4 LESSONS LEARNED FROM FAILURE A GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL PARENTING KEEPING FAITH IN THE FACE OF TERROR
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PU R S U IN G
PENTECOST
VITALMAGAZINE.COM
I S S U E _ 0 3 / M AY _ J U N E 2 0 1 5
Why the Holy Spirit holds the answer to humanity’s cry for something more p32
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
What’s So Spiritual About Parenting?
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Michelle Anthony paints a bigger picture for families
p42 Circling Jesus “Jesus had an inner circle. ... In fact, He had several circles or rings of relationship around Him.”
Pursuing Pentecost
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John and David Lindell on why Pentecost goes beyond Acts 2
8 VITAL SIGNS 10 FEEDBACK 11 THE LEAD • From a Spirit-
empowered Perspective
13 PULSE • World • Nation • Church
26 THINKING ABOUT • Faith in the Face of Terror • Why Christian
Conferences Are Worth It • When the Answers Fail
You
32 PURSUING PENTECOST Why the Holy Spirit holds the answer to humanity’s cry for something more
Sunday ... Without the Chaos “Sunday is the ultimate celebration that doing less is more. That’s part of what grace is all about.”
p74 My Brain Has Two Buckets What “cognitive bias” is, why it leads to burnout and anxiety—and how to overcome it
Noteworthy: NCC Worship Plus: a slick new Bible app, recommended reading and a site that answers big questions
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42 WHAT’S SO SPIRITUAL ABOUT PARENTING? Raising a family is much more than a tiring routine
50 CIRCLING JESUS Are there levels of intimacy with Christ?
58 MULTIPLIERS
68 TEACHING
• Great Needs, Gospel
• What You Need to Know
Justice • Blessed Are the Peacemakers • Free Verse
About Life Insurance • 4 Reasons to Befriend Failure • Sunday ... Without the Chaos • My Brain Has Two Buckets • Vital Tips
77 NOTEWORTHY • Books • Music • Media
89 MAKE IT COUNT 96 ONE MORE THING
Yo u r w o r l d f r o m a S p i r i t - e m p o w e r e d p e r s p e c t i v e
VITAL MAGAZINE 1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802-1894 Vital magazine is published by Vital Resources. President: Sol Arledge Vice President / Publications: Steve Blount CONTRIBUTORS Michelle Anthony, Robert Crosby, Ted Dekker, Scott Hagan, Lynda Hausfeld, Joshua Kansiewicz, Justin Lathrop, David Lindell, John Lindell, Jessica Morris, Elyse Murphy, Christina Quick, Caleb Smith, Jerry Sparks, Kaitlyn Wilson, George P. Wood, Alyce Youngblood SPECIAL THANKS TO Wini Arledge, Susan Blount, James Bradford, Douglas Clay, Alton Garrison, Gregory Mundis, Gary Rhoades, Zollie Smith, Tim Strathdee, George O. Wood EDITORIAL For editorial information or queries, contact editor@vitalmagazine. com. ADVERTISING Display rates available upon request. Contact advertising@ vitalmagazine.com. By accepting an advertisement, Vital does not endorse any advertiser or product. We reserve the right to reject advertisements not consistent with the magazine’s objectives. SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe, go to vitalmagazine.com or call 1.855.642.2011. Individual one-year subscriptions are $15. Bulk one-year subscriptions are $12 per subscriptions, for a minimum of five or more. For additional subscription rates, contact subscribe@ vitalmagazine.com. Please send all other feedback, requests and questions to feedback@vitalmagazine.com. All rights reserved. Copyrighted material reprinted with permission. All Scripture references taken from the New International Version (NIV) , unless otherwise noted. Vital magazine (Issue #03 May/June 2015) is published six times a year, in January, March, May, July, September and November for $15 per year by Vital Resources (1445 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802-1894) . Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, MO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vital magazine: 1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802-1894. Website: vitalmagazine.com Twitter: @thevitalmagazine Facebook: facebook.com/thevitalmag Instagram: @thevitalmag
The goal of Vital is to inspire readers to live life to the full—and we believe that a full life begins with knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior. If you are ready to take this step, please visit vitalmagazine.com/salvation .
VITAL SIGNS
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“NOW THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT, AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS FREEDOM. An d w e a l l . . . a re b e i n g t ra n s f o rm e d i n t o h i s i m a g e w i t h e v e ri ncr e a s i n g g l o ry, w h i c h c o m e s f ro m t h e L o rd , w h o i s t h e S p i ri t ” (1 C o r. 3 : 1 7 – 1 8 ) . A s V i t a l e x p l o re s w h a t i t m e a n s t o b e S p i ri t empo w e re d i n t h i s i s s u e , w e s t a rt h e re —w i t h a re m i n d e r t h a t t h e H o l y S p i ri t ’ s w o rk b ri n g s f re e d o m a n d j o y. P hot o c our t e sy of Pe a c e ma ke r s a nd Tr init y C hur c h M ia mi, f e a t ur e d in “B le sse d Ar e t he Pe a c e ma ke r s” ( pa ge 6 2 ) .
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FEEDBACK
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
ISSUE 02 - MARCH/APRIL 2015
Every article really blessed me. Dari’Anne H., email, Springfield, Missouri
Inspired by this beautiful Christian magazine #vital #thevitalmag #inspired @sammanjac
The Emerging India issue (Mar/Apr 2015) was outstanding. … I especially enjoyed reading your piece on emerging India and the conversation with the Chennai pastor. It was tightly written and seamless. Brett L., email, Staunton, Illinois Am just reading the latest edition of Vital magazine—so many good articles. Tonight, two have really spoken to me. The first one, “Mental Health Matters” (Mar/Apr 2015). … We (church people) can sometimes be so “religious” that we look down on or simply ignore people with depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, phobias, etc. … Three pages over, another article, “What Happens When We Worship” (Mar/Apr 2015). First paragraph: Scientific studies suggest spiritual practices like worship have a measurable impact on the brain. … A few paragraphs down: “Newberg explains that faith placed in a loving God can prolong our lives, lower feelings of depression, anxiety or grief and give greater meaning to life.”
Worship breaks chains and sets us free. Both are great articles. Danny and Sherri P., Facebook, Bella Vista, Arkansas Danny and Sherri, A great point. It is a theme we didn’t anticipate when assigning the pieces separately, but are grateful it went in that direction. Terrific job, everybody! Our church will be doubling our subscriptions. Myles H., Facebook, St. Louis, Missouri, Just picked up a copy at church today. Like the format. Krissi I., Facebook
adults outnumbering married (“What Love Has to Do With It,” Jan/Feb 2015). My son, out of the Navy after 14 years, is single and 44 years of age. There seems to be no church that caters to that age single. We are going to lose that generation unless we start treating them as important as married and young singles. Paul R., Facebook, Elk Grove, California Paul, You touch on the very reason that article was assigned and written: to encourage the global and local Church to be a welcoming place for its members, regardless of their relationship status. Thanks for reading and sharing!
ON VITALMAGAZINE.COM “What Happens When We Worship,” by Chase Wagner, originally from Mar/Apr 2015 Great article @chasejwagner on worship. Thanks for your investment! @BernieMcGraw “A Modern Day Sabbath,” by Audrey Adkins I am not the only one who has trouble resting! @PastorRuthi
I saw the article about single
Connect: feedback@vitalmagazine.com Twitter: @thevitalmag Facebook.com/thevitalmag Instagram: @thevitalmag 10
THE LEAD
FROM A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED PERSPECTIVE
P
entecost Sunday is May 24, 2015. On that date, Christians will celebrate the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ disciples. Acts 2 tells the story. Acts 2 also shapes the content of Vital, and of our cover story (“Pursuing Pentecost,” page 32). Our tagline is, “Your world from a Spiritempowered perspective.” In a word, our point of view is Pentecostal. But what does Pentecostal mean? Acts 2 highlights three outstanding traits: God-centered The ideology of our age is naturalism, which reduces everything to material causes and effects. It leaves no room for God and mocks humanity’s spiritual longings. In Acts 2, the crowd members—who jeered the disciples, saying, “They have had too much wine”—exemplified naturalism par excellence. Pentecostals are God-centered. We believe the ultimate explanation of everything that happens is God. Sure, He works through natural order. But nature cannot be reduced to matter. It must be explained in terms of the God who declares, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Vital aims to show God at work in the world He made (“What’s So Spiritual About Parenting?” page 42).
Jesus-focused The religious identity of our age is “spiritual, but not religious.” When asked to name their religion, increasing numbers of people check “None of the above.” Pentecostals believe that Jesus is God’s solution for humanity’s problems. As Peter preached in Acts 2, Jesus is the Savior who offers “forgiveness of sins”; the Healer who “works signs and wonders”; the Baptizer who “has poured out what you now see and hear”—that is, the Holy Spirit; “both Lord and Messiah,” the King who will set all things right and make all things well. Vital aims to view the world through a Jesus-focused lens (“Circling Jesus,” page 50). Spirit-empowered The default setting of too many churches in our age is nominalism. They are Christian in name only, “having a form of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). Their faith does not change them, so they
cannot change others. In Christian theology, the Spirit is associated with holiness and mission. In Acts 2, when the disciples received the Spirit, they began to speak in tongues and then to preach the gospel. Jesus said, “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart” (Matt. 15:18). If God’s words come out of our mouths, it’s because God has taken up residence in our hearts. That’s holiness. And the Word invites everyone to “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). That’s mission. Vital aims to help you experience the Spirit and move you to action, knowing that changed lives change lives (“Blessed Are the Peacemakers,” page 62; “Great Needs, Gospel Justice,” page 58). God-centered, Jesus-focused, Spirit-empowered. That’s Vital’s editorial point of view. George Paul Wood is executive editor of Assemblies of God publications.
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PULSE $9 FRAPPUCCINOS? NOT FAR OFF
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED WITH CURRENT EVENTS
MILLENNIALS FIND PURPOSE IN PEOPLE Contrary to talk that millennials are selfish and lazy, a survey that polled over 7,800 working millennials found they want to work at companies that value people just as much as the bottom line. In addition, they look up to leaders who are personable and visionary over technically skilled bosses.
The world drank nearly 142 million bags of coffee last year, and that number doesn’t seem to be going down any time soon. In fact, the demand for coffee will increase by about 25 percent in the next five years, according to the International Coffee Organization. Demand isn’t only increasing in America, where Starbucks seems omnipresent, either. This has to do with the world’s growing taste for the bean, but it also is related to the massive drought in Brazil and a plant fungus that is decreasing output in Central America.
LUTHER TOY REFORMS PLAYMOBIL SALES A figurine of Martin Luther, the German founding father of the Protestant Reformation, has taken the crown for the fastestselling Playmobil of all time. The educational toy, created to preface the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, sold over 34,000 figures in less than 72 hours.
MINORITIES PREFER INSTAGRAM Is the social media platform you favor linked to your race and ethnicity? According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, maybe so. Of social media users:
34% of Hispanics 25% of Hispanics 21% of Hispanics 73% of Hispanics
38% of Blacks 27% of Blacks 12% of Blacks 67% of Blacks
21% of Whites 21% of Whites 32% of Whites 71% of Whites
Use Instagram Use Twitter Use Pinterest Use Facebook
“WELL, YOU HAVE A POINT” Have you ever yielded to someone in a conversation or competition, even though they were incorrect or less capable? It’s evidence of an “equality bias,” which a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says many resort to in order to stay in good standing with others.
IN FAVOR OF WONDER A new study published in the journal Emotion suggests that feeling awe is good for your health. Benefits include lowered inflammation and a decreased sense of time. Another reason to take a moment to experience awe at God’s handiwork.
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WORLD
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE WORLD
AN EMPOWERED GATHERING IN JERUSALEM H
ave you ever imagined what it would be like to walk the streets Jesus walked? This summer, attendees from 120 nations will gather in the Holy Land to do just that. Led by more than 130 Spirit-empowered ministers and worship artists from around the globe, Christians will congregate the week of Pentecost, May 20 to 25, for the Empowered 21 Global Congress. The annual meeting, which takes place in Jerusalem this year, promises intimate encounters with the Holy Spirit, through powerful speakers and incredible worship. Special services held throughout the week will allow attendees to experience the historic regional landscape. At one service, an outdoor worship event will be held at Manger Square in Bethlehem. Attendees will also join together on both sides of the Jordan River to pray and worship God in the spot where it is believed that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. “This congress will be a time when our movement— the fastest growing movement in the history of Christianity—confers on the future before us and unites together in praying for a 21st century, fresh outpouring of God’s presence,” Billy Wilson and George O. Wood, Empowered 21 global co-chairs, said in a statement. Various outreach programs are scheduled throughout the week. In “Hope in the Holy Land,” Empowered21 and Convoy of Hope will partner to create an outreach that shows love and support to the residents of the region.
A LIMITED VOCABULARY The world’s languages are disappearing at an alarming rate—two languages every two weeks. Researchers say 90 percent of the world’s 6,000 languages will be extinct in just 100 years. If that number holds true, we’ll be down to just 600 languages by 2115. Historically, new languages arose because
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small communities needed ways to communicate specific details about their environments, but now many are disappearing. Developments in technology and the explosion of social media have opened up the lines of communication to the rest of the world and are forcing people to use mainly English, Spanish and Mandarin.
PULSE : WORLD THE PERCEPTION OF POWER Countries throughout the world continue to believe the rich hold all the power, according to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.
HOW IGNORANT ARE YOU? What percentage of adults in the world are literate: 40, 60 or 80? The answer: 80 percent. Did you get it right? Probably not. This is just one question from a quiz developed by Gapminder Foundation, and 22 percent of American respondents answered correctly. The foundation’s Ignorance Project is focused on finding weaknesses in world knowledge and encouraging fact-based teaching. Among other things, they’ve discovered people generally think the world is worse off than it actually is.
15% say that those with high incomes do not have enough political power, and 11% say they have the right amount, while 64% say they hold too much.
56% say that those with middle incomes do not have enough political power, and 22% say they have the right amount, while 11% say they hold too much.
MORE RELIGIONS, MORE SUCCESS? Separate analyses by CityLab, Harvard University and World Values Survey show communities with little religious diversity have lower rates of creativity and innovation than areas with more religious diversity— worth noting for Christians approaching increasingly pluralistic societies. Economic growth shifted toward areas that valued economy boosting traits like self-expression and ingenuity.
“I WOULD SAY INVISIBLE CHILDREN IS NOT CLOSING. IT IS NOW FOCUSED ON ITS MISSION STATEMENT ... TO DISMANTLE THE LRA [LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY] AND BRING AS MANY WOMEN, CHILDREN AND COMBATANTS HOME.” —Jason Russell, co-founder of Invisible Children on the closing of the organization’s headquarters, to Relevant magazine
60% say that those with low incomes do not have enough political power, and 21% say they have the right amount, while 8% say they hold too much.
GREEN PLANE TAKES FLIGHT A solar-powered plane is on a historic around-the-world journey, which is set to end in late July or August. At some points in the trip, spaced out over five months, a pilot will spend five full days and nights in the single-seat plane.
THE WORLD’S NOT-SO-WIDE WEB While it seems like everyone is online these days, a report released by Facebook’s Internet.org initiative found more than 60 percent of the world doesn’t have access to the Internet. It will take industry, governments and NGOs working together to connect the people of the world, the report says.
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PULSE : WORLD
WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF “WELCOMING THE STRANGER” Christians want to talk about immigration—even though they often disagree, and their churches rarely lead the way
C
hristians are calling for widespread immigration reform—and according to LifeWay research released in February, two-thirds of American evangelicals want policymakers to take action this year. Even so, these evangelicals often have opposing views on how policymakers should vote. Nearly half view immigrants as a drain on society’s resources and a threat to law and order, while roughly 40 percent view immigration reform as a chance to love immigrants and to share the gospel with them. While Christians take a strong stance on immigration, only one in 10 say the Bible is what influences their beliefs on the issue. The greatest influences include friends and family, the media and relationships with immigrants. About half of evangelicals surveyed are familiar with what the Bible says about immigrants, and two-thirds of Christians say they’d value a sermon on the subject.
9 IN 10 6 IN 10 600,000 % 72 % 25 MORE TWO-THIRDS American evangelicals want increased border security.
An average of about
Support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Christian immigrants become permanent U.S. residents each year. Of Americans want to protect the unity of immigrant families.
Hispanic evangelicals support a path to citizenship than white evangelicals (79 and 54 percent, respectively). Say their church has never encouraged them to reach out to immigrants.
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ABLE ALSO AVAIL H IN SPANIS
NATION
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION
THE INFLUENCES BEHIND AMERICANS’ SELF-IDENTITY If
someone asked you to name the factors that most impact your identity, what would you say? The Barna Group recently posed the question in a survey, and their results point to this top-three ranking: family (62 percent), being an American (52 percent) and religious faith (38 percent). Other shaping influences included in the study were ethnic group, career, state or city. Age seems to play a big part in the responses. Baby boomers and elders still hold patriotism very highly, while millennials and Generation X-ers lean more toward family first. Roxanne Stone, a Barna vice president, explains this generational difference. “Gen X-ers and millennials have a reputation for wanting to be individualists—for wanting to break away from traditional cultural narratives and to resist being ‘boxed in’ by what they perceive as limiting expectations.” One in five say faith didn’t affect their identity at all—but for Christians, the largest self-identified group in the survey, it is still a major influence. Among denominations, practicing Protestants are the most likely to strongly identify with faith. Bible-Belt residents, Black Americans, women and Republicans also tend to name religion as a strong influence on their personal identity.
DECIBEL LEVELS 60 40 20 0 YELLOWSTONE AND MAJOR GREAT SAND DUNES U.S. CITIES
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NOTE** THE EAST IS GENERALLY LOUDER THAN THE WEST, EVEN WHEN PREDICTING NOISE LEVELS WITHOUT PEOPLE.
LOUDEST AND QUIETEST PLACES IN THE U.S. L o o k i n g t o g e t a w a y f ro m t h e ra c k e t ? R e s e a rc h e rs f ro m t h e N a t i o n a l P a rk S e rv i c e m e a s u re d t h e c o u n t ry ’ s n o i s e t o s u rv e y w h e re a m b i e n t s o u n d l e v e l s i n t e rf e re w i t h t h e s u rv i v a l o f s p e c i e s l i k e o w l s . T h e re s e a rc h e rs m o n i t o re d 1 . 5 m i l l i o n h o u rs o f a c o u s t i c s t o c re a t e a n a l g o ri t h m t h a t c o u l d e f f e c t i v e l y m a p t h e c o u n t ry.
PULSE : NATION
MAPPING FAITH An annual survey by the Public Religion Research Institute reported on an ongoing cultural shift in America. The States are divided by religious affiliations, though they’re dominated by three groups:
“... WHILE A PART OF ME EXPERIENCED THE EXTREME LONELINESS AND ISOLATION, ANOTHER PART OF ME ALWAYS FELT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.”
UNAFFILIATED 15 STATES
—Martin Pistorius, whose body lived in a vegetative state for years while his mind was fully conscious, talking to Huffington Post about faith
As Ramadan approaches in June, a study by the Pew Research Center shows Muslims are still the most disliked religious group in America. The study shows that age is the largest factor in a negative perception toward Muslims. However, the study found that anti-Muslim sentiments decrease dramatically if respondents know people who practice the faith. Christians are perceived in a similar way worldwide, according to the International Bulletin of Missionary Research.
Increases in life expectancy, single-parent families and female employment are all factors of a recent rise in the percent of grandparents living with their grandchildren. Of the 65 million grandparents in the United States, 10 percent now live with at least one grandchild, a three percent increase from 1992.
THE WHYS AND LOWS OF FERTILITY WHITE EVANGELICAL PROTESTANTS 17 STATES
HOW AMERICANS RELATE TO MUSLIMS
MORE GRANDPARENTS AS GUARDIANS
Will lower birth rates negatively affect the economy, or lighten the outlook on limited resources? We’ll find out soon enough: American births reached a new low in 2013, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. There were 62.5 births for every 1,000 women at childbearing age (15 to 44). Researcher Gretchen Livingston, however, says to keep in mind that fertility fluctuates, in its definition and its levels.
CATHOLICS 17 STATES STUDIES BACK UP YOUR TRAVEL BUG Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index scores verify that people who take regular trips or vacations report a higher level of well-being. These scores account for Americans’ sense of purpose, financial security, ties to community and physical health. Additionally, Americans say they are happiest on weekends and experience more enjoyment without much stress. The research shows that regardless of income, the results are the same—so take that weekend camping trip or fly to the Caribbean for the week!
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PULSE : NATION
THE MILITARY’S OTHER BATTLE On Memorial Day, don’t forget those who have been lost to suicide
M
emorial Day is approaching, a day to remember and respect those who have lost their lives in service in the nation’s armed forces. Most often, we think of their deaths in the context of combat, but there is another common, yet rarely discussed killer of military men and women: suicide. In February, President Obama signed the The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, a $24 million bill named after a 28-year-old Marine Corps veteran who served overseas and took his own life in 2011. The bill’s main purpose is to promote effective suicide prevention programs in the Veterans Affairs Department. It calls for a website providing information about mental healthcare services from the VA and a three-year pilot program offering financial incentives for those who study psychiatric medicine with the intent of working for the VA. Though recent reports indicate some decline in military suicides, rates are still alarmingly high. Here is a closer look at this military mental health struggle.
Military suicides have reportedly increased to as many as
22 each day,
8,000 each year.
MAKE IT COUNT
2/3
259 troops on active-duty status died by suicide in 2013.
of the military members who died by suicide in 2013 had been deployed;
Fewer than
15
of the military members who died by suicide in 2013 had a mental health diagnosis.
%
had seen combat.
1/2
(Sources: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, The 2013 Defense Department Suicide Event Report)
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Support military and Veterans Affairs chaplains, like those at chaplaincy.ag.org/ militaryva. Learn more about the efforts of organizations like the ones below and how they provide for veterans, members of the military and their families: • Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarrior project.org) • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (samsha.gov) • National Alliance on Mental Illness (nami.org)
Ignite a renewed passion for Pentecost with the stories of these legends of the faith.
This inspiring life story tells of Smith Wigglesworth’s early years and his struggle with his faith in God. It details his ministry with his wife and how he became God’s tool for an incredible, world-renowned healing worldministry.
A timeless collection preached by late evangelist Smith Wigglesworth including inspiring truths about divine healing and other gifts of the Spirit. This study is ideal for Sunday School, small group study, Sc and personal enrichment.
Cornelia Nuzum writes with the clarity gained by a life of sacriice during her service as a missionary to Mexico and after being healed from suffering at the age of 27. Be inspired inspi by her insight into developing the sturdiest of faith foundations in your life.
Is there spiritual power for today? This Pentecostal classic shares the late English evangelist’s teachings on salvation, physical healing, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, while also encouraging believers to experience God more fully.
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MyHealthyChurch.com
CHURCH
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE CHURCH
CHRISTIAN MEDIA: ONLY FOR CHRISTIANS?
T
LOSING MY RELIGION It’s not just the name of a 90s pop song; it’s what college freshmen are saying, according to a survey conducted by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program of the Higher Education Research Institute. The findings show that nearly 28 percent of the respondents have no religious affiliation, compared to 24.6 percent last year.
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his summer is set to be one of big blockbusters, with films like The Avengers: Age of Ultron and Jurassic World creating buzz. But what about Christian films releasing soon? They may have to work hard to compete with their secular counterparts. Faith films drew much media attention (and some high earnings) last year—yet 51 percent of Americans say they didn’t see a Christian movie, according to LifeWay Research. Christian movies have a wider appeal than other Christian media forms, but all struggle to reach a non-believing audience. They entertain “a predominantly Christian constituency,” notes Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay. Two-thirds of Americans rarely or never watch Christian television, seven in ten rarely or never listen to Christian radio and 65 percent rarely or never read Christian books. The challenge for Christian producers? To identify the best ways to reach audiences and provide them with excellent, inspiring content. “We must be more effective stewards of all media forms, especially to reach those who have yet to believe,” Jerry Johnson, president of National Religious Broadcasters, says.
YOUTH LEADERS TACKLE GLOBAL ISSUES Can the gospel affect global crises? It’s a question that prominent youth ministers and United Nations leaders gathered to discuss this February. The New York meeting addressed how evangelism can address the world’s needs and included Heath Adamson of Assemblies of God youth ministries, Paul Walker of OneHope, Geordon Rendle of Youth for Christ International and Colin and Melissa Piper of the European and World Evangelical Alliance Youth Commissions. “We want to interact with culture in a way that we haven’t before,” Adamson says.
PULSE : CHURCH
ATHEISTS REWRITE DECALOGUE
MINISTERS LOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA The Internet is changing the way pastors communicate, according to a recent Barna Group study of American Protestant church leaders. Nearly 90 percent of church leaders say they believe it is theologically acceptable for a church to provide faith assistance to people through the Internet, compared to only 78 percent in 2000. Pastors who believe it is theologically acceptable for a church to provide faith assistance or religious experiences to people through the Internet:
2014
87%
2000
78%
Pastors who think people in their area would find it acceptable for their church to provide faith assistance or religious experiences to people through the Internet:
2014
86%
2000
70%
Atheists don’t believe in God—so it’s not surprising some of them attempted to rewrite the Ten Commandments. For the book Atheist Heart, Humanist Mind, atheists from around the globe weighed in with their own rules, often missing the irony as they compiled their “Ten NonCommandments.” Some results: • God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life. • The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world. • Treat others as you would want them to treat you. • There is no one right way to live.
COME AND PRAY TO ME and I will listen to you,” God says in Jeremiah 29:12. The upcoming National Day of Prayer on May 7 is a great opportunity to do so. To get more information about the annual observance, head to nationaldayofprayer.org.
“IF WE’RE GONNA SEE GOD DO SOMETHING IN OUR COUNTRY, WE’RE NOT GONNA GET THERE BY JUST HAVING THE BEST STRATEGIES. WE’RE ONLY GONNA GET THERE IF WE CLOSE OUR EYES AND OPEN UP OUR EARS AND REALIZE THAT WE ARE SHEEP AMONG WOLVES.” —Rich Wilkerson, Jr. at Catalyst Dallas 2015
RECORD GIVING FOR MISSIONARY CHALLENGE The Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge (BGMC) had a record-high giving year, raising $6,368,178 for missions. The largest contributor was nine-year-old Carson Rudy, who raised over $17,000, a record for a child’s giving to BGMC. Since the creation of the Assemblies of God program in 1949, $126,560,766 has been donated. National BGMC director David Boyd says kids “are developing a heart of compassion for the world and it shows in their giving.”
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PULSE : CHURCH
UNDERSTANDING THE TRINITY
As Trinity Sunday nears, a look at the confounding, beautiful concept of “three in one”
TRINITY SUNDAY
is May 31, 2015. It celebrates the doctrine of the Trinity (from the Latin trinus, “threefold”), which was formally defined by the Nicene Creed. The creed is acknowledged by Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians. The biblical basis of the doctrine relies on these three facts:
But this seems to result in a contradiction: How can God be both one and three at the same time and in the same respect? The Nicene Creed uses the extrabiblical term homoousios to resolve this apparent contradiction. The Father, Son and Spirit are “of the same substance” (homoousios), but they are not the same person.
MONOTHEISM
Only one God exists. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 2:5).
EQUALITY
Father, Son and Spirit are equally God. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:4)
SAME SUBSTANCE
DISTINCTION
Father, Son and Spirit are not identical. (Luke 3:22; Matthew 11:25– 27)
DIFFERENT PERSONS
For further reading on the Trinity: • Assemblies of God, Statement of Fundamental Truths, “Article 2. The One True God” • Justin S. Holcomb, Know the Creeds and Councils (Zondervan, 2014).
Another way to think of the biblical basis of the doctrine is to think of the plot of the Bible: In short, the doctrine of the Trinity describes who God is (three homoousios persons) and what God does (creation, redemption, empowerment).
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MAKE IT COUNT
GOD THE FATHER CREATES the world, which falls into sin. He resolves to save it.
GOD THE SON REDEEMS the world through His death and resurrection.
GOD THE SPIRIT IS POURED OUT for the world to fully experience the Father’s blessing.
• Michael Reeves, Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith (IVP Academic, 2012).
LIVING FOR WHAT REALLY MATTERS
Find excitement in a full-on, reignited faith. Thrill Sequence demonstrates that intentionally following Jesus is the adventure that really matters.
THINKING ABOUT
FAITH IN THE FACE OF TERROR How do Christ-followers live—even thrive—in extreme times? LYNDA HAUSFELD
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O
ne of the terrorists’ six grenades landed a couple of feet from where Kristen and her family sat on March 17, 2002 at our home church in Islamabad, Pakistan. Kristen and her mother, along with two other parishioners, perished from their injuries. I recall the agony of having to deliver the horrific news to Kara, our then 16-year-old daughter. She and Kristen were classmates and close friends. With legs curled beneath her, Kara rocked and wept into the weave of a stiff sofa cushion. “I should have been with her,” she wailed. “It was her first time to visit our church!” We were in the United States when this happened, due to an earlier 9-11 evacuation from our missionary
posting in Pakistan. My husband, who presided the church board at that time, immediately traveled back to Islamabad to help the church navigate its way through this very hostile attack. Dozens of injured and traumatized victims needed the church’s care. I’m not sure that I have words for what I felt that day and for many that followed, but God beautifully sustained us and taught us valuable basics about thriving in hostile contexts. In those days, our hostile context was mostly defined by religious extremism. Today we know that regardless of the extremism, every hostility is part of Satan’s grand scheme to thwart God’s redemptive mission.
THINKING ABOUT
So, as Christ followers, how should we live? Whether Boko Haram steals a group of girls or a teen falls victim to cyber bullying, what should our response be to terror? What can we do to preserve the safety, functionality and peace of our family and community? How do we honor God with the choices we make? Not of this World Often we get caught up in being citizens of country or culture. We look to politics, society or military might for answers to spiritual problems. In so doing, we distance ourselves from what has eternal worth. As citizens of God’s kingdom—willing participants in the realm of God’s reign and rule—we are agents of God’s forever mission to bless the nations with the Good News of Jesus Christ. With that as our reason for being, we first respond by filtering our thoughts, attitudes, emotions and choices through the sieve of biblical revelation and example. God’s Word establishes that, regardless of Satan’s agenda in the world, Jesus is always greater. When Jesus commissioned His disciples for evangelism, He sent them into a society that just weeks earlier had nailed Him to a cross. Their context would be hostile, but Jesus promised to be with them—and us—“always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:30). Whether the hostility we face is something we witness or something that threatens us personally, there is one response that supersedes all others: Simply, and unreservedly, we run to Jesus. In all ways, Jesus is for us (Rom. 8:31). He is our refuge (Ps. 62:8), our rock (Ps. 18:2), our strong tower (Prov. 18:10). He is the light in our darkness (Eph. 2:14). He comforts us (Ps. 23:4), He counsels us, and He exalts us (Prov. 29:25). “Of whom shall [we] be afraid?” (Ps. 27:1) With Kingdom citizenry comes the privilege of “powerful and effective” prayer (James 5:16). God empowers us for our predicaments, and He gives us authority to bind the works of Satan (Matt. 10:1, 18:18). Rather than let Satan’s extravagances shape our choices, we can pray. We can pray, expecting that from the ranks of every extremist agenda will emerge hosts of champions for Christ who, like the apostle Paul, will turn worlds upside down with their Gospel witness. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we learn to remain postured to receive the important lessons even terror can teach us.
Two days following our church bombing, a group of ladies returned to the sanctuary in search of comfort and closure. They walked through scattered chairs and strewn hymnals, down aisles marked by grisly violence. One of the ladies looked up to the cross that stood on the communion table, near to where one of the terrorists had blown himself up. It was splotched with his blood. This became their stark reminder that Jesus died for the terrorist too and that God willed them to love their enemies. What sets the gospel apart is God’s supreme love for us, that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). All the way to the cross, He models the love He asks us to exercise, and there He uses His final breaths to forgive His executioners. Although we might live in a fallen world, the kingdom of God context is always perfect Love himself, in whom there is no fear (1 John 4:18). God with Us God understands that it is easy to be fearful and angry. He shows us through the apostle Peter’s denials of Christ (John 18:1518, 25-27.) that our flesh will want to flee suffering, but He will love us through it. To equip us for every difficulty He assures us unrelenting companionship. He makes His home with us and reveals His “glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He invites us to abide with Him (John 15:4). His love compels and sustains us through every storm that comes our way. God can deliver us from evil, but even if ours becomes a path of suffering, He promises us that He will always be with us. With the apostle Paul, our confidence rings strong: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39). God’s love, extreme, above all.
God empowers us for our predicaments, and He gives us authority to bind the works of Satan.
Lynda Hausfeld and her husband, Mark, have served the Muslim world since 1995 as Assemblies of God World Missions missionaries and area directors. Lynda directs Say Hello: Serving Muslim Women, a vital component of Global Initiative: Reaching Muslim Peoples, of which Mark is the international director.
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WHY CHRISTIAN CONFERENCES ARE WORTH IT They cost money, draw criticism, require time—but they can also change your life JUSTIN LATHROP
I’ve
been attending Christian conferences for about as long as I can remember. Global Leadership Summit, Echo, STORY Conference, Storyline, Q, Catalyst; name a Christian conference, and you can be pretty sure I’ve been to it. And there are dozens beyond these that I haven’t been to: Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, Women of Faith, Joyce Meyer’s women’s conference, Allume, Influence Conference, Orange. I could go on. Still, despite their popularity, conferences have their critics. Some say they are too expensive, lacking diversity or over-hyped. Some wonder, should the Church really be investing time, money and energy into attending these conferences, let alone putting them on? Are conferences causing real, lasting change for believers, or are they just an excuse to fly across the country and hang out with friends? I can understand these questions. As stewards of God’s resources, any time we’re spending money it’s good to make sure we have a handle on why we’re spending. But you’ll be hard pressed to get me to back down from my position: Conferences are worth every penny. That is, if we’re doing them right. Can You Put a Price Tag on That? No matter how many Christian conferences I attend, I come home counting the ways I’ve grown, personally and professionally, and generally feeling
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THINKING ABOUT
recharged and reenergized. These conferences have been life-changing for me personally, for the teams I worked on, for the organizations as a whole. I truly believe they can be life-changing for you too. Let me share a few things you can do to solidify your conference experience and get the most bang for your (or your employer’s or church’s) buck. • Before the event, make a list of people you want to connect with and things you want to learn. Going into the event with clear expectations and a plan will increase the likelihood of your personal engagement and hold you accountable to learning. • During the event, create a written review of what you learn. This list is a great thing to share with people who have invested time, money or energy to get you to the conference itself—your small group, family, spouse, employer. It will also cement the lessons just to record them in your journal. • Immediately after the event, make a “next actions” list. Decide what you’re going to do with what you learned and communicate this clearly. • In the weeks and months after the event, reconnect with the people you met. The relationships you gain in these settings can be lifelong assets to you. Stay connected via email or social media. Turn those two-day friendships into enduring friendships. What “Conferencing” Can Give You Yes, conferences can cost a good chunk of money. Yes, they can take a good amount of time away from work and family. But “conferencing” can also give you the following four things—and probably more. 1. Conferences expose you to new ideas—if you’re open to them. When you attend a conference, you’re bound to encounter people—speakers and friends— who have experiences beyond your immediate community. Therefore, your conference experience will be packed with new ideas. These ideas can help you solve the problems you have in your organization, family or business back home. In fact, sometimes we don’t even realize a problem exists until we hear someone talk about it. I love what Romans 11:33 says: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” The wisdom of God is infinite. There are so many different “paths” to solve a problem. If we’ve tried one or two paths and they haven’t worked, it is always helpful to meet someone who has tried something else. It just might be the one idea that helps you bring even
more hearts to Christ. 2. Conferences introduce you to new people—if you’re intentional about it. Connect with people before, during and after the conference. How? Put out on social media that you and/or your group are going to the event and ask if anyone else is going. Connect with those who respond and make a tentative plan to meet up while you’re there. When you get to the conference, find time to grab coffee or a meal with them or with others you meet during the day. And keep in mind, the relationships we establish at conferences don’t always have to be outside of our circles. Sometimes getting away from the usual routine helps you connect with those in your community even more deeply. 3. Conferences help grow the Kingdom—if you’re willing to see it that way. The community you discover when you attend conferences together is not just any community. It’s a Kingdom community, perhaps even an extension of what happens on a Sunday morning. Picture the disciples, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, dispersing all over the world to preach the Good News. They were bonded together in a special way, but were scattered apart, doing God’s work. Now picture what happens when we attend conferences. We gather with people who are doing the same work, sharing the same interests, yet in different communities and contexts. The bond with them will increase our daily conviction and strength. 4. Conferences can make you more like Jesus— if you’re hungry and humble. When you’re at the conference, be at the conference. It might feel tempting to email or text message with those back home. Instead, search social media for what people are saying about the event, make a point to meet presenters and speakers, take time to pray and journal about a session, visit the exhibit area, put yourself in a position to greet new people. It probably won’t happen in a single weekend, but over time, I believe these events could make you more like Jesus. They’ll open your eyes to the injustices of the world. They’ll inspire you to speak with more conviction. They’ll energize you to seek and save those who are lost. They’ll fill you with courage and humility to continue the work you’re doing. Trust me. When you approach them like this, conferences are worth it. Justin Lathrop is the director of strategic relations for the Assemblies of God. His new book The Likeable Christian (Salubris Resources) releases fall 2015.
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THINKING ABOUT
WHEN THE ANSWERS FAIL YOU A bestselling author on his quest for faith, significance and identity TED DEKKER
I
grew up as the son of missionaries who left everything in the West to take the good news to a tribe of cannibals in Indonesia. Nevertheless, although I grew up in the church and was very familiar with all of its doctrine, I never really knew who I was or why I was significant. As such, on one level or another, I spent most of my life feeling inferior, rejected, even abandoned. I could never quite live up to the expectations other people had of me. As a result, I felt insignificant. In fact, I see now that my entire life has been one long search for my identity and for significance in this life though I was secure in the next life. As I grew older and troubles came my way, many of the neat answers I had memorized in church seemed to fail me, sometimes quite spectacularly. I began to see cracks in what
had once seemed so simple to me. I was supposed to have special power to bring healing and turn the other cheek and refrain from gossip and not judge. I was supposed to be a shining example, known by the world for extravagant love, grace and power in all respects. And yet, while I heard the rhetoric of others, I didn’t seem to have these powers myself. During my teens, I was sure that it was uniquely my fault. I didn’t have enough faith, I needed to try harder and do better. Others seemed to have it all together, but I was a failure. Can you relate? Then I began to notice that everyone seemed to be in the same boat, beginning with those I knew best. When my relationships failed; when disease came close to home; when friends turned on me; when I struggled to fit in; when life sucked me dry, I began to wonder where all the power to live life more abundantly had gone. Then I began to question whether or not it had ever really been there in the first place. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t measure up. So I pressed in harder in the hope of discovering God’s unconditional love. I went to Evangel University; I was filled with the Spirit and spoke in other tongues and even saw people healed on occasion. But deep down inside, I still couldn’t seem to measure up. And when I couldn’t measure up, I began to see with perfect clarity that most who claimed to live holy lives were just like me—a fact that was apparent to everyone but them. Did not Yeshua teach that jealousy, gossip, anxiousness and fear are just another kind of depravity? Did He not say that even to be angry with someone or call him a fool is the same as murder—not just kind of/sort of, but really? So then, I seemed to attend a church of murderers every Sunday and Wednesday. I asked myself, How, then, does one find and know peace and power in this life when surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses who only pretend to be clean by whitewashing their reputations while pointing fingers of judgment? And I wasn’t alone. All of my friends were asking the same questions. So many Christians today see a system that seems to have failed them. They have found the promises from their childhood to be suspect if not empty. What about you? You’re saved in the next life as a matter of sound doctrine, but do you often feel powerless and lost in this life? Later in my life, I began to truly know my Father and truly believe in Jesus and as a result know myself because I was in Him and He in me. He is the bush that always burns, and I walk on that holy ground, in the world but not of it. So simple yet so profound! That knowing—that tasting of my true identity—was like a fireworks show going off in my heart and mind and soul. I was loved! I was my Father’s child and I knew Him. “This is eternal life,” Jesus said, “to know the Father.” And eternity is now, unbound by time. This is abundant life. Ted Dekker is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 30 novels. This article is adapted with permission from his foreword in The Bush Always Burns (Vital Resources, 2015) by Heath Adamson.
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Reaching the changing face of America through missionaries, chaplains, and project volunteers
Assemblies of God U.S. Missions 2015 Prayer Guide Item #72–2021
Join us in praying for our U.S. missionaries and chaplains. Request your copy of the 2015 Prayer Guide
Assemblies of God
U.S. Missions
or use
the interactive prayer guide at www.usmissions.ag.org. Order online at www.myhealthychurch.com or call (877) 840–4800.
...that none perish
FE ATURES
PURSUING
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PENTECOST Why the Holy Spirit holds the answer to humanity’s cry for something more JOHN LINDELL AND DAVID LINDELL
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FE ATURES
“S piritually hungry” is a strange phrase, but a phrase that accurately describes humanity. Even in a nonreligious cultural climate, people pursue spiritual fulfillment. We want more. The latest conversations about the quest for spirituality in America revolve around a group sociologists call the “Nones.” (When asked to state their religious affiliation, these people indicate they have none.) Nones are an ever-growing demographic of the American populace. According to Pew Research Center, they make up almost one-fifth of the people living in the United States. The American Religious Identification Survey says they are the third largest “religious” group in the country. They are not hostile to religion; they just aren’t personally religious. Many consider themselves to be spiritual, though they have abandoned spiritual practices which are limited to any specific organized faith. The Nones are an example of a broader cultural shift that we are witnessing—a
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When you think of the word Pentecostal, what other words come to mind?
pronounced spiritual appetite mixed with increasing religious indifference. Spirituality is on the rise, but it’s a spirituality marked by the greatest possible inclusiveness combined with the fewest possible distinctive to produce the most culturally palatable result. The Nones embody spirituality reduced to the lowest common denominator. This spiritual longing coalesces into what Christian Smith has labeled “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.” People who believe this have a vague sense that there is a god, but it is an impersonal force. And whatever this god is, it simply wants people to be nice and subscribe to a basic moral standard. This brand of spirituality holds that the primary objective of life is personal satisfaction, and if people are good they will go to heaven—if there is one—when they die. In short, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is a vague faith in a nebulous being whose top priority is your personal happiness. They are crying for more, and their brand of spirituality is unable to answer
What is needed to experience and demonstrate more of the Spirit’s work in our lives?
their as-yet-unfulfilled cry. But what their spirituality cannot do, the Holy Spirit is both ready and able to do. CREATED FOR MORE Painting this portrait of the American religious landscape is not merely an exercise in illuminating our culture’s spiritual shortcomings. Rather, it is an effort to identify the deep-seated, unfulfilled desires of the people around us—as well as the deepest longings of our own hearts. That’s right: In witnessing this latest spiritual trend, we see the universal longing of the human heart. It’s the longing of your heart. In effect, this trend poignantly demonstrates what we already know: God has placed eternity in the hearts of people (Eccl. 3:11). At creation, a yearning was birthed within humanity. It compels nonChristians to chase spiritual satisfaction in a million places that will not placate their hunger and compels Christians to continually seek greater intimacy with God. We were created with the desire for more. The answer to this desire for more is found in the same place for both non-Christians and Christians alike. For those who have not been transformed by the power of the gospel, this longing manifests itself as an ultimately unsatisfying journey of spiritual trial and error. For Christians, it is grounded in appetites that have been both satisfied and enlarged through experiencing the power and presence of the living God. One of the most consistent cries of Christians from every
tradition is “More!” And this is as it should be. We should desire more intimacy, more depth, more faith, more strength and more power. We should desire to obtain these things—and yet the question is how? How do we experience more? This question is the impetus for countless books, articles, blog posts, podcasts and sermons, with every Christian tribe offering their own roadmap to spiritual vitality. Pentecostals and charismatics have long understood that following Christ is, at its heart, a supernatural journey, evidenced by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit works in and through the believer in a way that surprises and even astounds the unbeliever. But how is that experience initiated and sustained? Having been filled with the Spirit, what is needed to experience and demonstrate more of the Spirit’s work in our lives? JESUS: THE PROTOTYPE FOR MORE Luke’s two-volume work on the ministry of Jesus and His followers makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is key to a supernatural life and ministry. Jesus’ conception, His entrance into human history as a man, was by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). At His baptism, Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, filled by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit (3:22). Repeatedly in his Gospel accounts, Luke reminds us of the importance of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus, stating that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit,” He was “led by the Spirit” (4:1). He came “in the power of the Spirit” (4:14) He was “full of joy in the Holy Spirit” (10:1). Prior to healing the paralytic, Luke adds, “and the power of the Lord was present for him to perform healing” (5:17). In the Book of Acts, the link between the Holy Spirit and a supernatural ministry is also inescapable. As soon as the apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit, their ministry features a bold proclamation of the gospel accompanied by signs and wonders (Acts 2:4, 11, 14ff). In other words, their lives began to mirror Jesus’ life in accelerated fashion. The Spirit not only empowers—which is the part we tend to focus the bulk of our attention on—but also conforms believers into the image of Jesus in very dramatic fashion.
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BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT A Q&A with George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, U.S.A What is baptism in the Holy Spirit? The New Testament speaks of three baptisms. The first is when the Spirit baptizes us into Christ (1 Cor.12:13). We call this conversion. The second baptism is in water, the external evidence of our conversion (Acts 2:38, 41). The third is when Christ baptizes us in the Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:8). In each case, baptism is immersion: immersion into Christ, immersion into water and immersion into the Holy Spirit. The agent of the baptism is different in each case: the Spirit in conversion, the person who baptizes another in water and Christ who baptizes in the Spirt. I love to refer to baptism in the Spirit as being overwhelmed in the Spirit. That overwhelming can be subsequent to conversion (Acts 2:4) or contemporaneous with conversion (Acts 10:44-46). Ideally, all three baptisms should occur together as part of a cluster experience. How does speaking in tongues relate to baptism in the Holy Spirit? Speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 10:44–46; 19:4–7). It’s initial because it’s a gateway into Spirit-empowered living. It’s physical because it involves the ability to pray aloud in a language a person hasn’t previously learned. And it’s evidence because just as being wet is a sign of having been immersed in water, so speaking in tongues is a sign of having been immersed in or overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. As we look at Acts 2, we see that baptism in the Holy Spirit results in our reaching upward to God in worship (vv. 4, 11, 47), outward in evangelistic concern (vv. 14, 40–41) and inward to leading godly lives (vv. 42–47). Tongues is not the entirety of baptism in the Holy Spirit, but according to Scripture, it cannot be eliminated from the experience either. Continued on page 39 ...
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FE ATURES
If people knew about Jesus, they knew about signs and wonders.
Though we may be tempted to separate the empowering of the Spirit from the Spirit’s work in molding us into Christlikeness, Luke does not. The evidence of this comes in the Pentecost event itself, through the sign that the Father’s promise of the Spirit has been realized. Luke wrote in Acts 2:4, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” In one swift move, the Spirit took the reins of the most unruly part of the human body—the tongue (James 3:8). In doing so, He displayed His power to conform and to empower—in other words to make us like Jesus and embolden us to communicate the gospel with Christlike intensity. But for many believers, the inspiration found in reading Luke’s account dissipates as they consider the absence of power from their own lives. They are dismayed that their spiritual experience seems so far removed from the apostles’. They acknowledge that God is supernaturally at work in them to conform them to Christ. At the same time, however, they confess their lives do not reflect the power that was so tangibly present in Jesus’ life and ministry. This gap should unnerve people who are passionate about their lives mirroring Jesus’ life, because
when the Early Church talked about Jesus, they talked about the supernatural. In Acts 2:22, Peter said that Jesus was “a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” If people knew about Jesus, they knew about signs and wonders. Perhaps it would be helpful to define what Peter meant when he said, “miracles wonders and signs.” A “miracle” is a “mighty work” that displays otherworldly power. A “sign” is something that points beyond itself to something else, in this case, God’s activity in the world. A “wonder” is an incident that provokes people to stand back in amazement—a moment of jaw-dropping, head-turning astonishment. So Jesus’ ministry was characterized by mighty works that pointed beyond themselves and caused people to stand in awe. Signs and wonders are meant to awaken people to the deeper realities of life. This is something the apostle Paul pointed to in talking about the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians when he said that they are given “for the common good” (12:7) and to provoke unbelievers to recognize that “God is really among you” (14:25). Paul expected that the power of the Spirit, on display through these gifts, would regularly be experienced by believers as the Lord worked through them to build His Church. DEBRIS IN THE RIVER In a recent series at our church on the Gospel of John, we revisited Jesus’ striking words at the Feast of Tabernacles. “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive” (John 7:37–39). Josephus, the Jewish historian, wrote that the Feast of Tabernacles was the most joyous and widely celebrated of the Jewish feasts. This was the time set aside for the Jewish people to gather and celebrate how God had sustained them in the wilderness with manna from heaven and water from the rock. On two occasions during their desert wanderings, the Lord, through Moses, caused a river of water to burst forth from a rock—enough water to satisfy the needs of two million people and their livestock (Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:11). Now Jesus stood up in the midst of the Feast and in essence said, “I am the true rock, and the real water flows from me.” God wants His power to burst forth from us like a mighty Mississippi to quench the thirst of the dry and dusty souls who need the satisfying life and power only He can give. God desires to make His Spirit’s power tangibly felt in the lives of Jesus’ followers. Jesus’ words—“come to me and drink”—issue a serious challenge in the face of our own experience of the Spirit. Does His promise of “living water” match the vibrancy of our spiritual experience? Do our lives show the rushing, mighty power of a
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FE ATURES
heavenly river surging forth from our heart as a channel of God’s blessing and power? If we are honest, the flow of living water from our lives often seems less like a river and more like a stream, a quiet creek or, at times, a dripping faucet: rivers reduced to a trickle. How does the mighty Mississippi of the Spirit’s power become a leaky hose? Through the presence of debris that dams up or misdirects the flow of God’s power in our lives. Careless and sinful attitudes, like debris in a river, hinder the flow of God’s working through us and relegate us to lives that are less than God desires. On more than one occasion, the apostle Paul reminds us that in our journeys toward Christlikeness, we must guard against grieving or quenching the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30, 1 Th. 5:19). Sometimes, we have failed to dredge our life’s riverbed, and the debris of sin has built up. For many believers, the debris that dissipates the flow of the Spirit’s power looks less like “obvious” sins that hinder sanctification and more like setbacks that stem from a faith not fully formed or informed. For example, the debris of disappointment keeps many a disciple from experiencing the torrential power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. When faced with a crisis, they believed God for a miracle and backed up their devotion with fasting and prayer. With faith in their hearts, they waited for that moment when heaven would touch earth and the miracle would occur. But the miracle did not come, at least not in the way they hoped and believed it would. Their faith, once seemingly strong, started to fray. Questions filled their minds and disappointment flooded their hearts as they were left with the
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aching notion: “I prayed and nothing happened.” Hope gave way to disappointment. Other debris can fill the riverbed of our hearts and diminish the flow of the Holy Spirit. Fear, personal insecurity and even an unruly schedule can all leave us with less of the Spirit’s power flowing through our lives. What is the solution? MORE STARTS WITH LESS The path to more spiritual power always begins with repentance and prayer. Matthew tells us, “Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’ ” (4:17). Repentance is where Jesus began His work with His disciples. What is repentance? The word repentance is the Greek word metanoeo, meaning “to think differently, to reconsider.” It has less to do with feeling remorse than it does with changing our thinking. And if we change our thinking, we will change our living. The human tendency is to go for the quick fix, which is why the idea of repentance as saying “I’m sorry” is so popular. That’s not repentance; repentance is a Romans 12:2 experience of being transformed by the renewing of our mind. When Jesus preached repentance, He called people to think about the kingdom of God in a new way. Simon Holley, in his book Sustainable Power, calls repentance a “total mind-shift concerning the things of God.” The human heart tends to adopt traditions, accommodate personal preferences and adjust theology to experience. The tendency weakens faith and slows our pursuit of God. This is one of the reasons why Martin Luther, the instigator of the Protestant Reformation, began the NinetyFive Theses with this statement: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said ‘Repent,’ He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Recognizing our need for the renewed mind that only the Holy Spirit can bring will once again set us on the path to a greater experience of His working in our lives. The renewing of our minds happens best when we pull ourselves away to spend time in His presence. Time in God’s presence recalibrates the compass of our hearts and ultimately changes our perspective. Most of us long for God to change us instantaneously and, by the grace of God, there are times when certain areas of our lives do experience a wonderful miracle in a moment of transformation. But by and large, the Spirit’s work in us comes by
What are some other places you have sought to satisfy your longing for more? What was missing?
way of sustained time in God’s presence. In his book Secret Power, the 19th century evangelist D.L. Moody, wrote: I believe firmly, that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and self-seeking, and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Ghost will come and fill every corner of our hearts; but if we are full of pride and conceit, and ambition and self-seeking, and pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God; and I believe many a man is praying to God to fill him when he is full already with something else. Before we pray that
God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray him to empty us. More starts with less. Could it be that the greatest inhibitor of the Spirit’s work in our lives is the stockpile of dormant disappointments, errant attitudes, harbored fears, penetrating insecurities and out-ofcontrol calendars? If this is the case, then experiencing more will begin with repentance and time with Jesus as He dislodges whatever has obstructed the rivers of the Holy Spirit’s power. In Mark 9:29, the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast the demon out of a boy. Jesus responded, “This kind can only come out by prayer.” (Some manuscripts add the editorial comment “and fasting.”)
BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT Continued from page 36 ... How do I receive the baptism in the Spirit? Jesus said that we should ask to receive (Luke 11:13). There must be a hunger or desire for more of the Spirit in our hearts. We also must remember that we are speaking of the Holy Spirit, so we must examine our lives and ask Him to cleanse our hearts. It often helps to find someone who has experienced baptism in the Spirit to lay hands on us and pray for us to receive. Finally, as the Spirit begins to form unknown words in your thoughts, speak them out. Through these words that you do not understand, the Spirit is interceding for you with “groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26, ESV). Remember, however, that baptism in the Spirit is a starting point, not a finish line. Our desire should be to live all our days in the fullness of the Spirit.
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Some things only happen as the result of a life permeated by seasons spent with God.
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Our Lord is letting us in on the secret to a life of power: sustained time in His presence. Some things only happen as the result of a life permeated by seasons spent with God. In a world full of spiritual seekers but short on spiritual fulfillment, God wants His people to exemplify what humanity must do with its longing for more. Our calling is to be living, breathing, fountains of living water. You cannot read Scripture without coming to the undeniable conclusion that God’s desire is to move through the lives of His people. He desires to clear away whatever debris is hindering the flow of the Spirit’s power. He desires to satisfy and intensify the spiritual longings He has birthed within our hearts. Jesus’ words in John 14, just before He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples, put this desire on display, reminding us once again of God’s vision for His people: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (vv. 12–13). Neither the origin of nor the solution to humanity’s longing for more can be found within ourselves. God has birthed our desire to experience more of Him out of His own great desire to do more in and through us.
VISUALIZING THE HOLY SPIRIT A look at Scriptural symbols for the Comforter
Wind (John 3:8; Acts 2:2)
Water (John 7:37-39)
Fire (Luke 3:16-17; Acts 2:3)
Oil (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38; 1 John 2:20, 27)
Dove (Luke 3:22)
Seal (Ephesians 1:13)
John Lindell is lead pastor of James River Church in Ozark, Missouri.
Downpayment (Ephesians 1:14)
Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) David Lindell is campus pastor
Gift (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
of James River’s west campus in Springfield, Missouri.
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WHAT’S SO SPIRITUAL ABOUT PARENTING? Raising a family is much more than a tiring routine MICHELLE ANTHONY
P
arenting is a commitment of epic proportions. As parents, we spend our days accomplishing a vast list of important and (let’s face it) not so important things. These things are time consuming and taxing on our finite human resources. Although the necessary duties fill our days, there is also something spiritual about our parenting that often gets lost in the mundane. As we take time during this season and celebrate these important roles on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, how can we also capture a glimpse of eternity in the midst of the ordinary? How can we be inspired afresh to not just spend our hours, but invest our days in what matters most?
Don’t have children of your own? Look for truths in this article that might apply to your family or community dynamic, or even a mentor/mentee relationship.
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Faith Through the Family As a parent, I wanted to know that I wasn’t merely putting my efforts toward a childhood belief system, but that these efforts would transform my child and become manifested in a lifelong faith. We certainly want our faith to endure for all generations, and in order to do this, we must become confident and focused about the kind of faith we are passing on to our children and grandchildren. Let’s look at what God has to say about faith. When Jesus spoke of His imminent return in Luke 18:8, He said, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” He actually told us what He would expect from us. He could have said a myriad of things, but He said faith. In Psalm 78, we find a blueprint of God’s grand method for faith replication throughout all generations. Verse four says, “We will not hide
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How can we be inspired afresh to not merely spend our hours, but invest our days in what matters most?
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them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” This beautiful psalm shares God’s intent for the family—that each generation would pass on their faith to the next, and do so in such a way that faith would pass to the children even yet to be born. So, not only did He say that faith was the primary thing that He would expect from us someday, but He also set up an infrastructure that He envisioned would be best for this type of replication: the family. Imperfect Parents, Imperfect Children, Perfect God Sometimes when I think about the importance of parenting and the lives that have been entrusted to me, I am often tempted to kick into “make it happen” mode. I want to step in and just make my kids have faith. And sometimes that means I fall into the temptation of simply making them have good behavior. Yet Jesus warned against this type of faith perspective. Having faith is not about just “doing good stuff.” Jesus made this point when He gave the example of how we are to abide in the Vine. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). He is the Vine. We are the branches. The vine is the plant’s food source. It is the way the branches are nourished with nutrients and water, which bring life to the budding fruit. Apart from Him we can do nothing. He instructs us that as we abide, then and only then will we bear fruit. There’s also a caution in this for us to not just do “good stuff ” without the power source
that makes it good: God himself. I love the visual embedded in this passage. I was once visiting Temecula, California, where there are vast and picturesque vineyards as far as the eye can see. As I drove down the road that day, I saw something that stood out to me, a visual expression that I will never forget. On one side of the road was a beautiful vine abounding with huge clusters of luscious grapes. Underneath this vine, somebody had painted on a wooden board the words, “Abide in me and you will bear much fruit.” In contrast, on the other side of the road stood a lonely, withered branch. It was lifeless, with dead leaves. Here it stood, just one ugly branch, useful for nothing. A wooden board also accompanied this branch, stating, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” This physical image helped bring to life what Jesus had said. It seems that Jesus was making a qualitative statement. He was saying, “In My eyes, unless you act in My strength, it will amount to nothing. You can ‘do good things,’ but its value will be nothing.” Intellectually, I understand that only God can change my children’s lives. But I confess to you that I am tempted daily to look to my own efforts to walk this life of faith. Not only do I find this temptation in my own life, but I also struggle enormously not to impose this false faith on my children by encouraging them to simply try harder as well. In Philippians 2:13, Paul reminds us that it is God who is at work within each of us, working out His will and giving us the power to do so through His Spirit. Our job (and really, our privilege) is to place our children in the path where He is at work. We get to come alongside where He is already moving. We get to put God on display in our homes by showing our children how He is at work, what His character is like and what it means to pursue a godly life in relationship with Him. When we place our children in proximity to God and then let God do the supernatural work in their lives, we are living out what it means to be a spiritual parent. It’s not so much about being a perfect parent, but rather about being an imperfect parent, raising imperfect children, in an imperfect world—pursuing a perfect God together.
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ALL IN THE FAMILY Dr. Vern Bengtson of the University of Southern California has committed much of his research to studying changes within families over generations, such as how faith is transmitted to children and grandchildren. The key? Consistent modeling of faith and meaningful parent-child relationships. “Warm, affirming parents, especially fathers, tend to be the most successful” in passing on their faith, Bengtson told Christianity Today of his research. Other findings: • 6 in 10 children will adopt their parents’ beliefs as adults. • 4 in 10 grandchildren claim the same faith as their grandparents. • Between 1970 and 2005, parentyouth similarity of religion did not decline, though denominational loyalty did. For more, read Bengtson’s book Families and Faith: How Religion Is Passed Down Across Generations (Oxford University Press, 2013).
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Habits of Spiritual Parenting Consider these seven tips that can turn the routine duties of parenting into a life that has a spiritual, God-centered perspective: 1. Abandon the idea of perfect parenting. We need to start with ourselves: When we fail, we can simply ask for forgiveness. This models how our children should respond when they make mistakes. It’s important to also set realistic goals and communicate these to our family members. When we live an honest and authentic life before our children, this will nurture a compelling relationship with them in the future. 2. Focus on the heart of your child—not just their behavior. We need to recognize that there is often something more below the surface of the misbehavior. We can be open to finding that out with God’s wisdom. And when handing out the discipline, we can maximize natural consequences (they have the greatest long-term impact), rather than using shame and guilt to motivate our children toward a certain behavior. Both of these motivators ultimately destroy the soul. 3. Choose to worry less and pray more. Worry is an energy zapper and not part of God’s plan for our lives. It is critical to set aside time each day for a few minutes of quiet reflection in God’s Word and prayer. When a difficult situation arises, we can choose to ask, in prayer, for wisdom and strength before acting.
What standards and behaviors did your own parents or grandparents pass on to you?
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THE CHURCH: A FAMILY OF MANY FAMILIES How can today’s Christians work toward the growth and health of tomorrow’s Church? Roger Gibson, senior director of national adult and family ministries for the Assemblies of God, says the work starts at home. “The thing that must never change (about the Church) is the focus of reaching the lost. And so many of our homes are not equipped to reach the lost within their own homes,” Gibson told Vital. “God created us for connection, for relationships. We believe iron sharpens iron, so how does that really impact … my family, if I’m not connected into the greater picture of the Family, which is the Church?”
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4. Talk with (not at) your child every day. Looking our children in their eyes when speaking gives them great importance and value. When we listen with generosity to the things that are important to our children, we are building a trust relationship. It is also important to be aware of what is not being said and to ask questions that will allow our children to share their hearts. In order to do these things effectively, we may need to take time each day away from the interruptions and distractions of media or technology.
When we live an honest and authentic life before our children, this will nurture a compelling relationship with them in the future. 5. Be involved with like-minded parents. Getting involved in a local church gives our children a sense of belonging to a faith community with shared beliefs. We can also intentionally seek ways to meet neighbors with our same values to create play groups or outings. And we need not be afraid to take time for ourselves to have conversations with other adults, guilt-free! 6. Give your child a strong sense of identity. Bless children with positive words when identifying them (Examples: “He is a good listener” rather than “He is shy.” “She is creative and expressive” rather than “She’s not really into sports.”). This allows them to see their individual qualities as gifts from God, not burdens to hide or bury. We can also tell our children stories of our family’s histories and heritage, while sharing our faith journeys—potholes and all! 7. Create opportunities for your child to serve others. A heart of service begins with allowing our children to be exposed to the needs in the community around us. We can help our children to determine his/her gifts and how he/she might put those into action for the sake of someone else. Start today to put these things into practice. At the end of the day, you may still feel exhausted as you drop into bed, but you will know that you have invested in what really matters most: passing on faith to your child, with a dependence on the Spirit. Ultimately, this is what honors God in our parenting.
Michelle Anthony is vice president and publisher of learning resources at David C Cook. She is author of Spiritual Parenting, Dreaming of More for the Next Generation, The Big God Story and Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family (all titles through David C. Cook) . She has 25+ years of experience in children’s and family ministries and graduate degrees in Christian education, Bible and theology from Talbot School of Theology and Southern Seminary.
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Are there levels of intimacy with Christ? The Gospels say yes—and call us ever closer. ROBERT CROSBY
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W hat is the biggest thing anyone ever asked Jesus to do? Do you know? Can you recall? One day someone approached Jesus and asked Him for something no one else had ever had. It was such an extravagant request that everyone who heard stared in disbelief. At that moment and right in broad daylight, with all the disciples looking on, this person walked right up to Jesus, knelt down and asked Him for a ring. Don’t you remember this story? Perhaps not, but happen it did. Oh yes, there once was a woman who had the nerve—or should I say boldness—to come to Jesus with a most unique request. It was not for a loaf of bread, or healing or the answer to a question or a puzzle; it was for a ring. Yes, a ring. No, it was not a wedding ring she was after. It was a ring of a different kind. Her question was not, “Will you marry me?” but “Will you do something for me, something no one else every would or even could do?” The woman who approached Jesus was the mom of James and John, both disciples of Jesus and a part of the Twelve. She wanted
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something desperately for her sons, and she was determined to go straight to Jesus himself and ask. No passing it through committees for her. And her request? Or wish? She asked Him, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom” (Matt. 20:21). This mom was on a mission. Her request caught the attention of Jesus, all the disciples and more than one Gospel writer. It was a startling and shocking request because of what it implied and what it sought. The implication was that there are levels of closeness in relationship and proximity to Jesus. Although her sons were already among the twelve disciples of Jesus, she sought for them a place closer still. Three questions emerge from this story: 1) Are there levels of closeness to Jesus? 2) Can we actually request to sit in those most privileged places? and 3) Can we really ask Jesus for a ring? I wonder. Don’t You? Well, at least one woman most certainly thought so. The Rings of the Lord Jesus had an inner circle. The Bible offers plenty of examples. As a matter of fact, He had several circles or rings of relationship around Him. When the mother of James and John asked Jesus to allow her sons to enter one of those rings, He did not deny her request. However, He did ask them an important question: “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” (Matt. 20:22). She did not fully comprehend the magnitude of her request, but Jesus certainly did. Pastor and author J. Oswald Sanders said, “We are as close to God as we choose to be.” God has made it perfectly clear He is vitally interested in being close to every man and woman He has made. One of my great concerns for the Church, however, is that we not only challenge people to grow closer to Jesus, but that we also find ways to help them know when they are doing just that. After all, what would it be like to meet with an athletic coach week after week for years and hear him say again and again, “Win the game!” but he never lets you play? Or you never find out whether you actually are growing and improving as an athlete?
Take some time to read through the profiles of the different “circles” surrounding Christ, on the following page. Which one best describes you now?
FINDING YOUR CIRCLE THE CROWDS Watching and listening Focal point: My questions Motivation: Curiosity Primary characteristic: Popular culture Drawn to: Jesus’ Teachings Temptations: To watch and not see; to listen and never hear Barriers to growth: Unbelief THE FIVE THOUSAND Feeding and healing Focal point: My needs Motivation: Felt needs Primary characteristic: Consumers Drawn to: Jesus’ gifts Temptations: To see God as a Cosmic Vending Machine Barriers to growth: Selfishness THE SEVENTY Serving and working Focal point: My role Motivation: Purpose Primary characteristic: Colaborers Drawn to: Jesus’ mission Temptations: To do the Work of the Lord and forget the Lord of the Work Barriers to growth: Works trap THE TWELVE Leaving and following Focal point: God’s will/call Motivation: Belonging Primary characteristic: Cohorts/ comrades Drawn to: Jesus’ journey Temptations: To follow at a distance or on own terms Barriers to growth: Self-will
But many Christ followers feel exactly that way. Their leaders and the Bible regularly challenge them to grow, and yet they remain uncertain about whether they actually are growing. Consider the rings of relationships that gravitated around Jesus as He walked this planet. I call them the “Rings of the Lord” or the “Circles of Christ.” An overview of the Gospels shows there were at least six identifiable groups around Jesus: 1. the Crowds 2. the Five Thousand 3. the Seventy (or some versions translate this as the Seventy-two) 4. the Twelve 5. the Three 6. the One
THE THREE Praying and sharing Focal point: God’s ways Motivation: Growth Primary characteristic: Confidants Drawn to: Jesus’ passion Temptations: To horde God’s blessings Barriers to growth: Prayerlessness THE ONE Dying and identifying Focal point: God’s presence Motivation: Relationship/love Primary characteristic: Closest Drawn to: Jesus himself Temptations: To resist the Cross Barriers to growth: Fear
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Each group represents a circle or ring of relationship to the Lord, six stages or areas in relationship to Jesus Christ. They represent places to which people came and experienced Him. Adding to Intimacy Each of the six rings of relationship around Jesus was characterized by something important, even developmental, in our relationship to God. Let’s take a quick tour of each: The Crowds. The outermost ring of association with Jesus and the first one we come to is the Crowds. Crowds started to gather around Jesus early in His ministry. These groups at times probably numbered in the tens of thousands and perhaps more. On one occasion, the Pharisees were so astounded by the Crowds they said, “Look, the world has gone after him” (John 12:19, ESV). Among all the circles of relationship around Jesus, the Crowds were the most impressive in size and yet often the least impressive in soul and substance. The Crowds were the most loosely committed bunch then and still are today. Nonetheless, they represent an important, even precious, place—the place in which all Jesus’ followers begin their journey. The experience of knowing Christ is more of a lifelong journey than a momentary experience. It is related to not just our position on doctrines but our personal choice in pursuing our relationship with Christ and our proximity to Him. The Crowds represent those who follow Jesus to the places of watching and listening. They come to watch what Jesus might do and to hear what He has to say. This place requires the least commitment. It was from this ocean of observers, however, that several fish were eventually caught in Christ’s net. The Five Thousand. The Five Thousand did more than observe and evaluate Jesus as He touched and helped them. This group followed Him into the desert, desperate not to miss even one of His miraculous works of healing or provision (John 6:1–15). The Five Thousand represent those who follow Jesus to the places of feeding and healing. They joyfully discovered then, and still do today, that Jesus has many truths to teach and
Jesus had an inner circle. … As a matter of fact, He had several circles or rings of relationship around Him. many gifts to offer. Although Jesus willingly and lovingly met so many of their needs and led them to this place, He did not want them to stay there. The Seventy. Next were the Seventy. Out of the larger groups, a select team rose up to share in Jesus’ ministry. You might say these people left the ring of observation and entered the ring of participation. The Seventy would do the same works they had seen Jesus do. The Seventy represent those who follow Jesus to the places of working and serving. To this day, many followers of Jesus make it to this ring in their relationship with Him but go no farther. Yes, ministry was and is important, but Jesus wanted them to understand that His call was not primarily to work harder but to come closer to Him. That’s what this journey is all about.
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Followers of Jesus refuse to follow at a distance; if you’re not moving closer, you’re moving away.
The Twelve. The ring most familiar to us is the Twelve, Jesus’ beloved band of brothers, His chosen disciples: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles” (Luke 6:12–13, emphasis mine). Christ called this “Shepherd’s dozen” to leave all they had and follow Him. The Twelve represent those who walk with Jesus to the places of leaving all and following Him. As they entered this ring, they left their own wishes and selfish desires and entered into a new place of surrender to Jesus. But as close to Christ as this ring was, there were closer places still. The Three. One of the innermost circles around Jesus was His cabinet of Three. Church history respectfully dubbed this ring the Triumvirate. Triumvirate is a Latin term that refers to a powerful team of three individuals. Of all Jesus’ disciples, there were three who saw, heard and experienced the most. The Three represent those who follow Jesus to the places of glory and suffering. These were the confidants of Christ. He entrusted them with insights and experiences the rest of the Twelve were apparently unprepared to hear or know. The One. Ultimately only one person bears the distinction of having been the closest person to Christ during His earthly ministry. I like to think of this person as the One, the closest One. The One sat right next to Jesus at the Last Supper. The One listened closer to Jesus’ words than anyone else and, as a result, recorded more of them than anyone else. The One was
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the go-to man when Jesus’ disciples had a question they wanted to ask Him. The One spotted Jesus on the shore when no one else in the boat recognized Him. The One followed Christ to at least one place no other among the Twelve would go. Desiring God Our desire for God is a gift we must regularly open and engage if we are to fully realize and enjoy it. While salvation is an unconditional gift of God’s grace, some intimacies with God come only with a relentless pursuit of Him. Author and pastor A. W. Tozer warned against rigid and overly structured approaches to God and faith: “The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. … We [must remember] that God is a Person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can.” The promise of Scripture affirms His glorious invitation: “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8, emphasis mine). Make no mistake, there is one place and one place alone to which Christ wants you to be when it comes to Him, and that is closer. Remember, followers of Jesus refuse to follow at a distance; if you’re not moving closer, you’re moving away.
Robert Crosby is a conference speaker, writer and pastoral leader. He is currently a professor of practical theology at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He writes for Christianity Today, Patheos. com, Leadership Journal, Outreach Magazine and the Huffington Post. He and his wife, Pamela, are the founders of Teaming Church Conferences and Resources. This article is excerpted with permission from his book The One Jesus Loves (Thomas Nelson, 2014) .
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Great Needs, Gospel Justice Bruce Strom blends his legal expertise with Christian compassion to help those living in poverty GEORGE PAUL WOOD
O “All people are created in God’s image, have dignity and value before Him.” 58
ne in seven Americans live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent data. That’s 45.3 million Americans—19.9 million of them children. Worse, one in 16 Americans live in deep poverty, which is defined as making 50 percent of the poverty threshold. For a dad, mom and two kids, deep poverty amounts to an annual income of $11,925 or less. Like many American Christians, Bruce Strom once thought, “The poor made their own problems”—problems like abusing drugs, raising children out of wedlock or entering the country illegally. “I just didn’t know anybody who was poor,” Strom, president and CEO of Gospel Justice Initiative, now confesses. That changed in the fall of 2000 when he sat across the table from Jonathan and Denise, two homeless people facing trespassing charges because they sought shelter in a grocery store from the extreme cold outside. Jonathan, it turned out, used to be a corporate executive and had a graduate degree. He had lost his job, then in turn, his home and family. Hearing his story, Strom had a “There but for the grace of God, go I” moment.
Like many attorneys, Strom did pro bono legal work for indigent clients. He started Administer Justice in 2000 to coordinate lawyers volunteering their time for these cases. The organization took its name from Zechariah 7:9–10: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.” Over the next three years, the organization’s caseload grew as people in need heard about the services it provided. All along, Strom felt God calling him to leave his successful legal practice, but like Jonah, he resisted. “Men are wired to be providers,” he muses. “My identity was strongly rooted in what I did, in making money.” And as with Jonah, God used adverse circumstances—including three personal lawsuits in a sixmonth period—to get Strom out of for-profit lawyering and into legal ministry.
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[Administer Justice] attorneys desire to meet “the spiritual and legal needs of the poor.” The phrase legal ministry sounds like an oxymoron to many Christians, including Strom’s Christian friends at both ends of the political spectrum. “Some are strong on social justice,” he says, “but leave Christ out of the question.” Others are “strongly gospel-focused but don’t see the need to do justice work.” From the start, Administer Justice combined both. Its attorneys desire to meet “the spiritual and legal needs of the poor.” Meetings begin with prayer, and conversation often turns to the light a biblical perspective can shine on the client’s situation. The goal is never merely to solve clients’ legal problems, but also to give them hope. “All people are created in God’s image, have dignity and value before Him,” Strom says. “He desires a relationship with every person.” The legal problems those living in poverty face often rob them of their feelings of worth and fill them with fear instead. Strom says the most common problems deal with “family,” “housing” and “consumer issues.” Strom acknowledges that “the breakdown of the family is tearing the fabric of the country.” He also recognizes that even broken families need legal help sorting out custody and child support issues, among others. “The leading poverty demographic is a single mom,” he points out. Zechariah 7:10 singles out “the widow and the fatherless,” so shouldn’t Christians be concerned about providing for these women and children too? With little money, the poor often
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find themselves desperately in need of cash to pay rent and buy food. This leaves them at the mercy of predatory lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates on payday loans. Administer Justice steps in to work with clients and their creditors to reach a just settlement. As Administer Justice grew, calls poured in to Strom from around the country, asking him for advice about setting up a legal ministry in their own church. From that was birthed the Gospel Justice Initiative, which Strom says provides “training, support and resources to establish church-based initiatives to help the poor.” Strom wants to be on the leading edge of the Church making a difference in society. “The Church that started healthcare, the Church that started education, why have we not used the legal profession to meet the needs of the poor?” he asks. It’s a good question, and one that Strom hopes more Christians will strive to answer.
MAKE IT COUNT Learn more about the Gospel Justice Initiative at gji.org. You can also read Bruce Strom’s book Gospel Justice: Joining Together to Provide Help and Hope for Those Oppressed by Legal Injustice (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2013).
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Blessed Are the Peacemakers How an outreach of Trinity Church Miami is making an impact in its community CHRISTINA QUICK
M “By taking care of the needs of the poor, we’re showing people that what we say is what we do.” —Rich Wilkerson 62
iami Beach—with its celebrity-owned mansions, luxury spas and exclusive country clubs— is home to some of the most expensive zip codes in America. Yet, a few blocks from the pristine, palmlined drives is another world, where people struggle under the heavy weight of poverty, violence, gang activity, drug addiction and human trafficking. In the shadow of homes listing for more than $10 million, about one in five MiamiDade County residents live below the poverty line, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. The county’s minors and seniors are especially vulnerable to poverty, and many adults struggle to find full-time employment. “It’s a city where wealth and luxury frame massive human poverty and tragedy,” says Rich Wilkerson, senior pastor of Trinity Church in Miami, a congregation with approximately 4,000 weekly attendees. Wilkerson and his wife, Robyn, are the founders of Peacemakers, a social services organization that is bringing help and hope to this diverse urban area. Peacemakers began with a single government grant in 1998 that allowed the church to start a summer
day camp for inner-city children. Since that time, Peacemakers has won $27 million in grants to fund everything from a food pantry and job counseling services to parenting education and an afterschool program. “My heart has always been for the poor and disenfranchised,” Wilkerson says. “The needs are overwhelming, but by the grace of God, we’ve carved out something here that is making a real difference.” Wilkerson acknowledges that church and government alliances require finesse, but he believes it is worth the effort. While guidelines prohibit proselytizing through programs that receive public funds, he attributes his church’s rapid growth to its commitment to serving the community. “We know that if people don’t change spiritually, you can pour money on the problems all day long without any true progress,” Wilkerson says. “But by taking care of the needs of the poor, we’re
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“By dealing with the root issues, we’re seeing entire situations turning around.” —Linda Freeman
showing people that what we say is what we do.” As it turns out, that message is attracting attention and earning the respect of Miami area residents from many walks of life. Linda Freeman, executive director of the Peacemakers Family Center, says the various social programs annually help thousands of people who might otherwise have no interaction with a church. Many of those individuals eventually attend services with their families. Children of Inmates has served 3,500 kids since its launch in 2006. The program started after a little girl’s disappearance from her foster home sparked an Amber Alert. When the runaway’s brother found her hours later on a bus bench, the girl explained her plans to visit her mother in a state prison many miles away. Today, Children of Inmates helps reunite children with incarcerated parents by providing advocacy services and arranging Internet video calls, personal visits and transportation. “The state of Florida now considers Children of Inmates as part of their reentry strategy for inmates,” Freeman says. “They’ve found that when these parents have an opportunity to see their children, their behavior begins to change, and they start to get hope and desire to do better.” Another program, Women of Hope, offers a way out for trafficked and exploited women in strip clubs. Women of Hope offers transitional care for adults who are ready to leave the sex trade and works with the foster care system to rescue those under 18. Other Peacemakers programs include Serving the Brave, which helps war veterans transition back into a peaceful existence; a day care that cares for up to 385 preschoolers daily; summer day camps for children; abstinence education for youth; public assistance application help; family support and counseling services; disaster preparedness training; and Americorps placement that matches volunteers with community service projects. Freeman, who set aside her successful career as an environmental engineer to help build Peacemakers, says it is one of the most difficult—and rewarding—things she has ever done. “The typical compassion ministry model MAKE IT COUNT is to hand somebody something and wave goodbye,” Freeman says. “The issues we’re Learn more about Peacemakers, dealing with in people’s lives have deep read stories of roots that go back a couple of generations. its success and By dealing with the root issues, we’re seeing consider donating entire situations turning around.” at peacemakers. com.
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“ OUT OF HIS
HEART WILL FLOW
RIVERS of
LIVING WATER ” JOHN 7:38, ESV
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Educate and energize kids, youth, and adults as they discover the Holy Spirit’s power for their lives through 8 dynamic sessions corresponding to the Living in the Spirit book. These lessons will help kids grow in their understanding, students and small groups engage in no-pressure discussions, and adults discover the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. li
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M U LT I P L I E R
Free Verse Poet and speaker Amena Brown on finding her own voice ALYCE YOUNGBLOOD
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ou transcend old age and youth. You are timeless, priceless, lightness in darkness, greatness, goodness, sinless. And in a mess like my life, you see righteousness. You leave me speechless. This is how Amena Brown describes God in her poem “You.” There’s a beautiful irony to this—to hear a woman willing to express the limitations of her own words, when she’s found a unique platform in her eloquence. Brown is a spoken word poet and author tackling a broad spectrum of issues, from
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romance to racism. Whether performing at a large conference or a local open mic night, her phrases have a sticking quality, not only for their cadence, but also for their conviction. It calls to mind a passage from The Message, inviting the listener to experience “the unforced rhythms of grace” (Matt. 11:18-20). “I always wanted to be a writer, since I was a little girl,” Brown says. Her sources of inspiration are varied—today, she cites marriage, Netflix, comedians and classic Motown—but she credits her mother, a big reader, as the one who pushed her to express herself beyond the pages of private notebooks. “My mom submitted one of my poems to a competition my last year of high school,” Brown remembers. “She didn’t tell me about it until it was too close to not go, like, ‘Oh, I sent your poem in. It won. Now you have to go there and perform this piece.’” When asked about her spiritual journey, Brown again mentions her mother’s example as a driving force. “I watched my mom find peace, and her life became better for having followed Jesus,” Brown says. “I actually prayed the prayer to ask Jesus into my heart at 12 years old, in my closet. It is really the best decision I ever made in my life, to follow Him.” Brown shares stories like these through her poems, albums and book, as well as a series of workshops. One session she’s especially passionate about is “Words Teenage Girls Should
Carry,” in which Brown speaks intimately with young women about topics like self-esteem, abuse, doubt and sex. The subject of abstinence is one Brown approaches with rare candor. These days, abstinence and celibacy might as well be leprosy, she recites in one of her older poems, “The Waiting Game.” It took me a while, but I finally figured out I’m worth waiting for. Brown adds that many single Christians may not find a spouse until well into adulthood, long after “the talk” in youth group. It’s one reason why, in her workshop, she discusses virginity alongside broader themes of purity and redemption. “It isn’t just our body; it’s our motives, our intentions, our thoughts and our heart,” she says. Brown herself got married at age 31, to friend and collaborator Matt “DJ Opdiggy” Owen. “[Collaborating] went well. Obviously, it went so well that we decided to date each other and subsequently get married. Worked out great for me!” she says, laughing. They recently released their first project as a duo, blending original beats and
“The art that we put out into the world can put something good on abandoned and rejected places inside people’s hearts.” dynamic verses under the moniker Sol Graffiti. “We have a rule that we have to live within a five-minute drive of being able to see some graffiti in our neighborhood. When you see graffiti, you know there’s struggle, there’s rebellion, there’s art going on in the neighborhood,” Brown explains. “We hope that the art that we put out into the world can put something good on abandoned and rejected places inside people’s hearts, inside people’s souls.” It’s an inspiring message for artists lacking either the space or the courage to share their work. Brown’s advice to them, as expected, is profound. “God can take our little ‘whatever we have’ and do whatever He wants. When we realize that, then the pressure’s less on us as the created, and it’s more on God, who gave us the creativity in the first place.”
MAKE IT COUNT Read more about the life and language of Amena Brown at amenabrown. com or in her book Breaking Old Rhythms: Answering the Call of a Creative God (IVP Books, 2013).
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TEACHING by storing up food and oil. Wellknown time management author Alan Lakein describes planning as “bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now.” As a tool of biblical stewardship and smart planning, life insurance offers one of the best opportunities to do something now about your family’s future. Here’s what you need to know about it. How much do you need? According to the 2014 Insurance Barometer Study published by LL Global/LIMRA and Life Happens, 50 percent of households in the United States (58 million) say they do not have enough life insurance. This is primarily because many believe life insurance is too expensive. This same study, however, found that people overestimate the cost of life insurance by nearly three-fold. So how much coverage do you need? Aim for up to ten times your gross annual income. In addition, consider how much debt you have and obtain insurance to cover as much of it as possible. This ensures loved ones will be adequately provided for and spared unnecessary financial stress.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE INSURANCE Combining faith with smart planning JERRY SPARKS AND CALEB SMITH
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any believers feel the tension between trusting in God’s provision and guidance and taking personal action to plan for the future. Providing for loved ones upon death with life insurance is one example. Besides being sad and sometimes awkward, conversations around the financial realities of death can feel like a departure from faith. But in fact, they are evidence of wisdom. Proverbs 21:20 observes how the wise plan for hard days in the future
What type is right for you? There are three main types of life insurance: Level term life is a policy for a set period of time. Most companies offer a level term premium for either 10, 20 or 30 years. Generally speaking, this type of insurance offers the best value as long as you stay healthy. In addition to a death benefit, whole life and its varieties also offer a cash-building benefit. Although life insurance is not recommended as a retirement fund, it is an option for those who struggle to save or invest. Whole life is also a good option for
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those who only want to deal once with life insurance. The third type, credit life, is designed to pay off a borrower’s debt upon death and decreases in value over time as you pay down the loan. In general, it’s best to avoid this type of insurance since you can usually purchase much more coverage with standard term insurance for less cost. What does it cover? According to the above study, half of families believe they would feel the financial impact of losing a primary wage earner within six months, and a third of families say it would only take a month. This is why it’s so important to make sure you have adequate coverage. In addition to paying funeral costs, life insurance can positively impact your family’s long-term financial future by covering these additional needs: - Final expenses such as probate fees, medical care, etc. - Federal and state estate taxes - Mortgages and other large debts - Education for children - Future charitable giving What about charitable gifts? Many believers want to leave a positive impact on their local church or favorite ministry upon their passing. Establishing a financial gift using some of the proceeds from life insurance is a wonderful way to bless a ministry. What are the tax advantages? As you consider life insurance options, keep these tax benefits in mind: Life insurance proceeds are free of income tax for your beneficiaries. However, if you die owning the policy, the proceeds are includable in your taxable estate. There are four circumstances under which your estate won’t owe any federal death tax: 1) Your estate is worth less than $5.43 million in 2015 or $10.86 million for married couples (including the life insurance). 2) Your estate is going to your spouse. 3) The policy is owned by another entity, such as an irrevocable life insurance trust. 4) The policy is paid to a charitable beneficiary. Life insurance policies accumulate interest on cash value tax-deferred. Insurance policy dividends are not taxed until you withdraw cash from the policy. If you cash in your policy, you’ll be taxed only to the extent to which the cash value exceeds all the premiums you paid, minus any dividends not used to buy more insurance.
If necessary, you can take out a loan on your life insurance. A life insurance policy that accumulates cash value has done so because it has earned income on its investment in excess of the insurance costs, and those earnings were deferred tax-free. For example, if you paid $1,000 a year into a life policy for 20 years with a face value of $200,000, that policy could be worth $50,000 if surrendered for cash. If you surrendered the policy, you would 1) not have life insurance equal to the face value of the policy, and 2) you would pay tax on $30,000 in growth. If instead you borrowed $25,000 on the policy, you would
Fifty percent of U.S. households say they do not have enough life insurance. have no tax to pay and if you died, your beneficiaries would receive $175,000. Note, however, that outstanding loans are subject to interest charges and that interest on contract loans is not tax deductible. You can set up an irrevocable life insurance trust. An irrevocable life insurance trust is a legal entity that owns life insurance on the life of the insured, thereby keeping the life insurance proceeds outside his or her estate. This avoids federal estate taxes as high as 45 percent. Upon the death of the insured, the insurance proceeds can be distributed free of income and estate taxes to the named beneficiaries. While life insurance cannot compensate for the emotional loss of death, it can provide a strong financial future for your family without undermining your faith in God’s ultimate goodness and provision. Jerry Sparks serves as president of AG Financial Insurance Solutions. Caleb Smith serves as manager of individual life on the AG Financial Insurance Solutions team.
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4 REASONS TO BEFRIEND FAILURE Facing an opportunity where you might fall short? Embrace it. ELYSE MURPHY
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ave you ever noticed how paralyzing fear can be? Think of the last time you were truly afraid of something— afraid someone might threaten your home or family, afraid your boyfriend or girlfriend might break up with you, afraid you might not get the job you were hoping for—or, perhaps the greatest fear of all, afraid of a spider in the bathroom. No matter how big or small, fear keeps us stuck in one place. Fear leaves us paralyzed, like a deer in headlights. And it can keep us from doing the very things God has called us to do. Now, I want you to think of the last time you really failed at something. That feeling you just got—the fear of failure—it’s the worst, don’t you agree? Unfortunately it’s not an outside object of fear that you can avoid—like spiders. It’s something inside of you, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t run from it. Trust me, I’ve tried. Yet the harder you try to resist, ignore or deny this fear of failure, the more powerful it becomes. I have a lot of experience with failing. Actually, my life often feels like one long string of failures. For example, surfing. It’s not that I’m good at any other sports, so in a way I shouldn’t have expected surfing to be any different—but I don’t know, being blonde and Australian, I thought I might be a shoo-in. It should be in my DNA or something. Right? Wrong. A few years ago my dad paid for a twohour, foolproof surfing class to help me learn. The company was so convinced they could teach me to surf, they told my dad they would give him his money back if I didn’t learn in two hours. Four exhausting hours later, with a record amount of sand in my mouth and water up my nose, they refunded his money. It was the first time in the company’s history. Even DNA wasn’t enough to keep me from that failure. I could list a thousand other failures to confirm my fear, ones much less lighthearted than a surfing lesson. Often
the fear of failure feels validated by our life experience. Failure is this embarrassing thread that weaves my story together, and my guess is, it has woven its way into your story too. Whether it’s failure at a sport, in a relationship, in school or at work, it doesn’t feel good. We carefully avoid failure like a minefield—not wanting to face the truth that we may not measure up. But I want to argue something different—I want to take a stand against failure, seeing it in a different light that just might change everything for us. What if failure is actually a good thing? You may not believe me yet, and that’s OK. But I’ll show you a few reasons why failure has been such a key in my life. 1. It keeps me humble. Although it doesn’t always feel good, failure is a great way to stay humble. It reminds you that you have to work hard for success and helps you feel really grateful for the moments when you do succeed. 2. It teaches me to trust God. I find that the worse my life is going, the better my relationship with God is. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be that way, but if I’m honest, most of the time, it is. I think it’s because when things around me aren’t going well, I remember God is there to help me. He’s in control. I’m not. When everything I try is a fabulous success, I push away from Him like a little kid. “Don’t help me! I can do it!” Failure reminds me to rely on Him. 3. It teaches me how to/how not to do things. If we allow it to be, failure is a great teacher. You’ve heard that old adage about how many ways Thomas Edison tried to make a lightbulb. It took him a lot of tries before he got it right—leaving his batting average of success pretty darn low. But even though he failed so many times, he learned all the ways things didn’t work. And that led him to a colossal (and lifechanging) success. 4. It releases me from the fear of failure. Fear of failure is often worse than the failure itself because it tricks us out of trying in the first place. I have a challenge for you. Wherever you’re sitting, whether you’re on your couch, checking your phone in class (hey, no judgement here!) or between meetings, listen up: This challenge is for you, and I think you’re going to like it … eventually.
Here’s what I want you to do. First, take the failure you thought of at the beginning of this article and embrace it. Really hold it tight. In fact, allow yourself to play out the “movie” of failure right in front of you. Then remind yourself: Even if you fail, it’s going to be all right. As 2 Corinthians 4 tells us, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (v. 17). In order to conquer a fear, we need to face it head on. That’s what I want us to do with our fear of failure: fail big and fail often because if we do that, we’ll be attempting bigger things than we ever dreamed of ! So this is the rest of your challenge: I want you to fail at something. Try something that’s so big and so outlandish, it is sure to fail. I think you’ll be surprised at the scenario that plays out. First of all, failure rarely hurts as much as we’re afraid it will. Secondly, failure will teach us a lot. And finally … we might not actually fail. How cool would that be? Run the race, write the article, move to that new city, take the class, make the speech. The worst thing that can happen is you fail (and if you do, you at least succeeded in the challenge I’ve issued you). God doesn’t need perfect performance and repeated successes to “work for the good” in your life (Rom. 8:28)—as long as you love Him and put His plan first. Elyse Murphy is a speaker, staff pastor at Oasis Church in Los Angeles and pastor’s kid from Sydney, Australia. She blogs at elysemurphy.com, and her book Confessions of a Church Kid (Salubris Resources) releases fall 2015.
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SUNDAY ... WITHOUT THE CHAOS Simplifying your church routine may help you reach out to others JOSHUA KANSIEWICZ
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ost Christians know what they should do when a newcomer walks into church. Smile, welcome them and make them feel at home. Perhaps you have recently been reminded of this responsibility by a devotional, a sermon, an article, a little nudge pushing you to try harder. Maybe you’ve been inspired to connect with someone new or to overcome your naturally shy disposition. Yet, nothing changes because your Sunday mornings are so busy already. You wonder, How can I add one more thing to my plate? You Couldn’t Try Harder If You Tried ... Envision for a moment what “trying harder” would accomplish. Sunday morning starts, and you are running late because the kids wouldn’t listen, or the coffee spilled or a car accident stopped traffic. You rush your family into church to their assigned locations as quickly as you can. You hurry to get your favorite seat. You take your place on the media team where you mutter apologies about being late. Again. If you do have time to stop and mingle in the lobby, you are probably catching up with a friend. You learn how Carlos’ surgery went or about Tanya’s recent promotion. You share your own joys and challenges of the week. These conversations are part of sharing life together, part of living in community. They are important. But then, a young family walks into church for the first time. The mom tugs her distracted daughter’s hand. The dad sizes things up, trying to figure out where to go. Or maybe it’s an older lady who enters. She’s clearly all alone and needs someone to help her connect. It could be a bewildered college student who is new to the area. He may be determined to keep his faith through college, but anyone can tell by looking at him that he feels out of place. Two steps into the
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building, and these people are already lost. You are so busy dealing with your own family, routine or ministry that you might not even notice a first-time guest. If you did, you most likely wouldn’t have even a moment for them. Your hands are full with the commitments that you’ve already made or just the activity of your normal Sunday routine. Going to church is busy. There isn’t a lot of time when you are just standing around with nothing to do. What, then, do we expect from trying harder? Realistically, we are already trying very hard. Trying harder just won’t work. … But Maybe You Could Try Less. Sunday is a rest day, a Sabbath day. It is not a chaos day, nor is it a work day. Sunday is the ultimate celebration that doing less is more. That’s part of what grace is all about. Here are three ways in which trying less will make you more available to welcome a guest to church and build sincere community. 1. Simplify your Sunday routine. Many people cram Sundays full of errands, tasks and projects. They mow the lawn, shop for groceries, do laundry and help the children finish their homework. These are all important tasks, but they start our Sundays off with a feeling of busyness. For most of us, these activities don’t contribute to an experience of peace and rest. If we fill our Sabbath with tasks, on top of a morning service, it shouldn’t surprise us when we frantically arrive to church 10 minutes late. Reducing the busyness of our Sunday routine will free us. We will be free to get to church a little earlier. With more time, we won’t have to rush to our ministry assignments. We will have extra moments to pause and chat outside of the sanctuary. Our minds will be open enough to notice new people. We may even find that we have the two minutes it takes to greet them and help them find the youth program or the coffee or a good seat. 2. Simplify your Sunday conversations. Sunday morning is often the time when Christians catch up with one another on the events of their week, but it never seems long enough. So why not do more catching up with people during the week? Call a church friend on the ride home from work. Invite a couple over for dinner. Buy coffee for a fellow nursery volunteer. Text someone during your lunch break. In short, let Sunday morning be a relational springboard, not a relational catch-all. This will give you more time on Sunday to focus on people you may
not connect with during the week, specifically new people. 3. Simplify your Sunday priorities. So you simplified your routine and simplified your conversations; now you have a moment when you are at church, talking to a friend or getting ready to serve, and in the background you notice someone you’ve not seen before. You have a choice. Do you finish your conversation? Do you head to your ministry assignment? Or do you welcome the guest? Here is a principle that can guide you through decisions like this: It is OK to ask someone who is already established in a church community to wait if it will get someone else closer to entering the Kingdom. It is OK to leave a conversation abruptly in order to
Sunday is a rest day, a Sabbath day. It is not a chaos day, nor is it a work day. reach out to someone new. It is OK to be two minutes late to the time of worship if it means helping someone get comfortable when it’s their first time in a church. If you’re not sure about it, take some time and reread the Gospels. Doesn’t Jesus do this—prioritizing the lost, the newcomer or the outcast—all the time? So don’t try harder to make time. Simplify to make time. Don’t try harder to get things done. Simplify and rejoice in doing less on Sundays. You will find that this will bless you too! Simplifying Sundays creates space—space in our minds, space in our hearts, space in our lives. Each Sunday, the Spirit is waiting to fill that space. Simplifying Sundays makes us available to the Spirit. Try it; simplify the next four Sundays. Simplify your routine. Simplify your conversations. Simplify your priorities. After four Sundays, take time to review. Then you can decide if you like the simpler approach to Sundays or if you want to go back to the busy, chaotic approach. Walking into a church for the first time requires a step of faith. Join me in ensuring that focused, welcoming believers will be ready to take a step toward them as well. Joshua Kansiewicz is the senior associate pastor of East Coast International Church in Lynn, Massachusetts. He blogs at theassociatepastor.com.
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MY BRAIN HAS TWO BUCKETS Exploring the dangers of “cognitive bias”— and how to overcome it SCOTT HAGAN
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y brain has two buckets. So does yours. The two buckets are how I organize my life. Maybe you’ve heard of this two bucket theory, also called “cognitive bias.” It is the illogical process that prompts me to either demonize or sanitize my connections and experiences depending on how it serves my narrative. I think it’s part of our inheritance from the first Adam. The natural, earthly tendency of every human being is to preserve self and then promote self. Whenever I meet someone or encounter any situation, cognitive bias is the lightning quick thinking that determines if that person or experience helps or hurts my storyline of self-preservation and selfpromotion. It doesn’t matter if the actual person or event is virtuous or evil, all that matters is how it relates to my story. If I see it as valuable to me—even if the experience isn’t God-honoring—then I sanitize it. If it doesn’t serve my narrative—even though it could be good—then I demonize it. Social media has complicated this cognitive bias instinct and made surfacelevel emotional organizing even easier, and more uncertain. People can no longer tell if they are interacting with reality, fantasy, both or none of the above. In this relatively new era of social media, the line between ideas and identity has all but been erased. Call it an innocent brain reflex, but cognitive bias is real and a major reason believers struggle to succeed. Cognitive bias creates flaws in my judgment when it comes to how my mind organizes and interprets memories. Left unchecked, cognitive bias dictates my mental instincts, how I jump to conclusions and define people’s intentions toward me. Bias and Burnout What drives cognitive bias most is the constant fear of the worst possible scenario—in our friendships, our families, our careers, our reputation. Without the intervening grace of God’s Word, this kind of mental reasoning can be crippling. It
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promotes high-speed burnout as we chase false narratives and “gut feelings” not based in reality. Even as media and culture repeatedly reengineer the human attention span, creating new variables, the traditional triggers for bias and burnout are still in play: Betrayal. Going long periods of time without results. Having too many relationships to cultivate and manage. Making too many promises to too many people. Running out of time and resources. Now, add to that the relentless inadequacy people feel as they compare themselves to others, online and in-person, and you have a viral culture of defeat, bias and burnout. The Bible doesn’t directly use the term burnout, but it does talk about “losing heart.” “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal. 6:9, NASB). It’s not God’s will for any person to end up weary and without heart. A healthy follower of Jesus finds a way to get above the endless cycle of first impressions, bridge-burning and grudge-bearing that most people have accepted as the natural way of doing life with other human beings. Here are some warning signs of bias and burnout:
matters is where they line up in our minds. Are they first or last? Those who practice cognitive bias place their regrets first and are left in a state of exhaustion and anxiety, protecting the wrong story. Anxiety, however, is also how false bias is held accountable. Anxiety is the way your body and mind alert you that something is out of alignment—that your belief structure, and your behavior as a result, do not align with what is true. Philippians 4:6-7 offers a key to overcoming bias and beating burnout. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The second Adam, Jesus, promised to renew and transform the mentalities of those who call Him Lord. He heals our cognitive bias by changing our narrative and giving us something beyond ourselves to serve and promote. Our new story concerns His kingdom, not ours. You don’t overcome burnout by working less; you overcome burnout by worrying less. The best calming agents for your soul and psyche are prayer and gratitude. Prayer is when the heavy loads of life are transferred to an all-powerful God (Matt. 11:28-30). Gratitude is when memories, plans and emotions get reorganized around what God has already done and would like to do. God promised that if you would build your life on prayer (transferring the load to Him) and gratitude (focusing on what He does), then His presence would continuously reorganize your heart. Biblical peace is not about removing the crisis. It’s about God’s presence halting fears and altering emotional patterns and memories. When we commit to preserving and promoting the story of Jesus—instead of the story of self—cognitive bias and its companion burnout have no way to incubate and spread. That’s the beauty of a renewed mind.
A healthy follower of Jesus finds a way to get above the endless cycle of first impressions, bridge-burning and grudge-bearing …
• You commit your time and emotions to a distraction. • You no longer feel sad about other people’s pain. • You lose anticipation about the future. • You lose the desire to initiate new ideas. • You spend long periods of time doing nothing. • You avoid friends like they were enemies. • You hope others will not succeed. • You believe your struggle is unique. • You resent details and schedules. • You start to accumulate secrets. • You dismiss correction and call it judgment. • You call inconvenience “suffering.” A Reorganized Mind We’ve all met (or have been) people who feel trapped by the malicious and suspicious world in which they live. They’re easy to spot; their emotional wounds seem to be covered with scabs, instead of scars. Picking at their own pain, they never give their wounds a chance to heal. Once passionate and purposeful, they are now emotionally splintered, void of optimism and critical of everyone in their past, present and future. We all have painful regrets and deep fears; what
Scott Hagan is the founding pastor of Real Life Church in Sacramento, California, and author of They Walked with the Savior and They Felt the Spirit’s Touch (Charisma House). Follow him on Twitter at both @_scotthagan and @note2leaders or on his blog, scotthagan.org.
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VITAL TIPS
WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY
3 THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A CHILDREN’S CHURCH
ALL IN A DAY’S (HALF-HEARTED) WORK Seventy-three percent of employees with bad bosses don’t always give their maximum effort at work, Barna Group recently reported. Those with good bosses are more likely to give their all at the office—but nearly half of them still admit that, some days, they slack off. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him,” Colossians 3:17 tells us. Keep that verse on your desk or dashboard as a reminder to give your best, even when your supervisor may not.
A VACATION FROM YOUR VACATION Putting the final touches on your family’s summer trip plans? Maybe you don’t need to. Leave one day toward the end of your trip with a completely empty agenda. Let this be the period when you make up for the activities you had to miss because of bad weather, eat at the out-of-the-way restaurant a local told you to check out, spontaneously choose an outing you thought you wouldn’t have time for—or just declare a restful, prayerful time for yourself before the last big travel day.
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If you’ve been overwhelmed by the options when sending your kids to a Sunday service for their age group, Matt Marcantonio recently offered some guidance on VitalMagazine.com. He suggests prioritizing three things in order to have a sense of ease as you drop off your son or daughter next weekend: an atmosphere that promotes learning, excitement and safety. “Your children are too important to this world to sit in a room and watch T.V. for 90 minutes on a Sunday,” he writes.
HOW TO STICK TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA BREAK Studies show it keeps us lonely, depressed, tired, envious, distracted—but it can still be difficult to limit time on social media. Here are some habits that could help: • Twitter or Instagram may now be your go-to when zoning out, but what was it before? Return to the books, chores, games or catch-up phone calls that used to occupy you during down time. • Staring at screens before bedtime keeps you awake—which keeps you scrolling. Get serious about leaving your smartphone out of the room during evening hours. Keep your phone charger in a bathroom or the kitchen. Start using your radio alarm clock again. Ask your spouse or roommate to hold you to it. • You don’t have to swear off Facebook, but consider deactivating your account for a time. Your public profile will temporarily disappear, ready for whenever you’d like to reactivate it. Knowing you have no new notifications may strengthen your resolve to stay off the network.
NOTEWORTHY
MARK BATTERSON & RICHARD FOTH
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he earth’s 93-million-mile journey around the sun takes a year. The changing of the seasons seems slow to earthbound observers, but our planet is moving at the blazing speed of 67,000 miles per hour. What Ferris Bueller said is true: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” A Trip around the Sun is an invitation to stop and look around at the things that matter most. Mark Batterson and Dick Foth began a mentoring relationship two decades ago that over time has become a close friendship and partnership in ministry. A Trip Around the Sun Inspired by Tuesdays with Morrie, they collected their stories into a book filled Mark Batterson & with humorous and poignant insights about what matters most in life. Richard Foth What makes A Trip around the Sun a compelling read is its ability to state (Baker) life-changing truths simply and clearly. Consider what they say about subjects like the gospel (“Jesus says, ‘Here’s the deal! I’ll leave my place. I’ll come to your place. I’ll take your place. And then we’ll got to My place.’”), qualify of life (“Life isn’t measured in minutes. It’s measured in moments. It’s not the length of days that really counts. It’s the stewardship of moments.”) or success and failure (“The leading cause of failure is mismanaged success. And the leading cause of success is well-managed failure.”). Many of us acknowledge these truths, though we ignore them in practice. Even Batterson and Foth admit they faced a steep learning curve when it came to living out these principles. But here’s their bottom line: “It’s never too late to be who you might have been.”
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A Case for Grace LEE STROBEL
Thrill Sequence ROB KETTERLING
(Zondervan)
(Salubris Resources)
“Sometimes to understand grace,” Lee Strobel writes, “we need to see it described rather than merely defined.” A Case for Grace offers biographical sketches of people whose lives were radically transformed by grace—including an orphan, an addict, a war criminal and others whose stories will make you cry for joy.
According to Rob Ketterling, our culture embraces “the thrill sequence,” that vicious cycle of seeking ever-increasing pleasures to overcome our boredom. Unfortunately, those adrenaline-pumping exploits never satisfy for long, because they are poor substitutes for a life of faith, which is “God’s ultimate thrill sequence”—the only one that satisfies eternally.
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Keep It Shut KAREN EHMAN (Zondervan) “Our words are powerful,” writes Karen Ehman, “and they have consequences.” This is true whether our conversations are face-to-face or online. Ehman’s book offers solid biblical advice for knowing whether to speak, what to say and how to say it so that our words produce the best results, both for us and in others.
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Praying with Confidence JEFF LEAKE (Salubris Resources) “Prayer is one of the most powerful, mysterious, vulnerable practices that we ever attempt in life,” writes Jeff Leake. Yet too many Christians think they’re doing it wrong. This book is a 31-day devotional guide to prayer that informs and inspires. Want to pray confidently? You might only be a month away from doing so.
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After the Honeymoon ROD LOY
Finding Truth NANCY PEARCEY
(Salubris Resources)
(David C. Cook)
After the Honeymoon began as a series of Facebook posts Rod Loy wrote for his son and daughter-in-law. Designed to help couples experience “a thrilling, healthy, lifelong marriage,” these brief devotionals are perfect for the engaged or newly married, as well as couples whose marriage just needs a tune-up.
Many Christians worry that critical thinking leads to doubt and loss of faith, especially when they’re parents with kids going to college. By contrast, Nancy Pearcey believes that “critical thinking saves faith.” Finding Truth outlines five principles that analyze non-Christian worldviews and help make a compelling case for Christianity.
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All the Places to Go … How Will You Know? JOHN ORTBERG (Tyndale House) “God’s primary will for you is the person you become,” writes John Ortberg. And who you become depends on the decisions you make—which “open doors” you walk through, and how you walk through them. If you’re facing an important life decision—or even less important ones—read this book!
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Beyond Awkward BEAU CROSETTO (IVP Books) Sharing your faith with others can be awkward. But as Beau Crosetto writes, “People are waiting for you to help them know Jesus.” His book provides practical, biblical advice about how to tell people the good news in a way that resonates with their deepest spiritual longings.
All titles available at MyHealthyChurch.com
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NOTEWORTHY
YOU ALONE NCC WORSHIP
T
he worship team out of Washington D.C.’s National Community Church (NCC) drops their first album with You Alone. Released as a “resource pack” for churches and their music ministries, it’s more than good listening. You Alone features five new You Alone studio tracks, with corresponding live versions and videos. It NCC Worship acts as a tool both in a corporate worship setting and in the development (Integrity Music) of one’s personal time with the Lord. Melding together the charisma of traditional worship songs with a guitar-driven sound, NCC Worship is a bright spot, offering a break from today’s synth-driven market and a fresh perspective on worship. Each song is easy to sing along to and will capture the Christian or congregation who might have both a love of current worship music and an appreciation for the fundamental truths of the classics (such as their buoyant rendition of Charles Wesley’s “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”). With production by lead vocalist Kurtis Parks and Kyle Lee (All Sons & Daughters, Pocket Full of Rocks), the musicianship behind each song stands out, building on the truths of the lyrics and steadying the worshipper’s gaze on Christ. In You Alone, we meet a Church come alive and willing to give all so people may engage with the Creator. You have claimed all that’s lost and broken, they cr y on “Where Would I Be.” You have breathed every dr y bone back to life. Continuing the life-giving cycle, all profits from You Alone go toward the D.C. Dream Center.
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The Remixes BRITT NICOLE (Capitol) Grammy-nominated singer Britt Nicole is back with her first remix album. Aptly titled The Remixes, it includes hits like “Gold,” “Lost Get Found” and “Ready or Not” featuring Lecrae. With fresh takes by Capital Kings and Soul Glow Activatur, this album will have fans on their feet.
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Where I Am Right Now JARED ANDERSON (Centricity Music) Christian music veteran Jared Anderson’s 5-track EP Where I Am Right Now features original tracks and some favorites, including Chris Tomlin’s “Almighty.” The title track gives off a pop-infused vibe, and Anderson prays the music “will expand people’s imagination about God.”
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Outback Worship Sessions PLANETSHAKERS (Integrity Music) Partnering with acclaimed producer Ed Cash, Australian worship band Planetshakers combine an EDM sound with other organic, acoustic deliveries of beloved songs (“Nothing Is Impossible,” “Endless Praise”) and one new track (“Spirit of God”).
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Let It Be Jesus CHRISTY NOCKELS (sixsteprecords) Christy Nockels is known for leading worship at events like the Passion Conference with her powerful, moving vocals. Get a taste of that energy in this new live recording, Let It Be Jesus.
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Little Songs JON GUERRA
Sound of the Saints AUDIO ADRENALINE
(Essential)
(Fair Trade Services)
On his new album Little Songs, Chicagoan Jon Guerra brings artistry and worship together. “The most personal songs are the most worshipful,” he says. “For this record, that’s just where it went.”
With a history spanning decades, Audio Adrenaline is back with a new look and a fresh sound. Now fronted by Stellar Kart’s Adam Agee, Sound of the Saints features catchy tones like those found on the single “Love Was Stronger.”
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Live From The Woods NEEDTOBREATHE (Atlantic) Southern rock returns with NEEDTOBREATHE’s live album Live from the Woods. Recorded in 2014 during a gig at the Fontanel Amphitheatre in Nashville, it includes hits like “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” and “Difference Maker.”
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Tower Ivory J HAN (Good Fruit) Hip-hop fans need look no further for their summer soundtrack than J. Han’s Tower Ivory. The Maryland-based artist is sure to delight fans of Christian rap with this collection of 13 smooth tracks, also featuring labelmates Gowe and Sam Ock.
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Take a missions journey every month with WorldView, a new monthly publication produced by AG World Missions. With stunning photography and stirring content, WorldView conveys the needs of a lost world.
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NOTEWORTHY
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
We
all have had moments when we’ve questioned God, “Why is this happening?” Grand Rapids First Church in Wyoming, Michigan, created an entire website called Why Is This Happening? Why Is This Happening? [WITH] that tackles this question and provides people whyisthishappening.org with hope and resources. Navigating life-shaping issues ranging from depression and disability to stroke and miscarriage, WITH is not afraid to shed light on topics that are labelled taboo in most communities and conversations, even within the Church. “You are not alone, and we want to walk with you in this journey,” Grand Rapids First pastor Sam Rijfkogel says in a video introduction to the site. The “we” he refers to is a team that includes psychologists, ministers and nurses, many of whom have personal experience with suffering, loss and doubt. They comfort and inform visitors through a three-step approach: answering questions about God’s presence in suffering, giving practical and theologically sound steps for moving forward and using the stories of real people to empower others through well-produced videos. WITH is easy to navigate and features thought-provoking content, both within the site and through links to additional information. By giving a grounded view of each issue and implementing biblical truths, WITH encourages visitors to identify God’s “special assignment” for their lives, and then bring hope to others. WITH is a bold and useful tool that could turn the challenging seasons of life into journeys of discovery.
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MEERKAT
ECCLESIAM
meerkatapp.co
ecclesiam.com
The Meerkat app has been making waves in the tech world since February by giving users the ability to live stream video from their device and share it on Twitter. The free app allows users to chat about streamed events—so “be kind,” the creators’ rules encourage.
Ecclesiam is a blog stemming from Southeastern University and their College of Christian Ministries and Religion. Here, professors and students discuss issues that are challenging and relevant to the Christian walk, through the lens of the Pentecostal tradition.
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PRAXIS praxislabs.org Praxis is a non-profit venture group that gives faith-motivated entrepreneurs the resources and skills to manage a business or organization. Accelator and summer programs equip influencers to make a difference.
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DETOUR detour.com Designed to take you off the beaten path and show you the hidden gems of a city, Detour gives locationaware audio stories you can enjoy at your own pace. Detour is available on iOS and offers tours of San Francisco’s Bay Area and Austin, Texas, with more to come.
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DIGIT
BLUE APRON
digit.co
blueapron.com
Digit makes saving easier. By judging and predicting your cash flow, it puts small amounts of your money into an account so you don’t have to. Get regular updates on how much you have saved and transfer back to your regular account via text message.
All the joys of dinner, but without the hassle of picking up groceries—Blue Apron delivers healthy recipes and proportional, fresh ingredients straight to your doorstep so you can make your week’s meals. Plans require no commitment, and meals start at $8.74 per person.
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AMERICAN VALUES ATLAS
NEUBIBLE
ava.publicreligion.org
NeuBible is a simple, revitalized Bible app. It will “get rid of everything between you and Scripture,” designer Kory Westerhold, formerly of Apple, told Fast Company. For $1.99 on iOS, download timeless truth, with a clean, modern aesthetic.
What percentage of the population in Oregon is registered to vote? Which metro area is the most pro-life? This in-depth, interactive site from Public Religion Research Institute will map out answers for you.
neubible.co
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Introducing
MAGAZINE
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MAKE IT COUNT T
he Make It Count section is intended to get you thinking, praying and acting on your faith and the subjects discussed in this issue, long after you’ve finished reading the articles. This is a mission Vital is also undertaking every day online. Through original features and devotional content, inspiring stories and insights on current events, VitalMagazine.com seeks to empower you to
live more fully, as a member of your local community and of the global Church. Over the next few pages, you’ll find thoughts from some of Vital’s recent online contributors, encouraging you and challenging you to Connect, Grow, Serve, Go and Worship. We hope you’ll take time to learn from them here, and that you might join us online for more conversations like these.
CONNECT
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WORSHIP
GROW
SERVE
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MAKE IT COUNT
CONNECT We
can find friendships that will last forever within the church setting. Our eternal relationship with God through Christ is the most valued of all our relationships. And yet, there’s more; how wonderful it is to be afforded the privilege of building friendships that can be enjoyed throughout the ages? Today, my closest friends are
NOTES
still those whom I either met in church or through a church connection that brought us together. It brings joy to know those relationships will extend beyond this life. If we stop to think about the impact that relationships have had on our lives, we can’t deny their influence. If a local church is doing Church the right way, it will be a greenhouse in which relationships thrive.
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Who are your best friends? Where did you meet them?
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How has your life been changed by people you have met in a church setting?
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Think of a new person or a new group you can connect with this Sunday.
Adapted from “The Church: A Greenhouse for Relationships,” by Jane McDonough, vitalmagazine.com
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MAKE IT COUNT
GROW E
ngaging the Godgiven gift of your imagination allows you to engage more deeply with God’s Word. As you imaginatively enter the biblical story or passage, you are actually inviting God’s Spirit to implant the truths of that passage into the deepest, often hidden, places in your own life. You seek not merely to read God’s Word, but to actually savor it.
NOTES
When our Bible reading was dull, it wasn’t because God wasn’t showing up. It was because we often weren’t. We may have been there in body, but often our minds or our hearts are a million miles away. Through the process of imaginative reading, we are more fully engaged in our efforts to read God’s Word. It should be no surprise, then, when we more fully encounter God.
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What is a passage or story from Scripture you “know by heart?” Have you ever taken time to imagine it?
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How can you reinvent your Bible reading time—a new resource, new study spot or new time of day?
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Do you think of God as imaginative? Why or why not?
Adapted from “Why Imagination Is Key When Reading the Word,” by Joshua Kansiewicz, vitalmagazine.com
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SERVE S
mall groups are designed to cultivate authentic sharing and community. This is why these groups almost always have discussion time. The discussion is an opportunity for the people in your group to share life together. Sometimes that discussion can be amazing, can’t it? It can be relevant, practical, inspiring and deep all at the same time. You walk away thanking God that you showed up. Unfortunately, there are
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other times when the conversation seems shallow, forced and vague. If you want your small group to experience authentic community, you can be a catalyst. Choose to share early and share deeply. Perhaps the group leader can give you the questions in advance, so you have time to think about them. Even talk with others in your group and encourage them to share early and share deeply. That will sow the seeds of authentic community.
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What was the best small group meeting you remember attending? Why?
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What are some topics that have never been broached in your small group?
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How can you build upon the talks and relationships birthed in your small group?
Adapted from “You Could Be the Change Your Church Needs,” by Joshua Kansiewicz, vitalmagazine.com
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MAKE IT COUNT
GO I
t’s in our brokenness that we discover Jesus, His grace and mercy, and is ultimately how He uses us for His glory. We need each other. I don’t go to church to find all the answers. I don’t go to church to hear the best sermon. I don’t go to church to wear pretty clothes. I go to church because I need people. I need broken people. I need broken people who know we
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don’t have to figure it all out by ourselves. I’ve heard it said that the church isn’t a hotel for the well, but a hospital for the sick. I couldn’t agree more. The church is a beacon of hope for a lost and hurting world. And I’m included in that. So are you. And when we experience the healing grace of Jesus how could we not want to share that same healing balm with those around us?
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Meditate on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. How have you seen grace in community?
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How was the “healing balm” of the gospel first shared with you?
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What are some challenges Christians face in reaching those who were hurt by the Church? How can you help overcome them?
Adapted from “Being Hurt by the Church,” by Emily Cummins, vitalmagazine.com
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MAKE IT COUNT
WORSHIP S
abbath is a time to step away from the anxieties and concerns of our lives and take time to rest and heal despite the busyness. It is a time to reflect upon the healing and wholeness that we have received in Christ. But our society is one where rest, spiritual refreshment and looking to God for provision and healing are increasingly devalued—and
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so the practice of Sabbath is an act of resistance against our world. It is a statement of our priorities. Our culture does not help us keep healthy balances. Sabbath rest acknowledges my trust in the Creator God to provide for me, and my need for Him to guide my life. And when I am truly at rest, my heart sings of the truth that my need cannot exhaust the power of Jesus to provide.
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Be honest: What does your Sabbath practice look like? Do you have one?
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Why is rest important as a form of worship to God?
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When are you most tempted to neglect time to worship through rest, renewal and balance?
Adapted from “A Modern Day Sabbath,” Audrey Adkins, vitalmagazine.com
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IN THIS ISSUE Big thoughts and next steps for when you’re done reading
Connect
Grow
Serve
Go
Worship
The relationships we have within our community are greatly influenced by our relationships at home. “What’s So Spiritual About Parenting?” (page 42) encourages parents to consider faith and grace as they raise their children. How can this faith filter change your connections with your spouse, siblings, roommates, parents or neighbors? Make a list similar to the one Michelle Anthony offers of ways you can put God first, throughout your house and in your family.
It can be humbling to look closely at the “circles” of intimacy described in “Circling Jesus” (page 50). We can always be closer to Jesus, and it takes work to nurture that intimacy—but growth occurs in stages. What’s the next circle for you? Look at how Robery Crosby characterizes the next level of relationship with Christ and determine how you’ll get there. What do you need to change and practice to move from focusing on your questions to focusing on God’s presence?
Both Bruce Strom (“Great Needs, Gospel Justice,” page 58) and Scott Hagan (“My Brain Has Two Buckets,” page 74) discuss the dangers of judging people before getting to know them. Think of a person or group you have formed an unfair opinion about. Can you create an opportunity this month to spend time with them? Is there a way to serve or assist them? How can they teach you or challenge your perspectives?
The Peacemakers organization sets a strong example for how church’s can reach their cities through compassion ministry (“Blessed Are the Peacemakers,” page 62). Does your church or a church in your area do a good job in this area? Great—now it’s time for the next step. If you’re not involved already, ask them what their needs are—big or small—and make a commitment to do what you can to help meet these needs.
Amena Brown’s creativity (“Free Verse,” page 66) has provided a platform for her to talk about tough topics. Often, when we think of worship, we think of only the good, warm and fuzzy side of faith—but it is also possible to worship God in the places of pain, conflict or doubt. How can you refocus hard discussions to be about God’s goodness? Whether it’s on social media, in the privacy of your prayer time or in a church gathering, “make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Rom. 14:19).
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ONE MORE THING
How Do You Feel About Forgiving and Forgetting?
Psychologist Geoff Sutton and graduate student Jaimée Allman of Evangel University conducted a survey to dig into the ideas people hold about forgiveness. When presented with the statement “I think true forgiveness means you try to forget what the person did to you,” 43.4 percent of Christian college students agreed, while a greater 52.3 percent of students from non-Christian colleges agreed. Interestingly, the non-Christian college students were also slightly more likely to say Christians are a more forgiving group.
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