Life In A Hole

Life in a hole.

From Facebook: Facebook friends and family, I need a prayer tonight. Tomorrow, I will be at the hospital and it's going to be a very hard day. This is really heavy on my heart.

Life in a hole.

Also from Facebook: I'm so very nervous and anxious. I just need to breathe! I would take an Ambien but it is almost daylight.

Life in a hole.

In an e-mail: Quite honestly, Scott, my wife does not love me anymore and we both know it.

Life in a hole.

From The Carpenters: Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

Life in a hole.

From a conversation at the ballpark: I have failed my children. All of their friends have so many opportunities, and mine look at me and wonder, “Why not me?”

Life in a hole.

In an e-mail: My child is an alcoholic. 

Life in a hole. 

From a conversation over lunch: I close my eyes at night and see myself walking up the steps of a gallows. I have failed at life.

Life in a hole.

I've been in a lot of holes and you have, too. Some are just a temporary bad mood, others are a day-long funk (like, for me, last Thursday), others linger for a while, some show up to haunt us from our childhood, and some are deep and wide. We can see some of the holes coming from a distance, but others surprise us and we fall in before we can help it. Some holes are in our head, created by a wild imagination and too little rest. Some are knee-buckling and all too real.

We live our lives in and out of holes.

The purpose of this lesson is to give four reminders about life in the hole.

Jesus is there in the hole.

The Bible is one giant book about men and women who find themselves in holes and are touched by the hand of God. I would tell every hurting person - unemployed, separated or divorced, and sick over an uncertain future - to read the Bible and draw hope from God's redemption of people who found themselves in holes.

Most all of us are, to a degree, Sunday morning Christians. We want a nice, clean and easy faith life. When things are going great, we say, "Well, thank you, God, for all these blessings, and for making my life so great." We walk tall and proud when we are out of the holes. And, then we step in a hole and we panic. We forget all about God. The true color of our faith is exposed.

But, listen, God is in the hole. God is everywhere, and He is everywhere all the time. And, His son, Jesus, is calling us to faith in Him and a restored relationship with God, who can bring peace to us in the hole.

One of my favorite Bible stories is from Daniel 3:19-28. It's the story of the three boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to bow down to his golden statue. These boys refused, and the king had them throw into a furnace so hot it killed the guards who threw the boys inside. As the king looked inside, he saw a fourth figure with the boys, and he saw the boys were no longer bound. Ultimately, the three boys emerged from the furnace unharmed.

Many presume that fourth figure in the furnace was an angel. It could have been, but I believe it was Jesus - years before He was ever born in the manger. The reason I believe the figure was Jesus is because the king was converted to a faith in our holy God because of the experience.

I won't unpack this whole story for you, but look closely: These boys were consistent in their love of the Lord, and they stood for the things of the Lord. Their faith was not altered by the hole because they knew the Lord was in the hole with them. The hole was not prevented, but the Lord was in the hole with them.

In the first chapter of Joshua, over and over, God says to the people, "Don't be afraid. I am with you, always." The next time you feel a panic coming, open Joshua 1 and read it. Don't be afraid. Jesus' last words to His disciples, knowing they would all be martyred (John survived poisoning and was exiled), Jesus said, (I know you are going to find yourselves in holes as you carry the gospel), but I am with you until the end of the age (forever)." That message is for us today, too.

At one point in my life, I was unemployed. I was in a hole. The Lord called me to spend my idle time - waiting on interview callbacks - visiting people in the hospital. And, so I went to the church, got the hospital list, and went to visit those who were sick. I didn't know the right words to say, but I quickly found my "being there" was welcome ministry. Ministry is a great way to get out of a hole. During those visits, I had opportunity to sit - day by day - with a man whose daughter was dying with cancer. She was in the final stages. This was a strong family of faith, and she was a believer. I sat with this daddy every day until she died. I will never, ever forget the peace of that hospital room, and the peace this man enjoyed. He knew that Jesus was in that room. He knew the presence of the Holy Spirit was calming and I dare say glorious even in the face of a dying girl's groans. I will never get over that "knowing" that Jesus is in the hole with us, and that Jesus trumps death. I understood - in my own unemployment - that Jesus was in the hole with me, too.

Two more things: Jesus understands that we are afraid. It's okay. Just remember this from 1 John 4:18, "My perfect love will banish fear from your heart." Turn to Jesus in the hole. Pray.And, Jesus hears our prayers. 1 John 5:14: "And, we can be confident that He will listen to us.” For those who know Jesus, God is listening when we speak to Him, asking Him to make our lives right according to His will for us. 

I believe that most people, even most Jesus followers, never pray. My own prayer life isn't what it should be. Most people don't know how to pray. Most people are embarrassed to pray, believing it is a sign of weakness. Heck, I've even had people tell me not to pray for them because they saw it as a sign of charity. Pray, people. Pray. My most peaceful time with God comes when I say nothing out loud. I just kneel in front of the sofa, put my head in my hands on the sofa, and just focus on the Lord. As people come to my mind, I pray for them. I thank God for sending His son to die for me. I thank God for crossing my life with people who help me grow in faith. Sometimes, I cry out for God to help me out of a hole. There are no perfect prayers, and it's ridiculous to believe that we must seek out a "professional prayer warrior" to pray for us. I get nervous when I hear people, in the context of prayer, talking more about human intercessors than they do about Jesus. Brennan Manning wrote The Ragamuffin Gospel. I am reading it; you should read it, too. In it, Manning writes that God sees our prayers like a parent sees a toddler's coloring book. The toddler doesn't understand the colors.The toddler can't color within the lines. The result is a sloppy scribbling on a piece of paper. But, every parent looks at it and sees it as a Picasso. It's beautiful and it goes on the refrigerator. That's how the Lord sees our prayers. No matter how sloppy they are, God delights in the fact that we are praying. So, pray from the hole.

The size of the hole doesn't matter.

A friend of mine sent me a recent e-mail from within a hole.

I was so thankful that he took time to send it, honoring me with the opportunity to encourage him.

But, like so many of these cries from the hole, he wrote, "I know people are struggling with things that are a  lot worse than this." I told him, the power of God to be all to all and at all times is beyond our feeble attempt to even understand the word "power." God sees a person He loves, and He sees that person crying out from a hole. He focuses on the person; not the hole.

In Psalm 5:22, we read:  “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” There is not a heavenly pecking order when it comes to holes. Psalm 139:12: "Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

If you believe that God doesn't care when your car won't start and you don't have the money to fix it, you are not in worship of a God who can hang each star and call it by name. If you believe that God doesn't care when you are sad because the children are growing up and moving on, then I call that blasphemy. It's an insult to God. If you have a faith in Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life, your burdens - great and small and even tiny - burden the God who loves you enough to send His son to die for you.

The size of the hole does not matter to God.

Tell others when you are in a hole.

We hate charity, don't we? Why? Because in our "stand on your on two feet" culture of personal supremacy, we have relegated charity to be synonymous with government welfare. Charity is a spirit of generosity and helpfulness. Believers have an obligation to be involved in charity as providers and as grateful recipients. I believe a person demonstrates their faith in Jesus by their approach to charity - coming and going. Jesus' death and resurrection was charity. How can we follow Jesus, and not be deep in charitable lifestyle - receiving and providing?

In 1 Peter 5:9, we read, “Stand firm in faith, because you know the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering.” As believers, you and I join a universal family of faith, regardless of the sign outside the church building. We are part of a local church family, and many of us are a part of small groups of faith friends.

At the depth of one of my darkest holes, God sent a voice - spoken through the mouth of a family friend - who said, "Scott, your biggest mistake in this hole was not turning to your family and friends, who love you. As soon as you feel the ground shifting, reach out to those who love you.” Those words were a mile-marker in my faith life.

But, wait a minute. If I start telling people about my hole, they will start whispering about me. They might start raising money, and that will be embarrass me. They might start bringing chicken casseroles. They will take my pain and make it public knowledge. Some will try to fix my life. Some might say I deserve what I get. If you start feeling or thinking this way, well, you are hearing the voice of Satan, who wants you to stay in that hole with all its darkness and all its fear. You and I were not meant, as Jesus followers, to live private lives of pain. We have an army of fellow hole-dwellers standing with us. God says turn to the army of faith.

I was visiting a church recently, and sat on the periphery of a staff meeting. The pastor announced that one of the staff members was resigning. Her life had been in a hole for a long time, and she made the decision to leave the staff. There was obvious pain in the room, and there was no turning back from her decision. Clearly, around the room, there was concern for the hurting person. But, there was also pain at being robbed of the opportunity to love and serve this person before her climactic decision to leave.

It is sinful to be in a hole and selfishly rob others of the opportunity to exercise their faith - their charity - and to see how God will work in it. You can hide behind all the veils of privacy that you want, and initially some privacy with the Lord may be needed, but ultimately, I believe the Lord is going to say, "turn to your family of faith with this." Hole-dwelling can be very selfish and sinful. Don't be that way.

When you are not in a hole, help provide a ladder for those in the holes.

In those times when we are not in a hole, the last thing we want to do is think about the holes. Right? We stand on good ground, we breathe deep and we try to stay away from holes. We don't visit hospitals, prisons and nursing homes because they remind us of the dark places - the holes. And, we don't want to think about them. We don't want someone else's life to rub off on us. What if they pull us into the hole with them? We just want to rest and enjoy life outside the hole rather than looking down in holes.

Well, it's this selfish and sinful attitude that causes those in the hole to distrust us. Our inability to help people out of holes is why so many people get comfortable in holes and don't tell anyone. They don't want to be failed by those who claim to love Jesus. Is there a more sad statement than that? Not for me.

In 1 John 4:7, we read, "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” We have to love one another. Believers must always carry ladders with them so we can help people out of holes.

I was able to exercise my faith last week, and received such a blessing from it. A friend of mine from high school was recently transferred to Texas. In this economy, it was one of those "move or lose it" corporate decisions, and so she moved. This separates her from beloved family. She's in a hole. I noticed her painful cry through Facebook. She wrote, "I'm having a difficult time adjusting to (Texas) and being without my husband and best friend, and my family. Keep me in your prayers that I will settle (calm) down and I will find a good church here for my Sundays away from my home church."

The Holy Spirit nudged me to contact a ministry counterpart (a wife, mom and grandmother much like my Georgia friend) in Texas, and my Texas friend reached out to my Georgia friend. They made a connection. Who wins in that? We all do. My Georgia friend, a believer, cried out, "I'm in a hole!" The Spirit moved me to bring a ladder. My Texas friend jumped in to help with the ladder. All of us were blessed with the reminder that God is larger than all the holes we face. 

Are you in a hole today?

Do you feel all alone in the hole?

Does God seem a long ways away? Do you know He cares? 

Do you know Jesus as your Savior from sin, and as the comfort – the cool water – while in the hole?

Do you feel Jesus there with you in the hole?

Do you have other believers around you, loving you? Are you confiding in them?

Are you experiencing the undefinable joy of blessing someone else’s life?

Are you walking in tandem with our Savior?

A Simpler 2013

Church involvement combined with personal Christianity can be exhausting. If we're not careful, we can be pulled this way and that way, attend this and attend that, contribute this and contribute that, and be here and be there. Sometimes I get so exhausted with all of it that I lose the energy to be the effective believer that I'm called to be: I don't have the energy to minister to others toward the goal of talking about Jesus.

And, so my goal is to live a simpler 2013.

In Acts 2:43-47, Luke – the Gentile physician – writes, “A deep sense of awe came over them (all the believers who were meeting together), and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.”

In Acts 8, Saul is persecuting – murdering – Christians and many of them have scattered. Look at verse 4: “But (despite persecution) the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus where they went.”

Last week, I went on a three-day trip to Washington, DC. I went with my son, William, who was auditioning for a role in a theatre performance there. William and I rode Amtrak from Florence to DC, primarily because Union Station was within walking distance of both our hotel and the theatre. It was just really easy - no rental cars or taxi rides.

It was on the train ride back to Florence that I began to pour over Scripture and pray. “Lord, we live in such a cluttered and noisy world, where we face all kinds of pulls and pushes – many times from within our own families – and I get so tired sometimes that I don’t have the energy to follow you as closely as I should.

And, the Lord led me to Acts 2 and 8 as a reminder of how simple the community of faith should be and how focused my involvement should be. His message to me – and to our class – was this: Slow down, keep things simple, but be bold in proclaiming the Good News.

In 2013:

• We will certainly continue our regular meeting together, as believers, on Sunday mornings, but we are going to put additional emphasis on our women’s and men’s groups, and other small groups that perhaps some of you want to start. Sunday will be our weekly gathering, but I want to see other groups gather and meet for prayer and Bible Study.
• We will continue to share what we have with one another and with those in need, but we are going to pull this back to a smaller number of benevolent projects.
• We are going to have a push for people to open their homes – big or small, new or old, polished grass or – in my case – weeds, for the purpose of Christian hospitality and the sharing of the Lord’s Supper. I would like to take some time at Easter and see small groups gather in homes for the purpose of prayer and the Lord’s Supper.
• We will continue to enjoy the goodwill of one another through Christian fellowship, providing parties that help us connect and know one another better.

I hope you can see that our emphasis will be more on relationships than "collecting" stuff on Sunday mornings. Our goal this year is to build deeper relationships using small groups, service endeavors and parties toward the opportunity of telling people about Jesus. We won’t “do stuff” just for the sake of “doing stuff,” but for the sake of sharing the gospel. We must separate from what is known as Cultural Christianity – “feeling good about doing good, but keeping Jesus private to themselves.”

For all those early believers did for one another, for others and with others, the bottom line was that they gathered together and then they scattered to preach the Good News of Jesus. That’s what sets us apart. And, don’t tell me that you can’t do it, because that’s a lie. God did not call you to a private faith.

In fact, a faith story that is never or rarely shared cheapens grace, makes a mockery of the cross, and I dare say reflects a life that can talk about faith and church but has no eternal security whatsoever. Every person in your family and every friend you have must know your faith story, hearing Jesus proclaimed. People who know Jesus as their Savior will find it impossible – absolutely impossible – to keep Him private regardless of the personal risk to reputation and profit. To be unwilling to talk of Jesus is reflective of a life that does not really know him as Savior.

I know what you are thinking. Oh, Scott, I’m not qualified. I didn't grow up in church and no one has ever taught me how to share my faith. Or, Scott, my life is a contradiction – I love Jesus, but I like my Budweiser. Oh, Scott, if I start talking about Jesus to my friends, they won’t invite me to the lake; I just don’t want to be that serious. If I sit down with all my family and tell them how I came to Jesus, it will be like passing gas in a room with no ventilation. I'm not comfortable talking about Jesus. My faith is between me and the Lord.

Well, I’m sorry. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” There is no wiggle room for a private faith – a selfish and cheap grace. We must confess it with our mouths that Jesus is our Lord. As Jesus climbed Calvary with that old rugged cross, he never said, “I’m doing this so it will be easy for you – so you can believe, keep me to yourself, and never share the story of my sacrifice.”

But, understand, Sunday School, is and should be the “school” – the education ground – for how to build relationships, how to understand faith stories, and how to get comfortable with talking to others about Jesus – not in uncomfortable ways, but just in seeing opportunities, hearing the Holy Spirit, and seizing the opportunity. Sunday School is where we believers come together to learn from Scripture, learn from one another, and develop our own style for sharing the gospel with others. Through Sunday School, you and I develop our own styles for sharing our faith, but share our faith we must do. And, we must free ourselves from busyness in order to do it. And, sharing our faith doesn't follow a prescriptive, rote process. No, we can open the door to faith conversations by simply praying in the name of Jesus or asking, "Where is Jesus in the storm of your life?"

So, after pouring through all of this on the train ride home, while sitting in the Amtrak’s Café Car, I returned to my seat and took out my 890-page copy of Larry McMurtry’s western classic, Lonesome Dove, which I am reading as part of my 25 books of 2013. William and I were sitting across the aisle from a senior adult man – I later learned was 84. He got on the train with us in DC, and I had helped him lift his bags to the compartment over the seat.

As I began reading Lonesome Dove, I was startled by a sound coming from the old man’s seat. Was that a sob? I know what it’s like to cry so hard that you sob out loud and that’s exactly what it sounded like to me. I looked over and, yes, he was sobbing, weeping so deeply that he could not contain the gasping sounds coming from within.

I closed my book and took a deep breath. I focused on the Lord, and said, “Come on, Lord. Are you kidding me?" And, here’s what I got back, “No Sunday School gathering, no church attendance, no class party, no mission project, no money in an offering plate, no singing of a pretty song – none of that is what you are called to do. You are called for this moment and for all the moments just like it. You are called to step in and love others in the name of Jesus.. All the other “church” stuff provides the education and the encouragement for the moments just like this one – the moment to touch another life in the name of Jesus.”

As I prayed, I heard the old man get control of his emotions. I waited and then I leaned over and simply opened the door to conversation, “Sir, we get off the train in Florence. If you don’t get off there, I’ll get your luggage down for you and leave it in our seats.” He thanked me, and said he was going to Savannah.

I told him that I had once lived in Southeast Georgia, had been an editor of the newspaper in Statesboro, but that our corporate office had been in Savannah. I told him my best friend from college is a Savannah attorney, and that Vicki and I like to go to Tybee Island.

Mr. Ray McCrary told me that he had recently moved to DC to live with one of his daughters. He was going “home” to Savannah to wrap up things related to the move. And, then, the tears flowed. “My wife wants a divorce – after 50 years of marriage.” He was going home to sign papers and begin arrangements to sell their home.

I asked him about his children – other than the daughter he was joining in DC – and he talked of their four natural children and one adopted daughter. And, then, he took a deep breath, and cried some more. “My daughter Debbie died last year.” He apologized for the blubbering, and then said, “I wish I had been a better daddy; no matter how old you are, losing a child is the most horrible thing that can happen to you.” And, I just wondered if somehow his daughter’s death from cancer had in some way loosened the binding ties of an already fragile marriage.

“Please keep me in your prayers,” he said. And, I held his hand and I prayed for him right there on that Amtrak train. Once I would have worried about what everyone else thought, but no more – the urgency of the gospel opportunity trumps what anyone might think about me.

“You must be in the ministry,” he said. “All believers are in the ministry,” I told him. I told him that I was in vocational ministry, and had come to that through a career in the newspaper business. We talked about faith and church. He regretted not having his family in church more, and he regretted not being that faith-minded leader in his family. “We were in church when they were little, but then we just stopped going. None of them go now. If I had it to do over again, we would have been in church every Sunday,” he said.

And, then, we were approaching Florence.

As I stood up, he reached for my hand and said, “It’s funny how all conversations can easily lead to faith. Thank you for helping minister to me; thank you for reminding me that God cares about me. It’s been a long time since I heard someone talk about Jesus.”

I want 2013 to be about spiritual growth through personal preparedness to share the gospel. I want our class to become a catalyst for spiritual revival in our church and in our community. I want us to build authentic relationships with people toward the single goal of talking about Jesus, and I want us to hold one another accountable to grow in our ability to do it.

Christmas Warmth

No one will ever convince me, ever, not ever, that you can go to a building each week, sit as a spectator for one hour, never be introduced to another person, and then claim you were in church. Being with the church is about being in a meaningful group, surrounded by people you can join in fellowship, love and service together, and be warmed by the family of faith. Being with the church is not about being a consumer; it's about investing your entire life into other people.

In Ecclesiastes 4:7-11, the great King Solomon is reflecting on his life, which he largely lived apart from God. He's lamenting in this look back, and he's offering wise counsel for all of us: "Don't live like me." In these verses, Solomon equates going at life "alone" as meaningless. His words also remind us that:

• We should avoid working so hard and long that relationships are compromised.
• Two people working together can get twice the work accomplished.
• When trouble comes, one can help the other.
• In the coldness of the night, two can keep each other warm.
• Two - and even more - can protect one another from harm.

The reason we have Christmas parties is to celebrate the value of relationship that Solomon writes about. And, when those parties and celebrations are framed in faith - by families of faith (churches, Sunday School classes and small groups) - we are reminded of the warmth that comes from being a part of a family of faith. Christmas gives us that gift.

My dad was very involved in our community’s Empty Stocking drive at Christmas each year. The community came together, donating toys and coats and food items, packaged it all together in church basements.and warehouses. Families would join together to sort and package the items from lists provided by the community's social services. And, then on Christmas Eve, men - mostly through the community's Jaycee organization - would take the lists and deliver the toys, clothing and food.

Late one Christmas Eve, my dad had one final delivery. He took me with him because we were headed home to a family Christmas celebration afterward. The delivery was to a “neighborhood” of dilapidated mobile homes arranged in a neighborhood along a red clay hill with a ragged dirt road connecting the housing units. By the time we got to this small, shabby community, it was almost dusk. My dad parked his panel van and went house-to-house delivering boxes. I won’t ever get over the images of that evening. I was surrounded by poverty.

Poverty is ugly because it reveals the hardest reality of life. In describing the poverty (my word) of life, Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol, about man's condition at the crossroads of "Ignorance and Want." Poverty, for me, is that place where people want xyz, but don't care enough about themselves or others to even try and achieve it. It's a horror. And, that's what my boyish eyes saw that evening delivering toys to the neighborhood. I saw a generational cycle of poverty - "wanting" but no desire to improve.

Before you and I thumb our collective nose at those living in cycles of economic poverty, let me add a dimension to it. As King Solomon reminds us - we need each other. We need each other for warmth, security, defense and support. Going at life alone is foolish. Going at life alone is another form of poverty - the absence of the warmth of other believers is a horrible place of poverty. Human Nature craves relationships - poverty is not caring about or ignoring that impulse. The Holy Spirit, I believe, craves relationships with other believers - poverty is not caring about or ignoring that conviction.

I know a lot of affluent people living in poverty. They are surrounded by friends, and yet don't have a single friend in faith. They don't have one person in whom they can confess life's pain for fear their social friends will quickly turn to whisperers. They don't have one person who will hold their hand and pray over them; not a flippant "I will pray for you" that never results in prayer. They don't have one person who will "drop everything" and come running to provide Christian warmth in this cold world.

This is a form of poverty: Being surrounded by "friends" and yet not having a single one in faith.

On occasion, my church youth group would have bonfires. We would gather for food, music, devotion and, yes, flirting. Just before one of those bonfires, our beloved youth director, Ron McClure, called a few of us together for an object lesson. On a blackboard, he drew a bonfire with several rings around it. The fire represented the faith family with its light and its warmth. Each circle around the fire represented where people stood in relationship to the fire. The further people stood from the fire the more they stood in the cold and dark. He told us to be attentive to where people stood at the upcoming bonfire. Who would be nearest the fire, fully enjoying the bonfire? Who would be standing further removed? Who would be standing in the shadows? Who would not even be there? He reminded us:

• Believers will always want to be as close to the fire as possible, but many don't know how to break through the crowd to get there. How can we keep the inner circle open?
• Sometimes the fire can be too hot for people, and we have to let them be content to stand a few steps behind, but always inviting them to be closer.
• Many in the shadows choose to be there because, sadly, it's gotten comfortable to be in the dark and the cold. There's no risk in the shadows, it's easy to be invisible, and it's easy to walk away. But, these good people will never fully know the joy, peace, love and hope that comes from the warmth of being arm-in-arm with other believers. Friends, I've been there. Scott Vaughan has been in the shadows while being at the church property every single Sunday.
• How do we invite more people to the bonfire? We are surrounded by people who want to be with us, who need to be with us, but don't know it's available or the benefits of it. Keep in mind, some of these are regularly sitting in worship services - never fully experiencing the benefits of faith community.

Where are you? Are you as close to the fire of faith as possible? Are you out there in the shadows, engaged in the exercise of casual faith? Are you showing up here and there, sitting back, perhaps waiting on your spouse to endorse taking faith to the next level, wanting to get more involved in the exercise of faith but just not able to pull the trigger . . . afraid of what they might expect or ask you to do?

If you are warm and cozy beside the fire, are you turning around and making room for others to join you at the fire? Or, have you slipped into ugly "faithful sin" - claiming the warmth and forgetting about those not at the fire? I'm guilty. So are you.

Solomon reminds us that there is power, protection, service, love, warmth, and defense when we are joined with one another in the family of faith. It's time for some of us to step up to the fire, and for others to make room. Jesus came for such a reason as this one - that the gospel comes alive through the warmth of faith relationships.

              

              
                

Chasing Jesus is life-changing

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24.

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?

Followers of Jesus choose to pursue Him. Followers of Jesus can look at today, compare it to the same day last year, and say, “Yes, I am closer to Jesus and I am more like Jesus today than I was on this day last year.” There is an assurance of that.

You see, the word following implies forward movement; it implies a pursuit or chasing after Jesus. And, so it stands to reason that if I am following Jesus, I will be on a forward-moving journey with Him, and in that journey I will become more like Him, and my today will not be the same as my yesterday.

I’ll go so far as to say those who today are no closer to Jesus than last year, well, they aren’t really following Jesus at all. More than likely, these good people are simply church Christians who believe church attendance, church busyness and participation in church stuff is synonymous with following Jesus. Churchyness (my word) can contribute to the spiritual journey of following Jesus, but for many it does not. Churchyness is largely a clinical exercise to meet cultural expectation: I want people to know I am associated with a church so they will believe that I am a good person. If I were Satan, I would love, love, love people to buy into that theology.

Look at what the prophet Isaiah writes in Isaiah 51:1: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.” We are called to “pursue” and to “seek” Jesus; we are called to be moving forward in our faith journey. We are called to be followers.

In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul writes, “but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” and “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul says we are to be moving forward, following Jesus, “pressing on” and “straining toward.” Am I? Are you? Is your today significantly more close to Jesus than your yesterday? Ask your spouse. Ask your parents. Ask your friends.

It’s all easier said than done, frankly, because we live in a broken and sinful world, and because we are broken and sinful people. But, that does not excuse us from being on the journey. In fact, we are guaranteed the journey will be hard and also that few will actually choose to take this narrow way. Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

At this writing, Vicki has me on a diet. To be on that diet requires life changes on my part and a diligent moving forward. I am on a journey. At the end, I will be different than I am today. But, along the way, I will face temptation and may even slip backward. In fact, unless I am diligent and focused, I will choose to fail. And, then I will no longer be able to say that I am on a diet at all. I can “watch what I eat” and lie about being on a diet, but I know that I won’t really be on a diet at all. On the other hand, I might stumble on the diet, regroup and begin the journey again. Even though I have slipped, I can still claim to be on the diet because I am continuing to move forward.

So often, the faith journey - following Jesus - is a two steps forward and one step backward journey, but it is still about making that one step of progress. It's always about moving forward and being more like Jesus.

Life is constantly calling us backward to the easy, to the comfortable, to the “be like everyone else” and if you and I succumb to that, we will never be able to follow Jesus. Nothing about that cross is easy or comfortable or like “everyone else."

In summary:

Following Jesus is about saying:

1. My life is better, more peaceful, more joyful and more hopeful when I set my eyes on Jesus and decide to follow Him.
2. By following Jesus, what I really mean is that I will respect Him as my leader, and pursue Him. He is in front of me, and I will chase Him and pursue Him toward a goal of being more like Him. What does that mean? I will intentionally choose to (a) completely love people – all people – not just in words, but in deeds; (b) extend undeserved forgiveness to people; (c) see beyond the surface attitudes of people to understand the motivations, and then minister to them; and (d) I will build relationships with all people – all people – and help them discover joy, peace and hope that’s only found in Jesus Christ. I will call others to pursue Jesus and pray to see them baptized according to Matthew 28:19.

And, I know that I as I draw close to Jesus, and as I follow Him, it will be very difficult to maintain the pursuit.

1. People won’t understand. They will raise an eyebrow, and I can expect following Jesus to reshuffle the deck of my relationships. I will gain new friends; I will lose old friends. It will be joyful and painful all at the same time. In the end, though, it will be peaceful.
2. I can expect following Jesus to cost me something. It might cost me a job. It might cost me position. It might cost me time and money. Jesus' sacrifice on that cross was costly to Him; following Him and becoming like Him will absolutely cost me. There is no cheap grace; only a costly, expensive grace. That's why it's the narrow way and few really choose it.
3. As the white hot light of the cross burns my sinful nature, the pressure of it all will cause me to retreat into the darkness of my sinful nature. And, I will find myself in a sorrowful place because my retreat will grieve the Holy Spirit within me. And, I can expect Jesus to find me and ask, “Scott, what are you doing? Are you a believer or not? In or out? Let’s get back on the journey.” And, I will decide to follow or not.

What I have learned about following my Jesus:

1. I must be intentional about it. The world is calling me away from Jesus; following Him requires my absolute focus and best effort.
2. I must allow the Holy Spirit to place me around people – even people that make me feel uncomfortable - for encouragement and correction; love and service. 
3. I must look beyond what I want and see what others need. And, then I must respond the best that I can. And, where I can't respond, I will mobilize others to respond.
4. The call on my life is not to be perfect; the call of my life is to simply focus my life on being more Christ-like and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, actions and my attitudes.
5. I must anchor my life in Scripture and prayer.
6. The world will notice, my family will notice, my friends will notice, and following Jesus will tighten some of my relations and loosen others. Following Jesus comes with a cost, but it is a cost worth paying.
7. I only understand a fraction of all this, but I understand all that I need to know. I need Jesus, others need Jesus, and it is my responsibility to follow Jesus – to work to be more like him – each and every day of my life so that others can see and know Jesus because of His reflection on me.
8. If my today is not closer to Jesus that my yesterday, I am not following Jesus at all.

Love One Another?

Recently, driving from Columbia to Harrisburg, PA, I listened to Francis Chan’s book, “Crazy Love – Overwhelmed by a relentless God.” Our class MOVERS group is reading this together. I am not a book reviewer, but this one drives home several reminders for those of us who are believers:

•  That God is God, and we are not Him. Chan reminds readers of the Throne of God that John writes about in Revelation. Too often we try to humanize God to better understand Him, and then we end up trivializing God in the process.
• That many of us are less in love with God and more in love with the idea of His blessing our lives.
•  That when we draw near to God, God draws near to us.
•  God is not a duplicator; God is a creator. You and I are individually and wonderfully made.
•  If we recognize that everything belongs to God, we will eagerly sell our possessions and give to those in need.
• And, then, that we begin to see every person – regardless of prejudice or opinions or politics – as if that person is Jesus to be loved and served.

It was an intense book, and more than once I had to pull over at a rest area and just take a break from it. It was that last point that really got my attention. What would life look like – what would my life look like – if I saw every person as Jesus? As a believer, it would be impossible to ignore them. It would be impossible to pass on serving them. It would be impossible to stand on the sidelines and watch people suffer if I saw them as Jesus.

I was convicted by Chan’s last thought because I am an inconsistent follower of Jesus.
All of us are inconsistent followers of Jesus.

I am reminded of the person who woefully or arrogantly says (or thinks!), “I do this for people” and “I do that for people” and “I’m the only one doing anything” and “I do anything I’m ever asked to do for people.” This person is guilty of sinful pride. Sin always throws up a mirror and causes us to see ourselves, how we’ve been offended, how we’ve done more while others did less, and how life isn’t fair.
Serving others and then drawing unhealthy attention to it, well, that’s an inconsistent approach to following Jesus. I stand guilty; so do you. We must do better.

In New Mexico a few weeks ago, my Vicki and I heard Andy Root, professor of youth and family ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, speak on taking the gospel to new generations of Americans. You and I can’t afford to become old people and slink off into the spiritual sunset. We’ve got to stay fresh in our approach to culture, and be ready to help people discover the Lord by whatever means possible.

But, Andy got my attention when he closed with this: If you had five minutes to live, what would you tell a dying and lost word? What would you tell other believers? If you were a preacher, what would your last sermon be about?

And, for me, fresh off Chan’s mind-blowing book, I just thought, “Love One Another” from John 13:34-35, “So, now I am giving you (believers) a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my follower.”

•  John is really speaking to believers loving other believers, strengthening the fellowship and being an example to the world. But, that certainly doesn’t let us off the hook to love and serve everyone around us. We should love anyone and everyone toward a goal of introducing people to Jesus as their Savior, and helping them grow as disciples.
• We should love one another in the same ways that Jesus loves us: Service beyond convenience, sacrificially and unconditionally, and without prejudice.
•  If we each focused on loving one another as a priority today, people – especially unsaved people – would notice a supernatural power at work and begin to ask about it.

I won’t be so forward as to say you should exercise your love for one another in specific ways. I won’t be so condescending as to say you should feel guilty if you don’t love people this way or that way. I won’t be so self-righteous as to say you are failing if you don’t love people through the same ministries God has called me to serve. Somewhere in all of that would be sin – me trying to set the guidelines for you. Lean on Scripture and the Lord’s whisper in all that you do. He will guide you exactly where He needs you to be in loving and serving others.

The lesson here is to love one another, personally and privately in everyday life. I do believe that God calls each of us to be the “hands and feet” of the church, and I believe He desires for each of us to be involved in ministry to others through the church. That may manifest itself through children’s ministry, student ministry, missions ministry (local, state, national or international), prison ministry, ministry to those who are in poverty, hospitality ministry, usher ministry, prayer ministry, music and worship ministry, small group ministry, Sunday School ministry, and the list goes on and on and on. You don’t have to be involved in each of these – seek the Lord’s place for you within the church (and within our class), and listen to His calling on where and how you should serve. (1 Corinthians reminds us that all the parts of the body are needed and that each has its own function and contribution). Then, passionately get involved around your spiritual giftedness and personal calling.

If you are a leader in ministry or desire to lead out in ministry, I’d love to hear how the class might support you as you might lead us. Class ministry involvement most often does not begin or end with me – it begins with you. In fact, I can tell you that I may not be involved in every class ministry, but I will support all of them.

As you and I do better at “love one another,” we will fulfill Matthew 25:35-36 when Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” This is not an exhaustive list, but a starting place of ways you and I can show mercy to people each day.

Today, as you walk through your day, quietly love those around you as if they are Jesus. And, begin praying for how God can use you through one of our class and / or church ministries to bring Jesus to others. 

Excuses - "They (the church) just want my money."

If you and I talk to enough people about church, we will soon hear the excuse, “They are just after my money.” The best way for me to combat this excuse is (a) live with my own Biblical approach to money, (b) talk about changed lives through the church, which requires money for mission and ministry, and (c) help people have a Biblical understanding of money. When people criticize giving to the church they often focus on the bureaucracy of organization, but we must focus them on the lives changed. Property requires money, but consider the lives changed through the rooms and corridors of our church. Missions and ministry require money, but consider the lives changed through Vacation Bible School, mission trips, and small groups. Gatherings require money, but consider the lives changed through worship and fellowship and Bible teaching. Yes, money is necessary for the work of the church, but the work of the church is to love and serve people toward being followers of Jesus.

For the first 30 years of my life, I loved money. I hit my young-adult stride in the spend-spend-spend 1980s. I loved the Lord, but I loved money more. I would not have admitted that fact, then, but my actions and words and emotions told the true story. I thought more about money than I thought about the Lord. Each week, I spent 2-3 hours at my church, but I spent 10x that energy thinking about and worrying over money. I was always looking for ways to make money. Most of my pursuit of money fell to two categories: (1) To fuel what I wanted (not needed) for myself and family; and (2) To keep up with other people (who didn’t really care anything about me). Satan used that worldly intoxication to put me on a roller coaster of highs and lows, always wanting, always reaching, and always wasting. It almost destroyed me and my family. In fact, were it not for the saving grace of Jesus and a complete surrender of my life to Him – it would have destroyed me. The past 22 years have been much simpler, and much more peaceful.

The then and now is why I can write so assuredly about faith and money.

Here are five things you should know:
1. Followers of Jesus don’t see money the way the world sees money.
The world – with Satan’s direct influence – sees money as a means to gather up and influence for the good of self. I watch people. Someone will go on a trip – it’s not long before their friends are going on the same trip only a little better. Someone will improve their yard – it’s not long before their friends are improving the yard. Someone buys a car – it’s not long before their friends are trading cars. Someone pays for their child to do this – it’s not long before friends are paying for their children to do the same. And, back and forth they go like rats in Satan’s wheel. Followers of Jesus see money as a tool to improve the lives of others, building relationships with others through which they (we) can talk about Jesus. The side of the ledger on which you and I fall - spending on self or spending on others -  is a barometer of our faith life. Look in the mirror. Talk to your spouse or close friends. Where are you with money – self or others? Do your actions reflect a believer or an unbeliever? There’s not a lot of gray. Because . . .

2. Followers of Jesus understand that everything belongs to God, including all of our money. That money you have? It’s not yours. It belongs to the Lord – every nickel and every dime. And, it’s not the IRS to whom you and I will account – it’s our Lord to whom we will account for our management of His money. Many alleged believers will nod their head at understanding this, but when it’s time to open the wallet they go brain dead. What? Suddenly, we cling to the wallet and hear Satan’s whisper, “They don’t deserve it. You need it. If you help them, you can’t do this or that for your own children.” Psalm 24:1 reminds us that “the Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” Wealth belongs to me and you – just like a child’s bedroom belongs to him. We have it to use, but it doesn’t belong to us.

3. Other than the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus spoke about money more than any other subject, and 11 of 39 parables involve money or commerce. Jesus knows that good and evil turn on the coin. Satan wins through our attitudes, worries and celebrations of how we use our money.
In Mark 12:17, Jesus looks at a coin, sees Caesar’s head on it, and says, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” Look at your life. Whose image is on your life? If my life bears the image of Jesus, my life belongs to Jesus. Unconditionally. Even today, all the money in my wallet bears the faces of government leaders and government monuments. Whose image is on my life? Have I confessed Jesus as my Savior? If so, have I turned from all the world calls important – including money – to follow Jesus, to trust Him, to trust that all things work to the glory of God, and to trust that He is greater than money – that He will provide for everything that I need according to His plan for me? Jesus says those who cling to and worship money – and over-focus on money – can’t possibly worship Him. That’s why he praises the poor woman in Luke 21-1-4 “For they (those who focus on small percentages of giving, but hoard the rest for self) have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” And, it’s why he condemns the money-worshippers in Luke 8:13 – “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Note: You have to fully engage Nos. 1 and 2, above, and embracing this one comes much easier. If I have a believer’s approach to money, I can cheerfully be ready to give away all that I have.

4. If God owns everything, and I am simply His steward, what does God want me to do with His money? Like many of you, who perhaps grew up in church, my mama would give me a little offering envelope each Sunday. And, she would give me a quarter to put in the envelope. She would say, “This is money for Jesus.” The Bible lays out several uses for money, including investing and providing for family and staying out of debt and more. But, everything is toward a goal of turning our money back into people. Even giving to the church is seeding our money into lives changed for Jesus. And, the more sacrificial the more we model God’s gift to us – His son Jesus. What are you and I doing without this year – giving that away to others in need? And, especially to those we don’t even know. Each of us, I believe, will give an account to the Lord for how we managed His stuff on Earth. (Revelation 20:12 – And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done.) Friends, a person’s deeds and actions, especially with regard to Biblical generosity, are clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with Jesus. Good works don’t get you in that eternal relationship, but they are a sign of the relationship’s existence.

5. As the church is a fellowship of believers, we can often do more with God’s money – together – than we can individually. And, while Scripture is clear that you and I have a personal responsibility to plow our money into others beyond church, it is clear that we have a responsibility to ALSO pool our money for greater impact. In Acts 2:44: “And all the believers met together constantly, and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. . . . And, each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.” Paul constantly writes about believers, through churches, supporting one another.

To the Kingdom of God, through the church and through your own private conviction by the Holy Spirit, you should be prepared to sell and give away everything that you have. Everything. Be prepared to give everything to the Lord. I came into this world naked, and from the first diaper everything was a gift from the Lord. Nothing is really mine.

Here’s my guide for giving:
“You must each decide in your own heart how much to give. And, don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And, God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.’ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving – the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-12).

What people need to know:
1. All our money belongs to God. Believers separate themselves from “it belongs to me” to “it belongs to God.”
2. As God sacrificed His son, Jesus, for us – we are to sacrifice what we have for others – especially those who have nothing.
3. We are to give generously because it’s not ours in the first place, and we should delight in giving away to those whom the Lord loves.
4. And, we can do more for the Kingdom together than we can do individually. Church giving, in additional to personal giving, is very important.

We will deflate the excuse that “the church is after my money” when we begin talking about lives changed, ministry empowered, love shared, and sanctuary found through being arm-in-arm with one another and having a Godly perspective of money.

Excuses - "Church is too emotional for me."

Sacrifice. It is a word rich in spirituality. It means giving up something precious to someone else. God sacrificed His son, Jesus, for us. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for our sins so that those who believe can be restored in a relationship with God the Father. We also talk about the word sacrifice within the context of our military and law enforcement personnel. These men and women sacrifice their lives to protect the world from tyranny. Parents make sacrifices, too, often giving up what they want or even need for family, especially children.

For the four years that I was in high school, I was a member of our school’s Key Club, which at that time was a young men’s service organization sponsored internationally by Kiwanis International, a community men’s service organization. I had a lot of success in Key Club, serving our local club as president, serving as a Georgia lieutenant governor, and finally serving as Georgia’s state governor during my senior year. As I advanced, the opportunities followed. I was able to attend international conventions at major U.S. cities, attend leadership development seminars in Chicago, and spent a long weekend at a leadership event at Valley Forge. I also had to have clothes to wear on all these trips. And, it all cost a lot of money. I was the oldest of four mouths to feed, and our country was mired in an economic recession not unlike the one we live in today. Times were tough. I had a part-time job at the local newspaper and so I was able to contribute to my own personal expenses. The organizations I served contributed, too. But, there was a gap that our family had to fill, financially. It would have been easy for my parents to sit me down and say, “You can’t pursue these opportunities because we just can’t afford it.” It would have put me in a position to make a sacrifice. But, they did not do that. Instead, they bore the sacrifice. We’ve never talked about it, but I know my mom, personally, visited with civic leaders to help raise money for me to be a leader in Georgia’s Key Club. I have a hunch my mom and dad sought out donations from family, which would not have been easy discussions. My dad got up before dark, drove to Atlanta every day, and got home about 10 p.m. to ensure the four of us children were able to do the things we wanted and needed to do as young people. My mom was almost never without a job during those times. And, while these were tense and stressful times, our family got through the valley okay. My parents sacrificed to see that their children did not; we children sacrificed by “not wanting” beyond what we needed.

It is very difficult for me to write and think about those days without becoming emotional. That doesn’t mean I always cry (though I have a lot). Sometimes the memories stir up compassion for and sacrifice for my own children, and for other people. Sometimes, the memories help me find a peaceful place, knowing that with our Lord all valleys come to an end. Mostly, memories of the sacrifices just weld deeper the love I have for my parents and family. When I think about how much I love them – well, tears of joy almost always follow in varying degrees. You see, sacrifice – a deeper, deeper form of giving – plows our lives together with others. We become so deeply woven that it’s impossible to avoid being emotional – even if it’s private – over the sacrifice.

Do you know why most people cry at the end of the move, “It’s A Wonderful Life”? It’s because George Bailey, at the end of his rope, is confronted by all his family and friends, who one-by-one express a level of compassion and sacrifice to help him out of the valley. Heck, I’m crying about it just writing these words. Understanding and appreciating sacrifice almost always brings about emotion.

Excuses - "I Don't Need The Church."

I enjoy exercise. I enjoy going to the gym at our church, getting on the elliptical and listening to my Zeppelin or ZZ Top for 30-40 minutes. Sometimes, there are good people there – I encourage them and they encourage me. I always feel better after I exercise, and if I get in a regular schedule . . . I sleep a lot better. But, here’s the deal: I’m hot and cold when it comes to exercise. I get out of the routine, and then I stop going, and then I set deadlines like this: “Okay, after this holiday, I’ll start back.” But, I never do. Because the longer and longer I put off going back, the less likely I am to go back. I don’t go back . . . despite how good I know it makes me feel. I develop a casual attitude toward exercise and my health suffers.

I believe that all believers are drawn to one another. (1 Corinthians 12:13). There is only one Holy Spirit. He resides in each follower of Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit within us that draws us toward other believers. I believe there are a lot of believers who know they should be in the fellowship of other believers. I believe they even want to be in the fellowship of other believers, but, like me and the gym, they have been so long outside the fellowship that it’s awkward and uncomfortable to get back in the rhythm. And, outside the fellowship, I can assure you – there is Satan’s playground and it doesn’t take long for him to surround the believer with unbelievers, and the trap door waits to be sprung. Look at families in despair, and then look at how woven they are with other believers through a local church. More often than not, the further we get from the fellowship with other believers the more we ache inside.

My excuses for not going to the gym? I’m too busy, it’s been too long and people there will give me grief, and I can exercise at home. All excuses. (I’ve never worked out at home. I once got all ready, but then poured a glass of grape soda and watched Bonanza instead.) Believers who are not engaged with a fellowship of believers - a church – have all kinds of excuses. All of them are just excuses. Most believers get comfortable using them because Satan convinces believers that the excuses are legitimate and justified. They are not and never will be.

So, I’m going to take four weeks and look at the Top 4 excuses for not being with church. And, I’ll work in reverse order.

No. 4 : “God is everywhere. So, I can be anywhere and worship God. I don’t have to be in church.” I’m not taking away from the power of corporate worship, but how sad it is to have narrowed the church to a one-hour service on Sunday morning.

While corporate worship is absolutely essential to the believer’s faith journey, Acts 2:42-47 gives us the characteristics of the church: Teaching ministry; fellowship ministry; communion (the Lord’s Supper, but also the integrating of lives with one another); and, prayer. They met together all the time. They shared everything they had. They worshipped together, and they practiced hospitality. You see, the fellowship of believers is being arm-in-arm with one another all the time – not just Sunday morning. The believer’s walk with other believers has never been about a one-hour service on Sunday morning. We are the church even when we are not at our church’s property.

A few years ago, I met a friend for breakfast. Once, he and his family were very active in our church. He was involved in several ministries. Then, they got out of the rhythm and ultimately stopped going, and the spread of absences increased until it just became hard to come back. Our breakfast gave me opportunity tell him how much we missed them in Sunday School. He said, “Scott, I’m a believer. We’re just busy on the weekends with our children, and I feel we can worship God wherever we are.”

He was right. God is everywhere, and as worship is a complete focus on honoring and glorifying God, he could worship God anywhere and everywhere.

But, just as I never work out at my home, would he worship God all by himself? Not regularly. Very doubtful. Ultimately, his life has proven out that he can’t do it.
But, he and his family also missed all the other benefits of being with a fellowship of believers.

I certainly can’t encourage others who exercise by working out all alone in my home. And, no one can encourage me, either. My physical and emotional health improves when I am with other people, in public, while exercising.

It’s the same with our faith journey. To experience the fullness of God’s love, through Jesus, we must be involved with other believers. And, that extends from the individual to the family.

In the New Testament book of Hebrews, (10:24-25) it’s written, “And, let us (believers) consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” These verses implore us to spur (incite – stir up) one another for love and service. God did not design believers to be completely independent of one another – He designed us to need one another for love and encouragement, and He caused us to love and encourage one another. To withdraw from corporate strength is like the soldier who lags behind in battle – he is at risk of danger, and he is outside the platoon’s reach of encouragement. But, even worse, he’s not there when needed to encourage and support the other soldiers. You see, we can’t be Christian consumers, only, because at some level that becomes sinful. If faith is all about what I receive then the focus becomes on self, and that’s the root of all sin. I can’t lag behind and be a consumer; I’ve got to be in the mix exercising my faith and allowing others to exercise their faith toward me.

I have started texting my college boys with this, “Who did you encourage today at church?” I am constantly telling them – “find a church where you can see God at work and where you can encourage others. There are lots of faith-based churches – find the one that fits your feet and begin the journey.”

The Hebrews 10:24-25 verses tell us something else: “let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

If the Lord came back to Earth today, and He absolutely could, do you want Him to find you separated from the church that He established, that He loves and cherishes like a husband loves his bride? (Ephesians 5:22-23)

Paul writes in Romans 12:5 . . . “So, in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

When people say they “don’t need church,” here’s what you and I need to understand:

1. They may not know Jesus. They know about Jesus, they may call themselves Christian, but they may have never confessed Jesus as Savior. Scripture is clear – believers need one another. Believers, through the Holy Spirit in each of us, are drawn to one another. Move beyond the church discussion to the faith discussion.
2. They may know Jesus, but they are not following Jesus. They have slipped into a consumer mentality, and don’t understand how much the church needs them.
3.  If they are discussing church (even negatively), let that be your cue that church is on their mind, that the Holy Spirit may be calling them to be with other believers. Don’t’ shrug it off – build a relationship, let them see the value of church to you and your family, and welcome them in to the fellowship.