The following link is an article written about our culture and the popularity of NASCAR and what we (as Christians) might learn about our culture as it relates to our churches. (That sounds really confusing...read the article, it's quite interesting.)
Of note is how this relates to Sports Central. It's really what our vision of Sports Central is.
We are a ministry that is not concerned about where you go to church or where you get fed spiritually. Our concern is that you do. That you have a place where you learn about Jesus and are able to grow in Him. For instance, our basketball league includes guys from at least 5 different churches, but we encourage each other and look to help each other grow spiritually throughout the season.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2005/cln51017.html
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Monday, October 17, 2005
Devotion #3 - October 2005
Recently, I have found it very difficult to concentrate when praying and reading the Bible - and even on projects at work sometimes. This devotion helped me to recognize these distractions for what they are. Even if it is from fatigue, I must rely on God to give me what I need, including clarity of mind as I go about my day.
http://www.ficm.org/DailyInChrist/1017dic.htm
http://www.ficm.org/DailyInChrist/1017dic.htm
Friday, October 14, 2005
Spiritual Growth: Training vs Trying (Part II)
The Practice of Scripture Meditation
Purity is a word greatly prized in the New Testament. Unfortunately, in our day it has been largely written off as quaint, Victorian, prudish. It sounds like a person who isn't fully human, when in fact God's call for us to be pure is precisely his call for us to be purely human - humanity as he intended it to be, uncontaminated by sin.
James calls the opposite of this condition being "double-minded" (James 4:8). He describes such a person as being like "a wave of the sea," driven forward by the wind one minute and backwards the next (James 1:6). It is a life of divided loyalties.
Most of us know what it is like to be a wave on the sea. We are pulled toward this life of Christ, and yet held back by a secret sin for which we haven't been willing to renounce or get help. We long for the adventure of following Christ fully, but we're afraid of the price. We commit to pleasing God alone, only to find ourselves driven to impress others. We go back and forth. It is a miserable way to live.
In Jesus' words, the secret to life is to pursue one thing. It is to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33). It is an unbelievable relief to be delivered from double-mindedness, to finally decide, to stop being torn.
Washed by the Word
If we want to be saved from double-mindedness and pursue purity of heart, we mus "be transformed by the renewing of our mind" (Rom 12:2). An indispensable practice is to have our minds re-formed by immersing them in Scripture. When Paul wrote to the church at Ephasus, he used this analogy: "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish..." (Eph. 5:25-27)
So, how do we read the Bible in a way that will wash our hearts and hel us live like Jesus? Here are a few thoughts...
Romans 8:15-16
Ephesians 2:19
Matthew 7:7-11
Exodus 16:11-21 - "Daily Bread"
John 6:32-35
Matthew 18:23-35
Spiritual Exercise - Pick one phrase from the Lord's prayer and take it with you for a whole day and then journal about it at the end of the day.
Purity is a word greatly prized in the New Testament. Unfortunately, in our day it has been largely written off as quaint, Victorian, prudish. It sounds like a person who isn't fully human, when in fact God's call for us to be pure is precisely his call for us to be purely human - humanity as he intended it to be, uncontaminated by sin.
James calls the opposite of this condition being "double-minded" (James 4:8). He describes such a person as being like "a wave of the sea," driven forward by the wind one minute and backwards the next (James 1:6). It is a life of divided loyalties.
Most of us know what it is like to be a wave on the sea. We are pulled toward this life of Christ, and yet held back by a secret sin for which we haven't been willing to renounce or get help. We long for the adventure of following Christ fully, but we're afraid of the price. We commit to pleasing God alone, only to find ourselves driven to impress others. We go back and forth. It is a miserable way to live.
In Jesus' words, the secret to life is to pursue one thing. It is to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33). It is an unbelievable relief to be delivered from double-mindedness, to finally decide, to stop being torn.
Washed by the Word
If we want to be saved from double-mindedness and pursue purity of heart, we mus "be transformed by the renewing of our mind" (Rom 12:2). An indispensable practice is to have our minds re-formed by immersing them in Scripture. When Paul wrote to the church at Ephasus, he used this analogy: "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish..." (Eph. 5:25-27)
So, how do we read the Bible in a way that will wash our hearts and hel us live like Jesus? Here are a few thoughts...
- Pray First - Ask God to meet you in the Scriptures - It is uniquely in the Bible that we encounter Jesus. So, acknowledge that He is present with you. Ask him to begin to wash your mind and thoughts. He will meet you there.
- Listen to the Holy Spirit - Meditate on a Fairly Brief Passage - You can't meditate quickly. Don't get caught up in trying to read a chapter or a series of verses. If God is speaking to you in just a few phrases, stop and meditate on them. Allow the Spirit to tap you on the shoulder and whisper His purposes to you as you reflect on what He wants you to.
- Be Self-reflective - Read with a Readiness to Surrender - Don't read the Bible merely to find information, to increase your knowledge, or to be able to debate. Do not read it with your wife, friend or coworker in mind. Open your spirit and seek the Word's cleansing work in your life.
- Scripture Memorization - Take One Thought or Verse with You throughout the day - The psalmist says that fruitful living comes to the one who meditates on the law "day and night" (Psalms 1). Meditation is not meant to be spooky; it simply involves sustained attention. It is built on the principle that what th emind repeats, it retains. In addition, as the Psalmist was eluding to, the truth can permeate your mind through song or many other reminders - something in your pocket, review mirror or on your fridge. We have many tools available to us to help us to take this Truth with us throughout our day.
Verses to study as it relates to the Lord's Prayer...
Matthew 6:9-13Romans 8:15-16
Ephesians 2:19
Matthew 7:7-11
Exodus 16:11-21 - "Daily Bread"
John 6:32-35
Matthew 18:23-35
Spiritual Exercise - Pick one phrase from the Lord's prayer and take it with you for a whole day and then journal about it at the end of the day.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Spiritual Growth: Training vs Trying (Part I)
Training vs Trying
Training... to arrange your life around certain exercises and experiences that will enable you to do eventually what you are not yet able to do eventually what you are not yet able to do even by trying hard.
To follow Jesus means learning to arrange my life around those practices taht will enable me to stay connected to him and live more and more like him. In short, this is just another way of defining a spiritual discipline. It is any activity that can help me gain power to live life as Jesus taught and modeled.
What the Spiritual Disciplines are NOT...
...a barometer of spirituality. The ultimate indicator of your spiritual health is your capacity to love God and love others.
...a way of earning "brownie points" with God. They only have value insofar as they keep us vitally connected with zChrist and empowered to live as he lived.
Similarly, a disciplined person is not necessarily someone who does a lot of disciplines. A disciplined person is one who can do the right thing at the right time in the right way with the right spirit. It is a person who discerns when laughter, or gentleness, or silence, or healing words, or truth-telling is called for and offers it promptly, effectively, and in love.
Every Moment Counts
There are some foundational practices, like prayer, solitude, and Scripture meditation that are critically important. But all of life's activities can become spiritual training exercises if you allow them to.
Sitting in traffic congestion can become a training exercise in patience. Mundaneactivities like cleaning the house or taking a shower can train our hearts in gratitude, if we use those opportunitites to thank God for his daily provisions.
There is no need to divide life into times to "be spiritual" and times to "just do life." Every moment is a cance to learn from Jesus how to live in the kingdom of God.
God's Role and Mine
You may be wondering what God's role is in the Spiritual Training process. Think of a motor boat compared to a sailboat. I can run a motor boat all by myself. All I have to do is start the engine. I'm in control. But a sail-boat is different. I can hoist the sails. I can steer the rudder. But I am utterly dependent on the wind. My job is simply to do those things that will enable me to catch the wind when it comes.
Spiritual transformation is like piloting a sailboat. I can open myself to it through certain practicies, but I cannot engineer the wind. When it comes, it is a kind of gift. Wise sailors know their main task is to be able to read the wind, to learn to raise and lower particular sails to catch the wind most effectively. They know when to stay on the existing course and when to set a new one.
So it is with spiritual disciplines. Our job is to creatively and wisely engage in those activities that will give God a chance to work in our life. This can look differnt in different seasons of our lives. We can put up the sails and adjust them as needed. But what happens is up to God.
Spiritual Exercise
Your challenge this week is to see that all of life counts. If you let them, the ordinary moments of your day can become powerful training exercises in spiritual transformation. For one week, punctuate your days with the simple question, "How can this moment train me?"
Training... to arrange your life around certain exercises and experiences that will enable you to do eventually what you are not yet able to do eventually what you are not yet able to do even by trying hard.
To follow Jesus means learning to arrange my life around those practices taht will enable me to stay connected to him and live more and more like him. In short, this is just another way of defining a spiritual discipline. It is any activity that can help me gain power to live life as Jesus taught and modeled.
What the Spiritual Disciplines are NOT...
...a barometer of spirituality. The ultimate indicator of your spiritual health is your capacity to love God and love others.
...a way of earning "brownie points" with God. They only have value insofar as they keep us vitally connected with zChrist and empowered to live as he lived.
Similarly, a disciplined person is not necessarily someone who does a lot of disciplines. A disciplined person is one who can do the right thing at the right time in the right way with the right spirit. It is a person who discerns when laughter, or gentleness, or silence, or healing words, or truth-telling is called for and offers it promptly, effectively, and in love.
Every Moment Counts
There are some foundational practices, like prayer, solitude, and Scripture meditation that are critically important. But all of life's activities can become spiritual training exercises if you allow them to.
Sitting in traffic congestion can become a training exercise in patience. Mundaneactivities like cleaning the house or taking a shower can train our hearts in gratitude, if we use those opportunitites to thank God for his daily provisions.
There is no need to divide life into times to "be spiritual" and times to "just do life." Every moment is a cance to learn from Jesus how to live in the kingdom of God.
God's Role and Mine
You may be wondering what God's role is in the Spiritual Training process. Think of a motor boat compared to a sailboat. I can run a motor boat all by myself. All I have to do is start the engine. I'm in control. But a sail-boat is different. I can hoist the sails. I can steer the rudder. But I am utterly dependent on the wind. My job is simply to do those things that will enable me to catch the wind when it comes.
Spiritual transformation is like piloting a sailboat. I can open myself to it through certain practicies, but I cannot engineer the wind. When it comes, it is a kind of gift. Wise sailors know their main task is to be able to read the wind, to learn to raise and lower particular sails to catch the wind most effectively. They know when to stay on the existing course and when to set a new one.
So it is with spiritual disciplines. Our job is to creatively and wisely engage in those activities that will give God a chance to work in our life. This can look differnt in different seasons of our lives. We can put up the sails and adjust them as needed. But what happens is up to God.
Spiritual Exercise
Your challenge this week is to see that all of life counts. If you let them, the ordinary moments of your day can become powerful training exercises in spiritual transformation. For one week, punctuate your days with the simple question, "How can this moment train me?"
Spiritual Growth: Training vs Trying (Core Values)
(Exerpts from Willow Creek Resources Bible Study: Growth - training vs trying by John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson, Judson Poling)
10 Core Values of Spiritual Transformation...
1 - Essential, not optional, for Christ Followers
2 - Process, not an event
3 - God's work, but requires my participation
4 - Involves those practices, experiences, and relationships that help me live intimately with Christ and walk as if he were in my place
5 - Not a compartmentalized pursuit. God is not interested in my spiritual life; he's interested in my life - all of it
6 - Can happen in every moment. It is not restricted to certain times or practices
7 - Not indiidualistic, but takes place in community and finds expression in serving others
8 - Not impeded by a person's background, temperament, life situation, or seaon of life. It is available right now to all who desire it
9 - The means of pursuing it, will vary from one individual to another. Fully devoted followers are handcrafted, not mass-produced
10 - Ultimately gauged by an increased capacity to love God and people. Superficial or external checklists cannot measure it
10 Core Values of Spiritual Transformation...
1 - Essential, not optional, for Christ Followers
2 - Process, not an event
3 - God's work, but requires my participation
4 - Involves those practices, experiences, and relationships that help me live intimately with Christ and walk as if he were in my place
5 - Not a compartmentalized pursuit. God is not interested in my spiritual life; he's interested in my life - all of it
6 - Can happen in every moment. It is not restricted to certain times or practices
7 - Not indiidualistic, but takes place in community and finds expression in serving others
8 - Not impeded by a person's background, temperament, life situation, or seaon of life. It is available right now to all who desire it
9 - The means of pursuing it, will vary from one individual to another. Fully devoted followers are handcrafted, not mass-produced
10 - Ultimately gauged by an increased capacity to love God and people. Superficial or external checklists cannot measure it
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