An ENGAGE Brainstorm Session!

Hello Engage readers!

I would like to challenge you at this time with a next step in our journey together to grow in our faith.
I would like us to brainstorm ways that we could, as a group, step out of our comfort zone to actually DO SOMETHING TOGETHER to express and enhance our faith experience.  It's always easier to talk about faith then to do something about it.  So let's brainstorm a little.  What could we do, together, that requires us to really TRUST God, to rely on his help, or to sacrifice a little something?  What could we do that might require us to let the Holy Spirit work?

So . . . help me think this through; I want this to be a CRAZY brainstorming session.  Think outside the box.  Big things, small things, it doesn't matter - if it will glorify God and help us grow in relationship with him and knowledge of who he is in any way, throw it out there!  If it seems impossible, put it down anyway; after all, "nothing is impossible with God," right???

Let the crazy ideas begin!

ENGAGE #14

GOD EMPOWERS US WITH HIS SPIRIT. . .
if we let him.

The Bible says:

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal. 5:22

If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
Gal. 5:25

He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 14:17

I began reading a book today on the holy spirit.  I was struck by this statement the author, Francis Chan, made: "We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God."  I believe that there are actually many things in our lives and church that reflect the work of the Holy Spirit.  But, I also think that there are many things that "can be explained apart from the work of the Holy Spirit."  What would it look like if we really let God's Spirit take control of our lives?  How would it change what's really important in our lives?  How would it change the way that we pray?  How would it change the way that we make decisions?  How would it change the way we talk to people?  How would it change what we do when we are by ourselves?  How would it change what we do when we meet together/  What keeps us from allowing his power to overflow in our lives?

ACTION:
1. Consider this today.  What in your life & in our church can only be explained by the Power of God at work?  What can be explained apart from him?
2. In anticipation of the next engage, which will include a very important brainstorming session, think on this: How can we take the things that we do that have very little to do with the Holy Spirit and make them opportunities for him to work and do great and powerful things?


PRAY:
Open up your heart to the reality of the powerful and loving presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.  Listen for his direction today. All day.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(these are intended to help get discussion started - please do not feel confined to these questions: comment as you like!)
Today's discussion questions revolve around those asked above.

ENGAGE #13

GOD DOESN'T NEED TO IMPRESS ANYONE.  HE'S GOD.
We don't need to impress anyone.  We are God's.

The Bible says:

for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
John 8:36

Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others.
Philippians 2:3

 

And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.
Galatians 3:29

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Col. 3:23

WHAT THIS MEANS:

We are beloved children of the most high God.  We are worth everything to him.  Why do we try so hard to impress other people?  I'm not talking about respecting people or trying to please someone whom we admire or respect; I'm talking about working really hard just so someone will think better of us.  We want to have the coolest pair of jeans or a new ipod or a cool phone just to look good for our friends.  Sometimes we talk a certain way just to impress the people around us.  Sometimes we fake who we are to get praise from the people we're with.  I don't know why we do it, but WE ALL DO IT.  Let's quit worrying about anyone's opinion but that of our God, our Creator, our Savior, our True Loving Father, our Friend, our Sustainer, our Living Hope!

ACTION:
1. Think about your life - who are you trying to impress?  What poor decisions have you made or are you making just to impress someone other than God? 
2. Change.


PRAY:
Ask Jesus to forgive you for putting the opinions of others before his.  Ask him to help you be more focused on HIM and who you are in his eyes rather than the eyes of others.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(these are intended to help get discussion started - please do not feel confined to these questions: comment as you like!)
Is it true that WE ALL try to impress others?  Why do we do it?  Any ideas?  Why is it hard to not do it?  How can we quit?

ENGAGE #12

GOD SETS US FREE

The Bible says:

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!
John 8:36


For his unfailing love towards those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.  He has removed our rebellious acts as far away as the east is from the west.
Psalm 102:11-12


 I [Jesus] have come that you may have life, and have it to the full!
John 10:10

WHAT THIS MEANS:

A relationship with Jesus means letting him take all the crap in our lives and cast it away forever.  The bible says that we are "slaves" to sin.  It takes over our lives and pulls us down.  Only Jesus can really set us free.  Sometimes we see Christianity as something that burdens us, something that imprisons us, but that's not what Jesus wants at all.  He doesn't want to burden us, he wants to set us free from all the stuff that pulls us down and tears us down!  Then we can really be free to LIVE life to it's fullest and experience it as we were meant to be.  Living as a follower of Jesus is really the BEST way to live life!

ACTION:
1. Watch this cool video
2. Ask yourself: what do you need to give up to Jesus; what do you need to be set free from?
3. Give it to him.  Let him take it and cast it away.
4. Begin again.  You are free!  Live like it!  


PRAY:
Ask Jesus to set you free from all that burdens you.  Give it up to him.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(these are intended to help get discussion started - please do not feel confined to these questions: comment as you like!)
Is it hard to view Christianity as freedom rather than something that keeps us from being free?  Why or why not?

NOTE TO READERS!

Hello Engage readers!  If you are reading this, first let me say that I am extremely proud of you for checking out this site and diligently working on living out your relationship with God!

I will be on vacation for Thanksgiving and will not have internet access for a while.  Therefore, you will not see any new Engages for the next few days.  Please feel free to go back and read any that you missed, and relax and enjoy the holiday with the ones you love!  Don't forget to be THANKFUL to GOD this week - enjoy his gifts and his promises!

Also, I have a question.  Now that we've done this for a couple weeks - what needs to change? 
Do we need to make it less overwhelming?  Shorter thoughts, or maybe thoughts every other day, or every week, so that you have time to work on the challenges? 
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE ENGAGE A BETTER TOOL FOR LIVING OUT OUR FAITH???

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

- Pastor Jonathan
P.S. - READ PSALM 100 !!!!

ENGAGE #11

GOD OWES US NOTHING
BUT HE GAVE ANYWAY, BECAUSE HE LOVES US.

The Bible says:

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6

For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored."
Luke 14:11

WHAT THIS MEANS:

God doesn't owe us anything, but he gave everything for us.  We deserve death.  We absolutely don't deserve to live forever in the company of the perfect God.  But, he loved us and came to die for us. 

We have a tendency to walk around thinking people owe us stuff.  This is pride.  Nobody owes us anything.  God gave us everything, and only when we truly comprehend what that means will we truly be able to be humble.  I believe that PRIDE, more than anything else, is what keeps us from a right relationship with God. 
ACTION:
1. Watch the two videos below.

2. Think about the past few days.  When did you act like you were entitled to something, like someone owed you something?
3. Consider this: how should a humble heart affect the way that you pray, the way that you treat your friends, your teachers, your parents, your enemies, your waiters at restaurants, your boss?

PRAY:
Ask God to change your heart, to give you an appreciation for what he has given you, and to help you focus less on "self" and more on him and his love.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(these are intended to help get discussion started - please do not feel confined to these questions: comment as you like!)
How should a humble heart affect the way that we pray, the way that we treat our friends, our teachers, our parents, our enemies, our waiters at restaurants, our boss?

ENGAGE #10

GOD REQUIRES FAITH

The Bible says:

So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
(Heb. 11:6)

WHAT THIS MEANS:

These can be pretty daunting words, but don't fret!  This whole chapter (11) in Hebrews is about HEROS of the faith, and EVERY ONE OF THEM were people who were just as MESSED UP and screwed up as you and me!  They were heros because they had faith in God in the midst of their messed up lives.

"Christians today like to play it safe.  We want to put ourselves in situations where we are safe 'even if there is no God.'  But if we truly desire to please God, we cannot live that way." (F. Chan)

ACTION:
1. Ask yourself this question: "What am I doing right now that requires faith?"
2. Today, go out and do something for God's Kingdom that requires faith.  (Do something that God would support, like give something valuable away, or sharing your faith with someone who might reject you, etc . . ., NOT something stupid like running into a wall with the faith that God will turn the wall or you into a Nerf object)
BONUS: Read Hebrews 11 (yep - the whole chapter)

PRAY:
"God, give me the courage to have the kind of faith that pleases you.  God, give me opportunities to demonstrate my faith in you."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(these are intended to help get discussion started - please do not feel confined to these questions: comment as you like!)
What came to your mind when you asked yourself, "What am I doing right now that requires faith?"  Was it hard to think of something?  Did you do something that required faith?  What did you do?