April 4^th –: The Resurrection by N.T. Wright

 April 6^th –: Good Friday

May 2^nd – June 6^th: The Divine Conspiracy

August 1st – August 22^nd: Mere Christianity

September 12^th – October 17^th: The Screwtape Letters

October 24^th – November 14^th:  Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

If reading through the Bible or the books of the Prohpets is to daunting a task we have another idea for you…

Read through the book of Ephesians.

There are 6 chapters in the Book of Ephesians.

Read 1 chapter of Ephesians everyday starting on Monday and resting on Sunday.
Do this every week for 2012 and see what God does.

There is no way to get behind.
Don’t panic if you forget a day, just read the chapter that you suppose to read for the day. You will read the chapter again next week.

Things to do while reading through the book of Ephesians…

Keep a journal, meditate on a specific verse, memorize a verse, or even an entire passage. Read a commentary on Ephesians. Whatever you decide to do, keep reading Ephesians throughout the year so that you become intimate with God’s word.

Why just one book don’t I need the whole Bible?
Before you try mastering the entire Bible why not try mastering just one book of the Bible.

Fred Sanders on mastering the Bible: http://www.scriptoriumdaily.com/2006/08/03/james-gray-on-mastering-the-bible/?page

This being the fifth day of Christmas, the last couple of weeks have brought with them – amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and myriad family get-togethers – moments of reflection and meditation on the events that unfolded in First Century Palestine.  The Virgin with Child, no room at the inn, angels and shepherds, frankincense and myrrh.  And in all this pondering, there has always been one part of the story that has always bothered me a bit: Joseph; the betrothed, the father, the carpenter who is only mentioned by name nine times in the Gospel accounts.

What bothers me is not anything he did or said in the story, but rather how little is said about what he did or said.  The man entrusted with raising the Son of God is reduced to a bit player who just sort of stands in the background.  Even Zacharias, the cousin-in-law and father of John the Baptist, gets more screen time than the surrogate father of our Lord.

But particularly troubling are a few lines of the story nestled in Matthew 1.  They read (emphasis mine):

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

 ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

First problem: verses 18 and 19 – how did that conversation go?  I think if I had Doc Brown’s time-travelling DeLorean, I’d love to go back to First Century Galilee and stand just outside the door to eavesdrop on that one.  “Joseph, there’s something I need to tell you… [long, uncomfortable pause]… I’m… pregnant…  [another long, awkward pause]… an angel came to me the other day…”  I mean, come on, of all places for the Gospel writer to leave out the dialogue.  How did she break the news to him?  Did she make him his favorite dinner first?  How did he take the news?  Did he do what any normal guy would do when told his fiancé is pregnant with someone else’s baby… go bat-crap crazy?

Also a bit troubling about these verses is how they might fit into the overall timeline of events when you combine this account with Luke.  In Luke’s Gospel, after the angel gave her the news, Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist) for a couple of months.  So did Mary wait until she returned – and was very obviously pregnant – to tell Joseph?  Or did she tell him and then split that evening?  Either way, I’m sure this sudden departure and lengthy time away from home didn’t make it any easier for him.

Second problem: verse 20 – “but after he considered this, an angel… appeared to him…”  How long was that “after”?  Did the angel come to him that night?  A day or two later?  A week?  The angel breaks the news to Mary, why not stop by and tell Joseph while he’s in the neighborhood?  Why not tell them both together?  And after receiving the difficult news, Joseph is just left to sit with it for awhile and consider his options.  How much squirming happened between verses 19 and 20?  How many sleepless nights did Joseph have to endure before the angel appeared to him in that dream?

But what I do find reassuring is how he handles the whole situation.  Verse 19, so simple and straightforward, speaks volumes about Joseph’s character and integrity.  It says, “Because [he] was faithful to the Law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”  Joseph loved his God and loved his betrothed, and he wanted to do right by both of them, but this put him into a sort of double-bind.  His betrothed and beloved Mary is with child, and he knows for sure it ain’t his.  Now, according to Jewish Law – to which Joseph was faithful – the punishment for such actions was having large stones thrown at you until your pulse stopped (Leviticus 20:10).  Joseph would have been completely within his rights to drag Mary to the town officials and demand that she be put to death.  That would be faithfulness to the Law.  Remember the woman dragged out of her adulterous bed and flung at the feet of Jesus?

“And yet [he] did not want to expose her to public disgrace.”  He didn’t want to see that happen.  He didn’t want to lose the woman he loved.  He didn’t want to see her humiliated in front of the town.  He wanted to spare her life and her dignity.  So he did what appears to be the noble, honorable thing.  He made up his mind to divorce her quietly (a betrothal back then was basically an unconsummated marriage).  I’m sure he was hurt; he was probably angry and confused.  And he had every right to be.  His whole world had been turned upside down.  But he put his own feelings aside and tried to do what would be best for both of them: just quietly walk away.

“But after he considered this, an angel… appeared to him in a dream.”  After all the aforementioned squirming and sleeplessness and anger and confusion, an angel visited him at night to reassure him that everything is going to be ok.  “Mary’s telling the truth.  Her baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit; she hasn’t been unfaithful to you.  Don’t divorce her.  Take her home to be your bride.  Everything’s going to be alright.”

And he did.  He remained faithful to his God and to his betrothed.  He took Mary to be his bride, but waited until the Christ-Child was born to consummate their marriage.  It probably took a lot of cold showers, but he stayed true to what he was told.

This all feels like a happy ending, but somehow I feel it was far from easy for the Holy Family.  I’m sure word got around, and simple math would prove that Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ actual father (or if he was, that they had a lapse in self-control before the wedding).  They probably got funny looks as they walked through town and were likely the subject of local gossip for years.  Based on the receptions Jesus received in Nazareth later as an adult (Matthew 13: 53-58; Mark 6: 1-6; Luke 4: 16-30), the family probably remained a social pariah for quite some time.

But through it all – as far as we are told in the Scriptures – Joseph remained faithful and true.  He stayed committed to his faith and to his family.  He doesn’t get much screen time and has no spoken lines in the story, but I can’t think of a better man to be asked to be the surrogate father for the coming King.

Ryan M Blanck is a high school English teacher and blogger who attends a United Methodist Church on Sundays and a Foursquare Church on Saturday nights.  Ryan’s current blogging endeavors can be found at http://letterstodfw.wordpress.com/.

You can follow Ryan on Twitter: @RyanMBlanck, and like his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RyanMBlanck.

A few years ago there was a craze with WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) wrist bands. The idea was to wear a WWJD band and that would allow the person wearing the band to act more more like Jesus because that person would remember to ask themselves what Jesus would do before acting.

However well intention the idea of the WWJD wrist band, it fundamentally misses the point of the richness of life available in Jesus Christ. We don’t need reminders about the right questions to ask ourselves before we act. What we need is people who are so radically transformed by God that they naturally act as Jesus would act.

It may seem impossible but it only seems that way because we have never been given the tools for spiritual growth. For example, have you ever heard of a church offering a class that teaches you to bless those who curse you?  Probably not.

We can radically change the world by radically changing ourselves. That change can come about in one simple word,… surrender.

The Journey is… about surrendered hearts and transformed minds.

Take the next step starting Wednesday August 3rd at Centerpoint Church.

What to expect from the Journey Starting Aug. 3rd.

We will start a focused a small group starting with the Renovation of the Heart.
This program will run for 13 weeks. If you join us, Jesus will change your life, if you let him.    

Where: Centerpoint Church, 170 West F. Street, Colton, CA.

In the summer of 2003, I was asked to start and lead a young adult ministry at Centerpoint Church (then called Colton First Baptist). For several reasons it was clear that this opportunity to serve and to grow was a wise choice and would be a blessed one. I took it as an assignment from the Lord. It has always been my intention to serve here until such time as the Lord saw fit for me to move on. And though there have been difficult times as a leader when I would have liked to walk away, I pressed on knowing that God still wanted me here.

In the early days, all of my time and energy was focused on leading The Journey and making it great. Since getting married in 2007 and the birth of our son just a year ago, life for me has become increasingly family-focused. Not long after Cristina (my wife) went back to work at the end of her maternity leave, I was laid off due to budgetary constraints at the church and officially became a full-time dad. But just because the church could no longer keep me on staff did not mean my assignment from the Lord there was completed. So I have continued leading The Journey on a volunteer basis. Nevertheless, as 2010 came to a close I felt the Lord impressing upon my heart that it was time to step aside from leading The Journey and allow someone with fresh vision to take the reins.

When the Journey team met to discuss our plans for 2011 I told them that I felt God telling me that this was the year I was to pass on the mantle. As my attention began to turn more toward family and ministry endeavors outside of Centerpoint Church, I thought it was only fair for me to step aside as custodian of this ministry (now a 20′s & 30′s group) and allow someone with fresh vision and more available energy to take over as our “chief operating officer.” I wanted The Journey to thrive and we needed someone new to lead us to the next level. I asked our team to consider whether the Spirit was moving any of them to take on this task.

By our next meeting someone had stepped up to take the reins. He has proven himself as a devoted disiciple of Christ and a leader among us from the beginning. And he indeed has a fresh vision to reinvent The Journey while remaining true to the core principles we’ve developed over the years. Exactly what his vision is and how he will go about implementing it I will leave for him to convey to you at the proper time. For now it is probably safe to say that it will not be Fuel nor will it be on Friday nights. It will be a completely new thing–a fresh start!

With all this in mind we have decided that The-Journey-as-we-know-it needs to come to a full and complete stop before embarking again on a new adventure. We did not want to end abruptly so we are continuing with Friday Night Fuel through the end of May. Our final worship gathering under my leadership will be on May 27 at 7pm. After that we will be taking a break over the summer. Then, Lord willing, Paul Carter will be taking the lead as we press on into whatever the Lord has for us.

If you have any comments or questions you can always reach me at shawn@towardtruth.com. Thanks to all of you for your faithfulness to the Lord and to this fellowship over the years!

Sincerely,

Shawn

P.S.: Don’t think that we’ll be on cruise control these next two months at Fuel. We will continue reading through the Psalms and getting closer to God through worship. Knowing that our time is short just makes it that much more meaningful. So make it a point to be there on May 27 at 7pm in the Basement at Centerpoint Church, and every Friday night until then. As always, childcare is available. Bring a friend!

-  Dallas Willard, The Renovation of the Heart, P. 19.

You have had a spiritual formation and, if you wish, you can have a spiritual transformation. In fact, if you profess Christ as Lord, then it is essential that you do so. Professing Christ does not make you a Christ exalting person and neither does regular church attendance. While both professing Christ and worshiping with his people are essential steps they are not in themselves sufficient means towards spiritual transformation as traditionally understood and practiced. Most people and indeed most Christians simply drift through life chasing after trivial happiness and what most have understood as the American dream. We have put in numerous man hours and spent countless offerings in the hope that we might get people into heaven but we have failed tremendously at getting heaven into people. It is time that we not only believe in Christ’s power to change lives but that we actually let that power change lives, starting with you and me (Galatians 3:3).

The first step in spiritual transformation is spiritual responsibility. We must shed from our thinking any notions that make us out to be better people than we are. While ideas and phrases like nobody is perfect, I just messed up today, or that unfortunate word just slipped out may be soaked in good intention they do not get us off the hook from our actions. When I say, “I just lost my temper today,” it is rarely an isolated incident. The “today” in my statement does not excuse me. In reality, I am the type of person who loses my temper. We cannot move forward in spiritual formation until we recognize that we are who we are by what we have done, and what we do going forward will affect who we become. Ideally, we will become people who are prepared for and capable of responding to all situations in ways that are good and right. In becoming such persons, Christ will be exalted and glorified and it will be on earth as it is in heaven.

You and I must understand that we will not change unless we believe we can change. And unless we surrender to God and to the power of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit any attempts to change will be fruitless and futile. Simply trying hard will not change the inner depths of who we are. We can and must change who we are but until we realize that we can change, we will not change. Further we can change only when we realize that we cannot change on our own. Change comes when we admit our helplessness and surrender to the one who can change us. Change comes when we become spiritually responsible.

The Father sends the Son, the Son provides redemption though his blood, and the Holy Spirits allows us access into the life changing power of God is in all three persons, assuming we allow him to change us. We must take spiritual responsibility and surrender our will to God’s will. We cannot continue thinking that we will get better over time if we keep to our Church schedule. No we must do more. We must believe that we are disciples of Jesus Christ, that we are his students and do the things that will allow the Holy Spirit to change who are in our inner most depths, heart, spirit and will. Here are a few things you can do right now to start you on the path to spiritual transformation.

1. Memorize Psalm 1 and meditate on the type of person described in Psalm 1. Long to become that type of person.
2. Join the Journey this year as we read through the Psalms and meditate on God’s word.
3. Just read the Word of God. Read the New Testament and absorb Jesus words. They will, if you allow them, change your life.
4. Pray without ceasing. Call on the power of the Holy Spirit constantly to assist you on our journey toward a Christ-exalting life.
5. Press on even when it gets hard or when you fall. Christ will pick you up, if you let him.

 Following are the notes I drew from for my message.

Genre

Psalms is an ancient hymnal. It is a collection of poetic heart cries to God. As the first of 150 psalms, the first chapter is interesting in that it seems to set the tone for the entire book while simultaneously laying the foundation of the psalmists’ worldview, namely, that the righteous will be blessed and the wicked will perish. Many of the psalms arise out of a dissonance of life with that view, or out of a conviction and expectation that, indeed, God is just and will act justly. This means that, as Psalm 1 illustrates, the person who listens to the Lord will be blessed, or be joyful.

Big Idea

We will be blessed as we shun evil and seek God.

Observations

The psalmist makes this clear by means of progression, parallel, simile, and contrast. First, there is a progression from “walks” to “stands” to “sits.” A person will be blessed who “walks not in the counsel of the wicked.” This person does not listen to the advice and direction of ungodly people, nor is she distracted by it. She does not stand in the way of sinners, which suggests someone who has not only listened to wicked people but is living like them. Neither does she sit in the seat of scoffers, identifying so much with the wicked that she mocks those who are not. Second, the psalmist uses parallel to show what the person who will be blessed does do. That is, she both delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it continually. Likewise, parallel lines show that the wicked will neither stand in judgment nor in the congregation of the righteous. Third, there are two metaphors used. The first metaphor paints the righteous as a thriving and fruitful tree. The second compares the wicked to fleeting chaff. Finally, there are a series of contrasts throughout the chapter. It contrasts those who will be blessed with those who will perish, the counsel of the wicked with the law of the Lord, the permanence of a tree with the passing nature of chaff, the righteous not standing in the way of sinners with the sinners not standing in the judgment, and the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked.

Interpretation

Again, taken together all this is pointing to the conclusion that the person who listens to the Lord will be blessed. Or put differently, we will be blessed as we shun evil and seek God. First, we must shun evil. We cannot listen to the advice and direction of ungodly people, nor be distracted by it. If we listen once, we are likely to listen again. And the snowball effect of sin will begin. Entertaining sinful thoughts leads to patterns of thinking, which, in turn, naturally play out in our actions. Before we know it, we could find ourselves identifying so much with the wicked that we mock those who are not. Given the stakes, we must rather seek God. This requires us to delight in and meditate on God’s law. When we delight in God’s law we not only take great pleasure in its precepts but the pleasure produces in us a longing for more, as a homeless man may crave food, or as an art collector may yearn to acquire a masterpiece. And so we carefully and constantly ponder God’s law, savoring it as a fine wine. And as we take in this spiritual drink it gives us life from the inside out. It has the opposite, positive effect of wicked counsel. Meditating on God’s thoughts leads to godly patterns of thinking, which, in turn, naturally play out in righteous living. Such a way of life yields the practical, positive benefits of personal well-being and blessing. In stark contrast, pleasure and prosperity is elusive to the wicked. Nothing they do will have any lasting impact or significance. In fact, they will be condemned by their actions when God judges them and they will not be counted among His people. In the end, they will perish.

Application

And so we must examine our own lives. Who are we listening to: God’s Word, or those who disregard and mock it? There is a growing hostility in America toward people who have faith. Christians are by no means the only targets, but we are certainly under attack. “Faith” has become a euphemism for make-believe. And with that characterization many people feel the freedom and the justification to take any number of cheap shots at religion and Christian belief. Christianity is a crutch. Prayer is pointless. Creationism is crazy. Abortion is a choice. For the sake of these people, we must live God’s law so that they will see our good works and replace their mocking with marvel. So often people mock God’s law, not by what they say, but by how they live. And so much sin is so subtle. It is so easy to adjust our lifestyles to living at the morality level of those around us. But we need to be alert to the compromise in our lives. Are we standing in the way of sinners, leading lives no different than theirs? There are so many ideas flying around out there directly contradicting God’s law. Living in the culture that we do they may not be avoidable. But we can combat dangerous and ungodly ideas as we saturate our souls with the Word of God. Our lives will be blessed and we may just tempt others to seek the counsel of the righteous and of Scripture.

I had four points in that first message, and they are that following Jesus and allowing Him to make us what He wants us to be takes a team, time, transparency and trust. Tonight I want to revisit those points, but I want to add a specific focus that I’m going to borrow from another talk about communication, specifically how vital it is to listen to one another. Jesus said that people will know we are His followers by the love we show to one another. Now listening may not be the first thing we think about when we hear “love one another,” but if listening—really listening—isn’t an integral part of how we relate to each other as fellow Christians then we’re missing out both in experiencing the deeper joys of fellowship and the opportunity to meet one of the most significant needs any of us have—being heard.

Dr. Michael P. Nichols explains in his book, The Lost Art of Listening, that it hurts not to be listened to because we long to be understood. When others listen we feel we’re not alone. It’s a way of bearing witness, of sharing experiences. It takes others seriously, building them up by validating their thoughts and feelings. Most importantly, it connects us and deepens the intimacy that we share and that we all desire. As Nichols puts it, “the yearning to be listened to and understood is a yearning to escape our separateness and bridge the space that divides us. We reach out and try to overcome that separateness by revealing what’s on our minds and in our hearts, hoping for understanding.”

WE ARE A TEAM!

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility . . . His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two . . . and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” – Ephesians 2:13-16

When we were reconciled to God through the cross, we were also reconciled to each other. Whatever divisions we had before no longer define us. We are, figuratively speaking, “one new man,” one body of Christ. But just because we are already one doesn’t mean we can just phone in our Christian walk. That would be like a couple getting married, walking down the aisle, saying their vows, sealing them with a kiss and then going their separate ways: it just doesn’t make sense! There’s love there, commitment, a responsibility to each other that they have to follow through on in order to experience all the joys of marriage and the growth that comes with serving each other through thick and thin until the end. Likewise, when we heed God’s call to follow Him, we all end up walking together. Whether we realized it or not a commitment to Christ is a commitment to each other. We are a team! This is so fundamental that if you ever find yourself drifting away from regular fellowship with other Christians, you may need to ask yourself if you aren’t also becoming distant in your walk with the Lord. Conversely, if you notice yourself drifting away from close fellowship with God, seek out people who are seeking God and stick close to them. We need to be engaged in Christian friendships that go beyond a handshake and a smile at Sunday service. Those people you see praising God all around you are not strangers, they are brothers and sisters with stories and struggles and we need to walk alongside them through thick and thin through the end.

Paul says in Romans 12:10 that we are to, “be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” I cannot think of a more practical way to honor someone than to listen to them. The essence of good listening is empathy, which can only be achieved by suspending our preoccupation with ourselves and entering into the experience of the other person. “To listen,” says Dr. Nicols, “is to pay attention, take an interest, care about, take to heart, validate, acknowledge, be moved. . . appreciate.” If no one ever listened to us, we would be trapped in the loneliness of our own souls. In fact, when we don’t have the kind of relationships that we need, we look for other ways to experience “excitement, enthusiasm, responsiveness, gratification—the same kinds of feelings that can be had from a good talk with someone we care about.” If we don’t find the kind of deep connections we need in the church, we may withdraw into isolation, use things like video games or facebook as a substitute, or connect with people who may ultimately draw us away from God.

BECOMING A TEAM TAKES TIME

Walking with God doesn’t mean that you now have it all figured out, just like driving a car doesn’t mean you know what is going on under the hood. And it doesn’t mean you know where you’re going, or even how to get there. What it means is that you’ve made a start. You’ve traded your old, decrepit excuse for a vehicle for the brand new, beautiful car of your dreams.

I’ve been a Christian for close to 30 years now, and I had a good foundation before I came to Centerpoint Church, but I’ve learned so much being a part of the journey these last seven years! Every time I’ve opened up God’s Word, He’s been there teaching me something, leading me into all truth, just as He promised. And so often when I’ve talked with you all I’ve gotten a new perspective or new insight into who God is, and I’ve been reminded what it means to be a follower of Christ. Believing in Jesus is not a one time thing. It’s a process of continual growth. And, to be honest, as a leader this has been a hard lesson for me to learn because some of you actually have come to this fellowship with issues… okay, ALL of us have issues, but some more obvious than others. And some of you have shared your struggles with me or others here that you trust. And there have been times when I wished you’d just grow up and stop sinning, or start making better choices. Sometimes I wished you could just understand how much God loves you and how He wants to use you, but you’ve been paralyzed by the pain of your past. There has been so much confusion, struggle and woundedness represented in this group, and I’ve wondered what I could say, what I could bring to the table that God could use to encourage you, to bring clarity, and help you take just one more step toward truth. But the most important time I’ve spent in ministry these last seven years has not been teaching from up front or leading a discussion, but afterwards, talking, listening, getting to know you and maybe getting to speak a timely word into your life. You see, when I get here on Friday nights, it’s all about getting ready for Fuel. Then, once 7pm hits, we start walking through all we have planned for the night. But afterwards, there’s no agenda. For me, having no agenda frees from working a plan to just being together as people.

Too often we treat people more as objects than persons. I have to admit that I’m guilty of this way too often! Objects are reproducible, quantifiable, controllable and dispensable. Persons are unique, uncanny, creative, and irreplaceable. Every person you talk to is worth your time, but don’t waste your time trying to put them in a box. True listening begins with an attitude that respects people as persons rather than treating them as objects. Martin Buber had some profound thoughts on this subject in his book I and Thou, written in 1923.

When we observe people, measure them, or examine them, we are engaging in I-It relationships. Rather than truly making ourselves completely available to people, understanding them, sharing totally with them, really talking with them, we keep a distance by either observing them or keeping part of ourselves outside the moment of relationship. We do so either to protect our vulnerabilities or to get them to respond in some preconceived way, to get something from them. That’s “I-It,” treating people as objects.

An “I-Thou” moment is when we place ourselves completely into a relationship, to truly understand and “be there” with another person, without masks, pretenses, sometimes even without words. Each person is coming to the relationship without preconditions. The bond this creates edifies each person, and each one responds to that edification by trying to edify the other person back. And a moment of true dialogue and sharing happens.

The reality is that people move in and out of I-It moments to I-Thou moments. In fact, attempts to try to purposely achieve an I-Thou moment will fail because the process of trying to create an I-Thou relationship objectifies it and makes it I-It. Even describing the moment objectifies it and makes it an I-It. So Buber encourages us just to be available to the possibility of I-Thou moments. Let them happen… naturally. They can’t be conjured up or described. When you have it, you know it.

TAKE TIME TO BE TRANSPARENT

Once we have a mindset of valuing people as people, we need to come to some practical realizations. We may not be able to create I-Thou moments, but we can be ready for them to happen by being transparent—both with God and with each other. If becoming a Christian begins with admitting, “Lord, I’m a sinner in need of your mercy,” then being a Christian necessarily means dropping the false pretense. To say “I’m a Christian” is to say “I don’t have it all together, and I know it, and I’m humbled by it, and I rely on God’s grace every day.”

But we’re not only humbled before God; we’re humble toward one another. We need to be open to what we can learn from others—their knowledge and experience. And we need to be vulnerable enough to share what we’ve learned from the victories and challenges of our own lives. And we need to be humble enough to accept when others notice our blind spots. This is called the Johari Window. But we can’t just be all open and vulnerable with everyone. There have to be people with whom we build the kind of trust that we can share more of ourselves with them over time.

TALK THROUGH YOUR LEVEL OF TRUST

We can all think of people in our lives that we trust. It may be that they stay true to their word, or that they’re always there for us no matter what. It may be the history we share with them, that we know them and have no reason to doubt them. It’s been 7 years since we’ve started THE JOURNEY. We’ve all been a part for various amounts of time. But I there are relationships of trust that have formed, and some that are just now beginning. In the same way, I know that each of us, the longer that we walk with God, the more convinced we are that He’ll never leave us or forsake us, that He is our Rock and His promise never fails. Even when times are hard or confusing we know He’s at work for our good.

This is the kind of trust that God is calling us to today. We know He loves us and we know He knows what’s He’s doing. We just don’t know exactly where He’s leading. We just know that we are supposed to be in communication with Him constantly. But don’t worry, not all prayer needs to be a deep theological discourse. I’d imagine our communication with God should be similar to our communication with each other—it has different levels.

LEVEL 5 – CLICHES: Using conventional messages to establish rapport, to break the ice, or to end a conversation. You might hug, kiss, shake hands, smile, make eye contact, and face one another. We exchange pleasantries and use clichés. We expect Clichés at the beginning and end of every conversation, regardless of our feelings about a person. Examples: “Hello. How are you?” “I’m fine. How are you?” “Paper or plastic?” “Thanks for coming. Have a nice day.”

 LEVEL 4 – WHAT YOU KNOW: Making observations, offering knowledge to others; chit chat or small talk. You could use factual communication to network, to schmooze, to work the room. This includes reporting what you’ve read, what you’ve studied for a test, showing pictures of your family, and exchanging information about yourself. Factual communication is relatively safe and most of us do this well. Examples: “I’m majoring in business administration.” “Did you watch the basketball game last night?” “What did we do in class last Friday?”

LEVEL 3 – WHAT YOU THINK: Offering opinions, ideas and judgments. If you offer your opinion the odds are that others will offer their own opinions too, which may not be the same as yours. So you must be prepared for an eventual conflict or disagreement. Try to avoid sarcasm and nonverbal put-downs like rolling your eyes in response to someone else’s comments. Examples: “I agree with you!” “Of all my brothers and sisters, Mark is the better athlete.” “I thought that movie was excellent, especially when Mace Windu was fighting Darth Sidious.” “I’m not convinced that what you’re saying is reasonable.”

LEVEL 2 – HOW YOU FEEL: involves sharing our emotions and feelings with another person. We allow others to know our heart. This involves the need for self-awareness, self control, flexibility and empathy. Examples: “I deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity in helping me earlier.” “I’m so frustrated with you!” “I’m wish that I hadn’t called you that name. I hope that you’ll forgive me.” “He called me! I’m so excited to see him again!”

LEVEL 1 – MIRROR MOMENT: This is the experience and realization of being on the same page. Coming together with another in an extraordinary way. Two individuals who are gut leveling experience a transformation when they are sharing the exact same emotion with the same level of intensity. It’s as if, for the moment, two souls merge into one. Peak communication is rare, even among close friends and family members. Examples: “I love you. I love you too.” “I’m so angry with you. I’m so angry with you as well.” “I’m glad that we were able to fight long enough to get this resolved. Yes, I feel exactly the same way, glad that we communicated collaboratively.” “I’m scared. I’m scared too.”

Some things to remember about Levels of Communication: The greater the need to communicate our feelings, the harder it is to do. Each conversation ought to begin with Cliché communication and move through the levels (however quickly seems appropriate) before moving to the more intimate levels. Generally, we look for the other individual to reciprocate at the same level of intensity. Sharing our ideas and feelings is generally reserved for those whom we trust. We generally share our essence with those we’ve known a long time. To do this with others is pseudo-intimacy. Don’t be fooled!!!

As we begin to grasp the importance of listening, it is imperative that we don’t just let this knowledge go in one ear and out the other. One great way to apply what we know about loving by listening is to take The Great Tongue Test.

DAY ONE: SILENCE. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue” (Proverbs 17:28). A temptation for many of us is to sell ourselves to others primarily through our words — we prefer to impress by telling instead of showing. As Ben Franklin observed, “Well done is better than well said.” So here’s the challenge for day one: See how little you can say in 24 hours. Give your tongue muscles and vocal cords a break. In every situation, ask yourself, “Will what I say make a difference?”

DAY TWO: ASKING QUESTIONS. Once your silence test is over and you’re ready to use some words again, try this: Just ask questions. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Who impresses you more, the person who frequently shares their resume or the person who asks about yours? At our core, we want to be known and appreciated. When someone else is talking, don’t spend your spare mental time judging their comments or planning your response. Instead, practice listening at a deeper level — try to understand their view of life. Then ask questions to clarify or get more detail. Most importantly, demonstrate that you want to know them — that they are worth your attention. The questions challenge gives you the opportunity to be curious. Living it out will bring you the reward of new knowledge and deeper connections with those around you.

DAY THREE: SPEAKING AS IF YOUR SUBJECTS ARE OMNIPRESENT. “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue” (Proverbs 11:12). How often do we not see the problem in gossiping because we assume the people we are talking about are too far away to be hurt by our comments? In our minds, we should always imagine the people we are talking about to be right there beside us taking it all in. That’s the challenge for day three: Only say about people what you would say to their face. That goes for everyone: your family, roommates, professors, bosses or anyone else you tend to talk about. Solomon even extends this principle to how we talk about people we may never meet. In Ecclesiastes, he says, “Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say” (Ecclesiastes 10:20).

DAY FOUR: MAKING ONLY POSITIVE COMMENTS. “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). This scripture reminds us that the people around us need someone who can avoid the easy path of negative comments in favor of finding words that build up. Here’s the last test: Say only constructive things. There’s a French Proverb that says, “To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue.” So why does it seem so difficult to find nice things to say? It’s easier to detail problems, to complain or to criticize than it is to speak in terms of solutions, encouragement or support. The point of day four is to look for opportunities to bring healing through your words. It doesn’t just mean refraining from hurtful comments. It means only saying things that help — deliberately choosing to bless instead of curse.

It just won’t feel natural to stay silent or to limit your words to questions or nice things that can be said to people’s faces. Making your best effort in these challenges will pay off in your listening skills, your relationships and your maturity. “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame.” (Proverbs 18:13, NIV)

FOR DISCUSSION…

What is the most helpful or interesting thing you learned today?

Read Luke 10:38-42. Is it harder to be like Martha, or like Mary? Why do you think that is so?

Read James 1:19. How can being quick to listen help us control our anger? What other vices could deter us from?

Read Luke 6:45. Can you think of a situation when having someone with a listening ear helped you sort out your thoughts and feelings?

Read Luke 8:43-48. Why was Jesus so insistent on finding who touched him? Wasn’t it enough that the woman was healed? Why do you think he stopped to listen to her story?

What level of communication do you feel you achieved as a group today?

I am pleased to announce the 7^th Anniversary of The Journey this November 7! And I want to invite you to join us in our month-long celebration of what God has done among us these last seven years and in making a fresh commitment to being yielded to and used by God as we continue to press on together. Though we’ve gone through a lot of changes over the years, we remain committed to truth, growth and love as we follow Jesus together!

Our theme for the month of November is “Back to the Future.” We will be revisiting some of the best messages from the archives and adding a few new twists to them. We’ll also be giving away prizes and refreshments.

Please bring a few photos of your favorite Journey moments to add to our display (to be returned to you at the end of the month).

If you haven’t been to a Journey gathering in a while, this is a great time to get reacquainted. We meet Fridays at 7pm in the Basement at Centerpoint Church in Colton. Childcare is available.

Enjoy the journey!

Shawn

What is this all about? Doesn’t this make Paul look like a walking contradiction? At first glance, maybe. But think about it. Why is this such a hot button issue with Paul?

Those advocating circumcision are making it out to be a required prerequisite for salvation in Christ. But Paul quite emphatically stresses that a person can only be saved by what God has already graciously done for us through Christ, not by any personal effort. In fact, whether one is circumcised or not hasn’t the slightest impact on the possibility or quality of one’s relationship with the Lord. It simply does not affect it either way… unless we bank on circumcision as our ticket to heaven. If we put our trust in circumcision, or anything at all besides Christ, far from saving us, such confidence is misplaced, because only the blood of Jesus can atone for our sins. That’s why Paul says the only thing that counts for anything is faith, the kind that trusts in God and leans on Christ Jesus alone as our Rescuer.

So Paul chooses Timothy to go with him as he visits churches that he has previously helped to establish and encourages them with the express message that we can only be “saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,” apart from circumcision (Acts 15:11). Since Timothy is only half Jewish, getting  circumcised will help him win a hearing from those Jews who know of his Greek heritage. So when Paul has Timothy get circumcised it is not as a person seeking salvation (his faith is already firmly in Christ alone), but as a brother deferent to the cultural sensitivities of his fellow Jewish Christians. In Timothy’s case, getting circumcised is an example of his faith “working through love.”

Faith is a gift and, though it is not achieved by our own efforts, once received, it leads us to effort service to one another in imitation of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9, 5:1-2; Mark 10:45). What, after all, is our faith in but God’s love proven to us on the cross and poured out on us every day by the Spirit? If we are truly experiencing the reality of that love in our lives, it is only natural for us to share that love with others in tangible ways.

As followers of Christ we enjoy a lot of freedom. There is not a big list of do’s and don’ts to bog us down. We have a simple mandate to love. Yet, like Timothy, we sometimes need to sacrifice our freedom in order to show love. Depending on the circumstances and those who might be affected, what we have the right to do is not always the right thing to do. And sometimes the thing we have absolutely no moral obligation to do at all, and would very much prefer not to do, is the very thing that should be done because love demands it of us. True faith expresses itself through love.