Godgrown

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  Mark 3:48 pm on August 17, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: fatherhood, LK10 Community, mowing, Ray Vanderlaan   

  Praise and Seeking Approval 

  

  So Jesus explained, ”I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

  Jesus, John 5:19

  I only want to do what I see my Father doing. This powerful verse and insight into Jesus’ relationship with Father reminds me of watching my little brother follow my dad up and down the backyard with a toy lawn mower as my dad cut the grass. Following in his footsteps. Getting so close that by the end of the day, both of them had green shoes and were covered in dust.  Jewish disciples in ancient times had a phrase that I just love – they wanted to follow their rabbi with such passion and closeness that they would be “covered by the dust of his sandals…” reminds me of mowing the lawn – out on mission with Father – and the delight that we share as we do the work together is wonderful and meaningful…

  Isn’t this true discipleship? Knowing where God is and following after him as close as we can? Doing only what we see him doing? Listening carefully to God’s voice, then boldly doing amazing things in HIS name, not our own.  My friends at LK10.com say, “Mission flows from listening…”

  Set up next to this beautiful image of listening to one voice is the temptation of listening and following many false voices. Jesus states that he does not accept the praise of men. But the Jews alternately seek each other’s praise, which leads to a disbelief in Christ and an ambivalence toward God. Jesus says in v44 that you can not believe if you accept the praise of one another, but make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God. The only way to come to belief is to think for yourself, and stop seeking human approval!

  But what does “the praise that comes from the only God” look like? I thought I was supposed to be praising him! I’d love to know you’re thoughts on this, but I think that if God is my Father, then I should hope that he would want to praise me for doing good work, work I also see him doing. That praise may be his provision, or his healing presence (from past wounds, or physical healing), or his overwhelming love and acceptance of me as his adopted son, or his strength to silence the praise of men and let me think for myself, which leads to deeper belief in Christ.  Just some starter thoughts…

  What other ways does God praise us, even as we live our lives as praise to God? Lots to ponder here…

  
   

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  Mark 8:47 am on August 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Articles ( 50 ), CMA Resources ( 2 ), CO2, Life Transformation Groups, LK10 Community, micro ( 2 )   

  Micro Rhythms 

  

  Our Micro is really blossoming in some wonderful and formative ways.  (Read more on the Micro Layer.)

  It began with going strictly by the LTG brochure you can read all about on CMA’s website, 25-30 chapters of God’s Word each week, 10 character-conversation questions (accountability) and praying for the “sojourners” in our lives.  We then tossed in some material from CO2 (Church of 2), learning to tap into what is going on in “my heart, your heart, and God’s heart.”  We found both of these structures helpful and we flow pretty seamlessly between both of them.

  We read plenty of God’s Word. We use YouVersion.com‘s free, customizable Reading Plans to stay in sync with each other – each day reading the same Scriptures and dwelling in the Word – letting God speak to us as we cultivate a spirit of “listening prayer.”

  We check in with each other…as close to daily as possible. At the end of our reading and journaling, we take 5 minutes to write an email to the group – writing what we thought about, prayed about and heard from God during our reading.  It gives us a daily “check-in” opportunity, even when we are not meeting up with each other in the flesh.  When we meet up once a week, we don’t have to spend all our time going over the minute details of our life because we already know!  Instead, we check in spiritually -

  “What are the deep issues of your heart, today?” “What are you hearing from God?  What are you doing about it?  How can we help you?”

  We usually have more than enough to share with each other!

  We confess sin to each other. Each week we ask, “Is there anything we need to confess today?”  Sometimes its sin that is shared, other times its a testimony!  When sin is confessed, the others listen closely to the one confessing, and when everything is said, they respond by saying,

  “I hear what you are saying.  You’re right – this is sin, and wrong…but God forgives you.”

  Hearing these words is like salve to the soul…

  We pray for harvest workers and for the lost in our city. We meet at 9:00am-10:30am each week – and at 10:02am our cell phone will chime reminding us to pray the pray we read in Luke 10:2 - “Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest to cast out workers into his harvest field!” We take a few moments to thank God for what he is doing in Chicago, and to plead that God open up the hearts of those we know who are searching for truth.

  After 9 months – this is what our Micro looks like.  It has embedded within it the seed of a faith community – and while our group may not look exactly like others that start, our rhythms can easily be passed on and re-molded in countless ways.  Have you thought of trying it?  It’s AWESOME!  More and more Micros are starting in our house church network all the time, and I believe it makes us healthier.

  I wouldn’t give up my Micro for anything – it is a chance to be real.  It is a band of brothers.  It is the core and starting place of mission.  It is life transforming!

  

  Hebrews 1 « Godgrown is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Mark 9:28 am on May 21, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: future perfect, John White, Kent Smith, LK10 Community   

  The 9:11 Question 

  “Since we have invested in you spiritually, isn’t it right for you to invest in us financially?”

  So many churches invest in things other than apostolic church planters – some even working off unfathomable debts for things like parking lots and new foyers.  One church in a major U.S. city purchased a parking lot for 80 million dollars!?!!?  Sounds like a scene out of an Austin Powers movie!  These are not inherently bad things – they are just not given much precedent in the earliest Church.

  Many missionaries are left barely holding their bills together, while others enjoy lavish upgrades to this or that wing of their giant building.
  
  But what would it take to see a vibrant family of Jesus in close reach of every person…geographically and culturally… on the planet…and in our context in Chicago?

  What if this ACTUALLY happened?  This is our “future perfect” – our miracle we’re waiting for and working toward.

  It would truly take a new mindset toward budgeting.  It would take a re-orientation toward how a church invests their money.  It would take asking the “9:11 Question.”  (1 Cor 9:11)  “Since we have invested in you spiritually, isn’t it right for you to invest in us financially?” It would take a spirit of generosity toward those who truly were called to do mission work, coaching, and church planting.  It would take putting the interest of others over my own interests.

  I think it is happening.  I see green-shoots of hope appearing across the landscape.  Churches willing to put aside their traditional budget-line items and think again about what is most important for the sake of the Kingdom.