THE FRUIT OF VALUES

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The Fruitful Life

Week Four

THE FRUIT OF VALUES

What Does It Mean To Be Prayer Immersed?

You are what you value.

In the wondering question, “What will I be remembered for?” there is a fairly simple way to figure out the answer. You will be remembered for the things you value most. This has a positive angle and a negative one. You could value material things and how much “stuff” you acquire—and when you’re gone that’s what you’ll be remembered for. “Boy, he had a lot of cool stuff.” You could value getting things done at work and being successful, and that’s what you’ll be remembered for. “Man alive, he sure got a lot of things done at work.”

However, two of the most convicting statements I’ve ever heard point out the fallacy of valuing the wrong things in life:

“No one ever lies on their deathbed wishing they had spent more time at work and less with their family.”

And the other one Billy Graham is credited with saying:

“You never see a Uhaul truck following a hearse.”

CHOOSING THE RIGHT VALUES

The first step in being remembered for the right things is to choose the right values. Here’s a three step process to make this happen:

You should value what scripture values

It’s probably your tendency to start with your own desires and ambitions when it comes to values. But you know that your sinful desires and ambitions scream loudly to you. So go to the Bible first and see what it values most. It’s hard to miss when you start there.

You should value what you’re passionate about

But the Bible is a big book. Can you really “value” every principle in the book? Well, you can live by those principles and believe them, but a “value” infers that it is personalized. God gives us great personalization when it comes to living the Christian walk. While there are core doctrines we must all believe – God delegates to us the prerogative to develop passion in a personalized area. What floats your boat in the Bible? That’s likely what should be your value.

Your should value your value for producing fruit

But don’t simply value what you’re passionate about in the Bible. Value it for the right reasons. Value it for its fruit-producing potential.

In this week’s chapters you’ll fine seven biblical values that produce fruit. Certainly you can come up with your own using the above pattern. But these values already meet those three tests, and you can take them and personalize them for yourself.

These statements are not my own. They come out of my community. Spring Lake Wesleyan Church has discussed and debated and determined that these seven statements capture the essence of what God wants us to be remembered for. And they produce fruit like little else.

BEING PRAYER IMMERSED

The first fruit-producing value is being prayer immersed. In chapter 29 we will discuss Prayer as a discipline that produces fruit: prayer as an act. But prayer is more than just something we do. And in community it becomes so much more than a program. At our church we’ve listed five priority programs which are critical to us achieving our mission. But prayer cannot be listed as one of those—because prayer is not a program. It’s not a budget item, even if we allocate money towards sparking prayer in the church. Prayer is not a category.

Prayer is a quality. It’s a quality in an individual and in a community. We desire to be a community that is immersed in prayer? What does that mean?

PRAYER IMMERSED SCRIPTURES

The Bible is a book of prayer. It’s a journey through God’s interaction with a people whose only way to communicate with him is prayer. We under-value prayer because we under-value communicating with God. So often we’re satisfied to work under our own power and orders. But by valuing prayer we humbly admit our limitations and depend on God alone.

Here are several scriptures that speak to prayer in such a way that should compel you to value it:

§ “So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer” (Ezra 8:23). Prayer is like a “petition” as Ezra relates. This is especially true in community. Like a petition that we pass around and agree to sign… and prayer in community is like saying to God, “Lord, we all agree in community that this request aligns with your will, and we pray for an answer.”

§ “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven….” “…If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 18:19; 21:22). This is why many prayer warriors use the phrase “We agree in prayer.” Jesus promised to us that there is power to ask for anything. You likely don’t fully understand that concept of anything. It seems unlikely. Well, you’re not alone. Hardly any of us really understands this promise. It seems too good to be true. But that’s why we value prayer so much. It has a power we don’t think we’ve fully grasped yet.

§ “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to prayer, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). If you examined the way Jesus lived his life, you would determine that he valued prayer over anything else. He neglected sleep, preaching, working miracles, the lost and even his disciples to pray. If we truly want to become more like Jesus we would re-order our world around valuing prayer.

§ “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (Acts 4:31). We see here that prayer caused two affects: 1) they were filled with the Spirit, and 2) they began to speak the word of God in the community with great boldness and fruit! We often times value these two results (fruit) over the over-arching value that caused them for the Disciples: prayer in community.

§ “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:2-5). This is a pillar passage when it comes to bearing fruit in the kingdom through prayer. Paul asks for prayer along three lines: 1) that God would open doors for evangelism, 2) for effective communication of Christ, and 3) that their fruit-directed prayers would make themselves wise in the way they act toward those that don’t yet know Christ personally.

§ “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). While most of these other scriptures deal with how we pray for external things that produce fruit, our prayer often involve ourselves. This is okay, Hebrews tells us. Many prayers can and should involve our own needs. And when we have them we are instructed to go directly to God throne with confidence… like entering the inner courts of powerful but gracious king unannounced – like a prince or princess would! God look forward to extending his mercy to us in those situations.

PRAYER IMMERSED QUESTIONS

There are three questions we ask ourselves in applying this value to everyday life. They test and approve whether we are living it out—or just saying it. People often talk about “unstated” values. These are values a group or individual has but doesn’t mention or even admit to. But likewise, many values are stated but unlived. That is the essence of hypocrisy. Asking these questions enables a match between this value and your actual lifestyle:

Have we prayed about this? This question seems so obvious. But it’s embarrassing to ask it, because so often we haven’t. We often find that we’ve moved ahead assuming that God would want us to do what we’re doing. Or we presume that God has already determined what will happen and we think our prayers to be trivial. Scripture tells us they are not. Have we prayed about this? If not, it’s time to stop, drop and pray.

How have we prayed about this? This question helps qualify a “yes” answer to the first. Sometimes we pray shallow or un-impassioned prayers. We check things off a list or tell someone we’ll pray but then don’t really intercede for them as they need it. In meetings at our church we’ll sometimes change our position and kneel right there around a conference table and pray. This reminds us to not only pray, but to pray in ways that really “go after it.”

How long have we prayed? This question points out that we must wait on God. Often times we forget God’s timing. It is a mystery to us. We may grow weary with praying for years—even decades for an answer… but when the answer comes we are amazed at the timing involved by God, the Great Timekeeper. And the answer to that prayer is all the more sweet for the many accumulated hours we spent praying for it. The old saints in my church growing up called this “praying through”, meaning they “prayed through the valley and came out in the end still praying.” I think they also sometimes meant that they finally “prayed through into heaven” as if their persistence alone won the answer. I don’t know where I stand on the theology of that – but I sure to admire their persistence. I wonder if God does too and wishes I were more persistent and insistent with my prayers as they were.

What Does It Mean To Be Biblically Grounded?

Without the anchor of scripture you’re drifting.

The current of culture creates a hard pull on you. It causes you to lose sight of the destinations God intends. And our own momentum can sometimes take us beyond where God intended.

My family and I were in Luddington, Michigan when the grand old “Badger” ferry came in one day. This massive ship with some dozens upon dozens of cars on it came into the relatively small harbor can began to turn abruptly to the right to make the turn and it was barreling in to the dock area where many people were standing. All of the sudden I heard a great scrapping noise and didn’t know where it was coming from. I was beginning to privately worry about the ship being out of control. When a thing that large is moving that fast not much can stop it.

But then I saw that a massive chain was extending from the stern of the ship down into the water. That scraping noise was the anchor on the bed of the bay, grabbing the ground and helping to stop the boat. And sure enough (they do it multiple times a day, so who am I to worry about them doing it wrong) the Badger came to a perfect stop right where it needed to.

The Bible serves this role in our lives if we value it rightly. It works against the currents of culture that may take us slightly off track. It also slows our momentum toward the excess or even wrong teaching that devastate not only our fruit for Him, but our own safety.

We need the anchor of scripture in our lives. We need it like we need the legs we stand on. We call this being biblically grounded.

BIBLICALLY GROUNDED SCRIPTURES

The Bible talks about itself often. It is self-referential in the way it values itself. For a revealing exercise, consider what it would be like if the below verses were some bestselling author like Tom Clancy or J. K. Rowling talking about their own book. That would be ridiculous. Only the Bible can talk about itself this way. Because it’s the Bible.[1]

Those that wonder whether the scripture has authority today do more than question this or that passage. They question the Author. The Author makes claims throughout the Bible of how important it is. If you don’t trust the claims of the importance of scripture then it’s hard to trust any of it. Few things in life are fully black and white. Much of life can be painted gray. Few things are of ultimate importance. But the Word of God is one of the few. Or at least it claims to be itself, and those that are prepared to question that are going against the beliefs of thousands of years of God-followers, the Bible’s own claims, and what Jesus himself taught.

Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” This beautifully written Psalm points out that the Bible is a source of guidance. When the way seems enshrouded in shadow and darkness surrounds, the Bible shows the way out and into his will.
Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” Ezra was commended for this study and obedience, but also to teaching it to others.
Isaiah 55:8-11 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”, declares the Lord, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” God here compares His Word to the process of fruit-bearing. Like precipitation, the word falls on us in such a way that it grows us, making us bud and flourish. And we yield fruit – so that His word does not return void. This is as specific a description of the fruitful life in scripture as we find outside of our main John 15 passage about the vine and branches.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Paul points out the inspiration and usefulness of the Word of God. It’s so inspired, it can be thought as being “breathed out” by God. But it is not some transcendent utterances of our Divinity. It is immanently useful for all the things that are most important to living a fruitful life. It teaches. It rebukes. It corrects. It trains. In summary, it equips us not for some of the good works we are to have. It quips us for every single one.
Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper that any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joins and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” This is why we cannot only call the Bible a book. It is also why so many of us have determined to not treat it as a textbook. The Bible is not like some cadaver upon the autopsy table of study. In Hebrews, the Bible screams out to us like a living patient about to be cut open by our unkind scalpel, “I’m alive here – treat me like it!” And further, the illustration is reversed, the Bible itself cuts us open, dividing our soul and spirit and joints and marrow… even to the point of knowing our heart-felt motivations. We fancy ourselves as trained and reserved surgeons of the Bible – when in fact the Word of God intends to make us the patient. We cut it up brutally, while it repairs us perfectly.

BIBLICALLY GROUNDED QUESTIONS

We must put our value of the Bible to the test along the way in life. Too often we have raised the anchor of scripture and drift along aimlessly. Even in a normal day we see this. Without a bit of time “lowering anchor” our day gets out of hand. The kind of fruitful life we desire comes through slowing down rather than speeding up. And nothing slows us down like the Anchor of Scripture. These questions help us ensure we’re grounded:

Is this consistent with God's Word and ways? This question is a test on current or planned actions. Many times our actions are simply consistent with our own thinking or the cultural pressures. The Word of God is far less of a philosophical treatise than it is a How To book. Personally, I’m not really into “How to” books. I read the titles and think, “Is that really the only way to do it? Isn’t it arrogant for them to tell me how to do everything.” I’m just like that in my thinking, perhaps you are too. Those of us like that often bristle that the Bible tells us how to live. But you and I must remember that God is the Author – and His son walked in our shoes showing us how to live perfectly. So I should always test my actions against His Word and ways.

Is this truthful? This question gets to the philosophical part of Scripture. Often times when we hear an intriguing teaching or idea we run away with it and apply it to our lives without first testing it against the Truth of the Word. I’m susceptible to this especially. Too often you can get a gauge on what I currently believe to be true by just looking at the books and articles I’m currently reading. I’m often embarrassed by what I “used” to think. The Apostle Paul in particular advised us to become more reserved in accepting any teaching until it “jives” with the Bible and its intent. Unfortunately, we’re often slower to accept the teaching of Scripture than we are of other human beings.

Will this last? The Bible has often been blithely called “God’s Bestseller.” But in fact if we do think in those terms the Bible is the most lasting and true thing on the planet. In the unlikely but humorous prospect of aliens landing on our earth they would likely be less impressed with our sky scrapers, weapons and transportation than they would with the existence of this Bible. They would see this 2,000 and more year old book in nearly all of our languages and being translated into more every day. They would see people of every tribe and nation gathering together to hear its words again and to learn to live by them. They would wonder where it came from and why it was still around. It is the most unexplainable phenomenon of all history. It is the most lasting thing around—and we should test everything else to see if it’s a part of that same lasting legacy, or if it will also pass.

THE LARGER THE SHIP THE LARGER THE ANCHOR

A final tip for leaders here: whether you lead a whole ministry, a small group, a class of kids or even your family prayers, this applies to you. One thing I’ve noticed when hanging out at harbors is this simple fact: the larger the ship the larger its anchor. I’ve never seen a huge oil tanker with the kind of anchor you would have on a bass fishing boat.

However, I see very large ministries and large organizations that seem to have a very small scripture anchor. In fact, they sometimes exchange a large anchor for a smaller one the larger they get. As your family, your group, your class or your ministry grows you need to increase the size of your scripture anchor. You have much more momentum to take care of now—and the anchor you used to have may not be enough. Practically, this means that the more responsibility you have the more you should be in the scripture and the more dependent upon it you should become.

Sailors have saying: “Weigh anchor.” This is an instruction to cut loose the anchor and drop it into the sea. It can have another meaning for us regarding the weight of our scripture anchor. Is it heavy enough? Or is it time to weigh it?

What Does It Mean To Be God-Led?

Are you going where you’re led, or are you just going, and going, and going?

The Energizer™ brand battery has had one of the most enduring commercial images with its “Energizer Bunny™.” The sunglass-wearing pink bunny crosses the TV screen with a big battery in it’s back, mindlessly banging it’s drum, spinning it’s wheels and just ‘keeps going and going and going.” The idea is that the battery lasts so long it just never quits.

Do you ever feel a little too much like that bunny? You just keep going and going and you never quit – or maybe you can’t quit? You’re a flurry of activity. You run from this meeting to that obligation to that event. You use the drive-through because you have to. You multi-task. You may even carry a cell-phone so that you can be reached at one obligation by people representing another obligation. And if you have kids you’re managing all their obligations too!

Dennis Jackson remarked in his Ordinary Day series at our church that “one way to say yes to the right things is to pre-decide what you’re about and live that way.” What are you about? What will you be remembered for? Does it align with what you actually do? Does it align with your actual obligations that you rush to and from?

Instead, we often can even feel like those battery-controlled toys that roll around on the floor and only change direction once they’ve hit a wall or some other obstacle. They mindlessly move about without direction. There’s no plan—only action.

BEING GOD-LED

This tendency for directionless action is why we value being God-led. By seeking God’s direction rather than simply moving for motion’s sake we can not only keep “going and going and going” but we can also “keep going in the right direction.”

Being God-led is about valuing God’s direction over our own opinion. Our opinion about what steps we should take is often based on internal emotions or external pressures. Whereas God’s clear direction gives us a roadmap to travel by.

My father always used to sign his letters to people with the line, “Keep on keeping on.” It was a motivating thought intended to encourage people to “stay the course.” Often times we need this encouragement because we’ve either “left the course” or we never knew the “course” in the first place. We need to seek God’s leading first—then we just have to “keep on keeping on.”

GOD-LED SCRIPTURES

You might be able to characterize Scripture as a long record of God’s leading. Individuals and communities throughout the Bible experienced God’s leading in revelations as stunning as burning bushes and as strange as writing on walls.[2] But they also experienced God’s leading in revelations as subtle as fleeces that were wet in the morning instead of dry like the ground around them (this is where the phrases “putting out a fleece” comes from.) Or they heard his leading in a still small unheard but felt voice, as Elijah did in the cave. Or, as even Jesus did, they heard his leading in his silence, when he asked that “this cup be taken away from me” and God the Father did not respond and Jesus acted on the “prior plan.” God’s leading comes in several ways and is emphasized throughout the Bible:

Proverbs 3:5-6; 16:3 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (3:5-6).” And “…Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (16:3).” Planning in our own strength makes our paths crooked. It’s because we’re “leaning” into our own understanding. We need to learn to “lean” on him – which is just another way of saying “depend” on him.
Isaiah 30:21 – “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” This is a great description of what it often feels like to receive God’s leading. Spiritual maturity is often just the process of learning to hear and follow this voice. Some call it conscience – we call it God’s grace.
Ephesians 2:10; 5:1 – “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (2:10)” And “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children (5:1).” God created us for this purpose, to do good works, and he prepared the way for us to do them. We must be imitators of God to do these works, of course, because we can’t do them in our own power.
Philippians 2:13 – “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” This is an interesting word usage. We not only are worked in by God in order to act according to his purpose… we are worked in God “to will.” This word, used as a verb, is a bit odd to us. But it makes sense upon further study. “willing” is an actions.
1 Peter 2:21 – “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
Colossians 3:17, 24 – “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” And “…Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

GOD-LED QUESTIONS

Is God at work in this? When determining whether or not to be involved in something, this is a helpful question. But it’s also a good evaluator of something you’re already doing. If you’ve been at some work for some time and God does not appear to be at work in and through it and you because of it then there is a problem. When God isn’t at work in your work then do a double-take.

Are we joining God in His work? When it comes to doing God’s work we often think we are explorers rather than surfers. That’s why we need to ask this question. As explorers we forge a new path set out in the direction we choose. Others, we hope, will come behind us. We’ll make our mark. Instead, our humble role is not to explore—but to surf. The wave of God is already coming to shore. God is already moving. We just need to catch the wave. In this role we’re more dependent and join his work already in progress. And surfing sounds way more fun than exploring anyway.

Is God exalted in this? The point of our activity is to worship God. Everything we do can be a worship of Him. If we’re not exalting God in whatever we do then what we do matters little. It is His will to exalt him in everything—yet we worry about doing certain things that sound more God honoring than others. In fact, God care more about the adverbs than the verbs. The adverbs describe how we go about our actions. That’s God’s primary concern.

Is this God-honoring and reflective of His glory? But the actions we take can honor and reflect who God is. This question helps us determine if what we are doing points people to God. If we are God-led they will be.

Are we giving God our all? God honors hard work and persistence. Our faithfulness in what we do is often all that’s needed. God leads us to do our best. If we’re not doing our best then we’re not God led.

Are we willingly following? Sometimes we can fall into the trap of following for the wrong reasons. Our intention in obeying God comes from the wrong motivation. Those around us may not notice—we may appear to have a fruitful life. But in fact, God knows the fruit we appear to have is rotten on the inside and not useful. The key to being God-led is surrender of our will to him. Then we will following with our all our heart, mind and strength—because our will directs us to.

What Does It Mean To Share Life As a Team in Community?

Don’t go it alone.

It has been said, “no man is an island.” This infers that everyone depends on someone. However, some people try to be nearly islands in relationships. Like a peninsula, they get by on the lead amount of attachment possible, and stick out on their own as much as they can.

How much of life do you live in community? Do you feel like you’re on a team? Are you living your life or sharing it with others? The Bible shows us the way to live—and it never suggests going it alone. The church is meant to function like a team in community. And as a Christian you are the church.

BEING A TEAM THAT SHARES LIFE IN COMMUNITY

Many times when we think of friends and the issue of community we blame others. We wonder why other people haven’t reached out to us enough. We talk about the barriers that other people have that keep us from being connect. We blame the team, in effect. We rarely blame ourselves.

But it is our responsibility to connect. We must go out of our way to share life. It’s our responsibility, not someone else’s job.

When we do not live out this value there are two ways it affects our fruitfulness as believers:

1) The unchurched see the way we treat one another and they do not long to be a part of it. Many times the church is seen as a place of argument and tension. It’s closer to a mob than a team. Without sharing life as a team in community we hurt the unity reputation we should have as the body of Christ.

2) We also forget to include those without a relationship with Christ in our community. When we do this we hurt our chances of truly reaching them. Our past evangelistic ideas usually consisted of “converting” a non-believer then, and only then, bringing them into the fellowship of the church. We got it all wrong. Just as Christ’s example showed us—doing life together with the non-believer is the first step to seeing them know eternal life!

SHARED LIFE AS A TEAM IN COMMUNITY SCRIPTURES

The Bible could be seen as a fascinating tale in four parts: first, God works through the families of the patriarchs to create a community that follows him. Second, God frees this large community of slaves and gives them a promised land on which they rule for hundreds of years as “God’s people.” Third, God sends his Son as the true and permanent salvation for sin and His son draws a new people to him out of this community, a team of 12 to start with. Fourth, God raises up a new community of Christ-followers who sends teams to reach the known world with the good news of shared life in Christ.

Community is not simply a value of the story of scripture. Community is the context of all that is good in the life of Christ. It’s not optional. It’s intentional.

Acts 2:42-47 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” This famous summary of what the early church was like is fascinating in all its descriptive components. It relates the key elements of sharing life in team and community: devotion to the teachings and the community, eating together, praying together, seeing God work, sharing material things and meeting needs with them, meeting together, praising God, enjoying a good reputation, and because of all of the above, God adds to their number daily!

Romans 12:4-13 – “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Paul here writes to the Roman Christians whom he has never met and gives them guidelines for unity in the body. He notes how we should treat one another in the community of Christians we call the church. He focuses on brotherly love, honoring one another, zeal for serving the Lord, joy, hope, patience, faithfulness, and prayer. He concludes ensuring the Romans don’t forget that sharing life with the needed and being hospitable are not just qualities of a few Christians that others can opt out of. We are commanded to do these things.

1 Corinthians 12:12, 18, 27 – “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. (18) – But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. (27) – Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Paul points out that each member of the body (literally, body parts) have a different function. Likewise in the church we all have different functions. God has given us these functions and Paul often calls them “gifts” because they are given by the grace of God to us and we don’t deserve them. Paul continues in 1 Corinthians with wonderful instructions on how we view each other in community. We cannot look down on someone else or expect them to function in our role—because we are all different. Because of these differences God brings us together in perfect harmony, just like a body working together with all its parts.

Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-16 – “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Here we work through many of the qualities it takes to share life as a team in community. How many times have you seen your community with other break down because of a lack of humility, gentleness or patience? And then we’re told to simply “bear with each other” because so often we lack what we need. I love that phrase. We need it in the church. It’s almost as if we’re told, “cut each other some slack” or “give each other a break once in a while.” Doing this helps us keep the unity of the Spirit we so long for—it is the one hope we’ve been called to together. Don’t go it alone!

Hebrews 10:23-25 – “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We see here that the role of the church is to hold to hope and think through how we can exhort each other to love and good deeds. How do we do this? We meet? In these busy times we are all to willing to complain about meetings and obligations. Yes, we’re often over-committed to too many things. But I doubt Jesus would consider our commitment to the community of his fellowship to be over-committed. We must really be together in order to share life, become a team and do and be community. We should encourage each other towards a higher commitment to the community of Christ—not let each other off the community hook.

SHARED LIFE AS A TEAM IN COMMUNITY QUESTIONS

Are we doing this together? This simple question helps you check whether you’re going it alone. When you experience frustration or a time-crunch, just ask yourself if you’re doing this “together.” If not, and you’re doing it by yourself, then you’ve got it all wrong. Life was meant to be done together—and I often use the phrase “doing life together” as a catch-phrase to describe the intent. Stop at that point and think how you might do nearly anything you’re doing with others. When you do so it adds up to a shared life, instead of an empty one.

Are relationships developing as we serve? I’m a task-oriented person in many ways. Perhaps you are too. But in living this value we task-people need to check ourselves on what we’re leaving out of the equation. Too often we Christians do the work without doing the relationships. Serving in the congregation and community is a great chance to develop relationships as we go. And this is all the more true in your evangelism. Often times you should simply serve with those people you’re trying to reach—and then the relationships and credibility are built up to a point where they want what you’ve got.

Are we deeply sharing life together? Surface relationships help you feel connected but don’t help you truly share life. You can feel lost in a crowd without deep sharing. This is why having a smaller group of individuals you really trust is so important. And once you have that circle, depend on it. Share openly about what has happened to you in the past and what is currently happening in your heart. When you do so you go to another level in community that is so rewarding, you’ll wonder why you hesitated to take the risk in the first place.

Are we using our God-given gifts? There are so many commands and instructions in scripture that you should really seek out further training and instruction on just that issue in the church. But the fundamental truth is that not using gifts ensures our lack of team in community. Our gifts build up the church and its relationships. Not using them harms the church. When my wife and I started our first church plant we had a visitor early in the process. Her name was Laura. I knew Laura from the university we both attended. She always seemed to be a very critical and harsh person to me. I thought she disliked many people—but especially me. I was very worried about her coming into our church. But she attended a gifts class we called “S.H.A.P.E.” where she learned that she had the spiritual gift of discernment. This gift gives a Christian the ability to spot right and wrong and to tell when we’re on the right path. Believing in gifts as we did, we took a risk and put her on our Teaching Team evaluating and helping form our preaching! So I invited this woman, who I saw as previously critical and harsh, to tell me what she thought about my messages each week! You wouldn’t believe the change. Instead of being critical and harsh, Laura finally had the forum to use her gift, and she was constructive and helpful. In fact, she became one of the most encouraging people in the church to me after that point! That’s the beauty of gifts when they are mobilized as a team in community.

What Does It Mean To Be

Encouraging and Joy-Filled?

Do people like to be around you?

When it comes down to it—people like to be around encouraging people that have joy in their lives. If you’re a discouraging person, then those that don’t know Christ won’t want to be around you… they aren’t encouraged to know Christ by your attitude and words. If you’re depressing, then those that don’t know Christ won’t want to be around you either. They need to see joy filling your life to want whatever it is you’ve got.

BEING ENCOURAGING AND JOY-FILLED

But don’t worry, you can have joy in your life. Chapter 9 went into detail on this fruit of the Spirit. Review that chapter if you’ve not yet felt joy in your life. Valuing the quality of “joy-filled” takes that to a whole other level, however. Being joy-filled means showing your joy. Many of us have inner joy but don’t value displaying it. We value the display of joy—regardless of your personality.

Now, some personalities may seem more prone to show their joy than others. But a new life in Christ means we can start over and re-work our temperament. We may not show our sorrow, we may not cry when we watch Hallmark commercials, and we may not hug people we’ve just met. However, those of us not as prone to emotion can still show our joy in other ways. One way to do it is to willfully change the things we say. One way I’ve done that is to change the chit-chat I respond to people with. Instead of saying, “how’s it going” or responding, “things are good” I use a whole different set of phrases. Instead, I say, “How’s your life?” This opens people up to truly pause for a second and wonder about more than just that moment, but consider their life. When they really think for a minute, they usually realize their life is going better than their day. Usually they ask my same question back, and I stop and consider it too, and almost always say, “I have a really good life, you know? Some things today aren’t working out, but overall I have a lot to be thankful for.” I don’t cry at the movies, and I don’t hug strangers—but I hope little things like this help me show my inner joy.

We all need more encouragement in our lives. The church should be a place that values encouraging people in this discouraging world. Make encouraging those around you a priority of your time every week. But when it comes to encouragement, be a coach or teammate, not a cheerleader. When I played basketball as a kid we had some great cheerleaders. They would “encourage” us at every turn. They would decorate our lockers before games. They would cheer for us before the game. They would do little cheers for us to “shoot that ball” or to play “D-Fence.” It was very cute. As players, however, we were often distracted by their excessive encouragement at the wrong times. Sometimes they wouldn’t be paying attention to the game enough to know that one of their encouraging cheers was happening right after the other team had scored. They would almost always tell us we “played a great game” even after we lost a game. One time when I was a freshman playing on the varsity team (actually, sitting on the bench for the varsity team) I had two of the cheerleaders come up to me after a game we lost and say, “you played great today, don’t worry about it.” In fact, I never played a second in that game—I just sat on the bench. Their encouragement obviously didn’t have much substance—because they didn’t know what was really going on. No offense to all the awesome cheerleaders out there that encourage with substance—but most of us need encouraging teammates and coaches more than cheerleaders. We want to be encouraged for what we’re actually doing well—not for generic and unrealistic things.

ENCOURAGING AND JOY-FILLED SCRIPTURES

Few things encourage our hearts or fill us with more lasting joy than the scriptures. This value is not only found in scripture… it is given by scripture.

Proverbs 12:25 – “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” This simple proverb reveals the true value of a kind word. What kind of words are you saying each day to your family, neighbors, co-workers and friends? How about the people that serve you at restaurants and stores you shop in? Do your words encourage and cheer people up, or weigh them down?

Philippians 4:4, 8 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (8) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, what ever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Our joy fills us up from the inside. Happiness comes from our circumstances… but our joy comes from the things we dwell on. By thinking on the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent & praiseworthy things, we exhibit joy because of what we’re “filled up” with. It spills over like an overflowing cup of water to those around us. This passages shows us the practical way to live this value.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Giving thanks despite your situation shows your inner joy to those that don’t know Christ personally. There is no better witness to knowing God than having this joy-filled attitude. And it’s not an optional attitude, you note. This passage says that it’s “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 3:13 – “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Many of us seem to have been hardened by life. Hebrews points out that our hardness comes from the deceit of sin. Apparently, simple daily encouragement is what overcomes this hardness. Amazingly, encouragement to even the most hardened person overcomes this deceit. Know someone that doesn’t know Christ yet but seems hardened to your conversations about God? Forget trying to “win them for Christ.” Try encouraging them for a few years and you’ll break through.

ENCOURGING AND JOY-FILLED QUESTIONS

Are we building each other up? It’s so easy to tear one another down. When I was in the sixth grade I had a quick wit and a biting tongue. I would “crack” on other kids and really hurt them with my words. My teacher that year was a single Christian man in his 20s. Mr. Jensen lived in a trailer in my part of town. He walked over to my house one day and asked to talk with me. We sat out on my lawn and he told me how much my cutting words were hurting the other kids in class. I couldn’t believe how the simple jokes I was saying were hurting the other kids so much that my teacher would walk over to my house and call me on it. I talked with my parents about it and we devised a little sticker that I put on my desk that would remind me to say encouraging things before anything mean. I believe because Mr. Jenson called me out in the sixth grade my life was changed and I became someone that valued building people up, not just tearing them down. However, the temptation to “bring people down to my level” is ever-present. And asking this question helps ensure I’m an encouraging person to be with, instead of a discouraging person to run away from.

Do we have a positive attitude? Some people just have “additude.” These people add something to the room when they enter it. They may not say much, but just their tone and smile and demeanor are positive. Just like the sign for positive: “+” they add something with their additude. Others just have Subtractitude. They subtract something from the room when they enter it. Their negativity (just like the sign for negative: “-“) subracts something from every conversation. Be someone with “additude.”

Is this increasing our joy? Sometimes you just need to stop doing what you’re doing and wonder out loud this question. Families should do this often. Many times we do something just because we’ve always done it. Some traditions have value, but if they interfere with the value of being joy-filled, then they need to be adjusted or maybe even scrapped. How many of us have yelled at kids to sit still for the video-camera at Christmas, or been frustrated that the kids won’t smile for the camera, and it ruined the opening of the presents in the first place. In that kind of a situation you might have to ask, “Is this increasing our joy?” Probably not. Perhaps the kids and their presents are more important than the pictures. In general, however, we need to do things that increase our joy. What are they for you?

Are we having fun? Seriously, are we having fun? This is such a rudimentary question we often feel to mature to ask it. If you’re not having any fun in life then there’s a problem. Have a good time! The fruitful life is fun!

What Does It Mean To

Have High Belief & Trust?

It’s not just what you believe, it’s who you believe in

It’s great to be appreciated, admired and acclaimed, but there’s nothing quite like being believed in. You are appreciated for what you are—when someone believes in you it’s because of what you could become. You are admired for what you’ve done—when someone believes in you it’s because of what you could do in the future. You are acclaimed for doing something popular—when someone believes in you it’s because they see something others don’t yet know. So when you’re believed in you are in the highest form of relationship: high belief and trust.

You only trust those you believe in—and when you believe in someone, you should trust them. Believing in someone may be a strong feeling, but trusting them is a decision of the will to release control to them because of your belief in them. But only through the decision to trust will your relationship and that person’s own potential be released. If you don’t trust anyone—you don’t get anywhere close to a fruitful life… and you go nowhere alone.

Like all things in The Fruitful Life… your high belief and trust in others derives from your connection to Christ. How much do you believe in Jesus? That may be the limit to your high belief in others. If you’re cynical towards the potential of others, then perhaps you are cynical about what Jesus can do for you. If you’re a believer in people, then perhaps you have high hopes for what Jesus can do and has already done in you. Likewise, the way you trust Jesus determines your ability to trust people. If you’ve not yet trusted Christ with things as major as your sin and as minor as your feelings—then you won’t reveal your sins nor express your feelings to others. Believe in him and trust on Him fully. It is the gateway to this value.

BELIEVING IN THE LOST AND TRUSTING THEM TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP

When it comes to the lost we often times view them with a condescending eye. We really do approach them with a superior spirit at times. But Christ’s example shows us the servant’s heart towards the lost. The best example outside of Jesus for me is my Grandfather Leonard Drury. At his funeral nearly two decades ago I was told of how he “did evangelism.” He would visit people in his neighborhood and prospects people would give to him but he would treat these people like gold. He would smile at them at some point in the conversation and simply say, “So, how is your relationship with God going?” He would say this to everyone, no matter how obviously rebellious or irreligious they were. He would say it to people that he knew were not Christians at all and had rejected God. But he believed in them. He believed that no matter where they were at they were somewhere—and all he cared about was encouraging them to take the next step. He believed in them and trusted them to take the next step. They would then talk about their spiritual lives to him and open up. And no matter what the excuses or problems were he would encourage them and let them know “they could do it.” And his belief in the lost made them long to believe what he believed. He continued this practice right up until his death—driving around his trailer park in the mountains of Pennsylvania in his scooter… amputated legs and all. Nothing stood in the way of his life’s work: believing in people and trusting them to take the next spiritual step.

HIGH BELIEF AND TRUST SCRIPTURES

The Bible is an incredible account of people that God believed in and trusted to respond to and obey him. It’s also an account of people who believed in Him and trusted him for their salvation. If we follow the example of Scripture, we will be a people with high belief and trust in all we do with one another.

1 Samuel 23:16 – “And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.” This is the essence of having high belief and trust in someone. Jonathon exhibited this value in his relationship with David. Even though he was the heir to the throne, Jonathon knew David was the best choice to be the next king. This friendship of trust was so deep it was stronger even than family ties—as Jonathon trusted this friend even more than his own father.

Isaiah 12:2 – “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song, he has become my salvation.” This is a touchstone verse for our trust in God for our salvation. If we have this kind of trust, we have the strength to believe in others and trust them too.

Hebrews 11:6; 12:1a – (6) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”… (1a) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” In the first verse here we see that God rewards the seeker—the one that believes that he exists and seeks Him. It is a reminder that faith is the key to belief… and that our works do not help us find God, our belief does. And we also see in the second verse that we are believed in ourselves. There is a great cloud of witnesses in heaven cheering us on. It’s great to be believed in!

HIGH BELIEF AND TRUST QUESTIONS

Are we valuing people? Many times we get caught up in valuing things over people. We can value words over people too. We can even value what people do over who they are. These are traps that hold us back from the most important thing: people. It’s all about people. If we don’t value them we don’t value what God values. Jesus told the story of the shepherd leaving the 99 sheep to go and rescue the one lost sheep. That story shows just how crucial people are. It shows just how important lost people are as well. Sheep are what should count most to us. And lost sheep are what should consume our efforts day and night. This question is also about the perceptions of people. Do they feel valued? Do your family members, neighbors, co-workers and friends feel valued by you? How about the lost people in those same groups? How do you show you value them?

Are we empowering people for effective ministry? The church is a sending agency. It should be all about equipping people and trusting them to do what God has set them apart to do. We should value “giving ministry away” over “having a ministry.” A ministry is not a success until real people that leaders believe in are trusted to perform the ministry themselves.

Is this and are we real and authentic? It’s sometimes too easy to fake believing in people. But the true test comes in trusting. Trust is the authenticator of authenticity. If we’re not being real and authentic with people we won’t trust them. And if you haven’t reached a place of trusting anyone then you may need to wonder if you’re being real with anyone.

What Does It Mean

To Be Love Consumed?

We are all consumed by something.

Have you ever heard of the law of entropy? It’s the law of science that says all things in the universe have a tendency to wind down. If you spin a top, it will eventually stop spinning. If you throw a baseball, even on the moon, it won’t keep moving forever. In fact the universe itself is slowing down.

Unfortunately our bodies are winding down as well. This is a fact of life I’m learning more and more every year I live. I can still play basketball for a few hours in the afternoon. But the next morning as I try to get out of bed I am painfully reminded of the law of entropy ruling my joints and muscles. Our bodies are in fact being physically consumed as we age. They’re being used up through life. It’s the way it works.

But in a spiritual way we are also consumed by something. We all have something we are consumed by. It’s that thing we wake up in the morning thinking about. The thing our minds wander to. That unspeakable desire that seems to creep into our motives. The topic that works itself into our conversations. As humans we are like gasoline – we have an innate quality that begs to be consumed.

CONSUMED BUT UNHARMED

After running for his life from the land of Egypt, Moses was tending sheep on the far side of the desert wilderness of his father-in-law. As he turned a corner he came upon an Acatia bush that was on-fire. That alone was not so strange. Lightning may have struck and started the fire. But Moses immediately noticed a dramatic difference between this burning bush and any other. This bush was entirely consumed in fire but remained unharmed. It did not burn up.

Then the bush began to speak to Moses, or rather, God’s angel spoke from within the fire.
And history began to be re-written as God chose this outlaw shepherd to lead his people from slavery to the Promised Land.

God’s love burns as that fire. It is a fire that is designed to entirely consume us but not harm us in the process. One can be consumed by his love—losing herself completely to it—and not be burned up by it. Something is still left. In fact, more remains.

Indeed, Moses himself became much like that common bush. From that day on he burned with the love of God for his people, at times showing as much compassion for the people of Israel that God showed. God didn’t need the bush to feed the fire. The fire burns by itself. And likewise God didn’t need Moses any more than he needs you and I. We are privileged to be in the position of being on fire for Jesus as Moses was. The common man was consumed by the fire of God but more remained afterwards – much more.

LIGHT YOURSELF ON FIRE

John Wesley was once asked to describe why his preaching was effective in reaching people for Christ. He explained the process by saying, “I just light myself on fire for God and people come to watch me burn.” This compelling vision of a man on fire for God inspires people to this day to follow his example. Our church’s mission statement speaks of developing people, but describes these people as those having a “consuming devotion.” That consuming element is what is missing in a casual believer whose lukewarm assent to God’s existence does nothing to bear fruit. But if you light yourself on fire for God people will come into your life just to watch you burn and great will be your fruit for Him.

But be reminded that the fuel to that loving fire is found in connection to Christ. Only then will you be able to sustain the fire of love. You cannot do it on your own. You will be burned up – or you will be burned out. But if you stay attached to the vine your fire burns endlessly.

LOVE CONSUMED SCRIPTURES

There is no more evident theme in scripture nor more compelling a concept than that of Love. The Bible is an account of unfailing love. It is the story of love beyond human experience, invention or conception. God’s unconditional love makes the Bible a love letter to His people. Open it an you find a love you’re drawn to like moth to the flame. But unlike that unfortunate moth, once in the flame you find yourself consumed but not harmed. That unexplainable fire-love is the stuff the fruitful life is made of.

Matthew 22:36-40 – “’Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments.’” While we don’t want to over-simplify or trivialize the complexity of the historical account of Scriptures, there are those moments when Jesus simplified things so much that even children can understand the truth. The golden rule here is one of those occasions. Asked directly for the greatest directive in all of the Law, Jesus pulls the first century equivalent of a politician looking directly into the camera, and give the most important command and the second most important, which apparently derives from the first, in Jesus’ description. Loving God with all that you are and loving your neighbor are the essence of what we are to do and be.

John 13:35 – “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Not only is love commanded—it is expected. Love identifies us as true disciples. This is why love is not an optional value for us. Being love-consumed proves our discipleship and provides for our evangelism. When we love our fellow disciples it proves in fact we are disciples. And when those not yet following Christ see that love, it is a testimony that is in fact evangelism.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” This “love passage” spins the word love around like a prism and God’s light divides through it, showing all the separate colors of love that combine to make it the overarching quality (God is love) of our Father in heaven, and the undercurrent of our life as his followers.

Ephesians 4:14-16 – “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we ill in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Here we see that love not only cares, but it also cares enough not to look the other way. True love goes beyond the glib “tolerance” our world values. True love accepts people into a community that includes accountability. There is no true acceptance without accountability. And when you speak truth into another person’s life with love they are built up. And instead of harming acceptance, that person may in fact be being truly accepted for the first time in their lives for who they really are. The world of tolerance allows others to be what they appear to be. The love of acceptance involves itself in others to know who they really are. And then, as this passage notes, we grow up in Christ, becoming more than we appear to be and more than we were. We become what God wants us to be.

Philippians 1:9-11 – “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.” The progression here from love to fruit is tremendous. Paul writes to the church he started in Philipi and reveals what he prays for them: He says that his core prayer is that their love would grow and abound – you might say to the point of consuming them. And that lvoe would involve knowledge and depth – the kind that involves spiritual discernment in choosing the best in purity. And he prays that this abounding love would ensure that they are “filled with the fruit” that only comes through Jesus Christ. The goal of all this is to bring glory and praise to God. I hope you love it when Paul summarizes such a massive concept in just a few lines! He describes for us quite simply what it means to have The Fruitful Life.

1 John 3:16-18; 4:7-8 – “This is how we know what loves is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”… (4:7-8) “Dear friends, let us love on another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Here John defines love by pointing to what Christ did. This is an important definition because it’s not an head in the clouds perspective. John notes that love is not just defined by who you are—but by what you do. If we have love we will do what Jesus did, and bravely give our lives up for others. We simply do this by having pity on those in need and giving our material possessions away for them. We can’t give lip service to love and not walk the talk. By living it out we show we’ve been born of God. Born again in fact. Because, and it can’t be elaborated on: God is love.

PRAYER IMMERSED QUESTIONS

Does this increase our love for God and each other? Our activities themselves should be love-increasers, not love-reducers. Love reducers are those things that, no matter how we do them, decrease love. Are you a cynic or a critic? Root the cynicism and criticism out of your life and do the things and display the attitudes that increase your love for God and other believers: excitement and encouragement.

Do we have a deep empathy for those in need? Our love is most tested when we uncover a need in another person. Having empathy for others in need is not a spiritual gift you can opt out of. If you are Christ-like you will care for others.

Are we accepting of each other with personal accountability? This acceptance is the kind that moves beyond the simple tolerance addressed earlier. It shows a willingness to submit to and offer accountability to one another. Asking this question helps you and a friend or group of believers to go to another level of love and acceptance, so you are love-consumed together.

Are we choosing to speak the truth in love? And this personal accountability is built upon speaking the truth in love and walking the path together with your friend in Christ. You cannot speak the truth without having the love to walk with them in their growth. Speaking the truth without love is just criticism. The love part is what makes it constructive coaching to their life.

Do we resolve conflicts? Few things test our love more than conflict. We may be love-concerned enough to handle every day life with those around us. But we must be love-consumed in order to handle conflict with each other. Conflict-resolution isn’t really possible outside of true love. You may come to a point of agreeing to disagree, or you may negotiate a solution where teamwork can happen again. But without truly loving the other person – having their best at heart – then you will always carry away a small grudge or a lowered respect after conflict. This is what makes the church a potentially amazing community—it’s ability to experience conflict and actually become closer because of its authentic love.

Are we free of gossip? It may seem harmless, but nothing shows a lack of love like gossip. When you speak about someone behind their back you show you don’t care for them the way Christ does. When you are love-consumed you not only gossip less, you don’t gossip at all. Love can’t exist in the same room as gossip. They are like oil and water.

Week Four

22.23.24.25.26.27.28

Group Questions

1) What are the things your group values most?

2) As a group, divide up and re-read the scriptures related to Prayer and Scripture in the first two chapters of this week. Discuss how important prayer and the Bible are to our Spiritual lives and bearing fruit.

3) How strong in your “Scripture Anchor?” (Day 23)

4) Go around the circle and as a group try to describe “what he/she is all about” in life. This will help each person see how the well they relate the answer to that all important question from Day 24.

5) Discuss this passage from Hebrews 10:25 from the God’s Word Translation: “We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.”

6) How encouraging are you to one another?

7) What high-belief dreams do you have for the people you know that are non-Christians?

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