(Below is an email I sent out to my small group on February 24th, 2009)
All right you guys... I'm going to miss small group next week, because I will be in Poland, but I had a few things I wanted to share with you about the chapter we went through on Sunday:
We talked about doing hard things that go above and beyond what is expected or required. Some of us are just raising our eyebrows and shaking our heads, thinking that it's all we can do just to tread water, never mind make any forward progress! The trouble with this particular set of hard things is that no one is going to make you do them; they are entirely self-motivated. They will be set before you, and you will be challenged... but you can just walk away. There is danger, however, in walking away from hard things.
"The cowardly thing is also the most dangerous thing." -C. S. Lewis
When we shrink from doing hard things, from pushing ourselves, we are playing the coward. It's far easier to turn and run than it is to stand and fight... but what happens to the man on the battlefield who gives way to fear and runs from his enemies? He is shot in the back; he never even has a chance to fight back and perhaps emerge victorious. Think of a boxer in the ring; if he enters the ring and never throws a punch, how can he expect to win the fight? Unless that soldier is fully committed to his cause and will hold his ground, even pushing into enemy territory, he has no hope of winning the battle.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
- Colossians 3:23
"When better is possible, then good is not enough." -From Becoming a Person of Influence
Spiritual growth is like trying to go up the down escalator. It can be done; it is far from impossible. However, if you just stand on the steps, they will carry you back to the bottom and leave you no better off than when you began to climb them. But if you get a running start and charge all the way to the top, you can reach your goal. This may seem like a silly comparison, but there is a serious danger in letting things slide. If we let the small things go--chores, homework, good relationships--and don't consider that laziness and complacency, then eventually the bigger things will start sliding too--finances, college, marriages--the way an avalanche picks up speed and destroys all in it's path.
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man."
-Proverbs 6:10-11
"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them"
-Proverbs 1:32
What you are right now is all that you will ever be; there is no guarantee of a tomorrow. So what are you striving to be today?
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." -Anne Frank
I also think that we need another motivation check. Why are we striving to 'do hard things'? Is it to make better grades? Make more money? Improve our friendships? Not really. Those are pleasant side-effects of doing hard things, but they are not the reason we ought to do them. We do these things and strive our hardest because it is pleasing to God that we work wholeheartedly at whatever task He sets us. He is testing and strengthening us with the small things; as we prove our mettle and grow in responsibility and discipline, He will entrust us with more.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
-2 Timothy 1:7
Let us have the courage now to take hold of what God has given us as young Christians: power, love and self-discipline. Let us not shrink back from the things He asks of us, but rather strive each day to do them will all our might, for the love of God.
You will be in my prayers... and I will have much more to share with you when I get back from Krakow!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Week 5 & 6: Small Group Emails
(Below is an email I sent out to my small group on February 18, 2009)
Hello Everybody! I'm sorry that these emails have taken so long in coming--my computer was on vacation in Virginia Beach. (LOL--My mom took it with her, so it was unavailable.)
So...
Two weeks ago we talked about 'kidults.' 'Kidults' are those people in their twenties (or even thirties and forties, as we found out) who are still thinking and acting the way they did when they were children. They're like Peter Pan in Neverland; they don't want to grow up and take on the responsibilities of adulthood; they just want to be young and have fun. But the truth of the matter is that Neverland does not exist. Even in the bedtime story, with the exception of Peter himself, everyone eventually leaves Neverland behind to go home and grow up.
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became [an adult], I put childish ways behind me."
-1 Corinthians 13:11
As Christian teens, we cannot live our lives as 'kidults.' There is no magical age when we are suddenly grown up and can get our acts together and begin living responsible and productive lives. We can't say to ourselves that we can live however we want to today and begin the work of God's kingdom tomorrow. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow.
"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
-Ephesians 5:16
"God created us to live with a single passion to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives." -John Piper
Are you living a passionate life? Is Christ your one true love, and the sole focus of your existence? All that is good in your life is a mere side-effect of your relationship with God. Should we be more in love with the gifts than we are with the Giver? This is something I've been wrestling with in my own walk; I have been striving very hard to love God above all else, and to do all that do because I love him, and for no other reason.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
-Colossians 3:23
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
-Matthew 22:27-39
This past week, we spent a lot of time discussing the hard thing that we want to tackle as a group. One thing I want to stress is that 'Do Hard Things' shouldn't be viewed as a one-time event. We shouldn't just finish this book, do one hard thing, and then forget about everything we have learned. Let the things you are learning in small group reshape your life and permanently change the way you think and act, the way you view your life and purpose. When you are a Christian, not to move forward is to fall behind. You cannot remain a baby-Christian forever.
"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." -C.S. Lewis
We are still tossing around and developing ideas for our hard thing; a possible outreach ministry for the trailer park across the street from the church (loving our neighbors in the literal sense) and a fund-raising concert are already in the works. This week, I want to challenge you to pray and ask God to show you your part in all of this. Where is he calling you? How is he touching your heart? And where is your service most needed? We don't do hard things to make ourselves feel good, or even to make the world a better place. We do them to win souls for Christ. The world is like a sieve; every good thing that we do just runs right through it, until we are utterly spent. The only thing that can fill it is the boundless love of God, which never runs dry. We are his chosen instruments to display that love.
"The place that God calls us is that place where the world's deep hunger and our deep desire meet." -Frederick Buechner
God bless you all this week; you are in my prayers.
Hello Everybody! I'm sorry that these emails have taken so long in coming--my computer was on vacation in Virginia Beach. (LOL--My mom took it with her, so it was unavailable.)
So...
Two weeks ago we talked about 'kidults.' 'Kidults' are those people in their twenties (or even thirties and forties, as we found out) who are still thinking and acting the way they did when they were children. They're like Peter Pan in Neverland; they don't want to grow up and take on the responsibilities of adulthood; they just want to be young and have fun. But the truth of the matter is that Neverland does not exist. Even in the bedtime story, with the exception of Peter himself, everyone eventually leaves Neverland behind to go home and grow up.
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became [an adult], I put childish ways behind me."
-1 Corinthians 13:11
As Christian teens, we cannot live our lives as 'kidults.' There is no magical age when we are suddenly grown up and can get our acts together and begin living responsible and productive lives. We can't say to ourselves that we can live however we want to today and begin the work of God's kingdom tomorrow. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow.
"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
-Ephesians 5:16
"God created us to live with a single passion to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives." -John Piper
Are you living a passionate life? Is Christ your one true love, and the sole focus of your existence? All that is good in your life is a mere side-effect of your relationship with God. Should we be more in love with the gifts than we are with the Giver? This is something I've been wrestling with in my own walk; I have been striving very hard to love God above all else, and to do all that do because I love him, and for no other reason.
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
-Colossians 3:23
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
-Matthew 22:27-39
This past week, we spent a lot of time discussing the hard thing that we want to tackle as a group. One thing I want to stress is that 'Do Hard Things' shouldn't be viewed as a one-time event. We shouldn't just finish this book, do one hard thing, and then forget about everything we have learned. Let the things you are learning in small group reshape your life and permanently change the way you think and act, the way you view your life and purpose. When you are a Christian, not to move forward is to fall behind. You cannot remain a baby-Christian forever.
"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." -C.S. Lewis
We are still tossing around and developing ideas for our hard thing; a possible outreach ministry for the trailer park across the street from the church (loving our neighbors in the literal sense) and a fund-raising concert are already in the works. This week, I want to challenge you to pray and ask God to show you your part in all of this. Where is he calling you? How is he touching your heart? And where is your service most needed? We don't do hard things to make ourselves feel good, or even to make the world a better place. We do them to win souls for Christ. The world is like a sieve; every good thing that we do just runs right through it, until we are utterly spent. The only thing that can fill it is the boundless love of God, which never runs dry. We are his chosen instruments to display that love.
"The place that God calls us is that place where the world's deep hunger and our deep desire meet." -Frederick Buechner
God bless you all this week; you are in my prayers.
Friday, February 6, 2009
I Will Overcome
Lord, I know that my heart is hurting
And Lord, I know that my soul, it aches
And I know that it seems I'm failing
But I will overcome
I start out each morning with the best of intentions; each day is another chance to do my best and give my all. I intend to do good... but evil is right there with me. Sometimes it seems as though I cannot do anything right. I mean to be productive, but I opt for laziness instead. I mean to be kind, but I end up being cruel or indifferent. It's as though, from the moment I wake up each day, all of life is set against me, setting me up to fail.
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."
-Romans 7:15
However, when I find my thoughts turning that way, I realize that I have come to accept a lie. I accept that this is 'just the way it is.' But in truth, life was never meant to be this way. We were never meant to endure failure, futility and frustration. The human race was never meant to come to this place, where the wrong often seems so much stronger than the right. We were meant for perfection... but we ended up here. (Genesis 3:1-24)
In truth, life is not set against me. Life is what I have in Christ, in abundant measure, pouring out of His heart directly into mine, so much that it overflows. But I do have an Enemy, who has been set against me and bent on my destruction since the day I was born. I have to remember that Satan wants me to accept that this is 'just the way it is.' He wants me to keep my head down, mind my own business, and endure quietly all the wrongs he has inflicted upon the world.
Well, this may be 'just the way it is', but I know a better way. I know that things can be different--were meant to be different--all along.
"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."
-1 John 5:19
Only the world is under Satan's control; I am free from it. I am a child of God. The distress and agony of the world are not mine; to me they are 'light and temporary troubles.' If I can remember that, and hold on to that--to the truth that the world was never meant to be this way, and God understands that we've been thrust into a terrible situation not of our own making--then I can also remember this: Even though it's not my fault, I can still do something about it.
"God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them." -C. S. Lewis
I am reminded of a scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. At this point, Frodo has been put through the wringer. He has felt defeated, and in a moment of weakness, he very nearly gives in to the power of the Ring. At the last moment, Sam pulls him back. All is not lost. But now Frodo has to contend with the crushing weight of guilt and failure... and he finds himself unable. And so, beaten and defenseless, he whispers to Sam, "I can't do this."
"I can't do this, Sam."
"I know--it's all wrong. By rights, we shouldn't even be here... but we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo--the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was, when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. Those are the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand; I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holding on to something."
"What are we holding onto, Sam?"
"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for!"
Satan will only be victorious if I give in. If I give way to despair, then he has won. I have to remember that hopelessness is a lie. A new day is coming, but until it comes, I must persevere. I must live, in defiance of darkness, the best life that I can, giving my all for God's sake. The devil will make sure that I have many chances to give up, but I can still hold on. The One who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
And Lord, I know that my soul, it aches
And I know that it seems I'm failing
But I will overcome
I start out each morning with the best of intentions; each day is another chance to do my best and give my all. I intend to do good... but evil is right there with me. Sometimes it seems as though I cannot do anything right. I mean to be productive, but I opt for laziness instead. I mean to be kind, but I end up being cruel or indifferent. It's as though, from the moment I wake up each day, all of life is set against me, setting me up to fail.
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."
-Romans 7:15
However, when I find my thoughts turning that way, I realize that I have come to accept a lie. I accept that this is 'just the way it is.' But in truth, life was never meant to be this way. We were never meant to endure failure, futility and frustration. The human race was never meant to come to this place, where the wrong often seems so much stronger than the right. We were meant for perfection... but we ended up here. (Genesis 3:1-24)
In truth, life is not set against me. Life is what I have in Christ, in abundant measure, pouring out of His heart directly into mine, so much that it overflows. But I do have an Enemy, who has been set against me and bent on my destruction since the day I was born. I have to remember that Satan wants me to accept that this is 'just the way it is.' He wants me to keep my head down, mind my own business, and endure quietly all the wrongs he has inflicted upon the world.
Well, this may be 'just the way it is', but I know a better way. I know that things can be different--were meant to be different--all along.
"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."
-1 John 5:19
Only the world is under Satan's control; I am free from it. I am a child of God. The distress and agony of the world are not mine; to me they are 'light and temporary troubles.' If I can remember that, and hold on to that--to the truth that the world was never meant to be this way, and God understands that we've been thrust into a terrible situation not of our own making--then I can also remember this: Even though it's not my fault, I can still do something about it.
"God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them." -C. S. Lewis
I am reminded of a scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. At this point, Frodo has been put through the wringer. He has felt defeated, and in a moment of weakness, he very nearly gives in to the power of the Ring. At the last moment, Sam pulls him back. All is not lost. But now Frodo has to contend with the crushing weight of guilt and failure... and he finds himself unable. And so, beaten and defenseless, he whispers to Sam, "I can't do this."
"I can't do this, Sam."
"I know--it's all wrong. By rights, we shouldn't even be here... but we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo--the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was, when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. Those are the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand; I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holding on to something."
"What are we holding onto, Sam?"
"There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for!"
Satan will only be victorious if I give in. If I give way to despair, then he has won. I have to remember that hopelessness is a lie. A new day is coming, but until it comes, I must persevere. I must live, in defiance of darkness, the best life that I can, giving my all for God's sake. The devil will make sure that I have many chances to give up, but I can still hold on. The One who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Monday, February 2, 2009
My Anthem
Brave, by Nicole Nordeman
The gate is wide
The road is paved in moderation
The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in
Welcome to the middle ground
You're safe and sound and
Until now it's where I've been
'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything
But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings
So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave
I am small
And I speak when I'm spoken to
But I am willing to risk it all
I say Your name
Just Your name and I'm ready to jump
Even ready to fall...
Why did I take this vow of compromise?
Why did I try to keep it all inside?
So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave
I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame
Every storm will start with just a drop of rain
But if you believe in me
That changes everything
So long, I'm gone
So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
I wanna be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave
The gate is wide
The road is paved in moderation
The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in
Welcome to the middle ground
You're safe and sound and
Until now it's where I've been
'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything
But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings
So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave
I am small
And I speak when I'm spoken to
But I am willing to risk it all
I say Your name
Just Your name and I'm ready to jump
Even ready to fall...
Why did I take this vow of compromise?
Why did I try to keep it all inside?
So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave
I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame
Every storm will start with just a drop of rain
But if you believe in me
That changes everything
So long, I'm gone
So long status quo
I think I just let go
You make me want to be brave
I wanna be brave
The way it always was
Is no longer good enough
You make me want to be brave
Brave, brave
Week 4: Small Group Emails
(Below is an email I sent out to my small group on February 2, 2009.)
"If you think about something too much, often you will not do it. It's called paralysis by analysis." - Dr. Peter Fernandez
All right guys...
I know we didn't have small groups this Sunday. Instead, we watched the Steelers win the victory over the Cardinals. (Sorry I cannot muster the proper amount of enthusiam... not a football fan, lol.) However, I've still been thinking about our small groups, and the book that we've been reading, and yesterday I heard something that made my heart soar.
I'm sure you have all heard by now about the small group that is raising money to purchase an RV for the Christian Riders Ministry. That is fantastic, and I love them for stepping out and taking on a task like that right off the bat. Bravo! *applauds* But there are other, seemingly less important, but no less significant, ways of doing hard things.
I had the privilege to hear the story of a young man from one of our small groups who went out to McDonalds for lunch with a friend. As they were eating, a homeless man walked in to use the restroom. As soon as he entered, this young man felt a tug at his heart. It would have been so easy to ignore the homeless man and return to his meal. So easy...
Instead, he elbowed his buddy and said, "Hey, do you have a couple of bucks? Let's buy that guy some hamburgers." So they approached the man and asked him if he'd like some lunch; he accepted. A stranger, overhearing what they were about to do, gave up his place in line and pressed some money into the young man's hand. "Here," he said. "Buy that guy some lunch for me."
These two teenage boys bought the man some hamburgers, fries and a drink, and then sat and talked with him while they ate. Before they left the restaurant, they asked if they could pray with the man. Again, he accepted. They left the McDonalds. Chances are, their paths will never cross again.
It seems like such a simple thing, really, when you read about it. But seemingly insignificant things by earthly standards have an eternal impact. Who knows what may result because of the kindness and generosity of those two boys... and one stranger? It was striking example of living, active faith, and also worthy of praise. Bravo! *applauds*
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
-James 2:14-17
I cannot wait to see what else God does with the young men and women of these small groups. God bless you this week, my friends.
"If you think about something too much, often you will not do it. It's called paralysis by analysis." - Dr. Peter Fernandez
All right guys...
I know we didn't have small groups this Sunday. Instead, we watched the Steelers win the victory over the Cardinals. (Sorry I cannot muster the proper amount of enthusiam... not a football fan, lol.) However, I've still been thinking about our small groups, and the book that we've been reading, and yesterday I heard something that made my heart soar.
I'm sure you have all heard by now about the small group that is raising money to purchase an RV for the Christian Riders Ministry. That is fantastic, and I love them for stepping out and taking on a task like that right off the bat. Bravo! *applauds* But there are other, seemingly less important, but no less significant, ways of doing hard things.
I had the privilege to hear the story of a young man from one of our small groups who went out to McDonalds for lunch with a friend. As they were eating, a homeless man walked in to use the restroom. As soon as he entered, this young man felt a tug at his heart. It would have been so easy to ignore the homeless man and return to his meal. So easy...
Instead, he elbowed his buddy and said, "Hey, do you have a couple of bucks? Let's buy that guy some hamburgers." So they approached the man and asked him if he'd like some lunch; he accepted. A stranger, overhearing what they were about to do, gave up his place in line and pressed some money into the young man's hand. "Here," he said. "Buy that guy some lunch for me."
These two teenage boys bought the man some hamburgers, fries and a drink, and then sat and talked with him while they ate. Before they left the restaurant, they asked if they could pray with the man. Again, he accepted. They left the McDonalds. Chances are, their paths will never cross again.
It seems like such a simple thing, really, when you read about it. But seemingly insignificant things by earthly standards have an eternal impact. Who knows what may result because of the kindness and generosity of those two boys... and one stranger? It was striking example of living, active faith, and also worthy of praise. Bravo! *applauds*
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
-James 2:14-17
I cannot wait to see what else God does with the young men and women of these small groups. God bless you this week, my friends.
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