Thursday, May 26, 2016

Touching Base, Part 307


Series
Discipleship - The Life of Being an Apprentice

Prayerfully Engaged

"Climbing Mountains Together" 

This is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching in this series is discussed outside the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

Last week we talked about our third mark of a disciple - Being Prayerfully Engaged. In our vision we state that we want to be a church that is responding to the heart of God. What does that look like? Our marks define what that looks like. Thus far in the series we have talked about being relationally healthy and being biblically measured. Last week and this week we looked at being prayerfully engaged. We believe that prayer is both personal and corporate. Without one or the other we are not a healthy or biblically functioning church. 


What is your prayer life like?
Both wings?
One wing?
No wings?

 On this second week of drilling down on being prayerfully engaged we looked at the corporate aspect of prayer. We pray together to climb together!

Here are some questions to discuss as we get started.
§  What is your experience with corporate prayer?
§  Did you grow up in a church where corporate prayer was prioritized?

This Sunday I started out by talking about climbing mountains. We all have “mountains” to climb.
§  What are some of those “mountains” that you are currently climbing?
§  Does corporate prayer play a role in helping you climb? If so how?

Let’s check out five pictures of the early church and how they climbed together. As a group make your observations. Some good questions would be…..
§  What was the need that caused them to pray together?
§  What characterized their corporate prayer?
§  Who was gathered?
§  What were the results?


Let’s be honest, sometimes we pray and still someone loses their head. You will see this when you come to picture #5.
§  Does this corporate prayer focus describe your experience of doing life together in community? If not what is holding you back? What are the obstacles?

Picture #1
Acts 1:1-14

Picture #2
Acts 1:15-26

Picture #3
Acts 2:42-3:1

Picture #4
Acts 4:23-31

Picture #5
Acts 12:1-19


Now go to Acts 6:1-7
There are many things to note but for the sake of this study, note the prayer priority in v4.
§  What does context tell us about the kind of prayer that is being talked about?

Note: One writer has said that nothing in this passage refers to anything personal, only ministries. Note the ministry to widows, ministry of the word. Also note prayer. Is this referring to the personal prayer lives of the disciples? Perhaps it includes their personal prayer lives but based on the context, corporate prayer is likely the key focus.

Note that every occurrence of prayer in Acts preceding chapter 6 refers to corporate prayer. Acts 1:14, 24; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23–31. Every verse pictured the apostles leading others in prayer; not once is their personal prayer life recorded. In every instance we see the apostles involved in leading the people of God to pray together. These stories confirm that Acts 6:4 speaks of a corporate ministry of prayer.

Source- Franklin, John (2005-11-01). And the Place Was Shaken: How to Lead a Powerful Prayer Meeting (p. 9). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

To build this case for corporate prayer you can flip through the pages following Acts 6 and see that while there are several examples of personal prayer (which is the other wing on the plane and thus crucially important) the corporate prayer priority stands out LOUD AND CLEAR!

Can you take some time to pray for the corporate prayer priority of Bethel? Ways to pray:
§  Pray that people would not climb “mountains” alone.
§  Pray that corporate prayer would be a safe place for people to climb with others.
§  Pray for a growing vision on how God is leading Bethel to prioritize corporate prayer
§  Pray that God would wake up not only Bethel but the big C church to the priority of corporate prayer.
§  Pray that God would be most glorified in the corporate prayers of the body.

We pray together to climb together!

Mark Kotchapaw

Friday, May 20, 2016

Touching Base, Part 306

22 May 16 - TOUCHING BASE 306

Series - Discipleship - The Life of Being an Apprentice

Prayerfully Engaged

This is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching in this series is discussed outside the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

“Personal prayer lives alone will not result in the working of God to the degree needed for spiritual transformation in our lives, our churches, our cities, or our nation. God in his sovereignty has determined that something happens when we pray together that transcends praying separately. His working increases exponentially.”

“I believe that private and corporate prayer are like two wings of an airplane. Which one would you rather do without? The absence of either would be fatal.“

And the Place was Shaken by John Franklin, page 5

Do you have both wings?

Or are you a one winged airplane?
Or even worse… a ‘no-winged’ airplane?

Many of us struggle to be prayerfully engaged. We can relate to what Tozer once wrote:

“I believe that much of our religious unbelief is due to a wrong conception of and a wrong feeling for the Scriptures of Truth. A silent God suddenly began to speak in a book and when the book was finished lapsed back into silence again forever. Now we read the book as a record of what God said when He was for a brief time in a speaking mood.
With notions like that in our heads how can we believe?

The facts are that God is not silent, has never been silent. It is the nature of God to speak.”

A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
Page 100

Discuss:
Do you believe that God speaks today?
Why/why not?

What might be holding you back from hearing God more clearly and regularly?

Jamie mentioned the book Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas that helped her figure out her spiritual pathway.
It’s a book he wrote to help people figure out the path God designed you to take that is marked by growth and fulfillment based on your unique temperament. He strips away the frustration of a one-size-fits-all spirituality and helps you discover a style of relating to God that frees you to be you.

Do you know and understand your spiritual pathway?
What does it look like for you to become more prayerfully engaged?

Below are some action steps that might help you become more prayerfully engaged.
In your group, talk about the successes and struggles you have/have had in the area of becoming more prayerfully engaged.

• Read and study God’s word.
His word is the plumb line. If we are engaged with His word we are less likely to stray.
Talk about how you are doing in this area of reading and studying God’s Word.

• Look back over your journey and think about the ways God has spoken to you in the past.
Maybe you are sitting here thinking God has never spoken to me…but that would be wrong to say that…if you have made Christ your Lord and Savior then you have heard His voice at least once.
• How did He speak to you in your conversion?
• What about in other significant times in your life?
Was it a whisper? An unexplained urge to go in a specific direction? Does your body respond in a physical way? Do you awaken in the middle of night?

• Pay attention to the ways He speaks to you in this season in your life.
Prayerful engagement is two-way communication.
Get tired of your own ‘wisdom’ and limited perspectives and ask God to show you His perspective.
• How does He speak to you when you feel convicted?
• How does He affirm you?
• How does alert you when He wants you to pray for someone?

• Create space and time for God to speak to you when you pray.
As you create this space….leave room for silence, read scripture prayerfully.
Expect God to speak when you read his Word, when you worship Him, when you need direction, when you need forgiveness.

• Engage in Spirit-led intercession
Ask God who to pray for, how to pray for them…
Does He just want you to pray…or does he have a word for that person, or a scripture verse to pray into for them, or it you are like me, is there a picture of how he wants you to see them which will help you pray?

• Journaling
What has been your experience with journaling?
Imagine what Bethel would be like if we all decided we wanted to lean in a little bit closer to hear His voice?

God longs to prayerfully engage with you and He waiting for you to connect with Him.
“God is not silent, has never been silent. It is the nature of God to speak.”

Jamie Stinson

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Touching Base, Part 305

15 May 16
Series - Discipleship - The Life of Being an Apprentice

Biblically Measured/Engaged – Part 2: Biblically Measured Together

This is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching in this series is discussed outside the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

[This is a continuing TB from last week (see TB 304 for details]

1) OBSTACLES TO LIVING IN COMMUNITY (BEING THE CHURCH)

Read 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31

How does our culture (outside the church) re-enforce the mentality of “I don’t need you!” (v.21) within the church?

How do we need each other (according to the text)? Again, be practical and specific.

Discuss some of the following statements addressing these two points:
- Give practical examples of what this looks like in the church
- Discuss how we can put on the character of Christ (and give a relevant scripture) and what this would practically/behaviourally look like.

If everybody wants to be in the right, or even if only one person wants to be in the right, it is impossible to live in community. That is egotism or self-love. Touchiness, like opinionatedness, is another form of self-love.

We must seek what brings us together, what is the same for us all. We must think of others with hearts filled with love. If only we could come to the point where we recognize ourselves as being all in the same situation, all in the same state! The actual equality of all men, the similarity of their situations, is quite amazing. When that is clear to us, much of our opinionatedness, our wanting to be in the right, and our touchiness falls away. But that is not yet all. That does not remove the obstacles.

These are all obstacles: touchiness, opinionatedness, self-love, self-centeredness. To have a higher opinion of oneself than of others is a deadly poison. Whoever still does this is completely incapable of community.

We are inclined to see the shortcomings of others far out of proportion and forget that we ourselves are weak human beings. We should not always try to improve on what another does wrong. We must become reconciled to men's imperfection.

We human beings can recognize light only in contrast to shadow and darkness. We can grasp the Cause only through an awareness of its opposite and of its adversaries, for we are not gods but men. Why do torches give us so much joy? Because they are lit in the night and we become an illuminated circle in the dark. It is the dark background that makes the shining circle of our common life visible at all and allows it to speak to our hearts.

2) READ MATT 5:13-16.

The church is called to be a light to the world. The salt of the earth. We have heard the saying that “It takes a village to raise a child.” Then why wouldn’t it take the CHURCH (all of us together) to light the world?

How does our understanding of our interdependence (from 1 Corinthians 12) inform how we are salt?

Why is it necessary that the church be the light TOGETHER?

1. Discuss how being biblically measured individuals affects community
a. In relationships (marriage, family, roommates)
b. In career or work
c. Reflect on how this ties into Mark & Rhonda’s discussion on conflict and the Matthew 18 approach. Why is this so necessary to practice in the church? What happens when it is not practiced well?

2. How does keeping God’s word as the church (being a biblically measured church) keep us “salty”? What is important for a church to keep its light? How would this inform our:
a. Sunday times together (praise, prayer, hearing the Word)
b. Community Life (life groups, mentorship, accountability)
c. Stewardship of our time, talents & resources

Close in Prayer - use the discussion to pray for Bethel to be a church that is salt and light in
Kingston.

Amanda Van Halteren

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Touching Base, Part 304

24 April 16
Series - Discipleship - The Life of Being an Apprentice

Biblically Measured/Engaged – Part 1

This is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching in this series is discussed outside the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

We started a series that will help us define more clearly a key part of our vision, “We will glorify God and make disciples by Responding to the Heart of God and transforming the heart of the City, the Nation and the World”. What does it look like to respond to God’s heart? At Bethel, we have developed 5 key statements that help capture the essence of the heart of discipleship. They are broad enough to be inclusive of the vast scope of teaching in the area of discipleship, and yet they are specific enough to be understood as standalone statements.

They are:
• Diligently Seeking God
• Prayerfully Engaged
• Relationally Healthy
• Biblically Measured
• Fully Committed to the Whole Gospel for the Whole World

BIBLICALLY MEASURED/ENGAGED

We are using the metaphor of apprenticeship to describe what it means to follow Jesus. Reflect on your experience(s) of a situation where you were a novice and you had to learn the skills & learn from a more experienced person (perhaps it isn’t even career-related, maybe it was driving… or sports-related!)

Q: What was that experience like for you? What did it teach you?

If we see ourselves as apprentices of Jesus, we need to understand our trade. Read Dallas Willard’s answer below and discuss.

“As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens as he would lead my life if he were I. It is my faith in him that led me to become his disciple. My confidence in him simply means that I believe that he is right about everything: that all that he is and says shows what life is at its best, what it was intended by God to be.

“In him was life and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4)

Being his apprentice is, therefore, not a matter of special “religious” activities, but an orientation and quality of my entire existence. This is what is meant by Jesus when he says that those who do not forsake all cannot be his disciple. (Luke 14:26 & 33) The emphasis is upon the all. There must be nothing held of greater value than Jesus and his kingdom. He must be clearly seen as the most important thing in human life, and being his apprentice as the greatest opportunity any human being ever has.”

Q. What do you think of the metaphor of apprenticeship when describing discipleship? Does it resonate with you? Why or why not?

Q. What gets in the way of living out of this statement fully? “My confidence in him simply means that I believe that he is right about everything… What would it look like for you to PRACTICALLY live out of this? Discuss as a group how you could live this out together.

Q. Do I really believe that being his apprentice is the greatest opportunity any human being ever has? IF that is true for me…and if that is true for you…then wouldn’t you want to spend all the time there was learning about the trade of the kingdom and learning from the expert HIMSELF?? What gets in the way of us really grasping the value of the kingdom PERSONALLY? And what gets in the way of us grasping the value of the kingdom CORPORATELY (as a church?)

To go back to our earlier analogy of apprenticeship: in almost every professional designation, every trade – there is what is generally known as “the handbook” or often also called “the bible.” This “bible” does not refer to the original (that we have here today) but borrows the word to mean “the book of utmost importance”, the “guidelines book.” It is the ABC’s of each trade or profession, if you will. It can include anything from the “philosophy” of the profession, and its code of conduct, including behavioral and legal parameters for what is expected when you enter into, and represent.\ that trade.

In every apprenticeship, there is a handbook – our handbook just also “happens” to be the one that will not only teach us the skill but it will also teach us about the PERSON, about the Master. And so I almost CANNOT think of a more important mark of a disciple, an apprentice of Christ – than to be biblically measured. To hold ourselves to the mirror of the word and ask the question of how we measure up…

Let’s dig deeper on these two points.


1. MEASURED BY THE WORD (HANDBOOK)

“Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

Q. What gets in the way of believing that the Word of God provides guidance for our steps and direction for our path?

Q. “The right path then, isn’t about the path. What makes it RIGHT is that it is God’s directives that are being followed in the steps. Discuss.”

Q. Brainstorm and read a few verses where God spells out what He wills for his people to do. Give specific examples of how this would “play out” for you.

Q. What areas (“small”) could you use some biblical measurement. Discuss with others as to how they can hold you accountable to grow in this area.

2. MEASURED BY THE WORD (JESUS THE MASTER)

Q. Read Matt 19. Do you identify with the rich young ruler? (Or had seasons in your life where you did?)

Q. Relationship changes everything. Reflect why a relationship with Christ is so essential to being his disciple.

CLOSE IN PRAYER out of Romans 6:17 – asking the Lord to help you be committed & obedient to the standard of teaching.

Amanda Van Halteren

FURTHER RESOURCES
Dallas Willard:
- The Great Omission (2006)
- Renovation of the Heart (2002)
- The Divine Conspiracy (1998)

Thomas a Kempis
- “The Imitation of Christ.”