a hard time believing the average church will grow. New habits form so quickly and for many people the new habit they have made in this time is to not attend church, online, or in person. Barna research suggests that one in three practicing Christians has stopped attending church altogether. And only 53% say they have streamed their regular church online in the last 4 weeks. The optimistic side of me believes that if the remaining 70% truly do follow Jesus then we can do far more than the 100% of the old which was filled with many nominal, but not practicing, Christians. If we were only as strong as our weakest link, maybe losing our weakest won’t hurt us in the long run. After all, the Christian church of America was a shadow of what it was called to be, and God regularly prunes what will eventually bear much fruit. Might 2020 be “The Year of the Great Pruning?”
Online Church will change drastically from the way that it’s being done now.
I think there may be a select few churches that can create a positive online experience through streaming their Sunday worship service. Most churches in-person worship services, however, do not translate well through a screen into a person’s living room. Creating quality content that works in a living room is different than in an auditorium or sanctuary. Long worship sets don’t translate well. It can be weird or awkward to sing with my family in my house. In terms of the preaching, I agree with what Carey Nieuwhof says: “5 minutes of boring is 5 minutes too long and 60 minutes of fascinating is not long enough.” Online attention spans tend to be even shorter than live attention spans, so when thinking online, better to go shorter than longer.
This COULD be the biggest change in the form of preaching in centuries.
What’s crazy to me is we really haven’t changed our style of preaching even though the world has changed and gotten so much more technologically advanced in the past 20 years. Preaching has for many centuries been primarily done from a stage to an audience. With the online revolution of the past couple of decades, one effective form of preaching could be to remove yourself from the stage and record messages anywhere. In the past, bringing props onto a stage to help bring a point home worked. Now, the preacher can physically put himself/herself on location to help bring the point home in an even more powerful way. If you are preaching about fishing for men, what would it look like to film your sermon on a boat or in a fish market? I’ve been very successful in creating videos largely for small group materials where we have recorded onsite with powerful visuals as I walk and talk, but now I’m thinking, why don’t we do this for our sermons as well?
Online Church will be the new “worship wars.”
For decades the church, especially along denominational lines, has argued about how to appropriately do worship. While those debates may linger, the bigger debate right now is if online church is really church. I believe we have much to learn in this realm still but here’s a couple of convictions that I have: 1) the old “normal” way wasn’t working nearly as well as many want to think it was, and 2) as you look at the trajectory of our world, I’m very convinced the answer for the church moving forward is “more online, not less.” Smartphones, Amazon, and social media aren’t going away. Not having any online answer will make you more like Blockbuster in a Netflix world. You may have had a good run but your run will come to an end sooner than you think. I’d rather be putting more energy, time, staff, and budget into being on the innovative side of this than playing defense and hoping that things go back to the broken way that they were. If you are married to your methods, you’ll soon be divorced from having a church.
Hip-hop and rap will be the fastest growing worship song genre.
Hip-hop and rap music dominate the charts amongst the youth and I highly doubt many churches are thinking about creating worship music in this style. Taking lessons from YouTubers, we need to be putting our own agendas aside and creating content that younger generation wants to consume. It may annoy you to listen to hip hop music and to have animations flash across the screen but these are things we must consider in the future of creating video content if we are serious about engaging with and reaching our youth. If we are not serious about reaching the church of the future, the church simply has no future.
Engaging church content will focus on BOTH consumption AND contribution.
There is great debate on how to “count attendance” right now. And while I won’t be able to tell you if you should use the multiplier 1.7 or 2.3 on your streaming service, I am certain that every person and every view is vital. God desires that every person be adopted as one of His children. Every view therefore is an opportunity for someone to hear Gospel which gives the Holy Spirit an opportunity to change hearts. If you truly believe that God’s message is effective every time it goes out, then that includes the power to cut through the screens people are watching on. You should do everything in your power to create Jesus-centered, Spirit-led content that people want to consume, and you should monitor your views, because every view matters. AND because we are still trying to grow disciples, your content should absolutely lead to next steps and ways to contribute to the advancement of God’s mission, or else, we will just be catering to our consumeristic culture. I believe that people are starving to not just be inspired by God’s Word, but to be challenged by it. When you are creating content, think inspiration and challenge.
The church’s volunteer median age just jumped at least a decade.
Most of the people I’ve seen come back to church are in their 50’s and above and not the 20’s and 30’s that have the younger families. Younger families that I have spoken with enjoy being able to sleep in on Sunday, and to do church online. It offers for them a slower pace and more family time than the pre-Covid norm of one parent rushing out and abandoning family so he/she could serve as an usher while the other parent was tasked with getting the children ready for church. I love the Sunday service and the gathering of the people, but I am wondering on the inside if I wasn’t a pastor would I choose:
Option 1: Sleep in, make breakfast, and spend time in worship and God’s Word for 45 minutes at home with my family and friends.
OR
Option 2: Get up early, wrestle around quickly in order to spend five disjointed family time hours on Sunday morning so that I can attend and serve at a service.
It’s my tendency to rush and overcommit in life which can lead to an unsustainable pace. What if Sunday could be a day where we slowed our pace down? I can tell you that this is what young parents, especially, are thinking about right now. Was church the way it was done promoting an unhealthy pace and family rhythm? And, if so, how can we avoid that in the future?
Discipling your church will happen mostly in the other 111 waking hours of the week.
There are 168 hours in the week. And if we sleep 8 hours a day like the doctors recommend that leaves 112 waking hours. For the past, the church has been largely focused on discipling the church during the 1-hour weekly worship service. In the future, churches will be putting much more focus and creating more content to help grow disciples in the other 111 waking hours of the week. Content creators, production managers, and content editors will be a rising position in the growing church. I personally love the idea of focusing more of our discipleship efforts outside of Sunday and equipping and arming our parents, guardians, and ministers with tools during the week.
Jesus has never more been needed.
The only answer to all of the major problems in this world continue to be Jesus. Anxiety and depression will continue to rise in our country as fewer are looking to Jesus as the solution. But, even though fewer will be looking, Jesus remains the hope of the world. And it’s on the confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God that the gates of Hell will never prevail. In light of all of the changes and disruption the church has experienced, and while I certainly believe that there are a lot of unknowns, one thing I am certain of is the fact that Jesus and His church will reign.
I predict the church will look very different in the coming decade, and I have mixed emotions of great optimism and serious fear, but when I remember that church isn’t centered on me and my methods, it’s about Jesus, I can breathe a little bit easier.
If you are a pastor, God bless you! I am praying for you. If I can be helpful to you, please reach out to me here.
If you are a faithful churchgoer, thank you. Reach out to your pastor and encourage them. Pray for them. This is the toughest time they’ve ever had to lead.
After reading through this list, does one of the ten predictions stick out to you? Which one? Or do you have any predictions you’d add to the list?
Zach Zehnder
The post 10 Bold Predictions about the Future Church in America appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
April 16, 2020
The 5 Best Habits to Form While Quarantined
One of the phrases I’ve heard a lot in the midst of the global pandemic we are living in, is “Don’t waste a crisis.” As hard as it may be, as dark as it may be, don’t waste a crisis.
Here’s my question: What if, in the midst of this crisis, you could become more like Christ?
Many of us in this season have uncluttered time like never before. We’ve been forced into new decisions and new daily routines. Calendars have become completely wiped out. New habits are being formed. Bad and Good.
Multiple studies have confirmed that about 40% of the “decisions” we make in this world, aren’t actually decisions, but habits in our lives. Therefore, it’s important we recognize what habits are in our lives.
In this quarantined time, did you know that alcohol sales are up somewhere between 55 and 75% in our country over the same time as last year? Porn sites have seen a major increase in engagement. Carbs and sugary products are flying off the shelves. And just like the “Freshman 15,” all sorts of memes about the “Quarantine 15” are starting to pop up as many are gaining weight in this time.
Those are obviously not the long-lasting habits we want in our lives.
At the same time, good habits are being formed. This morning, YouVersion, makers of the Bible App, said that they saw “the largest increasement ever, with more people searching the Bible for hope and peace, sharing Bible verses and Verse Images with others, and engaging in God’s Word with their families through the Bible App for Kids. Many families that have tried to implement daily devotions and failed in the past are using this time to establish this routine. Family meals are occurring more far more often, and simply put, most people are using this time to grow in their relationship with God. In my church alone, 81% say this is a time they are using to employ better habits!
New habits are being formed! But not all habits are equal.
The best habits to form are keystone habits. Charles Duhigg, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Power of Habits, defines keystone habits this way: “a habit that people introduce into their lives that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.”
Keystone habits create a domino effect that can change every area of your life. One crucial habit leads to other good habits. A keystone habit is no more difficult to form than any other one, but it provides multiplied benefits. Some examples of keystone habits in our world are exercising regularly, tracking what you eat, making your bed every morning, and flossing your teeth. There is much scientific research that shows these habits carry over into other areas of our lives.
But not all keystone habits are created equal either. I believe that no habits create a greater domino effect in our lives than spiritual habits that help us grow in our relationship with God. And if we are looking to grow in our relationship with God, it’s important we look to the only one who was in perfect relationship with God, and that is Jesus Christ.
For the past two years, I’ve been researching the habits of Jesus and also looking at some modern-day research in regards to habits, and I believe these are the 5 keystone habits of Jesus that Jesus practiced:
Commit to Community
Study Scripture
Prioritize Prayer
Seek Solitude
Choose Church
Even when our world looks nothing like what it did a month ago, and certainly nothing like the time in which Jesus lived, these same five keystone habits of Jesus will help you grow in your relationship with God and ultimately help you become a greater follower of Jesus.
We will be doing a much deeper dive into these 5 keystone habits of Jesus as we enter into the FREE Online Being Challenge, starting April 19th. For more info, check out www.redletterchallenge.com/obc. I’ll be leading you with daily videos that will challenge you to become more like Christ. We will not waste this crisis.
We will use this crisis to become more like Christ!
Zach Zehnder
The post The 5 Best Habits to Form While Quarantined appeared first on Red Letter Challenge.
June 12, 2019
Raising Kids to Follow Jesus
Summertime at our house is full of traditions and rituals that announce the arrival of our favorite season.
I love the magic of a family ritual…the warm buttery smell of stove-top popcorn on a movie night or the sight of shimmery, sandy hills which separate you from reaching that first cool foamy-white ocean wave.
The sounds of a crackling fire pit warming flip-flopped toes and roasting marshmallows to a gooey golden brown or the feel of oily sunscreen on warm cheeks indented with goggle outlines.
The taste of a chocolate ice cream cone making brown mustaches and dribbling down elbows before making its final dive to a hot sidewalk.
Having rituals is a key component to creating habits: natural occurring practices in our daily life. A woman named Wendy Wood monitored people’s daily behavior and found that 45% of the decisions we make are actually habits. Almost half of what we do we don’t even think about.
I believe that most parents want to incorporate spirituality and faith into their child’s daily life. So I don’t think I actually need to sell you on the importance of why you should do Bible studies with your children, but maybe I can challenge you on the importance of “Why this one?”
If our goal is to raise kids who regularly practice faith: the best way to do it is to make it a habit in their lives. Scientists say that to create a new habit one needs to make any routine to a habit: and this is exactly what you will find yourself doing.
Starting basic and making small choices can lead to really big changes in the future.
Red Letter Challenge for Kids is specifically modeled with the intent of creating habit forming, life-long rituals in your children’s lives with just a little change (even our challenges are called bite-sized). Each day children will read words that Jesus specifically commanded them to do. They will explore what exactly Jesus meant when He said those words, and finally they will take what they learned and apply it to their daily lives through a challenge. This is exactly how we should be reading and interpreting scripture as a ritual in our lives.
Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
So between your firework watching, corn-on-the-cob eating, firefly catching, and swimming pool splashing find time to create a family ritual that will last a lifetime: the habit of reading and applying God’s word. Why not start with Red Letter Challenge for Kids which will give you that small step you are waiting to take towards a desired goal?
You will give your child a priceless tool which will form their character and heart and that they will treasure for decades to come.
If you haven’t heard the great news RLC for Kids is coming out later this summer! To get a FREE copy, join our launch team on Facebook. But hurry, less than 70 spots remain. Just enter the password “challenge.” And if you miss out on the Launch Team, have no worries, you can get access to your copy of RLC for Kids later this summer.
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