Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 6
March 11, 2024
Three Steps to Help You Bounce Back When You Are Feeling Low
Zach and Allison sat down together and talked about a rough time Allison had last summer after writing their latest 40-day challenge books. They both learned some valuable lessons that may help others during a tough season.
Allison: After we put the finishing touches on Serving Challenge and Serving Challenge Kids in the spring of 2023, I hit a low. I could barely make dinner and keep up with household chores, let alone try to write or work on anything. My brain felt like mush, and I struggled to enjoy everyday activities.
Zach: Normally, it’s a great time for us with that load off of our shoulders.
Allison: I was totally expecting to feel great. Summer was coming. We both had tons of encouragement about finishing, but I was emotionally and physically struggling. So I just tried to busy my way out of it. I started writing a fiction novel. We had a jam-packed summer of travel on the books. But that summer was one of the hardest I’ve had in a while. Even though we were in all these happy places as a family, I was feeling depressed and lost.
Zach: I didn’t know what happened to my wife. No offense, I love you, but you were not yourself.
Allison: Honestly, I didn’t know what was going on. It felt like it came out of nowhere. What I found out later was that I was most likely experiencing PPD. (Not to be confused with postpartum depression, which I also had after my first son was born.) I had a bad case of post-publication depression. Do you think you have ever had PPD after finishing a big writing project?
Zach: I can get lows after finishing any big challenge, but it’s different from yours. I tend to get into a rut creatively. I have a hard time keeping habits without a deadline, a big event coming up, or a lot of ramp-up. It’s like I need all this pressure on me.
Allison: Yeah, I feel like you perform under pressure better than I do. Like when you trained and trained for the half marathon last year, but once it was done, you stopped running altogether.
Zach: Yeah, I can do that with working out or investing in a project. With Red Letter, books are never done for me, really. I keep speaking on my projects, which is my favorite thing to do. You enjoy the writing process more than I do. When it’s over, you no longer have much creative outlet with the project.
Allison: Yeah, I really don’t. Maybe that’s what triggered this PPD.
What is Post-Publication Depression?Writer Ann Janzer describes post-publication depression this way:
It’s a combination of two emotions:
The natural let-down after a long period of intense, focused activityFear is engendered by losing control of something that you have invested so much in Athletes and Post-Race BluesMarathon runners struggle with similar symptoms. In HBO’s 2020 documentary The Weight of Gold, professional athletes describe feeling similar to what I was going through after a race.
In his article for Triathlete, Dr. Jim Taylor defends the low feelings after a big high as normal and necessary.
Such “post-big-race” down periods are normal and, despite triathletes’ best efforts, usually unavoidable. The fact is, triathletes shouldn’t try to avoid these feelings. PRD [post-race depression] actually plays an essential role in your recovery from the intensity of training and racing. Yet PRD is a source of uncertainty, concern, and just plain discomfort for triathletes.
Some athletes said they felt lost. Others experienced a lack of motivation to run and craved something to look forward to. Many felt down, anti-social, sad, or disappointed even when they reached their goals. Even the greatest Olympian of all-time, Michael Phelps, suffered an identity crisis when he stopped swimming competitively:
“If your whole life was about building up to one race, one performance, or one event, how does that sustain everything that comes afterward? . . . Eventually, for me at least, there was one question that hit me like a ton of bricks: Who was I outside of the swimming pool?”
Jesus’s 40 DaysJesus’s temptation in the wilderness is a great model of Lent and a 40-day experience. Like Jesus, our lives have periods when we have to pull away from something to prepare for a new season or focus on God. However, nothing is actually written about Jesus’s forty-day experience itself.
The hardest part of Jesus’s time in the wilderness wasn’t the 40 days, it was what happened after. Jesus’s temptations didn’t occur during His fast. They occurred after His fast. Although our 40-day challenge books are transformative and a great catalyst for change, the biggest opposition you may encounter is not the forty days itself but afterward. How do you maintain and continue to grow after the challenge is over?
The accomplishment of Jesus’s 40 days resulted in a vicious attack by the devil. His experience teaches us that without God’s Word and a plan, you might end up right where you started.
Creating A Post-Challenge Recovery
Zach: Our 40-Day Challenge books have kickstarted a lot of people who want to do something. They use our material because many of them just didn’t know where to start.
Allison: For me personally, the books were an opportunity to look at Jesus’s words and His actions and really think about how that impacts my everyday life.
Zach: Remember that one reader who said they never thought about actually measuring spirituality? It was pretty cool that we could be a part of showing them it’s possible.
Allison: But then once the forty days are over, if people have a low after experiencing a great accomplishment, it’s perfectly reasonable for people to have this experience after one of our challenges, right? How do we help people bounce back after accomplishing a challenge?
Zach: You know my answer. It’s always “Look to Jesus!” These three steps work for any challenge: whether it’s a marathon or 5K race, or maybe a move to a new city, a new job, or doing a challenge in your church. They are rest, rejoice, and recommit.
Three Things To Do After a ChallengeUnder each of the three steps below, we list the verses describing what Jesus did after His temptation in Matthew 4. Nothing in Scripture is by chance, so Jesus’s steps were exactly what He was supposed to do.
Rest: Take some time to rest and relax. Remember that it is normal to feel a let-down. Give yourself time to walk and listen to some favorite music. Reflect on the highs and lows of your 40 days. Even though you might feel a little down, know it’s temporary and will pass. Jesus had angels who came and ministered to him. Even our Lord needed to be taken care of.
Then the devil left him; behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Matthew 4:11
Rejoice: Celebrate your accomplishment. This may be on your own doing something you enjoy. It may be dinner out or a get-together with others. Fill your bucket with things you know will bring you joy and worship your God.Jesus went and lived by the sea after his temptation. It may not be immediate since we do not know the timeline, but we do know that there was a period of living in Capernaum after his temptation. Could this have been a time of rejoicing for him? His last words to Satan were to worship the Lord your God alone.
13 And leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea. Matthew 4:13
Recommit: Once you’ve given yourself a good rejuvenating time, reassess your goals and recommit to them. Make a new plan and stick to it! This will help you to stay motivated and keep on track. After Jesus had lived in Capernaum by the sea, Matthew tells us that Jesus began to preach and teach. He also called His first disciples.
Jesus re-committed to what his purpose on earth was.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:17-19
Conclusion
Accomplishing a great task, achieving a goal, or finishing a challenge is no small task! But no matter what challenge you complete, take time to rest, rejoice, and recommit to God’s next challenge for you!
The post Three Steps to Help You Bounce Back When You Are Feeling Low appeared first on Red Letter Living.
March 4, 2024
067: Kap Chatfield on Being a Christian YouTube Influencer, How He Got to One Million Subscribers in Less than a Year, and Why He Left Atheism
Kap Chatfield is a pastor, entrepreneur, and content creator on a mission to reveal the glory of God on every glowing screen. Kap Chatfield creates content through his media company called Rveal Media for the kingdom and trains others to do the same.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Leaders monthly webinars. Pastors and church leaders, do you ever feel alone in ministry? You want to do the right things, change with the times, and still stay true to what you believe about God. But how? Zach Zehnder hosts monthly webinars with leaders to help you be the greatest pastor or leader that you can be! This month’s webinar features our guest from today’s episode Kap Chatfield. On March 28th, Kap will be going deeper to help pastors, church leaders, and content creators in the Christian space, learn how to get their message out to the masses. It’ll be an incredible opportunity to learn from someone who is a master in his field. Register here: https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/GrowthinOneYear.
Red Letter Leaders Webinar with Kap Chatfield Registration Page
Key insights from the episode:
I had been walking through life in 720 standard definition black and white, and with Jesus, everything was 4K, OLED. I saw everything as new. – Kap Chatfield
God said, “You are busy telling everyone else’s story, but you haven’t made room for mine.” – Kap Chatfield
God isn’t late; he’s right on time. – Kap Chatfield
We help churches and kingdom businesses build a digital ministry. Kap Chatfield
Why are we ripping on kids who dream of having influence on social media when that may be one of the best ways to share your faith? – Pastor Zach Zehnder
The 4 Ms of having a digital presence are 1) mindset, 2) messaging, 3) media, and 4) marketing. – Kap Chatfield
God is not obligated to co-sign on my opinions, but he does obligate Himself to back up His Word.- Kap Chatfield
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, or the Bible is not true. – Kap Chatfield
Kap Chatfield’s Challenge: Master a 60-second story about how Jesus changed your life and share it this week.
Let’s go deeper with Kap!
Don’t forget to register for this month’s Red Letter Leaders webinar featuring Kap. On March 28th, Kap will be going deeper to help pastors, church leaders, and content creators in the Christian space, learn how to get their message out to the masses. It’ll be an incredible opportunity to learn from someone who is a master in his field. Register here: https://event.webinarjam.com/channel/GrowthinOneYear.
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 067: Kap Chatfield on Being a Christian YouTube Influencer, How He Got to One Million Subscribers in Less than a Year, and Why He Left Atheism appeared first on Red Letter Living.
February 27, 2024
066: Richard Pope on Planting a Church With Terminal Cancer, How Suffering Helps in the Life of a Disciple, and How to Enjoy Jesus Aggressively
Richard Pope is the Lead Pastor of Canvas Church in Salisbury, MD. After planting Canvas Church at the age of 24, he found out that he had terminal cancer. Rather than stopping his plans, he pressed forward and faithfully continues to fight today.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. Pastors and church leaders, jump into a 40-day discipleship challenge after Easter. When you do, you will experience growth in the quality and quantity of the people in your church like never before. Here is an article on five reasons to launch a 40-day challenge right after Easter. Hurry, it’s not too late to get in. Plus, churches that do get in right now can enjoy an extra $100 off any order at www.redletterchallenge.com/join by entering in the code “AfterEaster100” at checkout. So, what are you waiting for? Grow your church, unify your church, and follow up Easter with 40 days your church will never forget!
www.redletterchallenge/join Discount Code: AfterEaster100
We Are Send Network: Church Planting Network
Terminal: The Dying Church Planter Podcast
Canvas Church: the church Pastor Richard Pope planted
Key insights from the episode:
I think Gen Z has the most revival potential. – Richard Pope
What makes Christ beautiful is his ability to sit in the messiness. – Richard Pope
Suffering is one of the best discipling tools when handed over to Jesus. – Richard Pope
I kept going [through cancer] because people loved me. – Richard Pope
As you learn to be content with Jesus in the midst of less, you learn to love him more. – Richard Pope
We need to enjoy Jesus aggressively. – Richard Pope
My biggest lesson is that God validated us to the table as sons. – Richard Pope
A good king loves us despite our disabilities. – Richard Pope
Richard Pope’s Challenge: Pray for a passion for lost people, recognizing that you and everyone you meet have a terminal diagnosis.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here
The post 066: Richard Pope on Planting a Church With Terminal Cancer, How Suffering Helps in the Life of a Disciple, and How to Enjoy Jesus Aggressively appeared first on Red Letter Living.
February 8, 2024
How to Market Jesus: An Effective Marketing Plan Learned from Super Bowl Ads
How much would you pay for a Super Bowl ad?
This year, with the rise of inflation and the popularity of the NFL, a Super Bowl ad for 30 seconds costs 7 million dollars! And it’s nearly impossible to get in, with ad space selling out months ahead of the game. Do these ads even work?
Bill McKendry is the Chief Creative Officer behind the He Gets Us campaign. He Gets Us, an organization trying to help people connect with Jesus, was either praised or blasted for its investment in Super Bowl ads from 2023. Some loved it. Jesus was in the big game. Some couldn’t believe a company would shell out that much money for 30 seconds. They argue that this organization could have given it to people experiencing poverty or to those in need.
Bill was a guest on a podcast, and he talked about the time he went into Five Hour Energy’s headquarters. Five Hour Energy had been a previous client of his. The first time he walked into their lobby, he noticed no artwork on the walls in the lobby. It was just bare. Except he saw one thing—a tiny article from USA Today in a massive frame. So, his attention was drawn to this article.
When he got close enough to see the article, it ranked the previous year’s Super Bowl ads. At the very bottom, voted the worst ad of the Super Bowl, was 5-Hour Energy’s.
He was left wondering why in the world they would display this. Then, right next to the article, he found one little brass plaque next to the frame, which said, “But our business went up astronomically right at this time.”
Even the worst advertiser in the Super Bowl has a very positive impact. People who invest in a Super Bowl ad expect a return on their investment, and they get one. What the Super Bowl ads prove to us is that marketing works. Period.
If marketing works, is it possible to market Jesus? How would we do this?
In this blog, we will form a 3-step marketing plan to help you and your church market Jesus.
Step 1: Identifying a ProblemAn effective marketing team begins with identifying a problem and demonstrating how a product or service can address it. To discover the problem, a marketing team will typically conduct market research.
In Omaha, NE, where I live, Within Reach and Barna Research Group just completed a citywide research study on the state of Christianity in our city. We’ve never had more comprehensive data on Christianity in Omaha. The study reveals that while 67% of people in Omaha believe in Jesus, only 16% are practicing Christians. This statistic raises two critical problems:
Two out of six people in Omaha do not believe in Jesus.Three out of six people believe in Jesus but must actively live out their faith.The overarching problem is that 5 out of 6 people in Omaha are settling for less than what Jesus has provided, which the rest of the study shows how that has negative impacts on our collective mental health and well-being. If this is true in Omaha, I’m sure it’s also true in your city.
So, here is the major problem we are all facing in Western Christianity:
Summary of problem: Far too many people are settling for less than what Jesus has provided.Now that we know the problem, an effective marketing team will then move to provide a solution.
Step 2: Providing a SolutionThe solution lies in recognizing that Jesus is the answer to these problems. Quoting His own words from John 10:10b, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Only Jesus can give us life to the fullest. So, He is the answer, but how do we get this answer out to the world?
The number one question that good marketing teams ask before forming their strategy is the WIIFM question. It stands for “What’s in it for me?”
In other words, a marketing team will always think about what’s in it for the person on the other side of their marketing efforts. So, likewise, our strategy to get the message of Jesus out there must help people with their real-world problems. We must show them how a belief in and a life committed to Jesus will bring them a life to the fullest.
To those who don’t believe and live with no confidence or false hope, how can Jesus offer a genuine hope that allows them to live confidently? To those who believe but are not following, how can Jesus provide a way for life beyond chasing after success and keeping up with the Joneses, which is exhausting?
Jesus fights against all of the problems that we face in this world. He brings peace that passes understanding, provides calm in the storm, offers hope even in loss, and combats loneliness by giving a real relationship with the God of the Universe. Not only this, but when we follow after Him, we live with purpose, meaning, and significance. This type of life combats so many of the things our culture pushes on us that move us to depression, loneliness, and burnout.
While Jesus is the answer to the problem, you and I are critical in the delivery of the answer. Throughout Scripture, the Bible declares that you and I are God’s marketing team.
2 Corinthians 5:20 says: We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We are each a billboard for God’s.
You are God’s representative. You are God’s marketing plan, and there is no Plan B. How you live can help bring people into a relationship with God.
Summary of Solution: Jesus gives life to the fullest, and we are His marketing team.So, with Jesus being the solution to the problem and we being His ambassadors, how can we get the message and the benefits of a life in Christ to as many as possible?
Step 3: Forming a StrategyAs part of the market research for the State of the City, I was blessed to serve on the evangelism team. Collectively, our team interviewed more than 60 local pastors to find common obstacles, share best practices, and discover opportunities that may exist.
After all of these interviews and siphoning through the data, the one significant finding was this:
Nothing helps people discover life to the fullest more than when followers of Jesus share their own stories.
More than anything else, when it comes to marketing Jesus, telling your story is the most important thing you can do.
The strategy, therefore, is to leverage the power of personal stories. This strategy is nothing new.
In Luke 8, we encounter a powerful story of one of the first evangelists, who, moments before announcing good news, was freed of demonic possession by Jesus. After healing the man, Jesus instructed him to return home and share what God had done for him. At once, the man listened and began sharing his story.
In John 4, we encounter the longest recorded one-on-one conversation Jesus has with another human being when he befriends a Samaritan woman at a well to collect water. In those days, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. It was uncommon for a rabbi or a Jewish teacher to talk to another woman in public, especially if they were not living according to Jewish moral or ethical standards. The story shows that the Samaritan woman was entangled in a life of sin.
Unexpectedly, she experienced Jesus’ unconditional love when Jesus befriended her and restored her dignity and purpose. As a result, she immediately began to share how much God had done for her!
Neither the demon-possessed man nor the Samaritan woman had extensive biblical understanding or theological training. Very simply, their lives were changed by Jesus, so they shared what He had done for them. They were less concerned with the proper presentation and more about celebrating what God had done in their lives.
Their stories resonated with what we have already known. Stories are more effective than sound doctrine. I’m all for sound doctrine, of course, but if we aren’t speaking the language of the culture or the city, the message can often be missed. I have usually found that others may want to debate theology or doctrine, but nobody can debate your story.
We must discover the power of the story!
Summary of Strategy: Telling your story of how Jesus changed you is the most important thing you can do.You might ask, Does my story even matter? Absolutely! Your story has the potential to change lives. Revelation 12:11a says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
There is no more powerful story than a person who has been changed by the grace of Jesus Christ!
How do we overcome the enemy? It takes two things:
1) the blood of the Lamb, and
2) the word of your testimony.
When we combine what Jesus has already done for us and share our story of the difference He has made in our lives, not only do we destroy the enemy, but we give opportunity for others to be forever changed by Jesus.
Challenge: Share Your StoryHere’s your challenge:
Spend time this week and write out your testimony.Could you share it with us? Feel free to submit your story below in the comments or email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com.If you are struggling with where to start, answer this question, “What difference has Jesus made in your life?”
ConclusionMarketing Jesus is not about selling a product but sharing a life-changing message. We, as believers, are part of a strategic marketing team and plan to address the problems of unbelief and inactive faith in our community. By embracing our role as God’s marketing team, we can use the power of personal stories to inspire faith, overcome challenges, and collectively lead others to live to the fullest in Jesus Christ.
So, let’s take up the challenge, share our stories, and be the best marketing team for Jesus that we can possibly be!
The post How to Market Jesus: An Effective Marketing Plan Learned from Super Bowl Ads appeared first on Red Letter Living.
January 31, 2024
LENT: How To Choose Not To Choose
There’s no other culture in the world that thinks making good choices will be easier with more options than Americans.
From the beginning, choice was important to those at the founding of our country. Thomas Jefferson said, “Freedom is the right to choose: the right to create for oneself the alternatives of choice. Without the possibility of choice, and the exercise of choice, a man is not a man but a member, an instrument, a thing.” Business tycoon Andrew Carnegie continued to make choices his king claiming, “the men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and stuck to it.”
The worship of choice continued to the modern day. Musical band Journey famously crooned, “Anyway you want it, that’s the way you need it, anyway you want it.” But it’s not just the arts that encourage our desire for choice. Those who travel outside the country will find food substitutes are rare, even forbidden. To an American, this is unfathomable. Burger King’s advertising slogan promises endless choices to support that opinion with their slogan, “Have it your way.”
Barry Schwartz, the author of The Paradox of Choice said it this way; “We want to be able to choose everything that matters, as well as the things that don’t. In terms of fetishizing the idea of choice, the U.S. is the absolute pinnacle.” It isn’t surprising then, that our obsession with choice extends beyond political and commercial to touch our spiritual life. Personal and religious freedom became linked for the first time in world history when the Protestant colonists no longer wanted to be ruled by a church or government in Europe.
We are obsessed with having choices, but we don’t always actually use them. We just want to have them. While the percentage has grown, still only half of the population shows up to vote, barely scraping 50%.
So it stands to reason that Lent, whether you choose to observe it, like everything else, is a personal choice. A choice most Americans are not choosing. According to a YouGov survey, while 71% of Americans participate in the Easter celebration, only 16% of people choose to participate in Lent. It’s either because they don’t know what it is or they don’t feel like they can benefit from it. So, let’s explore what Lent is and why it’s important.
A Little History of LentThe practice of Lent appeared right after the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, a couple of centuries after Jesus’s ministry. The council agreed to celebrate Easter at a certain time and establish a 40-day fast period beforehand called Lent. The earliest mentions of Lent focused on the practice of fasting food in some way. Over the centuries, one thing has stayed the same: the reason. Lent is a time to disconnect in some tangible way from the world and make room to connect with God.
The practice of Lent had its roots in biblical writings:
God sent rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.Moses spent 40 days on top of Mount Sinai to get instructions from God.Elijah walked 40 days and 40 nights to Mt. Horeb.Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the desert.
In AD 601, Pope Gregory established the official start date of Lent. Ash Wednesday was the beginning date of Lent, giving people 40 days of fasting with 6 Sundays of feast days, breaks from the fast. Ever wonder why the first meal of the day is called break-fast?
Today, very few people celebrate Lent. Those who practice it do so to go deeper with God. It’s a time for personal reflection and to prepare their hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter. Some people may give up non-food items like social media, television, or alcohol. But as for the rest, they want to keep their choices.
After all, it’s always better to have choices, right?
The Chocolate Bunnies
In 2000, psychologists Sheena Lyengar and Mark Lepper published a remarkable study. One day, shoppers at an upscale food market saw a display table with 24 varieties of gourmet jam. Those who sampled the spreads received a coupon for $1 off any jam. On another day, shoppers saw a similar table, except that only six varieties of the jam were on display. The large display attracted more interest than the small one. But when the time came to purchase, people who saw the large display were one-tenth as likely to buy as people who saw the small display.
When overwhelmed, consumers are less likely to buy anything at all, and if they do, they are less satisfied with their selection. More isn’t always better, either for the customer or for the retailer. Other studies and research confirm that more choice is not always better.
All those choices you have remove your sense of belonging to anything. If all routes are acceptable, there is no common ground.
What if all the choices we give ourselves daily keep us from God? What if, rather than having more opportunities, we waste time and energy making hundreds of daily decisions?
Lent solves our need to simplify our lives and remove unnecessary choices. Practicing it puts you right in line with the Bible. A predominant message throughout Scripture is a message of separation from the world and simplicity.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
In Being Challenge, for seven days, solitude is listed as one of the top five practices for being like Jesus, who is described as holy. Holiness doesn’t mean without sin, although it does include it. What it means is just ‘set apart.’ Being different.
Practicing Lent will mean you are going against the norm for most people. But it is one of the best things you can do for your mind, body, and soul. When you remove some of the unnecessary choices and simplify your life, even for just a short period of time like Lent, science shows you will be healthier.
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology called The relationship between materialism and personal well-being: A meta-analysis found a strong correlation between valuing money and possessions and poor physical health. Pastor Zach showed us that multitasking, while formerly encouraged as a way to increase productivity, now is seen to reduce effectiveness by 40%.
As more and more studies show us the link between simplicity and a healthier spiritual, mental, and physical body, the more Lent can be used to accomplish this.
Let’s Lent!
Ash Wednesday and Lent are essential seasons leading up to Easter. Simplicity and fasting cultivate the ground of our souls. We need to create room to rejoice. Without Lent, it’s hard to celebrate Easter deeply.
You can’t enjoy a great meal if you are not hungry, no matter how delicious it is. It’s the hunger that makes the food taste amazing.
Even more, we can’t appreciate what God has done if we continually stuff our minds and wrap our souls in the protective thick bubble wrap of convenience and comfort. It just insulates us from true joy. This year, practice Lent. Go deeper with God by focusing on Him.
Your Lenten Challenge:
We have four unique Jesus-centered 40-day challenges to help you and your kids practice Lent this year. We have everything you need to do a challenge on your own, with an accountability partner, your family, or in a small group. Many churches are even doing a 40-day challenge with their entire church! So, commit to 40 days of going deeper with God. If you need help deciding which 40-day challenge would be the best for you, take 7-10 minutes and complete the personal assessment we did in partnership with Lifeway Research to discover where you can grow deeper with God this Lenten season.
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January 17, 2024
Hermès and Heritage: A Reflection on Our Stuff, Death, and Jesus as Our Heirloom
The other day Zach and I updated our will. It was strange to stop and think about our death. We are barely in our 40s, and life seems to be an endless rush of calendars, kid’s activities, work and busyness. But on this rainy afternoon, we had to stop and seriously consider what would happen if we died. Who would raise our kids? What would happen to our business? What about our money and home? I have to admit, it was a little gloomy thinking about those things, and I was happy to get back to scurrying around until I read the news the next day.
On December 11, 2023, A New York Post article reported that the 80-year old heir to the Hermès fortune, Nicolas Puech, was planning to distribute his wealth in an unexpected fashion. According to the Swiss publication Tribune de Genève, Puech is reportedly planning to designate his “former gardener and handyman”, an unnamed 51-year-old man, as his heir upon his death.
Evidently Zach and I were not the only ones who were making decisions about what would happen after we died. The difference is when Mr. Puech executed his will his story made the news, ours did not. Hermès is ranked the #1 richest family by Chartr in luxury goods.
Puech is a fifth-generation descendant of Thierry Hermès, who laid the foundation of the luxury fashion house in 1837. Puech never married or had children. He ranks among Switzerland’s wealthiest individuals and in order to make his gardener his heir, he plans to formalize the adoption of his employee.
Many people weighed in their responses on social media. Some people claimed he had lost his marbles. Others praised him for trusting his gardener. Still others slammed him, claiming the money would have been better suited going to charities. Most people fell somewhere in the middle, “His money, his choice.” But is death really his choice?
Do any of us really have a say of what happens to our stuff once we die? We all know we aren’t living forever. So why do I act like I am?
To deal with the fact that we all will die one day, most people live in some kind of delusion about impending death. At least, that is what writer and atheist Ernest Becker believed. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 for his famous book, The Denial of Death. Becker’s main point in The Denial of Death is that, deep down, humanity’s biggest problem in this world is that we are all terrified of death. So we deny its existence so we can escape into a feeling of immortality.
I have to admit, he’s got an interesting diagnosis for the problems we face on this earth. But that didn’t surprise me. The truth is, most secular writers, therapists, or counselors are able to arrive at a clear diagnosis for people. They almost always nail it right on the head.
We all are so desperate to be heard and understood that we mistake a perfect diagnosis for a perfect prescription. After all, the devil will be able to tell you better than anyone what’s wrong with you. Satan has no problem revealing the truth of what’s wrong with you. What he wants to conceal from you is any hope for a solution.
Becker’s prescriptions for this exacting diagnosis are pithy, over simplistic, and downright impossible. He claims that everyone’s life’s project is to deny or repress this fear of death. Instead, attempt to fulfill your need for some kind of heroism. He describes creation as a heartless, nasty thing. Eat or be eaten. The only way out of it is to make something, or yourself, into some kind of hero who will fight against the evil in the world, instead of other people.
Read how he ends his book:
The most any one of us can seem to do is to fashion something—an object or ourselves—and drop it into the confusion, make an offering of it, so to speak, to the life force. [i]
Believe it or not, what atheist Becker writes here sounds unintentionally similar to what I believe is the life goal of a Christian. He gets so close, while being still so far off from the truth.
Let me break it down.
First he says,
The most any one of us can seem to do is to fashion something—an object or ourselves—
That’s true! You are made to fashion something, to create, to work, to mold, to be given talents and treasures.
So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
He continues on…
drop it (your life work) into the confusion, make an offering of it, so to speak,
Right again! Our life is not for ourselves. We need to live for a purpose outside ourselves. Becker is absolutely right. We have a deep longing to contribute to something, even if it seems like, as he calls it, utter confusion. Living for the cause of Jesus allows you to live for something that will last beyond your death. While there is a lot of discussion about death and end times in our world today, the truth of the matter is, that you are living in the only days you’ll ever have. Make them count.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
And then he ends with,
to the life force.
Did this just become about Star Wars? Becker is, once more, exactly right. There is a life force. There does exist a God who created all things, sustains all things, and is in control of all things. He is our life force. This force became a man in Jesus, and died to become our heirloom, eternal life.
That power is the same as the mighty strength, he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
So after making my will, should I just post sticky notes around my house reminding me I am dying soon and it’s all a part of life? Should I embrace it and act like it is no big deal? Read what Tim Keller says in his book, On Death.
“To say “Oh, death is just natural,” is to harden and perhaps kill a part of your heart’s hope that makes you human. We know deep down that we are not like trees or grass. We were created to last. We don’t want to be ephemeral, to be inconsequential. We don’t want to just be a wave upon the sand. The deepest desires of our hearts are for love that lasts. (emphasis mine)
Death is not the way it ought to be. It is abnormal, it is not a friend, it isn’t right. This isn’t truly part of the circle of life. Death is the end of it. So grieve. Cry. The Bible tells us not only to weep, but to weep with those who are weeping (Romans 12:15 NASB). We have a lot of crying to do.”
The Denial of Death was not well received. Becker became an outcast the last decade of his life. No one listened to him until he won the Pulitzer. Except Becker wasn’t even around to accept it. He had died of cancer at the age of 49, two months prior.
Becker didn’t take his Pulitzer Prize with him. He never even knew he had won it.Puech won’t take his Hermès fortune with him. I read through hundreds of comments on social media. Not one person suggested that he take it with him. Why? We all know that we can’t.
So if we know that awards, results of hard work and billions of dollars can’t be taken with us, why do we live for them? We deny that we are finite and we need God and instead act as if we are living forever.
Becker wasn’t wrong on everything. He was missing one crucial detail…God.
This world can be confusing. I don’t understand why some children have to grow up without parents. I don’t understand why a man who seemed to have everything would have no one to love. I don’t understand why a man who worked so hard to try and understand and explain the complexities of this life would die young and never know his impact. Nothing in this world makes any sense without Jesus.
This Lent I invite you to contemplate, like Becker, death and heroism. But rather than thinking about your own death and being your own hero, consider this:
Think about the death of Jesus for our sin.Think about Jesus as the hero our hearts long for.
His death was the shocking solution in the dark diagnosis of our sin.
Lent begins on February 14. Join us on February 11 as we begin a 40-Day Challenge to look at forty things Jesus said to do. But we don’t have to look at them with trembling. You and I can face them without fear, without condemnation and without pressure to fulfill them because Jesus faced death and won life.
If a gardener can become an heir to a fortune, imagine what God has in store for you!
[i] Becker, Ernest. The Denial of Death. Free Press Paperbacks. 1973.
The post Hermès and Heritage: A Reflection on Our Stuff, Death, and Jesus as Our Heirloom appeared first on Red Letter Living.
January 3, 2024
3 Questions to Help You Know If You Are Hearing God’s Voice
Filtering God’s Voice: A Three-Question Approach
How do you know if it’s God speaking to you, the enemy speaking to you, or maybe it’s the bean burrito you ate for dinner last night?! To help you discover God’s voice in the midst of many voices in this world, I want to introduce three essential questions that can help you form a “Voice of God” filter. And, to give credit where credit is due, I first learned these questions from Pastor Chris Hodges at The Church of the Highlands:
The first question, is in my opinion, the most important, though the other two are still very important:
Does the Bible Agree?
Understanding the Bible is crucial. Shockingly, research reveals that only 19% of Christians read their Bibles regularly. God’s voice is most clearly heard through His Word. His will and voice will never contradict His Word. Luke 21:33 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Truth never changes. God will never tell you to violate a principle that He’s already given you. Opinions can change. Even scientific facts have been known to change. But God’s truth will never change.
To maintain a strong filter, cultivate a deep understanding of the Bible. If what you hear contradicts what you read in the scriptures, it is not God’s voice. So, in your own life, do you know God’s Word well enough that when someone else is preaching, speaking, or writing, you can easily discern if it’s true or not. Here’s the reality: even the devil knows God’s Word, and he uses it in Matthew 4 to try to stump Jesus. If the devil did this with Jesus, you better believe he’ll try this with you.
Does Godly Counsel Agree?
Godly counsel is essential. I love the words of Proverbs 24:6 that says it this way: Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers. However, not all who claim godliness provide counsel consistent with God’s truth. There are many people who say they believe in the Bible, yet their views, lifestyle, and advice don’t seem to match what the Bible teaches.
This, by the way, is why the church, and small groups, are very important. We are not called to do life alone. Ever. Ephesians 3:10 says, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.”
It is imperative that the counsel we receive aligns with biblical principles and that we are seeking advice from those who walk in faith and reflect God’s wisdom in their lives.
Do I Have Peace?
I’m grateful that we live in a real relationship with God where there is talking and listening. When the Spirit of God speaks, it does so by bringing peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33 emphasizes that God is not a God of confusion or disorder but of peace. Even when God’s voice challenges us, it will bring a deep-seated peace that transcends worldly understanding. If what you are hearing is leading you to more anxiety than it is peace, it is likely not the voice of God.
Reflect on your feelings – do you have peace or angst about a particular decision or direction? This inner peace serves as a powerful indicator that it could be God’s voice.
Closing Thoughts: What if I still don’t know?
John 10:4-5, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. He says:
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
There are times when you can run what you are hearing through this filter, and still not be certain. This is when I become grateful that we have a God of grace, love, and second chances. Even if I misstep, I don’t need to fear. God still desires a relationship with you and me. No matter how many times we make mistakes, He still wants to speak and grow in relationship with us. And, as I grow in relationship with Him, I’ll recognize His voice all the more.
Join us Jan. 7th for 21 Days of Prayer Join thousands across the country as we grow in our relationship with God during the 21 Days of Prayer Challenge.
The post 3 Questions to Help You Know If You Are Hearing God’s Voice appeared first on Red Letter Living.
December 13, 2023
5 Reasons to Launch a 40-Day Challenge in January 2024!
Here are five reasons why launching a 40-day challenge in the New Year is perfect for you!
It would take you and your team at least 692 hours to create the first drafts of all the resources and daily materials needed for 40 days. Or you can partner with us, launch a 40-day challenge in your church, and utilize the thousands of hours we’ve put into each 40-day challenge. Plus, we’ve got the proven results of launching more than 1000 challenges in churches!
We’ve created these 40-day challenges to be as turnkey as possible so pastors and their church staff can give their all in other matters. Included with our 40-Day Challenges are FREE sermon manuscripts and videos, small group materials, kids’ curriculum, graphics package, etc. In addition, there are kids’ workbooks available to help kids learn and be challenged in their faith. We’ve even created training videos for FREE for you to help you learn how to implement a 40-day challenge in your setting. Here’s the estimated time investment it would take for you to produce first drafts of similar things we’ve created:
6 sermon manuscripts: 20 hours/per sermon = 120 hours6 sermon videos: 3 hours/per video = 18 hours6 weeks of kid’s curriculum: 15 hours/per week = 90 hours6 weeks of small group study guides: 3 hours/per week = 18 hours6 weeks of teen small group study guides: 3 hours/per week = 18 hours6 weeks of small group video writing, filming, and editing: 20 hours/per video = 120 hours100+ graphics: .5 hours/graphic = 50 hours12 How-to-Videos for how to launch a 40-day challenge: 1/hour per video = 12 hours41 daily devotionals: 3 hours/per daily devotional = 123 hours (for first drafts)41 daily kid’s devotionals: 3 hours/per daily devotional = 123 hours (for first drafts)People are open to change at the beginning of the year.
Let’s face it! Many people set new goals and resolutions as the new year begins.
There are no better goals, resolutions, or habits to put into place than what Jesus calls us toward. The success behind accomplishing New Year goals and resolutions (which Jon Acuff, author of Finish, says is only 8%) is those who have just enough discipline to create new habits. Not all habits are created equal, however. As people are thinking about the new year and bolstering their faith, there is no one greater to learn habits from than Jesus Himself. So why not invest 40 days into the life, words, and habits of Jesus to give your people something that will make next year their most significant year ever! Speaking of which, the perfect 40-day challenge to launch at the beginning of a year is Being Challenge, because it will teach which keystone habits Jesus practiced in His life.
The last few years have been ripe with division. Staying unified has been challenging, whether due to opinions on the pandemic, masks, vaccines, or rising racial and political battles. I recently heard thought leader Carey Nieuwhof say that only 9% of pastors reported no division amongst their churches in the last 18 months. The answer for how to cut through division is Jesus. As we study the life of Jesus, people will find themselves immersed into not only a great model and teacher but a great Savior and Lord. The more people experience Jesus, the more unified your church will be.
A resource for in-person and digital!
The church has gotten more complicated as we seek to create engaging in-person worship experiences while still ministering to our online audience. Pew Research claims that 4 in 10 people who attend church at least once monthly report attending both in-person and online services. The most loyal churchgoers appreciate the flexibility of the hybrid church model and that it may even be the reason they’ve stuck around. Our 40-day challenges are meant to make your Sunday services great and also provide plenty of ready-made small group materials, daily readings, social media posts, etc. that can help during the week. Churches of the future will be looking for resources to not only help them have a tremendous in-person experience on the weekend but also help their people Monday-Saturday.
A 40-Day Challenge will Produce Results All Year Long!
We’ve heard countless stories of people who have completed a challenge in our books that will then go on and continue to grow as a disciple after the fact. So what can you expect? There will be people in your church as a result of these 40-day experiences that will grow in their relationship with God, forgive someone they never thought they would be able to forgive, serve in a more meaningful way, be generous towards your church and community, and share the Gospel with those in their lives. As individuals grow in their faith and become greater disciples, it will transform your church!
What are you waiting for?
Take the next step. If you are a pastor, you can request a FREE copy of a 40-day challenge, and we will mail it to you. No strings attached. And if you decide to move forward with a church challenge, we’d be honored to work with you. We have some ready-made church packs ready to go at this link.
And, for reading this far along, we’ve got a coupon for $100 off any order on our website over $2000. So, start with our bestseller Red Letter Challenge, move forward with Being Challenge (my personal favorite choice for a January launch), or embark on a 40-day journey leading to freedom with Forgiving Challenge. And finally, just released in October 2023, is our newest Serving Challenge. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Just enter “NewYear100” at checkout.
If your New Year is already spoken for, Lent 2024 is right around the corner too. So lock it in now, and we’ll still honor that coupon above. But hurry, it’s only good for 48 hours.
Let’s start 2024 by bringing people back into a relationship with the incredible God we serve!
The post 5 Reasons to Launch a 40-Day Challenge in January 2024! appeared first on Red Letter Living.
December 7, 2023
From Selfies to A.I.: A Decade of Word Trends To Help You Choose a Word For the Year In 2024
Collins Dictionary announced that its word of the year for 2023 is A.I.
A.I., the abbreviation for artificial intelligence, is defined in its dictionary as “the modeling of human mental functions by computer programs.” The word of the year is picked depending on its use in social media, how many times people search for its definition, and how often it shows up in sources. reported that A.I. was chosen because it “had accelerated at such a fast pace and become the dominant conversation of 2023…the use of the word has quadrupled over the past year.”
Are you using it at all? I sure am. Here are a few ways I used A.I. this year:
When I get stumped on a catchy title while writing, A.I. can give me a list of ten to start with, and I can work from there. When I struggle to come up with a meal plan for the week, I can type into ChatGPT the ingredients in my kitchen, and it gives me immediate help to plan my meals for the week. When I helped plan a girl’s weekend in Charleston, I typed in what was important for each person on the trip, and A.I. put an initial itinerary together.It isn’t too hard to see why it is the word for 2023.
But what about previous years? Take a look at some of the past words we’ve had:
I decided to have a little fun and plugged in all ten words to ChatGPT, an A.I. model. I asked it to make me a short story based on those ten words. Here’s what it came up with.
Amid the chaotic backdrop of the climate emergency , a new phenomenon emerged – the youthquake . Amid a lockdown , young activists harnessed the power of A.I. and social media to combat the permacrisis they inherited. They were no longer willing to accept the post-truth narratives that had perpetuated toxic inaction. Instead, they used their voices and emoji tears of joy to advocate for change. Their selfie campaigns went viral, urging people to ‘ vax ‘ the Earth by adopting sustainable practices and reducing their carbon footprint, and they replaced vape clouds with conversations about renewable energy and eco-conscious living. The youthquake represented a hopeful shift in the fight against the climate emergency , offering a glimpse of a more sustainable future.
The subtle message behind this funny little story is that A.I. and the next generation can save the day. If the original human functions can’t figure it out, can we put our faith in a model of it?
It reminds me of a people long ago.
Models Now vs. Models Then
The Israelites were in a predicament. They had been rescued from slavery in Egypt only to find themselves stuck at the bottom of the mountain. They had no land, food, shelter, or leader. Moses was up the stormy mountain, supposably getting information from God, but the people were losing hope. “Who knows if he was even still alive,” the Israelites said to each other. It had been weeks with no sign of him.
Feeling lost and abandoned, they looked back to try and find their footing. Under Aaron’s direction, they melted their gold and fashioned it into a calf. But why a cow?
And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” Exodus 32:4-5
The idol was a man-made mixture of the mighty God Yahweh and the pagan methods of worship that they had observed. The bull was an Egyptian symbol of strength and fertility. Some of the Israelites’ slaves had spent a lifetime in slavery, perfecting their skills as idol-makers. Here’s an opportunity to use our talents, they thought. We need something we can touch, see and worship.
Even though that makes more sense, I was still confused. How did thousands of people abandon God so quickly? They had just witnessed him parting the sea.
Because they didn’t think they were.
No one claimed to be abandoning God. All they said was that they were making a model. Aaron never said let’s forget about Yahweh. He maintained the name of Yahweh in connection with it. He was merging their belief in God with pagan secular practices to comfort themselves. It was a half-and-half deal, except that math comes to a big, fat zero.
Problems come when we begin calling on models for wisdom and confusing them with the real thing.
The Israelites were looking back to their days of slavery under the Egyptians to make sense of things. But looking back doesn’t give a vision or hope. All it does is provide a diagnosis. Collins Dictionary isn’t making any decisions for the future. They are reporting on the past. If we want hope, we must look forward.
Seven years ago, as the year drew to a close, I began looking forward and decided that instead of resolutions, I wanted to choose a word for the upcoming year. After some prayer and seeking God’s wisdom, I chose a word and a Bible verse as my theme for the year ahead. Then, I ordered a necklace, bracelet, or charm with the word or verse as a daily reminder. Here are a few examples of my words from past years:
2018: STRENGTH
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
2019: PEACE
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6
2020: TRUST
I trust in you, O Lord. You are my God, my time is in your hands. Psalms 31:14
2021: DO NOT FEAR
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
2022: JOY
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
2023: REMAIN
I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit. John 15:5
Some of my past year's jewelry with the verse or word of the year. A word for the year sets an intention. I wanted that word to be foundational in my decisions, attitudes, and actions. It’s interesting how some of these lined up precisely what was happening that year. (Covid and trust? Not a coincidence!)
Setting the Tone
My 2024 word for the year is CALMNESS. The Hebrew for the adjective calm is pronounced “ragua” (רָגוּעַ). Here’s my verse; guess what book in the Bible it is from?
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.
Oh, that’s right, you think. This is from when Jesus was in the boat, and he calmed the sea in the New Testament.
It sounds like it, but it isn’t from the New Testament. It’s found in Psalms. As David wrote Psalm 107:29-30 and the Isrealites heard it, they would have looked back to when God parted the Red Sea and the Isrealites escaped from the Egyptians.
There’s nothing wrong with looking back and defining God’s powerful moments. Like Collins Dictionary, the Israelites were putting words to events. But what if God’s people allowed those words not only to be about a past event but also a defining word for them in the future?
The disciples would not have been afraid of the storm.They would not have been shocked at the calm.They would have expected Jesus to do it.I want to be someone who expects miracles because I know what God’s Word says about my future. A.I. cannot ever be the total truth. It can only model what it’s been given. I’m not concerned about the impacts of A.I. because A.I. is a tool; it’s not God. You can program A.I. to do many things, but it will always be limited. As you look to 2024, join me in standing on God’s Word, the promise of hope and a future.
After all, you can’t program miracles!
Here’s a few helpful tips to help you select a word for the upcoming year:
Grab a piece of paper and make two columns. On one side, write down everything that went well over the past year. On the other side, write what you would like to change.Pray over your list. Listen to a worship song and spend some time meditating. Look ahead to next year. Where are some growth opportunities for you? What about some successes you want to keep pressing into?
Write down the scripture verses that God pressed upon your heart as you pray and meditate. Choose one to five words that describe how you want your year to feel . Nouns, verbs, anything works.
Review your scripture and five words together. Are any patterns jumping out at you? What do they all have in common? Narrow it down to one.
Decide how you are going to set reminders for yourself. This could be a necklace, a framed piece of art with the word incorporated displayed prominently in your home, a screen saver on your phone, PostIts strategically placed around your home, car, or work, a bookmark in your Bible, a post on social media sharing your word of the year, or a book about that word/topic. However you choose to do it, ensure you see it daily.
Feel free to write in the comments below what your word is for the upcoming year.
The post From Selfies to A.I.: A Decade of Word Trends To Help You Choose a Word For the Year In 2024 appeared first on Red Letter Living.
December 5, 2023
059: Pastor Zach Zehnder On Why Serving Will Cost You, How Jesus Served, And How to Make a Difference to One Person Everyday
Serving is not new, but it is part of our natural needs. Many people want to serve. They just need help. Pastor Zach Zehnder wrote the Serving Challenge for all those who want fulfillment, peace, and satisfaction in helping others. You will repeatedly reference this resource in your families, church, and as an individual.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. We create resources to challenge all people to be greater followers of Jesus. And today’s resource that we are highlighting is Serving Challenge. This challenge can be done as an individual, as a family, as a small group, and yes, even as a church. Pastors and church leaders, if you’d like a free copy, you can request one going to this website here. New Year and Lent 2024 is the perfect time to launch a 40-day challenge in your church. You can have a powerful 40-day experience that will move your people like never before to serve, grow your small groups by more than 40%, and you can have all your materials (sermons, small groups, kids materials, graphics, etc.) done for you for 6 weeks. You can find out more now at www.servingchallenge.com.
Picture of Football Field to guide Zach’s writing process
Blog 7 Tips to Write Your First Book
Red Letter Spiritual Gift Test
Key insights from the episode:
Don’t rush your controlling idea. – Zach Zehnder
People are never an interruption to Jesus. – Zach Zehnder
No one can do it all, but all of us can do one thing. – Zach Zehnder
You are able. You just don’t know how you are able. – Zach Zehnder
Compassion should always follow up with the word ‘and.’ – Zach Zehnder
Purpose and meaning are wrapped up in serving. – Zach Zehnder
Do one for one. – Zach Zehnder
Pastor Zach Zehnder’s Challenge: Intentionally lose so someone else can win.
Are you following Jesus?
Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.
In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.
You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here.
Watch the entire season for free:We’ll be uploading every episode of season one of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube Channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here
The post 059: Pastor Zach Zehnder On Why Serving Will Cost You, How Jesus Served, And How to Make a Difference to One Person Everyday appeared first on Red Letter Living.
