Largely the world has the wrong idea about the church because Christians have the wrong idea about themselves. A church that was very upset as a local bar opened across the street. Knowing nothing else to do, the church members started a prayer campaign to address the matter. They prayed that God would intervene to remove the bar.
A storm came through the town and lightning struck the bar. The building burst into flames and burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church for the destruction of his property as a result of their prayers.
The church defended itself claiming they had no control over lightning. The judge sat perplexed in front of the plaintiff and defendant and said, “It appears that I have a bar owner who believes in prayer and a church that does not.”
A brand-new baby church emerged in the Book of Acts as a force that could change the world because the Lord was among them. They had encounters with God, day by day. Because of this, the most powerful influences on the planet quickly knew of these people and, soon, were in great fear of them. These believers shook the earth with their message and their lives – and this is going to happen again.
Ephesians 3:16-21 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. NIV
There is more power in a single Christian than in all of the armies on the face of the earth. This truth will become known throughout the earth before the end of this age. God dwells in His people, and when His people come to know this as living truth rather than mere doctrine, the world will then- know this truth also.
God chose leaders for His new church that were people that absolutely no one would follow unless they were anointed by His presence.
The first century church really had only one thing going for them – God. He was all that they would need. Their authority was the result of just one fact – their awareness that the King lived in them.
Jesus is not only with us but He is within us desiring to release his Resurrection power through us to the world around us.
He is alive and He is here, at work in you and in me right this very second.
Bob Sorge wrote in his book, The Secrets of the Secret Place, “Powerful things happen inside of you when you spend time with God…the molecular composition of your soul gets restructured. You start to think differently, and you don’t even know why. You start to have different passions and interests, and you don’t even know why…sinful affections that once pulled at your soul no longer have their former power over you.” You’re in the process of becoming who God originally designed you to become.
Throughout the ages people thought the human brain was hardwired and unchanging, much like a pre-programmed computer. About 75 years ago science revealed the principle of neuroplasticity, change can begin at any moment you intentionally begin rewiring the brain, starting right now.
This was an amazing new discovery except that it wasn’t new at all. The Apostle Paul was writing about this around 50AD:
Taking thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5)
Thinking intentionally (Phil 4:8),
Meditating on Scripture (Ps 1:2) and
setting minds on things above Col 3:2
(Speaking of the priesthood of believers) Hebrews 5:14 Now about this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. ESV
You have this capacity of discernment. Children are born with the capacity to walk but they must develop the ability to do so. Every believer is born with the capacity to walk in the Spirit but you must develop the ability to do so.
When you hold Velcro and velvet you can easily feel the difference. You can grow in your spiritual senses in such a way that you begin to discern the things of the spirit rather than the things of this world as your way of life.
We serve a speaking God and we must learn to be a listening people. Discernment is awareness of this Risen King being conversationally present in our lives. He is not only with us. He is within us!
Are you growing spiritually to learn to discern what God desires for you to perceive or are you “dull of hearing”?
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. ESV
We are born with the capacity to walk but we have to develop the ability to do so. When we are born again we have the capacity to be spiritually discerning but we must cultivate the ability to do so.
Everywhere we go we bring...
GP2RL: Give God purposeful time this week so he can help you become who he designed you to be.
Reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on God’s Word as we learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit will spiritually activate our lives. It is the pursuit of spiritual health that awakens the supernatural in our lives. As you read through your Bible with the very simple Turn The Page Challenge explained below take 30 minutes as you start each book to listen to a message sharing the context and history of the book explaining unique ways Jesus is revealed in each book as you read through.
TAKE THE TURN THE PAGE CHALLENGE STARTING TODAY!
Click here for a 60 second video explanation of The Turn The Page Challenge
Click this link to access 66 messages of how Jesus is revealed in each of the 66 books of the Bible: Jesus Revealed in Every Book Of The Bible
As I read David’s words, “That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD” (Ps 102:18 NAS), I was stricken. What is God doing in our lives that will make an unborn generation look to Him?
Over the past few years I’ve become a huge advocate of an idea that has transformed the culture of our home into an environment where we embrace God’s Word with deeper affection. We tried so many ways to have an effective family devotion time and at various ages some things worked better than others.
When our daughters were about twelve years old we introduced them to an idea I’d been doing for years. We talked about the value of God’s Word and how it not only renews our minds but how it nourishes our spirit. When we understand our minds are being renewed but even when we don’t our spirit is being nourished if we are engaged and experiencing The Author as we read The Book.
The goal was to start in Genesis and read at least one page a day writing the date at the top of the page. On special dates like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc mentions could be made converting our Bibles into keepsakes and even heirlooms for future generations to hold. Amazingly we never ever pressed them on this again yet they both achieved this very reasonable goal of daily turning the page. It was just a matter of time before they both finished their entire Bibles and we bought them new ones to continue their journey.
My college roommate, Todd Teeples, came to visit Oklahoma City and my daughters met him and his family for the first time. He had been my first Christian friend and actually bought me my first Bible. I marveled to see my daughters peruse the sacred Scripture with almost a sacred enthusiasm as they looked over all my dates, writings, highlights and thoughts. I took my daughters to buy Todd a nice Bible. At lunch I shared my Bible with his family, now more than ¼ of a century old held together by radiator tape I used when it started falling apart. Then I made the presentation to Todd explaining how much he’d impacted my life.
I’m so glad Todd didn’t merely forward me a reading plan but actually bought a physical, tangible Bible that will impact my grandchildren’s grandchildren one day long after Todd and I are celebrating in heaven together.
No generation can effectively disciple itself. A single generation simply cannot contain God’s eternal legacy. We must effectively hand off the baton to the next generation both while we live and after we die.
Below are some verses I find meaningful in regard to inspiring and empowering the next generation church. Below those verses are a number of pictures to provide creative ideas of how you might inspire your children and your children’s friends. At Destiny we have now provided classes helping young teens learn how to illustrate their faith creatively in Scripture. This led to my wife, Tracy, volunteering to teach the idea in Art class in our Christian school. Their work is breath-taking and one Sunday after I finished speaking, I discovered a post from one of her students. The young teen had taken the text from my message and interacted with it on a creative level expressing the ideas in art form. It was an “over the moon” moment for me to see someone get what I felt was in God’s heart for us that day.
You can simply search #illustratedfaith to find tons of these illustrations. It has quickly become a movement among this next generation.
I’m believing for a legacy to be established through our surrendered lives that awakens the call of God in our children for the next generation!
Ps 48:13-14 …that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever. ESV
Deut 3:28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see. (NIV) Commission, encourage and strengthen the next generation.
I also recommend a free resource online if you’re interested in an amazing book on prayer by clicking the link below. Take your time and meditate on small portions reading through very slowly. There is so much rich content here you simply don’t want to skim through.
Training Your Senses
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable PDF file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: A shared meal could be the activity most closely tied to the reality of God’s kingdom, just as it is the most basic expression of hospitality. It comes as no surprise that many significant stories of Jesus are centered around a dinner table.
When Jesus wanted to explain to His disciples what his death was all about, he didn’t give them an informative lecture. He gave them a relational meal.
In a society that has grown so relationally disconnected, an invitation to Biblical hospitality might be one of the most compelling and irresistible aspects of Christianity. The heart of hospitality is about creating space for someone to feel seen and heard and loved. It’s about declaring your table a safe zone, a place of warmth and nourishment.
Great encouragement comes from rehearsing God’s Word. It is God’s plan for us to spend time drawing close to His heart and hearing His voice together as a family. This is why we start each meeting with this question first:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Realize there is great power in just reading the Bible together and allowing the Holy Spirit to awaken his conversational nature in the group.
Ephesians 3:16-21 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
2. Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words.
3. What do these verses teach us about God?
4. What do these verses teach us about people?
5. What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing?
6. Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?
Everywhere we go, we bring...
GP2RL: Give God purposeful time this week so He can help you become who He designed you to be.