What is mature Christian faith? Below are some thoughts presented by the late John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard movement.
We can measure disciples by the way they think. Following Jesus should affect our thought patterns. Are the people you’re training thinking in disciplese? The fundamentals of the gospel become more important to a committed disciple’s spiritual life as the heart and lungs are to this physical body. The following statements sketch the differences in those who have an immature faith, and those who have a mature Christian faith.
IMMATURE FAITH
Good Christians don’t have pain or disappointment.
MATURE FAITH
God uses our pain and disappointment to make us better Christians.
IMMATURE FAITH
The closer we get to God, the more perfect we become.
MATURE FAITH
The closer we get to God, the more we become aware of our own sinfulness.
IMMATURE FAITH
God helps those who help themselves.
MATURE FAITH
God helps those who admit their own helplessness.
IMMATURE FAITH
God wants to make us happy.
MATURE FAITH
God wants to make us into the image of Jesus.
IMMATURE FAITH
Faith will help us always explain what God is doing.
MATURE FAITH
Faith helps us stand under God’s sovereignty even when we have no idea what God is doing.
IMMATURE FAITH
Mature Christians have answers.
MATURE FAITH
Mature Christians can wrestle honestly with tough questions because we trust that God has the answers.
IMMATURE FAITH
Good Christians are always strong.
MATURE FAITH
Our strength is admitting our weakness.
IMMATURE FAITH
We go to church because our friends are there,we have great leaders, and we get something out of it.
MATTURE FAITH
We go to church because we belong to the body of Christ.
We want to engender a deep spirituality in our disciples that rejects a facile triumphalism. Disciples realize there will be hard times ahead. The journey we’re on is fraught with pain, difficulties, and the onslaughts of the enemy. Mature Christian’s also learn we can benefit from trials. From my reading of the Bible (and church history), Christianity doesn’t guarantee heaven here on earth. We’re going to Heaven- But we may go through hell here on this earth!
Maturity doesn’t not automatically come with the passage of years; some of the people we work with may be spiritually much younger than their chronological age. A prayer I pray often is: “Lord, let me grow up, before I grow old.”
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Staying Humble
by C.J. Mahaney
1. Follow the truth wherever it leads…even if it leads to “you were wrong.”
2. Invite and pursue correction and counsel.
• We are blind to ourselves…allow others speak truth your life
• Allow others to confront you with the truth about yourself
• Seek wise counsel
3. Learn from everyone…even our critics
• Even if the source of our criticism is bad, there is still something to learn
4. REPENT quickly and thoroughly
• Don’t make others force you into repentance
• Say, “I am sorry”
5. Seek and celebrate God’s grace in other Christians
• Praise and encourage others even if you don’t “feel like it”
6. Cultivate a spirit of thankfulness
7. Listen to Scripture more than yourself
8. Exalt the Name of Jesus in all you do
• Do what makes Jesus look good
9. Laugh
• Proud people have no sense of humor…they can’t laugh at themselves
• The truth is that we are all “ridiculous”…we provide so much good material
10. Sleep
• Proud people don’t sleep well…they are focused on how they look to others
1. Follow the truth wherever it leads…even if it leads to “you were wrong.”
2. Invite and pursue correction and counsel.
• We are blind to ourselves…allow others speak truth your life
• Allow others to confront you with the truth about yourself
• Seek wise counsel
3. Learn from everyone…even our critics
• Even if the source of our criticism is bad, there is still something to learn
4. REPENT quickly and thoroughly
• Don’t make others force you into repentance
• Say, “I am sorry”
5. Seek and celebrate God’s grace in other Christians
• Praise and encourage others even if you don’t “feel like it”
6. Cultivate a spirit of thankfulness
7. Listen to Scripture more than yourself
8. Exalt the Name of Jesus in all you do
• Do what makes Jesus look good
9. Laugh
• Proud people have no sense of humor…they can’t laugh at themselves
• The truth is that we are all “ridiculous”…we provide so much good material
10. Sleep
• Proud people don’t sleep well…they are focused on how they look to others
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Hope
Taken from ESPN the magazine:
They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.
It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through. Did you hear that? The other team's fans?
They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.
It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.
"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"
And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.
But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.
This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.
So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans — for one night only — cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."
Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"
And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."
Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!
"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"
It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"
Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.
After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."
And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.
As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.
The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."
And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.
Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free. Hope.
They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.
It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through. Did you hear that? The other team's fans?
They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.
It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.
"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"
And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.
But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.
This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.
So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans — for one night only — cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."
Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"
And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."
Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!
"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"
It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"
Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.
After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."
And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.
As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.
The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."
And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.
Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free. Hope.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Prodigal
I preached from Luke 15 about the Prodigal this past Sunday. For me, this is one of the most powerful stories Jesus told. I tried to focus on the lostness of the elder brother because it is many times overlooked.
I obtained the following entry from a friend and member of our church. I believe we can all relate.
In December I was punched in the gut by a friend’s blog about the prodigal son. For weeks I’ve been trying to figure out what my deal is. To provide some context, let me share a few things about myself.
1. I hold the value of stewardship in the highest regard.
2. My personal mantras include: Life isn’t fair. Choices have consequences (read “you reap what you sow”). You have to take responsibility for your own s#!+ (am I allowed to print that in the bulletin?). If you don’t like your life then change it.
3. I have an exaggerated sense of fairness and “right-ness.”
My “tough love” approach to life sadly doesn’t allow much room for error; nor does it make up for my lack of compassion for poor judgment or even simple mistakes. (Somebody make me a “Little Miss Merciful” t-shirt.)
I’ve always completely identified with the older brother in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. I mean, his kid brother cashed out early, left home to see the world, partied like a rock star, and got to come back to a brilliant reception like he hadn’t just flushed his inheritance down the toilet or sullied the family name. (And the fact that this kid wasted what his father had worked so hard for makes me see red.)
So I’ve been thinking really, really hard about my attitude. I’ve started seeing the younger son in a new light. The shame he must’ve suffered makes my heart heavy. And imagining the guilt and grief he felt when his father welcomed him without question or judgment nearly makes me cry. And the picture of him in my mind, flushed with embarrassment when he can read his brother’s mind . . . and I am that brother. God, forgive.
Not to be trite, but this younger brother seems to follow my same life philosophy. He realized that his poor choices had negative consequences, but those consequences were not irrevocable. He took responsibility for his actions and changed his life. And he found out that sometimes life is not fair. And isn’t that wonderful?
I obtained the following entry from a friend and member of our church. I believe we can all relate.
In December I was punched in the gut by a friend’s blog about the prodigal son. For weeks I’ve been trying to figure out what my deal is. To provide some context, let me share a few things about myself.
1. I hold the value of stewardship in the highest regard.
2. My personal mantras include: Life isn’t fair. Choices have consequences (read “you reap what you sow”). You have to take responsibility for your own s#!+ (am I allowed to print that in the bulletin?). If you don’t like your life then change it.
3. I have an exaggerated sense of fairness and “right-ness.”
My “tough love” approach to life sadly doesn’t allow much room for error; nor does it make up for my lack of compassion for poor judgment or even simple mistakes. (Somebody make me a “Little Miss Merciful” t-shirt.)
I’ve always completely identified with the older brother in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. I mean, his kid brother cashed out early, left home to see the world, partied like a rock star, and got to come back to a brilliant reception like he hadn’t just flushed his inheritance down the toilet or sullied the family name. (And the fact that this kid wasted what his father had worked so hard for makes me see red.)
So I’ve been thinking really, really hard about my attitude. I’ve started seeing the younger son in a new light. The shame he must’ve suffered makes my heart heavy. And imagining the guilt and grief he felt when his father welcomed him without question or judgment nearly makes me cry. And the picture of him in my mind, flushed with embarrassment when he can read his brother’s mind . . . and I am that brother. God, forgive.
Not to be trite, but this younger brother seems to follow my same life philosophy. He realized that his poor choices had negative consequences, but those consequences were not irrevocable. He took responsibility for his actions and changed his life. And he found out that sometimes life is not fair. And isn’t that wonderful?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Family Christmas Card
Becky and I sent this pic out as our Christmas card this year. No...the kids aren't ours. We were having our picture taken at our church's Ugly Xmas Sweater party (which was awesomely fun !!) and decided that we would snatch a couple of innocent kids who were playing nearby. Thanks to Allie and Elias for being good sports. The truth is that we were holding them against their will.Funny thing...after receiving our card, a number of people that we haven't seen in a while contacted us or my mother asking about our kids. I wonder what I will do for a Christmas card next year?
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