Prayer Points
Praise- Take time to walk through areas in your life and give thanks to God for all He has done. Praise God for His qualities and attributes. Praise Him for His love and truth.
Think back over the year since our last prayer walk and give thanks to God for what has happened.
Intercession
Church Family
Physical needs- Klooster, Frank, Newcomb, Agee, Wilson
Strength of marriages, family, and friendships
Spiritual growth
Bold proclamation of God’s Word
Worship Service, Sunday School, Small Groups, Service Opportunities, Social Times
Neighborhood
Spiritual, Relational, and Physical needs
Spiritual bondage
To be drawn to Christ
City- As the Lord leads
Nation- Repentance, and as the Lord leads
World- As the Lord leads
Persecuted Church- their faithfulness, boldness, and provisions
Suffering of others- their needs and our hearts towards them
Loved ones who don’t know Christ
Sharing- As you talk with others who are in your prayer time, target your conversation to topics that connect to the focus of this day.
Scriptures of special meaning
Testimony
Needs to be prayed for
Encouragement
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Growing Friendship
I read a comic strip recently that made me laugh, and then made me think. Two guys were sitting at an establishment as one was using the wi-fi connection to check his FaceBook. He announced, "I now have 1000 FaceBook friends". To that his friend responds, "How many of them could you ask to help you move?"
I laughed because it is true that you have to love someone to move a sofa bed or heavy dressers. I began to think about how so many people are looking for community. FaceBook is a wonderful tool of connecting people in networks of relationships. People are reconnecting with people from high school, college, and past places they have lived. Our church is using this tool to build relationships within the church, help each other, pray for each other, and build friendships.
And there some funny polls and games. I do wonder how some of you get any sleep as you are achieving the highest levels of play at the latest game.
All kidding aside, it is vital to build relationships at different levels of closeness in our lives. I like to use the analogy of a house to describe it. There are people who walk by your house every day. You may know the names of some, but others are just faces you recognize. Others you meet at the front door, like sales people, delivery people, and casual acquaintances. If someone knows you better, they get to the living room/kitchen. You share a meal, stories, and build solid friendships. Finally, there are the private rooms of your house, the bedrooms. This is for family. There is privacy and boundaries only offered to a select few. If someone you barely knew came into your house, rummaged through your fridge for food, and then plopped on your bed to watch some television, you would have issues with this. People learn to respect the boundaries of the house. The bedroom is not a sexual reference, but rather an indication of close relationships in the home (parents, children, siblings)
Translate that description to friendships and emotional closeness to people. As you have friends and family at these different levels of relationships, it reflects levels of trust, time, and common ground together. We get hurt in relationships when someone violates trust and hurts us. People who do this are often emotionally moved to a more distant place until trust is earned again. Others who build trust are let in more emotionally. Forgiveness is a gift we must offer because Jesus Christ offered it to us. Trust is a reflection of our emotional and relational safety with someone through experience with them.
Balance is important in relationships. If you have one real close friend, and then some hurtful event happens, extended loneliness can occur because it takes a long time to build a deep friendship with someone else. On the other extreme is the person who has many people at the superficial levels, but no one to walk through the hardest times of life with.
How would your relational house be populated? Are there folks at the front walk, front door, living room, and bedrooms? You might want to look at your FaceBook list and see how those relationships would be placed in your house. Whether it is a church, home, work, etc. we want our relationships to have integrity, purity, and be God-honoring. This can happen at different levels of closeness.
Well, that's all for now. Think on that for a while and let me know what you think
I laughed because it is true that you have to love someone to move a sofa bed or heavy dressers. I began to think about how so many people are looking for community. FaceBook is a wonderful tool of connecting people in networks of relationships. People are reconnecting with people from high school, college, and past places they have lived. Our church is using this tool to build relationships within the church, help each other, pray for each other, and build friendships.
And there some funny polls and games. I do wonder how some of you get any sleep as you are achieving the highest levels of play at the latest game.
All kidding aside, it is vital to build relationships at different levels of closeness in our lives. I like to use the analogy of a house to describe it. There are people who walk by your house every day. You may know the names of some, but others are just faces you recognize. Others you meet at the front door, like sales people, delivery people, and casual acquaintances. If someone knows you better, they get to the living room/kitchen. You share a meal, stories, and build solid friendships. Finally, there are the private rooms of your house, the bedrooms. This is for family. There is privacy and boundaries only offered to a select few. If someone you barely knew came into your house, rummaged through your fridge for food, and then plopped on your bed to watch some television, you would have issues with this. People learn to respect the boundaries of the house. The bedroom is not a sexual reference, but rather an indication of close relationships in the home (parents, children, siblings)
Translate that description to friendships and emotional closeness to people. As you have friends and family at these different levels of relationships, it reflects levels of trust, time, and common ground together. We get hurt in relationships when someone violates trust and hurts us. People who do this are often emotionally moved to a more distant place until trust is earned again. Others who build trust are let in more emotionally. Forgiveness is a gift we must offer because Jesus Christ offered it to us. Trust is a reflection of our emotional and relational safety with someone through experience with them.
Balance is important in relationships. If you have one real close friend, and then some hurtful event happens, extended loneliness can occur because it takes a long time to build a deep friendship with someone else. On the other extreme is the person who has many people at the superficial levels, but no one to walk through the hardest times of life with.
How would your relational house be populated? Are there folks at the front walk, front door, living room, and bedrooms? You might want to look at your FaceBook list and see how those relationships would be placed in your house. Whether it is a church, home, work, etc. we want our relationships to have integrity, purity, and be God-honoring. This can happen at different levels of closeness.
Well, that's all for now. Think on that for a while and let me know what you think
Thursday, September 10, 2009
keep it real
Lately, my interactions with others in ministry have been around the theme of being authentic and real in our relationships with others and the Lord. Being authentic with the Lord centers around His call to transform our lives through journey with Him that began with surrender to the saving and forgiving work of Jesus Christ. Authenticity with others is desiring that our relationships forge deep bonds of friendship in which we are both available in times of need and challenged to grow. Conflict is a reality of life. How we handle it will either help foster relationships or contribute to their demise.
Here are few principles to consider in seeking authenticity with God and others in the midst of challenges:
1. Be honest with yourself about what is really going on inside of you. Far too many times, we react to situations and then try to justify our reactions and defend our position. Ask God to help you understand why you react the way you do. Sometimes, conversations or events trigger memories of past hurt, sin, or insecurities. We haul the past into the present and it can skew our reactions. Other times, we discover that God is placing in us a deeply held conviction or calling. Learning how to express it in a way that brings God glory is a key.
2. Be honest with others- At times, we can respond in a way that seems kind, but isn't reflecting how we are truly thinking. While I don't advocate publically humiliating people, I do think there are appropriate ways to find the right time and place to disagree agreeably. Here is the challenge we face. If we explode at others, we aren't dealing with the deep issues at hand, but letting an initial vent define the moment. If we avoid an issue, we give a false sense of agreement that isn't real. Timing, delivery, and speaking the truth in love are all key factors in this. Reflect to see if your relationships with others demonstrate honesty.
3. Be full of grace- There are times when it is appropriate to let an irritation go because you can't choose every battle. Far too often though, we don't let it go, but store it up for later as ammunition in a future argument. Remember, Christians have been forgiven a debt of sin we could never repay. We accepted a gift we do not deserve. Learn to give grace as well as receive it. Even when you have to confront issues or exercise discipline, make it about the other person, not the venting of your anger or demonstrating your authority. Use your position and power in life for the benefit of others and do it out of grace.
4. Be a manager (steward), not an owner- Being responsible is right. Being obsessed with control is not. Remember, everything we have is the Lord's. Manage it well but hold onto to it loosely enough so it doesn't control you.
5. Remember the bottom line- relationships with God and others. There are times we have to risk relationships with others to speak God's Truth as found in His word. Try to reserve those "line in the sand" moments for when it is really needed. Far too often, our lines in the sand are of our making, not the Lord.
Although I haven't mastered all of this, I do spend a lot of time dealing with people who are in conflict with God and/or others. These principles have helped me immensely. I hope they help you as well.
Here are few principles to consider in seeking authenticity with God and others in the midst of challenges:
1. Be honest with yourself about what is really going on inside of you. Far too many times, we react to situations and then try to justify our reactions and defend our position. Ask God to help you understand why you react the way you do. Sometimes, conversations or events trigger memories of past hurt, sin, or insecurities. We haul the past into the present and it can skew our reactions. Other times, we discover that God is placing in us a deeply held conviction or calling. Learning how to express it in a way that brings God glory is a key.
2. Be honest with others- At times, we can respond in a way that seems kind, but isn't reflecting how we are truly thinking. While I don't advocate publically humiliating people, I do think there are appropriate ways to find the right time and place to disagree agreeably. Here is the challenge we face. If we explode at others, we aren't dealing with the deep issues at hand, but letting an initial vent define the moment. If we avoid an issue, we give a false sense of agreement that isn't real. Timing, delivery, and speaking the truth in love are all key factors in this. Reflect to see if your relationships with others demonstrate honesty.
3. Be full of grace- There are times when it is appropriate to let an irritation go because you can't choose every battle. Far too often though, we don't let it go, but store it up for later as ammunition in a future argument. Remember, Christians have been forgiven a debt of sin we could never repay. We accepted a gift we do not deserve. Learn to give grace as well as receive it. Even when you have to confront issues or exercise discipline, make it about the other person, not the venting of your anger or demonstrating your authority. Use your position and power in life for the benefit of others and do it out of grace.
4. Be a manager (steward), not an owner- Being responsible is right. Being obsessed with control is not. Remember, everything we have is the Lord's. Manage it well but hold onto to it loosely enough so it doesn't control you.
5. Remember the bottom line- relationships with God and others. There are times we have to risk relationships with others to speak God's Truth as found in His word. Try to reserve those "line in the sand" moments for when it is really needed. Far too often, our lines in the sand are of our making, not the Lord.
Although I haven't mastered all of this, I do spend a lot of time dealing with people who are in conflict with God and/or others. These principles have helped me immensely. I hope they help you as well.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
glove or mitten
At Mountain View, we emphasize a relationship building approach called the Hand of Fellowship. Each finger of the Hand represents differents aspects of relationships in the church. They are the worship service, Sunday School, Small Groups, Social Activities, and Serving Others in a Ministry. A ministry can be inside or outside the walls of the church.
Let me point out a couple of principles that will help you understand how to maximize relationship building.
First, have realistic expectations for the setting you are in. Many times, people look to the worship service as the primary vehicle for getting to know people, but this can be difficult. First, it is the largest group gathering of the week, so some find a crowd harder to navigate. Second, the main focus on the worship service is our collective worship offered to the Lord. Because of this, siginificant portions of time are spent on using music, scripture, prayer, and teaching to point us towards this. Times before and after services or at an altar praying provide interludes of people time, but the audience of the service is God, and we are the worshippers.
This is why participating in other settings is key in building relationships. Whether you try Sunday School or a Small Group, either or both can be a time to get to know others in a smaller setting. Also, Social Gatherings provide a chance to be together. Conversations and friendships happen more organically and naturally. Room is left for people to connect on their terms. Serving in a ministry allows you to share common values of giving to others. Many relationships grow here because of these common bonds. Whether it is a common conviction to reach an age group, those in need, or expressing gifts and abilities for God's glory, you can build relationships.
The second principle is to see the Hand of Fellowship like a mitten instead of a glove. When you wear a glove, each finger in warmed separately from the other. In a mitten, there in warmth through interdependence and connection. Try not to compartmentalize your church interactions. People in the same Sunday School class or Small Group can also serve others together or get together socially outside of Sunday mornings. Groups that serve together can also pray and learn more of the Lord together in discipleship. The Hand of Fellowship is meant to be interrelated and interconnected. People who talk after worship service can connect on Facebook or get together for a meal.
Last Sunday, I read an anonymous letter in church of someone who came to our church for a few months and then left because they felt lonely and unnecessary. I was deeply saddened that we had failed to build relationships effectively with this person. I apologize to him/her for our failure and pray God will lead them to a church where this can happen more effectively. After I read the letter, I talked candidly about how relationships involve both the willingness to go beyond the circle of those who are familiar and the willingness to do more than sit back and wait for others to come to you. It is mutual effort. I acknowledged that some people have been hurt before in their pursuit of relationships at churches, ours included. But, loneliness and isolation are a worse option than trying again and risking hurt, in my opinion.
So, I encourage you to keep building relationships with others. If you are openly social, ask God to help you notice others who need to be reached out to. If you tend to sit back and play it safe, ask God to help you to take a risk and reach out as well. With God's help, we can grow as a community of believers who are known for their love for each other and for the world around them. I praise God for where this is happening effectively, and ask Him to help us grow where it is not.
Let me point out a couple of principles that will help you understand how to maximize relationship building.
First, have realistic expectations for the setting you are in. Many times, people look to the worship service as the primary vehicle for getting to know people, but this can be difficult. First, it is the largest group gathering of the week, so some find a crowd harder to navigate. Second, the main focus on the worship service is our collective worship offered to the Lord. Because of this, siginificant portions of time are spent on using music, scripture, prayer, and teaching to point us towards this. Times before and after services or at an altar praying provide interludes of people time, but the audience of the service is God, and we are the worshippers.
This is why participating in other settings is key in building relationships. Whether you try Sunday School or a Small Group, either or both can be a time to get to know others in a smaller setting. Also, Social Gatherings provide a chance to be together. Conversations and friendships happen more organically and naturally. Room is left for people to connect on their terms. Serving in a ministry allows you to share common values of giving to others. Many relationships grow here because of these common bonds. Whether it is a common conviction to reach an age group, those in need, or expressing gifts and abilities for God's glory, you can build relationships.
The second principle is to see the Hand of Fellowship like a mitten instead of a glove. When you wear a glove, each finger in warmed separately from the other. In a mitten, there in warmth through interdependence and connection. Try not to compartmentalize your church interactions. People in the same Sunday School class or Small Group can also serve others together or get together socially outside of Sunday mornings. Groups that serve together can also pray and learn more of the Lord together in discipleship. The Hand of Fellowship is meant to be interrelated and interconnected. People who talk after worship service can connect on Facebook or get together for a meal.
Last Sunday, I read an anonymous letter in church of someone who came to our church for a few months and then left because they felt lonely and unnecessary. I was deeply saddened that we had failed to build relationships effectively with this person. I apologize to him/her for our failure and pray God will lead them to a church where this can happen more effectively. After I read the letter, I talked candidly about how relationships involve both the willingness to go beyond the circle of those who are familiar and the willingness to do more than sit back and wait for others to come to you. It is mutual effort. I acknowledged that some people have been hurt before in their pursuit of relationships at churches, ours included. But, loneliness and isolation are a worse option than trying again and risking hurt, in my opinion.
So, I encourage you to keep building relationships with others. If you are openly social, ask God to help you notice others who need to be reached out to. If you tend to sit back and play it safe, ask God to help you to take a risk and reach out as well. With God's help, we can grow as a community of believers who are known for their love for each other and for the world around them. I praise God for where this is happening effectively, and ask Him to help us grow where it is not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
