risky not reckless

Our discussion last night was on "why we're afraid of the rapture?" - an issue I myself have a hard time swallowing. Three main reasons we may avoid this topic or assume the ever so mature hands over ears pose, chanting "I can't hear you!!" is because:
1. priorities (we want to get married, have kids, land the perfect job, etc.)
2. regrets (we play the "I wish I would have ______" game)
3. assurance ("Am I really ok with Jesus?" - since this is a one time deal unless you want to go through the Tribulation and that's another discussion)

When it comes to eternity, it can be a scary thing. Maybe we feel there's that one sin that will keep us out. Maybe we feel we aren't close enough to Jesus because otherwise, why would we be scared? Do we want to stand before Him, wishing we'd used our talents but were scared of failure? So are we afraid of disappointing Jesus? Instead of focusing so much on the here and now, we need to strive to be successful in our walk with God instead of solely in our work. We're scared because we don't know how truly awesome heaven is so we cling to this earth and what we know (as my hand slips up in agreement). Comprehending forever is hard because we're not made to understand it.

But while some eagerly look forward to the shedding of this skin and beginning forever, we have to avoid the trap of becoming complacent in this life and giving up living. We also have to realize there's nothing we can do to earn heaven. We can't read our Bible for hours upon hours or give more money in order to secure a spot in heaven. By having that attitude, it's as though we're attempting to climb on the cross and hang (not in the "hanging out" sense but literally - just wanted to clarify) with Jesus, suffering with Him.

So what if we knew when the event that's been spoken of since Jesus ascended into heaven was? What if the day was clearly marked on the calendar, as Christmas or the first day of fall (which I'm eagerly looking forward to)? We'd live so risky it doesn't matter anymore because we wouldn't be afraid of dying. And not risky in the sense of reckless but risky as in bold - bold in our faith, bold in our life. Hmmm, that's something to think about...

And to end on a lighter note, the question was asked, "what do you wonder about heaven?"
- will I be surrounded by people I know in the Rapture or strangers?
- is there a line to meet Jesus or will He simply show up at your mansion?
- what language will we speak?
- will we have to wear our crowns all the time?

Water

I have three bottles of water in my car. They're all practically full; only a few gulps are missing from each. I tend to collect them in car after working, singing, or exercising, planning to drink them on a hot day.

I also have several juice drinks on my desk at work. I buy a new one for lunch everyday. I sip on them until they're about half-empty, and then set them aside as I leave for the day, not bothering to either refrigerate or pour them out. I'm just sure I'm saving them for a special occasion.

What am I doing with all these drinks? I really have no idea. But I'm definitely rethinking my habits. At Kynetic tonight we gave out water -- not just handing out cups to people close by, but lugging cases of water from a U-Haul truck into the Knox Area Rescue Ministries building. It's been extremely hot the past few weeks, and the mission has been running low on water as it tries to care of the homeless and needy in our downtown area. Xtreme Student Ministries decided to help, because we really want to live like Jesus instead of just talking about Him. Between our youth, college students, and team workers we gathered approximately 8,000 bottles of water in 35-pack cases onto a U-Haul truck.

This evening Kynetic unloaded that truck at KARM. We formed a line (or a line and a half) up the ramp from the truck to the side door of the building, and for 30 minutes passed case after case of water down the line to stack them inside. It was exhausting, and fun, and by the time the last case was put away I felt like I had sweated enough for a bottle of water or two myself. But it was a good feeling. Not because I had done anything special, but because it helped me realize some of the not-so-special things I needed to pay attention to -- like the water rolling around on the floorboards of my car.

I want to live like Jesus. I want to care about what He cares about. And for a few moments this evening, I really felt I was putting aside my own discomfort (and the streams of sweat running down my face) and doing what Matthew 6:31-33 says -- paying attention to the Kingdom of God, the kind of kingdom God wants on this earth. And paying attention for those moments highlighted some other moments when I haven't been paying attention, when I've been taking for granted they ways that God has added "all these things" to my life.

Basically, tonight was a reminder (at least to me) to pay more attention to the kingdom. Not in the sense that "starving children in Africa" can use the partially-empty bottles of juice and water I have as keepsakes in my life. Rather, it's a reminder of what the kingdom of God is really about -- the community and relationship of people, not the individual. It's about the breath of life; breathing in what God has given and breathing it back out onto those around me. It's not just about drinking in the water God's given us, but also about pouring it out (or hauling it out) for those of us who need the love of God as well.

-- Alicia

Slave (No More)

Slave -- a person legally owned by another; a person under dominion of another

Before our new lives in Christ, each one of us was bound to sin -- enslaved to it, held prisoner by it. But once we turned out lives over to Christ, he set us free from sin and its slavery and imprisonment.

But are we acting like we're free?

Stockholm Syndrome is a condition in which people who have been imprisoned for so long come to see their captors as the ones are actually taking care of them, and become afraid to break free from the ones that are holding them -- afraid that life outside the prison is worse than the captivity they've been living in. Is that how we're treating our old lives of sin?

Romans 6:1, 12 reminds us that God granted us forgiveness not so that we could keep sinning but so we could have the power to move out from the continual sin into true freedom from it. Sin sometimes seems so easy and naturally that we can get lulled into thinking that that's just the way it is -- a part of life, and we have no choice but to fall back into it as a part of life. But that's simply not true. Sin is imprisonment from life; it may look like a nice hotel, a safe haven from life's harsh realities, allowing us to focus on something other than reality and get something other than real consequences -- but it's not. It's the "virtual" bliss that drains us and pulls us away from what really sustains us: the life of Christ.

Are we continuing to submit to sin, even though it's not our master anymore? Are we reacting to sin like Pavlov's dog -- involuntarily responding to its call, unaware of the hold we continue to allow it to have? Or have we broken through our conditioning to fall back into the ways of our old selves? We have to break the cycle of constantly needing to be set free from "the sins which so easily beset us" (Hebrews 12:1).

Jesus didn't just set us free, He made us free (John 8:32). It's not like he broke us out like slaves running from their masters; He came and legally made us a free people. There's no need to run in fear of having to submit again. We need to remember who we are; the free people that we are. Be like Kunta Kinte (and if you haven't seen the miniseries Roots, go find it, because you need to); no matter what name the devil tried to give to you (bound, unforgiven, weak, unable-to-change), remember that God is the One with your real name. What He calls you (Son/Daughter, king, priest, heir) is what you are.
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What things have you been a slave to, knowingly or unknowingly?

What "silent killer" prisons have you mistaken for safe havens?

How do you break the cycle of constantly falling back into the things you have been freed from?

Robin Hood vs. The Rich: Whose Side Is God On?

Society loves the idea of Robin Hood -- stealing from the rich, giving to the poor. The poor need it more, right? The rich deserve to be less rich, right? God certainly approve of that scenario, right? Right?

Maybe not.

It could be because we all "know" that God's in favor of giving to the poor, but we seem to be glossing over the "stealing from the rich" part as a means to an end. Since when was God in favor of stealing, just because someone was in need? It's not really giving if the person to whom it belonged to didn't actually offer it up. And the heart of the giver is just as important to God as the "giving" itself. That's why God asks for things to be given, instead of demanding or taking away with no choice.

So yes, God may ask the rich to give up their riches for the sake of the poor. But if you look in the Bible, Jesus was asking the rich to the give up the wealth that they were clinging to. In the same way, those who cling to their status, whether it's status as rich person or a "virtuous" poor person, are going to be asked by God to give up the status that they are clinging to. The point is not to force someone to show (or accept) "charity", but to give even that which we think we're "right" about over to God and let it be "right" how He sees fit.

Yes, God will call those who seem to have a lot to act out in faith (the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22 comes to mind), but He will also call those who seem to have nothing at all to act out in faith as well. Look at the man that Jesus met at the pool at Bethesda (John 5:1-8). He'd been laying around for years waiting for someone to move on his behalf, and Jesus simply ordered him to move himself! But by giving up his status as one who'd been "waiting on God" for a long long time, he was able to actually use his faith to get what he'd been waiting on.

Playing second fiddle, or "the pious broken person" because it seems more spiritual is in fact just the opposite -- prideful and selfish. And it hinders us from being able to help others to stop clinging to the things that God is asking them to give up. It's like allowing a drowning person to pull you under the surface in your attempt to rescue them; at that point you're both clinging to the wrong thing.

If we as the Church would give like we really believe God wants the Church to give to those without homes or families (Psalm 146:9; Jeremiah 22:3) -- that includes physically or spiritually -- then there would not be the need that the world sees and determines to eliminate by unjustly forcing those who have earned more out of the goods they have earned. If we truly believed that we are blessed to bless others (by giving our blessings to them) and that is how we continue to be blessed ourselves, then we would have no problem giving to the needs we see -- we know that is our blessing, not a curse forced upon us.

Now none of this is to say that you can't have things that others don't have. The point is not to hold to them over the voice of God, no matter virtuous those things might seem, and also not to hold what others have over their heads if they don't let go of it like you do. We've talked before about holding the people around us to our expectations. Our expectations are not God's expectations, for ourselves or for other people. As long as we're listening and doing what God says He wants us to do, we can rest assured that God will them what He wants them to do. And then it's up to them to do it, not up to us to make them do what we think God wants them to do. We're not called to be Robin Hood for society.

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What are you clinging to?

How do we change our "Robin Hood" mindset?

Leaning In

Say you have crabs.... in a bucket. If one those snappy crustaceans gets the idea to climb out of said bucket and starts working its way towards the rim, you'd think the other crabs would join in make it a team effort, right?

Wrong. If they're not getting out, nobody is. The rest of the crabs will surround the first one and try to pull him back in.
And that's how it is sometimes when you're ready to make a break for your dreams. You have the talent, or knowledge, or knowledge of the talent that God has given you -- your genius. You've made the decision to go for it. But in society everyone wants to be on equal ground, and a lot of times people will try to force you to stay on that ground -- subtly or unsubtly, consciously or unconsciously -- so it won't seem like you're better than they are. Your circle of friends, peer, and even family, will either steal your genius (the talent or knowledge or knowledge of talent that God's given you) or push you toward it.
Sometimes it's with the best of intentions that those close to you try to keep you down. A study was done on a group of monkeys by placing them in a cage that had a pole in the middle, and an apple at the top of the pole. Every time a monkey tried to climb the pole to the apple, water would be squirted into the cage until it stopped trying. Eventually a new monkey was introduced to the group, and eventually that monkey went for the apple. But the other monkeys had been conditioned to expect something bad, and physically stopped the new monkey from going for the apple. It wasn't so much that they were jealous of the monkey getting the apple as it was they were fearful of the water that they had been getting instead.
But you, in order to discover your genius and develop it, have to fight off the monkeys and crabs that would hold you back. You have to look past those who intimidate you and those you don't want to disappoint or offend. You have to stop asking, "What will they say?" and start asking "What do I say?" You have to start somewhere. Even if on the surface of your daily routine it doesn't seem like there's anything different, when you start doing even little things to focus on your genius, it starts to build.
That is what leaning into your genius is about. Sometimes it isn't obvious; but sometimes it is. It's about doing whatever you can do right now to start getting somewhere. Leaning in is pressing forward; it's realizing that you can't back down from the spot you've put yourself in. It's forward or bust. Which is why you have to lean into God, and what He says, rather than what anybody else says. Yes, God can and does speak to you through people, but He also speaks to you through you. And this is about your genius, not someone else's.
God can see what no one else can, so He can tell you how to lean in that brings success that no one else is expecting. Look at Noah; he leaned into God's genius for him, which was to build a boat. A big one. In anticipation of rain that had never happened in the entire history of the earth. It took him 120 years, but he continued to lean in despite the words of those around him. And in the end those around him who wanted to hold him back from building his genius boat -- their words died on their lips (along with the rest of them). That's how it works: the realization of your genius will shut up the mouths of the naysayers.

So find your next "lean" -- the next step toward what you dream about. And lean in. Who care's what "they" say?


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What is your genius?

Who is your "they"?

What is your next lean?

Overcoming Adversity

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? -- Isaiah 40:27

"Weariness" means to be exhausted, without will, no longer caring what happens. Weariness has to do with our perception of God. When we lose patience with God, we lose our faith in Him and give up on what we want to have or to have happen.

In the book Switch: How to Change Things when Change Is Hard the authors use the analogy of "the rider and the elephant" to illustrate the battle between knowing we need to change and actually having the desire/will to change. Weariness happens when you as the rider have to battle against your own will (the elephant) while trying to make something happen. It's an exhausting fight to take upon yourself.

It, as always, comes back to trust in God. As long as we trust in Him, we're not fighting Him to trying to force what we want. We get so weary trying to fight and overcome the storm instead of resting in the eye of the storm. Sometimes we have to start with focusing on believing in God, whether that's through speaking His words or following His actions, or whatever other guidance He gives. It calls for learning to be willing to accept the simple answer of faith -- the burden-lifting answer in Jesus over trying to shoulder the problem alone.

So how do you overcome weariness?

• Confess you're weak and helpless.
• Confess the Word of trust in God.
• Actively rest in Him.

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How do we actually/actively trust God?
How is focusing on trusting God less stressful than focusing on the storm in front of us?
What practical ways can we focus on God?

Exits

We've previously talked about being okay where you are while you're waiting for the next phase of your life/job/relationship to open up. And we talked about handling disappointment and being patient while those areas are opening up. But how do you handle things when those doors are finally open and you're ready to move on to the next phase of your life? How do you exit your current situation?

There are two ways that you can leave when you're ready:

1. Sneaking out the back, leaving any mess you've created behind for others to deal with, or
2. Bow out visibly and gracefully, to the applause of those who have been around you.

In Genesis, Joseph had several opportunities to decide how he would bow out as he went through the phases of life that lead him from being the young brother in his father's camp to the second in command under Pharaoh, fulfilling the dreams he'd had as a child. At every turn he chose to live as if he was the person of his dreams, not as if his current circumstances were all he'd ever amount to. When he was sold into slavery he didn't act like a slave, and rose to being treated as a leader in Potiphar's house. When Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him, he acted with integrity and didn't resign himself to taking advantage of his current lot in life. When he was thrown in prison he didn't mope and rail against his unjust incarceration, but instead focused on what he could do and rose to being treated as a leader in the jail, and eventually brought before Pharaoh for his wisdom and leadership.

Joseph could have thumbed his nose at every turn of events, but instead he left each previous situation with as much integrity and goodwill as possible, even when the circumstances were unsalvageable. Leaving well is about valuing the relationship above the situation. Sometimes that calls for forgiving people who are not sorry for their actions. Joseph had to do that time and again when people betrayed him. He forgave his brothers for selling him away from his home, even though he had ample opportunity to be bitter against them during the many years before he saw them again. And that lack of bitterness opened the doors necessary for Joseph to not only fulfill his dreams but save all of their lives in the process.

Maybe you haven't been sold away from your family or accused of a crime you didn't commit. Maybe you're just contending with a difficult job or an overbearing relationship. Regardless, "how you go out is how you come in." Kissing off a previous situation doesn't mean that mental state won't follow you into your new situation. And you never know when you'll cross paths with that seemingly over-and-done-with part of your life, physically or otherwise. So take care how you exit. How you leave determines whether people are applauding or simply appalled.

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What are some times when you've left a situation well? Or not so well?

How to Handle Disappointment

It's easy to get disappointed in those around us or even ourselves. The gap between expectation and reality is where disappointment & despair lies. But who set those appointments in the first place? Are the expectations that we haven't met God's? Or ours? The grief and guilt that comes with disappointment can cause despair and despondency, especially when we're disappointed in something that God has not appointed us to.

There's also this false sense of solitude that happens when we think we're missing out. You have to remember that you're not alone in any of the disappointments of life; there's always someone else that's gone through or is going through your situation. So many of the things that disappoint us, when we get down to it, are the same things that disappoint others. But feeling cut off allows you to think you're the only one left and the burden is solely on you to deal.

As so many of our discussions go, it all comes back to trusting that God knows the ins and outs of your disappointing situation more than you ever could, and that he'll take you through and over it. You can't get what you don't ask for from God, so you have to keep in contact with Him and let Him know what's in your heart. But He will also not give you what you're not prepared for. Just thinking you're ready doesn't make you ready. The good news is He's the one that will prepare you so that you can get what you've asked for. So you have to ask for it ("it" being whatever you're hoping for/expecting in your life), trust Him to bring it to you, and allow Him to prepare you, keeping in the forefront of your mind that you do trust Him to prepare you for the answer to your request. It's not that complicated, it just requires living it out daily for (literally) God-only-knows how long.

Also, remember that your expectations in others are just that: yours. Trying to force their lives to meet expectations (which are usually for your benefit, not theirs), is not your job. It's God's job to ensure that other people meet His expectations.

So, you may not control how long you have to wait; just how well you do it. And how well you wait is how well you handle disappointments in the relentless pursuit of Godly expectations.

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What are some ways that you deal (or have dealt) with disappointment?

One way to push past disappointment is to remember your dreams. What is it that you dream of or think you are supposed to do?

It's OK to Be OK

In our society, we think we need to have everything figure out from the beginning. As children we were constantly asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. In high school we're asked to decide early on what college to go to. In college we're constantly pressured about our major. Upon deciding a major we have to determine what job we'll have upon graduation. We're expected to know if and who we want to marry, and even the number of kids to have, practically before we've really moved away from our parents. And it's all supposed to turn out perfectly. As a result, our generation is laser-focused on completing the greatest accomplishments as immediately as possible. We're obsessed with success -- but what determines success?

Paul talks about being content in whatever state he's in. Philippians 4:11-12 says, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." The issue is not accomplishments, but contentment.

Think about it. How are we supposed to get to wherever we think we need to go, without being able to handle where we are right now? In the same way that we learn responsibility in the small things before moving on to bigger tasks, we have to learn contentment in smaller circumstances before we can expect to have it in greater situations. Contentment is what will keep us from being crushed when things to turn out quite how we expect. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God has a plan -- a good plan -- for each of us. Allowing God to work His plans in our lives is better than trying to have our own plans forced intro fruition, or giving up on plans altogether. There's a fine line between contentment and complacency. Contentment is being willing to move in God's plan instead of your own. Complacency is not caring to move at all.

So when we determine to take matters into our own hands, either through moving apart from God or not moving at all, we have no chance to be content in Him. The only reason there is discontentment is because there is distrust. We try to force the issues that we're unhappy about, we don't allow Him to complete His plan in His time. Remember, God doesn't just have a plan for us -- He has a prosperous plan, with a future and hope. Trusting Him is recognizing that our plans for us could never be as great as His plans for us, and the only way to get His plan is to let Him accomplish it through us. Philippians 1:6 says that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion." It's not our job to finish what God started. We couldn't do it ourselves anyway.

It's okay to be who you are right now. As long as you trust God to lead you into His perfect plan, then no matter where you are or what you attempt, you can be content that His perfect plan is exactly where you'll end up.

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What state are you in right now? Are you content?

What is stopping you from being content?

What areas in your life do you not trust God with?

Whatever your number one issue is, begin today to actively trust God with that issue.

New Website (And More) Coming Up!

Hey Everybody!

Kynetic is kicking off its new format, and we're kicking off a new website to go along with it! We'll be unveiling some new features over the next few of weeks, including:

• Facebook pages and activities

• Twitter updates (and fun prizes and contests for our followers!)

• Audio blogs of our services

• Service-related videos

• And more!

So stayed tuned and get ready to get interactive -- 'cause we're just getting started!

The Motions

We got a treat this past Tuesday as Elizabeth lead out discussion. Topic: worship. Our most recently worship night was very powerful, but it didn't start out that way. There was a complete difference from the beginning of the service, with mostly everyone raising their hands or singing, but not really paying any attention to the One they were singing to, and the latter part of the service, when people really decided to focus on God and not just go through the motions. The result at the end? Healing, deliverance, and changed lives.

Really, what is the point of just going through the motions? It wastes the precious time we have on this earth to do what God has called us to. He doesn't get anything out of fake praise, and neither do we. Elizabeth listed nine benefits of real, true worship:

1. It's what we are created to do. (See I Peter 2:9 and Luke 19:40)
2. God deserves our praise and worship. (Just think of all the things He's done!)
   
3. It pleases God and expresses our love towards HIm. (Wouldn't praise and worship to you make you happy?)
4. It takes the focus off of us. (Think about the worship song, "From the Inside Out": "The are of losing myself in bringing you praise." That's just how it should be.)
5. It serves as a reminder of how valuable we are to Him. (See Hebrews 4:16)
6. God wants what we have to offer. (He loves to see us, no matter what.)
7. It frightens the devil. (More and more people doing it, coming together, building off of each other, just like Matthew 18:20, "when two or more are gathered in My name"...) (Also see Psalm 8:2)
8. God inhabits our praises. (Again, Matthew 18:20, and also Psalm 37:4)
9. Worship gives us strength. (See Nehemiah 8:10 and Psalm 16:11)

So, knowing all these benefits (and considering that there are so many more not listed), what are the real motions of worship? According to John 4:24, we should worship:

• In spirit -- the act of worship from our rationial consciousness (meaning check your motivations for your actions in worship), and
  
• In truth -- consistent with the rest of our lives (It's not just one or two days of the week, it's 24/7).

People get the wrong idea that it's worship only when we lift our hands and sing songs in church. It's more than that -- it 's giving thanks to Him for the things He's done in your life, big or small. It's filling your mind with God-kind of things. (Not being overly-spiritual; see Philippians 4:8 for some good examples.) These are things you can do all the time, worshipping in truth. But we also have to make a conscious decision to focus in on God (worshipping in spirit). Sometimes it's not easy; we tend to think about everything from when/how to raise/lower our hands or rest our arms to when the people around us are or are not worshipping. But preparing ourselves ahead of time to enter into the worship that's happening really helps us to focus on the important things -- God, the great things he has done for us, is doing in us, and has already completed for and through us in the future.

Leaving Money on the Table

What would you do if you planned and bought presents for a child -- dozens and dozens of presents -- for Christmas, only to have that child unwrap only half the gifts, and then take those and walk away? What if that child went back to the things it had previously, forgetting or ignoring the unwrapped presents, and even the rest of the presents still waiting to be unwrapped?

What if you left a generous tip for a server at a restaurant, and they saw it on the table after you left, but neglected to pick it up when the table was cleared?

Not taking the full advantages of the promises God has laid out for us in His Word has the same affect. God has so many wonderful things for us -- plans for us to "have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (John 10:10 AMP) There are so many blessings that we don't get to take part in just because we don't know they are available to us, and many more that we know about but don't enact in our lives personally. Identifying the promises is not enough. Unwrapping your present is not enough. You have to use it!

Dayton showed us one of his favorite verses, Proverbs 10:22 -- "The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." (ESV). He broke it down using the Strong's concordance to show that:
-- "blessing" is being solidly inside the state of being blessed,
-- "making rich" is giving the ability to accumulate, or build prosperity, and
-- "sorrow" is grievous or painful toil, otherwise known as "work" or "labor" (like the phrase "labor intensive").
"Being solidly inside the state of being blessed of the Lord gives you the ability to accumulate prosperity, and He adds no painful labor with it." How's that for an awesome promise?

Kevin likened God to a stock broker. When you have your own broker, you do your job, or what you've been called to do, and you trust your broker to take care of your finances, investments, retirement -- everything. When you let your broker take care of those things, you can focus on your calling, enjoy your free time, and relax. But when you do allow him to make those decisions in your best interest, you make his purpose nonexistence in your life, and you make your life more difficult and less enjoyable.

What are those things that you've left on the table of what God has for you? Are you allowing Him to be the stock broker of your life? Or are you override His plans and adding "painful work" to the blessings He wants for you?

NOISE

We watched a video at Kynetic this past Tuesday. It's a really great Rob Bell/Nooma video called "Noise". The narrative was displayed on the screen in complete silence. It really made us all think about how uneasy silence can be to deal with, but also how much we really need it. It's dealing So, for those of you who didn't get to see it, and those who did and just want to remember, here is the thought-provoking concept of "Noise":

Why is silence so hard to deal with?

183 million people are regularly exposed to noise levels labeled as excessive by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Do you have a cell phone?

A pager?

Voice-mail?

Do you have a cell phone with voice-mail and e-mail?

Do you have a TV?

More than one TV?

Do you have a radio on all day?

On at work, in the car, at home?

Is there such a thing as visual noise?

Do you wish there were more billboards along the roads you drive?

Do we have enough strip malls yet?

Do you feel like God is distant?

Do you wish God's voice would be louder in your life?

Is there a connection between the amount of noise in our live and our inability to hear God?

SUV's and minivans now come with separate CD and DVD systems for the back seats.

You can buy wired clothing now. Coats and jackets equipped with cell phones and MP3 players.

Try this.

Make yourself comfortable in your chair and begin breathing slowly as you read.

Then Moses and the priests, who are Levites, said to all Israel, "Be silent, Oh Israel, and listen!"
_Deuteronomy 27:9

Search your hearts and be silent.
_Psalm 4:4

But the Lord is in His holy temple: Let all the earth be silent before Him.
_Habakkuk 2:20

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.
_Jesus in Matthew 11

If I am not still, and if I don't listen, how is Jesus going to give me rest?

Have you spent the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you have spent in silence, listening to what God might have to say?

Why is talking so much easier than listening?

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
_Luke 5:16

These were regular disciplines Jesus had.
Silence. Solitude.

When was the last time you were in a solitary place?

What is it about silence that is so difficult?

Why is it easier to surround myself with noise and keep moving than to stop, be silent and listen?

How much noise do I voluntarily subject myself to?

Does my schedule, my time, my life look like that of a person who want to hear God's voice?

Maybe the healing and guidance we desperately need is not going to come from one more meeting or therapy session

or sermon or self-help book

but from simply listening for the voice of God.

Do you really believe that God's voice is more interesting than the voices around you?

Is it possible that you have been searching for God in the winds,

the earthquakes and fires

and He is waiting to speak to you in the silence?

Two-Face

So Tuesday we took a break from our traditional discussion to complete personality profiles. Through the exercise, we found out about not only our own personality but everyone else’s as well. I think we can all agree that it was slightly more difficult choosing our weaknesses than strengths; Dayton extended the invitation to several to offer to fill out the ‘weakness’ section for some us if we were completely stumped. It was interesting to see what combinations of the four personality types we all exhibit: popular sanguine, powerful choleric, peaceful phlegmatic and perfect melancholy.

All of us were able to identify with at least two personalities types. This is because usually one (the higher score) is your dominant personality and the lower number is a secondary personality. None of us are a “pure” temperament; we all have traces of more than one personality type. By understanding that and not just saying we’re strictly Sanguine, for example, we can gain a better glimpse of what makes us…us.

Just to recap the different personalities:
Popular Sanguine – “Let’s do it the fun way!”
- Strengths: appealing personality, good sense of humor, good on stage, and doesn’t hold grudges.
- Weaknesses: compulsive talker, exaggerates and elaborates, hates to be alone, and makes excuses.
- Best at making initial contact with people, creating enthusiasm and excitement, encouraging and uplifting others, and ensuring the group has fun.
- Possible careers include salesmen, receptionists or any other “front line” people.

Powerful Choleric – “Let’s do it my way!”
- Strengths: born leader, must correct wrongs, not easily discouraged, and sees the whole picture.
- Weaknesses: bossy, impatient, dominates others, and demanding of others.
- Best at motivating people to action, controlling the plans and productivity, giving quick and clear instruction, and making sure the group sees the immediate gain.
- Possible careers include CEO’s, directors and managers.

Peaceful Phlegmatic – “Let’s do it the right way!”
- Strengths: easygoing and relaxed, quiet but witty, good under pressure, and easy to get along with.
- Weaknesses: unenthusiastic, avoids responsibility, not goal-oriented, and judges others.
- Best at making sure the group is relaxed and comfortable, always finding a middle ground, staying calm and functional under chaos, and not overreacting to a negative situation.
- Possible careers include artists, musicians, writers, accountants and engineers.

Perfect Melancholy – “Let’s do it the easy way!”
-Strengths: deep and thoughtful, self-sacrificing, schedule-oriented, and can solve others’ problems.
- Weaknesses: low self-image, lives through others, holds back affection, and skeptical of compliments.
- Best at planning and explaining the details, keeping the financial records straight, being sensitive to the needs of others, and making sure the group sees the long-range goal.
- Possible careers include negotiators, ambassadors or customer service.

If you missed the meeting, go to
http://www.mychristiansite.com/personal/heavenly_whispers/Personality_Test.html to take the test.

Was anyone surprised with their results? Not surprised? Please share your thoughts!!

The Water's Dried - Get Out!

Welcome to 2009, Kynetic! We're looking forward to our best year yet!

Okay, so this past Tuesday was the first Kynetic meeting of the year, and we got the year started by talking about what we want to have accomplished by the end of the year. That's right -- Tuesday's topic was Goals! We talked a little bit about the goals of Kynetic, but we talked a lot about why it's good for each of us to have inidividual goals, and how we can set those goals.

Dayton took us to Genesis 8:13 to point out an interesting note. After the Flood, after all the time that Noah had to wait for the water covering the earth to recede, the Bible says that "in the first month, on the first of the month, the water was dried up from the earth."(NASV) Now, we may not be on the same year schedule as Noah was, but still, for us, this coincides with the beginning of the year. It was a new beginning for Noah, and it can be for us as well. But we have to look up and look out to see what could be before us. Just like we're supposed to do when we're driving, or riding a bike, or walking even -- our outlook determines our direction. If we want to move forward in our lives we have to look up and look out, not just at our feet. We can look directly in front of us for our next step, or out further down the road, or off into the horizon. But how far we look is how far we plan to go -- and it's how our goals are determined. There are short-term goals for immediate progress, medium-range goals for progress down the road, and long-term goals for the achievements of our lives. We know God's ultimate plan for us on earth; as John 10:10 states, Jesus "came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."(Amplified) But we have to act on that promise personally for it to have any effect for us personally.

That's where writing down our goals comes into play. Writing things down makes it real; it begins to bring things into reality. Having a goal in your head is not nearly as concrete as having it written down outside your head. Obviously there are different ways to do that, including using a vision sheet to capture your goals as habits, or focusing on addressing your goals on a quarterly basis, or writing your top goals on a daily basis to ingrain them in your mind. (Some of these ideas -- and more -- were covered in our goals discussion last year.) Dayton remind us to be specific with our goals. They need to be measurable, so you can see your progress. Abstract thoughts to do equal goals, and achieving them is much more difficult because there's no clear plan for accomplishing them. But one of the most important things is to write your goals as though you are doing them, not as though you just want or plan to do them. It goes to back to the words you're putting in your mouth -- you respond internally to "I AM" or "I DO" in ways that you don't to "I want" or "I hope".

Whew! We're off to a good start at Kynetic this year! How about a goal to keep the discussion going by posting your thoughts below?

Life Lessons in Los Angeles (Part Two)

Ok, so I’m super pumped to not only comment on the blog but to also help write it! (just a side note, Alicia and I both have our own blogs if you ever have some time down and are in need of inspiration and reflection; Alicia’s is http://anotherjoy.wordpress.com/ and mine is http://www.foodforthoughtwithasideoflaughter.blogspot.com/ – ok, commercial over) As Alicia said, L.A. was awesome. The trip was surreal for me – though we were most definitely not in Knoxville anymore it still didn’t feel like we were in L.A. either. So much happened during the course of one week that I don’t think I’ve been able to process it all. We did so much – from sightseeing to serving – and it’s a lot to take in. Even though Alicia and I shared for about an hour Tuesday night, there is so much more we didn’t say.

For me, the trip was a time of breaking out of my ordinary and doing things I wouldn’t normally do. I wanted to really make the most of this trip because we were only there for a week so why not go crazy (but in a good way)? Before leaving for the trip, I had so much going on and was at the point where I felt so bogged down and tired. I was successfully able to leave all of that behind in Knoxville as we headed to Nashville in order to catch a plane to L.A. Our second night there, we ate at this cute Italian restaurant (how we got there is a story in itself) and Rachel asked all of us two things: why are you here and what do you want out of this trip? For me, I wanted to go because I realized I needed to refocus my priorities and shift my attention back to God and not on everything else vying for my attention. That week was a really good time to focus on God since we didn’t have the distractions that we have here (we didn’t have a tv to watch or homework we were avoiding or a job tugging on us – we could solely focus on our purpose for the trip). What I wanted out of the trip was to continue in the process of becoming who God wants me to be. I was reading just last night in Jeremiah about how a potter will take a piece of clay to mold it but will sometimes have to re-mold it if there are lumps in it. I feel like L.A. and camp were both opportunities for God to work out any “lumps” I may have – it was a time where all the things I had once thought were important were suddenly stripped away and it was just me and God.

I think we mentioned it the other night, but the worship and teaching were probably two of my favorite things. We were able to witness and participate in such unashamed worship and hear some really good teaching. The youth pastor spoke on Saturday night about David and how his life really began at the point of Saul’s failure. Sunday morning Matthew Barnett spoke on “You Are What You Think” and how we’re only limited by our thinking. Tuesday night all the girls went to church for a girls’ only service to hear Patricia Heaton and then on Thursday night, we heard from Ken Hart who spoke on “When Your Dreams Get Stuck.”

Even though I’ve been rambling on and on, I still don’t feel like I’ve said anything that can fully portray what we experienced. It was something I want to always keep with me and not forget. I will probably always remember the freakishly tall Australians (please don’t be offended if you read this girls – just stating a fact), Cody (who said to remember his name by thinking of Odie), or Bernice (who made us all laugh when she talked about adding nuts to her brownies). I want to end by sharing something Matthew Barnett said on Sunday morning that has stuck with me. He said, “Nothing in the Bible is realistic; it challenges a non-realistic lifestyle. Things like not compromising and doing the impossible are what God tells us in the Bible. We need to be obsessed with what God tells us to think about. Our thoughts can propel us or paralyze us. Whatever you are right now, if you don’t change, you’ll become more of if you don’t change.”

Life Lessons in Los Angeles (Part One)

We took a break from our end-times miniseries to talk about the missions trip to Los Angeles that Amber and I went on the week before with some of the Xtreme Youth kids. So we have a treat on the blog this week -- both Amber and I are going to post some thought about the trip! I'll go first. :-)

So, this trip was amazing! It's hard to describe what all happened, and to just give you the facts leaves out the emotion and the spiritual aspects! The Dream Center in L.A. has so many outreaches to help the homeless, helpless, and hurting in Los Angeles; I can't begin to describe them all here, so I'll just direct you to their website -- www.dreamcenter.org. We worked with several of those ministries throughout the week -- from one of the food banks to handing out food to the homeless at Skid Row, to playing with kids during an outdoor miniservice -- but I think what stood out to me the most on this trip was the level of energy that the Dream Center people have for all the different ministries that take place there, and the resulting energy that our group felt and exhibited as we worked with them.

We definitely learned alot about having energy for life from these people. It didn't matter what we were doing, these people really cared about making a difference. And the attitude was infectious. It didn't matter what we were doing, our group really got into it. From walking among the crowds of homeless at Skid Row, chatting and handing out water, to playing tag with children from an inner city school, to even balancing against a window ledge to wash windows on the 5th floor of the Dream Center, I watched out teens step up time and again to the task with a servant's heart. It was so great to get to watch them do things they'd never done before, and watch the growth that stemmed from that.

Even in our fun times (and we definitely took time out to have fun in L.A.), I still got to enjoy seeing different sides of everyone in the group. We enjoyed everything from hour-long line at Pinks to the randomness of the Santa Monica peer, from unexpected waves at Santa Monica beach to star status at Disneyland, from the shopping at Forever 21 (yay!) to the vision of Jupiter via the giant telescope at the Observatory, from bad accents during Dream Center phone calls to silly voices... pretty much throughout the week. I watched our group become crazier and funnier as the week went on, but as the insanity grew, so the did the laughter, and the teens themselves, and us as leaders. We all learned more about each other in ways you just don't get from a regular few hours a week.

That may seem like a short but comprehensive description about the trip, but it honestly doesn't even scratch the surface. It's definitely not something I want to gloss over. I want to remember it for a long time, and I want the great things I learned to stick we and influence my actions. Who says you have to leave the country to find concepts for ministry in Knoxville? Sometimes new vision is closer than you think. Even in Los Angeles.

As We Know It

So, we continued our discussion on "end times" this past Tuesday. We did something slightly different: we had a chance to bring up questions/topics on end times and we discussed what we know and don't know about those topics, with Kevin (mostly) leading the discussion. It was pretty interesting!

We delved into a lot of different thoughts (you know how easily one conversation spins off into four or five within the group), so I'll just cover a few things here:

• Where in the Bible is the Rapture described? When does it happen / when does Jesus return?
• Kevin explained that the word "rapture" is not actually in the Bible: what we think of as the rapture is usually referred to as the "catching away" of the saints (see 1 Thessalonians 4 - and if necessary, see a dictionary on how to pronounce "Thessalonians). This happens before the beginning of the Tribulation. God actually set a precedent showing that he removes his people from harms way before dealing with the world (ex. Noah being safely in the ark before the flood, Lot being safely out of Sodom and Gomorrah before the fire and brimstone came). The "catching away" is not the same event as when Jesus' second coming. The rapture happens before the Tribulation so that the saints can prepare to return with Jesus at the end of the Tribulation to reign with Him for a 1,000 years. (Okay, so we got a little ahead of ourselves there -- see the third bullet.)
  
• Is there a second rapture halfway through the Tribulation / What happens to the people who get saved during the Tribulation?
• Okay, so yes, there is a second "rapture" of sorts in the middle of the Tribulation, but not necessarily for the people who got saved during the Tribulation. (Wait, what?) Kevin did his best to explain to us about the 144,000 (Revelation 7, 14) -- the group of virgin Jewish ministers (12,000 from each tribe of Israel) marked by God to spread the Gospel after the church has been removed (a.k.a. the Rapture). This group will minister throughout the first half of the tribulation. Kevin also mentioned that these people were marked so that they cannot be harmed by the plagues and things happening on the earth while the are ministering (which is how they came to be known as The Virgin Jewish Superheroes according to Brooke). When they're time is up, they are "caught away" to heaven to join the saints that were already raptured.
• So what happens to everyone else who gets saved after the rapture? Well, there is at least a group of them that will die and go to heaven (Revelation 6:9-11). But they will not join the rest of the saints that were raptured (and who will eventually rule and reign with Jesus). Instead, they will be more like servants in the Kingdom of God because they were not caught away with the Body of Christ (the church).
  
• What happens after the 7 years? And after that?
• As we had already mentioned, Jesus' second coming is at the end of the Tribulation -- He actually comes and end the big battle forming on earth (see Revelation 19). Satan is locked up in a bottomless pit for 1,000 years, during which time Jesus reigns over the world (including all those who survived the Tribulation without committing themselves for or against the Lord). After the thousand years, Satan is allowed to be loosed on the earth again (because God always gives people a choice whether to follow Him). He gathers some people to mount a battle against God (I cannot imagine how people could willingly follow Satan after everything else that's happened at that people, but apparently some people do), and God deals with Satan and all of his followers. (Can you say "Lake of Fire"? I knew you could.)
• And after that? Well, there's the new heaven and new earth being created, the new Jerusalem and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (the awesomeness of which I cannot even begin to get into here), and... oh, that's right -- ETERNITY. Try wrapping your brain around that one.

So yeah, we covered alot of in-depth stuff. I really just hit the tip of the iceberg here; if you were at the discussion, what part stood out to you? If you weren't, what questions do you have?

The End of the World

This Tuesday we started a new series of discussion on "end times." Now, that phrase tends to freak people out, but, as Chip pointed out, the point is not to scare us, but to comfort us and make us aware of what's coming and how soon. So, in that vein, tonight Chip talked about "Six Signs of the End." Hang on for the ride -- we talked about so much I had trouble keeping up! We looked at Matthew 24:5-9,14 for these different indicators.

1. False Prophets and Christs (24:5)
There have been several events in recent years which have resulted from false prophets leading people astray through cults and other groups, often resulting in tragedy. From the standoff and the events at Waco, Texas, to the cults of David Koresh and Jim Jones, to the Heaven's Gate cult following Halley's Comet.

2. Wars and Rumors of War (24:6-7)
There have been more casualties of war since 1900 than in any other century in recorded history. Both "world wars" happened in the 20th century. Even terrorism can be considered a "rumor" of war -- we are constantly on alert in 21st century for anything that could be the precursor of a war being started against us by any nation or group of people.

3. Famines (24:7)
As technology increases, one might assume that food availability is increasing as well, but that is not the case -- the number and amount of famines has actually been increasing over the last century as countries and groups in power turn their attention away from food and towards energy, environmental pursuits, and even drug manufacturing. Also, the increase of natural consuming pests (such as locusts) are also taxing the food supply and the supply of raw materials needed for food.

4. Earthquakes (24:7)
The number of earthquakes has been increasing over the years. What's more, due to technology and the new abilities to report events worldwide in a matter of minutes, natural disasters such as earthquakes are broadcast more broadly and speedily than ever before. Even a small increase in the number of earthquakes is amplified in reporting. Earthquakes in seas and oceans are also included -- like the ones that cause tsunamis.

5. Tribulations (24:8-9)
The divisions that separate Christians from everyone else are continuing to widen. Christians are increasingly becoming the group to which "tolerance" does not apply. Part of that is conviction -- when someone who knows they are not living right is around people they perceive to be living right, they tend to be defensive against the conviction they already feel, even when it's not coming from the people around them.

Part of that is the result of stereotypes of Christians pushing the idea that all Christians are intolerant of other people, so they should not be tolerated themselves. So many times people have been given an impression of God through Christianity that relates Him to fear. People can only be motivated by fear for so long -- they may "get saved," but afterwhile they go back to their old lifestyles because they cannot keeping fearing what bad thing God might do to them. But we know that God is not a God to fear -- not in the since that everything we do we do only because we're afraid of God. We want to let people know Who He really is -- and how He really loves humanity. We want to motivate people towards a relationship with God through hope, not fear (as Elizabeth pointed out that Psalm 27 shows us). Which brings us to the final sign...

6. The Gospel will be preached throughout the wold. (24:14)
People think they can't trust a God who would eternally punish people in third wold countries who have never heard of Him -- and they can't! That's why God has planned to reach everyone -- even those like Helen Keller, who even though she couldn't see, hear, or speak, recognized Jesus as the One who had been with her all the time when her teacher described Him to her. God will get through to everyone -- they will have their chance. And we can be a part of that.

So much interesting stuff was brought up during the discussion (and the many offshoots of discussion as we all started talking) -- what point did you just love that I missed getting on here? What new point did you discover after think about it? Chime in below!

Underdog!

So, this past Tuesday was another great Kynetic meeting! Amber brought it this time with the topic of how God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary plans. First off, a visual demonstration: a Hello-Kitty glass representing God's plan for our lives. First it's filled with ice -- which is us submitting ourselves to His plan. Great, but us ourselves doesn't really do much to fill the glass (I mean, it's great and all, but there are gaps and air bubbles and all that fun stuff). Then water (Biblical example of the Holy Spirit) is poured in over the glass, and voila! God's plan is completely fulfilled! What's more, we (the ice) float to the top, riding on the Holy Spirit! Neat, huh?

We looked at 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 which talks about God taking us through the difficult times in our lives. Not only does He do that, it says (duh), but he also bring people into our lives that need the very encouragement we've gained from God leading us through our problems. And even further, it reminds us that while, yes, we have to go through hard times, they are not going to outweigh the good times "of His healing comfort" that we receive as well! The point? God takes care of us through our problems and then uses us to take care of other people through theirs!

Sometimes we focus on the difficulties we been through, or how we messed up and made mistakes in the past, instead of focusing on what God wants us to do now and in the future. But God doesn't look at us that way. (Hallelujah!) When Moses tried to explain all the ways he was wrong for the job, God just kept reminding him that this was what He had planned for Moses and He would take him through it. Amber pointed out Ephesians 2:7-10 as explanation -- God doesn't use people who think they might get away with acting like they accomplished the plan on their own. He uses people who recognize that He's the only One who can accomplish any of this, and so they follow His plan. They're always the underdog, but they're teachable. They just showed up, trusted Him, and followed his instruction. Seriously, think about the people involved in the major plot points throughout the Bible. Abraham. Moses. Rahab. Deborah. Gideon. Ruth. Samuel. David. Esther. Mary. Paul. Even Jesus was considered by His hometown to be nothing special. The Pharisees, who were the leaders of the Jewish community, were unteachable, and were not remotely involved in Jesus' ministry (except as examples of what not to do). It was the sinners, the outcasts, who got the chance to be part of that history.

Sometimes our uncertainty about the outcome holds us back from following God's steps. We're worried that we're not capable, or even worthy, of accomplish what God expects, so we stand still or step back instead of stepping forward. But the fulfillment of faith is taken away when no faith needs to be used in a situation. If life was so obvious that we knew everything that was going to happen, would we even bother living? As Amber said, where is the fun in playing it safe? There's no life where there is no discovery and experience. Being told facts does not equal gaining experience. God does not tell us everything because He wants us to experience the life He's planned for us.

There's more to life's outcomes than the obvious appearances. Amber related it back to stories in C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia." Everyone was riding high on Aslan's victory when the kids left Narnia. But when they returned at the beginning of the second story the people of Narnia were living with the assumption that Aslan had left them -- he'd been gone for generations. It was only when Lucy began to diligently seek him and refuse to give up looking for him, and finally found him, that everyone realized that Aslan had never left -- and he had never left off being the Rescuer of Narnia.

It all comes down, of course, to what we think about our own ability vs. what we think about God's ability to use us. Elizabeth reminded us about Pastor describing grace as the anointing to accomplish God's plan, and that according to the Bible each of us has been given a measure of that. Going back to our previous messages (see how I slid that plug in there? nice.), sometimes God's telling us to wait because we're not ready yet, whether we're unteachable or whether we're in fear of failing, or even in fear of not being accepted in success. Kevin pointed out that it took Moses 40 years to unlearn all the wrong ideas he had about how he was to accomplish God's plan. (And everybody's going, God, please don't let it take that long with me.) Only then did he have the right, teachable attitude -- one of humility, which, as Dayton noted, is another common theme among the people God uses. Pride thinks it already knows. Humility has learned that it doesn't already know.

Wait For It....

No, this isn't Barney's blog -- this is the recap of our last Kynetic discussion! Seana picked up where Amber left off -- talking about waiting on God, and how we honor Him by submitting to His timing in our lives.

Seana began with this absolutely mouth-watering (that's right) analogy of our patience with God: gourmet cookies. No, seriously, disussion almost stopped right there because we all totally got into imagining our personal favorite gourmet cookie (like you're not completely distracted by that thought too -- don't lie). When we get impatient with God, it's like giving up and settling for some stale animal crackers you dug out from somewhere instead of getting the tray of gourmet cookies that God is busy preparing just for you. (Gives whole new meaning to that "taste and see that the Lord is good" verse, huh?)

We looked at 2 Peter 3:8, which exemplifies how God's timing so completely different from ours. We may not like it (1,000 years is like a day -- what?!?), but that's the deal if we want what He's got for us. And when we look at 2 Peter 3:9, we see that "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness."

Seana gave us a couple of good Bible examples of people who had promises from God, but had to wait a while before He could complete His promise -- and it probably wouldn't have taken so long if they had really understood the concept of waiting. First up was Abram and Sarai (later renamed Abraham and Sarah). God had already promised them a son, and they were already pretty old (Abram was 76). Sarai got bored with the whole "waiting on God" process and decided that if Abram had a son by her servant Hagar, that'd be good just as good as God actually fulfilling the promise Himself. She got Abram to agree, and Ishmael was the result. Yes, Ishmael, whose existence caused strife between Sarai and babymama Hagar, but whose descendants have been in constant strife with the Israelites down through the ages (which is what happens when one group decides to try to wipe another off the face of the planet).

Next up was Isaac's wife Rebekah. Get's pregnant with twins, and God let's her know that one of them (Jacob) is going to grow up to be more powerful than the other one (Esau). But she has a problem with the fact that by birthright, Esau is supposed to be more powerful. So what does she do? She decides to fix that problem at the source by convincing Jacob to trick Isaac when it was time for the birthright blessing to be given. The result? He got the blessing from Isaac, but he also got death threats from his twin brother, had to run away from home (the Bible doesn't even mention him ever seeing his parents again), got tricked into marrying somebody he did not want, and ended up working 20 years just so he could leave with the wife he wanted in the first place!

Okay, so we got the point that taking matters into our own hands does not work. And we have it from the One who spoke the universe into existence that when He says He's going to do something, He's going to do it (see Isaiah 55:11). So what do we do while we wait for it?

• Dayton said to prepare. You can't get on the bus if you're sitting at home with your ticket instead of at least going to the bus stop.
• Seana said to not lose faith. Like she mentioned before (and reminded us with Numbers 23:19) If God has made a promise or said He would do something, then it's gonna happen. We just have to wait for it. Even David had to wait and deal with life (and the threat of death) between the time we was anointed to be the next king of Israel (as a teenager) and the time he actually became king of Israel (when he was 30). He even became king of Judah (a portion of Israel) at age 24, and could have settled there, but that wasn't the completion of God's promise to him.
• Heather reminded us to not focus soley on the thing promised to the exclusion of the God who made and will fulfill the promise in His time. It's just like idolizing any of God's creation over the Creator.
• Kevin said to take care of what/where you currently have to work with. He mentioned three scriptures about starting where you are and not giving up: Proverbs 27:18, Luke 19:17, and Isaiah 40:31.
• Dayton also said to reflect. David talked about his previous victories when facing Goliath, not just to show off, but also to pump up his faith in God in the face of the coming battle.

Basically, God really does have above and beyond anything we could ever come up with for ourselves, and it is going to come to pass in our lives since He said it would, so we just need to do our best to not get in the way of the fulfillment of His plan. We don't know the repercussions of getting impatient or so obsessed with what we consider to be the end-product that we don't allow God to complete His promise like He intends. It's definitely worth it to wait on God -- the results are always legendary. (Sorry -- I couldn't resist.)

Plan B

This past Tuesday we got a treat as Amber led the discussion, talking about our plans for our lives vs. God's plans.(Okay, I dare you to say you can't relate to this topic.) Amber started us off my talking about how most of us a "plan A" and a "plan B" for our lives; we try to work our original plan, but if that doesn't work out, we have a backup plan while we try to figure things out. But what we don't realize is that sometimes our "backup plan " puts us on His path, as opposed to our "plan A". God doesn't force us into his plan, but sometimes what we think is the best option is not the best of what God has for us. II Kings tells the story of Hezekiah -- a good king who made the mistake of refusing to let God's seemingly "plan B" overtake his "plan A". Hezekiah was sick, and God sent a prophet to tell the king that he was not supposed to recover. But Hezekiah begged God until He allowed him to live several more years. (Exactly why, when God has said, "Hey, you completed my plans for your life -- you can totally come home now," would you then pick earth over heaven? Obviously not a smart move.) As a result, a son that Hezekiah had after he recovered from his illness succeeded him to the throne, and he was not a good king -- he led the people of Israel away from God. So even when it seems like the opposite of our plans is headed our way, moving in the direction God's pointing out is still always our best option.

Amber pointed out that sometimes we hold on to our plans vs. God's simply because we know our plans, and we don't know His. We don't grasp the concept of mystery as a motivating factor in our lives. It is true that when we have to put effort into learning, processing, and figuring things out, we place more value on those things. Part of our lives, and thus ourselves, are invested in them. But instead we're playing it safe, as if God is subject to faulty human planning just like the humans we see around us (or in the mirror). But according to Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 139:13-16, that is not the case. God is acutely aware of what He planned for us, or, as Brooke put it, what He planned us for. (I'm getting ahead of myself -- but it was a great discussion!) Look at the scripture in Psalms again. The Contemporary English Version says "Your eyes saw, my substance [essence, ability, desire], being yet unformed." He planned us out before He put us together! But rather than trusting him as Proverbs 3:5 says to do, we tend to follow the thought-line of Isaiah 29:16 and think God can't do any better with our lives than we can.

And, as Amber stated, part of trusting God and His plan means waiting on Him -- not just as long as we can put up with it, but as long as it takes. Best quote of the night: "Sometimes we mistake "WAIT"s for "NO"s." It's not "now or never" with God, and we get frustrated when we try to hold Him to that idea. If we can't involve ourselves in the activity of waiting (and it is an activity -- but I'm getting ahead of myself again), then we can't involve ourselves in the unfolding of the mystery that is God's plan for our lives, and how sad is that? To never really get what God has for us because we're too busy demanding right now that we get what God has for us? Because whining and nudging God and getting all huffy and puffy does not make God move any faster. It's like tailgating -- it pretty much only leads to road rage and fender-benders, or worse. (I mean, if that's your goal in life, rock on, but can I refer you to our earlier talk about "plan B"...)

Some other great points brought up (half of which I've already mentioned) in relationship to waiting for God's plan instead of pushing our own:

• Kevin pointed out Job 36:2, which is great to remind yourself whenever you're about to give up -- "wait for me a little longer," 'cause you don't know the half of what's about to happen.
• Psalm 37 -- just read the whole chapter. It's all about desires being fulfilled for the children of God who trust and wait on Him.
• Brooke's description of God's plans -- "It's like God said, 'I have this plan... I should create somebody for that.' And you were the result of His planning." It gives new meaning to the idea that "you exist for a reason."
• Amber and Kevin took us to Psalm 31:14-15 and Job 24:1, and pointed out that the word "times" (meaning seasons, days of life) is the same source word in both places. God is completely aware of all the "times" (even the ones we don't realize -- fancy that), and when we trust Him and His ability to take care of our "times" (deadlines, life cycles, everything), the result is something only God can achieve -- His plan for us.

Whew! So like I said, awesome discussion! Since I know that everyone got something to think about from the topic, what are your thoughts? Drop a note below -- questions, comments, hilarious insights, awkward buddy stories -- it's all welcome! Keep the discussion going!

Thank You!

We had another great night Tuesday (as we always do) as Caleb led our discussion, focusing on giving thanks and honor to God for who He is and who He is in our lives. We started in Revelation 4:9, which talks about the beasts in heaven that give honor and thanks to God. They never cease to call out the glory of God, and it says that "whenever" they do (which it just stated is all the time) the saints around God's throne join in with their own praise. Next we looked into Romans 13:7, which talks about giving honor to whom honor is due. And exactly who is more worthy of honor than God? He's the reason why we sing songs about all honor being due Him. (Wow, who'd've thought praise & worship songs were actually things we could do, as well as sing about?)

We also looked at Psalm 50:23. It says that those who praise God also glorify Him, and as a result they will by shown "the salvation of God". Our praise, honor, and thanks is directly tied to our relationship with God. Which really makes complete sense, because even on earth it's really hard to be close to people who do not show any gratitude for you being in their lives. But when people express their gratefulness and appreciation for you being you, you definitely want to do more with and for them. That's probably a good reason why Psalm 97:12 says to "rejoice in the Lord and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness."

Kevin pointed out Philippians 4:6-7, which shows that thankfulness to God for Him answering your request is the precursor that having the peace of God in your life. Along with rejoicing in the Lord (vs. 4), these two activities are specific aspects of experiencing the kingdom of God (Romans 14:17). Seana noted that they also are aspects of worship of God, which once again goes to show that worship of God draws us closer to Him and closer to all the things that come with Him (which, by the way, is everything -- see Matthew 6:33). We realized again that when you develop a true, healthy relationship with someone you appreciate and care about who they are, and not just what they do for you. The more we thank God for who He is in our lives, the more we focus on our relationship with Him, and the more it grows and brings everything else to us along with it.

There were alot of other great points during the discussion -- what was your favorite point? Or what have you noticed now that you didn't think about before? The discussion can keep going! Sound off below!

Stutterers, Kids, & Fig-Pickers

Hey everyone! This past Tuesday Chip led us in a twist on our previous faith discussions as talked about the feelings of inferiority that can keep us from sowing seeds in faith, or letting those faith seeds grow and produce fruit in our lives.

Chip started us off with a reminder about inferiority: it's a lie from Satan that just because we aren't perfect that our faith can't work to accomplish God's plan for us. We have to overcome our feelings of inferiority. Chip talked about four different areas we can change in working to overcome inferiority:

• Changing our image -- the way we see ourselves
• Changing our environment -- don't let Ecclesiastes 11:4 be our result
  
• Changing what we say -- especially about ourselves
• Changing our actions -- cause we can't do the same things and expect different results
  

These things are really important to determine for the positive, especially our self-image and what we say about ourselves because "one of the biggest seeds we sow as a Christian is what we truly think [and say] about ourselves" (thanks Chip).

Chip also gave us three examples from the Bible of people who had to overcome inferiority to succeed at what they were called to do. First we talked about Moses. Moses -- a prince who found out he was supposed to be the savior of his entire race, and when he decided he could save them all on his own, he killed someone, and then didn't even realize it was a problem until he notice that the rest of his people didn't really appreciate it. Then he runs away and hides out with his in-laws in the desert for 40 years. He was so traumatized he developed a stutter. So he's got some inferiority issues. But after all that is when God appears so him and tells him that He still plans for Moses to lead an entire nation out of slavery! And as soon as Moses started trying to explain to God (ha ha) how inferior he was, God just knocked all of his arguments out of the way.

Chip also brought up Jeremiah, who was just a teenager when God called him to be a prophet, and Amos who was called to speak on the level of Isaiah and Ezekiel, even though he'd had no academic training and his only job was as a fig-picker. Yet God told each of them how He had called them and that was enough. He even explained to Jeremiah that he'd visualized this plan for his life before he was even conceived! God has ideas that far in advance! (As a planner, I really love that thought.)

Each of these guys had their own hangups about themselves -- "I'm not talented like that / I'm not the right age / I don't have the right training" -- but God's answer was always the same, and it's the same answer He has for each of us: "I AM, and I have called and equipped you."

Just In Case

Tuesday was another good night as Chip led our discussion -- this time covering some "scientific" evidence of the truth of the Bible. He took his title from the book on the same subject A Case for Faith by Lee Strobel.

We started out with a recap of the faith topics we've been discussing over the past few weeks, and then Chip took us to Acts 1:2-4, which talks about how Jesus was seen by and spoke to people after His resurrection, by "many infallible proofs" (KJV). Chip pointed out to us that in Old Testament books of Isaiah and Micah Jesus birth, life, and death was prophesied hundreds of years before it occurred. We talked about studies that have shown that only 1/5 of 1/10 of 1% of the whole Bible has proven to be even questionable as it relates to the translations. That's only about 40 lines of the entire Bible! It's also been proven that New Testament records of Jesus were written soon after the events took place (the book of Matthew was written roughly 7 years after Jesus' time on earth. The earliest records of the lives of other renowned figures such as Buddha, Caesar, and Plato were not written until several hundred years after their deaths. (Why the big difference? Because the Holy Spirit doesn't forget to write stuff down. [insert rim shot])

Chip showed us physical findings of the Red Sea (the sea Charlton Heston parted in that old movie -- okay, that doesn't even deserve a rim shot) -- including an exploration of the Red Sea floor that revealed a real chariot wheel that has been determined to be from the same time period in which the pyramids were built, and also proof of what is described as a "shelf" wide enough for people to walk on -- on either side of it, the sea floor drops away over a hundred more feet. Chip likened it to Isaiah 51:10(KJV), which says of God "Who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?"

Chip also displayed some scientific findings of laminin -- which a protein moleclule. This protein molecule is a cell adhesion molecule with strong binding properties; within the scientific community it is referred to as the "glue of the body." We were reminded of Ephesians 4:16 which states that from Christ the whole body is joined and held together -- especially when pictures of this laminin under a miscroscope cleared showed it to be shaped just like a cross! (Who ever said God wasn't into subliminal messaging? [rim shot, yes?])

Now, we know that none of these discoveries aren't the whole reason we believe in God and in Jesus ('cause otherwise it wouldn't be called faith -- duh). Our faith is firmly rooted in the Word of God (or it should be). But He did establish things like what we talked about, and so many more, on the earth for people who play hard to get [through to]. So when we talk about our faith to people who don't know Him (like we're supposed to), sometimes it's helpful to be able to point to things like these and go, "Now how could we have made that up?"