Sent

I’ve been trying to write more lately. It’s a really good way for me to think and process, and most of it I really enjoy sharing and getting feedback, so blogging has been a good outlet. I didn’t write much last week, though. That’s because I spent 4 evenings/nights with high school students from Grace Church who were on their Spring Break mission trip.

They stayed at our downtown campus Sunday-Thursday and did service projects around our city each day. At night, one of our high school pastors taught and we had small group discussion. Since I had to work, I was only able to go for the message and small group time (and of course dinner, because I love to eat). Some nights were better than others due to fatigue and how late we started discussion a couple times, but overall I think we had great dialogue.

The theme of the week was “Sent.” We talked about Isaiah, Abram, Jonah, and the Disciples. One of the first things said during the talk Sunday night was that God has a plan to bring people to Himself and He’s using people to do that. He’s using His children – created in His image, loved by Him, chosen by Him, forgiven by Him, and sent by Him.

Each night, we talked about how each passage we studied pointed to Jesus, as does all of Scripture. We talked about how in order to be sent, we must first be forgiven because we, like Isaiah (Isaiah 6.5-7), are men of unclean lips. We talked about how we must have faith, as Abram did, to be sent, but that God’s covenant promise to Abram (Gen. 12.2-3, 15.18-21) includes us and is accomplished through Christ. We talked about how in order to be sent, we need to die to self and our sinful prejudices, as God showed Jonah, and instead look to God for perspective (Jonah 4.9-11). We talked about how our faith is weak if it doesn’t cost us anything and how being sent is worthless unless we point people to Christ, as it was with the Disciples (Luke 10.20).

I love that these teenagers are being challenged. I love that they are being pushed and held accountable. I loved watching them process, discuss, and ask questions. I loved that for at least a few minutes, they counted the cost of discipleship. In America, it is often hard to truly count the cost of following Jesus, but when we look to His words we begin to understand just what it will cost:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ – Luke 14.26-30

I love that they are counting the cost because though it may be difficult for them and it will cost them something, God will use them to impact the world. He will use any of us who are willing. Because the reality is, if we call ourselves followers of Christ, we are all sent. He sent us.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28.18-20

Picture of Obedience to Christ

I wrote yesterday about celebrating baptism at Grace Church. Baptism services are always so special to me and I usually cry…sometimes a lot. This weekend was no different. But I kind of cheated.

I saw Saturday night that they were putting the baptism videos on our pastor’s blog, so I watched them all Sunday morning before church. It was fantastic. One video made me more emotional than all of the others, though. Usually it’s hearing small children explain the Gospel that gets me, but this time it wasn’t.

One of our high school students began sharing how he became a follower of Christ. He spoke of how he always knew a little about God and Jesus, but never saw the need for God in his life. Then he shared the turning point for him – hearing another high school student share how Christ completely changed his life. That’s pretty much when I lost it.

I couldn’t stop the tears from coming as I thought of how these two teenagers have given us a beautiful picture of obedience to Christ, discipleship, and inviting others to join. I didn’t know the first student before he became a Christ follower, but I know that hours and hours were poured into him by leaders and friends. I know that it was a difficult process. And though I didn’t get to see the whole process, I get to see the result – a young leader growing daily in Christ, and inviting others to do the same.

Faithfulness by many in this teenager’s life led to the salvation of a peer. And this is just one life that he touched. I don’t know either young man very well, but I know that they are both natural leaders. They have it in them – the ability to impact and lead people. Now, they are leading people to Christ.

I know they will still struggle. I know they will fall. I know they won’t always succeed. But I pray they will continue to live lives sold out to Christ. I pray that they will continue to be an example to all of us – young and old – of what Christ calls us to.

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. – 1 Timothy 4.12

New Life

Several years ago, my sister said something to me that completely changed our relationship. I can’t remember if it was on the phone or on skype or over email, but I remember being in my apartment in China being completely overwhelmed with God’s grace and power.

My sister had recently begun moving back towards God, very much like I had years before. We had both decided to follow Christ at a young age, and had periods of obedience and great relationship with Him. However, we also had times of blatant disobedience. There were areas of life that we had not surrendered to Christ. We were not living lives true to who we were – children of the Lord.

So what did she say that changed our relationship? She shared with me that as she had been reading in 2 Corinthians, one verse jumped out at her. That verse was 2 Corinthians 5.17:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

The power of Christ in our lives means that we are a new creation. We have new life. We are no longer held captive by our flesh. We live in freedom from sin because of Christ’s death and resurrection.

This verse changed our relationship because from then on, we truly began to relate and interact not just as sisters, but also as sisters in Christ. I am so thankful for Christ’s work in our lives, and for the opportunity to celebrate His victory over death.

This weekend at Grace Church, we are celebrating victory in the lives of 44 people. That is 44 brothers and sisters in Christ, each of whom have powerful stories of redemption. You can hear their stories on our Pastor’s Blog, be encouraged by their stories, and celebrate with them.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…” - 1 Peter 1.3-4

This Is Our God

This is currently one of my favorite songs. I think my favorite line in it is:

"He will wipe away your tears and return your wasted years"

There is just so much promise and hope in those words. I love it.

This Is Our God

- Chris Tomlin

A refuge for the poor, a shelter from the storm
This is our God
He will wipe away your tears and return your
wasted years
This is our God
So call upon His Name
He is mighty to save
This is our God

A father to the orphan, a healer to the broken
This is our God
And he brings peace to our madness and comfort
in our sadness
This is our God
So call upon His Name
He is mighty to save
This is our God

This is the one we have waited for
Jesus Lord and Savior
This is our God

A fountain for the thirsty, a lover for the lonely
This is our God
He brings glory to the humble and crowns for the
faithful
This is our God

Sometimes We Just Need to Move

I think too often we trust our hearts much more than we should. Even when we know our hearts are in the wrong place, we believe that’s where the change will begin; where the good will come from. The Bible doesn’t say that.

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. – Matthew 15.18-19

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17.9

What we should rely on for change is the redemptive and regenerate work of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Christ cares about the condition of our hearts. He came to bring salvation and rebirth – that includes our hearts. I’m just not sure we have paid much attention to examples of change in the Bible or to Christ’s words.

We wait after hearing God’s call, believing or hoping that He will change our hearts on things before we are required to move or act, but that’s not the case.

Jesus didn’t instruct His first disciples to sit, think, and pray about following Him, and then when their hearts were right to come join Him. No, He just said, “Follow me,” (Matt. 4.7, 9.9; John 1.43)

He gives similar instruction to anyone who would be called His disciple. There is the same urgency; the same call to follow.

…”If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Matt. 16.24

He doesn’t say think about it and when it feels right, take up your cross and follow. He says deny yourself, now, and take up your cross. He knows that our hearts will follow. He knows that what He has in store for us is better than anything we could plan ourselves, but he knows that in order to get there, we must get past ourselves.

Jesus isn’t about behavior modification. That’s not what this is about. Jesus cares deeply for our souls, but He knows that our hearts and souls are connected to our bodies. Our bodies can lead our hearts – either toward sin or toward Christ.

Has God showed you a particular sin in your life that you need to give up? Don’t wait until your heart is “ready” – it may never be. Just move. Is God leading you through an open door for a new ministry? Certainly take time to ask God for discernment and understanding of His call, but don’t expect your heart to fully be on board before you start. Your passion for it may never have an opportunity to flourish if you never experience it. Just move. Is God asking you to adopt or renew a discipline in your life? Don’t wait for your heart to get excited about it. Discipline means work, and that’s hard to get excited about. Just move.

There are times when our hearts are moved to change before our actions, but many times it is the willful act of discipline in the physical realm that leads our hearts to follow Christ with greater abandon. Sometimes we just need to move.

It's All About Jesus

What is the Bible about?

I think we all know the answer to that question – Jesus. It’s easy to say the Bible is about Jesus without actually thinking about it. But have you ever thought about how each individual story, song, and prayer is divinely ordained by God to point to His Son? Listen to this message by Tim Keller:

I love this video. I love the truth in it. I love the passion in his voice. I love how excited he is about Jesus and how exciting these truths are to me. We showed this video to our 9^th grade girls a few months back and it has helped frame each passage we study. It has served as a continual reminder of what everything in the Bible points to and what everything in our lives should point to.

Each time we study a new story or passage, I ask the girls, “What is the Bible about?” They answer, “Jesus.” Then I ask, “So what is this particular story about? What is it pointing to?” That is such a great place to begin discussion of how all passages in the Old and New Testaments prepare and point our hearts toward Jesus.

As we study the metanarrative of the Bible – Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation/Restoration – we are continually reminded that the main character is Christ. And as we seek to have our lives in line with God and seek to be a part of His story, we are reminded that Christ, not self, is also the main character in our lives.

It’s not about us.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. – Colossians 1.15-20

The Single's Response to Marriage

My last post focused on submission, particularly in marriage. So what does that mean for single women? What are we supposed to do with that information? I think the answer is interesting.

The idea of marriage is exciting to me. I would like to be married eventually (and if I’m honest, most days eventually = now). It hasn’t always been like that. I used to think marriage was just another step in adulthood, but not that important. Then my perspective changed, and marriage became very important to me – it became something I sought after. And people would say not to make marriage my focus, not let it become an idol. At the same time, though, other people would talk about the high value of marriage, and especially the high calling of being a wife and mother. Those 2 messages seem almost contradictory.

But they’re not.

John Piper tweeted a statement the other day that resonated with me because it brought those 2 contradictory ideas together in the same sentence. This was his tweet: “An unmarried woman should have a high view of marriage, but also of God's sovereignty in her own life." (Nancy Wilson)

Marriage is important and holy, instituted by the Lord. We are to view it as such. We cannot make it an idol, though, which happens when we view marriage above Christ. Being married is not more important than walking with Christ and being sanctified for all eternity by Him. And, yet, sometimes we place it above Him. That is sin, and we must repent of it.

The answer to idolizing marriage is not to condemn it, though, which is sometimes the tendency. We are tempted to devalue marriage in an attempt to combat our own sinful idolatry. That is just as wrong. Marriage is of great value because it was created by God. Marriage is a picture of Christ and His church. We are not to condemn it, but to value and respect it as an institution ordained by God.

The solution to these two extreme views is not found in the middle of them, but is instead found in the freedom of the Gospel of Christ. Christ’s death and resurrection brings freedom in life – whether single or married. A life dedicated to Christ is a life free from the constraints of this world and our culture.

When we are freed from those constraints, we can take our focus off of them and off of ourselves. We can turn our eyes to things above, to Christ, where they should be. When we turn our eyes to Christ, we see what we are to be living for – Him.

So then as a single woman, my focus is not on getting married, but on giving my life up for Christ. It’s about laying down my rights – both in my singleness and in marriage – and picking up my cross. It means that I don’t need to worry about when or if I will get married because my only worry is how Christ is asking me to die to myself today.

Too often, we are so focused on trying to change our situation or move on to the next stage that we fail to see God’s hand in our current situation. We allow our selfish dissatisfaction to kill God’s joy in our lives. We waste what God has given us and where He has placed us. If we are not being faithful where we are, we are not preparing for the future God has for us, and when He takes us there we will not be ready and we will fail.

Our eyes must remain on Christ. He is at work in our lives – growing, teaching, stretching, and molding. God’s goal in our lives is sanctification. He prepares us for each stage as He brings them to us, but ultimately all of His work in us is preparing us to spend eternity with Him. That’s where our eyes need to be.

Am I living like this? Sometimes. Not always. Because it’s difficult. It doesn’t come easy. It’s not natural. But I’m called to intentionally put the natural, earthly me to death so that I may be raised with Christ in holiness.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. – Colossians 3.1-4

Christ Centered Relationships - Part 2 (Partner and Submit)

Several weeks ago, I talked about a series of messages that Francis and Lisa Chan did on Christ-Centered Relationships. Lisa did the majority of the speaking in the second message, focusing on partnering and submitting. Francis introduced the talk with a few tough truths about all of us:

• - We really like Jesus, but if we’re honest with ourselves we don’t want to become like him.
• - We admire His humility, but we don’t want to be that humble.
• - We are thankful that Jesus would be abused, but we would never let that happen to ourselves.
• - We love that Jesus laid down His rights, but we will fight for ours.

Those thoughts are not consistent with what we are instructed in the Word, though:

“…whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” – 1 John 2.6

What a great introduction to the idea of submission and partnering as women. Lisa’s message in conjunction with the Partnering section of the Ezer study at Grace Church have been both clarifying and challenging to me, and have provided wonderful, Biblical guidance.

We are called to submit to God (James 4.7) and then to each other out of reverence for Christ and the authoritative order He has established (Ephesians 4.21). I should not expect my attempts at submission to others to be positive or successful until I have first submitted my life to Christ.

What does a life submitted to Christ look like?

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” – Luke 9.23-24

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14.26-27

A life submitted to Christ sacrifices self and embraces the life of Christ. It puts the agenda of self to death and embraces the agenda of Christ. Submission to Christ means intentionally owning the cause of Christ as my own.

Submission to others, namely a husband, comes after we submit to Christ. If we have not embraced Christ’s cause and agenda, we will not view marriage as He does – as a picture of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5.22-32) – and will instead view marriage by the world’s standard – an institution designed for our happiness and security. With a wrong view of marriage, we will either make no attempt at submission or it will be a constant, painful struggle, always ending in failure. If, instead, we embrace Christ’s agenda and His plan for marriage, our perspective will change. Submission and partnering will still be a struggle at times and we will still fail, but those struggles and failures will sanctify us and teach us to rely more on Christ’s strength, not our own. And He will bring victory.

Partnering is about owning the cause of another. In marriage, it means coming alongside your husband, lending strength to him, and owning his cause as your own. Submission is part of owning that cause, and is one way God has given us as Christian women to be set apart from culture - to point people to Him through our lives. It’s not about rules and roles. It’s about loving Christ, loving others, and serving. Partnering is bigger than submission. Partnering is bigger than my wants, my kingdom. It’s about living my life to see His Kingdom come and His will be done.

Nica 2011 - Vision and Misson

When we got into Nicaragua on Saturday, we had an orientation with the Christ for the City International (CFCI) team. They oriented us to the country, our trip, and their team. The basic rules, guidelines, and the “what to expect” information were given. All of it was relevant and helpful, but the best part of the orientation was when they shared the CFCI vision and prayer requests for Nicaragua.

The CFCI Vision

• · No place without a witness
• · No church without a vision
• · No person without hope

CFCI is focused on leadership development, pastoral care, teaching, and training of the local church.

Nicaragua Prayer

• · Divided nation (politically, geographically, religious)
• · Recent hurricanes
• · Few healthy families/marriages or churches
• · Rapid growth of evangelicals
• · Task for workers – Bible teaching, leadership training, material and social needs

This was the best part for several reasons. First, it gave us a focus for the week and for our ministry partnership in the future. Vision casting is vastly important in leadership, whether you’re leading people for one week or many years. If you don’t know what your goal is or where you’re headed, it’s difficult to get there. Second, it gave us a glimpse of the CFCI team’s burden for the people of Nicaragua. It encouraged us to know that their team has spent time talking about, praying for, and seeing direction for Nicaragua. It pushed me to do the same.

Finally, this vision casting gave me yet another reminder of how Christ, as the head, leads the many parts of His Body to function as one.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. – 1 Corinthians 12.12-28

I have been a part of other mission teams with other purposes. When I worked with short-term teams while in Asia, our goal was church planting. We, as the longer-term missionaries, were focused on meeting people and sharing the Good News with them. Though we did disciple new believers during our time there, in the villages there were no believers to disciple because they had not heard. Short-term teams helped give us access to villages without a witness, villages where people had never heard the name of Jesus so that we could share with them the Name above all names and the Truth of the Gospel.

In Nicaragua, though, our focus is different. We were in a village quite similar to those in Asia, but this village has an indigenous, evangelical church. This village has a witness. What the believers in Rivas, Nicaragua need is discipleship, training, encouragement, and an opportunity to share the Gospel with their people in their own language and culture. That’s what we were able to do for them in the week we were there.

Please stop and think about how cool this is. Years ago, before this village in Nicaragua had a church or Christian presence, missionaries came in bringing the Good News of Christ. Their goal was probably similar to my goal in Asia. They were obedient and God moved. He is always faithful. Because of the obedience of those who came before us, we are now able to stand on their shoulders and build on the foundation that is Christ.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 3.7-11

I love seeing how the Holy Spirit equips us with gifts for building up the Kingdom. It’s so cool to see how spiritual gifts can intersect spiritual needs when we are obedient. I’m thankful for how this has been modeled for me in the past and how it is currently being lived out at Grace Church.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. – 1 Corinthians 12.4-7, 11