A Question to the Pastor...and His Answer

A friend of mine recently shared this with me and I thought it was worth reposting. It really stirred and touched my heart. A young man asks his Pastor a question. Then, his Pastor replies. Hello Pastor.

I have a question; I hope you can give me some input. I recently became friends with people of the Muslim practice. We exchanged what our beliefs were and how they differ. (In a friendly way.) But this thought has ached at me for months now. How do we know, as Christians, we are correct? How do we know our religion, our denomination, our practice is correct?

S

Dear S,

You have asked an important and complicated question. How do we know that our religion is correct?

Of course, we have valid reasons to be a bit uncomfortable about the implications within the question. It’s disconcertingly easy for the Pakistani Muslim, the Indian Hindu, the Thai Buddhist, the Israeli Jew, and the American Christian to each simply assume that their native religion is the true one. So is it just a matter of geographical luck if you happen to end up in the true religion? After all, the vast majority of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and Christians did not undertake an objective study of comparative religions and arrive at a conclusion. No, they were born into a family and nation where their particular religion was culturally dominant. (Yes, every religion has its converts from other religions, but these make up a tiny minority.)

But am I suggesting that we should engage in an objective study of comparative religions? No. In fact, I think such an undertaking is impossible. Not inadvisable, but literally impossible. You can only experience a religion by being a believer within the faith and practice of that religion. Religion cannot be approached objectively. The very nature of religion prevents this. For example: One can be thoroughly versed in the teachings of the New Testament (a scholar even) and be well acquainted with Christian theology and worship, church history and practice and still not believe. Which is to say it is thoroughly possible to be an expert on Christianity and not be a Christian. Bart Ehrman would be an example. (And Bart Ehrman would agree.) Or to say it another way: I could become an expert on the Koran and Islam, but that alone would not make me a Muslim. Faith is the essence of religion, not empirical knowledge. We cannot study religions like we do insects. Well, we can, but being an expert on grasshoppers does not make you a grasshopper. And being an expert on Hinduism doesn’t make you a Hindu. Religious faith is a subjective experience — not objective empirical knowledge.

Which is to say you don’t know what it means to be a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, Christian…until you are one! And to be one, is to not be the other. So comparison becomes impossible.

The modern, sloppy notion that we can mix-and-match religions like we do pants and socks is utter nonsense. The modern person who says, “I’m a Buddhist-Hindu-Muslim-Christian” is in reality a secularist wearing religious accessories. The truth is they know virtually nothing about what it means to actually be a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian.

The nature of religion based in faith makes the comparative religion project ultimately impossible.

To be an adherent of a religion is to believe, and faith is not an object of empirical inquiry.

I believe Jesus is risen from the dead. But I cannot prove it.

(I do believe the resurrection is the most reasonable explanation for the empty tomb and the rise of Christianity, but it cannot be proven.)

I have my own subjective experience with the risen Christ. But I cannot prove it. I can only witness to it. It will be up to my hearers as to whether or not they believe my witness.

That which actually makes me a Christian is nothing that can be empirically proved…which is why it’s called faith!

(Attempting to worship at the altar of Christ and the altar of empiricism at the same time creates the terrible conundrums suffered by modern Western Christians — ultimately one must be subordinate to the other.)

Furthermore, in the framing of your question you hint at an additional problem. If we want to empirically “know” that Christianity is the true religion, that leads us to the next question: Which Christianity? Orthodox? Catholic? Anglican? Protestant? Evangelical? OK, let’s say you choose Evangelical. Which Evangelical? Baptist? Which Baptist? (There’s hundreds of species of Baptist!) You see the problem. With an empiricism-based approach to religion you wind up in the dead-end alley of “I’m right and everybody else is going to hell.” Which I think you are instinctively trying to avoid.

So what are we to do?

We are to believe in Jesus.

By a leap of faith we believe in Jesus because of our own subjective (and unverifiable to anyone else) experience with the risen Christ.

I only believe in “Christianity” because I have come to believe in Jesus.

I don’t spend a lot of time (none really) arguing with a Muslim or Hindu that Christianity is “correct” and Islam and Hinduism are “wrong.” That’s always going to be a dead-end.

I do talk about Jesus. I do tell the gospel stories. I do witness to my own experience with Jesus.

In other words, I put my faith in Jesus to personally reveal himself to other individuals in a way that only he can. It’s not my task to prove Jesus or Christianity. I am simply a witness to Jesus. And Jesus will have to do the heavy lifting. Jesus will have to prove himself.

So in a technically empirical sense I do not “know” that Christianity is correct as compared with any other religion. But I don’t need to. I know Christ. Non-empirically. Subjectively. Personally. By the Spirit. And this is enough. More than enough.

To the Christian who feels the need to anxiously defend Christianity in an empirical sense vis-á-vis other religions I want to say this: Just know Jesus. That’s enough. Just witness to Jesus. That’s all you can do. If Jesus can’t prove himself, then Christianity is not worth proving. I believe Jesus can prove himself — he can make himself known. He made himself known to me. And that’s all I can say.

I hope this helps.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian

P.S. I recommend being friends with everyone you can be friends with!

Surprises About Forgiveness

This week we dedicated a full day of our CPx training to matters of the heart. A ministry called "Fresh Start" came in walked us through a biblical view of forgiveness helping leaders to admit and release past offenses, hurts and losses. Through the process there were several surprising pearls of forgiveness that I want to share:

1. Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is a decision and a process. 
2. Forgiveness gives up all rights to apologies, explanations, fairness and justice.
3. Forgiveness means Jesus is enough and you owe me nothing more.
4. Forgiveness is a command and always possible (even if the offender is dead or unwilling). Reconciliation is not always possible...and that is ok.
5. Forgiveness does NOT equal trust.
6. Forgiveness does NOT mean you forget.
7. There is no such thing as "forgiving God" -- he is sinless. It is an authority issue, not a forgiveness issue.
8. There is no such thing as forgiving yourself. There is no Biblical example of this. This is more of pride issue and learning surrender to the Lord.

Venting = Gossip?

I was in a meeting recently where we were discussing gossip and how sinful it is and how destructive it is to relationships and communities. One person in the meetings asked this question:

Doesn't every person need a safe place to vent?

I realized something. Every time I hear the word "venting," my spirit has a negative reaction. Always have. I have even used it and not liked it when it came out of my mouth. Why? Because almost every single time someone "vents" they gossip. It just seems like a pretty way of masking the sin of gossip.

Vent literally means "to give free expression to strong emotion".

After the question about venting was asked, another voice perks up and says:

Isn't that what a quiet time is for?

And it hit me! Yes! This is how it should work. Rather than take the risk of gossip by "venting", turn to Jesus and dump it all!

And then today, I encountered these verses:

Psalm 62:8, "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

Psalm 142:1-2, "I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble."

So, I wonder....shouldn't Jesus be enough for us to get out all of our venting? Or are we worried that he may not agree with us and tell us what we want to hear?

Not a Coincidence

In recent years the unrest, war and terror in our world have been sharply increasing. I have to be honest. I don't really get the Middle East. I'm gonna guess I'm not alone. I bet many of you don't either. I don't fully understand all the issues. All the underlying brokenness. All the fighting. All the riots. All the different strands of Islam. And why they fight each other. What I do understand is this: Jesus wants to see his name worshipped in every corner of the earth!! And it's not happening yet. I also understand that any peace outside of the peace of Jesus is a counterfeit peace.  And any love outside of the love of my loving Father is a counterfeit love. So, regardless of all I don't know and don't understand about the complexities of our world's conflict and the political turmoil right now, I'm here. Writing this from the very center of where bombs and swords and hatred are taking lives. And regardless of all I don't know....I DO know that Jesus is the only hope for healing. And so we've gathered. To storm the throne of God for breakthrough.

The timing is not a coincidence. On the very week that the kingdoms of this world (even my country of origin) decide to take violent action to solve the problems, we gather to admit that we cannot solve the problems. It's not a coincidence that just after nations decide to conquer, we gathered to surrender. As citizens of this upside down kingdom, we can't take matters into our own hands, we have no option but to place things in God's hands. And this is no coincidence. Actually, I think it's a divine symbol.

The bottom line is clear and simple: the world is in desperate need of healing and peace...and it can only find it in Jesus, the prince of peace.

So, we are praying like crazy and strategizing with the help of the Holy Spirit. We need people to GO! Maybe it's you?

Rethinking Church

I have followed Francis Chan's journey closely over the years. We resigned from Pastoring on the same Sunday back in 2010. And our journeys have been wildly parallel. This video is 11 minutes, but basically lays out much of what we do here, that he is now doing in San Francisco. The website for their new "church" is http://wearechurch.com. I love it! Right up my alley. I am so encouraged by the way the Spirit of God is moving all over the earth to return His church back what Jesus and the Apostles started. So cool! Take time to look at this video and website.

Fidel Castro, Chairman Mao and Church Planting

I have thought much about church size over the last few years. I used to think that bigger was better because it meant more people. Now I think that smaller is better because it means healthier churches and more churches...which leads to even more people. The New Testament is into multiplication. So is Jesus. So, we want to multiply disciples and churches as fast as we can. The harvest is great and the task is unfinished. But I am NOT anti large churches! I am just pro small churches. I have learned that you do not need to be against one thing to be for another.

That said....want to hear something crazy that I learned today?

What do Fidel Castro, Chairman Mao and Church planting have in common? Crazy question, huh?

Well, they actually have a lot in common. In a roundabout way, Castro and Mao both helped start a church planting movement!

Out of fear that churches would become political and threaten the government, both Mao and Castro demanded that churches not exceed a certain size (about 15) and meet in homes. They thought this was the right way to protect themselves and slow the spread of the church.

Guess what happened? The opposite. In both cases, it forced the church into health and multiplication. Small churches that were obeying Jesus together began multiplying rapidly all over both nations and today there are church planting movement in both Cuba and China as a result.

This is one of those beautiful ways that the Lord uses evil for good.

Thank you, Castro. Thank you, Mao. Above all, thank you, Jesus!

When Lying is Rewarded

(Disclaimer: Please read the whole thing instead of drawing phrases out. And please do not read into this post that you have a license to start lying...that is not the point....you don't.) While attending a training yesterday, we explored the realities of serving the persecuted church. We looked at the 10 most persecuted countries on the earth today. Maybe you want to know what they are? Read them here.

In order to bring the gospel to these nations, believers are often asked to do things that collide with their faith in Jesus. Often, they are faced with serious situations where they must decide to lie or tell the truth. Most Christians would quickly just spout out why lying is wrong. Period. But wait a minute. Don't put the period there too fast.

First, take a look at the following stories/passages in the Bible where LYING or DECEPTION is REWARDED:

• Exodus 1:15-23
• Exodus 2:1-10
• Acts 9:19-31
• Acts 12:12-19
• Acts 5:17-32
• I Samuel 21:1-31
• I Kings 18:1-15
• Joshua 2:1-11

All of these stories have several things in common:

• The person was asked or expected to do something they did not feel was right in the eyes of God.
• The person(s) lied or deceived the civil (or other) authorities.
• They were rewarded by God and/or man.

Now, you are probably thinking about all the times in the Bible where God punishes lying...like Abraham. Or Ananias and Sapphira. And many others. And the many places in Proverbs and beyond that out right tell us that "the Lord hates lying lips". I am with you all the way. Lying is wrong. Almost all the time. Almost? Yes, almost.

I believe in lying.

I believe in truth.

The Bible teaches lying being rewarded.

The Bible teaches lying condemned.

And we must take into account the whole counsel of God, and stop using Romans 13 out of context.

So, here is the bottom line: When there is a direct contradiction between what God wants and what civil authorities want, choose God! Our first and highest loyalty is to the heart of God and His kingdom, not to worldly governments. And THIS is the very thing that scares governments...that followers of Jesus actually have a loyalty to something higher than them. These situations will be VERY RARE and most people will live and die having never faced a situation where they have to make this decision. But I have already in my short years in missions. And I am sure I will again.

It is all summed up for me in Acts 5:29 as they are facing great persecution for the sake of the Kingdom: We must obey God, rather than man!! 

Discipleship Roundtable, August 5

I love discipleship. I love church. I love leaders. I love Jesus. And I love to talk. ;-) So, I am setting aside a day when I am stateside for a roundtable gathering to facilitate some sharing and conversation around...

"Becoming a disciple-making leader and a leading a disciple-making church." 

I am inviting any Pastors, leaders, elders, ministry leaders, small group leaders, missions-hearted people....anyone that loves discipleship and church and Jesus!!! You are welcome.

Come!  Join me. Let's talk. I will be happy to share what we are learning, what we are trying, where we are winning and where we are failing.

When? Tuesday, August 5 from 9am until 3pm. (Lunch is provided.)

Where? Capital Christian Fellowship. 10411 Greenbelt Road, Lanham, Maryland.

Come and bring a few leaders with you. I would love to spend the day with you.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend by emailing me at noah dot ccf at gmail dot com.  Please let me know before August 1.

On our way to the USA

This past weekend, we graduated 34 CPx students and this morning we welcomed 20 of them as Full Time Staff at All Nations to serve with us in Cape Town. Most of them will now start the process of being prepared to be sent to various nations to make Jesus known. We are thrilled for what has happened in their lives, but glad it is over! Hard, rewarding work. And the Lamb is Worthy! Jesus is always worthy! Now, our family (all 4 of us) departs Thursday for America and arrives Friday afternoon, July 4th in Washington DC! We are getting very excited! As we prayed, we felt that the theme of this trip is "deepening relationships!" The longer we are gone from our sending network, the more important it becomes to cherish each hour with you. We hope we get to see as many of you as possible. Please reach out to us. We love you and would thank the Lord for any time we get with you.

Here are some of our plans (Please note that we still have two open Sundays to speak in churches! Hint, hint.):

• July 4: Arrive in USA
• July 5: Family!
• July 6: Capital Christian Fellowship (speaking and connecting)
• July 6-21: Noah attending CPx Training in Kansas City, MO (you near there?). Tricia and the kids with family and friends in MD and NY.
• July 21-28: Maryland (family, friends, fundraising)
• **Sunday, July 27: Still available to speak in a church. Invitations welcomed.**
• July 29-31: Lancaster, Pennsylvania (You near there?)
• August 1-12: Maryland (family, friends, fundraising)
• **Sunday, August 3: Still available to speak in a church. Invitations welcomed.**
• August 5: Discipleship Roundtable Gathering (9am-3pm, Capital Christian Fellowship in Lanham, MD)
• August 10: Capital Christian Fellowship (Sending and Partners Reception)
• August 12: Fly back to Africa

Would you support us in prayer over these next weeks?

For strength and grace in travel and transition as a family...

For open doors for meetings, groups, churches, business people to share our mission with...

For favor in raising new financial supporters and increase from current donors...

For precious people-time to deepen relationships with family and friends...

For humility and passion to tell the stories of what the Lord is doing in Africa and around the world...

Thank you for your prayers and love! Thank you for your friendship.

Noah, Tricia, Davis and Lily

Unsafe People

I just recently read a book called "Safe People" by Cloud and Townsend. It was a good one and goes well together with the book "Boundaries."  I told a friend of mine that if you read these two books together, you significantly reduce your chances of being hurt. :-) One of the sections of "Safe People" dealt with defining unsafe people. I found it helpful to identify the common traits of unhealthy people laid out in a list like this. Here they are:

1. Unsafe people think they have it all together instead of admitting their weakness.

2. Unsafe people are religious instead of spiritual.

3. Unsafe people are defensive instead of open to feedback.

4. Unsafe people are self-righteous instead of humble.

5. Unsafe people only apologize instead of changing their behavior.

6. Unsafe people avoid working on their problems instead of dealing with them.

7. Unsafe people demand trust instead of earning it.

8. Unsafe people believe they are perfect instead of admitting their faults.

9. Unsafe people blame others instead of taking responsibility.

10. Unsafe people lie instead of telling the truth.

11. Unsafe people are stagnant instead of growing.

12. Unsafe people avoid closeness instead of connecting.

13. Unsafe people are only concerned about "I" instead of "we".

14. Unsafe people resist freedom instead of encouraging it.

15. Unsafe people flatter us instead of confronting us.

16. Unsafe people condemn us instead of forgiving us.

17. Unsafe people stay in parent/child roles instead of relating as equals.

18. Unsafe people are unstable over time instead of being consistent.

19. Unsafe people are a negative influence on us, rather than a positive one.

20. Unsafe people gossip instead of keeping confidence.

Now the question is: What do we do with them? Unsafe people need love to.

Loving Your Kids on Purpose

I just finished reading the book "Loving Your Kids on Purpose" By Danny Silk. SOOO GOOD!!! I really liked it a lot. Tricia is on the last chapter and then we will be discussing it and watching the DVDs. As I read, I almost always tell Siri all my favorite parts. Well, here they are. It is long, but there are some pearls here. Enjoy!

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The idea that there is somebody who has all the control and somebody who has none -is the root of all evil in relationships. That is the biggest lie you could ever teach your child. And it completely misrepresents the way that Jesus functions. This is a disrespect factory. You cultivate high levels of disrespect in your family system when you teach people: there's one of us who has power, and it's not you!

Obedience and behavior control is not the primary goal! Love and relationship is. It is very easy to mistake things with a compliant child. It's easy to mistake obedience for a good relationship. As long as the child is doing what you say, your relationship seems fine. Moment obedience is threatened, the relationship is threatened. This basically makes children resent you behind your back and they will never end up carrying your values or protecting your heart when you're not around. That fear based obedience. Not honest or genuine love.

We can create freedom that flows from the inside or constraints that flow from the outside. But God's kingdom is full of freedom and we better teacher children early how to operate with loads of freedom and choice. And we must introduce freedom to our small children and allow them to practice messing it up while they still have a safety net in our home and the stakes aren't as high.

This get at the heart: Nothing will ever be more important than my connection to you, kids. Your homework will never be more important than my connection to you. Your obedience, your respect level and your success will never be more important to me than my connection to you! I am here to help cast out the anxiety in your life and to have a deep heart connection with you.

You cannot control other people, and nobody can control you but you. We can learn very young that anger and violence will help us get the results we want from other people. And then we subtly do it with our children. This is not Kingdom parenting! If you do that one more time, I'm going to pull this car over…. I swear if I hear you say that again I'm going to… these are just not appropriate parenting methods.

Fear and love are opposites, biblically. If we want to create a normal for our family relationships in which love rules our interactions, then we simply must refuse to partner with any and all fear and punishment.

Now, the cool thing is that when we believe that we are the only ones who can control us and we exercise the power of self-control toward loving God, our spouses, and our children we are partnering with the Holy Spirit and inviting his kingdom to reign in our homes. But when we partner with a spirit of fear, we invite the kingdom of intimidation, manipulation, and anger to reign. The spiritual environment in our homes really boils down to the presence of either fear or love. No matter what your intentions or goals are as a parent, the fact is that you are cultivating a loving or fearful spiritual environment in your home, and that is what is really influencing your children.

You will never care well for kids until we care well for ourselves. We have to first protect what we have and gain some things before we can give it away.

We must set boundaries. Boundaries communicate value for what is inside those boundaries. If you have several junk cars out in the field it's called an eyesore. You put a fence around those cars, then you have a wrecking yard. If you put a building around those cars you have a garage. With each increase of limits you increase the value of what's inside. When you raise the level of what you require before you will allow access, you increase the value of what you are protecting.

Some parents have absolutely no boundaries for their children and basically are communicating to their kids that their heart and their needs don't matter at all. They have let their kids know that they do not respect themselves. So why should the kids respect them? But there are also other parents who are more aggressive and teach their kids that they have an electric fence around their lives and they need to stay away or they will get zapped. My needs matter and yours don't. Both of these extremes are very unhealthy.

A key here is that we must learn to control what we can control… Ourselves! Examples: "I will speak to you when your voice is as quiet as mine. I will take you to soccer as soon as you're done the vacuuming."

As parents, we decide in each situation what we are going to do. And we decide that we will not be controlled by another human being. We will control what we can control. Ourselves! And they get this...our children realize that we are very powerful and secure and they want to grow in the same.

We do not control other people. What we do control-on a good day-is ourselves. You want to feel powerless? Try telling other people what to do. The best way to set healthy limits in our relationships is to get good at telling other people what we are going to do, and then letting them decide how they want to deal with that.

Kids will always try to put their problem back in your lap. Don't allow it. We must make sure every mess (and messy situation) has an owner. Every problem must find its owner before we can offer a solution.

Car alarm goes off in a parking lot. The only person that can solve it is the owner. Anyone else tries to solve it by breaking a window and ripping out wires is a violator. This is how it is when we try to solve other people's problems in relationships.

We cannot falsely protect our children in the name of love.

Discipline works from the inside out, and punishment tries to work from the outside in.

There are three important messages discussed throughout the book that you want your children to receive: 1. You want your child to know that you are sad for them because they have a problem. Even though you cannot force them to be sad when they make a mistake, you can let them know that YOU are sad because you know that consequences of their poor choice will probably be painful. 2. Second, you want your child to know that you believe in their ability to figure out what to do and to do it. 3. Finally you want your child to know that you are happily willing to help them figure out what to do. Once their little hearts open up, we get to work together!

Your only hope to influence your teenager is a heart connection. You cannot govern a teenager with rules. You can govern the little ones with the rules, but when kids begin to grow up, your influence will be determined by their value for their relationship with you.

All new 'Field CPx' coming in October!

All Nations is currently offering it’s 7th annual 5-month residential CPx training here in Cape Town. Tricia and I have the honor of providing leadership to CPx here in South Africa.

We are excited today to announce an additional new 11-month Field CPx format starting this October, 2014!

The 11 months will include:

Preparation: 1 month in Cape Town for preparation, teaching and training

Implementation: 9 months serving an internship at an All Nations church planting location somewhere around the world while being coached by our team.

Consultation: 1 final month back in Cape Town for final training, consultation and discernment about the future.

We will accept a limited amount of leaders into this first year pilot experience.

Applications will be available online at http://capetown.allnationsworldwide.org starting April 1!

Spread the word with us!

More info to come...

Heart Motivation...me or God?

As I continue to undergo loads of inner formation, I cannot help but look back on my heart motivations of the last 10-15 years of ministry. There are questions that I am learning to ask myself now, that I never asked before. Filters that I am putting things through that I never used to use. These questions are filters that help assess the motivation behind a choice or action. I thought I would share them. Maybe they will help you too:

1. Why am I doing this? For my fulfillment or the Lord's? 
2. Why am I saying yes to this request? To please the asker or to please the Father?
3. Is this the wise thing to do? Or does this just seem like the popular thing to do?
4. Do I need or desire notice or a compliment for what I just did? Or would I be totally fine if no one give me a lick of notice?
5. Did that critique just disrupt me on the inside? Or did it fall on me in a healthy way without provoking emotion?
6. Why am I putting so much into this? Because I am truly this hard of a worker or because I want to make people proud?
7. Why did I actually give that gift or go that extra mile for that person? Do I actually secretly want something back?
8. Am I moving in my strength with this? Or God's?
9. What about the top leader(s)? Am I ok with them not noticing me or awesome I am? ;)
10. Why do I want that position? Because God is calling? Or because I am inwardly reaching?

Knowing our hearts is not an easy task. Some of us are scared to see our true selves. Others of us have become good at avoiding acceptance of our hearts. Some of us are just totally self unaware. But regardless of our state, letting the Lord slowly show us the "behind the scenes" look at why we do what we do will lead to great healing and joy on the inside.

My motivations were wrong more than I want to admit. But little by little, I am finding that if I slow down, look in and ask some of these filter questions above, I am able to start seeing me more clearly than before.

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

A Checklist for Teaching

Much of what I do is geared toward training and teaching leaders. And I am on a steep learning curve working to learn how to effectively train and teach in a way that actually sticks and transforms. Do you teach or train others? Perhaps you too can benefit from this. It refers to church, but can be applied broadly.

A checklist to evaluate how you train workers: 1. Is it obedience oriented, and does it have accountability? 2. Does it give responsibility to those being trained? 3. Does it lead to multiplication? 4. Is it simple? Have you asked, What can we leave out? Or do you ask, What can we squeeze in? 5. Is it actually reproducing disciples? Or just theoretically “reproducible”? 6. Is it based on self-discovery? Or does the trainer just dump content? 7. Does everything lead to forming churches?

(I actually cannot recall where I got this, but I like it and have found it helpful.)

The Selfless Disciple

I am passionate about discipleship! And I am continually fascinated to learn new things about being a disciple myself and making disciples of others. Here's a reality of discipleship that has been growing in my heart. Discipleship is by very nature, selfless. That is what makes it so beautiful. And so unlike most things we know. Check this out...

A disciple loves God deeply- and this is all about GOD and not themselves.

A disciple of Jesus loves other people sacrificially - about others!

A disciple loves the lost and works tirelessly to see their lives changed - all about people far from God, not themselves.

Discipleship is intentional relationship with others-- so their lives are changed.

Disciples know the value of self discovery that it is not ME that has to tell you everything.

Discipleship is obedience based...about God and his desires, not mine.

A good disciple knows that local trusted leaders are the best leaders and they train and rely on others, rather than build things around their gifts and skills.

Discipleship is emptying my cup into yours.  It's all about the other.

I love the selfless nature of discipleship.

Hospitality vs. Entertaining

Tricia and I host many people in our home. This week alone we have had 7 people sleeping in our home and another 15 through for meals and company at various levels. It is just a big part of our life. So, through the years we have learned how to grow in true hospitality. We care a lot less about impressing people now than we used to. If you visit us, we want to love your heart, not impress your eyes or your palate. I read this on the Resurgence Blog and thought it was so good! I adjusted it a bit and am reposting it. Perhaps you too will enjoy it.

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Often when we talk about hospitality, we think of “entertaining.” But entertaining has little to do with real hospitality if the goal is to impress others rather than to serve. How do you know if you are being hospitable or just entertaining?

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Lev. 19:34)

What are the first thoughts that come to mind when you think about hospitality?

Is it freshly folded towels and breakfast buffets at hotels, or a fancy dinner that you’ve prepared in your home for your closest friends?

Though these may be expressions of hospitality, they don’t really get to the heart of hospitality. True hospitality is sacrificial, uncomfortable, and does not seek to impress others. Hospitality flows from a hospitable heart. It is more about your open heart and home, not your impressive entertaining skills.

True hospitality is sacrificial, uncomfortable, and does not seek to impress others. Hospitality is when we provide for the needs of others by giving of ourselves—even something as simple as our attention in a warm conversation.

What is biblical hospitality?

In the Bible, the original Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia, which means love of strangers (Rom. 12:13). Hospitality is also framed as a means of honoring and loving God by meeting the needs of the poor (Prov. 14:31).

Biblical hospitality is:

• To be practiced without grumbling, complaining or thought of reward (1 Pet. 4:9).
• Literally, “a love for strangers” (Heb. 13:1–2)
• Treating fellow believers (Rom. 12:3; 1 Tim. 3:2), widows, orphans (1 Tim. 5:1–16), unbelievers (Luke 5:29), the poor and needy (Luke 14:12–14), missionaries (Matt. 10:9–11; Luke 10:5–16), foreigners, immigrants, refugees (Gen. 18:1–22), and even enemies (Rom. 12:20) as if they were your very own family.
• Helping the poor with no expectation of repayment (Prov. 19:17).
• Meeting the basic needs of others. (e.g., preparing food, providing lodging, giving physical protection, sharing material possessions, and encouraging and sharing the love of Jesus.

Often when we talk about hospitality, we think of “entertaining.” But entertaining has little to do with real hospitality. Secular entertaining is a terrible bondage. Its source is human pride. Demanding perfection, fostering the urge to impress, it is a rigorous taskmaster that enslaves. In contrast, scriptural hospitality is a freedom that liberates.

Entertaining says, “I want to impress you with my beautiful home, my clever decorating, my gourmet cooking.” Hospitality, however, seeks to minister. It says, “This home is not mine. It is truly a gift from my Master. I am his servant, and I use it as he desires.”

Biblical hospitality is the outpouring of mercy and grace to others without expectation for reciprocation.

As we prepare our homes for hosting a dinner, we also can prepare our hearts to serve those who enter. As Karen Mains writes, “Hospitality does not try to impress, but to serve.”

How do you know if you are being hospitable or just entertaining? Here are some great indicators....

• Entertaining: I want to look good
• Hospitality: I want Jesus to look good
• Entertaining: Emphasis on food or outer appearance
• Hospitality: Emphasis on the hearts of those in your home
• Entertaining: Preoccupied or apologetic about messes
• Hospitality: Humbled by the mess and can still serve
• Goal of Entertaining: To impress
• Goa of Hospitality: To serve

Top 10 Discipling Values

We are in the midst of a global discipleship crisis. We have many Christians around the world, see many conversions to faith, but we witness the evidence of too few disciples following after Jesus with their lives. We are committed to discipleship as the key road to fruit that lasts. Following are what we would consider 10 of the most critical values or aspects of discipleship.

1. Jesus builds the church. Disciples make disciples. (Matthew 16 & 28)

2. A Disciple is a knower, lover, follower and obeyer of Jesus Christ. We must be discipled by Jesus like Jesus was discipled by the Father. Jesus is the best discipler and model for us (John 17).

3. We can only reproduce who we are. Discipleship is reproduction. 2 Tim 2:2

4. Self Discovery is far more lasting and powerful than teaching discovery. We must let people discover Jesus in the word and through the church.

5. Discipleship is obedience-based, not knowledge-based. Discipleship is about obedience to Jesus not knowledge about Jesus. (Luke 8:15, 18 & 21, Deuteronomy 6 & 28, Matthew 7, John 14)

6. Discipleship starts before conversion. Starts with those far from God. We disciple people toward faith, not after they come to faith. God speaks to and calls pre-believers! (Examples include Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:1-19, Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. Paul in Acts 9:1–9 and The disciples in John 1:35 - 50.

7. Discipleship = intentional relationship for Jesus. 1 Thess 2:8 // Who are you discipling? Who is discipling you?

8. Discipleship can happen in small (1 on 1), medium (several people) and large environments (worship gatherings and teachings). Discipleship can happen ALL THE TIME-- Public and Private.

9. Discipleship is a journey, not a destination. There is no box to be in or finish line to cross. You're never in, out, or done. Every disciple starts with bad doctrine and moves toward right doctrine. Your posture matters more than your proximity.

10. Discipleship is costly. Luke 9:23. There will be suffering and sacrifice as part of the journey.

Morning by Morning

Time with Jesus in the early morning hours is the single greatest key to how I live my life now. It was about 2 years ago when the lesson was lodged DEEP into my heart: If I don't spend time alone with Jesus in the very early hours of the day, I probably won't!! Period. So I decided to GO TO BED on time. It is the only way to GET UP early. For me. I need sleep. And I need Jesus. So, I plan my life around that. After finding that I was having profound encounters with God in the early morning, I thought I would look for Biblical examples of it. Here are some of the verses I found. I read through these often. I find them really encouraging. The point is not the time of day. The point is the SECRET PLACE! Me and Jesus. In Secret. We hide before everyone else is up. And we've had the best of times. He also gets to see me without my make-up on. ;-)

Be encouraged by these verses!

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me MORNING by MORNING, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. Isaiah 50:4

In the MORNING, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

But I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the MORNING my prayer comes before you. Psalm 88:13

Satisfy us in the MORNING with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every MORNING; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24

O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every MORNING, our salvation in time of distress. Isaiah 33:2

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the MORNING and your faithfulness at night. Psalm 92:1-2

Let the MORNING bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the MORNING star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the MORNING. Psalm 30:5

But I will sing of your strength, in the MORNING I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16

Sow your seed in the MORNING, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:6

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the DAWN. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. Psalm 108:1-3

Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the DAWN. Psalm 57:8

Before daybreak the next MORNING, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35

After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Mark 6:46

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:16

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Matthew 14:23

My Advice to Small Group Leaders

Here is a very simple list of advice that I shared with a group of Small Group Leaders I was invited to speak to. I thought I would share it with you too.  Maybe you are in a church that has some form of these groups.  I like them! Believe in them. I just wish that churches actually called them churches and released them as such. Sadly, I think most churches just see them as unofficial groups that could not possibly be the full expression of church. Anyway, that is for another discussion. Here is some council for small group leaders:

• Meet as often as possible. The more the deeper. The more the closer. Weekly plus.
• Bring people far from God to your group. If at all possible, do not meet without lost people present.
• Everyone talks. No one gets the luxury of hiding.
• No one dominates. If someone talks way more than the rest of the group. they need to be lovingly asked not to. (including the "leader")
• Bible is central to any healthy group. Center on scripture.
• Interact around tellable stories, not complex topics.
• Stay in one place In bible. Do not allow anyone to verse hop from place to place. It is often done haughtily and it makes lost people feel marginalized and unqualified from the start.
• Draw people out. They are deep wells. Especially quiet people. They often have deep things to say.
• Allow for long awkward silences in the gathering. Often, what God does just after periods of silence is the most meaningful portion of the gathering.
• Include pre-beleivers in your group.
• When the discussion gets off track, point back to passage of the meeting.  Bible re-aligns.
• Push everyone in the group toward one on one discipling relationships.
• Ask the more vocal people to take a risk and talk less.
• Ask the more quiet people to take a risk and talk more.
• Invite people far from God to join you. Or did I say that already? A few times? Oh, sorry.
• I Caution against DVD studies or topical book studies. I feel strongly that we need to cultivate the Word of God as the main source of our content, at least until we start to repair some of the drifting we have done as the church.
• Look for leaders- train and coach them towards starting a new group.
• Keep all you do super simple and the same so you can reproduce easily.
• Actually, Reproduce!
• If your group is all Christians, please invite and bring people far from God to join you.
• Oh, and reproduce!
• Oh, and invite people far from God
• Oh, and keep the Bible at the core as final authority.

Hope this helps. Remember, any group of people gathering to love God, love each other and love those that do not yet know God are CHURCH!  Regardless of title.

Core Church Planting Abilities

I lead a five-month church planting program here in Cape Town called CPx (Church Planting Experience).  We just kicked off this year's training this week! The program consists of three months of teaching and two months of outreach. People often ask us what we teach in the school. Here are the core abilities that we train church planters in. The abilities below follow the progressive order of how we approach church planting. Healthy Jesus Followers > Targeting and Entering with gospel > gathering disciples > planting reproducing churches led by locals!

1. Ability to abide with Jesus
2. Ability to pray passionately
3. Ability to be a healthy person on a healthy team
4. Ability to engage neglected peoples
5. Ability to honor other cultures
6. Ability to share the gospel
7. Ability to make disciples who make disciples
8. Ability to facilitate discipleship groups
9. Ability to catalyze local leaders
10. Ability to ignite church planting movements

(Why abilities? We teach abilities because if you already have an ability, you can grow it.  And if you do not have one, you can learn it.)