The last few Saturday nights I've been tuning in to Greg Lauire's "Day 7" ... it's a time of teaching, music, scripture, question and answer. I have a since the the qanda is staged but non-the-less ... It done really well.
No hype, no cheese.
I told my wife that it's the first TV show designed for young people with a christian message that's not total MTV-wanta be cheese. Let's move the camera all around ... there's a new idea. None of that exisits.
Here's what I have observed:
Introduction grapbic are done well. Day 7 is well branded.
Greg is Glad being Greg ... He's just him.
The segments work together. Greg presents a topic, There's praise music to set the stage. Greg comes back with interaction q and a ... some what staged ... and presents the topic ... ie ... last night was "satan" who he is, who he isn't.
The topic is set ... another praise song. Greg comes back with the first of his 4-5 points ... each point is titled on the blue screen. each point is followed by a supportive song by an artist. At one point the lead singer from ATS did interviews with the public ... "do you believe in satan?" ... at the end is a less than emotional inviatation but many times a very emotional responce.
I guess the thing that I love about it is that it's not "soft goodnews" ... it's "hardcore goodnews" ... not attitude ... "hey dude satan sucks" ... more like ... "here's what the bible says and you have the opportunity to respond."
I have this hope in my heart that I could could someday be apart of helping people embrase God's calling in their lives.
This week I've had some questions posed to me at work. Individuals needing help with some web development issues. We work as a close team. We give each other "the business" on a regular basis. I think it's our way of saying to each other that we really do care about eachother. We don't work alone anymore. We use to ... this year we've learned to work as a team. ... the questions... ya, it was really cool to beable to sit down next to someone and help them achieve a desired goal. Answer a question ... or simply discover the answer together.
Back to the discipleship conversation ...
They use to call me Youth Pastor ... I had a door with that on it—though I didn't have one piece of legetament office furnature, I did have an office. And office I did. And I called people and had the meetings and the meetings and then there was the meetings.
I read all those Mission books and I wrote a mission statement... then the Vision books, and I "had a vision" ... Time management helped me see how little time you really need to eat your lunch ... Youth semianrs ... and that made we want to find $50,000 for a sound and video system ...
... all so I could "disciple" kids for God.
At one point an individual from the church said "I admire you for your marketing skills" ...
And I said thank you.
And I asked a question.
And I cryed. And I thought of the guys that Jesus threw out of his fathers house ... and my table of tricks was upside down.
Because it really is important. Discipleship.
Because it's really not something we do.
Because it's something only God can do when we give him space to do it.
I cryed.
My concept of Discipleship began to change.
I first concept look like this.
Plugging individuals into predetermined positions (that were either establish prior to my coming or well pinned by me) that would support the this oiled machine that I was attempting to building... I was well trainned ... they told me "if I didn't plug people in to the program in so many days I would loose them" ... And I loved to count them ... you can't count them if there not there ... oh wait, they changed that one.
I think you can now.
I remember starting with 18 and then 25 -- 35 -- and then it happened ... 41! ... someone was going to ask me to write a book. And I would give God all the credit. That's what you're suppost to do, you know.
I'm not a "youth pastor" in the minds of many because I don't have a door ... no sign ... dude, I don't even have a suit that fits anymore ... Touch someone and say "fat boy".
Here is what's in my heart.
What if discipleship could be helping people embrase God's calling in their lives. What if I didn't have to have all the answers and we could get to know God with you ... not pump into your head my take on what knowing God meant. What if discipleship was bigger than the building I've been attempting to fill.
It is!
In matter of face I must say I have no desire to be involved in anymore monologues ... When we know that the gospel is a conversation.
Web developement is easy ... it's just code. It's ideas. It's people working together. It's about selling stuff on the web.
Discipleship is about life and death.
That's hard.
If we have a desire to get to know God together ... we will. You will encourage me. I will encouage you. We will realize we are in a journey that we can't complete without the supernatural intervention of a loving and Holy God.
We've prayed that we would be pleasing to God in all that we SAY ...
in all that we DO ...
in all our THOUGHTS ...
The "in all we say and all we do" part fits in the songs way to easy. They don't require much in thought process.
Many of the things I say and do are closely measured. I know what would be precieved as "pleasing to God" by my friends, family ...
The THOUGHTS I have are another level all together ... They aren't about (usually) things that people can see right away. It's really only me and God at that point. He's knowing my thoughts.
Here's some thought process ...
No matter what I say to the waitress that spills coffee all over me ... my thoughts are loud and clear to God.
Is this an unfair example?
Will we be dealt with on every idol thought when I stand before Jesus on The Day? The Bible say we will be on every word.
I don't know ...
I think our thoughts are a "loose cannon" of sorts. They can be anything. That's good and that's bad.
The creative mind by having a new thought may someday find a cure for cancer.
The deprived mind the Bible says "find new levels of depravity".
Many times one of the enemy's tools is to throw us into confusion. When we try to take a precept that God has established to provide for us and protect us ... and we find a way to change it a little to fit our lifestyle ... confunsion ... Here is what the word says. Here's what would really fit my schedule.
Taking our minds captive gives a handle on this stuff.
I do believe that as we spend time with Jesus. As we become like him from spending time with him ... His spirit is real inside us. The fruit of the spirit resides in us. The word talks about having "mind of Christ".
The 10 commandments rememorized at 42 years of age. No, it's not too late.
[1] No other gods (little g)
[2] No idols (anything that I put in God's place)
[3] Don't misuse God's name
[4] Remember the sabath day
[5] Honor mother and father
[6] Don't murder
[7] No sex with any but your spouce
[8] Don't take stuff that's not yours
[9] No false testimony
[10] Don't live in want
When I meet with others who need Jesus in a spirit of thanksgiving and expectation. We worship. The context is a clear picture of who I am, who God is and realizing the vast difference.
When I meet in a building with individuals like my self who have been taught that now that I've got to put on the face. That requires everyone I interact with to do the same.
The goal is to cover up the difference.
When I'm free to be honest, those I worship with will be free to worship as well.
The goal is to discover the difference...
... Confess the difference ... an then we worship ... God makes up the difference.
I don't know that the conversation that I'm in will help the me feel good about my "rightous acts". I've heard they are filthy rags.
It's seems more more honest if it's a conversation that a "looser"* like me can participate in honestly ... because inspite of my spelling problem and the rest of my shortcomings, Jesus loves me. There's a place for me at the fireplace conversation of Jesus.
This conversation has nothing to do with my vocabulary ... nothing to do with winsomeness, or quick wit (good thing). It's someone with need ... me ... and someone who can meet that need ... the Master ... looking eachother in the eye ... never seaching for words. Need words like "help!" and hope words like "I love you" ... arn't far away.
The gospel of Jesus is a conversation. I hope I'm not in the way. I hope I'm not filling the place with words that don't take us closer to a servant heart filled with the spirit of God. I yern to be in the conversation ... Yes, to listen before I speak.
I wonder about the value of a message that will help the religious feel good about their "rightous acts". It's seems more a little more honest if it'sa a conversation that a looser like me can participate in because inspite of my spelling problem and the rest of my shortcomings, Jesus loves me. The conversation I yern to be an encouager of has to do with the weak finding strength ... It has to do with a gift on hope because of the grace of God. Not a collection of "good behaviors" that I've got to promote on the back of my $25k mini van ... Nice fish ...
It's the desire of my heart to be allow to share what I need help in with a others who can also celebrate the victories that God has won in our lives both collective and as individuals.
It requires a conversation.
The basis of a converstion is a mutual intrest or need. And a desire to discover something that can help me know what's next ...
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