From the Inside Out

I have the wonderful privilege each Sunday of meeting with a group of six girls, ages 17-18. We talk about life, pray for each other, ask questions and study the Word together. Right now, we are working through a book by Beth Moore entitled "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things." The purpose of this book is not to point the finger at others, but rather to recognize our areas of weakness and fortify them with the Truth so satan can't penetrate them. Easier said than done!

This week, we read the following passage:
"Satan knows that the nature of humankind is to act out of how we feel rather than what we know. One of our most important defenses against satanic influence will be learning how to behave out of what we know is TRUTH rather than what we feel." (p.22)

We set the goal to make our decisions this week based on the TRUTH we know, rather than behaving out of how we feel. Setting that goal was like begging satan to come and attack.

Moore goes on to say, "Satan's desire is to modify human behavior to accomplish his unholy purposes. 2Timothy 2:26 tells us that Satan's objective in taking people captive is to get them to do his will. If we have received Christ as our Savior, Satan is forced to work from the outside rather than the inside. Thus, he manipulates outside influences to affect the inside decision-makers of the heart and mind."

So, how do we combat that? We must be transformed from the inside out!

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says, "Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life."

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

We have to literally stand guard over our hearts. We have to constantly be pouring into them TRUTH so our hearts and minds walk in TRUTH and don't give in to deceit. It's an active thing.

So, at the end of our discussion this week, the girls asked me one simple word, "How?"

We pray...without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) We meditate on the Word...daily. (Psalm 119:148) We edify one another and hold each other accountable. (Hebrews 3:13) We press on and never give up. (Philippians 3:14) We write on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3) and speak aloud songs, hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19). We give thanks (Psalm 100).

We ACT OUT Romans 12:1-2 (NIV1984):
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

No, it's not easy. But the good news is, we're not alone. We are a body of believers on this journey together. We have the ONE, TRUE God as our shield and His WORD as our guide.

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out.
--Hillsong

Why LEARN?

This past Sunday, our Pastor shared with us more about the growth area LEARN. Early in his sermon, he made a statement about this growth area--that it was fundamental in our growth as Christians. Basically, a growing Christian must be a learning Christian. LEARN helps us equip ourselves for each other growth area: LOVE, OBEY, TRUST, SHARE, WORSHIP. When DW made that statement, I made a mental note of it--one that stuck with me. And God began to reveal to me its truth.

Remember the video from Sunday--the testimony about transformation? There's always a back story. I want to share some of that with you, and focus on the couple of kids who led that young man to Christ for a moment.
1.LEARN -- Those kids were nourished in the WORD. When words and reason and difficult questions came about, they had hearts and heads full of the knowledge of Scripture -- the revealed WORD -- and could share effectively.
2. SHARE--This was a natural extension of learning for them, even though it wasn't necessarily the "cool" thing for a 16 year old to do.
3. TRUST -- When he got off the phone after sharing that first verse, the youth asked his Dad -- "Dad, did I say the right thing?" His dad reassured him. This kid was a good steward of what he had been given. He was able to trust God to grow the seed that was planted, and God was able to trust him, because they were in relationship with one another, and the kid had been faithful in his walk with the Lord.
4. LOVE (& SHARE) -- Another youth (along with the first one) spent years loving on this kid--before and after sharing that initial verse. If you'll remember in the video, it took a year and a half before that kid fully accepted Christ. But it wasn't a year and a half without significant spiritual conversations. It was built on a lifetime of friendship, so when it came time to have that conversation and others it came naturally. It was a relationship built between people, a respect, so that an invitation to camp could be extended, and accepted.
5. OBEY-- As I mentioned earlier, sharing came easy because the kids were nourished in the WORD and practiced their faith. Remember, this kid didn't just see them with their church clothes on. He saw them everyday at school. If they'd been living disingenuous lives, he'd never have listened to a word they said.
6. WORSHIP -- Before that kid went to camp (this wasn't in the video, but he told me this), he came and checked out High Tide, the Wednesday night youth worship. Watching his friends from school authentically and passionately worship God affected him. He went home, and called another lost friend and said, "Dude, I think I'm going to camp for God..." Through the worship of others, he was directed to the Living God!

What these youth had LEARNed through relationship with Christ provided the foundation for each of these other areas of growth and for the contribution to another's story of transformation.

One quick Abby story and I'm done...

Two weeks ago, Abby was late getting to the car after school. I wasn't paying much attention because I was on a phone call, had had a terrible day, and she was not my focus. She got in the car and waited for me to get off the phone. She was so excited. She said, "Mom, do you want to know why I'm late?" I looked at the clock...the first time I realized that she actually was late...like I said, I was in my own little world. She said, "I think I had the opportunity to touch someone's heart for God today." I can tell you, I immediately put the phone down, and she had my entire focus.

She was late because she was sharing with another little girl. Abby had taken her Bible Drill memory cards to school. They are like flash cards. During their independent study time, she took them out and was memorizing them. A little girl, who is unchurched, saw them and asked Abby about them after school. Abby pulled them out and shared some of the verses with her. The girl didn't know anything about the Bible, but she thought it looked like a "cool game." She asked Abby, "Could you get ME some cards so I can learn about the Bible, too?" Of course, Abby couldn't wait to get the cards and share them with her friend.

WOW! God will use us if we just daily live in relationship with Him and follow Him. He will reveal Himself to us through His WORD and through being in relationship with Him.

The verse that the youth in Sunday's video shared was 2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." After he said that verse, we sang "Hosanna" by Brooke Frasier which contains the line, "Heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like You have loved me." That's my prayer for us this week--that He will open our eyes to the things unseen and show us how to grow daily in His love as we reach this world for Christ! Who knows who's transformation story WE could be a part of this week?!

Imitate Me!

I'm reading a fantastic, challenging book right now by Bob Roberts, Jr. called Transformation. Transformation is a word we're going to be hearing a lot about. As a matter of fact, it is our (FBCA) theme for 2011. Our Pastor will be further unpacking the growth areas we've adopted as he teaches us how to be "Transformed along THE WAY."

Roberts talks a lot about how to measure spiritual growth. He issues a corporate challenge early on in his book. He says (p.24), "When people say the name of your church and the church you attend or in which you serve, what do they think? May it be that we love God with all our beings and are trying to live transparent lives of integrity. May they see us giving out all that we have and all that we are."

As I read this, I thought about our church and what people would say. I believe that, thanks to 150 years of healthy people that have gone before and healthy leadership now, many positive things would be said. But, then I took it a step further. "May it be that we love God with all our beings and are trying to live transparent lives of integrity." That statement hit me close to home. What facades do I put on? What areas of my life am I keeping hidden because I'm not fully walking the Jesus Way? This challenging word has caused me pause. It's caused me to re-evaluate some of the things in my life.

What would someone see if they looked into your everyday, unguarded life? Would they see someone who reflected Christ? We know that we are supposed to be like Christ. Ephesians 5:1 tells us, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." I often think about imitating Christ -- or the proverbial phrase, What Would Jesus Do? -- and, so often, I talk myself outof being Christ-like because, after all, none of us are expected to be perfect. Christ is the only perfect one who ever walked the earth, and the only one who ever will. What a cop-out on my part! Someone said recently that many of us [Christians] have learned how to "manage" sin. They said, "We believe it's okay to be a responsible sinner." In other words, as long as we're not committing the BIG sins, we're really okay, right? Our little sins don't really affect anyone, do they?

But Paul issues us (imperfect, human journeymen) a challenge of his own. He says in 1 Corinthians 4:16, "I urge you to imitate me." Is that something that you can say to others? Is that something I can say? People DO imitate us whether we say it or not. They imitate our compassion (or lack thereof). They imitate our commitment (or lack thereof). They imitate the way we love others, relate with others, etc. People watch and imitate.

Bob Roberts issues this challenge to us: "We [the Western church] talk about the qualifications for ministry in terms of education, ordination, rules, and regulations. However, isn't the main qualification for ministry the ability for a person to say, 'Imitate me'? Not that they are perfect, but that they are willing to live their lives as examples for others." (p.27)

Okay Bob & Paul...way to throw down a challenge! Is what I am doing, how I am living my life, how I love others, how I love God worth imitating?

I attended Barry Rock's class at DBU this past week, and here was one of the things he said. "The greatest problem in worship today is personal godliness. Worship means NOTHING apart from a transformed life." I believe he's right. I believe we (and I say this as a guilty party) find ways to justify or overlook our sin, and therefore stunt our growth as Christians and our ability to lead others along The Way.

This Sunday, we are participating in the Lord's Supper. Before the Lord's Supper begins, we have built in a small time of confession. Don't wait until Sunday. Find some time this week in your personal time with the Lord and lay yourself wide open. See what transformation He desires to take place in your life. Make it your prayer to be able one day to stand up in front of others and say these radical words, "Imitate me."