Butterfly Effect

Do our actions really matter? Do our individual choices that we make on a daily basis have any real significance or is all of life simply the result of chance? These are the questions Andy Andrews seeks to answer in his book "The Butterfly Effect." To answer these questions, Andrews traces through two historical events, Gettysburg and Norman Borlaugh winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Through these two events, Andrews demonstrates the Law of Sensitive Dynamics Upon Initial Conditions, i.e. the Butterfly Effect, and shows how our individual choices impact the greater good. Even though these two events highlight the Butterfly effect, Andrews gives us little detail or explanation beyond the stories themselves. I was initially excited to read this book, and decided to read it based on Andrews other work. My excitement was short lived. When I received my free copy from Thomas Nelson to review, I quickly noticed that the book relied on more style than substance. It would seem to me that anyone trying to demonstrate how our lives and choices matter, would spend more time developing the stories and explanations. Overall, I was really disappointed in this book.

Jesus Manifesto

“Who do you say that I am?” The authors of Jesus Manifesto, Len Sweet and Frank Viola, seek to restore the centrality of Christ to Christianity. They argue that many churches and Christians have forgotten the Jesus of the Bible in favor of the Jesus of their own creation.  Jesus Manifesto seeks to restore Jesus Christ’s preeminence and importance in the lives of believers.  When I received my copy of Jesus Manifesto, kindly provided by Thomas Nelson for review, I was excited to read a book written by Len Sweet and Frank Viola, both have great reputations. I was struck by the favorable reviews given by well-known Christian authors and pastors.  Even though I was initially excited to read this book, I found it very difficult to get into and questioned who the authors’ intended audience was.  I felt as though much of the book was basic and repetitive.  While I’m sure there is a benefit to reviewing the basics of what the Bible says about Christ and His importance to our lives, I feel as though it could have been said much more succinctly.  The book definitely makes its points, especially those dealing with the practical outcomes of making the person of Christ central to everything we do.  This seems to me to be the real rub. Most Christians understand the importance of Christ on a theological/intellectual level, but few are willing to “take up their cross” and follow him.  Overall, I think this book is better suited for new believers and anyone with questions about the deity of Christ.

Being Led by the Spirit

Sometimes seeking to live each day in the power and presence of the Spirit can be confusing, even intimidating, for many believers. Often times it is easier for us to focus on the things that we know and can relate to, rather than things like the Holy Spirit that are somewhat mysterious. But the truth of the matter is no matter what we think or feel the Holy Spirit is essential for living the Christian life. 

So where do we start? How can we begin to be led by the Holy Spirit on a practical level? First, we must realize that there is no formula for seeing the Spirit’s presence in our lives. There are, however, a few practical steps we can take to help ensure that we are being led by the Spirit. The first step is to pray for the filling of the Spirit. Even though all believers are filled with the Spirit at conversion, the filling of the Spirit is an on-going event. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul commands us to “be filled with the Spirit”, when translated literally this filling reflects something that is continuous and on-going. We could understand the verse as “be being filled with the Spirit.” We must seek a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. 

The second step to being led by the Spirit is to seek to be led by the Spirit. I know this sounds redundant! But too often we live our lives on autopilot and fail to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit as we go about our normal everyday tasks. Think of how your life would be different if you sought to be led by the Spirit at work, at home, with your spouse, or with your neighbor. Too often we only seek God’s guidance and direction for only the big decisions. Yet, the truth is God wants to lead us on a moment by moment basis in our daily lives. 

Step three is that we must be willing to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Here is where the rubber meets the road. We can take the first two steps, but they are meaningless if we are unwilling to follow the leading of the Spirit. Chances are, if we were being honest, most of us are afraid to be led by the Spirit. We are afraid of not being in control, afraid of being forced out of our comfort zone, afraid of the unknown, or are afraid of being sent to an obscure 3^rd world country. The result is that we choose the rational things, the safe things, rather than keeping in step with the Holy Spirit no matter where he leads. God’s desire is to lead us. Our response is choosing to be led by the Holy Spirit on a moment by moment basis.

Life in the Spirit

What does it mean to live life in the Spirit?

Chances are most of us have a difficult time nailing down the exact role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives on a daily basis. Of the three members of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit seems to get the least amount of focus. We spend a lot of time talking about God the Father and God the Son, but we often tend to overlook the Holy Spirit. While most Christians wouldn’t readily admit to ignoring the third person of the Trinity, the truth is most believers would have a hard time pointing to His presence in their lives.

Francis Chan addresses this dilemma in his recent book, “Forgotten God; Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit.” He argues that when believers live in the power of the Holy Spirit the evidence in their lives is supernatural. In other words, we should be experiencing the reality of the Holy Spirit in our lives on a daily basis and there should be things happening in our lives that cannot be explained apart from the working of the Holy Spirit. Herein lies the problem for most of us. We experience the Holy Spirit at conversion and shortly after, but He has less and less impact in our lives the longer we are Christians. Instead of seeking to live each day in the power of the Holy Spirit, we get wrapped up in the cares of this world and fall into the trap of living the Christian life in our own strength. We measure our success, not by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, but by listing all of our accomplishments. Some Christians may even fall into legalism and develop an extensive list of do’s and don’ts. Instead of living life in the power of the Spirit, the Christian life becomes a joyless existence that is all about keeping the rules. Instead of God's grace, our acceptance is measured by the things we do. Life in the Spirit is a life of freedom and joy, as we simply seek to live each day in the Spirit's direction. As Paul points out in Galatians 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” As believers we must seek to live each day in the power and presence of the Spirit. Are you living today in the power and the presence of the Spirit? When was the last time you experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life?

The Apprentice

I must admit up front that I am not a huge fan of television, unless of course it’s sports or is sports related. I’m even less a fan of most of the newer “reality” shows that are seemingly everywhere these days. But one of the shows that caught my attention when it first came out was The Apprentice. While I’m sure that most of you reading this probably have an opinion about Donald Trump, my liking of the show is not so much about him as person, as it is the show’s premise. What really strikes me about this show is the determination of the group of young adults who are all vying for the chance to be Donald Trump’s apprentice, the chance to learn from one of the best. Historically speaking, apprenticeship was the primary means for passing down a profession or skill from one generation to the next. Most times an older experienced master craftsman would be pared with a young energetic apprentice with the goal of teaching the apprentice the specific skill. Everyone from doctors and pastors to blacksmiths and stone masons were trained through apprenticeship. So you’re probably asking yourself, “How does this connect with small group ministry?” Apprenticeship is vital to small group ministry for two main reasons. First, it’s experiential. Leading a small group is a skill and much like learning how to shoe horses it is best learned by seeing someone else do it and then trying to do it on your own. Second, it’s relational. There is a strong bond that is formed between the master craftsman and the apprentice; this allows the craftsman to give constructive feedback to his apprentice. In much the same way, a small group leader should have a strong relationship with his apprentice that allows for constructive feedback and discipling. Consider Paul and Timothy for a moment. Paul was far more learned and experienced in ministry and chose the younger less-experienced Timothy to accompany him on his second missionary journey. Paul and Timothy formed such a strong relationship that Paul referred to him as his “son” and “his true child in the faith.” While it is interesting to note the apprenticeship relationship between Paul and Timothy, it is also important to point out that Paul commands Timothy to search out the same type of relationship with other faithful men in Ephesus. Paul charges Timothy “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) As group leaders we have a responsibility to pass on our knowledge, experience, skills and abilities to other faithful people so they are able to go out and teach others. Do you have someone in your group that you are currently pouring yourself into so that they are able to go out and lead others?

So where do we start? Begin with prayer. Sounds simple right? Ask God to raise up a new leader from within your group, someone who could go out and lead their own group. Ask for guidance and direction about who would be an ideal apprentice candidate. Next, find someone with leadership qualities, look for someone who is faithful (willing to be committed), available (ability to be committed), and teachable (willing to learn and to be led). Look for someone who has a growing relationship with Christ, evidenced by growing intimacy with God, increasing involvement with other believers and gaining influence with the lost. Then invest in relationship with the future leader, take time to get to know them one-on-one. Take time to find out what they are passionate about and to find out what God wants to accomplish through them. Finally, give them opportunities to lead and offer constructive feedback on how they can improve.

Even though some may object to using the term “apprentice,” there is an important principle at work here. We must train up faithful people who can go out and teach others, furthering the work of the ministry. We must continually be in the process of identifying and training new leaders if we are going to continue to see God’s blessing on our small group ministry. Who are you pouring yourself into? Who is your Timothy?

Increasing Commitment

I've been thinking recently a lot about commitment. Commitment is the most vital ingredient in forming a relationship, because without commitment a relationship could be broken or severed at any time without warning. Think about it in the context of marriage, what would a marriage relationship look like without commitment, where a man and a woman stand before God and vow “to death do us part.” The significance is that before God two people have pledged (or covenanted) their love and faithfulness to one another. While I'm not suggesting that a small group shares the same level of commitment as a marriage, I do think commitment is equally important in the context of small group ministry. I want each of our small groups to be a place where meaningful relationships can be created and nurtured. Right now you’re probably asking, “What is a 'meaningful' relationship, what does that look like?” Consider Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 and 12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” A meaningful relationship can simply be described as a commitment to 'be there' for someone, no matter what. A meaningful relationship by nature is a relationship where two people have committed to pray for one-another, to support one-another, to encourage one-another and to hold one-another accountable to the glory of God. The challenge for most small groups (and I'm assuming your group is like most) is navigating the host of scheduling conflicts and other distractions to begin to form these types of relationships.

So where do we start? Meaningful relationships do not happen overnight. First, start by making your small group time a priority. Don't cancel your small group meeting unless it is absolutely necessary. Make time spent in group meaningful by maintaining a balance between fellowship, Bible study and mutual ministry and avoiding 'rabbit trails' during discussion. Encourage consistency in attendance by group members. Help your group members to view group meetings as an important time for establishing and nurturing relationships with one another, rather than viewing group meetings as just another obligation on an already overcrowded calendar. Encourage your members to attend on a consistent basis by following up with them when they are absent. Second, review the small group member covenant with the members of your group. This is an important step because it spells out exactly what each person in your group is committing to. Third, spend significant time with your group members outside of group meetings. Consider the early church for a moment, the early church spent a significant amount of time together. If you read the first two chapters of Acts, you can't help but notice the number of times the word “together” appears. The early church was committed to meaningful relationships and spent a significant amount of time with one-another to see that accomplished. Spending time together can be done in a one-on-one basis, as couples, or as smaller groups of men or women. The important point here is that meaningful relationships don't only grow during the time your small group meets. Fourth, and most important, live up to what you've committed to. Be a man or woman of integrity. (Yes, I know that one even stings me!) If you've committed to pray for someone during the week, pray for them and then follow-up with them during the week to see how they are doing. If you've committed to hold someone accountable in a specific area, hold them accountable but then also help them to develop a plan so they can be victorious in that area.

By increasing our commitment level to one another, we can begin to see these meaningful relationships flourish and we can see our small groups bring glory to God as a result of the ways that we support and care for one another.