The rhythm of practicing Jesus

As I listened to Aaron’s message today, I found myself at certain moments wanting to jump up and down, wave a huge neon-lit exclamation point high in the air, chanting “Yes! Yes!” I greatly resonated with his conviction that it’s not our resolves of self-driven efforts that will bring lasting change into our lives, but the frequent practice of habits driven by a heart moved with love, gratitude, and joy in what God had and is doing in our lives. The shift is from simply resolving to do good, to practicing habits that become virtues as they become embedded in our lives.

Quick question: name a place where you can practice these things on a regular, weekly basis. I have a big one for you: a small group. As you engage with others around that table or living room; share your stories, your struggles, your failures and pain; ask for prayer while praying for others—you are weaving the habit of deepening and sharpening your faith while anchoring it into the steady rhythm of your schedule. Not only that—by your willingness to carve out time and space in real time to practice your faith with others, you are securing a presence in both your private world AND public world to your Biblical values and convictions.

Did you know that in large part, the commands of Jesus Christ in the New Testament are relationship-based commands? Do an exhaustive read, and you’ll find twenty-one commands of things we are to practice (love, serve, encourage, forgive), and ten commands of things to avoid doing (slander, criticize)–all within the context of relating to others. Every writer of the New Testament includes a few in their letters to churches or people.

It’s hard to love when you’re isolated from people and live in your own bubble world. It’s tough to honor others when you have nobody to practice that on. It’s easy to accept others when it’s in the theoretical imaginations of your mind; but doing it with real people and personalities gets much, much tougher. Serving is easy and convenient when nobody is connected enough to you relationally to make it inconvenient and sacrificial to your preferences.

This is why I believe so firmly in our growth group ministry. It is the laboratory where you can practice the things you learn in a class at Living Word, or read in scriptures on your own. Remember in college when you had a class that had a laboratory connected to it as part of the requirements? You’d go to class, learn the information, then head to the lab to practice and flesh it out in real time.

The same goes for our spiritual life. We learn on Sunday morning or in our private reading, but until we flesh it out in real time and space, it doesn’t make much of a difference. When we get into the rhythm of practicing our faith, especially in relationships with others, we are challenged to depend on God and ask Him to give us the strength to love others in the ways He wants us to love.

Bottom line: the best place for you to anchor and embed these new desires and values, to forge a real-time and space faith is in a weekly commitment to a small group of friends and followers who are committed like you to asking God to reveal and confirm His purposes and practices in your personal and public world. It will also be the place, when you see them becoming real in your life, that will be the first to celebrate with you the transformation being a disciple of Jesus will make in you.

Inviting the Challenge

This is definitely not me...

This winter, I went skiing for the first time in 25 years. I was very nervous, considering I had major back surgery four years ago. I’ve slowly tried to increase my activity range, knowing my ceiling is a diminished because of the surgery. To my surprise, things went better than expected. It turned out to be a pleasant day skiing the bunny slopes, reliving an old recreation I hadn’t done in decades – and my back held up nicely.

So we arranged for a second occasion, looking for another pleasant experience.

But this time, I wanted to challenge myself. So I worked up the courage to try out the intermediate slopes in the morning, and then after lunch headed over to the black diamond runs for the “experts”.

It was definitely a challenge! The top of the diamond run looked like a cliff as I peered over the edge, and instead of flattening out and cruising to the lift chairs, the hill never leveled out. Period. At all.

My thighs were burning half-way down the run, and all I could do to stay in control and keep my speed down was turn, turn, and turn some more. But with screaming leg muscles, each turn was met with great resistant.  What seemed like an eternity to the bottom was in reality only about 2 minutes. I spent a few minutes bent over, panting and thanking God for keeping me intact in one piece.

But I wasn’t done.

Instead of calling it quits, I went back up a second time to do a better run – and endured more of the same. But I was determined not to give up until I could master it.

At one point, I asked the lift attendant if I was the only guy skiing this section of the mountain. “At least you won’t hit anybody!” he yelled as I went by in the chair lift.

I think he was watching me ski.

As you’re enjoying this summer, I want you to begin thinking about this upcoming year. I want to encourage you to take the challenge before you coming up this fall with your small group.

The challenge is this: what is God’s direction and desire for this group, and am I willing to be used by Him in whatever way possible to help make that happen?

·         What is it that God wants to do in you?

·         What might he want to do in your group?

Spend a moment praying for each returning member. Ask God to reveal to you things like…

·         What comes to mind when you think of them? 

·         What do you perceive is their greatest need right now?

·         What blessings do they bring to your group?

·         What season of life are they in?

We have a blessed privilege – to provide an environment of relational health and love for God to use in transforming and developing the hearts and souls of your members.

As a small group leader, you play a critical role in helping make that happen.

Look ahead and take the challenge in having God rock your world this fall.