“Let’s quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.” ~ Billy Sunday
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Don’t Burn those Leaves!
What’s happening in the garden right now?
- Carrots are still in. We covered them during our rare ultra cold snap here in south Louisiana. Hopefully they made it through. We’ll harvest them in February.
- A little bit of lettuce planted. Lettuce can handle some cold weather. And lettuce is on a 15-30 day cycle, so it can be harvested as is or covered heavy should another cold snap come through.
- LEAVES! LEAVES! LEAVES! This month, most of my neighbors are raking and bagging leaves. I steal them from their driveways before the garbage truck arrives. I’ve probably collected close to 40 bags at this point. Along with another 20 or so of my own leaves. What are we doing with all these leaves?
- Mulching and Composting. As time allows, I’ll run over these leaves with my mulching push mower. Each bag is reduced down to about 10 gallons when mulched…
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Suburban Garden Update
Hit the break even point for the garden this week. About $200 worth of food so far this spring and summer from this 750 square feet space. With plenty still coming in.
Say Yes to the Jesus’ Commands
When asked by Pew research to define what Jesus’ teachings were, people answered:
- Take care of the environment
- Buy from companies that pay fair wages
- Live healthy and exercise
Not bad things at all, but Jesus actually didn’t say any of that. What did Jesus actually say? We can find his commands in the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And his commands, his directives, were on his mind when he stood in front of his disciples before going back to heaven. He told them to “Go. Make Disciples. Baptize them. And teach them to obey EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED” (Matthew 28:19-20).
What if we focused on obey everything Jesus commanded? If you look at and seek to obey his commands, you’ll find everything you need for a dynamic spiritual life that will make an eternal impact. There are commands for situations, like “What happens when someone attacks me?” Jesus says, Love them, Bless them, Pray for them. “What happens if I’m running out of food?” Jesus says, don’t worry. The father knows your need and will provide.
You also find commands that give meaning and purpose for all of life and that you can literally build life on. Like, “Seek first the kingdom of God” and “Love God and Love Others” and “Go and make disciples.” Jesus commands give us more than enough to build life on and to know how to live in difficult times.
And the best news of all. We’re not alone when it comes to obeying Jesus. This is not a checklist that we have to struggle with. That’s religion. And its powerless. These commands are given in the context of relationship that Jesus paved the way for with his own life. Jesus, as part of this relationship, has promised to put these commands in the hearts of those who follow Him (Ezekiel 36:27). And he has promised power to obey in the person of his Holy Spirit to live within us. To struggle with obedience to Jesus may reveal something amiss about your relationship with him. Obedience is a product of an abiding relationship with Jesus. Saying no to Jesus’ commands is saying “I am the Lord of my life. Jesus, no thanks.”
Saying Yes to Jesus is a way of life. For the person who has made Jesus the leader of their lives, we find joy and strength in obedience to him. It’s the best yes of every life and should be the first yes of every day for those who follow him. Have you said yes to Jesus today?
How Do I Start a Multiplying Church?
THE GOSPEL – SIMPLICITY – MARGIN – LOW HANGING FRUIT – UNBRANDED MINISTRY
1. SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
The Gospel is a proven and tested VIRAL Idea. And Jesus promised to empower the spread of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8
2. FIGHT FOR SIMPLICITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY.
Jesus’ started a movement which has exponentially multiplied, partly, because it was as simple as water, bread, and wine.Simple Church = Saying No to Almost Everything.Ask: Is my ministry 2 Timothy 2:2 Simple?
3. CREATE MARGIN.
We have so little multiplication because churches have so little margin. We have JUST ENOUGH, instead of MORE THAN ENOUGH.Margin is typically created through BIG CROWDS or RADICAL SIMPLICITY.More than enough can also be toxic. Like a sponge. Like buried talents. Jesus meant for us to use what we have.
4. LOOK FOR LOW HANGING FRUIT.
Persons of Peace. New Believers network of relationships. Apostolic Leaders. People Groups and Population Segments. Existing Social Movements. People Scattering and moving about the country. New Churches. New Ministries.
5. MAKE ROOM FOR UNBRANDED MINISTRY.
Is the invite to our brand of church louder than the invite to the head of the church? Build partnerships with like-minded ministries who are sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a heart to multiply. Ask: “Do I want to reach my community or do I want to see my community reached?”
Four Words for Every Stage of Church Planting and Church Life:
- Abiding – Ministry health and effectiveness flows from your personal abiding with Christ. Our first call is to intimacy with God.
- Discipling – Early church planting is really Disciple Planting. I’m sharing the gospel and leading one, two, three, a group, several groups into becoming a Disciple who Makes Disciples.
- Mobilizing – Groups of disciples should be mobilized to first make other disciples, then to form teams for the maturing of the body and continuing the mission.
- Building – Building systems, processes, teams to help mobilized disciples who are abiding in Christ to spread the gospel and make disciples in the whole region.
Which one is the biggest challenge for you and your church right now?
“Teach them everything” (What’s missing)
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus finishes the Great Commission with this challenge –
“teaching them everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus, Matthew 28:20
Did you catch it? Do you see what’s missing? Left out of this quote is that we are to teach them “to obey” or “to observe” everything.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus, Matthew 28:18-20
If you did catch it, does your church and your ministry obey this command? Are we teaching them “to obey everything” or are we teaching them everything we know in 30-45 minutes blocks and hope they learn or eventually know enough to become disciples who make disciples? Didn’t work for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Doesn’t seem to be working today. Knowledge doesn’t always lead to maturity or multiplicative disciple making.
How do you teach to obey?
Jesus modeled this for us by teaching PLUS answering questions and responding to concerns PLUS modeling PLUS sending PLUS debriefing. There cannot be teaching to obey without –
- Q and A for understanding,
- opportunities to practice what’s been taught,
- ongoing coaching and debriefing,
- accountability to keep practicing.
How does your church make room for teaching to obey? Where are the opportunities to understand, ask questions, process concerns? Do you give opportunities to practice what’s been taught? Is there ongoing debriefing and coaching? How do you hold others accountable to obey Jesus?
Yes, Jesus taught crowds in rows. But more frequently he was on the go, demonstrating what he taught; or around a table, teaching them to obey with Q and A and responding to concerns in the context of relationships. More than just teach the crowds everything we know. Let’s teach them obey in discipling relationships.
Would Jesus Wear a Mask?
The Jews didn’t like being forced to carry a Romans soldier’s bag one mile. Jesus said, carry it two (Matthew 5:41). No one likes being backhanded on one cheek. Jesus said, let them right cross you on the other also (Matthew 5:39). No one would like having a shirt taken in a lawsuit. Jesus said give them your coat as well (Matthew 5:40). Persecutors? Pray for them. Enemies? Love them (Matthew 5:44). Insults? Don’t return them (1 Peter 2:23).
Jesus wanted above all to REACH people. To seek and save them (Luke 19:10). We cannot do that from an adversarial posture. Jesus’ commands remind us that our posture toward society, even an unchristian society, should be loving, humble, self-sacrificing, and even radical in its actions.
There are people who can and will fight for the legalities of a thing. We have opportunities to support them as we feel led through civic means. Let the disciple’s business be about following Jesus into a life of loving, seeking the lost, and making disciples, PERIOD. I’m afraid that arguing, quarreling, disparaging others over a piece of cloth will prove to be a hindrance to that mission and a triviality in eternity. Let our passion be for the gospel, for the kingdom, and for the lost.
What does it say about my heart if wearing a mask or not wearing a mask is of greater concern and riles more passion in me than the lostness and brokenness of people in the world? or causes me to disparage fellow believers? The mission of God, sharing the Gospel, healing hearts and lives is too important at this moment in history to be passionate about anything else.
Primal Reactions
When times get hard we often return to our primal instincts. Primal means by nature or instinct. It may also refer to the earliest form of something.
Some of our Primal Instincts:
- Survival and Reproduction are often called the most basic instincts. Revealing themselves in most of the others.
- Food or Desire to Eat. Hunger.
- Fear. The Fight or Flight response to events.
- Breathing. The body has primal reflexes to try to secure air ways.
- Health and Wellness. When we get sick we have a drive to diagnose and get well
- Addictions can become primal instincts, taking over our brain and hijacking our desires.
- Love and Family. Nature calls Mom to care for the family and Dad to provide for the family.
So what did you do? How did you react when uncertainty and difficulty and pressure came? Our primal reactions to difficulty tell us about ourselves and may highlight area of spiritual immaturity. So did you…
- Choose Fear or faith?
- Choose Division or unity?
- Hoard or give?
- Demonstrate Anger or joy?
- Create Tension or peace?
- Lash out or Encourage?
- Hide out or stay connected?
- Pray or Worry?
- Obey Jesus or Obey your lust?
- Witness or Complain?
- Depend on God or handle it yourself?
Your primal reactions will show you some areas of potential spiritual growth. The good new is, Jesus is in the business of transforming our nature, our instincts. Check out some of favorite verses on the subject of transformation:
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”
Ephesians 4:22-24
22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
2 Peter 1:4
By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Ezekiel 36:26-27
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.
Jesus gives us a new nature when we put our faith and trust in him. Do you need to start there and ask Jesus to enter your life and give you a new nature, replacing the corrupt, basic instinct of this world with his presence and transformation? “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13. Saved from the old nature, to put on the brand new.
When we do that, some of our old nature may hang on and not let go. As we submit to Jesus everyday, we can gain the advantage in that area. Is there an area of your life that does not line up with the divine nature? Did our current crisis reveal areas of weakness in your faith? Maybe you need to seek God today, repent, and ask him to empower you in that area.
This is true for the church as well. We need to return to our Primal Roots to be fruitful and effective in this culture. And that, we’ll uncover later this week.
Prayer Walking Guide
Prayer walking has been defined as “Praying on site with insight.” While you walk you can pray for what you observe. You can pray for God to give you insight into your community. You can pray specifically for your neighbors and the needs around your community as you see them. This is a great way to obey God’s command to pray for others. Prayer works every time it’s tried. Here is a printable guide to use while Prayer Walking – PDF.
Lane Corley 