relational motive

what’s your relational motive?
Pastor Chris

Recently I was having a conversation with a friend about the importance of extending ourselves relationally into the lives of people we’re trying to reach with the love of God. Our conversation has caused me to rethink and clarify why it is we stress this idea of ‘relational community’ when it comes to our church and our understanding of the Way of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. In our gatherings, we talk a lot about genuine and authentic relationships (with God and people), and one of the most effective and practical ways we find ourselves growing relationally with others is by giving away our most valuable resource…our time. It’s valuable because you can never get it back. Once you’ve given it away, it’s gone. And we all know there’s very little of it – it seems – available in our lives (which probably explains why we are so prone to become so selfish with our own time; ie: “I just need some time for myself.”). This past weekend, our core team chatted about ideas and some fresh ways we can continue to advance our vision and build relationships with new people by showing them that we genuinely care…not by simply inviting them into our own world, but by being willing to step into their world – at the expense of our own time. As one author so well put it, ‘people don’t care how much you know until they know that you care.’ That is the essence of what it means to give ourselves away relationally. If we’re not willing to give away the greatest resource that God has given us, how can the world around us truly know that we care…and ultimately through us that God cares? This may even raise the question that one of my friends asked his friend recently; “are you in love with Jesus?” and ‘what does your time say to back it up?’ Tough questions.

Back to my conversation with my friend: He posed the question, “do we find ourselves spending so much time with others for the sheer purpose of one day having the opportunity to share with them how they can become like us by believing like us, or do we do so simply because we love them.” As my friend Larry put it this morning, “would you still spend time with me, would you still be my friend if I never believed like you?” The issue here has to do with agenda, and whether or not we’re trying to conform someone or see someone transformed through relationship. This raises another tough question for the follower of Jesus; “are we giving ourselves away relationally for the ultimate purpose of seeing someone believe like us, or are we giving ourselves away relationally our of love for that person? Do our relationships have ultimate agendas? Are we more focused on the ‘bait and switch’ approach that lures people in so that we can ultimately share our beliefs with them?

Let me clarify something before I conclude: I believe it is out of our love and obedience to God that we are compelled to share with others of the hope and the life we have found in Jesus, and ultimately we want everyone we come in contact with to taste and experience what we have found in Him. However, I believe we are being more like Jesus by giving ourselves away relationally out of love rather than giving ourselves away with the agenda of getting something in return (ie: ‘come to church with me,’ ‘believe like I do,’ etc.). Embracing the life of God begins with the understanding that we are always called to give more than we receive because that’s what Jesus shows us through His relationship with us. A love-motivated relationship invites someone to journey with you as you grow deeper in relationship with God…together. And as your journey together, it creates level ground between two disciples who are learning more and more about what it means to follow the Way of Jesus.

There is nothing in life (and in eternity) more important than relationships, and the relationships (however many of them there are) that count the most are the ones we give ourselves away to freely out of a heart of love.

Savor

I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. –Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

Are there moments in life right now where you find yourself “watching from a distance,” feeling as if some of the best moments are simply passing you by? Are you finding yourself busy trying just to make ends meet, trying so hard to get ahead…all with the hope of being able to enjoy things later? If so, you may also be finding yourself overwhelmed and spiritually exhausted in your pursuit for enjoyment and satisfaction. And the most frustrating thing is when we finally reach those moments we’ve been looking forward to, we sometimes lack the energy and the right attitude to fully enjoy them as we’d hoped to – what a let-down!

That describes a lot of people. Maybe you. Definitely me some days. What do we do?

Let me change the question a bit: How well are you ‘savoring’ your life? How many times in a day do you find yourself taking a deep breath, soaking up the view of the things around you and the beauty that’s right in front of you? The problem with many of us is that we’re working so hard to enjoy things later that we forget that we’re meant to enjoy things NOW. Look again at Ecclesiastes 3:12-13.

This past weekend, I had the privilege of officiating a wedding for some new friends of mine here in Greensboro. Something I’ve begun adding to the ceremonies I do is having the couple take just a few moments to look around and ‘savor’ the moment. About half-way through the ceremony, I asked them to take a deep breath and look around. It’s kind of awkward at first, until you see them crack a smile when they make eye contact with a few folks in attendance. Yet, it always seems to lighten the atmosphere a bit, helping the couple to lay-back and enjoy the next few moments. So often in a wedding, everyone is focused on doing things just right, not messing up, that they actually miss the beauty of what’s taking place around them. That’s not only true with weddings, it’s true in life.

Also this past weekend, Molly and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary (also, Jonathan & Jennifer Pugh celebrated their 1st!). Part of our celebration included taking some time to write down our “Top 10 things we love most about each other.” I can’t begin to tell you how gratifying that experience was for both of us as we took time to ‘savor’ our marriage through the things we find so beautiful about our marriage and each other.

The wisdom of the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that every pursuit for enjoyment in life is meaningless unless we begin finding it in the things that are right in front of us. If you were to take time to ‘savor’ the life around you right now, what would you see? What would you discover? 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us that God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. And I believe one of the greatest ways we return glory and worship to our Creator is to find enjoyment in the present…not allowing another moment to slip by unnoticed and unappreciated.

Savor today!

Why we exist…

…Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” _John 20:21

Sunday afternoon, we worked a bit on this question: why do we do what we do as a church-community? We’ve been trying to answer this over the last several weeks and months ever since we started gathering people together, building the community of Awaken. And our answers (coming from our Core Team) seem to be pretty clear…we (Awaken) exist to extend the love of Jesus to others by extending ourselves relationally, discovering ways to serve our neighbors and our city, and ultimately leading others to discover that their heart matters to God by creating an authentic community for people to belong to. …and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

This week, I’m attending the National New Church Conference with some of my friends from the Greensboro area who, with other pastors from all over the U.S., are establishing new church communities for similar reasons. While here, I’ve already been confronted with a deeper question I’ve been dealing with for some time – a question that every church must ultimately seek to answer: If our church ceased to exist, would your city be affected? If our church vanished, would our community weep?

Jesus’ message is clear on this: The Church (the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today, including Awaken) does not exist for itself, but for the world. As Rob Bell puts it, “The Church is the only organization in the world that does not exist for its members, but for the good of the world.” Sometimes we get this idea messed up, thinking the church exists for our good, a place for us to be fed, to grow and to benefit. But that’s not God’s heart. As we see in Luke 15:1-7, His heart is focused on the lost sheep, and that’s His heart for the Church (for us) today.

As we’ve shared some beautiful stories over the last few weeks about how our community has served to bless those who are part of it (answered prayers, a place of encouragement and support for those struggling with situations in life, a community of love and acceptance, etc.), we’re reminded of others in our city who still have not experienced and encountered Jesus in these ways through a community like Awaken. And that is, and always will be, the biggest reason why we exist. Wholeness and completeness in our own lives is found in nothing else than this very reason.

We do not exist for ourselves; we exist for the world.

When we discover this (not only in our church-communities, but also on a personal level) we discover a fulfillment and satisfaction in life, “laying hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:19) That’s God’s life. He proves Himself to be a servant through Jesus, and that’s the life He invites us into.

being a eucharist

Perhaps this Easter Sunday you found yourself somewhere celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus and the fact that the tomb is empty, that Jesus is alive and is risen so that we might have life. (However you celebrated this past week, I hope it was rich in meaning for you.) Easter brings with it a time filled with deep significance and celebration for Jesus-followers, reminding us of the purpose of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, but also reminding us of our purpose as His followers.

Central to our understanding of what it means to be a Christian (a Jesus-follower) is found in the familiar words of John 3:16. There, we are told that God has given…He has given us a Gift, and that Gift is His Son, His One and Only, the Only Begotten, Jesus. And that through Him, He gives the gift of abundant, everlasting life to all who believe.

Also central to the Scriptures is the act of thanking God for this gift: be thankful (Col. 3:15); give thanks… (1 Thess. 5:18); enter His gates with thanksgiving… (Ps. 100:4). We are encouraged/commanded through Scripture to give thanks for this Gift of life that God has given us through His Son Jesus. And that in itself is our reason to celebrate on Easter.

The Greek word for thankful is transliterated Eucharisimi (or Eucharistia or Eucharisteo) meaning to give or grant a good gift or grace. This is where we get the word Eucharist, which is another word we have for The Lord’s Supper or Communion.

If you celebrated Easter with a church-community recently, you more than likely observed The Lord’s Supper, or Communion. As Christians we meditate and reflect on this gift and what it means to us through by periodically taking of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, otherwise known as the Eucharist. It’s our way, as commanded by Jesus, to remember His body that was broken and His blood that was poured out so that we might have life…and to be thankful.

Yet, I think there’s a deeper, richer purpose that goes beyond simply taking of the bread (symbolic of the Body of Christ) and the cup (…the blood of Christ), to becoming. In other words, there is a call for those of us who follow Jesus to become to the world what Jesus is for us…broken and poured out so that others may have life. Think about it, What would be missing, what good would be lost if we, or our church were no longer in the community God has placed us? At the heart of the Awaken Community is the desire that we would be a Eucharist to the city of Greensboro and the world, broken and poured out, so that others would find life, wholeness and goodness in Jesus – through His Church.

As you move beyond this Easter, may you find yourself being to the world and the people around you what Jesus is to us. May we all be the life-givers that our neighbors would eventually be grateful for.

a healing community

What fears are gripping your heart today? Have you ever found yourself ‘running to the hills’ (so to speak), or even pulling away into isolation out of a fear of hurt or rejection from people? Think for a moment about the fears that were gripping the heart of Jesus prior to His suffering on the cross. The fear of torment, accusations, mocking, ridicule…and ultimately rejection; enough to make any of us desire to run. Yet, Jesus faced his fears, and as Scripture tells us, out of the joy that would come of it, He gave Himself away and endured the cross.

Have you ever loved, only to be rejected? Have you ever given, only to be unappreciated? You’re not alone. God knows all about this. I think it’s amazing to consider how even the greatest of love and generosity toward us – expressed in God’s Presence with us through Jesus, and our rescue found in His cross – can be returned with such cruel rejection. Yet, that’s the risk Jesus took, giving us the choice to love Him or reject Him. That’s essentially the risk we all take when it comes to loving and giving in life. Our tendency, when it comes to giving ourselves away in love, is to play it safe, minimize the risk, only go after the battles we’re sure to win, avoiding rejection, and perhaps even people, in the process.

Have you ever thought that your journey with God would find it’s greatest fulfillment if you could only remove the obstacles of people? If you’ve ever had your heart wounded through the rejection of others, you may find yourself tempted to pull away from not only those who have hurt you, but from people in general. I’ve found myself here, and I’ve found myself empty in that place. You see, I think we find ourselves in an extremely dangerous place when we pull away from people, specifically meaningful, authentic relationships where we’re walking with others, learning more about ourselves and what it means to follow the Way of Jesus. Perhaps that’s what’s so dangerous about referring to church as ‘community;’ it involves giving yourself away to others, and sometimes that’s a risk we’re unwilling to take.

A part of the challenge in the journey with God is to never give up on people, because the journey is lived out in the context of relationships. And if we’re ever to find healing from the wounds of rejection, it will only be found when we give ourselves away to a higher purpose than ourselves. Simply put, we get better when we give ourselves away.

Jesus’ joy was knowing that His suffering would bring us life. And by giving Himself away, He has shown us that wholeness and completeness of heart in life is only found when we do the same…and that begins in the context of relationships and ‘community.’

What are your fears when it comes to ‘community?’ Face them, and discover the joy of Jesus in giving yourself away!

the latest on 'baby Shelton'

Things are progressing well as we approach the end of the first trimester. Baby Shelton is currently about the size of a large jumbo shrimp (not exactly a good description for a baby), and is “fearfully and wonderfully” being weaved together by God’s Hand. By this stage (according to our baby books) the baby has developed fingerprints, which is an amazing reminder how God uniquely shapes each one of us. Thanks for sharing in our joy!

the latest on 'baby Shelton'

Last week’s prenatal visit went great. We had the opportunity to not only ‘hear’ the baby’s heartbeat, but to ‘see’ the baby’s heart beat. What an amazing experience watching God knit this child together! Thank you for your prayers as we approach week 12 and the beginning of the 2nd trimester.

Please pray for Molly’s strength over the coming days, as well as our preparation as parents over the coming months.

the central issue

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been engaged in a discussion with our Tuesday night gathering centered around the life (true, abundant, ‘better life than you’ve ever dreamed of’ life) that Jesus comes to offer us, and how that life is opposed. Why? Because there is a thief. In the same breath that Jesus tells us that He has come to offer us life (John 10:10), He also tells us that it is, and will continue to be fiercely opposed by the enemy, the thief, Satan himself.

Take a careful look around you, and you’ll see a world at war. Good things like marriages, families, friendships and whole church communities, excitement about big news and big dreams – all under attack in some way, whether through discouragement, disagreements, divisions, disappointment, etc. To put it clearer, anywhere you find something good (of God) you’ll find something opposing it in some way, whether big or small. Think about your life and the lives of those around you. Where do you see this happening?

No other topic in Scripture (Old & New Testament) is discussed more than ‘the heart.’ This seems to point to something significant that God is trying to say to us all; that our hearts are central to life and that our hearts matter to Him. It’s almost as if the words of Proverbs 4:23 sums it all up: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” And Jesus comes to restore our hearts from the brokenness we’re born into so that we may HAVE life. Therefore, because of the importance of your heart, you can bet your heart (the center of who you are, including your passions, desires and ambition for God) WILL be opposed.

Here’s the point: to lay hold of this life that Jesus speaks of means that you must fight for it with all your heart. Our community has not been exempt from the opposition of the thief, bringing various struggles, doubts and discouragement along the way, including frequent attacks on marriages and hearts. But as I have to remind myself of daily, this is a fight that is SO worth it, because once you’ve tasted of this life of Jesus, you want others to taste as well, and that’s why this new church community exists.

I challenge and encourage you to fight for this life that Jesus makes available with all your heart, not only for yourself, but for the sake of those depending on you. And as we continue our journey, pray that we’ll have the strength daily to focus on and claim the good of God, to fight for our hearts well as a community and to see the hearts of more and more come alive to the Good News of the Risen One, Jesus.

the latest on 'baby Shelton'

the lastest

As of today, our pregnancy is 11 weeks along, with a due date sometime around October 2nd. We will be attending our first Prenatal Exam on Wednesday (March 14th) to hear the baby’s heartbeat. Please pray for this visit tomorrow.

Big News from the Shelton's...

We’re proud to inform you of a new addition to the Awaken family, arriving later this year. In other words, we (the Shelton’s) are going to have a baby! We’re both so excited to share this news with each of you and have already experienced a tremendous amount of joy telling our family and our church community in recent days. In short, we ask for your prayers over our pregnancy through the coming months, as we look forward to updating you on our progress along the way (more details below)!

a season of ‘giving birth’

For those of you who have known us for a while, you would have thought it would take a trip to Disney World for this to actually happen (one of Molly’s previous stipulations before starting a family). And as exciting as this has been for both of us so far, it already seems to be such a surreal experience. On February 14th, I awoke to the words, “I think you’re going to be a daddy.” I’m not sure I had more than 10 words all day – which is totally opposite to how I thought I’d react. To consider the responsibility that comes with raising a child – not to mention to responsibility of ultimately pointing this child back to his or her Creator – I’ve honestly found myself as a ‘dad-to-be’ feeling a bit overwhelmed at times. Yet, what a blessing that God would entrust and appoint parents (whether biological, adoptive, etc.) with such a great responsibility of raising HIS children.

The parallel of giving birth to both a child and a church is something I’ve obviously thought a lot about over the last few weeks. It’s something so significant, that it simply cannot be overlooked. I’ve heard from so many people, including many of you, about how exciting the coming days will be and what a tremendous learning experience this will be for us to grow personally. Yet, I’m also reminded how both are responsibilities, blessings on loan from God. And it is our deep and passionate desire to be the best stewards we can be of both, first to our child, and then to our church.

I write you today with loads of humility, as a father-to-be who has so much to learn. And I believe, as I’ve heard many times before, that the 9-months of development aren’t so much for the baby as they are for the preparation of the parents. So it is with that same humility that we earnestly need and ask for your prayers for the growth and development of our church community, our baby-on-the-way, and for us as new parents over the coming days.

home

“I am convinced that all of us are searching for a place called home, a place where we can close our eyes and sleep, a place where there is warmth and we are somehow unafraid, a place where we gather around the fire and the room is filled with laughter and love…Home is ultimately not about a place to live but about the people with whom you are most fully alive. Home is about love, relationship, community and belonging, and we are all searching for home.” (Soul Cravings, McManus; entry 8)

“They ate till they had more than enough, for He had given them what they craved.” -Psalm 78:29

I’ve been so encouraged recently to watch relationships with people in our church community continue to grow and deepen. Last Tuesday evening at our monthly dinner party, the atmosphere seemed to feel a lot like home – where people were laughing, eating and sharing stories together; a place where each person is accepted just as they are and where their words matter. I get excited when I see things like this because I truly believe that finding and experiencing such relationships and community in life is like coming home to a place our hearts are always in desperate search of.

When we set out on this journey several months ago, I can’t tell you how many times I was warned about the difficulties we would face when it came to carrying out our vision…one that emphasizes relationships over programs; one that is driven not by doing church, but by being church. And as we continue to build and deepen our relationships with one another, I see our love growing as we continue to move toward our mission to extend the life and love of Christ to our surrounding community.

So what’s the problem with carrying-out such a vision?

Relationships can be messy sometimes, can’t they? In fact, when it comes to offering a relationship to someone (one that includes your heart and your love), we can easily find ourselves in a dangerous place. Why? As the famous song so appropriately puts it:

Love hurts, love scars, Love wounds, and mars any heartNot tough or strong enough to take a lot of pain, take a lot of painLove is like a cloud, holds a lot of rain. Love hurts......ooh, ooh love hurts

Once you open yourself to a new relationship, you not only add the opportunity for things like authenticity, honesty, depth, acceptance and love; you also add the opportunity for hurt and betrayal. That’s the danger we face in relationships, in becoming a relational community…and maybe that’s why we sometimes find ourselves running from such things. But to run from something your heart craves (because God created us with a relational-need, to Him and to others) is maddening. It’s simply a risk we MUST take to survive and find satisfaction and fulfillment in life.

Discussing this issue with our Core Team Sunday stirred my heart to keep standing for something I passionately believe in…that relationships are what matter most to God, and though they can be dangerous and difficult to manage at times, there’s nothing our hearts need more than a place where we find ourselves unafraid, where we belong, where we can rest and feel the warmth of the love of God through the love of others.

May Awaken be such a place, where we find home in the unchanging love of God, in the fellowship of walking with Jesus and with friends, and in giving ourselves away freely to our neighbors and God’s mission to bring every heart home to Him.

craving intimacy

Have you ever had an unexplainable loneliness even while standing in the middle of a crowd? I heard a friend say several times recently that he doesn’t need anymore acquaintances in his life, that there is no more room for such relationships. He desires friendships that go much deeper than that, friendships that are authentic, real, transparent, intimate. People who he will be there for, and who, in turn, will be there for him. I agree.

Think about your own life. Who are those ‘deep’ friendships you share, those deeper than merely ‘acquaintances?’ Who are the people in whom you are investing yourself and who are investing themselves in you? Who are the people you are walking with through life, who make you better, who even perhaps sharpen you spiritually?

One evening last week, a group of people I’m beginning to count more and more as my ‘deep’ friends (people who are also in our church community) spent some time together bowling. We had a blast laughing together (and not so much at each other), applauding and giving high-fives, encouraging each other and enjoying the unique personalities each person possesses. It was also a surreal evening as we all watched Molly dominate us on the lanes! I was humbled.

Bowling that evening was one of those moments where things deeper than community are formed. Relationships are deepened and become more intimate. People develop meaningful, more authentic relationships as they share their lives together; relationships that go beyond simply the people you go to church with, to a holistic-level in life. These are the people I’m beginning a new spiritual journey with, the people I’m walking with and sharing my life with. And that’s our vision with Awaken…a community of people in deep relationship, who walk together and who live out the very meaning of koinonia, the Greek term for Christian Fellowship as it should be.

Looking at God’s Word, I’m convinced these types of relationships – ‘deep’ friendships – are what our souls crave. But to have these types of relationships require that we give more of ourselves away, including our hearts and our love…and that can be risky. Yet, that’s how God created us, because the more we love, the more our love expands, the closer it leads us to God.

Is your soul finding satisfaction in your relationships? Who are you walking with? Who can you go deeper with? Listen to your soul…

Beauty in Ashes

Today in Boone, it is raining outside, the overcast makes visibility low, and the air is warm so that your clothes stick to you. Very few people are out on the streets, but for those few that are, the majority keep their faces to the ground to keep from getting any inch of their skin wet. Water has accumulated in many places, so that it is almost impossible to walk anywhere without getting a sock full of rainwater.

Today is one the most beautiful days in the world. I cannot explain to you the peace I found in just taking a simple walk down to Espresso News and back. With smooth jazz in my ear buds and rain gently falling on my face as I kept it towards the sky, God was there. I wanted to find every opportunity in the world to make eye contact with someone and just smile. I've found eye contact, even if just for one second, with a complete stranger, slows down time. Not literally, but it's one of those instances where you suddenly wonder what town they were born in, and whether they know this God who makes rain beautiful.

I think rain is very symbolic of our lives. Most people see rain as irritable, sticky, and an overall nuisance to our daily life. And, on face value, it is. This can represent the pain and hardships we face in our lives. But, also, think about this. When it's raining, you cannot help but notice. You're either going to wear what you normally wear and suffer through it in your mind, or wear a raincoat and get through a little better. Regardless of the choice, your day changed a little because of the rain.When it rains, I see this as God getting our attention. The same is with some of the pains and struggles we go through.
The phrase, "beauty in ashes," is basically another way of saying, "look at the bright side." Rain can be annoying, but it can also be revitalizing. Water is one of the strongest images tied to purity and cleansing. As each drop of rain touches your face, think about it this way: every drop represents a single mistake or sin or whatever in our lives that's holding us down. And every drop, as it hits your face, is God proclaiming, "You are free of guilt and misery. Live free and abundantly."

Think about this! Ooh man! When a raindrop hits your face, think about how lucky you are! You are the only person who gets to feel that raindrop in the whole entire world. If that doesn't make you feel unique, I don't know what can.

I could keep going, but I want you to start where I finished off. Let it be a conversation between you and God.

seeds

He (Jesus) also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”
-Mark 4:26-27 (NIV)

Recently, Molly and I had the privilege of joining our church family in Wilson for their 15-year anniversary celebration. It was a day full of stories, laughter, encouragement and anticipation of what’s to come. While sharing about the progress of Awaken, Pastor Gary reminded me of how Wilson Community Church began back in 1992 with 7 people in his living room. Today, WCC is a sending-body of believers, with around 200 people gathering week to week throughout Wilson. I’m proud to be part of the continuing story of WCC!

As I reflected on that small gathering in Pastor Gary’s living room, I thought of the word ‘seeds.’ Jesus uses this term a lot when referring to the kingdom of God. Paul uses the term when referring to new church communities as well as the life of God that is sown into the hearts of people. In most cases, the ‘seeds’ refer to something that begins small, but later becomes great. It represents something with potential, possibilities, and the ability to grow. Going back to WCC, those 7 people represented the seed that God used to grow the church into what it is today. And today, WCC is a Life-Giving Plant to ministries all over the world, including ours!

Yesterday, our Core Community gathered in our living room for our weekly meeting (a group in similar number). I gave each person a small seed (fescue, to be exact, which I recently used to sow grass in December, thanks to the mild start to winter) and asked each person to examine it. Our words were ‘possibilities,’ ‘potential,’ ‘care,’ ‘growth.’ As I sat with these people who have become my dear friends, discussing our individual strengths, I couldn’t help but dream of the possibilities in days and months to come.

When I think about a seed, I don’t know how to explain how the growth will occur other than doing what I know how to do: gathering and spreading seed, regularly adding nutrients to the soil and watering it is the extent of my ‘grass-growing’ expertise…and somehow it grows.

And that’s how God’s kingdom works. Such things begin with just a few, faithful to the Word of God, desperately seeking after the life found in Jesus, and all of a sudden, new Life begins to grow in the hearts of those around us. As God reminds us through the prophet Zachariah (4:10) “Do not despise these small beginnings.” No matter what area that may speak to in your life right now, know that small things hold great potential when given to God.

teacher

While in Boone recently, we were having a conversation about teachers who make a difference in our lives...individuals who spoke truth and love in our lives to teach us something about ourselves, our worth, and our potential. A friend of ours told us a rather humerous story about an incident when she was growing up where the teacher actually threw a paddle at her. Her response: she threw the paddle back at the teacher! The incident had somewhat a negative impact on her for obvious reasons.

We had a great discussion about how teachers can either elevate our hearts to greatness or they can blind us from seeing who we truly are capable of becoming.

Recently, I've been studying the Book of Ecclesiastes written by one who calls himself "the Teacher." King Solomon's concluding words are facinating, explaining how the teacher's greatest characteristics: one who is wise, imparts knowledge, is organized, ponders, searches for just the right words and speaks the plain truth with clarity. The result is that the teacher's words are "like firmly embedded nails," making an impression on us that perhaps 'spurs' us to action, or causes us to see ourselves and the world around us more differently than ever before.

Rob Bell, author of 'Velvet Elvis,' points out that "the best teachers are masters of the obvious. They see the same things we do, but they are aware of so much more. And when they point it out, it changes the way we see everything." (p.89)

I think of how Jesus looks at us through eyes of love and compassion, through God's eyes, pointing out all that we are and all that we capable of becoming through Him. When Jesus tells me that He has come to give me life, that my life is hidden in Him, that I am a true child of the living God, and that I possess His power through the Holy Spirit that He sends to guide and direct my life, it changes the way I see myself and has a tremendous impact on the way I live.
To me, and many others, Jesus is the greatest teacher of all. He speaks to the heart...words of love, encouragement, compassion, restoration...and challenges us to do the same.

Recall the teachers in your life who have made the greatest impact. Perhpas you'll discover the similarities we find in their approach to the one Jesus takes with us.

Add to the painting...who are some of the greatest teachers you've encountered and why? How do they compare to Jesus?

the sign

Our new office sign was installed last week! Check it out!

identity

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied…”And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
-Matthew 16:16-18 (NIV)

Isn’t it interesting how Jesus looks back at Peter after he confesses that Jesus is the Christ, and then reminds Peter who he truly is? “…I tell you that you are Peter…” It’s almost as if Jesus is saying, “You’re right, I AM the Christ, but do you know who you are? Do you know what you’re capable of? Do you know what I’m planning to do through you? Do you understand what that means for you?”

I’ve been thinking a lot about identity lately. Identity of myself, the people around me, and especially our church community. I recently asked our Core Community (a group of about 7 people who are journeying deeper with us) to share what excited them most about who we are becoming as the church that Jesus Christ is building. I’m excited to share these responses with you…

“People care and know your name.”

“I like how we’re taking time getting to know each other.”

“This is one of the first places we’ve felt we belonged in a long time.”

“I like our diverse make-up.”

“…our values and our goals, and how we emphasize relationships.”

“We’re a church for such a time as this.”

“We care about individuals and their thoughts.”

“I really like how we talk about relationships and how we celebrate everyone’s uniqueness.”

As I’ve chewed on these statements this week, I can’t help but celebrate in the fact that we’re becoming the church community that God gave us a vision to become almost 6 months ago. We are living more and more into our identity as we continue to advance, and it’s nothing short of thrilling!

I don’t know if there’s anything more glorifying to God than we we’re living deep and passionately from our hearts, when we’re learning to live comfortable and satisfied in our own skin. Few things in life are as significant as discovering your true self (a value our community is committed to), and moving forward in that life in an act of worship to the Sovereign Creator, a life created for a unique and glorious purpose!

Today, may you hear the words of Jesus in your life; “I tell you that you are ______,” and live deep from your true identity. Please know that we are so thankful for the way each of you are encouraging and supporting the identity of Awaken!

advance

“Go in the strength you have…am I not sending you?” -Judges 6:12,14

Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed the ministry of Awaken advance in ways we had only dreamed of a few months ago when we arrived here. Last Tuesday evening, 10 of us (not including little Amelia Shuping, who is only 6-weeks old) gathered in our living room for our first official Life-Community Gathering. And yesterday (Sunday) our Core-Community began with 8 people meeting together for a time of connecting our hearts and dreaming about the possibilities ahead. It’s truly been an amazing and humbling experience for us personally to witness how God works once we choose to advance with Him.

Do you encounter moments in your life where you’re not sure whether to move or to stay? To advance or to retreat? To go or to wait? Moments where you feel stuck, unsure which way to go? Although Scripture is clear that there must be consistent moments built into our lives where we still ourselves before God in order to connect our hearts with Him, Scripture is also clear that we are called by God to advance, to move forward, to “go in the strength you have” in order to seize divine moments, opportunities and experiences that daily await each of us.

Recently, God has been leading me back to stories in the Bible of people who He simply called to advance, to move, to go based on what they already knew. Stories where God’s will wasn’t always perfectly clear about the situation, but where their hearts were pursuing His. Stories where the only thing they knew they couldn’t do was stay, because staying meant getting stuck, and in some extreme cases, death. Stories like Jonathan and his armor-bearer (1 Samuel 14), Gideon and the 300 men (Judges 6-7), and the perils of King David voiced in the Psalms.

What I’m learning in these stories and through our ministry is that once we choose to move with God, we discover confirmation in the midst of movement. We are constantly being called forward to seize our divine moments and experience the exhilaration of a life of fearing God and nothing else. Failing to advance is to miss life and to find ourselves stuck, perhaps waiting for the very thing God is inviting us into.

Is there some divine opportunity that God is calling you forward to experience? Will you advance or will you stay, or even possibly retreat? Will you simply see your divine moments today or will you seize them? Maybe the thing that God is simply calling you to do today is to move.

Advance today in the strength of the Lord and discover confirmation for your journey in the midst of your movement.

new

If you’re like a lot of other people, the beginning of the year signifies NEW things and NEW opportunities in life; perhaps a new routine, new goals, or simply a chance for a fresh start. Regardless of whether or not you chose a Resolution for 2007, the New Year gives us hope for better things to come.

The word “new” is actually very symbolic and meaningful in Scripture. It’s a word connected to God’s creational activity throughout the Bible. In the beginning, God created everything new. It was perfect, flawless, glorious…and it included humans. But something happened, and it continues to happen today. Sin corrupted not only humankind, but all creation as well. As a result, we are a broken, imperfect people living in a fractured, fallen world. So what was once ‘new,’ became scarred, flawed and filthy.

But here’s another great meaning behind the word “new” that we find in Scripture. In Revelation 21:5, Jesus (the One sitting on the throne) says, “Look, I am making all things new!” The amazing work of God in our lives is found in the hope that He has a plan for restoring what was once lost. Jesus comes to take what was once new and to “renew” it back to its original intent.

So may you be encouraged in the knowledge of the hope that God IS restoring the flaws, the brokenness and the imperfections in your life, and that the process will graciously continue in 2007.