FEBRUARY 2016
DRAFTED BY GOD
In this issue
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True Teamwork: What It Takes charles r. swindoll
11 30 Days to Silencing Insecurities steve johnson
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Different But Not Wrong robyn roste
15 Beyond the Broadcast: What if God Chooses You to do Something Great?
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8 Vision charles r. swindoll
Insights is published by Insight for Living Canada, the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles (Chuck) R. Swindoll. Chuck is the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Texas. His international radio program Insight for Living has aired for more than 35 years. We hope this publication will instruct, inspire, and encourage you in your walk with Christ. Copyright Š 2016 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NLT. Unless otherwise noted, photography and illustration by Laura Vanderwel. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and cover image Š stocksy.com certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Printed in Canada.
by charles r. swindoll
As a lifelong admirer of President Abraham Lincoln, I have devoured more than a few biographies about him. mong the best was Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a volume that presents Lincoln’s brilliant political act of enlisting into his cabinet some of the men who had run against him. Surrounded by a team that didn’t believe in the viability of the Thirteenth Amendment and pressured by men in his own party to compromise with the South to end the war sooner, Lincoln refused to fold. He challenged his peers to rise above their doubts, to act upon their shared goal of ending slavery in America, and to press hard against the opposition. In the end, Lincoln’s convictions carried the day. Against all odds, clinging to hope against hope, he led this team of rivals to achieve the defeat of slavery. John Stemmons, a well-known Dallas, Texas, businessman, was asked to make a brief statement on what he considered foundational to developing a good team. His answer was crisp and clear: “Find some people who are comers, who are going to be achievers in their own field...and people you can trust. Then grow old together.”1 One of the best illustrations of that was the Billy Graham evangelistic team—the inner core of people whose names are now legend. In a day of job hopping and a Lone Ranger mentality, it is refreshing to remember such a close-knit circle of capable and gifted people, each one different and distinct, growing old together yet still very much a solid team. Don’t misunderstand. Group loyalty is not blind allegiance or harbouring incom-
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petence. Neither is it nepotistic prejudice, which conveys the idea that everyone else is wrong except our little clique. Nor is it so tight and so proud that it appears closed and secretive. Rather, there is freedom to be, to develop, to innovate, to make mistakes, to learn from them...all the while feeling loved, supported, and affirmed. Such a context has been called “management by friendship.” Instead of suspicion and putdowns, there is trust that builds esprit de corps within the team. Stress is held to a minimum because love flows and laughter is encouraged. Who doesn’t develop in a secure environment like that?
Nothing— absolutely nothing—pulls a team closer together or strengthens the lines of loyalty like love.
In another bestselling biography, American Caesar, William Manchester introduces his readers to an in-depth acquaintance with Douglas MacArthur. He helps us feel closer to that strong personality as he digs beneath the intimidating exterior and unveils many of MacArthur’s magnetic characteristics as well as strange quirks. At one part, the author analyzes the remarkable loyalty that Colonel MacArthur elicited from his troops during World War I. How did he pull it off ? Here is Manchester’s analysis in a nutshell: He was closer to their age than the other senior officers; he shared their discomforts and their dangers; he adored them in return.2
Regardless of the man’s well-publicized egomania and emotional distortions, MacArthur possessed a major redeeming virtue that eclipsed his flaws in his men’s eyes and fired their passions: he genuinely and deeply cared for them. Nothing—absolutely nothing—pulls a team closer together or strengthens the lines of loyalty like love. It breaks down internal competition. It silences gossip. It builds morale. It promotes feelings that say, “I belong” and “who cares who gets the credit?” and “I must do my very best” and “you can trust me because I trust you.” Jesus’ team of disciples was hardly the epitome of success when they got started. If there ever was a “team of rivals,” this was it! One would have wondered why the Lord selected them. The genius of His plan was not immediately obvious. But by the end of the first century, no one would fault His selection. Except for the betrayer, they were “comers,” they proved themselves “achievers in their own field,” and they became “people you can trust.” Ultimately, they were responsible for turning their
world upside down...or should I say right side up? Whichever, no group in history has proven itself more effective than that first-century evangelistic team, the inner core of Christ’s men. Maybe you are in the process of putting a group together—a special team of people to accomplish some significant objectives. Here’s a tip worth remembering: instead of just going for big names or starting with a few hotshots, look for some comers, achievers in process, truly trustworthy folks. Love them to their full potential as you cultivate a long-haul friendship. Then watch God work. A team drawn together by love and held together by grace has staying power. I suppose we could call that growing old gracefully.
Charles R. Swindoll serves as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. 1. Alan Loy McGinnis, Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Enjoy Helping Others Excel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1985), 152. 2. William Manchester, American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880–1964 (New York: Hachette, 2008), e-book.
Leisure: How to Recharge without Guilt has one primary objective—to help you enjoy yourself, your life, and your Lord more...without feeling guilty or unspiritual. In the work-worshipping world of today, this is no small task! For ordering information visit insightforliving.ca or view enclosed flyer.
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everal years ago, I joined a worship band for a Sunday night church service. The service was fresh and exciting. It attracted many young people who didn’t grow up in the church and presented biblical truth in an interesting way to a hungry audience. Well, as so many others I’m sure have experienced, the things that made the service attractive to this new group wasn’t welcomed with open arms by the regular congregation. I had assumed everyone would be as excited about the format shift as I was, and when they weren’t it threw me for a loop. Before this I had spent several years volunteering in various church roles ranging from serving coffee to teaching Sunday school. At every turn, people stopped to encourage me for my involvement and service. Since I had received so much affirmation I expected the same reaction would follow for joining this new, and youth focused, worship service. In reality, some people outright refused to support it, saying the service was too loud, it attracted the wrong type of people, and it wasn’t ministry. It was rough. For a while the leadership persevered but once the main organizer departed, it only took a number of months for the service to fizzle out. Without passionate leadership and congregational support, the Sunday night service could not continue. It was a difficult and painful experience because I saw what could have been and watched as the dream was snuffed out. Although it makes me uncomfortable to think about, what I experienced in this situation may have been legalism. Chuck Swindoll discusses this subject in his booklet It’s
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Time to Embrace Grace. He said Christians in North America are the hardest on our fellow Christians. We become controlling and place limiting expectations on each other—not allowing true freedom in Christ. Legalism requires that we all be alike, unified in convictions and uniform in appearance, strictly abiding by manmade rules and regulations. Grace, on the other hand, takes pleasure in diversity, encourages individuality, and leaves room for differences of opinions. (15) Chuck warns that controlling and comparing other Christians in our churches or in groups of friends does not make you spiritual, and it will not draw people closer to Christ. Actually, it will drive them away from you, from church, and from anything to do with other Christians. The solution? Allow grace to flow freely. God created us as unique individuals and we should be celebrating, not judging, it. We’re all different and yet we’re all one in Christ. I think back on this time with fondness. While it lasted, the service exposed many young people to the truth of God’s Word and I have to believe it’s bearing fruit somewhere. And perhaps those who organized the service have also found a place where their vision is better supported. My prayer is I will respond with grace when confronted with something I don’t understand. I’d like to be someone known for encouraging others to follow God with confidence and passion, wherever He leads.
Robyn Roste is the Media and Marketing manager at Insight for Living Canada.
by charles r. swindoll
"So much of what we undertake lacks vision. We cut our tiny holes in the ice and make plans to go home cold and hungry."
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t's a cartoon I've smiled at again and again. There are two Inuit sitting on chairs, fishing through holes in the ice. The fella on the right has draped his line through your typical disklike opening...about the size of a small manhole. The man on the left has his line in the water too. He also waits calmly for a nibble. His hole, however, is more like a crater, a Rose Bowl-sized opening that reaches to the horizon—in the shape of a whale. Now that's what I call vision. Smile all you please, but you gotta hand it to that guy on the left. He's ready! You can be sure that his fellow fisherman thinks he's a nut. He might even be mumbling words of criticism, like: "How greedy can you get?" Or "Man, talk about a show-off!" But there's one thing he must admit about his buddy, he's thinking big! The time he spent preparing for the catch was both extensive and tiring—he probably wore out three saws hacking and chewing through all that frozen stuff. But there is nothing that tugs on his line—and I mean nothing—that he won't be able to handle. From the very start of the project, the man has been visionary. Vision becomes contagious. You can't sit very long beside a fisherman like that
without enlarging your own hole in the ice. Something down inside us admires a person who stretches our faith by doing things that are filled with vision. Initially such actions might appear to be foolish. That occurs when we don't know the facts behind the action. For example, I heard some time ago about a couple of nuns who worked as nurses in a hospital. They ran out of gas while driving to work one morning. A service station was nearby but had no container in which to put the needed gasoline. One of the women remembered she had a bedpan in the trunk of the car. The gas was put into the pan and they carried it very carefully back to the car. As the nuns were pouring the gasoline from the bedpan into the gas tank, two men were driving by. They stared in disbelief. Finally, one said to the other, "Now Fred, that's what I call faith!" It appeared to be foolish. Trouble was, those doubters just didn't have the facts. And were they ever surprised when those nuns went ripping by them on the freeway! So much of what we undertake lacks vision. We cut our tiny holes in the ice and make plans to go home cold and hungry. And then if we're not careful, we'll find ourselves criticizing and scoffing at those who, as Luis Palau puts it, dream great dreams and plan great plans. "Sensationalists," we call them. Or worse—“foolish.”
Jesus, however, when he called Andrew and Simon, promised: "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." (Mark 1:17) The two fishermen probably thought too small. I gather this idea because Dr. Luke records their reaction the time they caught two boatloads of fish. They were dumbfounded! But Jesus replied with insight: "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." (Luke 5:10) It seems as though Jesus realized their inborn "fear" of something sizable. He challenged them, "Don't be uneasy. With My help, you'll catch people just like you caught these fish." How long has it been since you've punched a hole in the ice and thrown out a line? Sure, it may mean "breaking the ice" with "pre-Christian" neighbours or colleagues at work—getting beyond the slick surface stuff like the weather and sports and the condition of your lawn. It may mean investing some time, taking some
risks, and putting out some effort in practical acts of loving compassion. Fishing for men and women is no casual thing. Are you expecting success? Listen to Joe Aldrich: For many, the first step in neighborhood evangelism is attitudinal. If they think they will be successful or unsuccessful, they're right. What we anticipate in life is usually what we get. If you say, "I can't do it," you're probably right, especially if you firmly believe you can't. God says you can. Who do you intend to believe? ... It's true, where there is no vision, people (your neighbors) perish. Take another mental glimpse at those two Inuit. Be honest now. Which hole are you fishing in?
Excerpt taken from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, by Charles R. Swindoll, Copyright © 1985, 1988, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.
Charles R. Swindoll serves as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.
Insight for Living Canada began over 30 years ago when a Bible-study group in Vancouver decided to look into bringing Chuck Swindoll’s messages into Canada. For more visit insightforliving.ca/our-history
TO SILENCING INSECURITIES
This article is designed to create a better understanding of how to silence internal insecurities. For the next 30 days read the questions and allow them to spark deeper personal reflection and life change.
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any people are plagued by self-critical thoughts, especially that they are different in a negative way. We compare, evaluate, and judge ourselves with great scrutiny. The result of this self-sabotage can be failing to seize opportunities God has for us.
DAY 1
Much adult insecurity and inner self-criticism stem from painful experiences, which become ingrained into your self-perceptions. What insecurities do you deal with? How do they affect your thinking?
DAY 2
Read Exodus 2:11-15. First Moses killed an Egyptian for hurting a Hebrew. Then his people rejected him and Pharaoh tried to kill him. How do you think this experienced traumatized Moses?
DAY 3
Read Exodus 2:11-15. It’s possible the rejection and trauma Moses experienced caused him to be so insecure he felt he could be nothing more than a shepherd. How do you relate to Moses’?
DAY 4
Read Exodus 2-4. God called Moses to do something great but Moses responded again and again outlining his inadequacy. If God called you to do something great how would you respond?
DAY 5
Read Exodus 3:12. God countered Moses’ insecurities with His presence. How does knowing God will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) help overcome your insecurity?
DAY 6
Read Exodus 3:11-12. Moses focused on his inadequacy but God continued shifting the focus to Himself. What changes when you shift your focus away from your inadequacies to God’s abundance?
DAY 7
Read Exodus 3:13-22. God told Moses His personal relationship name, “I Am." How does your personal relationship with God make a difference when you feel inadequate?
DAY 8
Read Exodus 4:1-9; Romans 8:11. God provided Moses with demonstrations of His power to bolster his insecurity. What great demonstration of power by God verifies His promises to you?
DAY 9
Read Exodus 4:10-12. God reminded Moses that He was in control and in His providence made Moses a certain way. How does knowing this is also true in your life give you a sense of freedom?
DAY 10
Read Psalm 139:13-16. How does knowing God made you and embracing your uniqueness help you overcome insecurity and selfcriticism?
30 Days to Silencing Insecurities
DAY 11
Read Exodus 4:12. God told Moses He would instruct him in what to say. That meant Moses had to trust God for his words. What are ways you can trust God to provide for things in which you feel inadequate?
DAY 12
Read Exodus 4:13-17. God provided Moses with a partnership through his brother Aaron. Who are some potential partners you have who could help you in areas you feel inadequate and insecure?
DAY 13
Where is the line between feeling so insecure it keeps you from trusting God and realizing you cannot do the task adequately and therefore need help?
DAY 14
Read Genesis 37; 50:20. Joseph’s brothers hated him but he reframed the experience and saw God’s hand in it. How can you reframe your painful experiences in this same way?
DAY 15
Read Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28. The outcome of Joseph’s experience was salvation for many people. How does Romans 8:28 confirm Joseph’s experience? Where has this been true in your life?
DAY 16
Read Judges 6:15-16. God called Gideon to be a judge over Israel but he was insecure about his status in the community. What is God’s answer to these kinds of insecurities?
DAY 17
Read Amos 7:14-15. Amos, called by God to be a prophet, boldly stood up to the king. What three insecurities did the sense of God’s call help him overcome?
DAY 18
Joseph, Gideon, and Amos all overcame insecurity with God’s help. How can a sense of God’s call, presence, and providence in your life help overrule your insecurities?
DAY 19
Read 1 Samuel 8:21; 10:20-23. Saul was terribly insecure. His failure to overcome his insecurities ultimately caused him to take his own life. How else could Saul have responded to his insecurities?
DAY 20
Read 2 Timothy 1:6-7. Timothy was timid. What did Paul write to him to bolster his confidence? How does developing the unique gifts God gave you help you overcome insecurity?
TIP: Keep your Bible handy and refer to it as you read the questions
DAY 21
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. Insecurity is rooted in self-perception. What happens to your insecurities if you begin to see yourself as a new person with a new life?
DAY 22
Read Philippians 4:21; Colossians 2:10. How does God view you if you are in Christ? How does this affect your self-criticism and insecurity?
DAY 23
Read Ephesians 2:10. Seeing yourself as significant is a key to overcoming insecurities. What truths in this passage express how significant you are?
DAY 24
The opposite of insecurity is confidence. In what or whom is your confidence and security placed? Should Christians have selfconfidence?
DAY 25
Read Matthew 6:19-20; Colossians 3:1-3. Some people’s security is related to their possessions. What does Jesus say about security in possessions? What should a believer’s security be rooted in?
DAY 26
Read Galatians 1:10. Some people’s sense of security is tied to pleasing others. How would following Paul’s example free you from people pleasing?
DAY 27
Read Romans 8:31-34. How does this truth set you free from the fear of what others might think about you?
DAY 28
Read Philippians 4:13. Although Paul was gifted and had excellent education and pedigree, his confidence was not placed in those things. What was the source of Paul’s strength?
DAY 29
Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. How does Paul reframe his weakness, turning potential insecurities into tremendous strength? What weaknesses do you need to reframe like Paul?
DAY 30
Read Philippians 4:19. True security comes when you recognize Christ is God’s answer to all your insecurities. What are ways you can base your security on the all-sufficiency of Christ?
30 Days to Silencing Insecurities
WHAT IF GOD CHOOSES YOU TO DO SOMETHING GREAT? “Never, ever think that God is through doing great things through you.” - CHARLES R. SWINDOLL
Our Lord is full of surprises! His leading includes twists, turns, ups, downs, potholes, and drop-offs, which shake us up. The fact we can rarely guess the ultimate destination only adds to the adventure. God’s plans for us are often over and above what we can imagine or desire, and our response is often reluctance. Yet God continues to stretch us beyond what we consider our limit. When it comes to God using us to accomplish His great purposes, broken people make three frequent mistakes. 1. Because of intensity we run before we’re sent 2. Because of insecurity we retreat after we’ve failed 3. Because of inferiority we resist when we’re called The Bible includes numerous examples of individuals God used to accomplish great things, but rather than embracing the challenge and trusting His enablement, initially they held back. In this message studying Exodus 3-4 we meet a man, Moses, who was unwilling to leave the shallow waters of the familiar to
dive into the depths of God’s audacious plan because he feared the unknown. God’s miraculous appearance to Moses from a flaming bush (3:1-4:17) allows us to explore four common excuses Moses offered when God asked him to do something great. • First, Moses said, “I will not have all the answers.” He focused on his lack of knowledge rather than God’s complete knowledge • Second, Moses said, “I may not have all their respect.” He focused on what others might think of him rather than what God thought of him • Third, Moses said, “I do not have the ability.” He focused on his lack rather than on God’s abundance • Fourth, Moses said, “I am not as qualified as others.” He focused on his own limitations rather than on God’s qualifications Moses’ exchange with the Lord reminds us of this relevant truth: Never, ever think that God is through doing great things through you. Time and time again in Scripture God worked through broken people. He continues to do so today.
“What If God Chooses You to Do Something Great?” is from Chuck Swindoll’s series What If...? You can stream this message online anytime at insightforliving.ca/audiolibrary.
online RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
Prepare Your Heart
FOR EASTER
Our Easter page helps you better understand what really happened when Jesus died and rose from the dead, why there was no alternative, and why it makes all the difference today and every day! Visit insightforliving.ca/easter for articles, audio messages, and more to help you prepare your heart for Easter.