Christian Standard | March/April 2022 by Christian Standard Media

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Authentic Messiah

elief has incredible power, doesn’t it? And to think, in some ways, we believe the same story of the Messiah the people of Israel have believed for thousands of years. It is quite revealing.

way. He was a priest, but from a more ancient order than their priesthood at the time. And he was a king, both by pedigree and divine right. He was even recognized by foreigners, the Magi, and evil king Herod.

Christ is a Greek term translated from the Hebrew word Messiah, and it’s more a title than anything else. It came from a compilation of Old Testament Scriptures like Deuteronomy 18:18. It means “anointed,” and it was reserved for prophets, priests, and kings. But this one person, this “super” person, would be all three. The Jews placed all their hopes and dreams in this Messiah as they watched and waited. But for all that watching and waiting, it’s interesting that when he came, many people either didn’t recognize him or completely rejected him.

His public ministry was daily proof of this truth. His teaching was purely prophetic. His priesthood was demonstrated in his ability to heal and his forgiveness of sins, and was proven in his death and resurrection. And his kingdom, though not of this world, was shown by his authority and sovereign power over nature as demonstrated by his miracles.

Even though he fulfilled those Old Testament Scriptures in perfect detail, he didn’t match the story they had developed in their heads and hearts. He was a prophet, gifted in foretelling and forthtelling in every

Of his many miracles, the only one repeated in all four Gospel records was the feeding of the 5,000. It’s unique in multiple ways: It’s the only miracle in which someone other than Jesus contributes. It’s the only miracle in which Jesus asks his disciples participatory questions. It’s the only miracle where Jesus instructed his disciples to help carry it out. This miracle included more people than any other Jesus performed. Finally,

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it’s the only miracle to prompt the Israelites to attempt to crown him king (as recorded in John 6:14-15). The attempt to crown Jesus king is most interesting. Pause to consider all the things these people had seen, heard, and experienced. Many had been healed and taught—they had seen and heard wondrous things— and yet, nothing moved them to take this step until this miracle. Why? One might contend this fulfilled a prophecy about the Messiah from Ezekiel 34 that he would feed his people like a shepherd feeds his sheep . . . but it was less than that. One might call to mind how, through Moses, God fed their ancestors every day in the wilderness with manna and quail . . . but it was less than that.

Oh, Jesus was crowned—but with thorns rather than gold. He was robed—but for mockery instead of majesty. He was lifted up—but on a tree instead of a throne. And he was proclaimed—but in disdain rather than honor. His royal blood was spilt out instead of protected. His life was discarded instead of defended. He was crowned by his Father and robed in splendor by the angels. All heaven and nature sing of his truth and grace and the wonders of his love. And what was the answer to humankind’s greatest need? It was for Jesus to be the King we needed, not the one we wanted (see John 6:31-32, 35). That’s what makes Jesus the authentic Messiah.

It was simply that they could be fully fed, with food left over, through no effort of their own. That’s a leader everyone could get behind . . . someone who would meet their immediate need in the most basic way. It was proven a few verses later when the people asked for their next meal. It’s estimated it took 30,000 pounds of food to feed so many people; if Jesus could do that, what couldn’t he provide? (See John 6:26-27.) Isn’t that just like us? We’re inclined to reach for the more immediate things—for the next shiny object— rather than for the higher things. We vote for people who promise to give us the next obvious thing, but we fail to honor the One who will provide what we truly need for life and eternity. Jesus knows that about us and yet he still loves us. Consider John 2:23-25. The people wanted to make him king, but Jesus didn’t come to earth to be crowned by sinful people. He came here to be crucified for sinful people!

Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and senior pastor of The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest. @_jerryharris

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DISCIPLEMAKING BOBBY HARRINGTON

COMMUNITY

RICK LOWRY

In Every Issue

2-3

from the publisher

6-7

from the Editor

8-9

BOLD

10-11

E2: EFFECTIVE ELDERS

The Quest for Authentic Identity Megan Rawlings

The Characteristics of an Authentic Leader Billy Strother

12-14

ENGAGE

16-17

HEAL

18-19

Healing Our Emotions After T wo Years of Trauma Tyler McKenzie

Jesus and the ‘Bonding’ Chemical Wes Beavis

HORIZONS Julio and Arminda Arria: From Mission Field to Missionaries Laura McKillip Wood

20-21

INTENTIONAL

22-25

METRICS

Authentic Marriage: The Relationship Bet ween Intimacy and Conf lict Rudy & Oshar ye Hagood

Authentic Online Church Kent Fillinger

26-27

PREACH

interact

The Most Impor tant Thing Chris Philbeck

f r o m th e edi to r

The Power of Authenticity

hen I was about 10 years old, I made friends with two brothers in my neighborhood, Tim and Jeff Ward. Perhaps because I didn’t have a brother living at home, or just for fun, I told them I had a twin brother named Mark. We would be playing Wiffleball, and I’d go home, change clothes, and come back as Mark. To help the ruse, I batted right-handed as Mike and lefthanded as Mark. At first Mike was a better batter, but Mark steadily improved (which is how I became a decent switch-hitter). After several weeks, Tim and Jeff started getting suspicious and asking me questions, like why we rode the same bike (our parents were too poor to afford two bikes) or why they never saw us together (because we only had the one bike!). When they came to our house, only one of us was ever around; the other had a game or was at another friend’s house. Then one day, Jeff asked my mom where Mark was. “Who’s Mark?” my mom asked. The gig was up.

Why do so many people pretend to be someone they’re not? I think it’s because they’re afraid others wouldn’t accept them as they are. So, we put on a mask that hides the real us. This happens particularly when the church gathers; we can’t be our real selves because we don’t think our fellow Christ followers would accept us as we really are: sinners saved by grace. We know the church ought to be the one place we should be accepted. But too often, it’s not. Someone said, “There’s more lying on Sunday morning than any other day of the week.” I would contend there’s just as much lying on Thursday night at small group, Saturday morning at the men’s fellowship, and other church gatherings. I would also contend people cannot grow spiritually in an environment of dishonesty. Real discipleship can happen only where there is authenticity. If we cannot be real and admit our faults and frailties to one another, we cannot mature beyond where we are. But when we build an environment where we can

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be real with one another, sin loses its death grip on us. Because people love us “anyway” we have the encouragement we need to do battle against Satan’s attacks. The accountability of our friends helps us live the life we want to live but can’t live by ourselves. I admit it’s not easy to be completely honest and transparent with others. It’s part of our sin nature that goes back to the beginning of humankind. Just as Adam and Eve’s sin caused them to hide from God and each other, our sin causes us to build barriers around ourselves to protect us from shame. The church needs the constant reminder that “There is no difference . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2223). That’s one thing we all have in common. To live life to the full and to be the authentic church God wants us to be, we must learn how to become an authentic community. (See the online sidebar, “How You Can Grow Authentic Community,” christianstandard.com/ authentic-community/.) We don’t have to fight our spiritual battles alone. But when we gather with friends we trust and determine to grow in Christ together, we break down the barriers and become increasingly more authentic. We do this together. I have been blessed to be in many authentic, Christcentered small groups over the years. I can tell you several compelling stories of transformed lives (including my own) because of these groups. I don’t have the space to tell them all here, but you can find one such story at christianstandard.com/mack-friends.

Authenticity is the secret to finding mercy and healing. God’s church should be known as an authentic community. This authenticity should be growing in every area of the church. That’s why we have included 12 feature articles on these various aspects, and several of our columns also deal with this theme. People are drawn to authenticity, especially in an age where it seems there’s so little of it. People have been separated from community because of a pandemic. Others have never entered into authentic biblical community because of their sin. Either way, they’ve experienced loneliness and a host of other related emotions. Imagine if your church or small group were an authentic, loving, others-first community where people’s lives are being transformed. People would want to be part of that, just as they were in the early days of the church. In this kind of church, the Lord would add “to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). May that be the church today!

Part of this article is adapted from Michael’s book, Small Group Vital Signs: Seven Indicators of Health That Make Groups Flourish, Touch Publications, 2012.

Those kinds of groups display God’s purposes for his redeemed community as the Scriptures proclaim: “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

@michaelc.mack @michaelcmack @michaelcmack /authormichaelcmack

BOLD

“T

ell me about yourself.” There was a long, long pause.

“Well,” she finally said, “I’m a 2.” “A 2?” I asked. “Yeah, on the Enneagram. It’s this test that tells you who you are and so much about yourself . . .”

The Quest for Authentic Identity

This conversation and others like it spurred me on to contemplate the emotional and mental state of young adults in our country. Although I cannot speak for the masses, in my experience, millennials (those born 1981– 1998) and Generation Z (born 1999–2015) are longing to find their identity and purpose. There appears to be a chasm of emptiness which these generations (of which I am a part) are trying to fill in any way that is accessible and available. Here are several ways I’ve seen and experienced for how people try to discover their identities.

by Megan Rawlings T h e E n n e a g r a m a n d O t h e r S e l f-A s s e s s m e n t s The Enneagram the woman talked about is another personality test in the crowded field of self-assessments. I was fascinated, intrigued, and wary. Fascinated because a woman I had just met was openly sharing the results of a personality test she had used for self-defining purposes. I was interested in why she felt she needed to use assessment data to “find herself” as opposed to relying on her own instincts and merit. Intrigued because in front of me was a 30-year-old woman who had boiled down her identity into a number. The number 2. She seemed to believe this number, derived from the Enneagram, gave credence and value to her character. It provided her with a sense of self-worth. She could have answered my question by telling me about her passions, gifts, and flaws, but instead she shared a number based on a personality assessment.

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Wary, because I questioned the science behind this test. (In fact, I now consider it abDespite the tests, the numbers, the likes, the surd.) The test results ‘i n s e r t t h i n g t h at t e l l s m e w h o I a m’ t h at w e u s e are very often taken as s o o f t e n t o d e f i n e o u r s e lv e s , t h e s e e va l u at i o n s truth by those who parare incomplete. ticipate in the assessment. The Enneagram, which at the time was unfamiliar to me, led people to question, “What is my number? What does this mean for me?” How the test came to be so highly

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reputable, and why and how so many identify with it, is almost unnerving to me.

Social Media 9

This fascination with the Enneagram reminds me of what I see as the problem with social media, where our lives are in constant states of comparison with everyone else on our platforms. It has been said the overuse of social media has led to a dramatic increase of depression and anxiety among young people. If you haven’t watched the documentary The Social Dilemma on Netflix, do it right now (it’s an eye-opener).

T h e N e w C a lv i n i s m a n d O t h e r P r e s e n t- D ay Movements I think this longing that people, especially young adults, have to find their identity and purpose is why movements such as Young, Restless, and Reformed— which promotes a move toward reformed theology and is sometimes called the “New Calvinism”—are growing in leaps and bounds in our secular age. These movements have very clear-cut sets of beliefs—and even a sense of security. There is a culture to them . . . an identity.

A B e t t e r Way In saying these things, my goal is not to criticize and degrade those trying to find out who they are. Nor am I arguing that I am somehow superior. Truthfully, I have struggled with the issues I’ve mentioned. I love a good personality test. For the record, I am an ENFJ, connector, 3, otter, influencer. Name the test, and I have probably taken it. I love to know what makes me tick and how to better interact with other personalities. I am also known to refresh social media to see the likes go up as if my life depended on the outcome. But when we become wrapped up in descriptors and artificial forms of validation, something is missing. Here’s the thing. Despite the tests, the numbers, the likes, the “insert thing that tells me who I am” that we use so often to define ourselves, these evaluations are incomplete. The problem ultimately is not the method or the outcome of these assessments. It’s much simpler than that. We all must recognize and remember that our true identity comes from Christ. That’s the only identity we need . . . the identity of Christ. 

abou t the au thor

Megan Rawlings serves as vice president of planned giving with The Solomon Foundation. She is the founder and CEO of The Bold Movement. She is an extrovert, pastor’s wife, and lover of the Scriptures. /tbmministry @tbm_ministry @tbm_ministry @theboldmovement theboldmovement.com

e 2:e ffe ct i v e e ld e r s

great deal of discussion and training on the subject of “authentic leadership” has occurred since Bill George published a book by that title in 2003. Authenticity is the quality of being genuine or real. Authentic Christian leaders are those who are perceived as genuine in their walk with the Lord and in their loving investment in the congregants they serve. There remains no agreed-upon definition for authentic leadership theory among those who discuss it. Generally, however, an authentic leader is a person who possesses the characteristics of self-awareness, empathy, relational transparency, consistency, and ethical focus.

Authentic Leadership Modeled

The Characteristics of an Authentic Leader by Billy Strother

As a 25-year-old preacher in the mid-1980s, I found myself serving as senior minister of a church of 75 people. (In addition to myself, the staff consisted of a part-time administrative assistant and a paid Sunday-only organist.) In my first days there, I encountered an elderly elder, Doc Gabhardt, who gave me a precious gift. Though in his late 80s, Doc took this kid preacher under his wing, loved me, and modeled an authentic Christian leader several decades before it became a hot topic in leadership training circles. Doc taught me how to be self-aware, to evaluate myself—the good, the bad, the ugly, my strengths and weaknesses, both professional and personal. Why? So I could capitalize on using my professional and spiritual strengths in ministry, and to identify weaknesses that needed repairing and/or training.

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Doc taught me empathy by being the first on the scene to empathize with me. When he asked questions about my life, he really listened to my problems and struggles. He was the first to put an arm around my shoulder and share an encouraging word when I was struggling with unfair—or even fair—criticism in my ministry. He listened with his heart. Authentic leaders lead with their heart and wrap that Authentic leaders lead with their heart and wrap heart around even the t h at h e a r t a r o u n d e v e n t h e m o s t b r o k e n o f s o u l s . most broken of souls. Doc taught me relational transparency . . . that one of the most important things we can share with others is who we really are and how we really feel. Doc never let me feel isolated by my struggles. He shared his own past stories of struggle or failure as messages of hope that an imperfect person like me could still serve the Lord. Doc taught me consistency and to be the same person in both private and public. Too often, people—especially

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church leaders—are tempted to adopt a different personality in public. When our inauthenticity—our “pretend personality”—is exposed, we lose all leadership capital. Doc taught me that if you are broken in private, get it fixed, because it will eventually come out in public.

Doc taught me the importance of possessing a biblical ethic to guide personal and professional leadership decisions and actions. Doc taught me that, while I could not always trust my feelings, I could eternally trust the Bible . . . every single word of the Word.

Biblical vs. Transactional Leadership The subject of authentic leadership may be trendy in secular circles, but it also is biblical. Authentic leadership is modeled throughout the Bible. From Abraham to the apostle John, from Genesis through Revelation, authentic leadership informs and models healthy leadership for elders, ministers, and servant leaders in the church. The apostle Paul encouraged authentic leadership: “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, New Living Translation). The opposite of authentic leadership is transactional leadership. Transactional leaders see people as little more than tools to accomplish a goal. The value of people in an organization is reduced to their contribution to the leader’s goal. A transactional leader will reward or punish those under their leadership influence based solely on what is done or not done to accomplish the leader’s goals. A transactional leader cares not for a person’s feelings or struggles. A transactional leader does not lead with empathy for others; such a leader values only the bottom line.

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Remember Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan? A transactional leader would walk on the other side of the roadway—there was nothing a dying guy could do to help him accomplish his religious goals or institutional mission. An authentic leader, however, would jump into the ditch and minister to a bleeding, naked man who had been mugged and left for dead, regardless of the circumstances or the ethnicity of the victim, because every person matters. As a young man, I prayed I would become an authentic leader like Doc someday. Doc has been with the Lord for nearly three decades. I am still trying to be more like Doc, a truly authentic leader. If it be God’s will and I live another 25 years, I will be as old as Doc was when we first met. I will pray for you, if you will pray for me, to grow as an authentic Christian leader. 

Dr. Billy Strother has been preaching and teaching for 37 years. He currently serves as dean of graduate studies and professor of preaching and New Testament at Central Christian College of the Bible, Moberly, Missouri. He also serves as a bench member with e2: effective elders.

/e2elders @e2elders

engage

pressing need exists for the church to focus discipleship efforts on emotional health, which is something the church rarely touches. It’s been over two years since COVID-19 first shut down the United States. Since then, leading a church has felt similar to being a frontline worker. I won’t pretend that our challenges have rivaled those of an emergency room doctor or a COVID-unit nurse. Still, pastoring a church has felt like a heavyweight boxing match that never ends. There has been heavy pressure, many needs, and relentless controversies. We have felt constantly embattled in fights we cannot win.

Healing Our Emotions After Two Years of Trauma by Tyler McKenzie

Psychologists say America is recovering from emotional trauma. After the last two years, most of us are not emotionally healthy. In September 2020, a counselor friend was a guest on our weekly staff Zoom call. He trained our staff on pastoring people through post-traumatic stress. It was insightful. But throughout the call, I couldn’t help thinking he was talking about me, not teaching me about others. At the end, I asked our staff, “I know this is to train us to serve our people, but who just self-diagnosed?” Almost every hand went up. Ministering right now is hard.

FOUR POINTS OF EMOTIONAL TRAUMA Here are four points of trauma I’m seeing on the frontlines in the church. Loss—Over the last two years, we all have lost things of great significance. Maybe you lost a relationship, friendship, or a marriage. Maybe you lost your job, financial stability, or a treasured career dream. Perhaps a loved one died. Maybe you lost a sense of control. Here’s the thing: Loss always results in grief, and grief is traumatic.

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Extended Ambiguity and Uncertainty—Nothing has been predictable during the last two years—not with shifting mandates, lockdowns, job furloughs, vaccines, conspiracies, and virtual worship. Businesses closed but then reopened with shorter hours and fewer workers. There were weeks of protests in our cities and even an attack on the U.S. Capitol. Among the unknowns: G o d d o e s n’ t c a u s e e v i l , b u t h e u s e s i t t o c r e at e Will our food supply chains intimacy and surrender. meet demands? Will our kids go to school? Will our government survive? Will someone we love die? It’s been disorienting. Our routines were disrupted. When we feel a total loss of control, it can cause crippling anxiety that results in trauma. Extended Isolation—We weren’t made for isolation. Our nation was already facing a loneliness epidemic before

For some of you, moments are popping into your mind now. Maybe it was clashing with family members via text or an outburst with an old friend on Facebook. Others of you may not even know there is a disagreement; you (or they) saw a post on social media, took umbrage but never said anything, and just quietly unfollowed that person and have been ghosting them ever since. Was it a coworker or adult child? A parent or friend? Was it a pastor? When lots of people abandon you or when people you deeply love leave, you can begin to distrust everyone. You start operating from a place of suspicion. You withdraw from new relationships and distance yourself from old relationships. You become relationally insecure, constantly wondering when the next person will leave. You go through days of self-loathing and blame. You churn in anger and repeatedly relive conversations. You feel disposable. It all exacerbates loneliness that already is there. The trauma is deep.

IS THE CHURCH READY TO MEET THIS MOMENT? Most people in our churches are in this same boat. We are dealing with deeply wounded people who have suffered emotional trauma. I’m concerned whether we are ready to meet this moment. The church—including my own—has been regrettably apathetic toward emotional discipleship. Most churches focus their efforts on intellectual and relational spiritual formation. They teach, preach, and catechize. They do kids ministries, marriage retreats, parenting seminars, and fellowship gatherings. Far fewer churches work at forming people socially. The idea that social flourishing, the common good, and communal shalom are the church’s responsibility is considered—by some—as “woke” or “liberal.” Far fewer churches do anything to form people physically and emotionally. Even though our bodies are the temple of the Spirit, a gift from God we’ve been called to steward so we can both maximize and elongate our ministry, no one wants to preach to this. Church leaders may protest that

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Betrayal and Abandonment—The major question of the last two years might be, “Who did you lose?” I’m not talking about someone who died, but those people you no longer have anything to do with. Yes, I’m talking about the polarization, politicization, and seething rage that has resulted from COVID-19 and politics.

The church—including my own—has been r e g r e t ta b ly a pat h e t i c t o wa r d e m o t i o n a l d i s c i p l e s h i p.

the human body is complex, we’re not doctors, and so much secrecy, shame, and judgmentalism is baked into the topic. It’s the same with our emotional health. It’s incredibly complex, we’re not counselors or psychologists, and there is so much shame and stigma. Christians are supposed to be happy, right? The trend toward “soft prosperity” is among my greatest concerns about the state of preaching in our largest churches. People attending worship want something hopeful and positive each week. They expect the preacher to “fill their cup.” They want the message to be practical. (“Help me make better decisions, have better relationships, and live my best life!”) When we give them what they want, they come. They choose our church over the one down the street. It fits with the sort of self-help, therapeutic, spiritual-but-notreligious vibe folks are looking for. We win the attendance battle, which is the key to being perceived as “successful” in church leadership circles. Yet, when we bend our preaching in that direction every week, we create a liturgical crockpot that cooks people into thinking the Christian life is one of self-actualization, continual progress, better decisions, better relationships, and better lives. Happy and healthy is the default. What happens when life isn’t happy? . . . When lament is needed? . . . When we’re feeling a little angry? What happens when the church must make challenging decisions or preach on polarizing topics? What happens when the soft prosperity formula stops working for the flock? Best-case scenario, they stop showing up. Worstcase scenario, they give up on God altogether. This is one challenge of the hour. Preachers contextualize the grace and truth of Jesus for their cultural moment, and this moment is one where a lot of people are beat-up, burnt-out, sad, lonely, and afraid. Here’s the good news: Scripture has much to say on walking through troubles and pain. We forget that much of Scripture was written to a poor, enslaved, persecuted, or suffering audience. God can use these seasons to grow our intimacy with

the virus. When we are alone too long we begin to doubt our self-worth and lose our sense of purpose. We’ve been cut off from loved ones who are among our greatest sources of joy in life. It’s all very traumatic.

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him, but we need a movement of leaders who recognize the moment.

I’m reminded of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through [Christ] who gives me strength.” Is there a more ripped-out-of-context verse in Scripture? As you know, Paul was not saying you can actually do all things through Christ. Hey, want a job promotion? Want to improve your love life? Want to do good in your ballgame? Philippians 4:13! Write it on your eye black! Inscribe it on a necklace. Drink coffee from a mug with that verse printed on the side, and you can! No! This was in a prison letter. Read it in context. Paul was saying he could find contentment in all things, even great suffering, through Christ who strengthened him. This was the discipleship need of the hour. God doesn’t cause evil, but he uses it to create intimacy and surrender. Are we helping our people draw nearer? Are we helping them find a peace that passes understanding, a joy that transcends circumstances, and a love deeper than their insecurities? Are we teaching that the poor, weary, and broken are blessed? That God’s power is perfected in weakness? That holy mystery in times of disorientation is worship? That waiting on God breaks the hurry and achievement idolatry in us? That a holy indifference to the things of this world is spiritual maturity? Most importantly, are we simply showing up and helping people heal? This will be the hard work of a postCOVID-19 world, but we have all the theological and spiritual resources necessary to do it well. 

a b ou t th e au th o r

Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

He a l

hristian faith and science are not mutually exclusive. Unfortunately, secularized culture is convincing younger generations they must decide between the two. I constantly tell young people not to believe the secular voices that declare you must choose either science or faith . . . or worse, that if you are a Christian, you are by default a nonscientific Neanderthal.

Jesus and the ‘Bonding’ Chemical

As both a follower of Christ and a clinical psychologist, I have developed a passion for discovering places where Christian faith and scientific discovery intersect—and there are countless intersections! For example, when the rich young ruler approached Jesus about how to obtain eternal life, it is recorded that, “Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him!” (Mark 10:21, The Message). From a cursory view Jesus did two things, (1) looked in his eyes, and (2) loved him. These are fairly simple human interactions. But there is scientific significance to the way Jesus interacted with the rich young ruler.

Ox y t o c i n a n d E m pat h y by Wes Beavis

Jesus was purposeful in his interactions. Why did he look intently into the eyes of the rich young ruler? He was not curious about his eye color. Jesus was not checking for cataracts so that he might heal the man. Columbia University neuroscientist and teacher Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin says eye contact stimulates empathy by releasing oxytocin in the brain. This release of oxytocin—which some call the “bonding” chemical—strengthens relational connection. So, by looking intently into the eyes of the rich young ruler, Jesus was strengthening a connection. God places oxytocin in our bodies as a stimulant that promotes empathy and bonding.

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Referring specifically to the power of eye contact, Yale University researcher Dr. John Dovidio said, “When you experience empathy, it motivates you to help the other person, even at personal cost to you.” This is one reason some people may avoid eye contact. When they do not want to foster engagement, they resist eye contact because they don’t want to stimulate bonding or empathy. Parents of children who experience the neurobiological challenges of autism may find it difficult to nurture the child if he or she struggles I t h a s b e e n s a i d t h at p e o p l e l o o k i n t o t h e e y e s with the simple task of making of another for one of two reasons, to either eye contact. Looking intently into help them or hurt them. someone’s eyes is an effective way to reduce emotional distance. Without it, bonding is harder. There may be times people want to maintain emotional distance and, therefore, they avoid eye contact. For example, have you ever been fired or told by someone they no longer wanted to be in relationship with you? Rarely will they look you in the eye when telling you.

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Many breakups happen via text. Most firings happen via email. When I was fired for invoking God’s name during a speech in a secular setting, I was informed via email. I think it was because the person who hired me for the event was a friend and couldn’t bear to tell me face-toface that I was fired. I don’t blame him. That would have been an awkward interaction for both of us!

T h e ‘I n v i s i b l e B r i d g e ’ In the right context, when you look intently into another person’s eyes, you are setting up an invisible bridge over which you can transport interest, value, and affection for them. I qualify the previous sentence with the words, “in the right context,” because people can also stare into the eyes of another person while screaming at them. But people erroneously do this in an attempt to make connection. This is another example of sin distorting something beautiful that God has given us. God designed eye contact to help two people establish deep connection. Like so many other elements of God’s design—sexual intimacy, for example—eye contact can be hijacked for selfish and destructive purposes. Have you ever been with a person or group when someone said, “He’s heading this way, don’t make eye contact”? This is another example of the power of eye contact. When people deliberately ignore you or do not want to engage with you, they will try to avoid eye contact.

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If you have ever been pulled over for a traffic violation, it is very unlikely the law enforcement officer looked into your eyes. Personal (and humbling) experience has taught me that officers are not interested in building a relational bond with you. In fact, officers who have issued me with an occasional citation (typically for rolling through a stop sign) have kept their sunglasses on. This has made it difficult to make eye contact in the vain hope I could stimulate empathy and be let off with a warning!

Psychological ‘Superglue’ Stanford University researcher Dr. Jamil Zaki describes empathy as the “psychological ‘superglue’ that connects people and undergirds co-operation and kindness.” It’s hard to get the juices of kindness flowing from anyone who does not make eye contact. It has been said that people look into the eyes of another for one of two reasons, to either help them or hurt them. With the rich young ruler, Jesus used eye contact for its divinely intended purpose—to help him. Science has revealed how eye contact opens the way for empathy and expressing love. “Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him!”

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Dr. Wes Beavis has served as a pastor in Restoration Movement churches in both the United States and Australia. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in helping ministry leaders navigate the leadership journey. His latest book is Let’s Talk about Ministry Burnout: A Proven Research-based Approach to the Wellbeing of Pastors. drwesbeavis.com text 949.246.7836

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oni stretched her back as she straightened from her work. She’d been putting in long hours at the café she owned trying to pay off debt incurred when the café was closed during the worst of the pandemic, but she still owed money and worried she would not be able to pay it. She thought of her son, who had been pressuring her to let him move to live with his father. Her eyes teared up as fear filled her heart. The future seemed uncertain, and she wondered what would happen to her and her family.

Julio and Arminda Arria: From Mission Field to Missionaries by Laura McKillip Wood

Just then, the door opened, and several people entered the café. She greeted them and immediately noticed their faces were pleasant and calm—peaceful even. She sighed. She would love to have such peace in her life. As she prepared their order, a group member struck up a conversation with her. She was surprised when he told her they had been walking around her town praying for the people there. They talked about Jesus in a familiar way, as if they were his personal friends. Noni had heard of Jesus only at big holidays like Christmas and Easter, and she had never thought of him as her friend. One of the men told her a story from the Bible and asked her opinion of it. This began an interesting and open conversation about spirituality and faith like none she had ever had.

Conversion Experience

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Julio Arria was one of the men in that group. Born in Venezuela, Julio was the oldest brother in a family of five children. His family had attended a Bible study started by Team Expansion missionary David Linn, who moved to Venezuela in 1992. Julio’s family all surrendered their lives to Christ at that Bible study, which eventually became the Christian church of Guatire. For Julio, the choice to follow Jesus was the beginning of a career as well as the beginning of his new life. He began learning to serve under Alfredo and Tamára Páez, who are now missionaries in another area of the world. By age 16, Julio entered the university and moved to Caracas. There he joined the Hoy con Cristo Christian Church, pastored J u l i o h e a r d G o d c l e a r ly t e l l h i m , ‘ Y o u a r e g o i n g t o by Eric Barry and Diego Pod e d i c at e t h e r e s t o f y o u r l i f e t o b e i n g a d i s c i p l e lanco.

and making disciples who in turn make disciples and m u lt i p ly o t h e r c h u r c h e s .’

“I learned a lot about getting to know Christ and the gospel from them,” says Julio. “I also learned to share my story with others.”

He began an apprenticeship with these two pastors. At the end of three years, he was ordained as a youth pastor and began working with the Barrys and the Linns to start a new church. It was there that he met Arminda,

A Clear Call In Venezuela, the Arrias worked with churches that began even more churches using Disciple Making Movement principles. As this process spread in that country, Julio heard God clearly tell him, “You are going to dedicate the rest of your life to being a disciple and making disciples who in turn make disciples and multiply other churches.” In 2018, Julio got the opportunity to travel to Otura, Spain, for more training. Julio met an old man in the city square and asked if there was anything the man would like Julio to pray about—his children or grandchildren perhaps, or challenges he faced. The man rebuffed Julio, insisted he needed nothing, and finally pointedly said, “Look for someone else to pray for!” As a shocked Julio sat in the square, he felt the Lord say, “These people have lived their whole lives without me; they are dead, and they need me.” When he returned home, he told Arminda the story, and together they began praying for the people of Spain. After some research, they found that only about 1 in 15 Spanish towns has a church. They decided to move to Spain and begin a ministry there under the guidance of Team Expansion. Julio and Arminda have several advantages that make them uniquely prepared for ministry in Spain. They have experienced the full process of evangelism—beginning as unbelievers, experiencing the gospel, becoming disciples, and eventually planting churches themselves. They know the power of the gospel of Christ. Additionally, their heart language is Spanish, so they can easily communicate with the people. They are trained for ministry and are well-equipped for the job. Most importantly, they feel the clear call of God to Spain and have the support and approval of the elders at their Venezuelan church.

Following the Call The Arrias moved their two children (Sara, 12, and Santiago, 8) to Granada, Spain, in early 2021. “My main job consists of making new relationships, making disciples who make other disciples, and training local believers to generate a disciple-making movement,” Julio says. Since there are few missionaries in Spain, the couple have focused on training national leaders to use the Disciple

In the meantime, back in Venezuela, Noni began to read the Bible with other Christians and to tell other people about her experiences with the Christians she met. “I don’t know what these people have, but I feel so much peace when I’m around them,” she tells her friends. “It’s like every time they come to my café, I feel like I’m protected.” Noni and her friends are learning about the peace that knowing Jesus can bring to life! Julio and Arminda can be reached by email at jarria@ teamexpansion.org or julioarria15@gmail.com. 

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Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, now serves as bereavement coordinator and palliative care chaplain at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She and her husband, Andrew, have three teenagers. /laura.wood2 @woodlaura30 @woodlaura30 lauramckillipwood.com lauramckillipwood@gmail.com

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Making Movement curriculum, other curriculum produced by the missionaries in Venezuela, and the Jonathan training and Kairos courses. They hope to encourage prayer among the new believers, continue to train disciples to make more disciples, and build meaningful relationships in which they can share the love of Jesus.

who Julio describes as “the most beautiful believer from the church.” They were married in 2006. In 2009, together with a team of pastors and missionaries, Julio and Arminda participated in founding of Evangelical Seminary of the Mission of Christian Churches. Since then, 235 people have completed their program and been trained to start churches in Venezuela.

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ur definition of marital authenticity is “the pursuit of marriage as it existed before the fall while also acknowledging that we, as individuals, are flawed and fallen.” We live in a culture that models and promotes inauthentic relationships. The inability to be authentic causes many marriage issues and creates anemic intimacy in our unions. As a result, issues fester and eventually explode. We believe deep relationship comes from learning to navigate conflict and tension. Compliments matter as much as conflict, but in this article we will focus on the correlation between intimacy and conflict.

AUTHENTIC MARRIAGE: The Relationship Between Intimacy and Conflict By Rudy and Osharye Hagood

When a couple leaves intimacy and withdraws from one another, according to our studies at the Family Dynamics Institute, the pathway to withdrawal was conflict. If you desire to get back to intimacy, you must go back through the tunnel of conflict. Here’s one way to look at it. In the movie The Matrix: Reloaded, after Seraph fought Neo, the latter asked, “Didn’t you know I was the One?” Seraph replied, “I knew, but you never truly know someone until you fight them.” No, we’re not encouraging you to fight each other, but we are encouraging you to fight for intimacy in your marriage, because your spouse is the one God has designed for you. We learn more about our spouses and ourselves through communication, and this often includes conflict, which is best practiced carefully and consistently.

HIS AUTHENTICITY STORY I (Rudy) once watched a video of a Christian leader talking about marriage. While I can’t remember the particulars, I do remember how I felt after he said, “If anyone says they have a perfect marriage, they are lying.” Umm, what? Did he just say that? After feeling stunned initially, something incredible happened—I felt a sense of freedom. Being authentic or practicing authenticity sets us free. I felt new energy—what with all my imperfections—to move forward and love Osharye, with all her “perfect” imperfections. And ever since, day by day, she continues to prove she is perfect for me. I stopped pursuing a perfect marriage, and I stopped pursuing perfect manhood. Instead, I began to pursue an authenticity that would intentionally reveal my imperfections, so Osharye could have the opportunity to love who I am, as opposed to the person I hoped to become. Our path to authenticity has been a journey toward embracing conflict.

HER AUTHENTICITY STORY “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I (Osharye) heard this so many times during my childhood;

I remember the very first time I asked Rudy to tell me how he was really feeling. I told him it would make our relationship better. I could see his inner turmoil. It was as if tiny Rudys were on each shoulder, and both were trying to convince him not to do it. Can you hear them? “No! Don’t do it! This path leads to the abyss!” Yet he was honest with me, and as a result, we entered the realm of radical truth together. Don’t get me wrong, it was like diving into the abyss. Yet, we found that paradise exists because of this honesty and authenticity.

HOLDING OUR PEACE Couples often engage in the practice of peacekeeping, that is, “holding our peace.” In a Christian marriage, however, it is a form of intimacy theft . . . it robs our relationships of connection. It’s a form of inauthenticity that some believers wrongly consider to be a Christian value. That’s somewhat understandable; after all, who wants to spend hours working through conflict? If I keep this to myself, we can get on with the day. But failing to discuss an upsetting issue or behavior leads only to a false and temporary “peace.” And that temporary peace often can lead us toward emotional withdrawal from the person with whom we are committed to being intimate.

Finally, remember that marital authenticity is “the pursuit of marriage as it existed before the fall while also acknowledging that we, as individuals, are flawed and fallen.” Our ultimate image of intimacy is Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:21-33), but there is another image of intimacy found in a man and a woman who lived before the fall. Genesis 2:24-25 says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed” (English Standard Version). Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve fully knew each other and were fully known by one another. They were completely unashamed with one another. That’s what authentic marriage looks like and what marriage can be when two people are committed to being authentic with one another. So, friends, fight for intimacy in your marriage because your spouse is the one God has designed for you.  abou t the au thor

Fear is a primary reason we fail to be authentic with our spouse. We fear we cannot truly understand our spouse or be understood by them. John and Stasi Eldredge have written, “Deep in the wellspring of our hearts, there is a desire—for intimacy, beauty, and adventure. And no matter what anyone might say, we look for it all the days of our lives.” If this is true, we must figure out how to bridge the distance from anemic marriage to authentic marriage. Friends, we have found that conflict is the bridge to intimacy.

SAY IT OUT LOUD Authentic marriage requires that we step out of our comfort zones. It requires valuing the marriage enough to embrace discomfort. Commit to speaking what you notice. Let your speech be seasoned with salt, but yes, say it out loud. If you’re feeling defensive, say, “I’m becoming defensive.” If you are struggling with words, say, “I fear I won’t be able to say this in a way that communicates my authentic feelings.” Instead of hiding in a posture of defensiveness, find the courage to humbly share what you are feeling.

Rudy and Osharye Hagood have seven children and nine grandchildren so far. Osharye is a women’s minister who is also certified as both a life coach and a health coach. Rudy is a lead pastor with a background in social work. They love being married and love to bless both married and engaged couples. @rudy.hagood @rudy_hagood_

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Admitting your true experience or your lack of skill is authentic, while faking capableness or behaving in a callous manner eventually leads to shame or worse—seared emotions. Besides, saying out loud that you feel defensive is one of the least defensive things you can say. You’re probably thinking, If I show up authentically as myself, it will take two full-on epic Marvel movie productions before we get to a solution. And that solution might end up wiping out half the population! Well, at first it may require some extended communication, but more times than not we’ve seen such communication extend into lasting marital intimacy.

my Daddy would repeat it every chance he got. (Considering I was the baby girl of seven siblings, you can imagine how many opportunities he had to repeat it.) I’m the type of person who looks forward to authenticity in my marriage; I assume it's because authenticity is what I desire from others.

METR I CS

ogi Berra famously said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Since the pandemic started two years ago, there have been an endless number of “experts” making countless predictions about the future of everything—including the church. Plenty of churches offered an online campus or church online on various platforms before COVID-19. Broadcast methods varied by church; the main options were livestreaming, on-demand full service (worship and message), on-demand message only, and rebroadcast (simulated live). A 2018 survey by Vanderbloeman and Jay Kranda revealed the top three broadcast platforms were Churchonlineplatform.com, Facebook Live, and YouTube.

Authentic Online Church by Kent E. Fillinger

This article is not really a prediction about the future of online church, but rather a plea for how leaders should view it.

I s O n l i n e C h u r c h a S u b s t i t u t e , R e p l a c e m e n t, o r Supplement? Closures during the pandemic pushed many churches of all sizes into offering their services online for the first time. The intent was for these online services to serve as a temporary “substitute” for in-person worship until the pandemic ended and churches could regather in-person. When churches closed, 98 percent of evangelicals looked for another avenue for worship, according to “The Ripple Effect: Congregations, COVID, and the Future of Church Life,” a report produced last fall by Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts. Viewing online church services was the most common substitute for in-person services for 78 percent of churchgoers, but it was one of many alternatives people tried during the pandemic, according to “The Ripple Effect.” Almost half (48 percent) read their Bible or worshipped at home, 39 percent reported watching church services on TV, 28 percent substituted listening to Christian radio for church, and 18 percent said they went online to search for biblical teaching other than church services. Watching online church cannot “replace” the total experience or benefits of participating in-person. John Harlan, CEO and cofounder of a digital products company said, “If churches don’t make a hard shift back to people physically being present for church, we will see communities drift further and further apart.” He said extended reliance on “virtual relationships” contributes to loneliness, anxiety, and depression. A Christianity Today article entitled “Empty Pews Are an American Public Health Crisis” from October 2021 shared the multitude of health benefits of in-person worship.

Likewise, 81 percent said they felt more “connection or engagement” with worship in-person compared with only 4 percent who said the online experience was better for this. Almost 4 in 10 (39 percent) said they “learned more from the teaching” in-person compared with the 10 percent who preferred learning online. Interestingly, 63 percent said they had more “comfort inviting others” to inperson worship than the 8 percent who said it was easier to invite people to attend online.

The questions that church leaders need to ask are: What is our motivation for reporting worship attendance? Is it to compete with another church or boost egos, or is it to celebrate what God is doing in our church?

Only slightly more than 1 in 10 evangelicals surveyed said they intended to replace in-person worship with online church as their primary source of engagement. When online church is seen as a “supplement” to your in-person gatherings or as a starting point for people to find your church, the question is not, “Will online ministry compete with our physical ministry?” but rather, “How can digital media and ministry reach people who wouldn’t otherwise be reached?” or “How can an online ministry collaborate with and support the local church in moving the hope of the gospel further and faster out into the world?” Jay Kranda noted, “In practice, online ministry amplifies the local church's God-given vision. Instead of taking away attendance or members, it adds value and depth to the work the physical church is already doing.” Nathan Artt, founder of Ministry Solutions, encourages churches to differentiate their in-person and online services. “Our digital and physical experiences both have to be tailored to the audiences they are designed to engage.” Artt said church leadership teams should explore these relevant questions: “What can we do online that we cannot do in person? What can we do in person that we cannot do online?”

W h y I t ’ s I m p o r ta n t t o T r a c k At t e n d a n c e The discussion of in-person vs. online worship leads quite naturally to questions over counting the number of people being reached. The pandemic interrupted in-person worship services, and though most churches welcomed their flock back into their buildings quite some time ago, many have yet to see in-person attendance return to prepandemic levels. The question is not, Should a church count the number of people who are in worship?

And in our present situation, the more basic question is this: How do we count the number of people who are worshipping online?

Your Church Should Be Better than Netflix Netflix commonly reports on viewership of its hit shows. For example, the super popular Korean show Squid Game had a reported 111 million viewers globally in its first month last fall, making it Netflix’s largestever series launch. But it’s important to note that Netflix counts as a viewer anyone who watches a show for more than 2 minutes. If someone watched the first 2 minutes of your online worship service, would you count them as a viewer? Our churches should be better than Netflix when it comes to our methodology for counting online engagement. Multiple Old Testament verses condemn the use of dishonest scales or measurements. Consider Leviticus 19:36 (“Use honest scales and honest weights”) and Proverbs 11:1 (“The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him”). So, we can see the importance of using accurate measurements and honest numbers to track and report our worship attendance.

How t o Coun t Onl ine At t enda nce ( A Sugge s t ed Me t hod ) Last year during our annual church survey, a handful of churches contacted me to ask if there was a standard way churches tracked and counted online attendance. These churches had launched online worship services during COVID-19, and I appreciated that they wanted to report their attendance accurately. Since there is no universally accepted method for counting and reporting online attendance, I encouraged them to decide on a method for counting and then to stick with it so they could better gauge their online growth. But I will suggest this method for counting online

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“Numbers matter because people matter,” Carey Nieuwhof said. “If you care about people, you’ll care about numbers. . . . As a leader, it’s your job to track progress. If you refuse to benchmark and count things like attendance or giving, you won’t lead nearly as well.”

“The Ripple Effect” study asked survey participants to gauge whether online worship or in-person worship was better in eight respects. Two-thirds (67 percent) said it was easier to “give their full attention” in-person compared to only 7 percent who said they paid better attention online.

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attendance in the simplest and most honest way possible moving forward.

First, stop using a multiplier to bump up your number of online viewers. (I reported in my July/August 2021 Metrics article, “Deconstructing the Digital Church,” that the average church multiplies the number of devices tuned in to a service by 2.03 to determine their online attendance . . . but that multiplier can vary widely by church.) Manipulating a multiplier is a perfect example of using “dishonest scales.” The truth is you have no evidence or idea how many pairs of eyes are watching a particular electronic device, so why would you try to guess or why would you invent a mythical multiplier that assumes more than one person is watching? Count one device as one worship viewer. If your church uses an online connection card that includes people reporting the number of people watching online, then you can easily include them in your overall online attendance count (with no need for a multiplier). Carey Nieuwhof said this of church leaders who use a multiplier to determine online attendance: “The more a leader exaggerates or distorts the truth, the harder it is to trust them.” Second, count only those online viewers who watch the entire worship service. If someone drives by your church building on Sunday morning, I doubt you count them as part of your in-person worship attendance. Likewise, when someone scrolls past your live feed for a few seconds on Facebook, you shouldn’t count them as part of your online attendance. Keep in mind, someone can hit play online and walk away and you will never know it. Likewise, those watching church online may very well be multitasking.

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Third, report your weekly online attendance separately from your in-person physical attendance. It might even be a good idea to report your “live” online attendees separate from those who watch later in the week to better gauge the reach and engagement of your online services. What is our motivation for reporting worship attendance?

Is it to compete with another church or boost egos, or is it to celebrate what God is doing in our church?

Fourth, track your online-tooffline conversion rate. Try to determine how many people shift from watching your services online to engaging with in-person services to measure how effective you are at helping people make that transition. It would also be good to track how many viewers engage in a chat session with the online host or pastor, give an offering, participate in a poll, share a prayer request, or participate in other forms of engagement.

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I t ’ s O K i f T h e y D o n’ t R e g at h e r

As mentioned, most churches have yet to see their inperson worship attendance return to pre-pandemic numbers. An August 2021 Lifeway Research study reported 52 percent of churches had seen anywhere from 70 percent to more than 100 percent of their January 2020 attendance return to in-person worship. My hunch is the pandemic served as a “pruning period” in the life of the church. The branches that were barely hanging on or that were unhealthy and not bearing fruit broke away during the pandemic. These were the folks who were along for the ride and “eating for free” for the most part. It is probably why church offerings remained the same or grew at most churches during the pandemic, despite the obvious challenges. Pruning is vital to the long-range health of any plant. The church of Jesus Christ is still alive and well—it survived the pandemic, and it will survive online church, as well. Those who want to practice the “one another’s” commanded in the Bible, those who want to experience the beauty and challenges of living in Christian community, and those who understand they are called to function as part of the body of Christ will gather for worship to learn, serve, and give just like they have for more than 2,000 years. I encourage church leaders not to fret about those who were pruned during the pandemic, but rather to focus on equipping those who remain. Fix your attention on trying to graft as many new branches onto the tree as possible. 

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Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.

/3strandsconsulting 3strandsconsulting.com

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y wife and I recently attended a pastors and wives retreat just outside of Phoenix. It was a great experience for both of us. While we’ve been married for almost 40 years, it’s always good to get away from the busyness of life to reconnect. The retreat also included some times when the pastors and wives split to focus on separate topics. One session for the pastors began with the question: What do you think is the most important thing in good preaching?

The Most Important Thing by Chris Philbeck

Hearing the various answers—such as connection, engagement, relevance, vulnerability, etc.—was interesting. At one point our retreat leader observed that a lot of preaching today seems to have become more therapeutic than prophetic—just one of the many realities brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. As the session continued, I wrote down several statements made about preaching, but I never felt like the question was answered in a definitive way. What do you think is the most important thing in good preaching? I don’t believe there’s only one right way to preach. The Bible includes examples of a variety of preaching styles— including topical, textual, and narrative preaching—and each one was effective. Jesus, who left crowds amazed by his teaching, spoke in a very plain and straightforward way. Sometimes he used props or stories, but he was always effective. We’re told in Acts 18:24 that Paul’s friend Apollos was an eloquent speaker. That word eloquent means “man of words” in the original language. I take that to mean he was gifted with words. Both Peter and Paul were powerful preachers. Some may gravitate toward an intellectual approach to preaching, while some others may prefer conversational preaching or passionate preaching, but the answer to our question is not found in mere style.

Good Preaching Is Biblical

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The selected Scripture sets the agenda for the sermon. I attended a church service while on a trip a few years ago. When the preacher got up, he asked us to open our Bibles to a certain chapter of John. After he shared his introductory remarks, we read one Jesus, who left crowds amazed by his teaching, verse in John with no s p o k e i n a v e r y p l a i n a n d s t r a i g h t f o r wa r d way. explanation or applicaS o m e t i m e s h e u s e d p r o p s o r s t o r i e s , b u t h e wa s tion. He then spent the a lway s e f f e c t i v e . rest of his time sharing a story about a special needs boy who believed God lived under his bed. The story was engaging, but the sermon was not biblical. The one verse we read did not set the agenda for the

Paul wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When it comes to the good work of preaching, why would we be anything other than biblical?

Good Preaching Is Engaging Good preaching connects with the listener. That’s why delivery and illustration are so important. Having been a preacher for 40-plus years, I understand the difficulty and challenge of preaching. So, when I listen to someone preach, whether it’s in my own church or another church, I try to be attentive. But sometimes it’s a struggle because all the components of a good sermon can be present, but it can be ruined by a weak delivery. This is where I believe a conversational preaching approach, filled with relevant and relatable illustrations, can help. It’s also important for the preacher to let his personality come through the message, but in a measured way.

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At the session on preaching mentioned earlier, our retreat leader shared a powerful truth: A preacher should be honest with all, transparent with some, and vulnerable with a few. Let your personality come through in your preaching by being honest. Be transparent when needed. Both will help your listeners relate to you in a personal way. But save vulnerability for a trusted few.

Good Preaching Is Compelling Good preaching based solely on the Scriptures, and which connects with the listener in a personal way, will also be compelling. It will compel the listener toward a response, just like Peter’s message compelled his listeners to say, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). I came across this quote from pastor Todd Stocker some time ago: “A speaker should approach his preparation not by what he wants to say, but by what he wants to learn.” I often think of that quote when I sit down to write a sermon. I’ve been preaching for a long time, but most days I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of all the Bible teaches about the transcendence of God, the depth of his love, and the magnificence of his grace. Because I deeply desire to learn more and more about God and his will for my life and for our lives, I place great value on studying

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the Bible for preparation. The more I learn, the more I want to share biblical truths in an engaging way that God can use to transform the listeners on some level. But it all begins with the truth of the Scriptures. That’s why the most important thing in good preaching is the Word of God. 

sermon. It wasn’t the foundation for everything that was shared, and I left the service uncertain what the message was even about. I am somewhat hesitant to share that story because I’m not someone who is overly critical of preachers. Preachers get criticized enough without other preachers piling on. But I stand by my statement—the sermon wasn’t biblical.

Chris Philbeck serves as senior pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana. He has been in ministry since 1980 and has had the privilege of planting a new church, leading a turn-around church, and now leading a megachurch. Chris is passionate about biblical preaching, effective leadership, and developing new and better ways for the local church to make an impact in the community and the world. /PastorCPhilbeck @cphilbeck @pastorphilbeck

AUT H E N T IC G O S PE L

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Authentic Gospel BY MARK E. MOORE

Words get tossed about recklessly. We use love for a sweater and a spouse. Few things are actually awesome. And like has been functionally reduced to a comma in common vernacular. Most of the time this loose language matters little. But when it comes to the bedrock of our faith, we might want to be a little more faithful to the meaning of our words. So, let’s start with this question: What precisely is “the gospel”?

THE GOSPELS OF THE GREEKS AND ROMANS The term gospel, which literally means “good news,” was not originally a religious word. It was a political term among the Greeks and Romans. It was used for public proclamations about emperors and generals. These proclamations were about the supposed welfare of the state. For example, if a general won a war, it was broadcast far and wide as “good news.” If an emperor had a birthday or a baby, likewise, it was announced as “good news” because that would mean the empire would endure. Perhaps the most famous example is the proclamation in the Priene inscription concerning Octavian (circa 9 BCE). It etches in stone a birthday blessing of the emperor as divine: “Because providence has ordered our life in a divine way . . . and since the Emperor through his epiphany has exceeded the hopes of former good news (euangelia), surpassing not only the benefactors who came before him, but also leaving no hope that anyone in the future will surpass him, and since the birthday of the god was for the world the beginning of his good news [may it therefore be decreed that] . . .” (see See W. Dittenberger, Orientis Graeci Inscriptions Selectae, 1960; and Craig A. Evans, “Mark’s Incipit and the Priene Calendar Inscription,” Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism 1, 2000). When one compares the Priene inscription with the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, the similarities are striking. This is even more important since the Gospel of Mark is likely the first public document in which gospel is applied to Jesus: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1, emphasis mine). Jesus is declared a universal monarch by both a Jewish term “Christ/Messiah” and a Roman title “Son of God.”

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The Imperial Cult imbued their sovereign political ruler with divine status through this Greek term. This is more striking since Jesus is the only person other than an emperor to be the embodiment of good news (euangelizomenos). You can only imagine the shock and awe of Mark’s Roman readers when the book opened with such an overt and politically charged claim that Jesus was the rightful heir to every throne. It was a slap in the face to the emperor. To make matters worse (or better, depending on your affiliation), Mark, unlike most Greek authors, used the term “good news” in the singular, not the plural. For Greeks and Romans, each emperor was merely one among many. By using its singular form, Mark was asserting there would be no other. He was asserting, Jesus is the ultimate among world rulers, the King of kings, never to be trumped or triumphed. If we are to talk about the “Authentic Gospel,” we must begin with this understanding—the good news is about the King. Acclaiming the message of Jesus is not merely a religious doctrine, it is a public statement of the hegemony of our sovereign, Jesus. To quote Jesus himself: “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15, emphasis mine).

THE GOSPELS OF THE CHRISTIANS When most of us hear the term gospels, we think immediately of the four biographies of Jesus. That’s not wrong. But remember, it is still plural. There are four diverse documents telling us the story of Jesus. While Christians are grateful for the Gospels as sacred Scripture, they are not, technically, “The Gospel.” They give us irreplaceable stories of miracles and sermons, of encounters and debates. They draw us to Jesus as a person and help transform our personalities to mimic his. However, if we use the technical definition of gospel as “a public announcement of good news,” they do not synthesize the ultimate declaration of Jesus in the same way as the Priene inscription did for Augustus. So, if we are to understand the “Authentic Gospel”—the core message of Christianity—we will have to look to the Epistles for such a proclamation, specifically 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.

THE GOSPEL In about AD 54, Paul penned his first letter to the church in Corinth (the economic capital of the Roman world). Toward the end of the letter, he let loose a flurry of theology that, in my opinion, best summarizes “The Gospel”: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

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Notice the three core elements: death, burial, and resurrection. To flesh this out: 1.

Jesus died for our sins as the perfect sacrifice, replacing the entire temple system of sacrifices and priests. This speaks to our primary problem of sin and separation from God.

Jesus was buried. He experienced the ultimate loss and humiliation. This speaks to our need to give our lives fully and finally to Jesus.

Jesus rose from the dead. He was exalted to the right hand of God. This speaks to our future when Jesus returns, and we are raised to a new body and a new world.

There are several salient points to observe from Paul’s summary of “The Gospel.” First, he was only passing on what he had received. He was being faithful to the authentic and authoritative witness of the twelve apostles who walked with Jesus during his life, stood by him in his death, and witnessed him alive through the resurrection. This was not Paul’s Gospel but “The Gospel.” Second, it was “of first importance.” This was not tangential theological blather. It was—it is—the core of the message of Jesus. Third, this was all predicted by the ancient texts of the Old Testament. What are the implications of these observations? A.

We are saved by grace through faith. The good news of Jesus declares that we are saved despite our sins, not because of our goodness. That is good news indeed since none of us can reach the moral purity of God or earn a place in his heaven. It is a gift given, not a reward achieved. Or to put it more colloquially, Christianity is about what Jesus has done, not what we have to do.

“The Gospel” is history not philosophy. It’s real. It’s a verifiable historical event, not a philosophical pathway that few can find. Moreover, we are not called to believe the right things or follow the right rules. We are invited to allegiance and loyalty to the right person. How?

“The Gospel” is our pathway. Just as Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, so too do we. It is imaged in immersion at the beginning of our faith journey (Romans 6:3-6). The self-abnegation and sacrifice of Jesus is the crowning call of every disciple: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).

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‘The Gospel’ is not a philosophy, it is a call to loyalty, allegiance, obedience.

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Any proclamation of the gospel that deviates from these core concepts is a false gospel. Paul’s most famous tirade against such false gospels is found in Galatians 1:6-9: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Why does the “Authentic Gospel” matter so much? Because of point “C” above. “The Gospel” is not philosophy, it is a call to loyalty, allegiance, obedience. If we have the wrong gospel, we wind up with a lifestyle that is disloyal to Jesus. Paul put it this way: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27, emphasis mine). Or again: “Because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Our behavior impacts our proclamation, as Peter found out so painfully (Galatians 2:14). So, let’s get to the truth of the matter. What behavior demonstrates our fidelity to the true gospel? Well, by sheer statistics, it is the announcement of the good news of Jesus Christ. Of the 76 uses of gospel in the New Testament, 49 times it is connected to our verbal, public declaration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; 26:13; Mark 1:14; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15; Acts 15:7; 20:24; Romans 10:16; 15:16, 19; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 9:14 [twice]; 16, 18 [twice], 23; 15:1; 2 Corinthians 2:12; 8:18; 9:13; 10:14; 11:4, 7; Galatians 1:6-9 [twice]; 2:2, 5, 7; Ephesians 1:13; 3:6-7; 6:15, 19; Philippians 1:5, 7, 12, 16, 27; Colossians 1:5, 23; 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 4, 8, 9; 2 Timothy 2:8; Revelation 14:6).

Mark E. Moore serves as teaching pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona, and is author of Core52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year and Quest 52: A Fifteen-Minute-a-Day Yearlong Pursuit of Jesus.

Simply put, if you are not announcing the good news of Jesus Christ, do you really believe it is good news? Seriously, would you date someone without changing your status on social media? Would you play a professional sport without wearing the team’s jersey? Would you go on a great vacation, buy a new pet, go to a concert, or get a new car and not share the good news with those you care about? This kind of common sense leaches out in Paul’s opening foray of Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” The Authentic Gospel is authenticated when you share it with those around you. Let me leave you with this question: What evidence is there that you believe the Authentic Gospel by sharing the good news with those you love? 

OTHER GOSPELS

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Authentic Worship in the Modern Era BY CORBIN MARSHALL

I stand on a stage professionally illuminated by theatrical lighting. Several expertly trained camera operators aim high-definition cameras in my direction. My likeness and voice are amplified throughout a large auditorium as well as broadcast across multiple online platforms. I’m holding a guitar. A wireless in-ear pack is fastened to my belt and I’m wearing headphones. A click track provides a constant tempo to our band. At any point, a producer can discretely inform me whether our teaching pastor has made it back from our other church campus. I chose this set list of songs several weeks in advance. I selected these musicians nearly a month ago. I know each of their musical strengths and weaknesses. I know exactly how many seconds I have to speak during an instrumental break in a song, and I’ve prepared the words I want to say to my church to help lead them into worship. This is a typical Sunday morning for me. For the better part of 12 years, all those pieces of technology and gear, and the nuances associated with them, have been part of my career. And whether I like it or not, they’ve subsequently become part of my calling. I know the question you may be asking (because I’ve asked it myself for many years): Is this all just a show? My answer? Possibly.

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HOW DO WE GAUGE AUTHENTICITY IN WORSHIP?

HOW CAN WE MOVE TOWARD MORE GENUINE WORSHIP?

Context is critical to gauging authenticity in worship. More importantly, I believe the only ones who can gauge your authenticity are yourself and the object of your worship. If it comes from anyone beyond those two parties, it’s simply hearsay, speculation, or judgment.

I was as guilty as anyone when it came to worshipping the experience, but it took me a while to realize I was the problem. I began a process of self-auditing for which I’m now extremely grateful. Here are a few things my audit revealed:

For this reason, I want to make something clear: The point of this article is not to point my finger at others but to encourage you to audit the motive of your own heart.

The way I was made to feel during a church service was ultimately the prime metric I used to judge the effectiveness of a song, sermon, or moment. We discovered formulaic processes that could emotionally manipulate a group of people to feel exactly the way we wanted them to feel, and we would select our set lists based on these revelations. My intentions had been pure. I was tasked with leading worship, and the most powerful feelings I had experienced in my past became my target for others.

That said, it would be irresponsible to pretend that major culture-influencer churches, worship artists, and songwriters don’t play a role. On the contrary, I believe the evolution of the “industry” of worship has gripped generations of new church leaders so completely that it has become the object of affection for many of us. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a retrospective look at the American church, circa March 2020. (Disclaimer: I share the following only to provide context that I think is critical in unpacking my personal convictions on the matter. Your lived experience may be different than mine.) A mysterious virus had arrived. The world would be pausing for a few days—two weeks, tops. The overwhelming rally cry of the historically resilient global church was that we would be back—stronger than ever—after a two-week hiatus. I was so proud of the collective movement of the church. We all set aside our differences and mobilized! For a moment. It took only a handful of days before the online narrative shifted from positive and hopeful expectations to cynical and despairing manifestos. Frankly, this about-face broke my heart. As a worship pastor in a local church, I consider it one of my primary responsibilities to teach a lifestyle of worship to my community. But as soon as the physical gathering and the production and the comfort of our “experience” wasn’t an option, it was almost as if many Christians no longer had anything to worship. I spent many months analyzing this phenomenon and I keep coming to the same conclusion: We have been teaching people to worship our gatherings rather than our God.

I hope you read that last paragraph and thought, Wow, that sounds very disingenuous and dangerous, because that’s exactly how I felt about it in hindsight, too. But rather than look back in regret, I’ve chosen to take a more proactive approach. Several years ago, the minivan I had purchased from my grandparents finally rusted into oblivion. While searching for a new car, I found a great deal on a car with a manual transmission. With unwarranted confidence in my ability to learn quickly, I bought the car and headed into Louisville’s busy rush-hour traffic. After many embarrassing moments wrangling the clutch and waving at cars to pass me, I finally made it home. Over the next few weeks, I gained confidence in my abilities and grew quite proud of myself. That’s when a passenger noticed I was leaving the car in gear and keeping the clutch engaged at stops rather than shifting into neutral. As soon as I learned my mistake, I changed the way I drove and have extended the life of my clutch by (I hope) many years. Now, pardon me if this seems like stereotypical pastoral overreach, but this is like where I now stand on my worship leadership. I may have been reaching the destination, but I may have also been doing some damage along the way. Now that I know better, I’m determined to lead better. I’m determined to worship better.

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When we reduce our worship into songs or gatherings, we end up abusing the bride of Christ.

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When we reduce our spirituality into formulas, we completely disregard the purpose of our creation.

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Live a life of worship. Let it overflow to your platform, wherever and whatever your platform may be.

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So, what does this all mean? Is it possible to worship authentically in the modern era without burning it all down and starting over? Do we just keep doing the same thing until Matt Redman releases the 50th anniversary edition of “The Heart of Worship” and we come back to our senses? I have good news. All you have to do is worship. It really is that easy. When you wake up in the morning, thank God for what he has done and will do. When you see injustice in the world, lament like Jesus lamented. When you sit down to a planning meeting, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal himself through the decisions that will be made. Live a life of worship. Let it overflow to your platform, wherever and whatever your platform may be. If you make this conscious decision to reframe your worship, it doesn’t matter how much technology or how many dollars are invested in your gatherings. And I can tell you from personal experience, you will find new wine in those weary, old wineskins. Here are a few major points of application I’ve set for myself:

completely disregard the purpose of our creation. When we reduce our worship into songs or gatherings, we end up abusing the bride of Christ. This analogy of marriage and its relation to Jesus and the church helps us understand worship itself. If we treated our spouses the way we treated our worship, all our relationships would have fallen apart by now. But therein lies the true beauty of it all—God is still present. He’s still wild about us. Even when we try to boil him down to the irreducible minimum, he is still patiently moving, healing, loving, and providing. So, let’s end where we began . . . Is authentic worship possible? Of course, it is. Is inauthenticity dangerous? Of course, it is. Are you being authentic when you worship? You will have to answer that question for yourself. 

• Stop trying to recreate the products of major worship artists and churches. Instead, start seeking the actual purpose of worship. • Stop relying on the next great leadership book or album to inspire you. Instead, start identifying the uniqueness of your church and find inspiration in that community. • Stop allowing yourself to go into autopilot. Instead, start approaching worship with intentionality. • And finally, stop being a Martha (prioritizing the work); instead, be a Mary (prioritizing being in the presence of Jesus). [See Luke 10:38-42.] Now that I’ve crossed into my thirties . . . and have witnessed a new generation create a culture I’m officially too old to understand . . . and hit the wall of “this social network was made for people younger than me” . . . I feel like I have, at last, enough lived experience to provide a final bit of wisdom. Here it is: God cares about you, he understands you, and he knows much more than you do. When we reduce our spirituality into formulas, we

Corbin Marshall serves as worship pastor, songwriter, and producer in Louisville, Kentucky. He has served at Northeast Christian Church since 2013. @corbinm @corbinm corbinmarshall.com

IS YOUR WORSHIP AUTHENTIC?

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Authentic Preaching BY CHRIS PHILBECK

In a scene from Walk the Line, a 2005 biographical movie on the life of Johnny Cash, Johnny and his band are in a studio with music executive Sam Phillips. The musicians are auditioning a gospel tune, but they are performing with little emotion or conviction. Finally, Phillips interrupts: “Hold on. Hold on. . . . Do you guys got something else?” After some interesting dialogue where the angry singer says Phillips is accusing him of not believing in God, Cash finally protests, “Well, you didn’t let us bring it home.” “Bring it home?” Phillips asks in disbelief. “All right, let’s bring it home. . . . “If you was hit by a truck and you were lying out in that gutter dying, and you had time to sing one song, one song people would remember before you’re dirt, one song that would let God know what you felt about your time here on earth, one song that would sum you up, you telling me that’s the song you’d sing? That [song] . . . about your peace within and how it’s real and how you’re gonna shout it? Or would you sing something different? Something real, something you felt. Because I’m telling you right now, that’s the kind of song people want to hear. That’s the kind of song that truly saves people." If you’ve seen the movie, you know that was a turning point for Johnny Cash because, after a brief pause, he began to sing “Folsom Prison Blues.” And the rest is history. . . . I’m drawn to that story because, more than anything else, authentic preaching is real. It’s not canned, it doesn’t come from a formula, it’s not something someone else created, and it doesn’t lack emotion or conviction. Authentic preaching is real.

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DON'T FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT

THE MISSING PIECE OF YOUR SERMON MAY BE YOU Several years ago, I served a church in a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma, my hometown. During that time, God was faithful, and the church began to experience significant growth. I’ve always given a lot of attention to preaching, but because in the early years I didn’t have any staff, I was busier than I had ever been. One week I was scrambling for a message and threw something together in less than a day. I thought it would work because I had found a simple outline related to the response of King Josiah when the Book of the Law was discovered in 2 Kings 22. I preached that message and went home relieved that I had survived the weekend. On Monday, a man who was a great encourager to me came to my office and told me he felt grieved because the message I delivered did not come from my heart. He basically said, “There was something missing in your message.” And he was right. The something missing was me. That message didn’t come from my study, or my prayer, or my personal conviction. As a result, it wasn’t authentic . . . it wasn’t real. I learned a great lesson that day from a man who had continued to encourage me, only in a different way. Phillips Brooks, a 19th-century American Episcopal clergyman, once said, “Preaching is the presentation of truth through personality.” By that he meant that truth must be embodied. Using this as a basis, we can say authentic preaching is what happens when you preach the truth of God’s Word with your own voice.

As important as it is to find your own voice, however, the greater emphasis must always be on the truth of God’s Word. In an article at biblicalpreaching.net, Peter Mead shares five preaching paradoxes from John Stott. One of those paradoxes is, “Authentic preaching is both gifted and studied.” In commenting on that paradox, Mead writes, “We need the gifting God has given us (personality, ability, strengths, etc.), and we need to do the work in our study to be able to preach well.” Then he asks, “Have you started to lean on your gifting to the detriment of study?” I would add this question, “Have you/we started to lean on programming to the detriment of content?” Let me explain what I mean. Like many of you, I read the blogs of different church consultants. I know I don’t have all the answers, and I appreciate the wisdom shared by the handful of people I believe have their finger on the pulse of the church today. In his 2021 blog entry, “Three Things that Will Be True about Growing Churches in the Future,” Carey Nieuwhof writes: “An Experience OF God Will Replace Information ABOUT God.” I don’t disagree with that statement because Nieuwhof says later in his blog, “Both the digital explosion and the cynicism of our age have left people hungering for a transcendent touch.” In other words, people hunger for more than just information. It’s a mistake, however, to lean so heavily on creating an experience that you forget about the importance of content. That’s especially true when you consider the supernatural aspect of Scripture, described this way in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

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CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRANSFORMATION Authentic preaching can be current by focusing on the present-day realities of life, and it can be biblical by providing the only real answer for the present-day realities of life. One needs not preclude the other. We shouldn’t get so focused creating an experience that we allow things outside the truth of Scripture to become a bigger part of our message than the Scripture itself. We don’t preach simply to provide information, but neither do we preach to momentarily distract people from the troubles of life. Ultimately, we preach to create an environment of transformation as the Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and changes someone’s life from the inside out. We do that well when we use our own unique voice to share biblical truth in a way that is both creative and convicting. Several years ago, while preaching through 1 Thessalonians 5, I came to verse 16 which says, “Be joyful always” (Good News Translation). I wanted to point out the difference between worldly joy and godly joy. Worldly joy is based on a feeling—you have joy when circumstances cause you to “feel” joyful. In contrast, godly joy is a feeling based on a fact and, because of that, you can be joyful even when you don’t “feel” joyful, because of the presence and promises of God. I grew up in Oklahoma and I’m a lifelong Oklahoma Sooners fan. At that time, I had just gone through the painful experience of seeing my beloved Sooners beaten by Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. So, to illustrate worldly joy (which is based on a feeling) I included in my message a summary of how for the first three quarters of that game I had no joy because the Sooners were being beaten handily. In the fourth quarter, however, things began to change, and the Sooners found themselves with the lead with just 1:02 left in the game. But then, with just 16 seconds left on the clock, Boise State used a perfectly executed “hook and lateral” play to tie the score. The Broncos went on to win in overtime. As I recounted each of the significant plays during my message, I would either lift my hands up and shout, “Great joy!” or hang my head and say, “No joy.” By the time the story ended, the entire congregation had joined me in my “great joy” and “no joy” exclamations. To this day, people still talk about that message, and use the words, “great joy” or “no joy” in their conversations

with me. We recently celebrated my 20th anniversary at Mount Pleasant Christian Church and my entire staff wore T-shirts that said, “Great Joy.” I sometimes joke it will be the only thing some people will remember about me. But once I had clearly established the definition of worldly joy, I was able to give a deep biblical explanation of the godly joy that is always available to us through our faith in God. That might not sound like a big deal because there’s no way I can replicate the energy of the room by simply recounting the story, but that’s an example of using my own voice to preach the truth of God’s Word in a way that left people with an unforgettable experience. When it comes to preaching, there will always be a temptation to be more clever than clear, more entertaining than engaging, and more therapeutic than prophetic. But authentic preaching happens when you preach the truth of God’s Word with your own voice in a way that challenges, convicts, and points people to Jesus. And while you may not have the seemingly unlimited gifts and resources of a lot of famous preachers who, in this digital world, are just one click away, don’t underestimate the power of your voice. In the introduction of his book Choosing to Preach, seminary professor Kenton Anderson wrote: At the beginning of one of my classes in preaching, I often ask students for the names of the preachers who have had a profound influence on them. I used to expect to hear the names of famous preachers, the ones on the radio or the ones with the largest number of hits on their website. But such is not the case. My students tell me about their home-church preachers, the ones they grew up listening to, preachers without much reputation beyond their neighborhood. They tell me about preachers who might not be flashy but who are consistent . . . who seldom fail to touch the minds or the hearts of the few and the faithful who rely on them. When you stand up to preach the truth of God’s Word with your own voice, you open the door for God to change lives. That’s the power of authentic preaching. 

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Authentic Jesus BY TIM HARLOW

To me, the best way to understand Jesus is found in one story in John 4 where the text tells us he “had to go through Samaria.” That single statement may sum up his entire ministry. Most Jewish people traveling from Judea up to Galilee did not go through Samaria—even though it was the shortest route. The Jews had disdain for the Samaritans, who were largely descendants of the Israelites but whom the Jews viewed as political and religious rivals, so they usually would go out of their way to avoid passing through that region. Yet Jesus ignored the common prejudices of his time and “resolutely” went to Samaria.

SURPRISED BY JESUS During that journey, a Samaritan woman came to the well and Jesus asked her for a drink.

you read this wrong, you might think Jesus was calling her out.

He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans (John 4:8-9*).

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now” (John 4:16-18).

The woman was surprised by Jesus . . . surprised that someone who claimed to follow a different interpretation of God would put aside his prejudices and have a conversation with her. A Jew normally would not talk to a Samaritan— period. Beyond that, a rabbi would never talk to a woman in public—it was gossip-worthy. And this was not just any woman. She likely was a woman with a bad reputation. We soon find out why. Jesus offered her living water and then addressed her situation. What Jesus did next needs to be set up. If

Jesus was reaching out to her—not judging her. Jesus did not say, “Well, you can’t have living water— you hussy.” Jesus was just addressing the elephant in the room. He was saying, “Look, I know you and I know why you are here in the middle of the day—alone.” We can tell she wasn’t upset by his response. She said, “You are right,” not “What business is it of yours?”

THE EMPATHY OF JESUS This is so important as we followers of Jesus interact with people, especially those from “Samaria” (or whatever you want to call the “other side of your tracks”). I’m talking about those people from backgrounds and cultures we don’t fully understand, which for me would mean anyone other than a white male who grew up in Oklahoma in the 1960s and ’70s. The problem with my “lens” is that, as I’ve read about this woman at the well, I’ve always just assumed she was a loose woman who couldn’t stay married to one guy, I’ve always assumed Jesus was “setting the record straight” with someone who needed a better handle on commitment. This likely would be the case in 21stcentury America, where she definitely did not live. A woman in Jesus’ day had zero rights. She didn’t even have the right to file for divorce or get a job, and, since there was no system for welfare, she literally had to have an “arrangement” with a man to survive. (This is why the early church specialized in caring for widows and orphans.) Whatever her exact situation, this was a woman who had suffered deep pain. Doesn’t that change this whole discussion for you? Sure, maybe she was just seriously unfaithful. Maybe she was just a bad man-picker. I just want you to be open to the fact that you and I probably can’t fully appreciate her circumstances. An admitted lack of understanding ought to be the basis of all our interactions. Jesus didn’t preach at her; instead, he acknowledged her situation. He started where she was. Jesus was saying, “Look, I get where you are, and it doesn’t matter. I want to offer you my friendship. I want to offer you living water. I know you are a woman, and a Samaritan, and I know that your past and current living arrangements may make you want to avoid people in general— but I’m not like that. God is not like that.” He was saying, “Your situation is not a problem for me. We are all in situations.” “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners” (Romans 5:6). That’s our “situation!”

THE BARRIER-BREAKING WAY OF JESUS The woman’s natural reaction was to test Jesus’ sincerity. Oh, I wish we could figure this out! She brought up their religious differences. It is so difficult for people to believe that living water is seriously available. There is almost always a wall to break through when it comes to Jesus. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve messed this up. She tested him with a religious question about the proper place to worship. (And by the way, her religion was absolutely incorrect, and Jesus knew it.) But watch how Jesus minimized the differences and helped her to see hope instead of division. [Jesus said,] “The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!” (John 4:23-26). In other words, Jesus decided not to debate the differences, but to focus on the future. It was a loving and accepting approach, and it was proof Jesus really was here to open the door to the kingdom for everyone! In verse 26 Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah.” Up to this point, Jesus had not admitted the full version of his identity to anyone but his closest followers. To the world, Jesus was a great teacher. He wanted to have plenty of time to help his followers learn and grow, and he didn’t want to incite the rebellion that claiming to be the Messiah would have created. But he told his secret to the false worshiping Samaritan—a woman who had five ex-husbands—as he welcomed her into a relationship with himself and the Father. She was the first one!

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Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” (John 4:27). Do you see it now? The prejudice. They . . . were . . . shocked. “What if people see you, Jesus? . . . Don’t you realize this is a woman, a Samaritan woman? . . . Don’t you realize she is here in the middle of the day, probably for a reason? . . . We’re not uncomfortable enough being here in Samaria in the first place, and now you are here with her?”

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When people really meet Jesus —and his followers stop getting in the way— outsiders will come streaming to meet him.

I’ve always wondered why all of Jesus’ disciples needed to go into town to buy food. It sounds like the beginning of a joke: “How many disciples does it take to carry lunch?” I’ve begun to think Jesus may have sent them away. After all, if he knew she was coming, he knew that having the disciples around was going to make it harder for her. It’s obvious their shock would have created a barrier for her. And, sure enough, as soon as the disciples showed up, she left—it’s as if she could read their reaction. She left and told the village to come meet this man. And as a result, Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village (John 4:39-40). When people really meet Jesus—and his followers stop getting in the way—outsiders will come streaming to meet him. This woman chose to go to the well at a time when no one else went to the well, likely in an effort to avoid people. She didn’t understand the correct way to worship God. She was either bad at relationships or had been kicked to the curb. She was living with a man to whom she wasn’t married. And she was the first missionary to the people of Samaria. It happened because Jesus had to go there. That’s everything you need to know.  *All Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation.

Tim Harlow serves as senior pastor of Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, Illinois. He is the author of Life on Mission: God’s People Finding God’s Heart for the World and What Made Jesus Mad: Rediscover the Blunt, Sarcastic, Passionate Savior of the Bible.

AUT H E N T IC STAT I ST I CS

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Authentic Statistics BY KIM HARRIS

The years 1981 and 1997 don’t have a lot in common. Both years followed presidential elections, but 1981 inaugurated a new president while 1997 welcomed back the leader from the previous term. Both years saw advancement in space exploration with 1981 witnessing the first space shuttle flight, while the Mars Pathfinder landed in 1997. However, it seems the differences between those two years far outweigh similarities. The cultural environment across sports, entertainment, pop culture, economics, and politics shifted significantly during that 16-year span. One thing that didn’t change in that time, though, was the most common baby boy name. The name Michael held the top spot on boy baby naming charts in both years. Jennifer held the title for girls in ’81 before sinking in popularity, and in ’97 Emily climbed to the top. In 2011, 14 years after Emily’s triumph, the blockbuster movie Moneyball chronicled the unlikely rise of the Oakland Athletics in their 2002 season, despite their comparatively modest budget. The movie tells the relatively true story of how general manager Billy Beane used expert statistical analysis to string together a team of unknowns who would go on to a record 20-game winning streak and capture the American League West Division title. What do the most popular names from 1981 and 1997, and the 2002 A’s have in common? Research. Every year the Social Security Administration compiles all live birth names given in the previous 12 months to publish their Baby Name Charts. At the same time, sports statisticians pore over pitching, batting, win percentage, errors, injuries, and countless other indicators to make predictions and recommendations for the upcoming season. Both analyses, baby names and baseball, are met with widespread anticipation and review by a significant portion of the American public.

AUT H E N T IC STAT I ST I CS

THE RISE OF RESEARCH AND BIG DATA Americans love solid, reliable formulas and information. As research and big data become more available to the public, the hungrier we all become for stats and figures to provide insight about the changing world around us. From 2008 to 2019, the market research industry more than doubled in value, growing to more than $73.4 billion in annual revenue. North America accounts for 54 percent of that revenue, followed by Europe at 26 percent, according to www. statista.com. Accumulation of information offers the illusion of more control. In business, if we better understand the market and consumer conduct, then we can sell more. In church leadership, if we can better understand the lost, our congregants, and trends in public attitudes and behavior, then our ministry can be more effective. There is no doubt that thorough, conscientious research provides valuable clues and insight about the landscape and context in which we do ministry. Is there a point, though, where our reliance on and interpretation of this kind of information becomes irresponsible?

THE DANGER OF FAULTY DEDUCTIONS In his 2010 book Proofiness, Charles Seife argued more sophisticated and nuanced interpretation of all the research churned out each year was needed. The mathematician and journalist detailed a history of the use of numbers to convince, convict, and convert people to ways of thinking based simply on using a few numbers in your argument. After all, numbers don’t lie, right? At the beginning of his book, Seife issued this challenge to readers, “If you want to get people to believe something really, really stupid, just stick a number on it.” Of course, most of the time statistics are not used to deliberately mislead. But we must be cautious when evaluating statistics and their conclusions, and the sources they come from. When collected with integrity, the numbers in and of themselves remain mostly neutral. But the deductions we make because of those numbers are where we often encounter problems. One of the most common examples of these problems is assuming that correlation always equals causation. For example, all those Jennifers born in 1981 came of age in 1999. That same year, Gallup reported that church membership was 70 percent of U.S. households, a number that had stayed essentially flat since they started measuring it in 1940. But by 2015, when all the Emilys born in 1997 came of age, church membership dropped to 55 percent of households. Emily held the top of the naming charts until 2004, and as more Emilys came of age, 2016–20, we saw the churched population drop to an all-time low of 47 percent.

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Numbers may not lie, but conclusions can.

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With the clear negative correlation presented in this reputable, compelling data, the solution to bringing Americans back to church is simple: stop naming your daughters Emily. I’m kidding, of course. This silly, hyperbolic example demonstrates the risk of inappropriately interpreting information. The Social Security Administration and Gallup are generally viewed as well respected, reliable sources. The numbers presented in their findings are true, but these conclusions are extremely misleading. Numbers may not lie, but conclusions can. When we interact with data, we must guard against drawing our own conclusions or believing other conclusions based simply on correlation.

THE PITFALLS OF CONFIRMATION AND REJECTION BIAS Another common two-part pitfall in data review is confirmation and rejection bias. As church leaders, we can responsibly engage with research to better understand the people to whom we’re ministering and preaching. Research groups like Barna, Gallup, and Pew offer valuable tools that can help inform that understanding. However, we must learn to use those tools wisely. Responsible engagement with these surveys and poll results looks like responsible engagement with anything. We might read a whole page of Amazon reviews before buying a new air fryer. We might look at state test results in various school districts when anticipating a family move. Most importantly, we always look for the author’s intended meaning, historical context, and the anticipated audience when interpreting Scripture. In a similar way, we should diligently evaluate the overall context, questions, and conclusions offered by third-party research groups before blindly adopting their findings. For example, in 2019, Barna president David Kinnaman published research in his book Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in a Digital Babylon. The book focuses on evangelizing and discipling young adults who grew up in church and now fall somewhere on the spectrum of unbelievers to committed disciples. From his research, Kinnaman concluded that personal experience and encounter with Jesus are central to developing a deep, lifelong faith. As committed believers, we likely are inclined to accept these findings because they are consistent with our own lived experiences. That’s confirmation bias. At the same time, we’re also likely to reject findings that run counter to our own experiences. That’s rejection bias. It’s important to recognize these biases in ourselves as well as in the research we consume. Kinnaman’s questions in this research evaluated how respondents answered questions about

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Jesus in their lives and their interaction with church, the Bible, and prayer. It could be argued, however, that because Kinnaman is a Christian, for whom personal interaction with Jesus is key, he could fall victim to a similar confirmation bias when writing the questions. Ultimately, as leaders and pastors, we cannot control what research makes headlines, but we can control how we respond to it. Our responsibility lies in being mature consumers of all information by asking good questions, noting our biases, and seeking to understand sources. Our job is not to be savvy statisticians, but softhearted shepherds. Data should inform our ministry, but not direct it . . . the Holy Spirit and Scripture can do that. 

Kim Harris directs advertising and marketing with Christian Standard Media and is communications director at The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest.

AUT H E N T IC C H U R CH

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Authentic Church WHAT BASEBALL CAN TEACH US

BY TONY BURGARELLO “Let’s play two”—it’s one of the greatest baseball quotes of all time. It came from Ernie Banks, a Baseball Hall of Famer and Chicago Cubs legend. For nonbaseball fans, Ernie played professionally from 1953 to 1971, served in the military, was an All-Star on the field, and set countless records. On top of all that, he was an ordained minister who made a tremendous impact in the community his entire life. He was a difference maker! He received nearly every award you could imagine for his achievements on and off the field. Ernie, who died in 2015, is still known as “Mr. Cub” and “Mr. Sunshine.” Multiple stories surround this quote. Its origins are unclear. However, a close friend of mine who knew Ernie very well talked about this quote and the heart of the man behind it. He believed Ernie Banks’s impact was due to his outlook. Mr. Sunshine believed your life was not determined by the obstacles you encounter but by how you encounter the obstacles. Your perspective, not your problems, determines the outcome.

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‘LET’S PLAY TWO’ This quote goes back to the 1960s, a time very different from today, though there were some similarities. People were tired, burdened, hurried, frustrated, and challenged by life. “Let’s play two” was a way of reminding everyone that things were still great. “The sun is shining, let’s make the most of this day and play two games.” Does any of this sound familiar? After the past two years, what is your outlook on ministry in general and the church in particular? Is the sun shining or does life appear cloudy to you? As for me and my team, we have never been more excited and energized by the opportunity before us as church leaders. God has the church positioned to reach our communities for Jesus as never before. The local church is the hope of the world! We should all be bullish about the future of the church, especially since Jesus said even the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. That being the case, a measly pandemic doesn’t stand a chance! So, “Let’s play two!” Check your heart and mindset right now. Are you prepared to play two games, go into extra innings, and make every day great for Jesus (Colossians 3:23)? We all likely can agree that people today have gone through more change in their lives than ever before. For some, the mental and physical changes of the past two years have been a blessing. Most, however, have been negatively impacted. People are divided, confused, asking questions, and searching— probably more than ever before—to figure out where life is headed. It has impacted individuals, families, and communities. People are primed for good, positive change. If you build it, they will come. Are you ready for growth in 2022?

SCOUTING REPORT Let’s get the current scouting report on your church and ministry out of the way. We’ll start with attendance. When I look at our church, I am thankful we are at 90 percent of 2020 pre-pandemic attendance. Many churches are seeing lower return rates. Don’t let that discourage you. After all, we should not focus on the number or the percentage. We need to focus on what matters. The people who have returned or who have discovered us online have something in common. They are seeking community just like other people in your area. If they are at your church, they are ready to engage! If you are short on volunteers—and we all are—then you have wider margin to invest in new people. We must all continue to ask people to connect with others and be challenged. They’re ready! What are you doing each day to build the church? Even if everyone has returned for in-person worship, most people in your community still do not attend church and do not know Jesus. We need to give priority to reaching those people, and the church is in a healthy position right now to do so. You don’t need to reinvent your entire ministry, though you probably do need an online presence as a window of opportunity. That said, people will only find long-lasting community by attending your church in-person. The word of Jesus is still unchanging, refreshing, energizing, saving, and all we need (Mark 2:21-22). People are ready. Are you?

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PLAY BALL! Imagine having lunch or coffee with someone new to your church in March 2020. That person likely would have asked several questions about life and commented on all the chaos in the news. Would they have appeared worried, frustrated, and anxious? It’s very likely. You no doubt would have recognized this as an opportunity to fully engage with them and to connect them to the local church. Now, fast-forward to today. Your entire community is full of anxious people. They are your friends and neighbors. Therefore, the forecast for the local church today is full of sunshine. The question is, are you and your team ready to play two games? Church leaders are facing the daunting challenge of “rebuilding, reinventing, and reigniting” church attendance. To accomplish this, they must get to the field early every day and prepare to play two games. Take advantage of your daily opportunities to get in the batter’s box and take some swings. When you look at the market landscape, what do you see? A shortage of products and services; reduced hours and availability. The church is in position to do exactly the opposite. What if you added services or a small community event each month? When was your church’s last invitation challenge? Consider increasing your hours of operation or assigning more staff and volunteers to answer phones and meet the needs of the people. The church is strong. It is always ready to grow and reach the lost. I have personally never seen an opportunity of this magnitude for the church. You may be energized to lead like never before, and you may have a great plan. If you do, that’s awesome. Help another pastor or church in your community to get going. If you need some help, raise your hand and ask for it.

AUT H E N T IC C H U R CH

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We should all be bullish about the future of the church, especially since Jesus said even the gates of Hell would not prevail against it.

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CONNECT, CHALLENGE, CARE Huddle-up your team and ask for ideas on how to better connect, challenge, and care for people in your community. (It takes a balance of all three.) This can be your focus. Keep your strategy simple and then execute. • With whom do I need to connect? • Which people should connect with one another? • Who should connect with Jesus? • Who should connect with the church? • Whom can I challenge to serve in the church and community? • Whom can I challenge to take a step in their faith journey? • Whom can I challenge to serve the church and others? • Care for people by visiting homes, businesses, community events, and youth activities. • Challenge your people to care for each other—come together during the week; be physically present as the church. • Challenge them to care for others by serving the church, community, and their family. • Challenge them to give generously to care for the lost. We must leave the dugout and get out on the field. I believe the local church is positioned to make the greatest impact in our lifetimes. When you answered the call to ministry, I’m sure you were excited to serve the local church and had a burning desire to reach the lost. God led others who helped influence you in your decision. It’s time for you to continue to pay it forward. Over the years God has used you, especially in changing lives, more than you could ever put into a book. All of this has prepared you for what is before you today. The church is healthy and positioned to fill every row. Do you see it? Do you believe it? Chaos and confusion always bring opportunity. Our success is not determined by the obstacles we encounter but by how we overcome them. The church does not need a new plan, a new website, a better preacher, or nicer buildings. No, the church is healthier than ever. And your community is hungrier than ever. Your people are ready to take some ground for Jesus. Your volunteers are ready to serve. Just ask them. Get back to the basics: connect, care, and challenge. 

Tony Burgarello serves as executive pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley, which has 12 locations in Greater Phoenix.

AUT H E N T IC C H U R CH MEMBERS H I P

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Authentic Church Membership WHAT LEADERS WERE SAYING ABOUT THIS TOPIC 90–150 YEARS AGO

BY JIM NIEMAN

“Church membership” was frequently discussed in the pages of Christian Standard during its first 50 or 60 years. And when the topic came up, so usually was the subject of baptism. The discourse then, typically, would delve into the form of baptism (as in infant baptism and sprinkling), and whether the unimmersed should be accepted as members of churches of the Restoration Movement—a topic commonly referred to as “open membership.” Here are some excerpts from a dozen articles and editorials:

FROM THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD ARCHIVES

AUT H E N T IC C H U R CH MEMBERS H I P

February 10, 1872, an editorial “The church is not a human invention, but a divine institution, and the very highest conception that God has furnished us of spiritual society on earth. It was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that they who gladly received the Word and were baptized, were added to the original disciples, and continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching, and fellowship, and breaking of bread and prayers.” October 4, 1890, an editorial “If the church has the right to demand of the candidate faith in Jesus as the Son of God, it has also the right to demand whatever else was clearly demanded of persons by the apostles of Jesus Christ—as repentance, baptism and a life of obedience.” November 9, 1895, an editorial “The primitive church knew nothing of bodies of men loving God and Christ, doing good in the name of our common Lord, showing the fruits of the Spirit in their lives, and yet wearing human names and failing to obey Christ in his ordinance of baptism.” November 16, 1895, by W. O. Moore “We do not propose to limit the grace of the Almighty. The question is, To what has the Almighty limited us? We are not saying that the Lord can not, or will not, save the pious unimmersed. What the Lord may do, and what he has authorized us to preach, are separate and distinct propositions. He has not authorized us to say that baptism is needless and that people can be saved without it as well as with it.” January 25, 1896, by E. L. Frazier “The apostles, . . . wherever they went, preaching and starting churches, acted upon the understanding that this birth was necessary to church membership, and that it consisted of two parts—that to believe was to be born of the Spirit, and to be baptized was to be born of water—and with them to be baptized was to be immersed, and from this rule they never deviated. . . . They were loyal to Jesus while they lived. It was left to an apostate church some centuries later to presumptuously claim to have authority to make changes in these matters. . . .” January 14, 1905, an editorial “To get into [the church], men and women are required, as they were required in the beginning, to do only what Christ provided should be done and what his apostles, under his instructions, commended; i.e., to believe in Christ with all their heart, repent of their sins, make a public confession of Christ, and by his authority be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The terms of salvation and terms of church membership are identical in gospel teaching. The way into Christ is the way into his church.”

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April 15, 1905, an editorial “We are not baptized and then join the church, but we come into Christ and the church at the same time in our baptism.” January 19, 1907, an editorial “Every denomination claims the right to change the constitution or order of the church in some particular—in terms of membership, in theology, in creed, or in name. The churches of Christ in the Restoration movement neither assume such right for themselves nor concede it to any one else.” September 16, 1911, an editorial (responding to a question) “We regard the members of denominational bodies as Christians, but, many of them, as imperfect Christians, by reason of an imperfect compliance with the commands of Christ.” October 26, 1912, by Isaac Errett (from an address delivered in the 1880s) “Our duty . . . is to preach the truth—the simple truth—the whole truth of the gospel, and commit it to God to watch over its working. Let us yield everything that is our own, but hold on to everything that is God’s without inventions or experiments of our own to bring about that which God alone is able to accomplish.” July 19, 1919, by F. D. Kershner “If we accept the denominational theory of union we must undoubtedly be willing to accept open membership and a host of other things. When we do this, however, we give up the whole substance of the Restoration ideal of unity, and acknowledge that the plea which has furnished our only excuse for existence for over a century [i.e., ‘throwing all of the old organizations overboard, and going back to the original norm of the church as it was in the beginning’] is, and always has been, a mere will-o’-the-wisp.” June 4, 1932, an editorial “A remarkable thing about what Jesus did, indeed, is this very power to draw together those of different outlooks and conflicting characteristics, and make them one. . . . Every true Christian becomes conscious of the obligation to ‘love those he can not like.’ Indeed, unless his spirit goes that far, it is scarcely bearing witness with the Holy Spirit.” 

Jim Nieman serves as managing editor of Christian Standard.

AUT H E N T IC IN F LU EN CE

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Authentic Influence BY KYLE IDLEMAN

A word you hear a lot these days, a word that drives a lot of social media ambitions and daily decisions, is influencer . . . and underneath that word is a deep desire we all have. Nobody grows up dreaming of waking up, going to work, heading home, watching Netflix, scrolling through social media, and then doing it all over again the next day until their last breath. We all want to be used to change the world. We don’t want to spend our lives being time-wasters, or space-takers, or binge-watchers, or game-players, or even book-readers. We want to be difference-makers. Every one of us wants to live a life of influence. The question isn’t if we want to influence others, it’s how do we authentically do that? And I’ll let you in on a secret . . . it’s not as complicated as we make it out to be.

AUT H E N T IC IN F LU EN CE

FOCUS ON THE ONE Jesus was the ultimate influencer, and it was how he influenced that made the difference. He didn’t complicate it or formulate it, he just lived intentionally with each person that crossed his path. But that requires some people skills, and if I’m honest, although I’m a pastor, I sometimes struggle to connect with people the way I want to. Initially I developed a strategy for dealing with my lack of people skills: (1) Avoid it. (2) Fake it. (3) Pretend. Unfortunately, that approach felt insincere, mostly because it was. I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I’m pretty sure that’s not what Jesus did. It left me feeling emotionally drained and easily annoyed by people with whom I wanted to connect. I felt irritated by the people I was supposed to love. Again, that’s a problem if you’re a pastor. I knew something was wrong in my heart. I knew God had called me to love and care for his sons and daughters, but I was intentionally not answering the phone. Now, not only was I feeling insecure and anxious about connecting with people, I also was struggling with guilt and shame for feeling that way. One morning I got to church early and sat in the empty sanctuary and prayed about it. I told God how much I loved people, but I felt like I didn’t always know how to love people. I opened the Bible to Luke 8. “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him” (v. 42). Reading it, I could almost feel my anxiety rising as I thought about crushing crowds. So many people with so many expectations. But then Luke said that in the crowd, A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you” (vv. 43-45). In Mark’s version of this story, he said the disciples asked Jesus in disbelief, “You see the people crowding against you, and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’” (Mark 5:31). With such a big crowd, how could he possibly focus in on just one person? “But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me’” (Luke 8:46). Yes, there was a big crowd, but that’s not what Jesus was focused on. Instead, he was most focused on the number one. It’s like taking a picture on your phone of someone standing in a crowd. You put it in Portrait Mode and look at the screen until you spot the person you’re looking for and then zoom in and let the camera focus. In that moment everything else begins to blur and fade into the background. When Jesus was surrounded by the crowds, he had a way of zooming in and focusing on the one.

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BE FULLY PRESENT It’s the next verse that changed my understanding of authentic influence. When I read it, I instantly knew it was the secret to the Jesus way of making a difference. “Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed . . .” (Luke 8:47). There was a large group of unidentified people, but she realized Jesus wouldn’t let her go unnoticed—not even if she tried. Surrounded by crushing crowds, she knew the eyes of Jesus would not let her go unseen. It was like the words came off the page and slapped me in the face. I wasn’t just convicted. I was wrecked. God was speaking to me. I realized he called me—he has called each of us who follow Jesus—to make sure that no one goes unnoticed. In the days to come, I started seeing it on almost every page of the Gospels. Jesus was constantly zooming in on one person at a time. Jesus went into Jericho and people packed the sides of the streets to get a glimpse of him like it was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but Jesus focused on just one person: Zacchaeus. Jesus came down from a mountain and “large crowds followed him” but a leper showed up and Jesus zoomed in and everyone else was cropped out of the picture. Jesus entered a place where a “great number of disabled people used to lie”—there were lots of sick people, but then we read of “one who was there.” That one received all of Jesus’ attention and was the only recipient of a miracle. Why? Why didn’t Jesus heal all of them? I don’t know. But here’s what I do know: One is the way of Jesus. I said it before, but I’ll say it again because when it finally hit me it changed my life. It changed my philosophy of ministry. It changed the legacy I want to leave. I’m hoping it will change yours: Jesus influenced the world one person at a time. When someone stood in front of him, time stopped. Everything else in his life—all his concerns, his agenda, his goals—blurred and disappeared. He was always fully present. For Jesus the question in the crowd was always, “Where is the one who must not go unnoticed?” Don’t get me wrong, Jesus loved everyone in the crowd, but the way he loved them was one at a time.

AUT H E N T IC IN F LU EN CE

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Jesus influenced the world one person at a time.

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LOVE THE ONE WHEREVER GOD HAS PLACED YOU As you study Jesus in Scripture, you’ll discover that living a life that counts for something doesn’t require having a super talent or being instafamous. Rather, it’s about the everyday intentionality of noticing, connecting with, and loving people right where they are. That’s what Jesus would do. In John 13:34 Jesus said to his disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another.” It wasn’t a new suggestion, or a new idea, or a new proposition, or a recommendation—it was a new command. But why does Jesus call it “new”? It’s not new. Loving others was often his central message. What Jesus said next is what makes it new: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” As a staff and church, we call this the “one at a time” way of Jesus. It’s part of our vision statement at Southeast Christian Church. The phrase is a picture of how Jesus lived his life with authentic influence by the way he loved people. And I get it. Maybe it feels too simplistic. But before you write me off, I want you to think back on your life to some conversations that influenced you the most. Did they come from a stage or at a table? Were they through a podcast or over a cup of coffee? I’m not saying one is wrong and the other is right. And I’m not saying God doesn’t use both. But I am saying, maybe we make changing the world a little more complex than it really is. Maybe we need to stop leaning into the usual ways this world tells us to measure influence and start leaning into the unexpected ways God wants to use us. I don’t know what your background is as you are reading this. Maybe you are a businessperson, a stay-at-home dad or mom, maybe you are a pastor, a leader in the community, a grandparent, a roommate, classmate, teammate, sibling, neighbor, or a coach, but I hope as you read this you recognize that wherever God has placed you is a space he wants to use you. Authentic influence isn’t measured by a viral post or a name on a building. It isn’t determined by a following or a fan base. Authentic influence isn’t dependent on what’s in your bank account or who’s in your contacts. Do you want to live an influential life? Focus on the one. That’s it. That’s the secret of the way of Jesus. When I came to realize this, I sat in the sanctuary that morning and for the first time I prayed a prayer that I have tried to pray every day since: Jesus, give me your eyes for the one. Help me to see people the way you see people.  In One at a Time, Kyle Idleman, senior pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, shows us how to change the world by loving like Jesus—one person at a time. Find out more at www.kyleidleman.com. kyleidleman.com

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Authentic Leadership BY MICHAEL C. MACK

What is authentic Christian leadership? It may be best to begin with how it’s different from secular leadership. Authentic Christian leadership is a lifelong process. I’ve seen secular self-help books and blogs that provide simple steps to leadership, but becoming a leader after God’s own heart takes constant, everyday, deep-rooted transformation of the mind and heart as led by the Holy Spirit. Christian leadership happens first in loving, abiding communion with God, and second, in the environment of loving community with others. It’s rare to hear secular leadership described using the word love, but Christian leadership can’t exist apart from it. Leadership has been defined in many ways, but one of the most popular, from John Maxwell, is simply that “leadership is influence.” In general, this is true, but I believe Christian leadership is influence only to the extent that God is influencing others through you and me. As the apostle Paul put it, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). So how do you and I become more authentic leaders?

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ACKNOWLEDGE THE REAL LEADER

UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF OVERFLOW

Authentic leadership begins with an understanding of, respect for, and worship of our true leader. God is the real leader of every church, Christian organization, Christian small group, team of elders, and Christian family. He is your leader: your Lord, your all-powerful King, your Sovereign who has no equal.

Authentic Christian leaders have two primary jobs: to receive and to overflow.

Jesus lived out this powerful principle through his ministry. He often recognized the Father as his leader; Jesus’ leadership was subject to and under the ultimate authority of his Father. Just two of many examples from John’s Gospel: “‘The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does’” (5:19). “I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me” (8:28). Our job as leaders begins with an abiding relationship with God, spending considerable time with him regularly, watching for what he is doing around us, listening attentively, and then responding to his leadership. To do so, authentic leaders must have an attitude of humility, the kind modeled by Jesus, “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-7). Jesus defined Christian leadership by this very virtue. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant . . . just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).

I explain this concept when I train leaders by using a glass and a pitcher of water. The pitcher represents God, who pours into us as we spend time with him, and the glass represents our lives, which overflow into the lives of the people he has put around us as we spend time with them. I pour the water slowly into the glass, asking people to tell me when we get to “life to the full” (John 10:10). Most of the time, they tell me to stop when the water reaches the brim, but a few astute and biblically knowledgeable people will tell me to keep pouring. They probably know that the Greek word for “full” (or “more abundantly” in some versions) means something like “superabundantly” or “overflowing.” So, I keep pouring as the water overflows the glass into the basin below. One day after this session, a young leader came to the front and said excitedly, “I get it!” He explained he had spent much of his time trying to lead by his own power rather than letting God simply overflow out of his life. He grabbed the glass I used as my prop and turned it upside-down in his hand, shaking it up and down like a big saltshaker: “I’ve kept myself busy attempting to minister by trying to sprinkle out onto others what I’ve put into my cup. But I’ve got the cup in the wrong position. I can’t receive from God when I’m always running around trying to pour whatever’s left in my cup into others.” He took a breath and continued . . . “And most of the time I’m not really giving anything that’s very good or helpful to people. I’m burning out because I have nothing left to give, and I’m not bearing fruit this way” (nodding to the upside-down cup still in his hand). Your first job as a leader is to be filled up as you spend time with God. Solitude is vital for us as leaders, followed by being in community with others, and then ministry, which flows out of the first two. Our model is Jesus, who “often . . . withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer” (Luke 5:16, The Message). In his classic book, Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders wrote,

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The spiritual leader . . . influences others not by the power of his own personality alone but by that personality irradiated, interpenetrated, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because he allows the Holy Spirit undisputed control of his life, the Spirit’s power can flow unhindered through him to others. It reminds me of my favorite quote, from Mother Teresa, “I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.” This principle of leadership overflow is like a thread woven throughout the Bible. Abraham was blessed by God to be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:1-2). All of Moses’ leadership successes were directly tied to the time he spent with Yahweh “face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). The apostle Paul continually lived out overflow leadership. He said to the Corinthian church, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Perhaps John 15:1-17 reveals the principle best. “I am the vine; you are the branches,” said Jesus. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (v. 5). Note the vitality of the branches (us). On them, the fruit is borne. Yet they are worthless without the vine, which provides what is necessary to bear the fruit. Decision-making is a significant task for every leader. Our decisions can have long-lasting and far-reaching effects. They impact many people in many ways. Some decisions are very difficult to make. How are we to make wise, God-honoring decisions? We know we can ask God for wisdom, and he will generously give it to us (James 1:5-8). But wisdom also comes as we contemplate God’s Word and regularly listen to him. Before Jesus chose his apostles from among his many followers—those he would focus on leading for three

years and the ones entrusted to start and build his church (this was perhaps the most important decision ever made)—Jesus “spent the night praying to God” (receiving). “When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them” (overflow; Luke 6:12-13). We should follow Jesus’ example with any important decisions we make. Often as leaders, we get into situations where we are tired and wonder if we have enough love and compassion for the needy people under our care. But Jesus whispers to us, “It’s OK. You weren’t created to have everything you need to care for these people. That’s why I’m here and will never leave you. Trust me, and I’ll give you abundantly more love and compassion than you can ask or imagine so you can overflow it into them.” He provides us with all the patience, mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, strength, peace, joy, and more that we need to carry out the ministry with which he has entrusted us. And God’s resources never run out. His shelves are never empty. This is where my illustration using the pitcher is faulty. The pitcher is limited to how much it can hold. Maybe Max Lucado’s illustration is better. He once tweeted, “Our heart is a Dixie cup and God’s grace is Niagara. We simply can’t contain it all.” Leader burnout and leadership failure have impacted both secular and Christian organizations. While I can’t claim conclusively that overflow leadership is the whole solution, I do know that leaders who often spend time with the Father—allowing him to fill them to overflowing—have all the resources needed to lead a fruit-bearing ministry without leadership burnout and failure. Jesus encourages us to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. . . . For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). We should take him up on his gracious offer!

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Christian leadership is influence only to the extent that God is influencing others through you and me.

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BE THE LEADER GOD MADE YOU TO BE God has used all kinds of leaders in his kingdom. Some were warriors. Some were musicians and poets. A few were all of these. Among God’s leaders were risk-takers, entrepreneurs, builders, prophets, preachers, waypreparers, and even writers. Some were known as bold and courageous while others were, at least initially, reluctant leaders. Some were highly educated and gifted, while others were quite ordinary and uneducated. It doesn’t seem to matter; God called and used them all. He still is looking for leaders after his own heart through whom he can overflow. It’s good to have role models, but you do not need to lead exactly like anyone else. God made you with a unique mix of DNA, gifts, personality, experiences, education, family background, friendships, spiritual journey, and much more so you can serve him exactly where he places you. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, New Living Translation). Note that you as a follower of Christ were God’s masterpiece before you did any good works, before you grew a church or a program, before you did anything for God. Your worth isn’t based in your good works, but in God’s creation of and love for you. People will follow, respect, and trust leaders who are close to God and lead out of his power and for his purposes. Let me give you some advice, leader. Stop what you are doing. Take time to rest (sabbath). Relax. Get away to a quiet place regularly. Listen to and wait on God. Keep your eyes open for the leadership opportunities God brings your way. Then, respond to him. Be the authentic leader God created you to be—nothing more, nothing less. You are his masterpiece.  Michael C. Mack serves as editor of Christian Standard. He has also written several books on leadership, including Leading from the Heart, The Pocket Guide to Burnout-Free Small Group Leadership, and Small Group Vital Signs: Seven Indicators of Health that Make Groups Flourish. smallgroupleadership.com

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5 ESSENTIALS OF

Authentic Disciple-Making

BY BOBBY HARRINGTON

Fifteen years ago, I started waking up every day focused on disciple-making. In my roles as a pastor, trainer of church planters, network leader, and coach, it became my obsession.

1. altruistic YOU NEED THE RIGHT MOTIVES

Just as importantly: I came to believe disciple-making is the key to Christian faithfulness in this cultural moment.

To be authentic, our disciple-making needs to start with the right motives. Too many people launch discipleship or disciple-making efforts with distorted goals. Disciple-making efforts should not be launched to get more numbers or grow the church, to keep people happy, or even to give people the fellowship they desire.

Disciple-making has become such a passion that I have now published over 10 books on the topic, initiated and led multiple national conferences on the topic, and cofounded three national networks for church leaders focused on disciple-making: The Relational Discipleship Network, Discipleship.org (reaching 30,000 evangelical church leaders focused on Jesus’ method), and Renew.org (reaching more than 15,000 leaders in Christian churches/churches of Christ with theology focused on Jesus’ teachings).

Love, which we define as cross-shaped actions following Jesus, should be our motivation (John 13:34-35). Disciple-making must spring from a desire to truly love God and love people. It must be that “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14, emphasis mine). We must desire to love people in the way of Jesus, for he came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and he devoted his most focused energy and time to the making of twelve disciples.

Christian Standard asked me to share the keys to authentic disciple-making I have learned. I’m grateful for the opportunity. Here are the top five in my experience.

If you seek to make disciples because you see and love people like Jesus saw and loved people, you are starting at the right place.

I did this because I came to believe disciple-making is the core mission of the church.

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2. intentional YOU NEED TO FOLLOW A PLAN The Oxford English Dictionary describes intentionality as “the fact of being deliberate or purposive.” Our postmodern world prizes the modesty of uncertainty and self-professed doubt. In the same vein, Christians can back away from intentional involvement in discipling others into following Jesus. It can feel comfortable to be tepid and reserved about making disciples. We might think, After all, only God can guide people. My job is to pray and trust the Holy Spirit’s guidance in another person’s life. That’s all I can do. The problem with this passive posture is that it is at odds with Jesus’ teachings. Let’s examine the primary New Testament text on discipleship:

3. relational YOU NEED TO BASE EVERYTHING ON LOVE Relationships—genuine life-on-life connections grounded in Christlike love—create and sustain the environment for discipleship. I became a disciple of Jesus at the University of Calgary because Dr. Mac Jacobs loved me enough to teach me about Jesus and show me how to follow Jesus. But he was able to do that because of our relationship, where he loved me enough to hang out with me, take my latenight calls, come over for family dinners, and put up with all my immaturities. He walked with Jesus and loved me along the way. It changed me. Love changes people more than mere information does.

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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).

In the context of relationship, truth can be transferred from one life to the next. Questions can be asked. Reallife stories can be shared. Sin can be confessed. Accountability can be offered. Encouragement can be given. Jesus’ ministry clearly shows us that disciplemaking is a relational process built on trust.

This text begins with two commands: “go” and “make.” Jesus is commanding us to be intentional. We can follow Jesus’ teaching in this text only if we “go” into the world of lost people to reach them and “make disciples.” The second command (“make disciples”) is even more key. (In Greek, it’s the fundamental imperative in the sentence.) And we can make disciples only if we know what a disciple is and how to make one. A disciple maker, by definition, is guided by intentionality and planning. She guides people to follow Jesus.

In describing unconditional agape love, the apostle Paul provided a rich description of the context that makes for fruitful discipling relationships: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

If I do not have a basic path onto which I guide people, can I really make disciples? If I fail to have a plan or basic sense of direction, I’m deviating from what Jesus told us. For, according to the text, making disciples includes my role in baptizing them and teaching them “to obey everything that Jesus commanded.”

Let me make this personal. As I trust and follow Jesus and seek to help others trust and follow Jesus, I am seeking to become a person epitomized by this kind of love. I want my biography to become clear to all.

At a basic level, my job is to intentionally teach them about Jesus and help them do what Jesus commanded.

Bobby is patient, Bobby is kind. Bobby does not envy, Bobby does not boast, Bobby is not proud. Bobby does

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This is why we say agape love is to be the foundation for everything that happens in disciple-making. It is the ultimate sign of maturity and a top priority when it comes to relationships. We pursue a life of love (Ephesians 5:1-2). • Love is our motivation as we seek discipling relationships. • Love is our mindset as we plan and strategize discipling relationships.

As stated earlier, here are things we do not focus on in disciple-making (even if some of the following end up becoming byproducts): • helping those we disciple to be happy • knowledge for knowledge’s sake • close friendships • increasing church members • providing emotional support Some of those things will likely happen when we disciple people the way Jesus did, but they cannot be our focus. I have made countless mistakes in discipling relationships because I have erroneously made each of those a focus point.

• Love is our model as we navigate conflicts, difficulties, and disappointments in discipling relationships.

The apostle Paul described his discipling focus succinctly: “He [Jesus] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29, emphasis mine).

Love is the motivation for discipling relationships, because as Paul said, “Love never fails.”

The goal is developing people so they reach full maturity in Christ.

• Love is our foundation as we nurture and uphold discipling relationships.

It is strenuous. It takes the energy of Christ. We ask God to powerfully work in us. Here is what that looks like:

4. transformational YOUR GOAL MUST BE TO CHANGE LIVES The goals of disciple-making are leading people to experience eternal salvation and live lives of Holy Spiritinspired obedience. Remember the goal of the Great Commission is not that we would “know the teachings of Jesus.” Stop and think about that last statement. Jesus calls us to obedience-based disciple-making. We are to teach those we disciple “to obey everything I have commanded you,” Jesus said (Matthew 28:20).

• helping people to find salvation • helping people practice their new identity in Christ • helping people to obey specific commands • helping people stop repetitive sins • helping people forgive the unforgivable and love the unlovable The apostle Paul described the impact of his discipling relationship with the Corinthians this way: You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).

not dishonor others. Bobby is not self-seeking. Bobby is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. Bobby does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Bobby always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Bobby never fails.

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If you plant a church, you may not get disciples.

But if you make disciples who make disciples who make disciples, you should always get a church.

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5. repeatable YOU MUST GRADUATE DISCIPLE MAKERS Authentic disciple-making repeats itself, where the disciple becomes a disciple maker, reproducing the disciplemaking process. As I prepared to launch Discipleship.org’s national conferences and online training, I sought the input of some of the most effective disciple makers in North America. I was stunned by their uniform emphasis on one point: disciple-making is not biblical without an emphasis on multiplication. Remember Jesus’ final command: disciples must go and make other disciples. Jesus is our model. He showed us that disciple-making starts with lost people (he discipled the disciples before they were true disciples) and it reaches maturity when the disciples he made carried on the mission. As disciples, we want to be like Jesus. Here are summaries of what Jesus showed us about his style of disciple-making: • He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). • He devoted 65 to 90 percent of his best time to discipling the Twelve (Luke 6:13). • He told us students are to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters (Matthew 10:25). • He commissioned his disciples at three different times in three different ways to go make disciples like he did (John 20:21; Matthew 28:19; and Acts 1:8). The replication of disciple makers was Jesus’ master plan.

AN AHA THAT CHANGED MY LIFE’S FOCUS I am a church planter who spent years training church planters around the country. After training church planters for a decade, I realized something fundamentally transformational. If you plant a church, you may not get disciples. But if you make disciples who make disciples who make disciples, you should always get a church. Jesus’ plan for multiplication is making disciples who make disciples who plant churches that make disciples. Disciple-making is the best way to reach a lost world. It is the best way to bring the saved to maturity. It is the best way, in turn, to propagate the most important mission on planet earth for others. That mission is to be disciples who make disciples. Will you join with me and make it your mission too?  Bobby Harrington is the lead pastor at Harpeth Christian Church, Franklin, Tennessee, and the point leader for Discipleship.org and Renew.org.

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Authentic Community BY RICK LOWRY

God created every person with a “community gene.” We all have a natural longing to be with other human beings. From an early age, we have known the value of being a member of a group. Everyone grew up in some version of a family, a place where we belonged, living with significant others who helped shape us. We are in community, in groups, every day: the staff team at work, the board or committee on which we serve, the Thursday night Bunko ladies group, the guys who gather to watch NFL games—all small groups that satisfy, in some way, our need for community that God crafted within us. But God especially uses Christian community as a special place to help us grow and thrive. The original idea for connection in groups came from God himself. God exists in community. After all, God always has been, and always will be, three persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created us in his image. When we gather in community, we reflect his nature. Small groups are not just the latest program fad in churches. Groups and authentic community come from the very essence of God.

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A LIFELONG JOURNEY IN COMMUNITY God has taught me new and interesting lessons about community throughout my life. As a child, Sunday school is where my church “small group” journey started. I recall fondly my second-grade Sunday school teacher, Mrs. Bryant, who took us on a yearlong journey through the exodus. I was fascinated! She gave each of us individual attention. We knew she cared about us. I couldn’t wait to get there each week. I belonged in that group. As I got older, those Sunday school classes evolved into the youth group—another community, where we helped each other stay on track during those formative high school years. We had a powerful Bible study together on Wednesday nights, where we made ourselves accountable for our relationship with Christ and called each other to his Lordship. Eventually, others who were hungry for the same level of commitment joined us. During one six-month period, that group grew from 20 to more than 100. I hold cherished memories of that group spread across someone’s backyard in the dark, singing praises to God and lifting up prayers.

THE GOSPELS OF THE GREEKS AND ROMANS My experience in high school was when I learned one of my first important lessons about community: An authentic relationship with Christ does not happen by only attending worship on Sunday. Sunday worship at my home church was a rich experience. But my greatest growth happened when I was able to “get real” at those Wednesday-night gatherings. The church has had both worship and small groups since day one. In Acts 2, Peter preached the first gospel sermon, and then Luke described the first church members: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41). Notice how the story progressed: “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46, emphasis mine). The early church valued two kinds of meetings. First, they met together in the temple courts. The large group gathering, what we think of as the weekend worship service. But a second setting had a high priority. In addition to the large-group gathering, “they broke bread in their homes.” This was the more intimate setting in what we might call a small group. On weekends we gather and focus primarily on God, but I get to know the names and lives of the people around me during the week, in my small group. It is where deep, meaningful, caregiving relationships can develop.

I continued to involve myself in small-group Bible studies during my college years. But my most significant college learning was when a young teacher named David Roadcup invited me and some other upperclassmen to spend a year with him in something he called a discipling group. At that stage in my Bible-college education, I had learned a lot about preaching, teaching, and studying, but in that group, the classroom was everyday life. Dave took us with him when he spoke at churches and when he was serving the kingdom in many other ways. He modeled for us how a godly man lives. He and his wife, Karen, made sure the door of their home was always open to us. We spent many evenings in their living room, talking and eating like family. In the process, we learned what a godly home looks like—without ever seeing a lesson plan. In that group we got serious about our walk with Christ, and I grew by leaps and bounds. That discipling experience was life-changing for me. I resolved that, throughout the rest of my life, I would disciple other men. It’s been a key part of my philosophy of ministry leadership for more than 40 years. Discipling in groups was not just a good idea Dave came up with. It was used by Jesus himself. In fact, Jesus’ entire public ministry modeled what it means to live in community. When Jesus was here, crowds seemed to surround him constantly. He didn’t ignore them; he preached to them, healed them, and loved them. But his main emphasis was on twelve guys. He invited them to join him in community for a three-year, life-transforming, ministry-learning journey—a small group. The result of that group was twelve men who changed the world forever. You and I are Christians today because of the work those Twelve went on to do after Jesus left.

NOT JUST CHURCH STAFF Another idea about authentic community came into focus for me while I was lead pastor at a church in Topeka, Kansas. It goes like this: The church staff will never adequately take care of every individual church member. I’m a pastor at a megachurch with three campuses. When it’s my turn to be the hospital pastor, I often call on someone I have not met before. But there’s nothing more satisfying than arriving at the hospital room of one of our members and finding some folks from that person’s small group already there! I can be confident the sick person is not going to get one brief visit and prayer from me, but instead has a whole support network bringing in meals or helping with children and chores. I recently calculated that if our church relied solely on staff and elders for member support, each leader would be caring for over 250 people! By all accounts, that would be a bad system. On the other hand, we currently have over 150 groups in our church. If each of them had only 10 people in them, that would mean more than 1,500 people were getting meaningful care and growth in a small group. As a pastor, I can be assured that, if you’re in a group, you are being taken care of—better than our church staff and elders combined could ever hope to do.

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DISCIPLING

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As a pastor, I can be assured that, if you’re in a group, you are being taken care of— better than our church staff and elders combined could ever hope to do.

Later, I discovered a simple way to remember why community and groups are important: Small groups are for growth and shepherding. First, groups are the place we grow spiritually. When we build real community in small groups, we get down to what each individual needs for growth—in a way that we couldn’t do just by attending the big worship service. Shepherding is the other thing we try to accomplish in small groups. With small groups, we answer the question, Who’s going to be there for me . . . when the phone call comes about the family tragedy? . . . when the job layoff happens? . . . when I’m dealing with a wayward teenager? . . . when my health takes a serious turn? This is what authentic community in the body of Christ is about. Not professionals being called at those times, but the people who are close to me and love me. I can count on them to be there for me.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL My biggest learning about community in recent years has been this: We need a variety of small groups, because one size does not fit all. We encourage everyone who becomes a part of our church to get into a group and immerse themselves in true community. But visiting a group in someone’s home can be a big step for many people. So, we create groups that match each person’s journey into community. “Front end” groups. The 10-week series “Rooted” is a great place to “try out” what small groups are like before you take the plunge. Affinity groups are also a good place to start into group life. We have settings utilizing pickleball, volleyball, hiking, and others. Some unchurched people who are active in our fellowship started by coming with a friend to a pickleball league. Regular Bible studies. For those who are ready to take the step of getting to know some friends in the church and studying the Bible with them, we have our regular home Bible studies, which we call life groups. Most of our life groups look like the typical Bible study, but some have started around special interests. We have a group that started because some retirees in our church were all talking to each other about their knee replacements! They turned that into what we affectionally call “The Knee Group.” Season of life groups. For those who are in a special season of life, we offer opportunities for community with others who have similar needs, such as GriefShare, Survivors of Suicide, Weight Loss and Fitness, Financial Peace University, or parenting. Discipling groups. When someone reaches a place where they are ready to take a deeper step into group life, they can join one of our discipling groups. I’ve had a long, rich journey with Christian community so far. And it’s made all the difference in my personal life, my relationship with other Christians, and my leadership in the church. I’m looking forward to what God will show me next about authentic community!  Rick Lowry has served as spiritual growth pastor at First Church, Burlington, Kentucky, since 2011. His favorite part of church is seeing people grow in small groups.

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GROWTH AND SHEPHERDING

S P ON S O R E D BY

Finding

AUTHENTICITY in the Middle

BY RENEE LITTLE

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Recently I couch shopped for an entire weekend. My two young boys “test drove” every couch by bouncing from one to another. (It’s a good thing couches cannot experience fear.) I was more careful during this search than on a previous couch-shopping expedition. This time, before I would even sit on one to try it out, I read the tags to verify the couch was made from genuine leather. You see, I once made the mistake of buying a “pleather” couch; it was nice at first, but soon cracks and chips appeared. I was not making that mistake again! Finally, I found the perfect blue, genuine-leather couch for my family room. The triumph was short-lived. Only a few hours after delivery, my Maine coon cat discovered the couch. As he jumped up to take his place in my lap, I heard a claw scrape against the leather. Covering up the scratch wasn’t an option, and neither was telling the cat he could no longer sit in my lap. Cats leave scratches in your life . . . and so do people.

WHAT LEADS TO AUTHENTICITY The Bible doesn’t leave out the messy or embarrassing parts of the story—it’s a major validation that the Bible is truthful. The Bible doesn’t spare the details, even when it makes the best characters look bad. Remember Luke 2, when Joseph and Mary forgot Jesus in Jerusalem? For a whole day! I’m like Jesus in that way. When I was 13 my parents totally forgot about me and left me at church after the service. I was just hanging out with friends until the last one said goodbye and I realized I was alone. Finally, I found the pastor and he called my dad to come get me. I love having this experience in common with Jesus. And the more I learn about Jesus, the more I am convinced he was not only a real man who walked this earth, but also that he saved me from the justice I deserve. Just as touching the genuine leather couch enhanced my understanding of its realness, we need to be in a relationship with Jesus to intimately know him. You can read about people or see them from afar and not really know them. But being in a relationship with someone is to know them and to test their authenticity. I know Jesus is real because he walks daily with me. He speaks to me through his Word and the Holy Spirit in my heart. He guides my steps. He answers when I call. He prepares the way. He picks me up when I am weak. And he never leaves me. A person’s relationship with Jesus is what leads to authenticity in life.

S P ON S O R E D CO N TEN T

WHERE AUTHENTICITY IS FOUND From breaking ground to grand opening, every church group in America knows how to celebrate “the bookends” well. Birth and death. First Communion and hospital bedside confessions. Baptisms, weddings, anniversaries, and religious holidays all are occasions to fill fellowship halls with home-baked goodies and pots of coffee. The true test of a successful church is the time in between the bookends of beginnings and endings. The authenticity of a church is discovered somewhere in the mess of the middle: • It is found in youth group programs that help parents find a way to the heart of their teenager. That was a treacherous path for my parents as my teenage attitude was “thick.” At one particularly horrible crossroads with my parents, I came home from school to find Mr. and Mrs. Hastings from their church small group sitting on the couch in the formal living room. I was defensive and ready to fight, but the Hastings listened, and that broke down my defenses quickly. They brokered a lasting peace in our family that day. It is when we let the church into the middle that we find hard-won peace. • It is found in taking a chance on letting local people meet weekly on your church campus—groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, counseling professionals, post-prison ministries, and the homeless. Being an authentic, community-center style church needs to go beyond MOPS, daycare, and sports programs. A church needs to reflect their community. • It is found in raising up leaders. It’s found in discipling programs, and in deacons and elders. Leaders in the church remind me of janitors for the number of messes they must clean up. Leaders regularly face hard choices many are unequipped to make. Creating an environment of pastor-led and elder-protected church takes intentional effort and occasionally requires outside help from great leaders like Accelerate Group and e2. • It is found in small groups that meet in each other’s homes weekly. It is found in reading the Bible, praying, crying over loss, celebrating wins, and holding one another accountable. It is found in people who don’t disappear when it gets hard. It’s found in the ones who ask until you answer honestly. If you are curious about a church’s authenticity, look no further than the list above. Every church, family, and individual will face a crossroads in this broken world we live in. Will you let God use it for good?

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AUTHENTICITY IN ‘SHOWING UP’ In my work with The Solomon Foundation—which helps churches with building needs—I have seen my fair share of ground-breakings and grand openings. While we make every effort to be at those, that is not where we are most needed. We are most needed in “the middle” of things . . . that’s where our best work is done. It is in the details of construction verbiage and timelines seemingly too big and complex to comprehend. It is in the late-night fire-bomb attack of a church that’s under construction. It is in the networking, resourcing, and connecting of other church leaders at events we sponsor where everlasting friendships are made. It is in the politics of creating an elder board for a new church. It is in the heart-wrenching pit of mistakes leaders make because they are real people too. Our relationships with those whom we serve are what is most valuable. It is why the team at The Solomon Foundation moves everything to show up. We want to be the friend you do life with, not the lender you avoid.

“

The true test of a successful church is the time in between the bookends of beginnings and endings.

Renee Little serves as senior vice president and chief strategy officer with The Solomon Foundation.

W E H ELP CHURC H ES G ET TO THE NEXT ST EP We are committed to fueling church growth through innovative lending and building strategies. Let’s get started today!

T H E S O LO M O N F O U N DAT I O N . O R G

EKKLESIA CHRISTIAN CHURCH C O N W A Y, S O U T H C A R O L I N A

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online march 2022 ROMANS, PART 3: HOLY

The pace of our lives does not lend itself to taking “time to be holy.” God is righteous (Part 1) and has justified us in Christ (Part 2). God expects those who have been justified to live in holiness (Part 3). In these lessons, which close out our study of Romans, students will learn how baptism puts one on a path to holiness, how God’s law exposes unholiness, how the root of that holiness goes back to our spiritual ancestors, and how God’s people live out holiness in the context of sacrifice.

april 2022 LUKE, PART 1: PERFECT HUMANITY

Jesus’ humanity and divinity were in perfect balance, and his deeds and words were in perfect harmony. The lessons from Luke over the next two months will emphasize what Jesus did (miracles and encounters) and what he said (stories). Students will learn of Jesus’ care for the bereaved and broken and hindered. The resurrected Christ applies his divine nature to our human dilemma.

INTER AC T CRUMBLING COMMUNITIES Dale Porter This article is truly on point! [Engage, “The Story Behind Our Crumbling Christian Communities,” by Tyler McKenzie, p. 14, November/December 2021]. No church on this planet is perfect! We all are sinners saved by God’s love (grace) which took into account our frailties, mistakes, etc.; we are all on the same level at the cross, as the article stated. The Word of God says pray for each other! Are we doing that? Charles Have you ever wondered how the Jews slid into Baal worship? There was something “new and exciting and easier and more inclusive.” Just as Mao instigated the cultural revolution against the average person over 50 years ago by attempting to destroy the “Four Olds,” which were old ideas, old culture, old habits, and old customs, a similar thought and societal revolution is upon us. Similar concepts are being expressed around the world, and Christianity is being relegated as “don’t” as given in the Old Covenant versus striving to be and act within the New Covenant. Come on church: Do love God, do love others, do spread the Word, do go baptizing, do help the widows and orphans. Be strong and courageous!

OPPOSITION OR OPPORTUNITIES? Glen Elliott Great article. Thank you, Laura. Praise God for the opportunities amid persecution [“Great Opposition or Great Opportunities?” by Laura McKillip Wood, p. 38, November/December 2021]. Allen Jones What wonderful insight into what God is doing in countries that promote Islam and Hinduism. As my wife, Betty, points out, “God has a plan and he’s always in control.” Truer words were never spoken; we remind ourselves of them every day.

‘NICE SPIN’ John Allcott The article tries to put a nice spin on how the [coronavirus pandemic] has affected missions, but overall it’s devastating [“How COVID-19 Is Changing Christian Missions,” by Justin Horey, p. 56, November/December 2021]. While we’re Zooming each other, more than 6,000 tribes and cultures worldwide still have absolutely no way to hear the gospel unless someone from outside takes it to them. That means boots on the ground, learning the language and culture, and making disciples (which can’t be done online).

C E L E B R AT I N G Mary Szirmae Awesome article! Such a blessing in an example of a church who loves the Lord and his people [“Compelled to Celebrate,” by Tina Wilson, p. 62, November/December 2021]. Thank you, Matt and Tina Wilson, for demonstrating by example to be world changers for the kingdom of God through loving Jesus and those he leads to Ekklesia Christian Church through his anointing power upon you both. Charles Thanks for explaining how you bring Christ into being the focus of all these Jewish holy days. As many have said, the Old Covenant celebrations point directly to the New Covenant fulfillment by the Messiah! Sherree Thank you, Tina, for your vibrant testimony and celebration of “God at work”! Oh, that we would catch the fire!

FA ITH PR AC TI CE S Tom Little Very well written! Timely! Useful! [Metrics, “The Faith Practices Churches Emphasize,” by Kent Fillinger, p. 22, September/October 2021]. It distresses me that our 18-29-year-old children frequently move to larger churches outside our fellowship to worship with people their age, but with leaders who are ill-equipped for growth. There, they sometimes encounter teachings that are also inadequate both in doctrine and with less emphasis on evangelical activity. @chrstandard

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