@TheIntersectionOfGodAndLife

Unintentionally Excluded

2012-01-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been a part of a group of people only to feel excluded from the group? It almost seems like an oxymoron, but everyday, people are surrounded by peers, co-workers, or neighbors only to feel disconnected from the group.

Recently, I had such an experience. I was thrust into a situation where I was to work with 14 other people to accomplish a particular goal. I had been introduced to three of the people prior to the event, but had no real personal knowledge of any of the other fourteen people with which I was expected to work. However, many of them possessed prior relationships with one another. That is, they worked together in a different setting, they were already good friends, and a couple of them were related. Being the newcomer to the group, everything immediately seemed a little awkward.

For the most part, they were friendly to the new comer (me). Some attempted to engage me in conversation. Others acknowledged my presence. No one shunned me. However, at times I felt excluded from the group. I understood that as the newcomer, it was natural for me to feel that way.

However, I noticed one thing that seemed to fuel the situation. Because of prior relationships, the other people in this group talked a lot about past experiences (very normal), told "war stories" about past adventures (solidifying their connectedness), and had several inside jokes that were bantered about. While I believe it was never their intention to cause me to feel excluded from the group, their conversations did just that. Please understand, my purpose in drawing attention to this situation is not to criticize that group. They were just doing what everyone else does in those situations.

This experience caused me to think about our conversations at church, especially in smaller groups like Sunday Morning Bible Study groups, Community Groups, or other smaller gatherings. The longer the group has been together, the harder they must try to be inclusive. Bible Study Groups have "war stories" they tell. Community Groups have inside jokes. And other groups enjoy reminiscing about past happenings. The result is an unintentional exclusion of newcomers or guests. Yes, there is a time and place for "war stories," reminiscing, and inside jokes, but not when it excludes others.

As hard as a newcomer may try to penetrate a closed circle of people, unless the circle opens to include them, they will always feel like an outsider. In another church, where I served as Pastor, a deacon who had held membership in the congregation for over five years confessed that he still felt like an outsider. Why? The long-term members unintentionally created an "us and them" atmosphere by the type conversations they held. Again both scenarios I described revolved around unintentional acts of exclusion.

The point? Make your conversations inclusive and your focus external.

God Wants You To Prosper

2012-01-06T04:06:00.000-08:00

Occasionally, Charissa (my wife) and I will stop by a thrift store in Little Rock to look for used books; both for personal use and for her classroom at Collegeville Elementary. Thrift stores usually have a wide variety of reading material. Occasionally, the avid book scavenger will locate a great "find."

On one occasion, after locating a couple of baseball books for me, I noticed the religious book section. I found several duplicates of books I already owned and some I didn't. Unfortunately, I ran across several prosperity gospel type books. As I stared at those books, I was very saddened. Why? A prosperity gospel sells God short! It dumbs down the gospel of Jesus!

A prosperity gospel essentially teaches that God loves you and wants to financially prosper (bless) you, so you can have your best life now! Question? Who is at the center of that philosophy? You are the center of that mindset, NOT God.

There is some truth in a prosperity gospel. Yes, God does love you (John 3:16). Yes, God does want to bless you (be careful of motives here). And yes, God does want His best for you. BUT, that does not mean that everyone is going to be happy, healthy, and wealth all the time.

God wants more for you. I guess it all comes back to the word prosper. Check out Ephesians 2:8-10, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (HCSB). According to this passage, God redeems a person that he/she might do the good works prescribed by God for him/her to do. Personally, I gather from this passage that God has a prescribed path (His will) that He wants me to follow through life. That path becomes the key to true spiritual contentment, fulfillment, and validation. That is prosperity!

Don't be fooled into dumbing down God's plan for you. He desires more for you than what is typically taught by prosperity teachers. His plan for all believers is for them to be a part of a world-changing movement that has eternal effects.

Don't settle for someone else's definition of prosperity. God wants you to feel valued and to use your gifts to further His kingdom. You deserve a life centered around Him, not yourself. Center your life around God and you will experience TRUE prosperity.

Allan

The Parable of the Cookie Jar

2012-01-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago, Dave DeVries and Steve Ogne led a Chrisitan Coaching Clinic at the BMAA Missions Office. During that training session, Dave DeVries showed a video that he made for church planters.

The video could easily be entitled, The Parable of The Cookie Jar, but Dave chose the title of Cookie Jars and Church Planters. Whatever title used, this video is challenging. Here's his video

WARNING: This video challenges the status quo!!!

Let's make some cookies!!!!
Allan

Learning To Have God-Confidence

2011-12-31T18:47:00.000-08:00

". . . not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5, HCSB).

As a sports fan, you understand the meaning of the word "swagger." Highly skilled athletes are often described as having a certain "swagger" or exaggerated self-confidence in their own athletic ability. That self-confidence is projected by the way the athlete carries himself, talks "smack" to the other team, attempts to dominate his opponent, etc. It's all about attitude!

When writing to the Corinthians, Paul wanted them to know that it was "all about attitude!" The attitude was not a self-confidence, but a God-confidence. As educated and gifted as the Apostle Paul was (Philippians 3:4-6), his own abilities, successes, and confidence in ministry did not find it's origin in his own person. Paul understood that his best efforts, done out of his own strength, were corrupt.

In contrast, Paul let the Corinthians know that his confidence in ministry was the result of his own confidence in God. God called him, gifted him, qualified him, and strengthened him to serve. Paul's competence resulted from his God-confidence.

An excellent illustration of this principle comes from David Dickson, missionary to Puerto Rico. He called it the "glove principle." A Christian might be compared to a glove. By itself, a glove is nothing more than a uniquely sewn piece of cloth, leather, or plastic. However, when filled with a hand, the glove becomes productive and active. In like fashion, the modern day Christian is ineffective except when God works through them. That's surrender. Never say, "I will attempt so-and-so for God." By saying that, you evidence that the focus is your ability. Better to have the attitude of surrender to God that He may work through you. That way, He is in control. He is the focus. He provides the resources. Then a God-confidence shines through.