Friday, October 22, 2021

Full-Brained Small Groups

 

In our previous article, we introduced the concepts of right and left-brain associations with one’s pursuit of relational development, as described by authors Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks in their book The Other Half of Church. As we journey through this series of articles, we will continue to study the principles from this insightful text while applying them to our respective small group ministries. Today, we will unpack what Wilder and Hendricks label as “full-brained Christianity,” a practice of pursuing one’s faith where both sides of the brain are healthily engaged within the process of an individual’s relational development.

Full-Brained Christianity Within Small Groups
Although their book encourages us to view ministry from a vantage point that intentionally engages the right-brain more often, Wilder and Hendricks are quick to uphold the importance of discipleship programs and left-brain activities. It is here in this balance where “full-brained Christianity” can thrive within a church’s small group ministry. But do we nest right-brained activities within a left-brained discipleship structure of small groups? Or do we nest left-brained activities within a right-brained relational structure of small groups? Wilder and Hendricks opt for the latter. To them, forcing character change without first engaging the right-brain is like putting the cart before the horse since “our preconscious right brain is the driver of character change, not our conscious thoughts and willpower.”

So if relational growth is strengthened through activities that promote right-brained engagement, then is opening the Bible and reading Scripture together a worthwhile activity for a group that wants to grow? Before answering, perhaps it might be better to reframe the question: Rather, does the group have a level of relational connectivity established so that they can explore the text and also feel safe in their vulnerability with one another? I confess that I’ve been on both ends of this spectrum. In one group that I had attended, we opened the Bible to read the Word and would typically end up pointing out a few items that we liked within the passage; Yet I’ve also been a part of a group where the text was opened and we poured out our souls over the living Word of God, allowing the Holy Spirit to saturate our conversation with revelatory insights. The difference between the two groups that I experienced was the level of relational connectivity that we had established before we engaged in studying the Word.

Relational Brain Skills and Covid-19
While the pandemic certainly inflicted collateral damage upon various areas of our lives, our willingness to pursue relationships may have been one of the more impacted areas of them all (A phenomenon we introduced last year as individuals were returning to groups). Wilder and Hendricks note that when we possess a lack of social interaction, it can lead to a church system that leans more towards left-brained Christianity. From here, this type of framework begets a loss of relational and emotional skills, which further compounds and inevitably results in ineffective discipleship. In other words, without a relationally-focused recalibration of the direction of our small group ministries, the pandemic may likely be causing our discipleship programs to become less effective.

On the other hand, Wilder and Hendricks note that when we increase our “relational brain skills,” we build up a joy capacity that can help us navigate through the larger emotional events that occur within our lives. Indeed, “when our identity is not well developed, our personality will change in different settings. With a well-formed brain, our identity will not change in different circumstances.” If an individual’s identity—or even their church’s identity—still feels “off” after returning from lockdowns, it might be worth considering a season that focuses intently on the pursuit of developing the community’s relational skills.

The Road Ahead
To help encourage healthy character transformation within the church, Wilder and Hendricks present four essential ingredients: hesed love, relational joy, group identity, and healthy correction. In the weeks ahead, we will explore further what these ingredients mean within the context of our small groups, and what we can do as leaders to stimulate organic growth. Let us forge a community with a foundation that will not be easily shaken by the tumultuous seasons that may lie ahead. Let us pause for a moment and truly ask one another how the other person is doing. Let us strive for the type of Spirit-filled whole-brained community that we read about through the book of Acts, where both the temple courts and the house-to-house meetings actively took place (Acts 2:46).


Friday, October 8, 2021

The Brain and Small Groups

 

What encourages continual transformation within the heart of a believer? Some say it is reading Scripture, while others might say that it is a healthy prayer life. Certainly, these items are vital and they incorporate two core activities of the Christian faith. Yet if you asked those who study neuroscience, it’s likely that they would have another item to add. Coauthored by Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks, the book The Other Half of Church explores the neuroscience of transformational change and what we in the church can (and probably should) do in order to unlock huge opportunities for our churchgoers’ spiritual growth. Over the course of the next few months, let us unpack some of the larger concepts introduced by the authors while looking at the text through the lens of one’s small group ministry.

Our Brain’s Two Halves
For those who remembered their lessons from high school biology, our brain is made up of what our authors refer to as two “processors” (the left and the right), which work together but specialize in different responsibilities. While it is common that the right side of the brain is often associated with art or emotions and the left side of the brain is often associated with logic or problem solving, what may not be as commonly understood is that all of the information that our brain receives will traverse through a pathway that begins on the right side of our brain before it travels to the left side of our brain. As a result, our right brain processes data more quickly than our left brain. According to Wilder, “The right hemisphere process that creates our working identity integrates our reality six times per second. The brain brings together current experience and emotionally important personal memories to create an active sense of who we are in our relationships at that moment.”

Relationship-Fueled Transformation
When you reflect upon a season of your life where you experienced some of the greatest character growth you ever had, who was surrounding you in your life during that time? When I gave my life to Christ, I not only had a mentor in my life who was teaching me up in the faith, but I was also spending time with other Christians on a weekly basis. While I was reading Scripture and finding out who God was through the living Word, I was also observing others who were leading by example and who were showing how to live a Christian life. Indeed, I couldn’t imagine what my formation in the faith would have been if it hadn’t been for those individuals who were walking alongside me during that time. Testimonies of that “on fire” stage for new believers often echo similar details, where relationships typically seem to be at the core of the person’s season of transformation. Wilder and Hendricks agree, explaining that since “our right brain governs the whole range of relational life,” our “character formation develops out of our community, the people we call ‘my people.’ Our loving attachments and the values of our community drive our character.”

The Brain and Small Groups
When we encourage individuals in our church to grow in the Lord, what types of activities do we normally recommend for them to pursue? A common sermon on spiritual growth will likely include Scripture reading and increased prayer time, but are relationships included within such a mix? And if fellowship with other Christians is indeed mentioned, to what degree is relationship-building encouraged? If our brains are wired to process our world more through our right brain, and if our right brain governs our relational life, and if our relational life is what accelerates our ability to have positive transformation and character growth, then does our church’s prioritization of its small group ministry reflect this? In the weeks ahead, we’ll explore how small groups are the perfect vehicles for delivering the ingredients that Wilder and Hendricks list as essential for fruitful growth.


Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Insights from the Early Church


Whether in time or in physical proximity, those who were closest to Jesus had a once-in-eternity opportunity to tell humanity the most essential information that is needed in order to build a proper understanding of the Christian faith. Due to their positioning within time and history, it is fascinating to acknowledge that their writings will continue to be referenced and widely consulted for the remainder of the time that humankind will reside upon this earth. While the collection of retained works from the first few centuries is not as large as the texts and writings that would eventually be written during the centuries that followed, two early Christian works in particular stand out as noteworthy and exceptional when capturing a glimpse into the teachings of the early Church: The Didache, and The Shepherd of Hermas.

The Didache
Along with its catechistic tone in providing guidance on items like how to appoint bishops and deacons, how to pray over the Eucharist, and how to confirm when a prophet is genuine, The Didache calls heavily upon an amplified interpretation of the Ten Commandments and the two commandments that Jesus gives us in Matthew 22:37-39. After a brief read, it becomes evident that the Church was convicted during this time to maintain a level of morality that was in stark opposition to the cultural climate of the time. Indeed, the author(s) of Didache comments on the end times in a way that harkens to Matthew 24:22-30 and 2 Timothy 4:3-5, saying “For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters will abound…and love will be turned into hate…as lawlessness increases, they will hate and persecute and betray one another. And then the deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God and will perform signs and wonders.”  However, all hope is not lost, as the text reassures its readers that “those who endure in their faith will be saved by the accursed one himself” (Jesus).  Considering this somber message that was written so long ago, one can’t help but wonder if we as a world have made much progress in knowing what it means to love one another, these past 2,000 years.

The Shepherd of Hermas
Yet The Didache wasn’t the only writing from this period that was concerned about making an intentional effort to love one another. To help emphasize the generous nature that Christians were called to pursue, The Shepherd of Hermas also exhorts us to “not hesitate to give, nor grumble when giving,” and to “give generously to all who are in need, not debating to whom you will give and to whom you will not…for God wishes that from his own gifts, gifts should be given to all.”  Until we Christians do this, the text makes note that we will effectively be rendered “useless” for the kingdom of God until we make the choice to exhibit a spirit of community that benefits those who do not have.  In fact, according to the author of Shepherd, we were made rich by the Father for that sole purpose: to be able to utilize our spiritual gifts and pursue the calling that the Lord has impressed upon each and every one of our lives.

Upon reading these two works, I was impressed by how well they spoke to the responsibilities that God extends to us (even to this day). These texts from so long ago embolden us to be courageous when carrying out our respective ministries. They help to give us confidence when introducing others to Jesus, the only person who is able to rescue individuals from the deep anguishes of life that they may be experiencing. Let us not walk in uncertainty. If we fear the devil, then that means we believe that the devil has authority over us and it gives him permission to admit more evil and/or sin into our lives. Instead, if we fear the Lord (who actually has real authority and power), it is here where we are able to tap into the power of the Lord and stand against the attempted advances of the devil. Let us walk in alignment with the Holy Spirit and confidently proclaim the Lord’s name in everything that we do.  Amen.

Thursday, September 9, 2021

A Moral Duty: Youth on Social Media

 


Recently, author and priest Tish Harrison Warren wrote an article for Christianity Today, titled “Don’t Quit Twitter Yet. You Might Have a Moral Duty to Stay.” The article does well in posing the questions surrounding what we Christians could and should do within the realm of social media. But do we teach our youth to simply just limit their screen time for the sake of their own spiritual health? Or do we teach them to use their phones and reach out to others for the sake of the lost? Warren explains, “the unavoidable fact is that people today find a public voice, in part, through social media. This goes for Christian writers, artists, and public leaders as well. These online spaces are where people—those whom Jesus loves—are talking about important things. This is where people share their work.” Yet the author acknowledges that the topic is complex. While it is an important space for our voices to have a forum, social media also is known to “decrease our ability to think critically, increase rates of depression, and fuel anxiety and distraction.” And for those voices that do begin to gain traction and to generate a following, “the authority that comes from being popular online can subvert institutional health and accountability.”

We have learned much about the psychological impact that the virtual world can have on our minds, for it has been a decade since smart phones arrived on the scene and since the usage of social media apps like Instagram reached critical mass. The minefield of fleshly-driven messages that social media brings to our youth is an unavoidable reality for Gen Z and for future generations to come. Thus, just as the church has helped to train its adults on how to engage the world within the family, the workplace, and the world, it now is being called to incorporate into its mission a need to teach its youth about the intricacies of how to live as digital Christians. Here we will briefly explore a few areas where this can be applied within our respective youth ministries.

Giving Youth a Platform
Since our students will almost certainly download social media apps and participate in the online community, why not equip them on how to use it for the benefit of the kingdom of God? For previous articles on ideas of how to accomplish this, check out what it means to be a micro-influencer and some of the ways that a Social Media “Empower Team” can be established within your youth ministry.

Focus on Creating More than Responding
Too many times have our responses to other content creators come back to haunt us when the influencer stumbles and generates enough negative attention to get themselves “cancelled.” To the critics that rummage through our digital archives, it doesn’t matter that we did not know about that influencer’s sexism or political affiliation; a tweet or comment from us that agreed with one of their past posts is now in the spotlight and our character can suddenly be questioned alongside the character of the recently "cancelled” individual. But do we go silent and completely refrain from commenting on anything on social media? No, such a thought is unrealistic and unhealthy. However, we must also think twice before clicking that “submit” button on our replies. Is the comment that we want to make a life-giving and kingdom-contributing comment? After all, what we do online is forever; what is said or shared or sent is locked in the digital archives of the internet and can never go away (even if we might try to delete it). Rather, let us encourage and teach our youth that we don’t have to wait upon the creativity of others in order to feel that we can be given the chance to interact with the world. When we focus more on creating God-inspired content, it provides an even greater opportunity for the world to hear our distinct voice. It is then that the Lord can use us in the best opportunities where He has always meant for us to serve.

Youth Retreat
A sermon on social media is great, however the temptations of this world may cause our students to easily forget the message that prodded their heartstring a few Sundays ago. Sometimes, immersion into a topic can create a series of memorable experiences that can help students break away from the world’s distractions and focus on what the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate to them. Because of this, dedicating an upcoming youth retreat to social media may be the perfect opportunity to address a large amount of material in a short amount of time. Perhaps on opening night, the retreat can introduce “Tik Tok Workshops,” where the youth break out into teams (each led by a youth leader) and then create Church-friendly Tik Tok videos (feel free to add a competition element as well, where prizes are offered for the best videos). Pause for a quick exercise to have each student make 5 positive and affirming comments on their friends’ content. Youth pastors can take advantage of the opportunity to discover their students’ spiritual gifts and work with them to identify ways where they can be deployed within the digital realm. Finally, perhaps the team can wrap up one of the evenings where the speaker addresses the heavy topic of pornography and then initiates a “phone altar call.” Here, each person is invited to lay their electronic device at the altar and the youth ministry leadership prays over the devices while they are dedicated to the Lord. Rather than an ineffective attempt to get our students to merely decrease their screen time, the goal of such a retreat would be to educate and train our students on how to utilize technology to help transform lives and bring glory God.


Friday, August 27, 2021

Small Groups are a Sealant

 


The process of waterproofing a basement can vary from house to house. For some homeowners, the task lasts a mere few days. For others, the battle could drag on for a span of multiple agonizing years. Various factors contribute to the journey, including the craftsmanship of the home’s original builders, the characteristics of the plot of land that the house was built upon, the weather conditions of the area, or even the age of the house.

While my wife and I have not experienced any waterproofing concerns in our time of owning a house, I nonetheless made a bit of extra effort these last few years by sealing the perimeter of our home. While there is a concrete driveway and some concrete slabs that surround the entire perimeter of our house, time has taken its toll on the hardened cement and gaps have emerged. To lessen the amount of water that seeps into the foundation and to help prevent an increasing water table from developing, I decided to purchase and apply self-leveling sealant along the cracks between the house and the adjacent driveway/concrete slabs.

Attending a small group within the church is a bit like waterproofing our homes. A small leak through the basement walls, while tolerable at first, could over time cause more structural and foundational damage to the home. This, in turn, can lead to more cracks, more leaks and more flooding (alongside other concerns such as mold buildup, damage to belongings, or depreciation of the property’s value). Similarly, sinful habits that begin as an occasional occurrence may start small. However, the spiritual reality that we experience on this earth is that the slow fester of sin has the potential to snowball into an uncontrollable force that can lead us to ruin (James 1:15).  

When pouring the sealant, some sections of the perimeter can have small gaps, while other sections may have gaping chasms that need to be filled by rocks and/or sections of backer rod first before proceeding. We can relate, as certain seasons require only a thin line of sealant to cover the gaps in our spiritual lives, whereas other times we find ourselves in need of a drastic overhaul of our behaviors and /or environments in order to recalibrate our relationship with the Lord.

Sealant doesn’t likely come in many colors, and depending on the brick color of the house that we have, pouring a sealant that doesn’t match our home’s colors may end up negatively affecting the curb appeal of the property. Yet just as how it is more important to have a dry basement than a pretty exterior, it is crucial for our souls to have a holy vitality that thrives in the Spirit and is allowed to live free, unburdened by any mold or rot of heart. Even though the driveway may not look as good as the day that the cement was poured and even though our fellow group members see a bit more into our past when we share our hearts, our lives will grow more righteous and we are able to weather the heavier storms of life that would have otherwise flooded our houses.

Yet sealant isn’t forever, and as time passes, cracks begin to emerge. One day when doing yardwork, we are surprised to discover a weed growing out of the tiniest hole that had emerged within the layer of sealant. Indeed, homeowners are well aware of the fact that one’s yardwork is never done and such a weed can serve as an indication that it is time to dig it out and pour some new sealant over the area once again. Similarly, the busyness of the day-to-day can sometimes pull us away from community for a year or two at a time. The weeds that sprout within our lives can serve as key indicators to inform us that it is now once again time to return to fellowship, thereby allowing us to enjoy life with one another as God had intended: in community, nurturing and pursuing transformational relationships with one another as we together give praise and glory to our Savior, Jesus Christ.


Thursday, August 12, 2021

Building Upon a Solid Foundation of Faith

 


In the first apartment that my wife and I had lived in, there was a basement within the unit where the tenants could do laundry and also access extra storage in their own assigned sections. However, during heavy rains, it was common to find areas of the basement floor covered in a thin layer of water. Our storage section of the basement was especially susceptible to the floods that would occur. Perhaps because the amount of water in the basement wasn’t alarming, our appeals to the apartment complex to address the issue would not yield any results. Nevertheless, we had to do something to protect our belongings within the storage section. As a result, we ended up implementing a strategy where we would place our storage tubs on bricks to elevate them a few inches off of the ground. While such efforts may have been a good strategy in theory, the method was anything but sound. Not only did I have a limited number of bricks, but the bricks that I had in my possession were the smaller kind of decorative bricks that were often used for patios and landscaping. So to protect our belongings with the resources we had, I would artfully balance each tub upon only two smaller-sized decorative bricks. From there, anytime I would stack another tub or box upon one of the base-level tubs, I first had to test the weight of the load and then maneuver the storage bins in such a way where a successful state of balance was achieved within the respective column of bins and boxes.

It’s amusing to reflect upon this now, for I couldn’t tell you why I did not secure our belongings in a more proper manner by simply purchasing a few more bricks for each column of tubs and boxes to rest upon. Perhaps it was my stubborn attitude that believed that nothing bad would happen and that I always keep everything in perfect balance. Now as I look back upon this season of our lives, I can’t help but realize how similar my spiritual journey was to this feeble method of balancing and maneuvering. At the time that my wife and I got married, I was shackled by sinful habits that were impeding my ability to grow more in the Lord. Rather than repenting, I would try to balance both my sin and my faith, believing that my artfully balanced lifestyle would never be at risk of falling over and causing damage to the areas of my life that I highly valued.

But as we get older, life grows more complex, and we end up needing to juggle more responsibilities and needing to care for more individuals. If my wife and I would have continued to live in that first apartment, we would have inevitably acquired more stuff and would have needed to stack the storage bins higher. And if I continued to use my shaky foundation of small bricks, it would have only been a matter of time before everything would have crashed to the ground and gotten damaged by the next batch of water that would have leaked into the basement. Such a scenario reminds me of James, who says in his epistle, “after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (1:15). Indeed, whether it is a slow decay or a sudden event, spiritual and/or physical death is the inevitable result of leading a sin-soaked life; in hindsight, I believe that this was in fact the path that I was living on.

If we layer and stack our lives upon a shaky foundation of faith, the slightest nudge can tip the balance of the storage bins of our lives and the contents of our heart can become damaged. Is such damage irreparable? It’s tough to predict the scope of the hurt that we will carry with us. Similar to a book that absorbs water into some or all of its pages, it will never look or feel the same again (even after the pages once again become dry). Too, a heart that is ravaged by sin may be able to forgive and be forgiven, but the scar tissue remains and the past can come back to disrupt our emotions when we least expect it. For me and my situation, I gratefully praise God. Even though I will not be perfect and even though there is some scar tissue, I know that I am saved and the sins that used to impede my relationship with Him have been given over to the Lord and He has since declared victory in my life. I share this with hope and pray that you too may encounter the incredible person of Jesus and continue to develop a close relationship with Him. Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.


Friday, July 30, 2021

Being a Navigator of Discussion

 


During my undergraduate studies, I pursued a degree that required me to take some of the more challenging math courses that the university had to offer. One particular course I had to take was Calculus 3 (also known as multi-variable calculus). After a few weeks in, I quickly realized that my instructor for the course was terrifying. Not only was his teaching style unapologetically abrasive and unsympathetic, he would laugh at and criticize his students who answered his questions incorrectly in class. In my stubbornness to try to see it through, I unfortunately ended up failing the course which meant that I had to take it once again. The next semester, I chose a different professor, who was arguably the kindest, gentlest, and most sympathetic math teacher I had ever had the pleasure of studying under during my undergraduate career. I’m happy to say, the semester ended up with a completely different result and I ended up acing the course.

Becoming involved within a church’s small group ministry can sometimes feel similar to this. Oftentimes, the small groups we join will yield an incredible experience that is exactly what we need in our lives from week to week. Yet there are times when we hear of an individual who mentions that their small group leader is not allowing enough time for group conversation or that the group that they had signed up for is not aligning with the expectations that they held. While the good times in our groups can help transform our lives for the better, the less-than-positive experiences can leave us wanting to try another group. But this does not have to be the case, and we small group leaders can implement some strategies that can help lessen the number of negative experiences that occur within the church’s small group ministry.

Adhering to Group Expectations
Revisiting an older article from our archives, a reflection on expectations can help us pause and meditate upon what exactly our group is trying to accomplish. By establishing the levels of Love, Learn, and Serve ahead of time, there becomes less of a chance for confusion or dissatisfaction as the group continues to meet throughout the span of its life.

Navigators of Discussion
In their book Creating Community, Andy Stanley and Bill Willits encourage group leaders to promote participation, explaining that “since shared participation creates broader ownership of the group, all group members should be encouraged to participate often in the facilitation and leadership of the group meeting. This essential also reminds leaders to promote participation by being navigators of discussion, not teachers of curriculum. The difference is critical. Every time leaders ask open-ended questions, they are inviting participation. More than sharing the right answers, we want people to share their lives” (emphasis mine). In a post-Covid world, we stand to benefit more from a community that gives us a space to share our story and to let us live out our faith. This key point ties in directly with the “Love/Learn/Serve” breakdwon, where there are distinct differences between how a class is led versus a small group, or how a community service-oriented group is organized versus a prayer group.

Balancing Content with Life-Change
For new group leaders, being at the helm of a group can at times feel daunting. What if no one wants to open up and be vulnerable when answering my questions? What if I feel that I don’t know enough about the topic to lead a conversation? This is the beauty of a discussion-led small group that leans on materials like sermon discussion notes or a community book: leaders have the content to fall back onto. If it occurs where there are not that many individuals who care to open up a given week, then that’s okay. In such a case, the group is able to use the book (or sermon notes) as fuel to help drive the interaction between the group members. While answering the previously prepared questions, group members can slowly open up at their own pace and eventually come to the realization that they are establishing connections with one another. Nevertheless, life and its challenges still occur (even in the midst of us attending small groups). If the discussion at the beginning of a group meeting reveals that a member of the group is experiencing some major life changes and that they are in need of prayer, then the group can shift gears and minister to those who can benefit from an extra helping of grace and love. Exploring multiple options like these of where to take the group can encourage the group leader to be in alignment with the Holy Spirit’s direction and also help foster an environment that can generate more organic positive life-change to occur within the lives of each group member.


Thursday, July 15, 2021

Prayer and Jesus, the True Watchtower

 


In his writings, legendary evangelist Smith Wigglesworth said, “The Word of God is not to be prayed about, the Word of God has to be received. If you will receive the Word of God, you will always be in a big place. If you pray about the Word of God the devil will be behind the whole thing. Never pray about anything which is ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ It has to be yours to build you on a new foundation of truth.” If you paused for a moment there to make sure you were reading that right, then you’re in good company. When I first had read that, I too had to double back and try to understand what he had meant. I remember thinking, “Why should we not be praying about the word of God?” Yet as I paused further to reflect, I eventually realized that although the difference between the two appears to be subtle, it becomes a bold and powerful perspective on prayer once we understand it and apply it to our lives.

In our last article, we discussed how Satan is like a circuit court judge and how Jesus’ authority and ruling will always be able to overpower the efforts of the evil one. In addition, it was mentioned that a case must be filed and submitted to a higher court before any review and overturning of ruling can be declared. In the Christian context, this method of spiritual “appeal” for us is our prayers, and if we believe that the wrong judgment was made upon our lives by the devil, then we confidently appeal to the Lord in our time of prayer.

But if we are to appeal to the Lord with a Wigglesworth approach, what might that look like? For example, if  the devil is trying to make a judgment that brandishes us as a hopelessly lost person who is forever enslaved by our past sins, we don’t just simply pray: “Scripture says in Isaiah 1:18 that ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool…’” Rather, a prayer that receives and imbues Scripture into our hearts may instead sound like, “Lord, my sins were red as scarlet, but God, you have made them as white as snow through the perfect sacrifice of your Son Jesus Christ so that my crimson red sins can be made as wool in the realm of the eternal!”

Or if we feel that the devil is trying to make a judgment upon us that tries to disqualify us from serving in the kingdom of God due to the insecurities we hold over ourselves, we don’t just simply pray: “Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 12:7 that “to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” Rather, a prayer that receives and imbues Scripture into our hearts may instead sound like, “Lord, I believe your word and your word says that I have been blessed with a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good of the kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit empowers me in one or more areas of my life to be more than a match for Satanic forces.”

This is what Smith Wigglesworth meant in the difference between praying about Scripture and receiving Scripture within our hearts so that we own our faith within our prayers. Praying with such conviction bolsters our hearts and our minds as it allows us to reach for levels of holiness that are essential in today’s day and age. 2020 clearly made it known that the path ahead is slated to be challenging journey for the world as a whole. Similar to a group of travelers who decide to venture into the wilderness, they will look at the surrounding landscape from a higher vantage point in order to get a proper view of what to expect. Once they climb into an outpost or a watchtower, they are able can see not only a proper path to pursue, but they can also be aware of any alarming situations like predators that are lurking about. In a large field with tall grass, a lion can successfully remain unseen and prowl without being noticed, but the same lion looks quite foolish to any onlookers if they can easily see it from a watchtower. This is precisely what we are called as Disciples of Christ to do: to operate on a level that is completely different than the evil one. Because we are lifted up and protected by Jesus who is our outpost and solid foundation, the devil’s attempts at spiritual warfare are unable to be hidden from us and we can then clearly see his presence and any dangers that may lay ahead.

To help us capture this essence and this passion in our prayers, allow me to leave you with one last quote from the writings of Smith Wigglesworth: “I never saw a man get anything from God who prayed on the earth. If you get anything from God, you will have to pray into heaven; for it is all there. If you are living in the earth realm and expect things from heaven, they will never come. And I saw, in the presence of God, the limitations of my faith, there came another faith, a faith that could not be denied, a faith that took the promise, a faith that believed God’s Word. And from that presence, I came back again to earth, but not as the same man. God [gives] a faith that could shake hell and anything else.”


Thursday, July 1, 2021

Supreme Court and Jesus, the True Judge

 

We must acknowledge an important spiritual reality of the world that we live in: it is the reality that Satan is the ruler of this world’s fleshly-driven affairs. Such a statement need not catch us off guard, for 2 Corinthians 4:4 informs us of this, explaining that “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God”, NIV). While the book of Revelation gives us the perspective of the eternal and informs us of the defeat of Satan before the forces of God, one of the biggest mistakes we Christians can make on the topic of spiritual warfare is to underestimate the evil one and forget that the battle is still ongoing here in the physical realm (a fight in which we find ourselves caught in the middle). Rather than ending up as collateral damage from the continuous onslaught that Satan hurls upon this earth, let us refresh our understanding of his limitations so that we are more properly equipped for the spiritual confrontations that lay ahead of us.

As much as he might try, we know from Scripture that the devil can never obtain the ability to judge as justly or as righteously as God. After all, Jesus is the one true judge, as seen in our previous article on this series which covered Revelation 19:11. In addition, we can revisit the words of Jesus Himself, who in John 8:15-16 said, “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me”; and in John 5:30, where He said, “My judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

Even with the lordship of Jesus established, it won’t stop the devil from trying to become a judge with the same kind of power. But according to 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Revelation 19:11, Satan’s reach and jurisdiction is only within this earthly realm. He doesn’t have authority in the eternal, and if you and I are claimed by the Lord, then the devil has no chance of being able to snatch you or me out from the hand of Jesus (John 10:28). Thus, his attempt to judge you and me from his ramshackle, pitiful throne can only be done on earthly, temporal terms. In other words, his actions are unable to touch eternity and his jurisdiction stops at the edge of time. Yet while he may be the ruler of this world, Matthew 24:35 reminds us that “this earth will pass away, but [the words of Jesus] will never pass away.” When this earth passes away, Satan's throne will be destroyed with it.

In the end, Satan may try to gather all the material he can to try and judge us. However, even if he recorded all of our actions and all of our sins, the spiritual reality is that he still has absolutely no power over God in the eternal. Even on this earth, he struggles to gain a foothold in the lives of the alert Christians who understand Luke 10:19, where Jesus says, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Indeed, once we believe that Jesus has given His disciples this authority, the snake may bite but it has been de-venomized. For us, we walk in confidence, knowing that the sting of eternal death has been removed.

It is similar to the difference between a circuit court judge and a Supreme Court judge. If you don’t like the ruling of a circuit court, you can continue to appeal until eventually it can make its way to the Supreme Court. The devil is like a circuit court judge. He has some level of power and he can make a ruling in one direction or another. Should we accept the ruling of the circuit judge, we must live with the changes that such a ruling may bring upon our lives. However, if we feel that we are still in the right and that our case has not been properly heard, then we can appeal. For us Christians, this means that we have the ability to appeal to a higher authority: A higher judge, THE Supreme Court judge: Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless, it is not enough to merely claim that the devil circuit court judge was wrong. From the legal perspective, a higher court will not make a ruling to overturn the lesser circuit court until the case is brought forward to the higher court. In other words, the case must be filed before any action is taken by the higher court. In the Christian circumstance, our method and our vehicle through which an appeal is made is prayer. In our final article remaining in the series, we will explore this concept further on what our prayer “appeals” can look like and how we can put our previous knowledge in this series to use.

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Revelation and Jesus, the True Ruler

 

In our last article, we took the time to establish how Jesus is the true king. In this week’s article, we will build upon this truth and explore how Jesus is the true ruler. To help us refresh our memories on this key concept, let us make a short stop in Revelation 19:11-16. “11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (NIV). What an amazing image of Jesus. This portrayal of our Lord and Savior on His magnificent steed is placed right in the middle of the process where the destroyers of the earth are being undone one by one. But who are these destroyers of the earth and where is this piece of text within the greater span of Revelation?

When observing the structure of Revelation as a whole, it tends to reflect a pattern where a sandwiching format is often used. Among other smaller formatting patterns, Revelation scholar Craig Koester notes that the book of Revelation consists of 6 vision cycles that are book-ended by an introduction and conclusion on either side. Each of the 6 individual vision cycles within the book begin and end with the presence of God and/or John commenting on what he is seeing in the heavens. Yet this isn’t the only type of pattern you’ll find in this cryptic book of the Bible. There is another sandwich-like pattern that you’ll find in the book, namely the introduction of and the undoing of the destroyers of the earth (this takes place throughout the course of vision cycles 4,5 and 6).

Throughout the text, Revelation depicts three primary destroyers of the earth: first we have Satan (we see in chapter 12 that he is thrown from heaven to earth); second, the beast and false prophet (scholars typically combine these two together and these two are introduced in chapter 13); and third, Babylon the whore (introduced in chapter 17). In the order that these three destroyers are introduced, Koester also notes that they are disposed of in reverse order. First, Babylon the whore is undone by the beast in the same chapter that she is introduced, chapter 17. From here, the beast and false prophet are conquered next in chapter 19. Finally, Satan is thrown from earth into the abyss and lake of fire in chapter 20. So here in the excerpt of text from Revelation 19 where we are currently focusing, this places us right in the middle of the destroyers of the earth being addressed (The beast and false prophet are actually disposed of in the few verses right afterward in verses 17-21). In this moment of the Bible, we are witnessing one of the most powerful, awe inspiring, and quite frankly terrifying descriptions of the perfect power that Jesus Christ administers against the forces of evil. These destroyers of the earth are the most powerful forces that hell could possibly be sent to fight, yet they are absolutely decimated by our magnificent Lord.

But this stunning portrayal of our perfect and powerful Lord isn’t new to Revelation. If anything, Revelation perfectly encapsulates what has been shown throughout Scripture up until this point. Isaiah 11:3-4 says, “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked” (NIV). In addition, Psalm 9:8-12 says, “He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted” (NIV). 

Indeed, what we see here in Revelation 19 is a perfect representation of who the Messiah is described and depicted within the Old Testament. Jesus is the true fulfillment of the Scriptures, and we see Him to be the one true ruler who is able to execute such judgment in a truly objective and flawless manner (a feat that no person except the Son of God can do). Jesus is the only ruler with perfect judgment who we can place our faith and trust in).


Thursday, June 3, 2021

Robin Hood and Jesus, the True King

 

Disney’s 1973 film Robin Hood is a classic tale of adventure, romance, and dispensation of righteous judgment. The film depicts a state of England where the de facto king at the time (named Prince John) is unfairly taxing the people of Nottingham to such a high degree that their very livelihoods are severely affected. Later in the movie, we see Prince John raise the taxes so high that he imprisons the people of the town who are unable to pay their abhorrently high dues. Everyone understood that Prince John was ruling unfairly, and that it was only a matter of time before his brother, the real king (King Richard), would return and resume his rightful place on the throne. Yet even though the people only needed to wait Prince John out, life under his rule was still exceedingly difficult for the townspeople of Nottingham.

In the midst of this state of affairs, we see the dashing Robin Hood, branded as an enemy of the state because he was robbing from the rich and giving back to the poor. While there is a subplot of Robin Hood pursuing his childhood sweetheart Maid Marian throughout the course of the movie, the greater path of the story follows the unfair imprisonment of the townspeople of Nottingham (due to the high taxes) and Robin Hood’s efforts to free the townspeople from the grasp of Prince John. At the end of the movie, not only does King Richard return and ensure that his people remain free, but we are also informed that Prince John and his minions are placed under arrest and Robin Hood is pardoned.

If viewed through the lens of Christianity, one can’t help but notice some similarities between Prince John and the behavior of Satan. First, we see that Prince John is a temporary king who everyone recognizes to not be the ruler with true power (He may be in power right now, but everyone knows that it won’t be for long, once the real king returns). If we compare this to Satan, we know that the devil may have some power now over this earth, but it won’t be forever and his ability to rule will end the moment that the true king returns (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation chapters 19-20).

Second, Prince John employs his sheriff and snake advisor and other guards to do his bidding, while he runs away when disarmed and, like a big baby, sucks his thumb out of raging jealousy at the mention of the true king’s name. We see this in the spiritual realm too, where the devil has an army of demons and appointed generals to do the evil biddings of the army of darkness, while he too cowers and runs away at the very mention of the name of Jesus Christ (James 4 :7-8).

Third, the taxation policies of Prince John are impacting the townspeople so much that they are unable to live their lives in a way that the true king would want them to be able to live. Once again, this is quite like Satan’s treatment of us on how the shame, the guilt, and the torment that we are now experiencing at the hands of the devil is not God’s desire for how we are to live our lives (James 1:17-18). In other words, this Prince John is a fake, pseudo-king who tries to bring judgment upon the people of Nottingham when in reality he holds no true power and is destined to not only fail but will also be shackled and condemned himself.

What if we looked upon the devil like we view Prince John from the 1973 Disney film Robin Hood, bemused at his raging jealousy while knowing in the back of our minds that his reign will be ending soon? What if we saw today’s spiritual warfare from the lens of eternity, where we know the fake king is imprisoned and the throne of the true king will inevitably be restored? It is here on this concept where we will pause and reflect. Throughout the span of the next few articles, join us as we will meditate upon the perfect judgment of Jesus Christ and how no other person in the earthly or spiritual realm (not even Satan himself) can come close to the power of Jesus Christ.


Wednesday, May 19, 2021

3 Ways We Can Hear the Voice of God

 

The topic of hearing the voice of God never fails to stir up the interest and conversation of fellow Christians (and at times, even from individuals of differing faiths or of no faith). Yet if you encountered a new believer who wasn’t quite sure of what to think on the matter, what would you say? In his book Hearing God, Dallas Willard eases his readers into such a conversation. In his wonderful book, he gives loose guidance that recommends checking three points of reference, sometimes referred to as the “three lights” which we can consult when determining what the Lord would have us do. He says that these are 1) Circumstances; 2) Impressions of the Spirit; and 3) Passages of the Bible. Let us briefly explore each of these three as an introduction to this noteworthy topic.

Circumstances
For us to believe that God is speaking to us through the events of our lives, then it seems likely that our circumstances are causing disruptions in our lives that are large enough for us to pause and ask, “Why am I here?” or “Is God trying to tell me something?” While it is also true that our circumstances could be markers or guiderails to help us make decisions that are more in line with the will of God, the circumstances we experience will inevitably provide God with more of an opportunity to show us His eternal perspective. While there is a slight pierce in the truth of his words, Henry Blackaby’s voice brings clarity to the matter, telling us that “when you face confusing circumstances, don’t blame God. Don’t give up following Him. Go to God. Ask Him to reveal the truth of your circumstances…When He becomes the Lord of your life, He alone has the right to be: the Focus of your life; the Initiator in your life; the Director of your life. That is what it means for Him to be Lord.”

Impressions of the Spirit
Feeling an impression of the Spirit is hard to describe with words. Yet, once we begin to recognize the voice of God, the movement of the Spirit can be almost unmistakable. Similar to how a child is able to discern their parents’ voices amid the cacophony of noises on the busy playground, we also can develop a keen ear to know when the Lord is reaching out to us. Rather than expecting a constant stream of theophanies like the burning bush in Exodus 3, Willard explains that such impressions of the Spirit are actually the most common path for hearing from the Lord for those who are living in harmony with God. He continues, mentioning that “as we become used to the idea that God is friendly and helpful, that He desires to straighten, inform and correct for our good as well as to comfort and encourage and that He really does love us, then we can begin to pray heartily with Psalms 139:23” (“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”, NIV).

Passages of the Bible
Available on-demand for any person who has a Bible nearby, the Word of God remains as an inerrant and consistent source of truth for the Christian faith. Willard annotates that while our modern interpretations provide more scholarly insight than centuries prior, we must refrain from depending upon the human translation to be a replacement of the voice of God. Indeed, he says that “our dependence as we read the Bible today must be on God, who now speaks to us in conjunction with [the Bible] and with our best efforts to understand it” (emphasis mine). Legendary evangelist Smith Wigglesworth shares in his book Faith that Prevails a quote that I could not break apart or shorten, for it was just too good and needed to be read in its entirety: “A man gave this remarkable testimony concerning the Word: ‘Never compare this Book with other books. Comparisons are dangerous. Never think or never say that this Book contains the Word of God. It is the Word of God. It is supernatural in origin, eternal in duration, inexpressible in value, infinite in scope, regenerative in power, infallible in authority, universal in interest, personal in application, inspired in totality. Read it through. Write it down. Pray it in. Work it out. And then pass it on.’”


Thursday, May 6, 2021

Stop Overfunctioning In Your Youth Ministry

 

In her book Leaders Who Last, Margaret Marcuson highlights the importance of balance within our lives and within church ministry. Through her book, she recommends that we dodge the tendency to become what she refers to as an “overfunctioner,” or in other words an individual who does not regulate themselves and who takes on too much responsibility for the various tasks at hand. Are we guilty of being overfunctioners within our own youth ministries? One can’t help but wonder if this may indeed be an important conversation to have when considering that the average tenure of a youth pastor is commonly recognized to be between 2 and 4 years. Let us explore more of what Marcuson has to say on the topic to help us achieve a healthy balance of work and life within our lives.

What is Overfunctioning?
Overfunctioning occurs when we have an unhealthy tendency to dive in and do the majority of the work ourselves in order to complete the items that need to be addressed. Marcuson explains that the cause of this overfunctioning oftentimes occurs when we lack the patience and maturity to wait. Perhaps caused by a growing frustration that something isn’t moving as fast as we would like it to progress within our ministry, it isn’t long until the youth leaders, volunteers, and students become accustomed to the youth pastor saying that they’ll take care of all of the odds and ends associated with running the youth ministry. Finally, after a few short years of intense and demanding youth services, we suddenly are surprised to find ourselves in a state of burnout.

What Causes Overfunctioning?
If we look to a church’s adult ministry as an example, the head pastor cannot tackle every single need that may arise within a given service or throughout the administration of the church. Rather, trustworthy men and women of God are appointed over key ministries such as worship, tech, prayer, etc. The good news is that youth ministry can operate in a similar manner. However, if a model such as this is not implemented within the church’s youth ministry and if an increasing number of tasks are being left for the youth pastor to complete, then it may be an indicator that the ministry’s vision is not clear or not clearly communicated. It’s no secret that volunteers and students are eager to be a part of a movement that positively impacts the kingdom of God. Yet outside of Spirit-filled revival, it is typically only when the churchgoers and lay leaders buy into a church’s vision that real movement and transformation both begin to take place within the community. So instead of rolling our sleeves up and oiling every squeaky wheel or setting up every single PowerPoint slide, it may benefit us more in the long run to take a moment and recast the vision of the youth ministry for those who have been placed in our care. Marcuson agrees, highlighting that when we rush in to do the work that is necessary, we are not only robbing ourselves of our own precious personal time, but we are also robbing the opportunity for someone else to have the chance to serve the Lord with the spiritual gift(s) that they possess.

Leadership Brings Emotional Freedom and Flexibility
One of the noteworthy quotes from Marcuson’s text is that “perseverance is one of the chores of leadership.” Such wisdom reminds me of James 5:10-11, where Scriptures say that “we call blessed those who showed endurance.” She explains that leadership is moving from controlling others to managing ourselves; that leadership is when we continue to define ourselves and our goals; that leadership is when we balance individuality and togetherness; and that leadership is when we are clear, calm, and confident in communicating the direction of the vision that we are casting. However, even with these truths established, we still must have maturity to understand that culture change is almost always evolutionary instead of revolutionary. It is when we have this realization that we’ll be able to achieve what Marcuson calls “emotional freedom and flexibility,” where we are “less in a position of blaming them and more in a position to appreciate what [volunteers] give [us] and their strengths” (instead of focusing too much on feelings involved with running the ministry). As we move from resentment of incomplete tasks to gratitude of what our amazing volunteers are already providing, it can help us to become more understanding of others’ spiritual journeys and how our ministry’s vision can fully employ the giftings and strengths of those who the Lord has led to be a part of our team.


Thursday, April 22, 2021

Breaking Through Spiritual Languish

 

Last month, the world recognized the 1-year anniversary of the start of a global pandemic, where life as we all knew it suddenly came to a screeching halt and our lives would be forever changed. Now after 13 months, the initial shock of a changed lifestyle has faded, and a different feeling has now begun to creep into our day-to-day lives: languishing. Organizational psychologist and best-selling author Adam Grant recently wrote an article for the New York Times that explores this feeling and what we can do about it. Today, we will review its findings and discuss how applicable this also is to believers within the church.

What is Languishing?
To help us understand more about this feeling of “bleh” that we might be experiencing, Grant explains that languishing is “a sense of stagnation and emptiness,” where you’re not experiencing burnout or depression, but instead a feeling that is “somewhat joyless and aimless.” He unpacks this further, highlighting that “when you’re languishing, you might not notice the dulling of delight or the dwindling of drive. You don’t catch yourself slipping slowly into solitude; you’re indifferent to your indifference.” Our work days become affected as our ability to focus slips; our desire to plan any travel with the family fades as we wonder if any bookings or flights made will soon be disrupted by the ebbs and flows of active Covid-19 cases; our friends who we often kept in touch with begin to drift further away as the days melt together and we find ourselves forgetting to call them once again. I was surprised by how much of the article resonated with me as I began to take inventory of my own personal outlook of the current season. And while this all could certainly be noticed within my work and family life, I couldn’t help but also wonder as to how much this was impacting my faith walk as well?

Working Towards Spiritual “Flow”
To help answer the question of what we can do about this feeling of languish, Grant proposes for us to try and work towards a state of “flow” within our personal lives, a concept that he declares as “that elusive state of absorption in a meaningful challenge or a momentary bond, where your sense of time, place and self melts.” In the church, this means that we find an opportunity to utilize our spiritual gifts. Grant adds, “Getting more done isn’t just good for performance at work: We now know that the most important factor in daily joy and motivation is a sense of progress.” This means that despite the heaviness or the disinterest that we may be feeling, we step forward and sign up to serve at that upcoming church event, regardless of the level of languish that we may be currently slogging through. It means we sign up for a small group that commits to meeting on a scheduled basis so that we can support one another and live life together. Or perhaps it could mean that we commit to attending church service more consistently and picking up our Bibles to read once again. Whatever it might be, what is important to acknowledge is that these actions likely won’t start with us wanting to do them; the devil won’t allow such things. After all, he knows that once we start to make moves for the kingdom of God, it will lessen his ability to use this feeling of languish to his advantage. To break out of a state of spiritual languish, the commitment to engage must come first before the desire to engage.

No More Waiting
While much of 2020 felt like a waiting game where we were supposed to ride out the storm until things returned to normal, it is growing increasingly apparent for us to acknowledge that we will not return to the church of 2019. Is this pessimistic to hold such a view? Perhaps. Yet the solidification of a new world ahead is becoming more and more affirmed with each passing day. Similar to how air travel was completely redefined after 9/11/2001, our society’s methods of interacting with each other are also in the process of being redefined and forever changed (whether we like it or not). And while we would not want to fault anyone for their desire to continue waiting for a return to the good ol’ days of 2019, the spiritual reality here is that such a stance could negatively impact to the spiritual growth of those around us. Indeed, the devil absolutely delights in keeping us in a Laodicean state of lukewarmness (Revelation 3:14-17). Breaking out of this state requires intentional effort that we will need to be held accountable to.

To help us progress, Grant encourages us to “try starting with small wins.” Practicing this strategy through the lens of Christianity can be encouraging. Rather than thinking that we can win the war against Satan through our own efforts, we employ the power of the Holy Spirit and focus on winning the skirmish that is front of us. We start with one battle. With each victory notch that we can declare on our spiritual warfare belts, the devil appears weaker and weaker as we look back and see his inability to win over the long haul. This week, take inventory of your mental health. Ask for the Holy Spirit to empower you to put something on your calendar that will move you in the direction of a healthy state of spiritual flow.

“We cannot return to the past, but we can learn how to treasure relationships as ends rather than means, and we can recapture a transcending biblical vision of commitment and community that will make us more human and less controlled by our culture.”
~ Kenneth Boa


Friday, April 9, 2021

Small Group Prayers that Spark Inner Healing

The Word of God will forever remain as a testament to the powerful ministry of Jesus Christ. While His divine role as Lord and Savior will continue to impact this world until the earth passes on, His brief period of in-person ministry also gives us an inside look to the divine nature of who the Son of God is and how the Spirit can move within the physical realm. Through actions like teaching, casting out demons, forgiving sins, and conducting miraculous healings, Jesus showed us a tiny glimpse of what the kingdom of God can do when it intersects with our world. Yet apart from His miracles, we understand that many of Jesus’s actions were not conducted solely because of His divinity. After all, many of the apostles and disciples went on to execute similar healings, exorcisms, spirit-filled teachings, and other power encounters that contributed toward the establishment of the early church. Rather, Dr. Terry Wardle postulates in his book Healing Care, Healing Prayer that Jesus’s ability to accomplish these moments of ministry was instead based upon the intimate relationship that He had with the Holy Spirit.

Our Role in Inner Healing Prayer
This spiritual truth is something that we can be excited about as well. Indeed, if the disciples were able to facilitate powerful moments such as these, then, by extension, we too have the same potential when we make efforts to minister alongside the Holy Spirit within our own respective ministries. One such ministry opportunity that we might be able to take part in is what Dr. Wardle describes as “inner healing prayer,” or where “a caregiver partners with the Holy Spirit and humbly positions themselves to be an instrument of His powerful touch.” By doing so, the caregiver is able to facilitate “an encounter with the Living Christ, precisely where the broken have been severely wounded and deceived.” He goes on to explain that “inner healing prayer is a ministry that brings a broken person before the Healing Lord, where they can experience love, acceptance and freedom. The caregiver has the privilege to serve as a bridge that joins a ravaged heart with a Ravished Heart.”

Catered Ministry Through Groups
By being in a small group, individuals can get to know one another over a longer period of time and cater transformative prayer to each members’ specific needs. Wardle agrees, explaining that inner healing prayer is best applied when we can see and identify the interrelationships that are occurring within the life of the hurting individual. Oftentimes such connections can be made in our groups as we engage in the type of heartfelt conversation that builds one another up and encourages one another to remain accountable. It is here why we had initially explored what small group members and small group leaders can do within the journey of inner healing. When small group members and small group leaders first take the time to exhibit a tangible Christ-like love and acceptance toward a fellow group member in the physical realm, it can help to create a wider roadway through which the Holy Spirit can transmit the same level of care within the spiritual realm as well.

Being Conduits for the Spirit
Prayer in this type of group environment is not simply just a list of things that are brought to God. Rather, the prayers offered within this setting can be similar to a Romans 8:26 “sigh too deep for words,” where those in the group who may have experienced inner healing in the past can take on the role of the "wounded healer" and intercede for those who are currently in need. Wardle describes this as the essence of inner healing prayer, where it is “a ministry of the Holy Spirit that moves through a Christian caregiver and brings the Healing Presence of Jesus Christ into the place of pain and brokenness within a wounded person.” Let us serve one another and be a blessing by helping our fellow group members take one step further in the journey of healing. Let us be instruments for the Lord and invite the Holy Spirit into our group settings so that He is no longer impeded by any obstacles. Let us partner with the Spirit by encountering Him within this powerful ministry of inner healing prayer.

Friday, March 26, 2021

The Healing Impact of Small Group Leaders

 

For anyone that’s been a part of a small group, we can all relate to the anxious feelings of the first few nights. Right from the start of the very first group meeting, we begin assessing the environment of our small group as we gauge whether or not it’s a safe environment to be vulnerable within. And since it may take a few meetings for the group to navigate through the “forming” stage of group formation, it’s possible that group members may keep their hearts under lock and key until after the “storming” stage passes. Yet despite this, the small group leader can play a role in speeding up the group’s ability to be comfortable with one another and to be more open to the stages of inner healing.

Self-Care and Personal Development
For the small group leaders who work full-time jobs, who are raising families, who enjoy various hobbies, and who also decide to serve elsewhere within the church, life can suddenly become very busy. Indeed, the more we fill our calendars, the more likely we may find ourselves sacrificing our personal time with Jesus for the next event or activity on the never-ending list of things to do. It is here where Dr. Terry Wardle in his book Healing Care, Healing Prayer draws our attention, reminding us caregivers to not only ensure that we remain tethered to the word of God, but to also stay connected to other Christians who are committed to the ministry of the Holy Spirit (I would add that in this context, this would be a group of Christians outside of the small group that the individual leads). While these two activities may be shrugged off as collateral damage under the busyness of the daily grind, they are actually critical for the small group leader. After all, if we do not spend time in the Scriptures, the world will distract us from keeping the Lord’s teachings and commandments at the forefront of our minds. And if we do not engage in community with the body of Christ, we may find ourselves experiencing burnout as we neglect the relationships that can pour life back into us and sharpen our hearts (Proverbs 27:17).

The Wounded Healer
In her book Leaders Who Last, Margaret Marcuson says “we cannot lead others further than we are willing to go ourselves. If we want people to go deeper in the spiritual life, if we want them to grow up emotionally, if we want them to be more authentic, we have to show the way. Leadership starts with us.” Author and leadership expert John Maxwell defines this principle as the “Law of the Lid,” where an organization’s reach and influence can't go beyond where the leader wants to go (or more likely, where the leader decides to stop). This concept can be applied to small groups as well, where individuals may find it difficult to be led to a place of inner healing if the leader has not first been there themselves. Just as we see in 2 Corinthians 12:10, Wardle refers to this as the role of the “wounded healer.” He elaborates, “Only in weakness can the strength of Christ flow through a caregiver to the people who turn to him for help. The wounded caregiver must be touched by the Wounded [Christ] to offer healing to the wounded.” Wardle’s words here are encouraging, for it is when a small group leader experiences inner healing first that they can then be a powerful conduit for the comfort of God that then flows to the others who are placed in their care. By offering one’s testimony of their own journey of inner healing, the small group leader can effectively establish themselves as a “wounded healer.” By sharing their heart, the degree of the leader’s own display of vulnerability can help encourage the other group members to be vulnerable and courageous as well within future gatherings.

Discernment in Sharing
But how much of our story do we leaders offer? If we air out too much of our dirty laundry, does that cause us to lose credibility? While this article from April 2019 may be of some assistance, it is still a tough question to answer. Since every situation is different, it is here where the utilization of a mentorship program at the church can help. One popular method of organizing a mentorship program within the church’s small group ministry is referred to as the Jethro model (Exodus 18), where a coach (who isn’t a small group leader) is assigned to serve and be a guide for a collection of small group leaders. If unsure as to if a certain testimony or story is safe to share, running it upline to one’s coach or church staff member can help provide the clarity or guidance that is needed on the matter. If it is an experience that highlights victory in Christ, than it will likely be a positive story to share. Indeed, it is through a celebration of finding new life in Christ where we can establish close connections with one another and support each other through the seasons of life where community and Jesus can impact us the most.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

The Healing Support of Fellow Small Group Members

 

During various moments within each of our lives, we are confronted with events or circumstances that give us the opportunity to pursue inner healing. Until we are called by the Lord and meet Jesus in heaven, we are exposed to the inevitable pain and challenges of this world. While the hurt and lies that we may have experienced can create spiritual scars on our souls, we tend to find activities, habits, and behaviors to cover up or ignore these scars throughout our adulthood. Yet due to the pandemic, the lockdowns, and the impact on mental health that isolation has made upon us, we have begun to recognize that the events surrounding this last year have acted as a revealing agent, exposing the underlying spiritual struggles that may have lay dormant until now. For example, an individual struggling with self-value and performance addiction may have been able satisfy that gap at the office or on the ballfield; or perhaps a person afflicted by a lack of love and acceptance within their lives may have been able to find temporary solace within the dating scene. However, due to such a drastic interruption to our normal schedules, hobbies, and outlets, many of us were suddenly confronted with the turmoil of our spiritual wounds that we were no longer able to ignore or cover up.

Perhaps this may be partially why the world is now experiencing a mental health crisis, and perhaps this may also be why the pursuit of inner healing has become a hot topic of ministry as of late. During our previous article, we began our discussion on the concept of inner healing, as introduced by Dr. Terry Wardle in his book Healing Care, Healing Prayer. And while his book is certainly an excellent resource for any minister or caregiver that provides care at the individual level, what if we were to instead explore Dr. Wardle’s work through the lens of a church’s small group ministry?

The Structures Inner Healing
Wardle explains in his book that in order to experience inner healing from the wounds that are buried deep within our lives, we must first identify the lies and distortions that the evil one has used to lead us astray. But in order to identify these lies and distortions, we must first walk through the emotional upheaval that comes from confronting the dysfunctional behaviors that had caused the original disrupting life situation. For example, let us propose a hypothetical situation where a man who is a part of a small group shares that his wife has left him (the disrupting life situation). As the group discusses the serious matter in depth, it is discovered that one of the reasons that she had left him was due to the daily heated arguments that would inevitably lead to him inflicting verbal abuse upon his wife (dysfunctional behavior). From here, the man begins to repent in his heart and learn from his fellow group members about the role that God called him to uphold as husband and how such behavior is sinful (emotional upheaval). As the group explores the matter further, the man explains that since the husband was supposed to be the leader of the household, he always had assumed that there was no need for compromise since he presumably had the right to call the shots within all areas of the household (Lies and distortions). Finally, at the deepest moment in the journey, the man discovers that the lies he has believed for so long may likely be linked to the trauma he experienced as a child, witnessing his father severely abusing his mother.

The Group as a Partner, Not a Doctor
Within the context of a small group, one of the most crucial elements for a person’s ability to open up to others in their journey of inner healing is the group’s ability to offer a loving and trustworthy level of grace and support. This hypothetical scenario would not take place without prayer or without the Holy Spirit's involvement, and it would almost certainly not happen within the length of one small group meeting. In fact, there’s no guarantee that all of the aforementioned stages could be completed within the environment of the small group. Yet what is important to note is that the higher the quality of love and support that the group can offer to the hurting individual, the better the chances are for the group to be able to walk alongside the person throughout the journey of inner healing.

The Need to Be Understanding
Still, we must remain practical. Although it would be ideal to believe that all of these structures of inner healing would go as swimmingly as this pretend scenario, we also must be comfortable with the pace at which the individual actually responds to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the man might only offer the surface level of details about his wife leaving him before making the decision to seek professional care. Or perhaps the group is able to help him walk through some of the emotional upheaval involved with repentance before he ends up seeking additional care from their pastor or a counselor. Regardless, what is important to stress here is a reiteration of what was mentioned in the previous article: that small groups are not meant to be a replacement for counseling, and nor could it be promised that small groups can be as effective as or more effective than professional care. Instead, what the group members can strive to do is to be a supportive partner for the individual who is pursuing the journey of inner healing.

Indeed, deep wounds take time to unravel, and an individual that traverses through the experience of inner healing often finds that the complexities of each of these steps are layered upon one another and that they must be peeled back slowly in order to identify the next steps that lay ahead. Some individuals are more introspective in their style when reflecting upon serious matters of the heart, while others need to process their thoughts through the interaction with others. Nevertheless, either style requires the small group to submerge their meetings in submissive prayer while they meet the individual in their current position of the inner healing journey, all the while they continue to support the person with a phileo-like love that upholds and exemplifies friendship, companionship, and openness.


Friday, February 26, 2021

Inner Healing Within Small Groups

 


In our post-Covid environment, small groups are becoming one of the best primary points of entry for new attendees within our churches. Even if our social circles may have shrunk within the workforce or within our social engagements, our hunger for relationships still has not dissipated. Theologically, we understand this because we are made in the image of a God who exhibits perfect relationship within the Trinity. But how does this spiritual truth impact our ability to grow inward within our small group ministries, and how might this contribute to our small groups’ ability to minister to the deepest spiritual needs of our fellow group members?

In this next series of posts, we will unpack and explore how small groups are able to minister at some of the most profound levels to heal the soul. While some of our wounds may be buried deep or are carefully tucked away to help us function as close to normal as possible during the day-to-day, there are times when the presence of the Holy Spirit can fall upon a small group and meet one or more individuals in a powerful way that brings a wound or a lie to the light.

Yet for our purposes here, we will tread carefully. Our conversation on inner healing will not be meant for scenarios or seasons of life that are devastatingly urgent. Indeed, small groups can never and should never be considered a replacement for professional counseling. Nevertheless, there are moments when the Lord chooses to use a small group to either initiate a journey of inner healing or to walk alongside someone and be a partner for them in the journey of inner healing (It will be these scenarios in particular that this new series will focus on).

In his book Healing Care, Healing Prayer, Dr. Terry Wardle’s exploration of inner healing prayer provides an in-depth look of  how it allows us to not only identify the wounds of this world but also replace their dominion over us with the affirmation of God’s love. Writing from the personal experience of his own “dark night of the soul,” his multiple books over the years have empowered both the caregiver and the individual who is receiving care throughout the inner healing process. While Dr. Wardle’s book mainly focuses on the model and structure of inner healing between a caregiver and a single person who is receiving the care, here we will instead reflect upon the core principles of his text through the lens of a small group ministry.

Throughout this new series, we will discuss topics such as how group members can help to contribute toward inner healing, what the group leader’s role is within such a process, and how prayer can be utilized to engage the Holy Spirit within the group setting. Since the journey ahead requires great care and respect, it bears repeating that small groups are not meant to replace counseling (nor could it be promised that small groups are as effective as or more effective than professional care). Nevertheless, I have witnessed the impact that the presence of the Holy Spirit can make within the small group setting and it is very possible that the Lord may soon choose one of our upcoming small group meetings to stir the hearts of one or more of our group members. To help us prepare for such an event, let us prayerfully explore and meditate upon what we group leaders can do to help our group members meet the person of Jesus Christ in a powerful and transforming way.