It’s so easy for us to just go through the motions.
Have you ever noticed people sitting together in a restaurant but have their faces are in their phones? They have real-life human beings in front of them but are essentially ignoring them while having quality time with their device. These are people we probably even like and we still have challenging nurturing our relationship.
If we can essentially ignore people we care about and can see, think about our relationship with a God that can not be seen. I need to consistently bring my thoughts back in line so I can focus on an interactive conversation with people that I dearly love. You can imagine how much harder this is when we are talking about something important like prayer—typically a one-way conversation with God.
Balance
Apart from focus, balance in prayer can be very helpful. There are types or aspects of prayer that can be helpful (watch for more in a future post). Having a balanced view of God can also be extremely helpful. Sometimes, I fear we can forget the WHO of prayer. We know we are praying to God, but if we are not careful, we can have an inaccurate or incomplete view of God.
I find it helpful to occasionally remind myself of God’s character or attributes. In Time with God, I divided the prayer sections into four categories so that in a month, I can intentionally dwell on the majesty, gentleness, righteousness, and love of God respectively. Continue Reading…
Have you ever wondered why Jesus dwelled on earth for more than thirty years?
I’m not so much asking why Jesus came, although that is an interesting study. Today, I’m asking why Jesus stayed!
Can you imagine for a moment, if you or I lived in the amazing splendor of heaven and had to leave it for a special mission? That might be hard to imagine. Think of leaving the beauty of the Italian Riviera (coast and beaches) to go to on a mission to Newark, NJ. Then multiply both by a thousand. Wouldn’t you want to get back as quickly as possible?
If you can stretch your imagination far enough to imagine that you were the Messiah (don’t stay there too long or they’ll say you have a complex). If we were called on to save mankind, wouldn’t you pack a carry-on bag? You know, get in… get the job done…get out…back to our comfort zone.
The Point
Sometimes we can be so “bottom line” oriented that we can miss the real point.
Some manufacturing organizations have people who check for quality. I remember asking my uncle if he had quality control checks. His reply was automatic. “You don’t check for quality. You put it in in the first place!” The point was if you create a process that leads to the desired outcome, reinforce the process then you’ll get the right product. Keep that in mind, we’ll come back to it.
I see so many people struggling to find their purpose in life. They’re asking, where do I fit in? What’s my role in this world?
We are considering the questions of Why did Jesus come? And more so, why did he stay? The next logical question might be, “Why are we still here?” If I am truly saved, why doesn’t God just take us up to Heaven right away?
Why Do We Stay?
How do we begin answering a question like that? May I suggest that by examining times when Jesus said why he came, what he commanded, and what he commissioned while he was physically present, we can begin to see what he wants to accomplish through us?
(Note: I plan to write about the Great Commandment in the next post. Today, I want to focus on three areas.)
He Came to Show Compassion
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matt 9:35–36
When people looked at Jesus, they saw someone who cared deeply about them and their situation. While modeling holiness, the only people who felt judged where those who trusted in their own righteousness. The ones who felt that Jesus wasn’t quite religious enough.
When people look into our eyes, do they sense love or judgment?
How can we show them Jesus means LOVE?
He Came to Serve
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mat 20:25–28
Contrast the two philosophies. What’s in it for me? How can I help? Which one do we really live by…in the marketplace? at work? at Church? at home?
Would those who are closest to us say that we model servanthood? What are some ways we can develop a servant’s heart?
He Came to Seek and to Save
Jesus said to (Zacchaeus the Tax Collector), “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10–11
Think about that for a bit. Jesus came to SEEK. Jesus was very pro-active as he sought out those in need. He covered an amazing territory on foot.
Jesus came to SAVE. He endured great pains to secure salvation for you and me.
In John 20:21, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Essentially, Jesus is saying, I gave you an example to follow. God has a mission for you to accomplish. Matthew records Jesus’ words to the original Disciples (and to us), “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations ….
As we call ourselves Christ followers, it’s time to ask, “Am I really following Christ?” “Am I doing the things he would do if he were physically here?”
How do we respond to opportunities to represent or share Christ?
Do we…
create opportunities?
respond to divine appointments?
miss the boat because our face is in our phone?
If we are to grow more and more like Christ, how are we doing in the process? Are we still expecting God to one day to magically turn us into a fully sanctified Christ-follower like the proverbial magician pulling a rabbit out of the hat? Or are we committed to the process o growing in Christlikeness?
You might continue this study on your own. Grab your favorite Bible app, software, or even a paper concordance and search for times when Jesus says, “I came to …”. Or instances where the Epistle writers said, “Jesus came to …” Please share your results in the comments below.
I am convinced we can’t live without encouragement and accountability — at least not live well. Some people have an image of a spiritually mature Christian off on a mountaintop just me and my Bible alone with God. That might be a nice place to visit — but that’s not where God wants us to live. God uses many people in our lives to help us grow in our relationship with him and our effectiveness for him!
Along with spending time with God through his word and prayer, Christian fellowship is critically important for us to grow and be effective in our walk with God. Encouragement and accountability are two key ingredients of fellowship. We need both of those on a regular basis AND I’m convinced that God longs to use us to provide these in someone else’s life as well. Continue Reading…
As I write this post, our nation is still dealing with the aftermath of the senseless and tragic deaths of seventeen high school students in Parkland, FL just twelve days ago. The ramifications are many fold and the finger pointing and defensiveness over missed clues will go on for a while longer.
Two aspects of the story stand out for me, and many others—one potentially tragic the other potentially heroic. I say “potentially” for both points because the story is still being written and/or investigated. Only time will tell the full story.
The potential heroes emerging out of the story are the impressive surviving students who are intelligent, articulate, and extremely motivated by personal experiences that few people could ever even imagine enduring. It is encouraging to see their tenacity to seize the moment and call for balanced and responsible action to prevent future school shootings. #NeverAgain is the hashtag of a movement whose time may be now.
Often, survivors of a tragedy are plagued be survivor guilt. I imagine some of the Parkland students may be experiencing that. But I can only imagine that more would be suffering needlessly had it not been for the courageous response of the students who chose to fight. Those courageous students who raised their voice to call for action have given the Parkland survivors—indeed students from around the country—the courage to rally together and to speak out as the nation takes notice. May their tribe increase.
The other side of the story—the potentially tragic figure—will have to wait for the next post. The potential heroes deserve the spotlight for now.
I have long heard that public speaking is ranked as one of people’s greatest fears-usually higher than their fear of death. Recently, I became aware that many people share a common fear of certain technology as well — the fear that they’ll never get it. Oddly enough, two of those great fears converge in our modern setting for public speaking and PowerPoint (or any other presentation software).
Unfortunately, many presenters and audiences share that same fear of the dreaded PowerPoint. Some presenters don’t even know where to start when it comes to PowerPoint. Some audiences fear Death by PowerPoint.
I have been speaking with and without software for over thirty years. I’d like to offer some encouragement and suggest a few simple, but powerful, principles to save your next presentation.
Can We Talk?
Allow me to slip into motivational mode for a bit. Often our fear is based on the unknown or the worst possible outcome. It may help to realize that most of our fears are much worse than the reality could EVER be. I heard a great acronym that can help take the teeth out of fear. F E A R = False Evidence Appearing Real.
Sometimes we allow fears to paralyze us into inaction. Some fears in our life are good. They keep us from doing foolish or dangerous things. Other times fear keeps us from the success and effectiveness that we were destined and designed for.
The other major cause of fear is the unknown. We don’t fully know or understand something, so we’re unsure and unskilled. Learning new concepts and new skills can be solid ways to “punch fear in the face” (as Jon Acuff would encourage us to do). To overcome the fear of the unknown, sometimes learning new skills is all we need.
Overcome Your Fear of Technology
One of the reasons that Bill Gates and Microsoft are as wealthy as they are is that they have created a product that is generally intuitive and relatively easy to use. I realize some readers will laugh hysterically at that while other readers will find great comfort in those words. Continue Reading…
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Why I wrote the book!
Personally, I have often found it helpful to have a variety of resources available to help me stay focused during prayer. I share this not because I am a spiritual giant. Rather, I often find it such a struggle to stay focused in prayer that I have had to discover or develop tools to help.
I have found three resources, or methods, immensely helpful in developing confidence and consistency in my own prayer life. In this book, I weave all three of those methods together for a powerful combination.
At the heart of Time with God, is a desire to help develop the habit of communicating with God in practical and powerful ways. Practical, because I will balance four different aspects of prayer. Powerful, because we will use God’s Word as the basis for many of our prayers.
This book is filled with Scripture verses translated from the original languages that have been reworded into prayers. They are chosen to help us nurture and develop our focus on God and our love for him. As you get more comfortable with the concept, it will revolutionize the way you read the Bible on your own.
Here are just two sample prayers:
Adoration
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; my lips will praise you! So, I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name.
—Modified from Psalm 63:3
Confession
Please forgive me for not allowing your love to flow through me. So often, I am not patient or kind. Forgive me for times when I envy, or brag, or am proud and seek my own way instead of what’s better for others.
—Modified from 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Do you have a safe place?
A judgement-free zone. A place where you can feel free to share what’s on your mind without worrying that people will be so scandalized they’ll never talk to you again.
Do you have a stretching place that challenges you?
A mediocrity-free zone. A place that inspires you and motivates you to be better.
We need both. We need a place where we can be accepted as we are AND a place where we can be challenged to be more than we ever thought we could be. We need a place that can handle the worst in us AND a place that brings out the best in us.
We call it “a safe place” or “a stretching place”, but really the “place” is secondary to the relationships that happen there. The people are what makes the place scary or safe–discouraging or encouraging.
BigStockPhoto.com 65273749 Leungchopan
A Great Example
As Christ-followers, we have the greatest example of this concept. God saved us by grace while we were still in sin and had nothing to offer him. He knew who we were and that we were incapable of pleasing him in our own strength. But he choose to love, save and even adopt us into his family. We were accepted and adopted as we were. THEN, God sets out to help build us into a new creation to display his glory to the world. Consider these three examples. Continue Reading…
If you attend a church at all, I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts and experiences. That means if you lead in, serve in, or even just show up occasionally to a local church, your thoughts and experiences could be a tremendous help to me and others working hard to help people love God and love people.
Nothing to buy! No political banter. No new scandals. No promises to make the next year AMAZING!!!!
Depending on your answer to the first question, you will see a page with 3 or 11 questions. Typically, people can reply to all the questions in under 3 minutes. Some people choose to share a little more in depth, but that is completely optional.
You can remain completely anonymous unless you would like to be informed as the project develops.
You will not need a #2 pencil and you can leave your books open during the survey but please close the browser tab with the cute kitten videos. I don’t think any survey can compete with kittens.
Thank you so much for your help. Please feel free to share this with your church friends and family. I have over 450 responses so far. 1,000 would be awesome and extremely helpful. 10,000 would be even more bettererererer.
Have you ever noticed that some people just can’t take a compliment?
I invest a ton of time and energy reminding Christ-followers (including myself) of the importance of encouraging one another. But have you noticed that some people are hard to encourage?
They may not even realize it. But a compliment triggers something inside them that shouts, “you are unworthy.” For whatever reason, they feel awkward being appreciated.
Copyright: ivelin DepositPhoto18908817
Before I mention the three steps to accepting a compliment let’s briefly look at some reasons people struggle.
Why Some People Can’t Receive a Compliment
Insecurity or Fear
They might be afraid that they can’t live up to the higher standard in the future. Some people have been bullied into submission by friends or family members afraid of being outshined. They’ve been conditioned to think it is unsafe to be celebrated.
Perfectionism
They might feel unworthy because they are intensely aware of the imperfections in the product or performance that the average person would never even notice.
Pride
This comes from a different place. To give the benefit of the doubt, some people have worked very hard to be able to fulfill their role in life. Whether it be an entertainer, teacher, speaker, or political leader, they may feel that the average person isn’t even qualified to evaluate their performance. To be fair, I’m not sure I would want to have an untrained person conduct an annual review that would impact my salary or job security. But anytime we offer a product or service to the world, every single consumer is in the position to evaluate our offering as worthy of their time and hard-earned money.
Whatever the reason, I have seen people so uncomfortable in receiving a compliment, that they belittle or even abuse the person giving the compliment. In an effort to appear humble, some people reject the compliment by criticizing themselves to compensate for the compliment. I’m often amazed at how willing humans are to pounce on the self-destruct button.
How to Give a Compliment
I write much about how to encourage people but for now, I want to focus on an important character trait—humility. Continue Reading…
If you’ve ever worked or volunteered much at a church, you know there are many aspects of ministry to balance. It can be overwhelming and balls can get dropped.
There are four major components to my personal philosophy of ministry. There will be aspects of ministry that may not be included here, however, the following helps me organize my thoughts and efforts.
Image credit: 6kor3dos DepositPhoto.com/11826108
Focus
Based on John 10:10, as well as ministry and life experiences, I am convinced that in any Christian endeavor two supernatural beings are always at work. God is at work to promote life and our enemy is at work to thwart life and growth and sabotage spiritual progress. Therefore, we need to actively choose to focus our attention on what God is doing in any given situation rather than on what Satan is doing. I am firmly convinced that our attitudes in life are greatly controlled by the one on whom we set our focus. That is the one we actually serve. Therefore, my personal philosophy of ministry is to first maintain my own focus on what God and what he is doing and then to help others stay focused upon God and be an asset to what He’s doing in their lives.
Feed
In the practical outworking of the above principle, I see God entrusting a flock to a pastor’s or teacher’s care with the expectation of their being returned to Him having been well fed, strengthened and protected. Col 1:27-29 speaks of bringing the flock to maturity for God in Christ’s strength. Eph 4:11-16 paints a picture of believers being equipped for works of service so that the body would be a built up, unified, mature, loving and growing organism. I believe these goals are best achieved by sound biblical instruction given in an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion. Efforts will likely include:
Opportunities for people to evaluate where they are in their walk with God along with suggestions and resources to grow during the upcoming season.
Expository preaching of Bible books and occasional topical, yet expository, messages.
Relevant and engaging teaching during Sunday School/Adult Bible Fellowship or other opportunities (seminars, webinars, workshops, conferences, etc.)
Small Groups that help people discover God’s word and his people in a deeper way.
Specialized small groups designed to offer a forum for the questioning and a support for the struggling.
Well-planned prayer meetings would also help maintain focus in, and excitement about how God is working in and through the various ministries of the church.
Find
The choice of the word “find” for ministry to unbelievers is deeply rooted in my philosophy of evangelism. I often view the evangelist as a kind of spiritual midwife. We are not the parent, but we are there to aid in the birthing process. The relationship of the pre-natal child and the parent has long been established and the midwife would not think of doing anything to hinder that relationship. Therefore, rather than striving for a decision or to manufacture spiritual sensitivities, prayerful efforts should be made to discern those in whom God is already working and seek to be an asset in that process.
We need to teach evangelism as a lifestyle proving ourselves good stewards of God’s grace. Teaching on evangelism should be careful to equip the experienced without overwhelming the novice. Telling people about God’s involvement in our lives should be a natural outflow of a child in love with her Father. We must also reinforce the truth that we are in partnership with God and not resemble a multi-level-marketing strategy.
While many choose to focus their efforts on the saved or the unsaved, I am greatly indebted to training from Child Evangelism Fellowship who taught that you may never really know where your audience is spiritually. Therefore, each Bible teaching should include a point of application for the saved and a point of application for the unsaved.
Family
I am thoroughly convinced of the communal nature of the Body of Christ. Not only does God save us, he also adopts as children into his family where we can be encouraged, nurtured, and developed to maturity. The sheer volume of “one-another” passages in the Bible clearly show that Christian fellowship is not just a nice fringe benefit but an essential dynamic of God’s plan.
Hebrews 10:19-25 also show how this should be a key component of our regular gatherings. I am concerned that this could be a missing ingredient in many churches in our day. Beyond the obvious reason of meeting to worship God, the author of Hebrews helps us to realize one of the purposes of meeting together is to encourage one another. We are to follow Jesus’ example and come together to serve rather than be served. Interestingly, if everyone comes together with that mindset each member will leave having served and having been served as well.
“Let us encourage one another” is not just an empty or fluff command. Webster defines encouragement as “to impart courage.” Then defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, and difficulty.” This is exactly the spirit the author is trying to instill in his readers. As we encourage each other, we are to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. I can’t help but wonder what God could do in our world through bands of believers who regularly leave our gatherings encouraged by the body and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
As Christ-followers, our main task is to love God and to love people. I have learned that when we seek God first, we can trust Him to care for our needs, then we can focus on building into the lives of those God puts around us.
I live to help people live out that goal. My focus, here, is to encourage and equip as God gives opportunity.
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About Kevin
Rock and roll was my life! I was a disc-jockey on radio and in night clubs. I used to entertain people for a night; now I can impact people for eternity.
My background includes Christian radio, church-planting in Milan, Italy and local pastoral ministry in the U.S. My first book, Time with God is available on Amazon.
You can learn more on the about page. Visit PastorKevin.net for speaking and pulpit supply.
Visit NarrationByKevin.com for voice-over booking.
