A Different Kind of Trip part 2

The last time I sent this out I was thinking about the unexpected. Here in short is the rest of what I was thinking. Continuing with Luke 10:5-9...In verse 9 Jesus casually says to heal the sick who are in the town you travel to. Now I do not know about you, but when I read this I thought this was a real challenge. If I was one of those following Jesus I would have thought he might have meant to "try" and heal those who are sick. But Jesus says this as though it were a normal thing for them to do.

Then, I had a conversation with one of our staff in Mexico and he mentioned to me that he prayed for a professor and later she told him that God healed her. I was excited by the news but then God said to me "Why don't you see this as a normal part of following me?" Jesus is waiting to release his power and authority through us as a normal part of following him.

Some days are "diamonds" and some are "stones" John Denver sang. Some days we really seem close to Jesus and they are great days but some days we do not seem that close and wonder what is going on. Not every day will be filled with healings but some should.

Surely we can come to a place where when God does something through our life we get excited but also have an understanding that this is the normal Christian life.

A Different Kind of Trip part 1

Luke 10:5-8 Jesus is giving his followers some last minute thinking before he sent them off. "Look for a person of peace." Get close to them by staying in their house. "Eat and drink whatever they give you." He reminds them of this last one again in verse 8.

I thought about the "eating and drinking whatever they give you" part. Isn't it interesting how God speaks to us from the Word? This definitely involved food but God had something different to say to me.

I remember one time overseas being served horse and another time a dish of warm milk with rice in it. Not exactly meat lover's pizza. But it was set before me and I ate it.

I like to go to buffets because I get to choose what I eat. I also have ideas of what my day, week or life should look like. But God has been talking to me about accepting whatever he gives me or brings into my life or whatever he does not.

Instead of approaching my day with anticipation of what God may do that day, I can easily plan it myself or look back at it at the end of the day disappointed that God did not somehow cause it to be different. I regularly seem to have what I believe is a better idea of what should be going on in my life.

But God is saying "let me determine what you need, who you need to talk with or not talk with, what kind of ministry you need or don't need..." In short, I need to believe God has my best interest in mind and accept with joy what he provides for me that day. He really does have it all together!

When I have any disappointment in the trip, it means I am not looking at life like God does. The words "freedom", "joy", and "abundant life" are missing in my dictionary when I live this way.

The church Frannie and I attend has a saying "figuring out life and faith." I totally am working on this.

Question What 5 words come to your mind that describe how you are accepting what God is
bringing into your life...or not bringing into your life?

If God put the food on the table, would it look different from what you would put on it?
What's that about?

Where's the closest McDonalds?

Continuing with Luke 9
Verses 12-13

Ok, these people interrupted long enough. The disciples wanted some hang time with Jesus and just them. It was time for the people to leave and get some dinner and a motel. Besides, they were in the middle of nowhere. This makes total sense to them so, they tell Jesus what he should do-send the people away. Doesn't Jesus get it? There is no food and nothing in sight. Surely there are fast food places in Bethsaida. Can you imagine telling Jesus what he should do?

But, do I get it? There are times when what I see happening or not happening does not make any sense and so I tell God to get after it. Sometimes I think I am in the middle of nowhere. Why do I come to this conclusion? Why were they trying to change the situation or circumstances? Why do I? Maybe Jesus planned on them being exactly where they were. Maybe? I am sure he did. He knows us so well that he knows what it takes to improve our sight, cause us to be thankful, to love people like he does...

"You feed them" This is outrageous. What is wrong with Jesus...or...me? How outrageous for me to not believe or allow Jesus to do what he wants-to allow his agenda to be mine. When was the last time Jesus has said something to me that I can't begin to understand how he could really mean it?

Jesus is the only one who could have told them to do this. Satan knew Jesus could really turn rocks into bread. Jesus alone determines who should do this. Later, Jesus would tell Peter to feed his sheep. In that case he was speaking of helping people become real followers of Jesus. Now, the people were getting hungry so this was physical food that was needed. But it seemed so unreasonable.

What happened to these guys when waking up and talking with one another one says "what kind of rabbit is he going to pull out of a hat today?" "I don't know but I didn't get any sleep thinking about it last night." We need to live with anticipation of what God wants to do in and through us every day. It may turn out to be a very normal day, but some days God shows up in a diffenent way and guess what he has up his sleeve?

FOCUS 1. Our lives should welcome people. There should be something in our life that causes people to want to be with us.
2. Jesus engineers circumstances for his purposes and I should never try to change what he is using to accomplish his purposes.
3. Is there anything God is trying to tell you but from your perspective, it seems unreasonable?
4. Ask God to wake you up with an anticipation of what it means for him to be in your life and working through you that day.

It's getting late and I am tired

In Luke 9:10-11 Jesus decides to take his men somewhere, they are glad to get some time with him about the last trip they took. But as what usually happens, people get word that Jesus is going somewhere and they follow him. In their minds, it doesn't matter where he is going they just want to be with him. But I bet the disciples wanted Jesus by himself and this was not turning out like they wanted.

Jesus graciously welcomed the people and spoke to them about the kingdom of God (critical issues of life), and as they revealed needs, he met them. It is likely that Jesus was tired from being involved with people before this trip but he loved people so his life invited them to come along. He did not talk about the weather or who was going to be in the world series but talked about the issues that really mattered. He met their needs-in this case it was to heal people with various illnesses.

What about you and I? Are we letting Jesus love people through us? Is our life inviting? People can tell if we want them to hang out with us. When you and I really love people, no one is ever interrupting. We must also not be so busy with life that we do not have time to allow them into our life. Then, what do we talk about? It is amazing how long a conversation can go without any substance. It is like a trip where the kids ask "are we there yet?" Sometimes the conversation goes on and on and we never get to the critical issues that matter. Too much is at stake to only observe the scenery on our trip with others. What sometimes happens then is that people begin to let us in on their life and reveal a need. It is easy to brush it off and tell them "that is interesting" or "I will pray with you about it."

FOCUS What can you do this week to let someone into your life?
Make it a point to listen and then ask a question that gets to issues that matter.
Meeting practical needs is as spiritual as it gets-Matthew 10:42.

Going through the closet

Occasionally we decide it is time to go through our closet and get rid of some of the clothes we have not worn for a while and give them to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. This makes us feel generous because we are sharing some of our stuff with someone else. There are a lot of clothes left in our closet however after we have made such a generous donation. And, we usually get rid of those clothes we really do not like or believe we are going to wear much anymore.

Sort of reminds me of how we give out some of the good news about Jesus but keep back most of it. We feel good because we used the word "church" in our conversation with someone who does not follow Jesus but they are left wondering what the spank we mentioned that for.

In Luke 8:16-18 Jesus talks about this kind of generosity with an interesting application. We have information about how to live and what Monday-Sunday is all about. People we know need to learn how to see their way through this difficult financial time or whatever deal satan is throwing at them. The Message translation is great here-"We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them. We're not hiding things;we're bringing everything out into the open."

Could it be that we are not convinced about the gospel really relating to every part of life and that is why we keep back the really good stuff about how Jesus can change a life? What is it that keeps you from being generous with the truth?

When we are really generous, God opens up things for us we could never imagine. If we are stingy with the truth, we are going to sink deep into poverty-poverty of the soul where we can't put our finger on why we are feeling so down.

Focus Give away something from your closet you really like...and share something with someone who does not know Jesus that you have thought about but for whatever reason you have never brought up. Your relationship with them will go to another level.

Never the Same

Luke 6:27-31 Familiar, but a few often avoided sentences. I have never been so challenged by something like this in a while.

"I tell you who hear me" Am I listening? Do I really want to hear what Jesus says? "Of course" I might answer, but really do I want to hear? What if I hear something I have not heard before? What if it does not make sense? What if it does?

"To you who are ready for the truth" Message Trans.
Am I READY for the truth? How do I know I am ready?
Am I ready for the TRUTH? My answer might be "It depends" or "maybe" or "what do you mean?"

"I say this." Msg. Is truth only in code or will Jesus say this only when I am ready for the truth?

Sometimes getting ready is tough. I have to go through some hard things until I say to Jesus "I am ready." We can try everything, go to every conference and read every book coming up without any real answers that get to the core of our issues and then Jesus quietly says "are you ready now?' Solutions only come in a relationship with Jesus where he speaks and I do not treat what he says as an option.

Then he says something like "Love your enemies." Great! Now my life gets challenging. This is hard to understand and even harder to do.

Who makes the boundaries as to what or who is included here? This is going to take a radical adjustment to my life to do this or anything Jesus says. Why does he have to say such things that turn my world upside down? Why do I have to really even question what he says? Why can't I just trust that whatever he says is right and if I do it, I will enter into a dimension of the Christian life unattainable any other way?

This is not a hypothetical few sentences I am sharing with you. I really am dealing with this one.

New Threads, Wine and Grain

Luke 5:36-39 and 6:1-5 We all like new things...well, not everyone. Jesus made many statements in his brief stay on our planet but here are a few that were understood by the religious crowd and they did not only disagree with them but wanted to eliminate Jesus because of them.

You cannot sew a patch of clothing from new cloth onto an old cloth without problems. You cannot pour new wine into an old wine container without destroying the old container and losing the new wine. What does this mean?

There is new thinking and different ways of doing ministry these days. There is always new thinking and new ways of doing ministry that runs counter to traditional thinking or ministry strategies. You cannot combine new thinking or ways of doing ministry with the traditional thinking or ministry strategies. It does not work. Both are adversely affected. They do not have enough common ground to connect. New thinking requires new ministry models which are not necessarily to be copied. People who like or are familiar with the traditional ways of thinking and doing ministry will disagree with the new. They believe the old wine is better.

Who makes the rules? Some people are going to question what they do not understand or agree with. In some cases, these people made the rules. The religious people questioned Jesus' disciples and Jesus about rules about the Sabbath. Jesus however, is the one who makes the rules. When he speaks about something, it changes everything.
The traditions were being broken...but Jesus is in charge.

What about transitions? It does take time to alter a way of thinking or a way of looking at how ministry should be done. It requires patience on the part of the one with the new way of looking at ministry and teachability on the part of the one receiving the new wine.

Why are you doing that? We need to be ready and able to answer the questions that traditional thinking people ask us. New is not the issue but hearing from Jesus is. We are not slaves to traditional religious rules but rather we are slaves to Jesus.

What are some Sabbath rules in place today? Think about this one as you look at your life now. Following some of these rules may be keeping non-Christians you and I know from seeing the gospel lived out.

Can't Touch This

MC Hammer had a song a few years ago that had a line - "Can't touch this". It seems this song could have made the charts in Jesus' day also.

In Luke 5:12-13 is a normal day with Jesus. It may have begun like every other day but today Jesus would alter the thinking of the culture and potential followers. Jesus entered a world designated "stay out" by most and especially the religious. He not only entered this man's world but he did the unthinkable-he touched him. The man wanted to know if Jesus was willing to deal with his issue. Jesus was willing. Jesus' action indicated his willingness to heal this man.
Most of us avoid and categorize people who we do not want to be around. Those with HIV, a prison past, divorced, gay, abusive, ugly appearance, wealthy...we are not going to that house.

Jesus spoke to him. He was intentionally going to violate every cultural norm that had been erected in his day. I am sure he angered some and confused others. Truth has a way of doing that.

There are people who walk around wanting to get some help but usually have no one to talk with about their life. They may not have the skin issues of this man but never the less no one really is paying attention to them. It is so easy to say we are willing but another thing to actually match our thoughts, desires, thinking or talk with our action. Intention without action really is another form of abortion.

What has to change in your thinking or lifestyle to:
1. Enter the world of those silently calling out for help?
2. Want to speak into their life?


How about taking some time this week to think about who you are excluding from your life for any reason.

What's the weather going to be tomorrow?

Maybe it is my age or watching people give themselves to endless pursuits that are constantly replaced by other pursuits, but either way it is easy to go through life in meaningless activity. Christians can easily get caught up in debating issues such as whether a really committed Christian can be a democrat. We probably would be disappointed in Jesus' response to this kind of thinking.

Proverbs 15:9 Message Translation "A life frittered away disgusts God; he loves those who run straight for the finish line." We can waste our life by having endless conversations about the trivial or debating issues that give no encouragement to people without Jesus. It may be difficult to understand but we can waste our life by spending much of our time with Christians rather than intentionally doing life with pre-Christians. Christians who isolate themselves from the world Jesus came to give life to or who are on some kind of crusade to convince people of their misdirected lifestyle will end up not having much influence on those outside of the faith community. This is also evidence of a life frittered away. Church must be done in the heart of the marketplace.

Our lifestyle must be one that makes sense to an unbelieving world. Jesus was the most relevant person that ever lived on the planet. If we are giving our life to issues that have little or no eternal value, we will become irrelevant to those needing Jesus. In the book "Unchristian" there is a statement that is pointed: "Christians are usually on the edges of society pointing fingers at outsiders, judging and condemning them." To do this is to live opposed to the way Jesus lived.

John 3:17 "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." Any life lived differently than the way Jesus lived is to fritter it away. Let's give the world an accurate and complete picture of the faith life.

How do I get off of the Interstate?

People living around us are starving for answers. However, they do not necessarily know how to ask the questions. And it seems our lives do not usually give them a reason to look to us for some of the answers they need. We may want to look cool and not stray too far from the norms of our culture and when we live this way, very few see anything that arouses curiosity about how we are living. When no questions are raised, no answers are given.

Much of what we talk about that we believe to be how to relate to people ends up being an inch deep in the impact it makes with them. What is needed is what James Blunt sings about in "Same Mistake"when he says "maybe we'll talk and not just speak."

Proverbs 10:11 is a staggering contrast between people who make a difference and those who just show up in others lives. Deep and "life giving well conversations" are not very common in most lives. Many people travel on Interstate 25 in Colorado but not as many travel on Road 15 in my county. The view from Road 15 is at times amazing compared to the Interstate. There are so many cars on the Interstate that you do not have time to really look west to the Rockies. This compares to how most people live. Abuse rules on the Interstate as people weave in and out of traffic to knock off 30 seconds of their trip.

How can we be people who have deep rather than shallow relationships with people? How can our conversations give life, hope and encouragement to people and not just cause them to occasionally glance at their watch when we are talking to them?

I do not believe this is complicated. If we have a growing relationship with Jesus who started it all and we tap into his wisdom, we will be able to speak into people's lives in a much different way. Our words do not have to be measured by volume but rather by sensitivity to God's leading. The realness of our relationship with Jesus allows us to really help people who are still trying to get off the Interstate.

Following Jesus is Hard

We love to read about the miracles Jesus did or the great come backs he gave to antagonizing religious types or penetrating questions he asked of would be followers. These types of events stimulate our curiosities and often cause us to think how neat it would be to have been a follower of Jesus with these early guys.

But surely we could "tack on" following Jesus in our Hummer, SUV, Pick Up or sweet Mini. It is a great misunderstanding or miscalculation to think we can "tack on" following Jesus in our up to date culture and lifestyle. "I'll follow you but first..." was a theme of some early would be followers of Jesus. They gained no space with Jesus for coming up with this "tacked on" thinking.

Jesus is aware of the thrill of the occasional Christian concert, great worship or retreat experience or insightful Bible study session we attend but he also knows the guts of following him is in the consistent daily routine of life. This is where it gets hard. We would rather "walk on water than land." It is on land where faith is more challenged than on the water because the land is the everyday life.

Or maybe you and I want an answer to some question or decision we need to make. We can mistakenly think that if we are following Jesus we will get a quick answer. To wait on an answer is hard because it does not usually happen in our time frame. Isaiah 55:8,9 says that God does not work the way we work and the way he thinks is way beyond how we think. It is hard enough to follow Jesus but to try and think like he does...well it isn't going to happen. This does not need to be a part of our hard following because we cannot usually approach what Jesus is thinking when it comes to our life.

How hard or easy has it been the last few weeks for you in following Jesus?
Has following Jesus been "tacked on" or built into the fabric of your weekly lifestyle?

Taking one step of doing what Jesus says to us is how we begin to follow Jesus. It is not usually easy but that is not the point.

God makes me stagger because I have no idea what in the world he is going to dare me to do next.

Luke 9:23 and John 6:53-58, 60 and 66 are words of Jesus that make me more than pause.

This is killing me

If you walk around our neighborhood this time of year and look at the lawns you will see that some are totally brown, some brown and green and some totally green. Why is there a difference? There are many things that contribute to a green lawn or keep one from becoming green. Some things add to and some take away from a lawn looking good. Some people zero scape so a green lawn is of no value. But if you want a green lawn free from weeds and goat heads, you will need to pay attention to some important details.

Just as some things destroy a beautiful lawn so there are also more important things that destroy a life. Colossians 3:5-8 describes some things that destroy life. We need to spend our life saying no to everything that takes our life away. What is it in your life that diminishes the life God wants for you to experience? I think about independence, wanting big things, insatiable consumerism, going fast in life...alone, having a motivation that longs for others to recognize my importance. The list goes on. Colossians 3:1 reminds me that if I am serious about living the life God is committed to me living, I must set my heart on living as he intended. No games here...life is a joy but it is also a war with the enemy of our life.

The tragedy is that there are so many people who want a beautiful lawn but never get the sod put in. So many people who God puts in our life are caught up in destructive things that continue to rob them of the life they were created for. If you and I will deal with this stuff, many who don't know how to deal with life issues might be encouraged to check out Jesus. Walk around any neighborhood and in the homes we pass by there are heartaches, frustrations, emptiness and issues that are destroying our friends. What an opportunity we have to be a blessing to them.

THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE: We should be more fearful of an affluent neighborhood than the downtown of a large city.

I don't want to go to the doctor today, tomorrow or...ever

It may be a male thing but I am not sure. I do know I cannot remember ever wanting to visit my local MD. I do have a couple of friends who are doctors but all I want to do with them is have coffee. What is this about? Well, they may want to examine my life up close. They may find something I think I already know but their pronouncement of it brings reality too close.

Not only do we usually not like close examinations of our medical condition but often we do not want those who do not know Jesus yet to look too closely at our life...especially during difficult times in our lives.

James 1:2-3 in the Message "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely."

You and I have the opportunity to show the world a different way of doing life. God uses these tests in our life to reveal to those who live close to us or who work with us that there is a way of living that looks very different from what they are used to. But the trick is we must respond to these situations in a way that shows we believe God is not sleeping but is in control of everything we experience. He allows some and engineers some of the things we experience.

In order for God to be visible in our life to those without Jesus however, we must be close to them. We cannot feed hungry people, clothe them or visit them from a distance. We must live close for them to examine our lives-kind of like going to a doctor.

There is a commercial I have seen about an electric company that is looking for someone in a remote area of the world and the person in this area is waiting for them. Their comment when the company finds them is "We've been waiting." The world you and I live in is also waiting for Jesus to show up in our life so they can live as God intended them to live.

Is anyone asking you and me questions about why we respond to challenging stuff in such a different way than they do?
Do we want them to ask? Are we responding differently?
What do you and I need to believe about God and his involvement in our lives that we are not presently believing?

THINK ABOUT THIS: People are starving for answers.
Faith is never tested in the Christian bubble.

I dare you to jump!

When was the last time you did something daring? The entrance and exit from Colorado highway 34 and Interstate 25 is worth avoiding if you can. It can be scary but usually you can negotiate it and breathe easy. But if this is the most daring event in your life for the week or month or...does it really qualify as daring?

Jesus was not only a teacher but he was also a revolutionary. What do you think following Jesus as a revolutionary meant while he walked the planet? How about today? The disciples were often left scratching their head as to what Jesus would do next. Maybe they breathed a sigh of relief when he just wanted to go fishing...or maybe not. Maybe danger and adventure was part of their DNA and they expected to be stretched not only in their thinking but also in their lifestyle. Remember, these guys left their vocations to follow Jesus. For the most part, we go to school or our job and then only occasionally think of what it means to follow this revolutionary man. Following Jesus like this would mean giving up consumerism, greed, self-centeredness, violence or whatever else that was not part of Jesus' lifestyle.

Think about Luke 6:46,47 (Message) "Why are you so polite with me, always saying "yes, sir" and "That's right sir", but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on."

I imagine Jesus throwing a Frisbee with the disciples on the road to wherever but in Luke 6, he takes deadly aim at our comfortable hopes of what it means to follow Jesus. Anytime he intersected the life of a person he would either make a statement or ask a question that altered that person's understanding of what was important in life and required a decision that would change their lifestyle if they bought in to what he challenged them with.

I keep thinking about what I have done lately that proves I am following this revolutionary man. I have done many daring things overseas, but I live here. Can Jesus really mean there are some daring aspects to following him in Windsor? I showed up to help lay sod at a park in Windsor...a really scary deal! I go to Loodles coffee shop and meet someone I did not previously know...maybe this is a big deal! However, I want to learn something here. I really want Jesus to introduce something into my life that takes courage on my part to do...or do I? How about a Mini?

FOCUS THOUGHT "People who change the world climb through windows rather than walking through doors. These are the risk takers." Shane Claiborne

I can't find the right station

There are times when you are looking for a certain radio station because they played a cool tune by Chris Spheeris and you have to listen to it again...but you can't find it. Most of the people you and I know are looking for a station that will bring some kind of joy or point to life but they look every day and can't find it.

Yesterday I was asked a question that should not have caught me off guard but maybe the way it was asked caused me to reply with a limited answer....WHAT DO YOU DO? It was of course asked at a coffee shop. I gave a 30 second reply that I traded stocks and that I worked with college students. When I got home I realized I gave a very incomplete answer to that question. So I determined that the next time I see this person I will give them the rest of the answer and really the MOST IMPORTANT answer.

In Proverbs 2:15 in the Message translation is a statement that describes most of the people we know. They are "...traveling paths that go nowhere, wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends." They can't find the right station.

And Jesus said one day in Matthew 9:10-13 that he was here "to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." We are surrounded by people who are outside of knowing how to figure out what life is really about. They spin the radio dial but can never find the right song. As a follower of Jesus, I know where to find the song. I can program it on my car radio so I get to the right station in a heartbeat.

The next time I see the person who asked me this question and others who are going to ask, my reply will be: People today are trying to figure out life and they usually have no clue. They try everything but it ends up disappointing, confusing or frustrating. There is another way of doing life but we must be connected to God to understand it. Most people have no idea what this means and I want to help them begin to figure this out.

The first answer was my "vocational" answer. The second answer describes the relationship Jesus wants me to have with people in my neighborhood, at the coffee shop, or in Windsor.

FOCUS THOUGHT Life after death is not on many people's minds today but life now is.

You have to drive the Mini

A Mini Cooper is a delight to look at and wonder what it would be like to take it to Estes Park, Colorado as you negotiate the turns through the canyon getting there. But they were not made to just look at. You need to test drive it and feel the car as you make a turn at 50 mph.

A believer and a follower are not the same thing. Jesus was always shutting down those who knew the right words and said they believed but who had no interest in tracking with him beyond their self developed boundaries.

Matthew 4:19 is one of those statements that once Jesus speaks it to you, you can never go back from it to where you were before he spoke it. And how do you know you are following Jesus and not just thinking he said some cool things? In this case, your perspective and lifestyle change as you begin to focus on people who do not know Jesus rather than just thinking about which restaurant you are going to for dinner.

What we believe is huge in importance but knowing how to avoid the traps in our culture and make life work as God intended is crucial. Jesus' words are not clever comments that make us curious or tickle our thinking but are intended to enable us to engage life successfully.

Following Jesus is simple, hard, dangerous and exciting. We do not have to make it complex. What we see him do, we must do, what we see him initiate, we should initiate, his perspective and thinking must be ours, how he responded to those who disagreed with him is how we should respond. We must dive into the gospels consistently in order to think like he did, love what he loved, hate what he hated and relate as he did to those not following Jesus. It is simple but hard.

John 6:51-63...These impacting words were not difficult to understand but they were difficult because the people did understand. They were simple but hard. Following Jesus changed after hearing this. He defined it now in a way that separated belief from following. Jesus was a revolutionary and was not interested in people just showing up but was committed to completely changing our whole view and way of life. Nothing short of this was acceptable.

Mind Games...This could change everything
What do you think about the difference between believing and following Jesus? In what way have you believed without really following Jesus?

Connections...I want to discuss this with...
In what ways have you seen Christian groups or churches make following Jesus too complex or easy? What impact does Jesus being a revolutionary make in the world you live in?

First Steps...Making it real
What is one adjustment you will make this week or month in order to more completely follow Jesus? In your opinion, what is a difficult statement Jesus made that causes you difficulty?

Wake me Tomorrow

Proverbs 1:1-6

These words are packed with real meaning for us. They relate to everything we do and think about. We have them so we can make sense out of life. God did not leave us in the dark without a flashlight but gives us clear understanding of how to deal with Mondays or perplexing situations that come up all the time. To live right is to live with certainty. We do not have to look back at any day or week and wonder what it was all about...but we don't have to have all the answers either.

Many people have opinions and give advise. (Proverbs 18:2) Some is helpful but not all is worth our time thinking about. When God speaks however, it is like a cramp that grabs us and we know it is real.

We can understand what life means. We can have a grasp of what is real. TV reality shows pale in comparison to what God has given us when it comes to understanding what the point is about our life. God is honest with us but sometimes we don't want to read the instructions. We think we can put the stove together without the manual...or live life as it is suppose to be lived without looking at anything written in an old book.

What does it mean to "understand"? I believe it partly means we can make sense of life, or connect with God's purpose, or to really get it or see it. Isaiah 55:8,9 mentions that God thinks and works in ways that we will not figure out. We have to get comfortable with that and realize that when he wants us to "get it" we will.

God wants us to understand "where life is going." But, for most of us, life is confusing and not clear much of the time. Because God does not change, his purposes do not change for us. We do not have to know all of the curves on the road but we can be certain of the destination. God is intentional in his commitment to us. There are no random acts of anything where God is concerned...he has thought it through. The Bible gives us that certainty.

God cares enough about us that he has made it clear in the Bible "how to live life." There are many skills we can learn in the Bible such as: How to make decisions, how to recognize dangers, how to resolve conflict, how to not live with a critical spirit, how to forgive people, and many others.
If you and I have an issue we need information on, we can be sure God has thought about it long before we have and he has answers we need.

FOCUS THOUGHT God loves us so much that he has given us insight into how to handle the unending issues life throws at us. A lot of it is written down for us or is given in an ongoing relationship with Jesus. He is a friend...we can talk with him about it.

How long do I have to run these sprints? Part 2

So, maybe you know someone who is serious about following Jesus. Maybe you are serious about it. What kind of training do they or you need to really do this in our culture? If you are the one wanting some help in running the race, who do you know who can help you? We all need someone in our life who cares about us enough to ask the hard questions and will show us how to run and not give up.

Some things we need to run this race include:
1. How to develop meaningful friendships with co-workers or neighbors.
2. How to talk about who Jesus is and how a person can know him.
3. How to begin a spiritual conversation with a person without turning them off.
4. Knowing what is true, never changes and what it means to be committed to it.
5. How to help a follower of Jesus grow as a follower and not just a believer.
6. How to help a follower of Jesus know how to get into the Bible and make applications to real life.

There are other things we need along the way and we definitely need a community of like hearted people who can help us in the race.

If you are helping someone now, remember that the focus should be on learning not teaching. Learning rarely happens outside of real life, so, much of your training should be in the market place. Indoor classrooms are comfortable but do not have enough real life oxygen to help us on the track. Videos, I Pods and speeches on" how to run" are a poor substitute for learning how to run the sprints on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.

Without training that makes sense, we may show up at the athletic field where life is lived but eventually we will just hang with others who are not showing up anymore to run sprints.

Focus Thought: We need like hearted people in our life to help us begin and keep on following Jesus.

Jeremiah 12:5

How long do I have to run these sprints?

Ephesians 4:11,12 tell us that God has given us leaders to help those following Jesus to understand how to get ready to impact their work place, neighborhoods, community clubs, towns and cities. Many people have an interest in making a difference with their life but are uncertain how to go about it. There are many moral and ethical issues facing us today and we need input on how to deal with these things.

Just as any athlete must go through training in order to compete in a challenging event, so those of us following Jesus must learn how to help our friends understand what life is about and how to wrestle with the hard questions life throws at us. Discipleship is not only getting out of the starting blocks in a race but also dealing with what happens after the first turn or the next to last lap. It is sharing life with new followers and those who have been on the track for a long time.

It is a challenge to invest time with someone when we are often separated by distance and busy schedules. We can easily become passive but discipleship requires interaction with people in real life settings. Helping people learn to follow Jesus is more effective when it is done in a context where people are connected by proximity, relationships, transparency and values. In 2 Timothy 3:10,11 Paul reminds Timothy that they were in the arena together and he saw Paul's manner of life, direction, faith, love, troubles, suffering, grief, etc. They didn't just do a Bible study on this but got dirt on them as they traveled life together.

We need leaders who will model what it means to innovate, experiment, risk, fail and begin again in living out the gospel with friends.

Our neighbors are learning how to squeak by in life by TV, the Internet and music. They are not getting their money's worth. Most of the people in these venues are not connected to Jesus and so they are communicating a very limited perspective on what is real or important in life. Think about how refreshing it would be for them to see in you and I, color in a black and white world. But we do have to learn how to hold the brush, what picture to paint, what paint to use and how to get it to stay on the canvas.

Let's not add to their conclusion that Christianity is a "harmless delusion."

Focus Thought Training is essential for those who follow Jesus. It is best carried out in real life situations because that is where people live.

Should I stop and pick this guy up?

Have you ever seen someone hitchhiking and wondered if you should stop and give them a ride? I know you have to be smart in our day but most of the time we just keep going and the guy stands there probably cussing as another car passes by. I was recently challenged in thinking about people with little or no Christian background who want a ride...or who might just be interested in a conversation about things that really matter.

In Luke 18:35-43 Jesus picks up a hitchhiker. He is blind...at first. He is yelling...for a while. He is told to shut up by people with Jesus...he ignored them and shouted louder. Jesus stopped, asked a question and gave the man something that changed him forever. Who knows what the disciples were thinking now.

Jesus could have just passed by...after all he did not heal everyone and this was an important trip.

There are many out there who might like to peek into what goes on in our Christian groups but it seems outrageously strange to them. The language is so different and they will not risk being embarrassed or accepted as they are. So they stand by the road waiting for the next person who just might stop and meet them where they are, listen to their story, treat them and their questions with respect, give them time to think, and maybe share a meal together.

In our haste to make disciples we often press for a quick decision about committing their life to Jesus for the rest of their life. But we need to provide time and space for people to understand what we are asking them to commit to. We need to allow people to check out who Jesus is and what he is about with no expectations. We need to pick them up and take them with us so they can see what being a Christian is all about. Sometimes people are ready...the blind guy was ready. But most of the time people need to be welcomed to travel with us as we learn what it means to follow Jesus.

There are many hitchhikers out there looking for solutions to life's issues. Stop and pick one up.

Focus Thought: Be alert to people God is bringing into your life, love on them and have many conversations with them...especially about following Jesus.

Tiptoeing Through Life

To walk through life stealthily or cautiously on your tiptoes. There is nothing wrong with being cautious...at times. There are times when Jesus disappeared in the crowd. But living life with those not yet following Jesus must done with complete visibility. We may not mind being real and visible with some but not necessarily with others. This is wrong. Jesus was the same with everyone. Some were encouraged and others outraged and demanded he change, leave or risk being treated as an outsider.

Galatians 2:11-14 Paul openly challenged Peter because Peter had been eating with outsiders when his religious peers were not present. When they showed up however, he stopped eating with them and began to withdraw from them. His fear of what they would think or say made him go back to where he was before the great adventure with those who had not seen Jesus in anyone's life. But it affected others who were on the team and they did the same.

Paul hammers this one. He says they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel and why should they try to get these people to become like their religious peers.

It is no different today. When you begin to live life intentionally with those not yet following Jesus there will be opposition from those who have no intention of being around outsiders except at a grocery store when they check out. You can plan on being accused of compromising or giving up the faith altogether. There are always many believers who do not plan on ever following Jesus into the marketplace of life.

We must be careful not to tiptoe into living life with people who can't figure life out but rather walk straight into it boldly. There is no other way for people to see who Jesus is if we only get our toes dirty. And forget about those who carry around religious check lists to make sure they do not cross the lines they have drawn that define following Jesus. If we walk honestly with Jesus, he will erase some of those lines and show us the ones that matter.

Focus Thought Live intentionally and courageously with those who are not yet following Jesus and forget about the labels religious people will give you.

Don't be a Tourist

In Philippians 2:5-8 are words that should challenge us to immerse ourselves with those not yet following Jesus. Jesus fleshed out what life was suppose to look like by deciding to leave the perfect environment for where we and our friends live life. In fact he got rid of his passport and became one of us. He chose to experience life as we do. It seems easy to drop into someone else's world for a day, month or whatever and leave when we want to. If it gets uncomfortable in any way we can easily decide it is time to go home. But Jesus changed addresses. His home was where we live.

We are kidding ourselves and cheating other people if we do not really enter their world. The gospel will never make sense to my friends if all I do is talk about it and leave. They will never see what I am talking about. For me this means I must consistently be with them in their environment and on their terms. I do not have to compromise to do this but I will have to alter my lifestyle.

Our comfortable environment with believers is sweet but never crosses the boundaries where life is lived for most people. We must eliminate the boundaries or those not yet following Jesus will never get to see Jesus and how he loves them.

Take some of the back streets and get off of main street. Eat at the local cafe rather than the chain. Invite someone you do not know to have lunch with you that is outside of your boundary. Just don't be a tourist. The view from the street is different from the tour bus.

Can you talk about God here?

Too often we have thought that we must get our friends into a certain location in order to discuss spiritual things. There are just some places where God is more "present" so to insure that we have a significant conversation with friends, we must move them from where they are to where we are. What does our friend think when we invite them to come with us to hear some spiritual thoughts? Maybe they are thankful we are thinking about them. Maybe they wish we would just talk with them in their apartment or the coffee shop.

Almost all of the conversations Jesus had with those who were not following him were outside of spiritual zones. Or were they? We have labeled buildings where churches or campus groups meet as spiritual zones but we must not divide the sacred from the secular. Think about the conversations Jesus had...at wells, on roads, by lakes, on hillsides, or in homes. These were not insignificant conversations but helped people understand life. This is where everyone lives life and where the gospel makes sense.

In Acts 5:42 and 17:17 followers of Jesus talked to others about Jesus. We know this but still have difficulty living this way.The spiritual zone is simply where the Holy Spirit is at work and this is not limited except by our perception of where and how God works in our world.

FOCUS THOUGHT If we are following Jesus we will talk with people where he is working and that can be anywhere.

Who has the map?

The popular tv show "Lost" is a picture of many lives or strategies for making life work. It is similar to the confusion, frustration or increasing irrelevance followers of Jesus seem to have in our culture. How do we connect the truth about Jesus with a skeptical world? Who has the map?

We can continue to do what we are doing which is easier but we need to stop and do some thinking. Most people do not show up to religious meetings that do not meet on their turf. Maybe it is because what they are hearing does not make sense to them or does not connect with what they do and experience in the daily grind of life.

If followers of Jesus are the "salt of the earth" why is there no distinct influence where we work, play or in our neighborhoods? Most people do not like change and that is what it will take for a follower of Jesus to make a difference where they live.
Because we gravitate towards comfort or security we do not venture out to the edge of the cliff much less consider jumping. The view may be amazing or thought provoking but the TV seems a safer place.

Lets take a walk on some paths or in some parts of town we have never been before. We might meet Jesus there as we meet people whose perspective is different than ours...or we can just change the channel.