Thursday, October 29, 2009

Touching Base! Part 60

Letters To The Next Generation -
Overcoming “8000 meters”! Part 2


On Oct 18th, we started a series entitled, “Letters to the Next Generation”. The series is based on the book of Deuteronomy, where Moses is reminding the next generation of the laws of God and challenging them to write a better story than the first generation. While God did many great things through that first generation (namely the big exodus from Egypt), they were predominantly remembered for wandering in the wilderness (The Plains of Moab) for four decades. Imagine that, for forty years, they wandered and probably many wondered about all that went wrong. God called them to possess the Promised Land but instead they ended up falling short and in the wilderness, the Plains of Moab for forty years. I want to encourage you to use this Touching Base in your small groups, and in your mentoring relationships to discuss what we talked about on Sunday. The following is a guide to help you go deeper based on Sunday’s (Nov1) message.

Big Idea: We need to build a life that helps us remember God!
Text: Deut. 6:4-9, Deut. 27

On week two of this series, we talked about how “8000 meters” is a place where we can forget God. It’s a place where we set aside what we know to be true for what is expedient - forgetting previous morality markers and forging ahead with a new set of rules, a brand new compass. This past week we talked about building a life that helps us remember God. As a group, brainstorm on all the things you do in your personal life to aid a failing memory either because of age or business. What are the things you most often forget (turning the lights out, locking the door, carrying your wallet)? Consider what we do to remember as a nation? Can you think of any examples of major events, aspects of our history or national story that have been forgotten?

The overarching question on Sunday was, “How are we building a life that helps us remember God?” Before jumping into the texts you may want to discuss how people keep God central in their lives on a daily, weekly basis. What are their best practices?

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Read and make observations about this text. Notice verses 6,7,8,9. What do you notice? What do you see happening? Describe the behaviour? One important observation is that there is a private space, a home where God is remembered / honoured; a private space where the kind of devotion mentioned in v.5 is being nurtured in the hearts of children, and modeled by parents; a private space that prioritizes loving the one God, where forgetting God will become difficult.
How does your private space help you remember/remain aware of God? What personal disciplines keep God at the center? What symbols or visuals do you have in your home that aid your God focus? As a parent, what kind of home are you building for your children so that God is central? As a parent what do you find difficult about this challenge? The home is a key piece in building a life that helps us remember God. This is the nugget Moses passes on to the next generation.

Deuteronomy 27 (We only looked at v1-14)
Read and make your observations. The context is a corporate one. What community experiences with other followers of Christ help you remember/remain aware of God? Moses’ words were addressed to “all Israel”, an expression used at least 12 times in the book. What we do in private does help us remember / remain focused, but our community experiences are indispensable. This was characteristic of the Jewish community.

This one-two punch (private focus (Deut 6:4-9) and corporate reinforcement (Deut 27)) is powerful. How many of you grew up in a spiritually alive home and had a healthy corporate experience? Today- How many have a private space that fans the flame and a corporate context- going deeper with others- that also fans the flame? List examples of corporate gatherings that help fan your flame. What are the memorable corporate experiences that have facilitated a deeper work in your life? What is a relationship that helps you remember? What is it about that relationship that helps you remember?

To sum up the dialogue from your meeting, what would you tell the next generation about building a life that remembers God? What’s the nugget!

Mark

Touching Base! Part 59

Letters To The Next Generation -
Overcoming 8000 meters!


Last week we started a series entitled, “Letters to the Next Generation”. The series is based on the book of Deuteronomy, where Moses is reminding the next generation of the laws of God and challenging them to write a better story than the first generation. While God did many great things through that first generation (namely the big exodus from Egypt), they were predominantly remembered for wandering in the wilderness (The Plains of Moab) for four decades. Imagine that, for forty years, they wandered and probably many wondered about all that went wrong. God called them to possess the Promised Land but instead they ended up falling short and in the wilderness, the Plains of Moab for forty years. I want to encourage you to use this Touching Base in your small groups, and in your mentoring relationships to discuss what we talked about on Sunday. The following is a guide to help you go deeper based on Sunday’s (Oct 25th) message.

Big Idea: Life can take us to an altitude where we can forget God
Text: Various
Forgetting God - Deut. 4:9, 23; 6:12;8:11; 25:19
Slipping – Deut. 4:9

On Sunday we talked about how “8000 meters” is a place where we can forget God. It’s a place where we set aside what we know to be true for what is expedient - forgetting previous morality markers and forging ahead with a new set of rules, a brand new compass. As a group do a quick Scripture search and list examples of individuals or groups experiencing “8000 meters”. (Some clues - Adam and Eve, Jacob, David, nation of Israel, Peter, ...) Know of any great biblical examples of people winning at “8000 meters”? (Check out Matt 4:1-11)

Develop with your group these two key ideas, forgetting God and “let them slip” (Deut 4:9).


Forgetting

The word forget can mean to become lame, lose the use of a limb, crippled!

It can also mean to cease to care, ignore thus resulting in being put into a position of disadvantage. “8000 meters” is a point where I can ignore God, His truth and find myself in a position of serious disadvantage, crippled!

Discuss the anatomy of forgetting, how does this happen, what goes on in our mind, what does this feel like? Did the ball illustration on Sunday make sense in illustrating how we can’t engage with our environment (God)because we are busy catching the ball? ( Don’t trash the ball illustration I am overly sensitive to criticism.)

“let them slip”

The word slip refers to something changing direction. Like when you are walking or driving and you end up off the path. It’s the idea of taking something off. The removing of clothes and or accessories. Notice that for the Israelites the removing of “clothes”(walking away from God) did not mean they were naked. Read Deuteronomy 18:9-13 to see what this new “wardrobe” might look like. How does this concept of slipping overlap with the idea of forgetting? What added insights does it bring to the discussion?

Comment on this quote that reflects on “8000 meters”:

“In his play ‘Long Day’s Journey into Night,’ Eugene O’Neill has one of his characters utter a powerful statement toward the end of her life: ‘None of us can help the things life has done to us. They are done before you realize it and once they are done, they make you do other things, (forget, slip) until at last everything comes between you and what you’d like to be, and you’ve lost your true self forever.” Ravi Zacharias in The Grand Weaver (p.11)

Talk about your own journey and places along that journey that may represent “8000 meters”. Have you grown stronger? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about the importance of the body of Christ?

Talk about these pictures below. (If not displayed, I am referring to five pictures, each displaying the word JESUS. The first has JESUS displayed in the middle, the second has JESUS displaced slightly to the left, etc. until JESUS is completely missing from the fifth picture.) What one may represent where you are now? Who is God asking you to come alongside to encourage while they are working through their “8000 meters?”

To sum up the dialogue from your meeting, what would you tell the next generation in light of the reality of “8000 meters?”

Mark

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Touching Base! Part 58

Letters To The Next Generation

Starting this week we begin a series of messages entitled “Letters To The Next Generation.” The series is based on the book of Deuteronomy, where Moses is reminding the next generation of the laws of God and challenging them to “write a better story” than the first generation.

While God did many great things through that first generation (namely the big exodus from Egypt), they were predominantly remembered for wandering in the wilderness (The Plains of Moab) for four decades. Imagine that, for forty years, they wandered and (probably many) wondered about all that went wrong. God called them to possess the promised land but instead they ended up falling short and wandering in the wilderness, the Plains of Moab, for forty years. I want to encourage you to use this Touching Base in your small groups, and in your mentoring relationships to discuss what we talked about on Sunday. The following is a guide to help you go deeper based on Sunday’s (Oct 18th) message.

Big Idea: Ruts in your walk with God, can become what defines you if your heart is not right with God.
Text: Deut 1:19-46

All of us have a generation that is following us, a “next generation”. If you could boil down a list of two to three most important things you would want to pass on to the next generation, what would those most important things be? What does your list indicate about your own journey, and lessons learned? What did the generation ahead of you pass down to you (the good, the bad and the ugly)?

In Deuteronomy 1, Moses is telling the story of the first generation so that the next generation will benefit from their own failures. So the next generation is being challenged to write a better story by avoiding some of the pitfalls of the first generation. Moses identifies three pitfalls in Deuteronomy 1:26-29 (rebellion - v.26, false beliefs - v.27, and fear - v.28,29).

Rebellion
Make as many observations about rebellion that you can by reading the text. If you were present on Sunday, recall the grumbling, low tones and “in your tents” comments.

False Beliefs
What is the lie they are believing? How is this the “perfect” lie to believe? How does it justify their rebellion and shift the focus? What “perfect” lies do people choose to believe to justify and shift the focus?

Fear
How common do you believe fear is when it comes to identifying a root of rebellion? Is fear an emotion we would often associate with rebellion? How have you seen fear trigger rebellion in your own life? How have you seen false beliefs about God trigger fear?

Comment on these quotes:

“I think these three factors - rebellion, false beliefs and fear are feeding off of each other. Rebellion is feeding false beliefs. False beliefs are creating a platform for fear. Their fear feeds back into false beliefs and incites further rebellion. They have a parasitic, blood sucking relationship.”


“Fear doesn't want you to make the journey to the mountain. If he can rattle you enough, fear will persuade you to take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands.” Max Lucado, Christian Author

What are other powerful emotions identified with rebellion?

Wrap
On Sunday I defined the Plains of Moab (geography of the wandering Israelites) as a place we need to advance from, a place we have been too long.

Are you stuck in a rut in your walk with God because of rebellion, false beliefs or fear?
Know anybody close to your heart that is stuck?

Take time to pray about these issues. We can write a better story!

Mark

Friday, October 9, 2009

Touching Base! Part 57

Beauty in Death
(by Carmen Gauvin-O’Donnell)

Fall has always been my favourite season (followed by winter… yes, the more snow, the merrier, as far as I’m concerned. There. I’ve said it. Feel free to mumble to yourself about how Carmen is living proof that broken people really can lead productive lives.)

But first among seasons in my heart is autumn. I mean, what’s not to like? The colours… the cooler temperatures and crisp morning air… a fire in the wood stove… the sound (and distinctive smell) of dead leaves crunching under my feet as I walk in the woods, the sight of birds and squirrels and chipmunks, considerably fatter than in the spring, scurrying about busily in final preparation for the winter to come.

Not to mention a harvest of turkey and stuffing and fresh apple pie… yum!.. and an extra hour of sleep on November 1st … but I digress! :)

What I love most though, are the colours of the world around me, that rich palette of reds and yellows and golds and browns. If you’ve ever taken a drive in one of our provincial parks at this time of year, you know exactly what I mean.

And do you know what is most incredible about this beauty? It’s all dying! It’s in the throes of death, but God in His creative genius ordained that it would happen in such a way that we would be awed with its beauty, even as it dies.

I started thinking about that one day and suddenly realized that here was an image and lesson for all of us: in order for nature to live next spring, it must die this fall and shed the old in order to put on the new. And in the same way, we must die to self so Christ can put “the new man” (or woman) on each of us.

So that’s the question I ask myself, and all of you, this week: have we been crucified with Christ? Because if so, Christ calls us to die to self on a daily basis for His sake.

And there’s a point behind it too: like all those trees and plants in nature, the beauty of one dying to Christ should leave the world awe-struck.

Matthew 5:16“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”


Carmen

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Touching Base! Part 56

Cram, Cram, Cram

Ever been guilty of saying too much, eating too much, or squeezing too much into a short period of time? I, like you, am guilty of shoehorning way too much into too small a space or time period. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach, my ambition is greater than time permitted or my “to do” list is greater than the strength left in my mortal body at the end of the day!

As Bethel grows, one of the issues against which the leadership is trying to guard is being guilty of shoehorning way too much into the church calendar. We realize that Bethel’s primary task is not to make people insanely busy, but rather for them to be radically transformed by the God of the universe who calls us out and into His transforming light.

One area where can be guilty of “cramming”, is our morning services. We believe that the essential elements of the morning services are worship, teaching, story (people sharing about what God is doing in their lives) and prayer. We want to make sure that we never compromise on those priorities as we believe that Sunday morning services can play a key role in helping people grow in intimacy with God.

As a result, we are going to start making a greater effort to limit (and at times, eliminate) announcements so that we can focus on the above priorities. We have found over recent weeks, months and years (even when Adam and Eve walked the face of the earth) that announcements can run wild, take up precious time and even make people look like deer caught in the headlights. So if you are a ministry leader or wanting to communicate important matters to the church let me encourage you to take advantage of the eight ways to communicate at Bethel:

- Website - Make sure your ministry information is always updated on our web page (once the new pages are up and running)
- Bulletin - Each week we hand out about 480 bulletins. Make sure you read it to stay informed and that you keep your ministry events posted as necessary.
- PowerPoint slide – Each week we will have one power point slide up featuring key announcements. The staff will decide each week what needs to be on the PowerPoint.
- Coffee and Conversation - Each week dozens of people sip the ancient brew in our gym between services. Feel free to set up a ministry booth highlighting your up and coming event. Contact Tara at the office for more information.
- Word of mouth - If you lead a ministry make sure your leaders are promoting your up and coming event.
- E-mail - One push of the button can be like magic.
- Facebook - Fred our youth director uses this for promoting events.
- Ministry Feature - There will be times where we can invite a ministry worker to the front and tell their story of what is going on in their ministry. This can be a great platform for promoting what is happening. This Sunday (Oct 4) Sandy will be doing this with the Bethel Houses.

If you would like to interact on this Touching Base feel free to contact Rhonda Kotchapaw (rhondakotch@gmail.com) Kathryn Vilela (kathryn.vilela@gmail.com) or myself (markkotchapaw@gmail.com). We are the team that looks at Sunday morning service design.

Mark

Touching Base! Part 55

Faith’s Silent Partner

Over the last two weeks we have been diving into the issue of doubt and faith. All who are on the journey of faith have encountered seasons of doubt. As one person said, it’s not the opposite of faith but a cousin of faith. Pride is the opposite of faith. This week’s TB is designed to help you discuss this issue with others at the level you desire. I strongly encourage you to deal with the underlying issues of doubt, and understand how doubt can be a gift.

A. There are a number of responses we have at times to God’s truth. Below is listed some we talked about on Sunday. What would you add?
• There are things I don’t understand about God that leave me angry or grieved.
• There are things I don’t understand about God that leave me morally disturbed.
• There are things I don’t understand about God because they are so puzzling.
• There are things I don’t understand about God, but they flood me with gratitude because I couldn’t live without the reality of their truth accepted by faith.

B. Over the last two weeks, we have identified some of the underlying issues of doubt. Again, what might you add? Which ones deeply resonate with you?
• Disappointment with God
• Disappointment with other Christians (i.e. not all doubt results from the facts not lining up. Sometimes people hesitate to believe because Christians don’t “add up”.)
• A hostile environment (“It is estimated that up to 51% of Christian college freshmen will renounce their faith before they graduate from college.” )

C. We took some time to look at how doubt can be a great gift. Do you agree that doubt can be a great gift? How can doubt be toxic? It has been said that “doubt is a good servant but a poor master.” Discuss and add to the following ways doubt can serve us in strengthening our faith.
• Doubt can makes us dig and think more deeply about issues of faith.
• Doubt can help us ask the Who question.
• Doubt can move us deeper into community.
• Doubt helps us realize our hunger for God
• Doubt can prompt us to look inside ourselves.

D. Finally, next Sunday (Oct 4th) Dr. Craig Evans and Rachel Tulloch will be joining us. Dr. Evans will be speaking in the morning on Biblical origins and at night (5:30pm) both Craig and Rachel will be speaking and fielding questions from the audience. What are the questions you would like to ask? Come to next Sunday night’s session prepared to ask questions

Mark