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What On Earth Am I Here For? – The Call Is For You *

October 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment

whatonearth

What On Earth Am I Here For? – The Call Is For You *
Sycamore Creek Church
October 4/5, 2015
Tom Arthur

Peace friends!  Why does an acorn exist?  What is its purpose?  To become a mighty oak tree.  That’s the purpose of an acorn.  What is the purpose of your life?  Why do you exist?  Why are you here on this earth?  Does your life matter?  Today we begin a new series called What On Earth Am I Here For?  For six weeks we’ll be looking at the question: Why am I alive and what am I supposed to do with my life?

One of most loved promises in the Bible is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans.  Paul was the first missionary of the church and he wrote several letters that are now books in our Bible.  Paul says:

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…
~Romans 8:28 GNT

Whether you’re a Christian or not, you’ve probably heard this basic idea.  But we leave out the second half of the verse:

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose.”
~Romans 8:28 GNT

Calling and purpose go together.  What do you think of when you hear the word “called”?  I think of interruptions! I hate getting calls.  I am allergic to my phone.  Why?  Because I’m busy or I’m relaxing and people only call with bad news when I’m tired.  The word “called” in the Bible means something else than “interruptions.” Half of the Bible was written in Greek and the Greek word for call is Kaleo.  Kaleo is used over one hundred times in the Bible to describe God’s purpose, assignment and reason for your life.  “Calling” is used ten times more than “purpose”!  In Latin the word “calling” is “vocation.”   Your vocation is what you have been called to.  We have weakened this whole idea by calling it a “career.”  Your life is so much more than just a career.  It can be a calling, a vocation.

As we look to the Bible today for direction on what we’re called to, we’ll find that the Bible is the story of people answering God’s call.  Noah was called to build an ark.  Abraham was called to move and start a new nation.  Moses was called to lead God’s people out of slavery.  Samuel was called to anoint the king of Israel.  David was called to be the king of Israel.  Isaiah was called to remind the people and king of God’s will.  Jeremiah was called to deliver bad news (a future exile to Babylon) and comfort (after the exile).  Paul was called to share Jesus with non-Jews (Gentiles).

For the next six weeks we’re going to look at five specific dimensions of God’s call (and purpose) for your life.  We’ll explore how to fulfill your calling and why you are here!  Why you exist!  Or as Paul writes the Ephesians:

“My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God called you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people!
~Ephesians 1:18-19 CEV

Today is an introduction to calling.  It’s an overview of what it means that we’re called.  Today I want to give you six clues to your calling.  So let’s begin searching for those clues.

1.       MY CALLING IS A GIFT FROM GOD!
It’s important to understand that I don’t earn my calling.  I don’t deserve it.  I don’t work for it.  My calling is graciously given to me by God. It’s a present to be received and opened and enjoyed.  Paul writes the Galatians saying:

“God, by his grace through Christ, has called you to become his people.”
~Galatians 1:6 NCV

What is grace?  Grace is undeserved kindness.  You don’t deserve it but you’re given it because of grace.  Your calling is part of your salvation!  Paul mentors Timothy saying:

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we’ve done but because of his own purpose and grace.”
~2 Timothy 1:9 NIV

The first clue to your calling is that it is a gift from God.  And did you notice that along with calling comes purpose.  That leads us to the second clue to calling:

2.       I’M CALLED FOR GOD’S PURPOSE! (Not My Own)
God didn’t make you for you!  He made you for God’s very own self!  It’s for God’s plan and purpose, not your plan.  Let’s go back to where we started with Paul writing the Romans saying:

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.”
~Romans 8:28 GNT

Call and God’s purpose go hand in hand.  But it’s God’s purpose you’re called to, not your own purpose.  Paul says it this way elsewhere:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
~Ephesians 2:10 NIV

What does it mean that we are God’s “workmanship”?  It means God is an artist and we are the poem, sculpture, painting, and masterpiece.  God doesn’t make junk!  You’re a masterpiece of God’s workmanship!  God began forming us before anyone else knew us.  Speaking for God, the prophet Isaiah reminds us:

“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born!”
~Isaiah 44:2 CEV

What does this teach us?  Isaiah teaches me that I’m not an accident!  God is your creator.  God is my creator.  We sometimes talk about “accident babies” but from God’s perspective, there is no accident baby.  If you think your life is an accident, you’ll live like it. I’d rather know that I’m deeply loved!  God says, “You were in my care” even while you were growing inside your mom.  When you were in the womb God was fearfully and wonderfully making you,  knitting you together.  God cared for your life before you were born!  This is the memory verse for this week.  Take some time to learn it by heart this week:

“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born!”
~Isaiah 44:2 CEV

The second clue to my calling is knowing that I’m called to God’s purpose (not my own).

3.       MY SINS & MISTAKES DON’T CHANGE MY CALL!
It doesn’t matter how much you’ve messed up your life so far.   Your intentional and unintentional sins (missing God’s mark) don’t change God’s call for you.  We’ve been learning a lot from Paul today, and if you don’t know much about Paul, you might be surprised to learn that before Paul was a follower of Jesus, he was a kind of religious terrorist and murderer.  He sought out Christians and had them executed with the authority of the state and religious establishment of his day.   Paul talks about this in his letter to Timothy saying:

“By calling me into his service, Jesus has judged me trustworthy, even though I used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and contemptuous. Mercy, however, was shown me, because while I lacked faith, I acted in ignorance.”
~1 Timothy 1:12-13 NJB

In other words, Paul is saying, “I did a lot of dumb stuff.  Really dumb stuff.”  I bet most of us can relate.  But let me assure you that God doesn’t waste what happens. Not even sin!  God uses it all.  God can work God’s purposes in our lives no matter what happens.  Part of my calling comes out of my pain!  Consider for a moment Chuck Colson.  Colson was a special counsel to President Richard Nixon.   He was one of Nixon’s “Hatchet Man” during the Watergate scandal that ultimately led Nixon to losing the presidency.  Colson spent seven months in prison for obstruction of justice.  But it was during this trial that Colson turned from being Nixon’s “Hatchet Man” to a follower of Jesus.  When he got out of prison he began Prison Fellowship, a ministry to prisoners and their families.  Today Prison Fellowship is in 112 Countries!  God can use even the mistakes and sins in your life to fulfill God’s purposes and calling in your life.

The third clue to your calling is that my sins & mistakes don’t change my call.

4.       MY CALLING IS CONNECTED TO OTHERS
Do you know that you can’t fulfill your calling by yourself?  Calling & community go together.  Paul tells the Romans:

“None of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone!”
~Romans 14:7 NIV

None of your body parts work if they are disconnected.  I’ve been learning lately how connected body parts are as I’ve been working with a physical trainer who has me doing circuits that focus on different muscles of the body.  One night we work on my back muscles.  Then my arms.  Then my legs.  Then my core.  They all work together to make my body healthier and stronger.

So how do you get your calling connected to community?  You get it connected through a faith community, through a church.  Paul calls the church the “body of Christ” because it’s different callings all connected in one body:

“We are all one Body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future hope.”
~Ephesians 4:4 NLT

We’re one body connected by one spirit all fitting into God’s glorious calling and purpose.  Or as the author of Hebrews says:

“Brothers and sisters, you are holy partners in a heavenly calling.”
~Hebrews 3:1 GW

We’re better together. We’re better as partners.  We’re better as a part of something bigger than ourselves.  I think this is the real value of small groups in a church.   You get even more connected to the body.   You learn and study and figure out and discern what your calling is and how it fits with the larger body.

The fourth clue to my calling is that my calling is connected to others.

5.       GOD EMPOWERS WHAT HE CALLS ME TO DO!
What God calls me to do, God equips and enables me to do!  Do you know that God doesn’t call the qualified?  God qualifies those God calls.  When I commit to my calling, God commits the strength & power!  Moses is considered in the Bible to be the greatest of all prophets.  But he sure didn’t feel great when God called him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.  Here’s what he said:

But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled… Lord, please! Send anyone else.”
~Exodus 4:10 & 13 NLT

Ha!  A prophet who gets tongue tied.  Sometimes when I’m preaching I feel tongue tied; I usually call it a “brain fart.”  I can’t remember even the simplest of words.  But here’s how God reassured Moses:

Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”
~Exodus 4:11-12 NLT

In other words, God would give Moses exactly what Moses needed to live into God’s call and accomplish God’s purposes.  Over the next six weeks we’ll L.E.A.R.N. how to live our calling!  We’ll:

Listen to God’s Word every day!
Enlist friends who challenge me!
Ask questions and accept correction!
Remember & Reinforce what I learn
Now DO it!

We’ll be doing this by using the book What On Earth Am I Here For? as a guide.  This is basically The Purpose Driven Life version 2.0.  We did this as a church fifteen years ago, and many of you found it very helpful.   Those of you who are familiar with these ideas may be asking yourself, “What am I going to get out of this a second time around?”  Maybe your calling the second time around is to share it with someone else.  The author of Hebrews reminds us:

“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others.”
~Hebrews 5:12 NLT

If you did 40 Days of Purpose, then go ahead and stay in a group but ALSO share it with a new friend!  You’ll grow far more than by just sitting in your group.  You will experience new power you’ve never had when you share it with others.  Here’s what I’ll be praying for you:

“That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life he CALLED you to live. We pray that with his power God will help you do the good things you want, and perform the works that come from your faith.”
~Paul (2 Thessalonians 1:11 NCV)

You can count on God to give you the strength you need to do what God has called you to:

“The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it”
~Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV)

The fifth clue to God’s calling is that God empowers what God calls me to do.  There’s one other thing you need to know as we begin…

6.  THERE’S A PRIZE FOR LIVING OUT MY CALLING
When you live into God’s calling, God promises a reward that will last forever.  Paul talks about this prize saying:

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
~Philippians 3:14 NIV

What is the prize?  The prize is eternal life with God.  Eternal life is hope for a good and meaningful existence after death.  It’s life and love with the one who created you for eternity!  I was reminded of how valuable this is when I was backpacking with my four-year-old son recently.  After spending an adventurous two days backpacking into Nordhouse Dunes and camping on a ridge overlooking Lake Michigan, I asked Micah as we were hiking back to the car what his favorite part of the backpacking was.  I figured he’d say something like playing on the beach, or sleeping in the tent, or cooking on a little stove, or playing the harmonica.  What he said wasn’t any of those things, and what he said melted my heart.  He said, “My favorite part was spending time with you, daddy.”  Of course.  That’s what we want.  We want time with our daddy.  We want time with our mommy.  And how much more with our heavenly parent.

So when does eternity begin?  I think eternity begins NOW!  This prize of eternity isn’t pie in the sky when you die.  It’s a transformed life NOW.  Paul writes:

“Live the kind of life that pleases God, who calls you to share in his own Kingdom and glory.”
~1 Thessalonians 2:12 GNB

Live the kind of life right NOW.  You’re co-starring with Jesus for eternity.  What’s the best part of that?  Time with God.  Lots of time with God.

My prayer for you over the next six weeks is this:

“I ask God …to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally.., so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, and grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians.”
~Ephesians 1:17-18 (Message)

Here’s the fact about your calling: God is calling you.  Will you answer his call?  Here’s some specific next steps for today:

  1. Take the Series Challenge.  Be in worship every week you’re in Lansing and when you’re not in Lansing, then download the sermon and read or listen to it.
  2. Find a group in GroupLINK to spend six weeks with some friends studying a book to L.E.A.R.N. about your calling.
  3. Invite a friend to participate with you in this whole endeavor.
  4. Memorize this week’s scripture:

“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born!”
~Isaiah 44:2 CEV

Prayer
God, I realize my call is a gift from you.  I want to receive it and open it and enjoy it.  Help me remember that this calling is not for my own purposes, but it’s for your purposes through me.  God, when I make mistakes or sin and miss your mark for my life, call me back to your purposes.  Even use those mistakes to fulfill your call even more fully in my life.  Bring people around me who will help me fulfill my calling through connection in a small group and a faith community.  Give me your power to accomplish my call, and let me run this life with my eyes on the eternal prize of your love for me and for all creation.  May this be true of me in Jesus’ name.

* This sermon is based on a sermon first preached by Rick Warren.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Wise Way to Live

October 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment

whatonearth

 

The Wise Way To Live
Getting Ready For What On Earth Am I Here For?*
Sycamore Creek Church
September 27, 2015
Tom Arthur

Peace friends!

Today I’m doing something I’ve never done before.  I’m teaching on how to get ready for the series that begins next week: What on Earth Am I Here For?   You could call it a prequel to the next series.  How can you get the most out of the next series?  That’s what I want to explore today.  Because next week we begin our annual fall church-wide campaign.  We’ll be exploring the question: what is your calling?  We’ll ask why you exist and what place you have in this world.  Plan to discover your life’s calling in the next six weeks.  Because beginning next week we’ve got a six-week sermon that has six features for six different learning styles.  You have the opportunity to:

1. Join one of many small groups (there are groups of men, women, parents, couples, anyone, teenagers, young adults, and on and on and on);
2. Discuss 6 life lessons to discover your calling;
3. Memorize 6 Bible verses to guide you – rest of life;
4. Hear 6 weekend messages that set up each group;
5. Read or listen to a daily chapter of book;
6. Practice some activities with your group.

This series is for the entire family, including your kids and your teens.  Talk about this stuff with your family around the dinner table.  Have your kids invite their friends.  Speaking of kids inviting friends, one of the parents in our church emailed me a picture of the three Invest Invite Cards that her third grade daughter filled out to invite her friends.  Yes, she filled out three cards.  That’s nine people she is planning on investing in and inviting to our Open House Party next week.  I’ve talked with several people about their Investing and Inviting and many are having some amazing (even miraculous success).  One person wrote down a name on their card a couple of weeks ago and that person showed up in the second service!  One new person to our church who has never been very invitational decided to write down some co-workers names and then pray.  He was a little nervous about the whole thing.  But one day he found himself naturally saying to his co-worker that he was missing his great church while he was working on Sunday.  His co-worker then asked, “What makes your church great?”  Turns out this co-worker is considering looking for a church!  That was easy.  Pray and God answers.  How is your investing and inviting going?  God likes to answer these kinds of prayers, because God wants every person to be part of a community of faith.  You may be able to be a child of God without a church, but without a church family you’re an orphan of the king.

So let’s dive into what I want to talk about today.  Let’s talk about choosing the wise way of life by getting ready for this upcoming series.  If God offered to give you ONE thing, what would you ask for?  Some might ask for something awesome, like an awesome unicorn, and that would be pretty awesome, but after a while the awesome unicorn becomes not so awesome anymore.  There is a moment in the Bible when God offers someone anything he can think of.  This person is King Solomon and Solomon chooses wisdom.  Above all else he wants wisdom to lead and govern his people.  Why would Solomon ask for wisdom rather than anything else?  The book in the Bible dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom is called Proverbs.  Here’s why wisdom is so valuable:

“Wisdom is more precious than rubies.  Nothing else you could ever want is as valuable.”
~Proverbs. 8:11 NCV

The highest quality ruby is ten times more valuable than a top diamond.  One gram of gold goes for $30-50, but one gram of a precious ruby is worth about $50,000!  As another proverb says:

“Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do.”
~Proverbs 4:7 TEV

In today’s message I want to cover two things:

  1. Why wisdom should be the #1 goal of your life.
  2. How to get wisdom for your life.

#1 Goal = Wisdom
I told you that the book of Proverbs is the wisdom book of the Bible.  It collects the wisdom of Solomon along with many other ancient wisdom sources.  This is wisdom that has been tried and tested over and over and over for thousands and thousands of years.  Now let me clear about what wisdom is and what it is not.  Wisdom is how things generally work most of the time.  Wisdom is not a promise.  But wisdom is a safe bet with your life.  It’s not just a safe bet, it’s the well-worn experience of thousands of years of people living life. Over & over God stresses why you need wisdom:

“If you become wise, you’ll be the one to benefit. But if you scorn wisdom, you’ll be the one to suffer.”
~Proverbs. 9:12 NLT

Did you catch that wisdom brings benefits.  What kind of benefits.  I could go on and on about this but here are some of the benefits you’ll get from learning to base your life on wisdom:

“Wisdom is good for the soul. Get wisdom and you’ll have a bright future.”
~Proverbs 24:14 TEV

“Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor, and those who love learning will succeed.”
~Proverbs 19:8 NCV

“Treasure wisdom, and it will make you great; hold on to it, and it will bring you honor.”
~Proverbs 4:8 NCV

“Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.”
~Proverbs 9:11 NLT

“Wise people have great power.”
~Proverbs 24:5 NCV

“Wise people will gain an honorable reputation.”
~Proverbs 3:35 TEV

Wise people’s lives get better and better.”
~Proverbs 15:24 NCV

“Wisdom offers you long life, as well as wealth and honor. It can make your life pleasant and lead you safely through it. Those who become wise are happy; wisdom will give them life.”
~Proverbs 3:16-18 TEV

“Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run.”
~Proverbs 4:12 TEV

Wisdom = Good for the Soul ~ Bright Future ~ Favor ~ Success ~ Greatness ~ Honor ~ More Time ~ Power ~ Reputation ~ Improvement ~ Long Life ~ Wealth ~ Honor ~ Pleasant Life ~ Safety ~ Happiness ~ Overcoming ~ Perseverance.

Do you see how important wisdom is to your life?  Do you understand why you should want wisdom more than anything else?  Do you realize why learning wisdom is worth the next six weeks?  Like everything else, living wisely is a choice.  Living foolishly comes naturally, living wisely must be learned.

“Learn to be wise, and develop good judgment.”
~Proverbs 4:5 NLT

So how do you learn to be wise?  I want to give you five keys to wisdom.

1.       Listen to God’s Word Every Day

“Start with God. The first step in learning is bowing down to God.”
~Proverbs 1:7 (Message)

If you want wisdom you have to start with the one who created wisdom: God.  Wisdom doesn’t come from any other source.  The purity of the wisdom depends entirely on how close it is to the source.

“It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding”
~Proverbs 2:6 TEV

Get wisdom from God.  Not from TV.  Not from the internet.  Not from Youtube or Facebook, not that any of those things are bad, but you don’t believe everything you hear on the internet.  Wisdom comes first from God.

“A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash.”
~Proverbs 15:14 NLT

You know the old saying: junk in junk out.  If you eat junk food, guess what you’ll do to your body.  You’ll junk it.  If you eat healthy food, guess what you’ll get from your body?  Health.  What will you put into your mind, body, soul, spirit in the next six weeks?

During the next forty-ish days or six weeks, develop the habit of a daily time with God.  This doesn’t have to be hours of time set aside.  If you’ve never done this, then set aside five or ten minutes.  To begin read or listen to What on Earth Am I Here For?  If you pick up the book you’ll see that there are QR codes at the beginning of each chapter.   You can scan those codes with your cell phone (download a QR code scanner from the App Store) and you’ll get a unique video for each chapter of the book from the author, Rick Warren.

I bet many of you are saying or thinking to yourself, “I don’t have time for a daily time with God.”  Let me ask you a question: Do you have time for TV, Facebook, or Youtube?  I bet you have time for the things you prioritize.  One small way you can find some time is to listen to each chapter each day while you’re driving to work or on the bus.  Knock out two birds with one stone.

I began finding daily time with God when I was a teenager.  Someone, I don’t remember who but it was probably my mom, gave me a Student Bible.  It had a Bible reading plan in it and notes that spoke to specific issues I was dealing with as a teenager.  Teens, don’t think you’re off the hook for this.  Begin now finding daily time with God.

If you want wisdom, the first key is to listen to God’s word every day.

2.       Enlist Friends Who Challenge Me

We always grow in community.  You can’t grow healthy by yourself!   We need each other.  The quality of your life will be determined by those you choose to keep closest to you:

“Bad company corrupts good character.”
~1 Corinthians 15:33

If you hang out with pygmy goats, you’re likely to become a pygmy goat.  You need friends who pull you up, not friends who pull you down.

“Spend time with the wise and you will become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer.”
~Proverbs 13:20

Once a week, for next 6 weeks I want you to meet with a few friends.  Not forever!  Just a few friends for a few weeks.  I bet some of you are thinking again, “I’m too busy for a weekly small group.”  Let me ask you a question: would you have more time if you made fewer mistakes?  Would you like to make fewer mistakes?

“Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others.”
~Proverbs 12:15 NLT

You may make fewer mistakes in life and end up having more time if you take some time to seek wisdom with a group of friends.  Are you getting any spiritual input from friends?  That’s why you need a group.  Have you signed up for a small group yet?

The second key to wisdom is enlisting friends who challenge you.

3.       Ask Questions & Accept Correction

“People’s thoughts can be like a deep well,
but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.
~Proverbs 20:5

Sycamore Creek Church is a church that seeks to be Curious, Creative, and Compassionate.  When we say we’re a curious church, we’re not meaning that we’re odd (well, maybe those who follow Jesus are a little odd in a good wise kind of way), but we mean that your questions are welcome.  If you want wisdom learn to ask good smart questions from people who have wisdom.  If you want to know about cats, ask an “ailurophile” (pronounced “aye-lur-a-file”).  An ailurophile is a “lover of cats”.  But if you want to know about wisdom in life, you ask a philosopher, which means “lover of wisdom.”  King Solomon was a philosopher.  He loved wisdom.

One of my coaches provided me one time with a great set of questions he has collected over the years.  I’d be happy to share those questions with you if you email me (tomarthur@sycamorecreekchurch.org).  Good questions open up our minds to new possibilities in life:

“Intelligent people are always open to new ideas. In fact, they look for them.”
~Proverbs 18:15 NLT

One key to asking good questions is listening!  I rarely learn new things while I am talking.  I remain open to new things when I ask good questions and listen for good answers.  Larry King says that “if the host of an interview show is doing half the talking something has gone terribly wrong.”  This is true of groups: The leader should talk the LEAST!  The leaders of our small groups are learners too.  They’re not all expert “philosophers.”  They’re regular people just like you and me.  We are all ignorant in our own ways.  You can learn from anyone if you take the time to ask good questions and listen for the wisdom in their answers.

Here’s one more reason to ask good questions and keep learning:

“If you stop learning, you will forget what you already know.”
~Proverbs 19:27 CEV

Wisdom isn’t static.  It’s like a muscle.  You use it or you lose it.  The third key to gaining wisdom is to ask questions and accept correction.

4.       Remember & Reinforce What I Learn

“Listen, and I’ll teach you what the wise have said. Study their teachings, and you will be glad if you remember them and can quote them.”
~Proverbs 22:17-18 TEV

Wisdom doesn’t go in one ear and out the other.  For it to be true wisdom it has to stick.  You’ve got to have a system for remembering and reinforcing what you learn.  One key system for remembering and reinforcing is to memorize.

Why memorize anything in the age of information (and smart phones)!  Memorization is fast becoming an ancient practice.  But research has shown that we gain a lot by memorizing.  Memorizing improves your brain in at least eight ways:

  1. Keeps you remembering
  2. Brain exercise = better mental health
  3. Increases “neural plasticity” = remember more
  4. Improves brain processing speed
  5. Frees up brain power
  6. Improves concentration
  7. Increases creativity
  8. Delays cognitive decline in elderly

http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/07/23/in-praise-of-memorization-10-proven-brain-benefits/

Memorization means that you’ve always got access to that information and wisdom.  I got on a train one time going to Chicago for the day with my three-year-old and left my phone in my car.  I didn’t even have my wife’s phone number memorized to call her and tell her what was up.  I had to call the church office and ask my secretary for my wife’s phone number!  When you haven’t memorized something that you are relying on your cell phone to remember for you, when your cell phone is no longer accessible, then your knowledge and wisdom is no longer accessible.  But your memory is always accessible.

Memorization gets wisdom into our hearts.  You’ve heard the phrase, “Learn it BY HEART.”  Memorization gets it into our hearts in a way that no other method can (http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/why-we-should-memorize).

“Don’t lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning”
~Proverbs 4:21-22 NLT

You want to seek God with all your heart, then get wisdom into your heart by taking time to memorize what you learn.  Each week in this series we’ll have a memorization verse.  You can pick up a book marker with all the verses on it.  Memorize each verse each week and get it into your heart.

The fourth key to wisdom is remembering and reinforcing what you’ve learned.

5.       Now DO it!

We’ve come to the final key of wisdom: DO IT!  Don’t just talk about it!  DO it.  Jesus’ brother, James wrote about wisdom this way:

“Don’t deceive yourselves by just listening to the Word; instead, put it into practice. If you listen to the word, but don’t put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves …but once they walk away, they forget what they look like. But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and you don’t forget it, but you put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do!”
~James 1:22-25 TEV

You can grow old without ever growing up!  If you know it in your head but don’t do anything about it, then you don’t really know it.  Wisdom is the right application of knowledge.  Wisdom is a choice to do something about what you know.  Wisdom is a choice.  Growth is a choice to do something about what you know.  Growth is a choice.  Wisdom and growth are both a choice to do something.  Are you going to DO anything about what we just talked about?  If not, you just wasted your time.  You came here and you listened to me and you will stay the same.  You’ll get older without growing up.  I’m not saying I’ve got it all together, but even if you disagree with what I’ve said, and you do nothing about it, then you’re no better off than when you first showed up!

God doesn’t bless good intentions. God blesses wise choices.  God says, “It’s your move.  It’s your choice.”  Will you do the wise thing?  Sign up for a small group. Find daily time with God.  Learn to ask good questions.  Remember and reinforce what you learn by memorizing the weekly Bible passages.  Go do it.  Go get your FREE book right now.

Prayer
God, we confess that too often we’ve chosen the easy and foolish way of not making any change.  Give us the strength to choose the wise way today.  Let your wisdom find a place in our hearts so that we not only hear it but we act on it.  May this be so in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

 

*This message was adapted from a sermon originally preached by Rick Warren

Filed Under: Sermons Tagged With: , , ,

Remember Who You Are

September 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

timothy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timothy – Letters to a Young Man: Remember Who You Are
Sycamore Creek Church
September 15/16, 2013
Tom Arthur
1 Timothy 4:14 & 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Peace friends!

Do you ever forget who you are?  You get so caught up in the problems surrounding you that pretty soon you feel like the problems are your whole identity?  Sometimes all the small problems in my life begin to add up and overwhelm my sense of who I am and who I’m called to become.  Sometimes my body distracts me with pain or anxiety.  Sometimes conflict with those around me crowds out who I am.  Or stress on time crowds out time with God where I remember who I am.  Sometimes I forget who I am, and then I realize that I’ve been playing to all my weaknesses rather than my strengths.  Other times sin bogs me down, and when I’m no longer living at the center of God’s will, I forget who I am.

When people talk to me about who they are and what they’re called to I often hear some pretty regular themes pop up.  Someone gets bogged down in a job that sucks the soul out of their life.  Or they begin to set their hearts on the accumulation of money, security & stability, respectability, and fame and pretty soon forget who they are.  Or others dig themselves so deep in a hole with bad choices and it is going to take so long to get out of that deep hole that they begin to forget who they are, even if they’re taking positive steps to get out of the hole.  I see people who are stressed on more than one front.  They’re fighting battles at home and at work at the same time.  Or home and school.  It’s exhausting, and pretty soon they forget who they are.  Sin gets in the way too.  Someone once told me, “I know it’s a sin and I’m going to do it anyway.”  The lure of the sin was blinding them to who they are.

Today we’re continuing in a series called Timothy – Letters to a Young Man.  It’s a Bible series where we’re exploring the two letters we have that Paul, the first missionary of the church, wrote to Timothy, a young church leader.  If you read between the lines there’s an impressive list of things that Timothy was struggling with and all of them threatened to make Timothy forget who he was.  Timothy was facing:

  1. Competing truth claims & “false teachers”
  2. People jumping ship
  3. Questions about how to organize the church
  4. Fanatics
  5. Theological and Biblical nitpickers (“Stupid and senseless controversies”)
  6. Hypocrites (“Holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power”)
  7. Challenges to his young age
  8. Needy widows (Some who were freeloaders!)
  9. Questions about money and getting paid
  10. Physical ailments (Drink wine!)
  11. Social upheaval (converted slaves and slave holders)
  12. Expectation of persecution.

It’s enough to make one quit.  Timothy isn’t sure he’s up to the task.  He’s kind of like Steve Rogers before he become Captain America.

Dr. Abraham Erskine reminds Rogers of who he is.  What we’ll find as we read through the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy is that Paul is a spiritual friend and mentor who reminds Timothy who he is.  That’s the whole point of the message today: Spiritual friends remind us who we are.

Remember Your Calling
In the face of all these obstacles that Timothy is facing, Paul regularly reminds Timothy of who he is and his calling in life.  Here are two key places where Paul does that: 

1 Timothy 4:14 – Do not neglect the gift that is in you [talents], which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands [confirmation] by the council of elders. 

2 Timothy 1:5-7 – I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice [history] and now, I am sure, lives in you [passion].  For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God [talents] that is within you through the laying on of my hands [confirmation]; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

Notice that Paul points to several things that point to who Timothy is: his talents or the God-given gifts that are in him, the confirmation of the church through the laying on of hands (twice Paul reminds him of this!), his history or circumstances, and his passion or you might say the fire in his belly.

Who Are You or What’s Your Calling?
What’s your calling?  Who you are is wrapped up a lot in the sense you have about your calling, your vocation.  “Vocation” is Latin for “to call.”  If you want some clues to what you’re called to do find a spiritual friend who will help you sort through your history, passion, talent, and confirmation.  What if it’s not clear after that?  It rarely is crystal clear, and in some ways I think our calling is a moving target.  But sometimes I get people talking to me who are looking for big stupendous things to be called to when our calling may be much more simple than that: to be a loving member of our family, church, community, and world.  Here’s one calling that all of you have.  If you ever wonder what God wants of you, here’s the answer: to be holy, to be set apart to love more perfectly.  If you seek holiness, a more perfect love, then you can say with Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness…” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Who Reminds You Who You Are?
I have several people in my life who are spiritual friends who remind me who I am both past and present.  In there are two key groups of people who reminded me who I am.  First was a thirty-four week Bible study group called Disciple Bible Study.  Week thirty-three is a day-long retreat.  During that retreat you spend time going around sharing with one another what you see in each other in terms of your gifts and calling.  I did not yet have a sense that I was called to be a pastor, but all twelve people in that group told me that day that they thought I was.  Whoa!  Here is the confirmation of the church, the “laying on of hands.”

Eventually I went to seminary, and I was appointed to an internship at a church in Richmond, VA called Reveille.  While I was in seminary studying to be a pastor, I had never really had a whole community treat me like a pastor until that summer.  As far as they were concerned, I wasn’t just a student studying to be a pastor, I was their pastor!  That summer I became a pastor because the church treated me like one.  They reminded me who I am.

Most of you know Barb Flory, the founding pastor of this church.  I remember our first meeting together.  I cried.  That’s not really what you’re supposed to do when you’re exploring being a leader of a community.  Leaders don’t cry.  But Barb saw something in me that told her that I was the right person for this church.  She regularly reminds me of that.  It always seems to come when I’m feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of leading the church.

Then there’s my friend, Jon Van Dop, another pastor.  Jon and I meet regularly to discuss what we’re celebrating and what obstacles we’re facing as a pastor.  As I think back on these meetings, it’s somewhat humorous.  First he goes and dumps on me.  I tell him how awesome he is and what a good job he’s doing.  Then I dump on him, and he tells me how awesome I am and what a good job I’m doing.  We remind each other of who we are and what God has called us to.

Who is reminding you of who you are?  What spiritual friends do you have in your life who are being a Paul to you?

Who Do You Remind Who They Are?
So if each of us needs a Paul in our lives, we also each need a Timothy in our lives, someone we’re reminding regularly who they are.  For all of this is first our family.  Every night when Micah goes to bed, I tell him, “You are a gift from God to me and your mom.”  I remind him who he is.  I hope that when he’s sixteen I’m still reminding him that he is a gift from God, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Of course, don’t just stick with your family.  Who outside your family are you reminding who they are?  When I lived in Petoskey I gathered together a group of high school guys for a weekly small group.  We began by reading the book, How To Find the Love of Your Life by Neill Clark Warren.  This was before Warren had founded e-harmony.  Then we moved on to the book of Romans in the Bible.  This wasn’t a huge group.  Three or four, sometimes five, guys.  Their assignment each week was to read a chapter and bring something to the group that they found interesting.  We were planning to end the year with a backpacking trip where we finished out the book of Romans.

Most of the guys in this group were seniors and were graduating at the end of the year.  One morning I woke up and went out to get the paper.  I read the paper and was surprised to read a headline: “Petoskey senior trip canceled after stampede.”  Whoa!  Apparently the seniors went on a wild rampage the last day of school running around the halls tipping over trash cans and pushing a teacher over.  Their annual trip to Cedar Point was canceled by the school board.  As I read the article, I saw the names of three of the guys in my small group as the three “ring leaders.”  The most interesting thing about it was that all three of the guys listed were quoted as taking responsibility and apologizing for what had happened.  It may sound strange, but I was particularly proud of those three guys.  I was proud to say that they were in a small group with me.  We all forget who we are and do stupid stuff, but I believe that it was at least in part because of that small group that they had not forgotten long.  They were the only ones named as having publicly apologized.  The next small group meeting was quite a time of discussion.  I didn’t cancel the backpacking trip to finish out the book of Romans.

One of the guys in that group was Charlie Matz.  I asked Charlie to make a video introducing himself and telling you a bit about what effect that backpacking trip and studying the book of Romans had on him.  Meet Charlie:

 

 

Charlie began a video production company called The Veracity Project.  Veracity means “truth.” They have made dozens of videos that seek to remind others who they are and have sold over 30,000 downloads and reached millions all over the world.  One of those videos stars his co-founded Bub.  It’s called “Big But.”

 

Big But – The Veracity Project from Do Something Church on Vimeo.

So who do you remind them of who they are?  Who is your Timothy?

Where To Find Your Spiritual Friend
So you’re convinced you need a spiritual friend to remind you of your big buts, and you need to be a spiritual friend to someone to remind them who they are.  But where do you find that spiritual friend?  We can’t make spiritual friendship just happen at SCC, but we can create environments where spiritual friendships can be made.  The place where that happens most is in small groups.  Throughout the month of September we’re publishing a list of all the small groups that are happening during the fall semester.  Small groups aren’t a magic wand to spiritual friendships, but they are the best thing we’ve got.  Because you’re not going to build these kind of spiritual friendships in a worship service.  It’s just too big of an environment.   You need something smaller.  Insert: small groups.  There’s a lot of buts about why you can’t get into a small group.  One of them has been: But when does it end?  You mean I’m supposed to sign up to meet with a bunch of people I don’t know for the rest of my life?  Well, no.  We’re switching this fall to a semester based small group system.  You sign up for a semester.  That’s it.  If you like the small group, great.  If you don’t like, well, it’s only three months.  At the end of the semester, the sign-ups begin again.

Spiritual Friends Change the World
What would it look like if we all had a spiritual friend who was reminding us who were and if we were regularly being that kind of spiritual friend to someone else?  I think we’d change the world.  Consider this fact for one moment: Jesus reminded twelve disciples of who they were – now there’s over two billion!  Who is your Paul?  Who is your Timothy?  Who is your spiritual friend that is reminding you who you are?  Who is your spiritual friend who you are reminding them of who they are?

God, help us find the spiritual friends we need.  Amen.

Timothy Reading Plan

Throughout this series I’m recommending that you read a chapter of 1 & 2 Timothy each day.  Someone who is doing this found this suggestion organizing your reading.  I thought it might be helpful so I pass it on to you.  It is from the great Bible App, You Version (download it and check it out):

First Reading: Enter
As you read this passage of scripture for the first time, you are simply “entering in” or familiarizing yourself with what God is saying here.  Notice the circumstances, people, places, etc.

Second Reading:  Impress
As you read the same passage of scripture for the second time, notice what word, phrase, sentence or verse makes an “impression” on you.

Third Reading:  Pray
As you read this passage of scripture for the third time, begin by spending a few moments in prayer thanking and praising God for his Holy Word.  As you read, be prayerfully interacting with God about the text.

Fourth Reading:  Live
In this final reading of the passage, ask God to show you how He wants you to live based on this scripture.  Is there something He would have you start doing, stop doing or continue doing?

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Spiritual Friendships

September 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

timothy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timothy: Letters to a Young Man
Spiritual Friendships
Sycamore Creek Church
September 8/9, 2013
Tom Arthur
1 Timothy 1:1-5

Peace Friends!

The other day Sarah, my wife, sent me to the grocery store to pick up some diapers for Sam, our newborn son.  I walked into the store confident that I could get the job done.  Then I got to the diaper section.  Have you ever looked at how many kinds of diapers there are in the diaper section?  I couldn’t figure it out.  I spent several minutes trying to master the various ways that they categorize diapers. Then after about five minutes I looked up and realized I was in the adult incontinence section.  I wasn’t even looking at children’s diapers!

The Problem
Here’s the problem I want to wrestle with today: life is made up of hundreds if not thousands of choices each day.  We feel paralyzed not knowing how to navigate all these choices.

I also experience this problem as a pastor.  How do I spend my day?  Which way do I lead the church?  What area should I focus on first?  Of the hundreds and thousands of things I could be doing as a pastor, which ones should I really make sure are getting done?  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the choices.

I know I’m not alone.  I asked my friends on Facebook, When was a time you felt overwhelmed by choices?  Here is a sample of the answers I got:

  • Most of the time. I haven’t been diagnosed with anything, but I’m fairly easily confused, and need to take in my info in small increments at a time.
  • College. You’re expected to make choices about the rest of your life before you really even know who you are as a person. It can be very very stressful being constantly worried that you’re making the wrong decisions and that you’ll be unhappy the rest of your life.
  • Parenting – there are so many theories/methods/beliefs about how to feed, sleep, discipline, etc, and you have to deal with it the midst of being tired and while trying to balance the rest of life.
  • After the death of a loved one…life must go on. Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated and focus on accomplishing anything.
  • I second the comment on parenting. You have infinite choices on how to handle any given situation or decision, and often have mere seconds to decide how to respond.
  • Trying to decide what direction to go after downsizing? After a divorce?
  • Always!
  • When making ‘big’ life changes, like where to live after graduation, what degree to follow in college
  • Standing in front of the donut case at QD. Just kidding…Sort of.

Spiritual Friends
So what direction does God give us about all these choices?  What guidance does the Bible offer for how we navigate the hundreds and thousands if not millions of choices we have to make over a lifetime?

Today we begin a new series.  It’s called Timothy: Letters to a Young Man.  It’s a Bible series where we’ll take the next four weeks and dive into the two books of 1 & 2 Timothy in the New Testament.  They are written by Paul, the first missionary of the church, to Timothy, a young man and leader of the church.  I’d like to encourage you over the next four weeks to read these two letters.  There are only ten chapters between the two letters, so if you read one chapter a day over the next four weeks, you’ll read them at least two times.

What you’ll find in these two books is the point of this message: spiritual friends (those interested in your wellbeing from the perspective of Eternity) help us make wise decisions to live well.  Paul and Timothy are spiritual friends.  Let’s dive into the first letter and see what we find about the landscape of their spiritual friendship.

1 Timothy 1:1-5
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love [action] that comes from a pure heart [motivation], a good conscience [Holy Spirit], and sincere faith [Ultimate ends: Eternity].

There are three things I see going on here.  First, Paul invests in Timothy.  Paul considers Timothy a “loyal child in the faith.”  Paul is like a spiritual father to Timothy.  He is investing significant time and attention into Timothy.

Second, Timothy invests in others.  Timothy is expected to be “instructing certain people.”  Paul is investing in Timothy in part to model for Timothy how Timothy might invest in others.  So Paul’s investment in Timothy has an impact beyond Timothy as Timothy invests in others.

Third, the goal of all this “divine training” is “love that comes from a pure heart.”  In other words, Paul is training Timothy in both his actions, love, and his motivations, a pure heart.  He wants Timothy to do the right thing but also for the right reasons and motivations.

Paul sums up the purpose of this divine training elsewhere when he says: Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Perhaps we can describe what we’ve been talking about so far as the Why of spiritual friendships.  I’d like to give you some very practical advice on the Who, What, and How of spiritual friendships.

The Who of Spiritual Friendships
Find a Paul, a spiritual friend, who mentors you, who invests in your life not just from the perspective of here and now but from the perspective of Eternity, from the perspective of what God desires of your actions and motivations.  This person should not be me.  Not your pastor?!  Yes.  Not your pastor.  Why?  Because there’s no way I can invest in two-hundred plus people that call Sycamore Creek Church their home.  That’s not to say you can’t come to me from time to time, but I’m talking about someone who invests in you on a weekly if not daily basis.

One of the best ways to find a spiritual friend like this is in small groups.  Small groups are environments that build friendships.  But short of finding that person in your small group, look around your life and ask yourself, “Who do I look up to as a Christian?  Who is further along their spiritual journey in a way that I want to be like?”  Then go ask them to invest in you.  Start small.  Ask for one meeting.  Tell them you’re impressed with how they live their life and would like to know more about how they think about life and what they do to live their life the way that they do.  If after that first meeting you still like what you see in that person, ask for a second meeting.  At that second meeting propose a three to six month commitment where you meet weekly or every other week.  Then suggest a format for those meetings, which we’ll talk more about in a moment.  Who is your Paul?

When it comes to Who, I want you to not only look for who is investing in you, but I want you to look for a spiritual friend that you invest in, a Timothy.  This of course might be your immediate family, but it also might be your extended family: your nieces and nephews, your grandkids, or your godchildren.  Maybe it is someone who isn’t even a Christian but could really use someone to invest in them like a co-worker, neighbor, friend, etc.  I’ve begun investing some time in a young man in my neighborhood who mows my yard.  His family is not actively involved in a church and his grandfather just died this past week. His dad asked me to look for an opportunity to talk to him about death.  Or maybe the Who is a “younger” Christian.  I don’t mean younger in terms of age but younger in terms of not as far along the Christian journey as you are.  This might be someone who is a member of our church, or someone in your small group, or a kid in Kids Creek or a student in StuREV.

When I was a teenager I became aware of a friend of mine, Tiffany, in my radio class (yes, my high school had a radio station) that had just become a Christian.  She was brand new to her walk.  I had been trying to do this whole following Jesus thing for many years at that point.  So I began to invest in her.  I asked her to make a video to share what that meant to her.

I know what you’re thinking.  You weren’t interested in investing her spiritually.  You were trying to catch an attractive girlfriend!  I can’t say that wasn’t part of what influenced me, but she did have a boyfriend at the time, and we never dated or even talked about it.  I came to realize that sometimes there are more important things than potential romantic attractions.  God calls us to invest spiritually in those around us, to be spiritual friends.  Who is your Timothy?

The What of Spiritual Friendships
When we read Paul’s letters to Timothy, we see that there are two things that keep popping up over and over again: prayer and scripture.  He says: I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day (2 Timothy 1:3), and elsewhere he tells Timothy to be praying for those around him.  Prayer should be some part of what you do with your spiritual friend.

Paul also instructs Timothy a lot about scripture.  He says: All scripture is inspired-by-God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Scripture should also be a big part of your spiritual friendship.  Are you reading it together?  Are you studying it together?  Are you sharing how it works in your life or asking questions about it together?

While we’re talking about the What of spiritual friendships, let’s digress slightly for a moment to talk about what happens when you disagree with your mentor or spiritual friend.  This is an important topic because it is likely that as you read through Paul’s letters to Timothy, there will be some things there that he says that you don’t agree with.  In particular, there might be some things he says about women and slaves that you have a hard time swallowing.  For example:

Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no womanto teach or to have authority over a man;she is to keep silent (1 Timothy 2:11-12).

Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed (1 Timothy 6:1).

I don’t want to dig into the details of these two verses and others like them right now. What I want to explore is what happens when you disagree with your mentor or spiritual friend, especially when your mentor is scripture.

A mentor of mine is Richard Hays. He is currently the dean of Duke Divinity school, but when I was there studying to be a pastor, he was the chair of the Bible department.  I had him for several classes including introduction to New Testament.  In his last lecture of the class he likened scripture to a mentor and said this:

When this mentor reproves us, we take it to heart. When this mentor offers encouragement and hope, we take heart. When this mentor says something baffling or offensive, we weigh it long and seriously. On those rare occasions when finally we feel compelled to disagree, we do so with fear and trembling, as well as with undiminished love and respect. And if we disagree, we do so on the basis of what the mentor has taught us.

I offer that to you as guidance for how to disagree with your mentor, spiritual friend, or even scripture.

The How of Spiritual Friendships
So let me boil all this down into a relatively simple package of how you invest in your spiritual friend.  I like to use very intentional questions.  I have a set of them in my back pocket that I pull out when I’m meeting with someone who I am investing in.  Many of them will not be new to you.  You’ve heard me preach about them, but let me share them with you again.

How are your RPMs (Relational, Physical, Mental, Spiritual Wellbeing)?  Take time to explore what scripture says about all these things and to pray about them.

How are you doing with the Three Simple Rules (Do no harm, Do good, Stay in love with God)?

What has been your spiritual high and spiritual low since we last met?

How are your H.A.B.I.T.S.?  (Hanging out with God and Hospitality, Accountability, Bible reading and memorization, Involvement with the Church and inviting to Church, Tithing, and Serving the church/community/world).

 Lastly: the “Six Questions”:

    1. How are you?
    2. What are you celebrating?
    3. What obstacles are you facing?
    4. What are you doing to overcome those obstacles?
    5. What can I do to help?
    6. How can I pray for you?

If you use one set of those questions each time you meet, you won’t go wrong.

The Church = Spiritual Friendships
Imagine a community that is creating environments where these kinds of spiritual friendships thrive.  Imagine a community where people are investing in one another in significant ways.  Imagine a community that helps you build friendships that are giving you guidance for how to navigate the hundreds and thousands if not millions of decisions you will have to make in your life.  If you can imagine that, then you have imagined the church that I want Sycamore Creek Church to be.  People are not just looking for a friendly church, but a church where people can make spiritual friends that help them make decisions with an eye toward eternity.

Fast forward in my friendship with Tiffany many years.  Tiffany is now working at the Gospel Music Channel:

Who knew that this young Christian that another young Christian was investing in would have such an impact today?  Who knows what impact you will have when you find your Paul and your Timothy?  We were made for spiritual friendships.  Don’t do life alone.

Small Groups – GroupLINK
Sycamore Creek Church offers several small groups every semester to create environments where spiritual friendships can thrive.  You may think you can follow Jesus alone or by simply coming to worship regularly, but I think you are mistaken.  You can only study and train hard for following Jesus by building deep spiritual friendships with other people in some kind of small group setting.  Worship just isn’t a setting that facilitates those kind of friendships.  Small groups do.

During the month of September you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for one of several small groups this fall.  Small groups change lives.  Small groups build deep friendships.  Small groups introduce people to Jesus Christ.  Small groups help people follow Jesus more faithfully.  Small groups support one another.  Small groups pray for one another.  Small groups are an environment for encountering God.  And more and more and more…

We’re beginning a semester-based small group system this fall.  That means you’ll be signing up for a small group that only lasts from October to December.  During January we’ll take the month off, and you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for the next semester that runs from February to April.  That means you’re signing up for a time-bound small group.  It has a start and end date to fit the rhythm of your life.  During the next three weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for one of these small groups.  So go ahead, sign up for a fall semester small group and build some spiritual friendships!

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Small Groups at SCC

February 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This past Sunday, Mark Aupperlee, our Small Groups team leader handed out an excellent sheet sumarizing our small group philosophy and method at SCC.  I thought it was good enough to post for others to see.

Sycamore Creek Church

Small Groups at SCC

At Sycamore Creek Church we believe that small groups are essential for spiritual growth. We orient spiritual growth at SCC around a three-part process of connecting, growing, and serving. A small group is a committed group of people who are connecting (to God and one another through social events and celebration), growing (in the character of Christ by holding one another accountable to worship teaching content), and serving (the church and through missions commitment to the community).

Thus, small groups at Sycamore Creek Church have three objectives: Connecting, Growing, Serving.

Connecting
-small group meeting two times per month
-host a “connect event” (social event) one time per year
-regularly attend worship services
-attend GroupLink connection event twice a year

Why be in a small group?
http://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2011/sgreallyabout.html

Growing
-accountability to each other in order to grow in Christ
-regular sharing of struggles and celebrations
-discussion and application of sermon content from worship services

Why sermon-based small groups?
http://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2011/iamsuchabeliever.html

Serving
-serve each other in the group
-regular mission to the greater Lansing area
-encourage individuals to serve within a ministry of the church

Why small groups and mission?
http://www.smallgroups.com/articles/2010/whysgonmission.html

Filed Under: Ponderings Tagged With: ,

Weekly Pizza and the Pastor Small Group

September 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Leo's LodgeLooking for a way to explore further each Sunday’s message and apply it to your life?  Want to get to know Pastor Tom better?  Like to eat good pizza?  Then the new Pizza and the Pastor small group on Sundays is perfect for you!  Beginning Sunday, September 30th pastor Tom will lead a small group that meets after church each week from 1:00-2:00PMish at Leo’s Lodge.  It is open to men and women.  There won’t be any preparation you have to do. Just show up and discuss the teaching from the morning over good pizza.  We’ll split the cost of the pizza (Leo’s has a Sunday special – buy on pizza get one free) and each person will cover their own drinks.  For more info email tomarthur@sycamorecreekchurch.org.

What: Sermon Based Small Group
When: Sundays from 1:00PM to 2:00 PMish
Where: Leo’s Lodge (Jolly and Dunkel)
Why: To grow in the character of Christ
How: Discussion over pizza

Filed Under: Small Groups Tagged With:

Newsletter – Sunday Morning’s Not Enough

September 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Small GroupsPeace Friends!

You will never grow in your faith if all you are doing is coming to worship on Sunday morning.  Whew!  That’s a heck of a way to start the newsletter, but it’s true.

Let me explain: You hear, you forget.  You see, you remember.   You do, you understand. Duke University’s Coach K, the winningest coach in NCAA history, said that.  He obviously knows something about helping people grow into all that they can become.

Mostly what we do on Sunday morning is hear.  We hear the songs.  We hear the message.  Our worship team tries hard to also help you see and do, but there’s only so much seeing and doing you can accomplish on a Sunday morning with such a large crowd.  So if all you do is hear, then what happens?  You forget.  Nothing in your life changes.

In order to see and do you must join a small group.  In a small group you will more fully see how others are living the faith (faith is caught more than it is taught), and you’ll have the chance to be held accountable to “doing” the faith between one meeting and the next.  I’d like to share with you part of an email I recently received from someone in our church:

I have grown spiritually more from small group participation than from anything else (bible study, church attendance, prayer, and other efforts at personal spiritual growth.)  I am a better Christian and closer to God because I admitted in my small group exactly who I was, my sins, my fears, my failures, and my hopes and dreams.  It was a safe place to let my habits, hurts, and hang-ups, be admitted and addressed.  These people who cared about me and didn’t judge me, gave me things I needed to think about.  Some of my beliefs and attitudes that were written in stone started crumbling.  Thank you God!

Wow!  That’s awesome.  And it will never happen just on a Sunday morning.  So are you in a small group?  There are a lot of excuses we all use to not join a small group.  We don’t have the time (then you’re too busy!).  None of the small groups fit my schedule (then start one with your friends!).  I’ve tried it before and didn’t get much out of it (then try it again!).  I’m too shy to go meet a bunch of people I don’t know (then get over you shyness and be assertive!).  I’m scared of opening up to people (then ask God to give you courage!).  There are no excuses.  Join a small group!  You’ll find listed below all of the small groups that our church offers.  Do it right now.  Email the leader.  Get connected.  Start hearing, seeing, and doing and soon you’ll begin to experience real transformation in your life.  That’s what I’m praying for each person in our church.  May it be true in your life.

Peace,
Tom

P.S. Each small group also makes a commitment to a local mission.  So joining a small group means you’re knocking out two birds with one stone: growing and serving in the community. We can’t make it any easier than that!

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Mixin It Up

January 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Mixin It Up

What happens when you mix up small groups and missions? You get Mixin It Up! At the beginning of 2011 we’ll be exploring this new initiative in our church that mixes small groups and missions. Then for two months our small groups will be exploring a different service opportunity each week in our community with the goal to make a commitment to serving one of them. This will mean that if you?re part of one of SCC’s small groups, you will only have to make one commitment to cover two growth areas: small groups and missions. We’re mixin it up! That’s about as easy as we can make it to both grow in the character of Christ and serve the community. The only thing you have to do is connect to a small group. Do it in 2011!

January 16th – A Basic Recipe

January 23rd – A Basic Ingredient: Friendship

January 30th – Mix with vs. Mix to

February 6th – Mixin in Justice

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Mixin it Up! Small Groups and Missions

January 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Peace, Friends!

At the beginning of every year I take some time to make personal goals and commitments for the New Year.  It’s not exactly the same as New Year’s resolutions because they tend to be positive in nature (what I want to do) rather than negative (what I want to stop doing).  What commitments will you make this year?

Of course in the midst of new commitments are some lasting commitments that I’ve made that cross over any given year.  I’ve made a life-long commitment to my wife and my son.  I’ve made a commitment to my calling as a pastor.  I’ve made a commitment to my friends.  I’ve also made some commitments to my church.

One of the commitments we all who are members of Sycamore Creek Church make is to join some kind of a small group.  Exactly what small group we join is very flexible, but the spirit of the commitment is to connect regularly (I’d say weekly or at a minimum every other week) with other Christians to grow in the character of Christ.

Some members live out that commitment by finding a community small group that is run by another church or group of Christians.  Other members live out that commitment by finding unique and creative ways to be in a small group.  But most members of SCC live out that commitment by joining one of Sycamore Creek’s small groups.

Twice a year we host a Group Link in which all people who attend SCC have an opportunity to see what small groups are available.  Group Link will be taking place THIS SUNDAY, January 16th between the two services.  For those who are members and made a commitment to be in a small group when you joined SCC, this is a great opportunity for you to live into that commitment.

Mixin It UpI am very excited about this year’s Group Link because during the first several months of 2011 we will be doing a church-wide initiative called Mixin It Up in which we’ll be “mixin” our small group and missions ministry together.  For two months our small groups will be exploring a different service opportunity each week in our community with the goal to make a commitment to serving one of them.  The exact commitment (once a year, once a month, etc.) will be up to each small group and the nature of the service opportunity.  This will mean that if you’re part of one of SCC’s small groups, you will only have to make one commitment to cover two growth areas: small groups and missions.  We’re mixin it up!  That’s about as easy as we can make it to both grow in the character of Christ and serve the community.  The only thing you have to do is connect to a small group.  Come to Group Link or email Mark Aupperlee, our small group leader, about finding a small group.  Do it in 2011!

Peace,
Tom

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A Ten-Year Vision for SCC

April 19, 2010 by

Peace, Friends!

On Sunday, April 18th at our vision meeting I presented five points toward a 10-year vision for SCC.  Let me take a moment and share in brief those five points of vision.

First, we will strengthen the execution of our current core values by following through on the dialogue group must-dos.  Not sure what our core values are?  You can read them on the website here.  We are generally heading in the right direction.  The next four vision points build on strengths that already exist at SCC and expand on our faithfulness in following Jesus.

Second, we will love and serve the poor and poor in spirit in our church and community by building and sustaining diverse friendships through support groups and small groups committing to missions.  SCC is great at collecting items and money, and we can add to this strength by giving our time to show the love of Christ to one another and our community.

Third, we will rework membership and double the navigating members by beginning a process to allow participating members to vote, continuing to encourage Financial Peace University principles, and instituting a yearly Commitment Sunday where members and regular attenders are given the opportunity to grow spiritually by making a financial commitment to SCC’s mission, to ignite authentic life in Christ.

Fourth, we will prepare to own a building by developing a three to five-year capital campaign during our 10-year anniversary this fall.  This capital campaign will have four priorities:

  1. We will tithe (10%) what we receive toward one or more missions;
  2. We will increase our current space to meet current needs (especially the space needs of our youth);
  3. We will pay off the mortgage on the pastor’s house ($116,000);
  4. We will use the rest to prepare to own a building (architect fees, down payment, etc.).

One last way this money may be used is to hire a consultant to help us run this capital campaign.  A capital campaign will put us in a strong place to own a building in three to five years which will help establish our presence in the community and provide stability for long-term growth which is essential to accomplish the fifth vision point.

Fifth, we will plant a church in 10+ years by giving 50-100 members to plant a totally independent church or a site/satellite campus.  This is a natural extension of our mission, and it is in our DNA as a church that was planted by another church.  This will allow us to grow while also staying relatively small and intimate.

The first three vision points which are short-term are pretty clear.  The last two which are long-term are a little less clear, but still clear enough to give us direction for the steps we need to take right now.  It is my hope that these vision points will lift our eyes from the ground that is immediately before us and focus them on the horizon of what God is dreaming for us and calling us to.  If you’d like a more detailed explanation of why I think each of these vision points is where God is leading us, you can find it our my blog here and post questions or comments there.  If you’ve got further questions, feel free to drop me an email.

Psalm 126 says, When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, then we were like those who dream. These five vision points are a dream for SCC.  I believe they are part of God’s dream for SCC.  Will you join the dream?

Peace,
Tom

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