The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, Bill and Steve model how to have a soul-connecting conversation with another disciple.
Next blog -- Models of Disciple Friendships
The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on what to do to have having soul-connecting conversations.
Hello, I’m Bill Burrows. Welcome to Be the Church. A blog that equips us to love God, love people, and make disciples. The uncomfortable truth is, there are way too many people just going to church and a shortage of men and women being the church.
As followers and friends of Jesus, we are his disciples. A growing disciple will consistently engage in soul-connecting conversations with other disciples. To do this we must choose to obtain a responsive heart.
With this way of being, we can practice three vital behaviors to building a culture in our churches that makes disciples through spiritual friendships.
Initiate Spiritual Conversations
Be Story-Ready
Engage in Obedience Training
Here’s how.
To Initiate spiritual conversations. We simply ask and answer relevant questions. (blessings & concerns)
“What’s really good in your life these days?” I might say, “I love beef and I’m headed to Nebraska for a couple of weeks.”
Then you might ask, “What are you most concerned about lately?” They might say, “I see so much hate in our country. I worry about our future.”
Now we could ask, “Would it be ok if I asked God to do something about that?” If they say yes, then simply ask God to fill this country with his love and drive out hate.
Ask a. ⇨ Listen ⇨ Answer; Repeat with b. ⇨ c. Pray
Whenever we’re in a conversation it’s always wise to obey this biblical command. Be quick to listen and slow to speak.
Being story-ready means:
to be open to hearing and understanding someone else’s story;
and ready to humbly tell the stories of God at work in your own life including your resistance and responsiveness.
Here are some story topics:
Your salvation story is how you came to a moment of repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus.
A defining moment story is about a life failure or success.
You & God Now represents a current story of God at work in you and and your response to that.
It’s also helpful to be aware of family and community needs that together you could help with.
In the Great Commission, Jesus said, to teach disciples to obey everything that He had commanded us.
That is why we invite engagement in obedience training.
This is a commitment to a weekly soul-connecting relationship centered around clear obedient responses to God and His word. Three to five people is ideal, for couples we suggest three pairs or six people total.
We recommend that your group focus on 1 command of the New Testament each week to begin.
Each individual chooses a response to God’s command in a S.M.A.R.T. way. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely)
i.e. “Husbands, love your wives…” - I will pursue my wife's heart on Tuesday night at dinner by asking a respectfully curious question and really listen to her answer without judgement or defensiveness.
With a responsive heart,
Initiate Spiritual Conversations
Be Story-Ready and Engage in Obedience Training
Sometimes when we invite others to practice these, especially Obedience Training, we experience some resistance. We think it might be a misunderstanding of grace.
“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.”
When we make an intentional focused effort to include these behaviors in our relationships, God is honored and we are transformed!
To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Next Blog – Disciple’s Friendship Script
The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on how to build Christian friendships and work toward unity in the church.
Hello, I’m Bill Burrows. Welcome to another edition of “Be the Church.” We as humans have an ongoing choice in our way of being. In every given moment we have an option, to be resistant or responsive to God and others.
As followers and friends of Jesus, we are his disciples. When we engage in consistent talks with Jesus, the love, joy, and peace of God will be evident.
But, responsive time alone with Jesus is not enough to truly, “be the church.”
A growing disciple also needs soul-connecting conversations with other disciples.
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. John 17:22-23 (ESV)
In fact, Jesus asks God to guide all disciples into perfect unity. In our world and even our churches today, we could easily blow this off as some pie in the sky poetic language. Many do.
But, what if we took it seriously and even beyond that personally? OK Jesus, you want me to be one with other disciples. I'm willing and open to that. But, what does that even mean?
That is a huge and difficult question. Let’s shrink it down to a specific issue to illustrate what oneness could look like. Politics? Ha. Ha. How can all disciples obey the great commandments and great commission in unity? How about family deciding where to go out for dinner tonight? Keep these in mind as we try to define oneness.
Fortunately for us, God gave more information.
Paul asks the Philippian church to; make my joy complete by
1. thinking the same way,
The goal is to get all relevant information out in the open; to suspend a decision until we understand reality from all the perspectives of those involved. Including God’s.
2. having the same love,
This is where way of being matters. We can be responsive to each other's reality, or resist their personhood. We’ll get back to this.
3. united in spirit,
This is when individuals with varied opinions and concerns choose to surrender them to God and say, “Not my will, but your will be done.” The surrendered group seeks God’s direction.
4. intent on one purpose.
Together you are dedicated and determined to fulfil God’s clear purpose.
Churches together in unity working to Love God, love people, and make disciples. Families joyfully agreeing on dinner.
Back to “the same love.” Again, there are two ways of being, we love when we respond we hate when we resist.
How am I toward other believers/disciples? Am I RESISTANT to their reality? Questioning my own virtue is a good place to start when determining my way of being. I’m inviting you to start there.
We reject a person’s God-given identity, when we see them as something less than what God sees. Honestly, I’m guilty of being resistant more often than not.
I sometimes regard believers as barriers to break through or get around. I can see them as obstacles blocking my agenda or even God’s will. They're not.
I’ve seen other disciples as tools and I’ve used them to get what I want. Their opinions and concerns mattered less to me than my own. They don’t.
I have at times seen a ministry leader, pastor, or even a ministry partner as irrelevant in the moment. They appear less real to me than I do to myself. They’re not.
How about you?
When I’m resistant to another disciple’s reality, I invite them to resist me. Spreading my resistant way of being like a virus.
If others resist me, my skepticism grows and I think it’s better just to avoid them.
How about you?
My view of the other disciples justifies my disconnection. I can then protect myself from any real accountability. In isolation I can hide and stagnate to my heart’s content.
Do you hide from real accountability and justify it?
From a place “above the fray,” I can compare disciples, evaluate their performance and rank them according to my standards. I can either condemn or approve of them.
Do you see yourself there?
It’s Not hard to figure out why we're not experiencing the oneness Jesus talked about. But instead of being resistant, we can respond to other disciples’ reality.
It looks like this…
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (CSB)
Being responsive means; We see all disciples as God’s masterpieces of unique, purposeful, and intimate design. They are valued recipients of His creation and commands. Every follower of Jesus is a free and responsible creation of God. They are also warped by sin and attacked from all sides by the world, flesh, and devil. But, through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus, they are saved by grace. Just like you and I.
If we see disciples that way, we don’t demand that they change. We accept them as they are.
Their opinions, concerns, and expectations matter more than our own. In the power of Christ we can love them by responding to their reality.
Being responsive, We can develop trust with hopeful attempts to rely on followers of Jesus again and again.
Based on our confidence in God, we can continue to risk relying on them when trust is broken.
We can pursue really knowing each other. Sharing appropriately over time the good, bad, & ugly.
We see our reality. We want growth and maturity.
We’re inviting each other to a spiritual friendship.
Together we choose to invest ourselves in each other; offering soul-connection and giving our time, energy, and resources for our mutual transformation.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2
Jesus, empower us to love by being responsive to disciples in soul-connecting conversations.
To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Next Blog - Soul-Connecting Conversations: Vital Behaviors
The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on how to put on your “spurs” and encourage other disciples.
Welcome to Be the Church, a blog that equips us to love God, love people, and make disciples. Here’s a reminder of the Disciple's Relational Triangle.
As followers and friends of Jesus, we are His disciples. When we engage in real, consistent talks with Jesus, the love, joy, and peace of God will be evident in our lives.
Soul-Connecting Conversations
A growing disciple will consistently engage in soul-connecting conversations with other disciples.
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. John 17:22-23 (ESV)
Two thousand years ago, Jesus asked the Father to make us one in the same way that they are on: Jesus in us and the Father in Him. The Spirit is in there too.
The Triune God
The Father, Son, and Spirit are three distinct personalities united by love into one being.
Jesus wants us to be united in oneness with the Triune God.
He also wants all His disciples to be united with each other, so the world will know that the Father sent Jesus and that He loves them too.
We humans have been resisting this idea ever since.
This gif of the Three Stooges is a somewhat accurate picture of the unity in Play. Story. Eat. Ministries. OK, maybe it’s a little over the top. You can probably guess who “Moe” is. Hint, it’s not Steve.
But every once in a while, we hit on something…
Making Disciples Together
...And we make beautiful music together, even if just for a moment.
Sometimes I cooperate with Jesus and invest in soul-connecting conversations with Steve, Justin, and other disciples.
He then shapes, strengthens, and unites us for His kingdom purposes.
When we, together in community, offer our metal, Christ the master bladesmith forms us into uniquely useful disciplemakers. The image of God is wonderfully revealed as people engage in conversations in which sparks fly because God is sharpening us.
Prepare for Resistance and Meet Together!
Disciples have enemies: the world, flesh, and the devil. They want to destroy us. If we’re disconnected and isolated, we are easy prey. But bound together in spiritual friendship by the power of God, we can hold together and bear the weight of our enemies’ attacks.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
We’re commanded in the book of Hebrews to consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
Time-out. What does it mean to meet together? Go to a church building? Sit in a sanctuary? Sing and then listen to the preacher? Say hi to a few people on the way out? That may be going to church but that’s not meeting together.
I’ve gone to many church meetings that were a waste of time and energy. Many of them were led by me. However, I’ve never had a soul-connecting conversation with another disciple that was unfruitful.
Put on Your Spurs!
Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. This takes way more energy than just going to church. It requires thought, planning, and execution.
You have to BE the church to stir up,
Motivate,
Stimulate,
Provoke, and even
Spur one another to love and good works.
Join us in a Commitment
I invite you to join us in this commitment:
Here's what I want you to do. Right now, ask someone, “What's one thing you are truly grateful for today?” Tell them your answer, and let the conversation go where it goes. If nobody's around, call someone on the phone. It could be anybody, even a stranger, or how about your spouse, or child? Remember insight is useless unless you take action.
To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Next Blog –How Do I Need to BE in order to Soul-Connect?
The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on tools to help us see God’s direction.
Two Scripts for Daily Live-Giving Conversations with God
How do you have your conversations with Jesus? Bill Burrows uses Scripture Command “MAPS” and Steve Reed uses the acronym “SALTY.” In this blog post we each share the tool we use to interact with God.
Scripture Command M.A.P.S.
When we spend time with Jesus, He wants to give us direction and even initial steps to get started.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
So we can look for command maps in Scripture to give us direction.
Jesus commanded us to make disciples. He also told us to teach them to obey everything He commanded us to do.
Numbers of Commands in the Bible:
Jesus commands- 50
Old Testament commands- 613
New Testament commands - 1,050 -1,250
There are close to 1,800 commands in the Bible. So a focus on commands can lead to a lifetime of obedience. When seeking to be obedient to these commands, it’s best to focus on one at a time. Here’s an example.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (ESV)
Jesus' simple, direct command is to “repent...” Now, using the acronym “MAPS,” we can have a life-giving interaction with God. This is how we work through the process.
M is for Meaning:
The goal is knowledge and understanding. Here, definitions and synonyms help us gain clarity. We can write the verse out using different words.
In this case, repent means to stop resisting God and to respond to God in faith. So my paraphrase could read, “Stop resisting God; instead, respond to God in faith, because the door into God’s Realm is right there in front of us.”
A is for Action:
Wisdom is applied knowledge and understanding. Insight is worthless without action.
So, thinking about this process, I know that Jesus wants to hang out with me, but sometimes I avoid Him. For me to “repent” and stop resisting God, I must do something to obey Jesus.
Here’s my action. I will stop avoiding God and hang out with Jesus by talking to Him for 1 minute every day this week.
P is for Prayer:
I can engage in the power of God that transforms. This is when I express my opinions, concerns, and expectations about this commitment and invite His empowerment to obey.
I can pray, “Lord, help me keep my commitment to you today.”
S is for Story:
We need to share the story. We want to make Jesus visible and famous. We tell somebody what Jesus is doing in and through us.
S.A.L.T.Y.
Now let’s use the acronym “SALTY” for a similar script for having a conversation with God. Sometimes having options can help you find something that works for you.
Jesus said,
“You are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-14 (Jesus)
This method attempts to help us be salt and light in our world. To do that, we want to use the word SALTY to remind us of how to do it.
S – Scripture (SALT):
You start with a teaching of Jesus (imagine this is the salt), and you are going to sprinkle it over your life so that you let it flavor you. “Salt” is a clear and practical teaching that we want to use to obey and follow Jesus. Let’s use the same passage to see how it works.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (ESV)
For this step, we simply write it down word for word. I like to do it on a notepad. You can do this electronically on a tablet or computer.
A – Analyze it:
Now that we have the Scripture written down, we ask two questions to analyze it.
1. What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
When we answer the question “What does it say?” the right answer is what you just wrote down word for word. Getting those specific words in your mind is a priority.
So it says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
What does it mean? Well the key word is “repent,” right? What does that mean? It means turn around! Change! Stop resisting God and respond to Him in faith.
And that leads to L.
L – Live it:
Here we ask, “What action can I do to live out this command in a tangible way? How can I obey?” Here, creativity under the direction of the Holy Spirit is allowed. Our biggest suggestion is to make this something small. Don’t try to do a big thing. If you are convicted of doing a big thing, ask what the first part of doing the big thing would be. Then do the smaller thing first. We want to get a win every day. And if we take small, daily steps, we gain great momentum over time.
So as an example, for me to repent and make a positive change, each morning when I wake up and put my shoes on, I will take one minute to dedicate my day to God.
Now the T.
T - Tell it:
This is another aspect of being a light to the world. You ask, “WHO am I going to tell something about my commitment today?” Here, we just write down a name. It could be Joe, Mary, Fred, whoever. I could also write your name, because I just told you!
At any rate, every day we want to tell somebody. When you put a name down, you want to visualize the time and place where you might be able to share something of this SALTY process with another person.
And that leads to Y.
Y- We Yield to God in prayer:
We pray a prayer of commitment. We ask God to give us the courage and ability to follow through on what we said we want to do. And we do it in the spirit of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion. “Lord, this is my desire: nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done.”
So let’s review.
S - Scripture: (Salt)
A - Analyze it: What does it say and what does it mean?
L - Live it: How can I obey Jesus through action?
T - Tell it: Who am I going to tell?
Y - Yield to God in prayer: Praying “not my will but Yours be done.”
There you have it. Two scripts for having a daily conversation with God. Be aware that KNOWING it doesn’t help. But DOING it can change the world.
Dallas Willard said,
“You must arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God.”
Make Scripture Command M.A.P.S. or S.A.L.T.Y. a part of your daily plan.
To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Please like and comment on our posts to spread the word!
Up Next: Soul-Connecting Conversations with Other Disciples
The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on how to change and be transformed.
What kind of person do you want to become? How do we really change? Let’s begin with a quick review of our disciple's relational triangle.
Effective disciples need weekly dialogues with other disciples and non-disciples. But, the most vital connection is a daily conversation with Jesus.
Transformation happens when we consistently engage in these activities. So, how can we change within these relationships?
Transformation is a process that Paul outlines in Romans 12.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (ESV)
We can work with the Spirit of God as He transforms us. Here’s a formula that helps us cooperate. It's an acronym: O. A. T. O. E. To help you remember, think “oatmeal” and then think “toe.” And wallah! You have OATOE!
Okay. Let's refocus! Think about a change you've made in your life. It can be good or bad, because either way, whether knowing it or not, you used this formula for transformation.
The first step in the process is choosing to...
O - Open your mind to new information. Something outside of ourselves invites us to change. It could be unexpected, like seeing a child in need. Or as constant as God speaking through His commands.
We respond to these invitations by either rejecting that information or...
A - Accept that information as true and relevant in the moment. When we believe this knowledge is helpful, we allow it to reshape our thinking, feelings, and actions.
But, before we go too far, it would be wise to check the source. And that leads to...
T -Trust. Can we trust the source of the new information with our hearts? Is the source reliable? Trustworthy? Safe?
The source could be an injured toddler, a con man, or the creator of the universe. It's up to us to choose who we will trust.
When you find a source that you choose to trust, your next step is to take action to…
O - Obey the information. You respond by thinking, feeling, and behaving in alignment with the new knowledge.
If you see an injured toddler, you stop what you’re doing and try to help. When you recognize a con, you shut it down. If the God of the universe commands you to deny yourself in a specific way, you stop that activity.
How does all this transform us?
We transform when we respond to these little invitations over and over again. We experience the results of our obedience. It has a cumulative effect, whether for good or bad.
So we change by…
Opening our minds, Accepting information as true and relevant,Trusting the source,Obeying the source, andExperiencing the results over time.
“Jesus, fill us with the knowledge of God's will, with all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we will live a life worthy of You. Amen.”
To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Next Blog: Simple Life-Giving Conversation Plans with Jesus that Work
As we open our hearts and minds to Jesus' direction and act on it, transformation comes supernaturally. Like caterpillars who get transformed by the Creator into beautiful butterflies, we can be transformed by the same Creator to become more like Jesus and a person who is truly free to be what God created us to be. Let’s enjoy the transformation and give Him thanks for making it possible!
The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on how to really obey Jesus.
Obedience seems to be a bad word in our society today. But, to Jesus, it's a really good word.
To be a disciple of Jesus, it's essential to have a life-giving conversation with him each and every day. To get everything we can out of our conversations, there are five choices we need to be aware of. We can choose to...
Open our souls or stay closed off.
Listen to Jesus. We focus on a simple, clear, direct command.
Tell Jesus how we really feel.
Trust Jesus and surrender to His will, or look elsewhere for life.
Obey Jesus. To obey or not to obey Jesus, that is the question.
In Luke chapter 6, Jesus deals directly with a widespread problem found in every Christian today, especially in me. He says, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. Luke 6:46-48 (ESV)
But what if I don’t do what He says?
“But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:49 (ESV)
I’ve experienced this first hand, and I’ve witnessed lots of pain and sorrow in lives built on hearing and not doing. How can we make sure we’re doing and not just hearing?
If we respond with smart actions we will clearly know when we obey Jesus and when we don’t.
It's an acronym S. M. A. R. T.
S - Specific actions: They are direct, detailed, and meaningful.
Jesus said in John 15,
“I am the vine and you are the branches. Remain in me.”
That’s a clear command to stay connected to Jesus.
For my response to be specific, it helps to answer these questions:
Who? In this case, we are talking about Jesus and myself.
What? I want to engage in a Life-Giving Conversation with Jesus.
Where? In my home office.
How? I want to do this with my best focus and energy.
M - Measurable actions: These are quantifiable and can be tracked in order to monitor progress or success.
For example: I will stay connected to Jesus by having a focused conversation for at least 15 minutes each day this week.
That deals with quantity and consistency.
But what if I wanted to track quality? Am I giving my best to Jesus? Or am I rushing through the 15 minutes or distracted by the chaos in and around me? I could use a scale from 1-10 to rate my engagement and hold myself accountable.
A - Attainable actions: These are realistic and require us to have the tools or resources to achieve them. Is it realistic to say that I can be focused on Jesus for 15 minutes every day for the next seven days?
I might need a Bible to listen to Jesus and a notebook to record my commitments.
How about a plan or a script to follow when talking to Him? (Stay tuned, we’re working on those!)
R - Relevant actions: These align with God’s specific command that you have chosen to obey.
Jesus wants me to stay connected to Him. Investing 15 minutes a day connecting to Him fits that command.
T - Time-based actions: These have a definite time frame and completion date.
Now I could say I'm going to have a conversation with Jesus for 15 minutes a day everyday for the rest of my life. But let's start a little smaller than that.
Remember it needs to be attainable for you. I give you permission and even encourage you to start really small. Why? Because we want to get wins. When we obey Jesus even in a very small way, it's a win. Small wins over time make a big impact. I believe it would be better to give God everything you have for 30 seconds a day for 30 days than to pray one day for 15 minutes.
The difference between Motion and Action:
(These thoughts are inspired by James Clear who wrote Atomic Habits.)
In working SMART, there is a difference between motion and action. For example:
Motion is when you listen to a talk on prayer at church.
Action is when you talk to Jesus for 1 minute.
Motion is when you read a book about praying for your friends.
Action is when you pray for your friends for 1 minute.
Motion is when you do a Bible study on the word “obey.”
Action is when you obey a command by “S.M.A.R.T.ly” doing what it says.
Join us in this Commitment:
I will stay connected to Jesus through a minimum minute conversation every day for the next seven days.
“Jesus, remind us and enable us to follow through on this commitment. Amen!”
To join our community and keep up to date, follow us @playstoryeat on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Next Blog: How Can We Become What We Were Created to Be?
As you begin to obey Jesus in small ways, know that big things are happening in your soul! Along the way, don’t expect it to be easy. But do know that Jesus makes any afflictions or troubles profoundly worth our allegiance, devotion, and acts of obedience. Joy in the process is not only possible but promised. As an old gospel song teaches us, we can “trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
The world is changing. The ways we connect, work, and play are changing. This includes how we do or don’t do church. We need knowledge, tools, and skills to “BE” the church in this new reality.
In this blog, we share more of the why, what, and how of "being" the church according to Jesus. This week, we focus on how to really trust Jesus.
Welcome to “Be the Church.”
To trust Jesus or not to trust him is our focus in this article.
Let's say I’m having a life-giving conversation with Jesus.
I disarmed to open my soul to him.
I focused on one simple command and heard what Jesus wants me to do. An example would be, “Bill, you need to de-prioritize sports and value our conversation by saying ‘no’ to sports until we’ve talked each day.”
Then I told Jesus my opinions, concerns, and expectations. The truth is, a lot of the time I’d rather read sports articles than talk to Jesus. And it’s not just sports. Other activities like work, home projects, family, friends, and entertainment can and do take priority over my connection with God. It always comes down to a choice in the moment.
Am I going to trust God and surrender to his best for me, or am I going to do my own thing?
Why is it so hard for us to trust God and stay plugged into the source of life?
Paul states,
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (ESV)
Even when circumstances are awful, because God is good and powerful, he is able to make things ultimately good. But we still don’t trust, and the consequences are not pleasant.
So, I’m going about my business one day, and I sense that God wants to have a conversation. I'm busy. I don't have time right now. “Let's do this later,” I say to myself.
And this response becomes a pattern. My sense of peace is replaced with anxiety, and my ability to love is diminished. I start to doubt God's goodness and greatness. I begin looking to others to meet the needs only God can meet.
I need my wife, co-workers, friends, everyone I know to somehow fill me with peace and love.
“You guys have to come through for me! Please! Be what I need you to be!”
But I could choose to trust God.
So, I’m going about my business one day, and I sense that God wants to have a conversation. And I think, “I'm busy. I don't have time right now. Let's do this later.” But I choose to trust God to know what’s best, so I switch my attention to Jesus and talk with him.
And this response becomes a pattern. My sense of peace doesn't waver, and my ability to love is expanded. My trust in God's goodness and greatness grows. My spiritual needs are met when connected to Jesus.
Instead of needing something from everyone I know. I have the capacity to love them.
I will serve them out of God’s peace and power flowing through me. I will become what Jesus needs me to be for them.
But this only happens when I choose to trust and surrender to God.
Say this with me.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
“Jesus, please do whatever it takes to get our attention and invite us to life-giving conversations with you so that we can obey by trusting. Amen.”
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Up Next: How to Obey Jesus
As you begin to trust Jesus with your life, remember that this will likely create a domino effect of benefits that you would never have imagined before stepping out in faith. Be bold! And keep trusting!