WHAT DO WE GET WRONG ABOUT GOD? WE LEAVE GOD OUT OF OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.

“Keep reminding God in our times of private prayer that we mean every act for His glory; then supplement those times by a thousand thought-prayers as we go about the job of living. Let us practice the fine art of making every work a priestly ministration. Let us believe that God is in our simple deeds and learn to find Him there.” – A.W. Tozer.

Sunday is an important day. It is a day of prayer. It is a day of praise and worship. It is a day the Word of God is shared. It is a day to seek the Lord. Sunday is an important day, but we get it wrong when we leave God out of our mundane day-to-day lives the rest of the week.

In The Pursuit of God, A. W Tozer notes that we are living divided lives: we count all of our spiritual practices as “sacred,” and we think of the rest of our ordinary, daily tasks as “secular”—a waste of our time. This leaves us trying to “walk the tightrope between two kingdoms” and “finding no peace in either.”

Yes, we all long for God’s joy in my daily life. We long for His peace in trials. We long for love and kindness to flow through us. We long to see “God moments” and miracles beyond our own abilities. There are always messes to clean up, bills to pay, emails to answer, needs to be met, phone calls to make, laundry to be done, and lawns to be mowed. Do we include God in mundane tasks like laundry or lawn mowing? Most people probably reason that God’s involvement in our lives should involve more than laundry.

Jesus was fully God and fully human. He spent time learning carpentry the family trade. He traveled with His family. He talked with His friends. He participated in all the mundane moments in life.  Similarly, we shouldn’t consider our daily tasks separate from our relationship with God. We must stop confining God to our quiet time and instead focus and refocus our attention on Him throughout the day. God’s presence is with us always, even as we do the laundry or mow the lawn.

We must remember that the good life isn’t from God; it’s with God, on Sunday and every other day and in every circumstance. It’s God’s presence that transforms our days. It’s God’s presence that transforms our lives. So, how can we apply this truth to our lives and find meaning in our day-to-day activities? Remember that God has you where you are for a reason. The simplest moments are an opportunity to experience His presence.

If you feel stuck in a mundane routine, ask God to give you the eyes to see the purpose behind your life. While these things may not be easily seen now, trust that God has a greater plan for us than anything we could imagine.

No matter what position we hold, what duties fill our days, in everything, we can mirror the character of God because life is not the mountain tops; it is walking between.

Discussion Questions:

  1. It’s easy to see God moving in mountaintop moments, but how often are you feeling and seeking His presence in the mundane?
  2. The incredible thing about God is that He is always active, engaged, and present, even when miracles aren’t currently being worked. Agree or disagree and why?

HARNESS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” – Ephesians 3:16.

You never know how much you depend on something until it’s gone. Take power, for example. Without power, not only are we without light and heat, but we can’t charge our electronic devices. Light and heat are important, but what would we do without our computers, iPads and iPhones? Even with all of their capabilities and functions, no electronic device can function without power. Without power, they cannot perform the tasks they were created for or even be useful. Without being connected to a power source, our electronics serve no purpose. We learned that hard lesson five years ago when Hurricane Michael swept through the Panhandle.

When fulfilling our purpose as Christ followers, we, too, have to have power. We have to be plugged into a power source. Without power or fuel, we cannot fulfill our purpose to help the world find and follow Jesus. We cannot do that until we are plugged into the power source.

Our power source is the Holy Spirit. Understanding who the Holy Spirit is, the place He holds within the Holy Trinity, and the role He plays in individual lives is vital to anyone exploring what it means to become a Christian and anyone trying to follow Jesus. Knowing the Holy Spirit will radically change your life because He is how you will experience God’s life within you.

As believers, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, and Friend. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth. We have access to a direct connection with our heavenly Father through Him. Through Him, we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. We house His Spirit in us, and if we allow His Spirit to operate in our lives, we will be more than okay, no matter what comes our way.

The Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of the reader is essential to our total understanding, appreciation, and implementation of Scripture.“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-12) John 14:26 says, “ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

As Christians, we have a unique resource. On those days when we don’t feel empowered or feel as if our inner strength has been sapped, God has unlimited power to take care of all that.

Discussion Questions:

  1. When you think of the Holy Spirit, what comes to your mind? 
  2. How familiar are you with the topic of the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit a confusing or encouraging topic of study for you? Why or why not?

CONNECT WITH A SMALL GROUP

“Small groups are not a ministry of the church, small groups are not a program of the church, small groups are not an outreach of the church, small groups are not an event of the church, small groups are the church.” – Rick Warren. 

Every one of us needs a support system. A brain surgeon wouldn’t operate without first hooking their patient to a life support system. A deep-sea diver wouldn’t explore the ocean’s depths without first connecting to a life support system. We, as Christians, can’t go out into the world without a life support system to help us navigate life’s challenges and grow spiritually. It doesn’t matter how strong or mature you are as a believer; you still need a life support system.

That support system is called a small group. Why are small groups so important in the life of your church? The pastor may give convicting, uplifting sermons. The worship team can make music that makes you feel the presence of God. But even if all those things are true, we still need relationships with other believers. Close relationships in small groups provide a platform that intentionally promotes the relationships every believer needs.

We must remember that Jesus was the greatest small-group leader in history. When Jesus began His public ministry, one of His first acts was to form His small group: “At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles”  (Luke 6:13). The Son of God certainly didn’t need the companionship of the apostles. Yet from the very beginning, He elected to establish and minister within a framework of interpersonal relationships.

Jesus ministered in both large and small group contexts. Jesus spoke to large crowds and met with small groups in homes but spent most of His time with His small group. They were together constantly: They traveled, shared meals, experienced mutual hardship, and literally lived together. As Jesus’ crucifixion drew closer, He spent more and more time with His small group and less time with the multitudes that sought Him out. His goal was to equip this small group of disciples to carry on the work of the gospel after He returned to the Father. Jesus selected common men, “unschooled, ordinary men” by worldly standards, who were ready to follow Him and were teachable. In turn, Jesus poured His life into these men and thrust the future of His whole ministry upon them. It would be through them that God would communicate His message of salvation to the world.

We believe that spiritual growth happens best in the context of small groups. At Northstar, we love our small groups because they allow everyone to learn and study the Bible, grow in faith, make new friends, pray for each other, and do life together. They are a place to build deep and valuable friendships with others and be a source of accountability and support on a personal level. This is the power of small groups. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. The Christian community is only this, whether it is a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.”

Discussion questions:

  1. How can small groups help us love one another in transparency, accountability, and mutual edification? Why is it important for believers to strive for this kind of community with one another?
  2. Christian community is both a restorative work of God in the gospel and a response of believers to that work. What does that mean?

WORK WITH ME

“Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.” – Exodus 17:12-13.

The Exodus 17 passage is a prime example of teamwork, of working together. The background is that the Israelites complained about their situation: “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death” (Exodus 16:3).  Moses was at his wit’s end and to top it off, the Amalekites had come to fight with Israel in Rephidim.  Moses, however, had a plan.  He sent out Joshua with some men to fight them while he stood at the top of the hill overlooking the battlefield with his staff raised in the air. As long as Moses kept his hands up, Joshua prevailed.  But Moses got tired. So Aaron and Hur pitched in.  They knew the importance of Moses’ task, saw his need, and jumped in to help.

We all need people to pitch in at one time or another. We are called to collaborate with each other because, first, God’s work is too large and complex to be accomplished without collaboration. And second, God’s work is too important for it to be dependent upon any particular person or group.

In First Corinthians 12:12, the apostle Paul compared the Church to the human body, with different parts equipped to perform different functions. The Message Translation (MSG) says this: “You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything…Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink….”

As believers, we must say goodbye to our old, independent way of thinking and learn to be integrated into a greater whole. We need each other, for we are incomplete without each other’s input and gifts. When God’s people come together as a team to achieve a common goal, when we become singularly focused, working together as a team, amazing things can happen.   

As you walk through life, remember you’re not supposed to do everything alone. You need other people to walk alongside you, and others also need you. As you share the burden of your work with fellow Christians, you’ll find that you accomplish more for the glory of God.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is it so important to work with other believers? 
  2. What are some of the benefits of having meaningful relationships with other believers? 

WALK WITH ME

”Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend” – Albert Camus; French Nobel Prize-winning author, journalist, and philosopher.

We all long to have someone walk beside us in life.  Someone who is not judgmental,  but just a friend who would understand and help you. While each of us must take our own journey and each journey will be unique, the Bible says, we are not intended to take that journey alone. We all need a friend to walk with, don’t we?

In Luke 24, two friends are walking. They are heavy-hearted indeed. They don’t know what to think or what to do. Jesus died on a cross, and with Him, their dreams died, too. They loved Jesus as a friend, but they also believed He was the Messiah. They never expected Him to die an untimely death. A few believers found the tomb empty and while the women said Jesus was alive, but that seemed impossible. As they walked and talked, they tried to reason and figure it out. They simply didn’t know what to think. Suddenly a third person joined them in their walk. “He asked them, ‘What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces.” (Luke 24:17).

They explain what has happened to the stranger amazed that He is unaware of recent events. As they approach Emmaus, they ask the man to join them for dinner. While eating, their eyes are opened and they recognize the Lord. It’s Jesus. They were walking with Jesus all along.

God wants us to walk with Him and with each other. When we find ourselves in a difficult situation, we should not have to face it alone. We’re urged to keep up with one another often. We need each other: the support, the encouragement, the help along the way.

God gives us community as a way to become more like Him. God’s Word reminds us that we are put in relationships in order to encourage one another in our pursuit of God and His Kingdom. There is something real about the concept of power in numbers. When we are surrounded by other believers, we feel empowered in our faith and may even be more sensitive to God’s presence in our lives. There’s something powerful about believers joining together, making each other accountable and being a sort of witness of one another’s lives. We need people checking in on us, asking the hard questions, and challenging us to really live out our faith.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner.” (Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you have someone or a group of people that you can be authentic, be yourself with, without any facades or false fronts? 
  2. Small groups are about doing life together. A place where you can grow closer to God, closer to others, and closer to your purpose. Agree or disagree? If you are not a member of a small group, please consider joining one this semester.

WHAT DO WE GET WRONG ABOUT GOD? WE MIX UP GOD AND PEOPLE.

“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” – Numbers 23:19.

Sometimes we unintentionally mix up God and people. It’s important to make sure that our view of God matches what the Bible says about Him so that we don’t falsely assume He reacts and acts like a person would. This verse in Numbers 23 tells us some crucial things about God: He does not lie. He does not change His mind. He keeps His word. He keeps His promises.

Those things alone would rule out God having any human qualities since there has never been a human who can do those things perfectly. If your view of God is that He might change His mind about you or He might not come through for you, you might be mixing God and people. People will inevitably let us down, even if they’re not trying to, but God the maker of all things who holds all power and might, now and forever, indeed does not waver and will never let us down. He is holy, perfect, and true.

That’s the main point of a story in the Old Testament Book of Numbers, which tells about how even a non-Israelite prophet was able to testify to the trustworthy and unwavering nature of God. We find the story in Numbers 22-24. In this passage Balak attempted to get Balaam (a “prophet-for-hire”) to prophesy what he wanted to hear. But for the first time in his life Balak (and Balaam) confronted the real God. Balaam tells Balak, “God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done” (Numbers 23:19 GNT).

The point of the verse is that God’s truthfulness and unchangeableness guarantee the blessings of God’s people. God never says, “Okay, I want to do this,” and then he finds out some more information later that changes things. He never finds out more information. God has all information. He has all knowledge. God never says, “I’m going to do this,” and then something happens to Him and He’s no longer able to do what He promised to do. He’s never unable to do that which He plans to do, which he promises and purposes to do, That is the unique, unchangeable-ness and immutability of God and His word. We should praise Him for it and rest in it.

We are fallible, but God is not. He is perfect in all of His ways, and what He says is always true.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you ever give God human like characteristics? When and how?
  2. How can the story of Balak and Balaam change how we view God?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A CONTINUOUS TRANSFORMATION?

“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” – 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Change is something we all need. It is an ongoing part of life. With its constant state of flux, life demands adjustments for our schedules and plans. Essentially, change is the new norm. But people’s spiritual lives call for more than slight changes to the calendar. Real change is a process, not a destination. So we as followers of Jesus are in need of transformation, but not a one time act or occurrence. Genuine transformation is God–achieved and God–sustained, and is a continuous, in process transformation.

Our culture tends to look at transformation as a one time thing. We see a problem, and develop some action steps to fix the problem, and continue working on it until the problem is fixed. Then we consider it fixed. For Christians it is an ongoing process. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” God wants to transform us every moment of every day.

In a world that thinks we are all locked into an endless chain of cause and effect, 2 Corinthians 3:18 gives us incredible good news. We are free to change in ways the world cannot begin to imagine. Too often we just accept that we are who we are as if the God we serve didn’t have the power to continually transform us. We live as if the Holy Spirit is a God who only shows up every now and then to shake things up then retreats back into the heavens. The Holy Spirit is constantly ready to lead us, and transform our lives.

So what does continual transformation look like? How do we live in sync with the Spirit who can constantly change us from the inside out? Romans 12:1 says, “…I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Continual transformation will come when we decide to stop living for ourselves.

You see, when we live for ourselves we naturally take control of our own lives and therefore limit God and His desire to transform us. But, when we seek to be a “living and holy sacrifice” to God at all times our hearts are open to what the Spirit is doing and saying every day. If you want to be continually transformed by the powerful, life-changing love of God, you have to choose every day to center your life around the will and desires of God.

Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Our transformation in Christ is a work in progress. it comes gradually. “We are changed” is a continuous operation. “We are changed into his glorious image” is a journey of transitions and degrees and a continuous process.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Pray and ask God to continually transform you. 
  2. What needs to change in you for that transformation?

THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST

 “Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are? – Martin Luther.

Have you ever taken a second to look back at the story of Jesus and really think about what that meant for our lives? Not just pause to reflect but really think about the impact of what Jesus did on the cross so many centuries ago? That action on the cross meant so many things for us: forgiveness, grace, eternity, mercy, love, and so much more. In just one action, we got what we could never deserve: God’s endless grace for the things we’ve done and the sins we still have yet to commit.

Paul tells us that the church of Jesus Christ is God’s chosen instrument to point us to His love and grace. The first two chapters of Ephesians have some amazing things to tell us about the church. In Ephesians 2:19-22, we read, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit”

The church is far from perfect. We’re probably all seen or experienced shortcomings in one of the churches we attended. The reality is we still sin. There will be no perfect church until Jesus comes back.  While that may be a tad gloomy, the Bible’s view of the church is much more encouraging. It may not look like much yet, but the end goal for the church is described in Ephesians 4:13 – “…we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

The church is not merely an ad hoc gathering of believers praying and sharing Scripture verses. The church is so much more.  The church is the body of Christ. The Christian church is not a building, but a body of believers united in Christ. Its role is to worship God, nurture and edify and reach out to a suffering world with the saving message of the gospel as well as the practical compassion and mercy exemplified in Christ.

It is in and through the church that Christ encounters, calls, transforms, equips, and sends his people into the world. God uses the church to introduce salvation to those who don’t know him, and to nurture the faith of believers. The church is God’s instrument for expressing his compassion and concern for the world. Fellowship with Christ and with each other makes believers a single family united in love.

The church is irreplaceable. Lots of other things may look like church, but nothing can replace it.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of church? What were your first/early experiences of attending church? Were those positive or negative experiences in your faith journey and why?

THE CHURCH IS GOD”S INSTRUMENT FOR GOOD

“Nothing on earth has greater potential to change lives and carry out His kingdom work in your community, than your local church. There’s nothing like the local church when it’s working right.  Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking.  Its potential is unlimited.  No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.” – Bill Hybels.

People have different perspectives on the church. Some view it as a building used for Christian worship services and other Christian religious activities. Others view it as a place of fellowship, worship, discipleship, ministry and mission. Still others see it as place to get married in or a good place to drop off the kids for a few hours. Some people don’t see a congregation of people singing “Amazing Grace” in a neighborhood church being very important in our modern era of transcontinental missiles, mind-boggling scientific discoveries, space exploration, and impressive educational advancements.

The Bible has a completely different perspective. Matthew 16:18 includes an unconditional promise that the church is God’s personal project (“I will build my church”) and that nothing or no one not even (“all the powers of hell”) will put it out of business.  The local church is important because it is ordained by God. The church is ultimately a catalyst. It starts with a single person, or a single mustard seed, and touches the furthest reaches of the world. Just as the church changes our local community, the global church can save the world.

Think about it for a moment. The church is the only place to find true community, healing, compassion, and love. It is here people care. Really care. Not because of status or money. But because the Spirit of God is at work, weaving together the lives within the Body. The church, like no other institution, has provided motivation for the most lasting, unselfish, essential, courageous ministries on earth. It should thrill all of us to be connected with what God is doing locally, nationally and globally.

God has no need to use anything or anybody in the work of evangelizing the world. That is to say, He could, if He chose, speak directly to people to tell them the gospel himself. However, usually, God has laid the responsibility of mission on his people, and specifically on the local church, the body of Christ. It is in and through the church that Christ encounters, calls, transforms, equips, and sends His people into the world. God uses the church to introduce salvation to those who don’t know Him, and to nurture the faith of believers. The church is God’s instrument for expressing His love, grace, mercy, and concern for the world.

It is the instrument through which God brings His Kingdom to the earth. The local church is the hands, feet, and body of God. It displays God’s heart and does what He wills and has commanded, as such, it cannot be contained in a building with just a few members. The church is powerful because it does not come together for the sake of coming together, but is unified by Christ who is the one that enables us to love extraordinarily and to change the world for His name.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of church?
  2. You may wake up on Sunday mornings and decide to go to church. But is church simply a place you go? Is church a destination or is it something more?
  3. Someone once said, “Church is something we are.” How might your life look different if you lived as though church wasn’t a destination or an event, but something you are?

THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY

“The church family is a place where love is shown, taught, and demonstrated.” – Unknown

Of all the word pictures and metaphors used to describe the church, one stands out above the rest: family. It is a literal description of the phenomena we know as church. The church is not like family; it is family. God is literally our Father, and we are literally brothers and sisters in Christ. Family is the primary way the early church identified themselves.

God’s church is supposed to be a group of people in relationship who do life together. The phrase “church family” captures the depth of life that people share when they attend the same church. Believers who go to the same church do not just sit in the same building on Sunday mornings; church members go through life together much like a family. They experience joys and sorrows together, have the same desire to live as Jesus lived, and through the ups and downs of it all, become a family. We say “church family” because it conveys how important our relationships are with other believers, and that a congregation is supposed to provide support and connection similar to that of a family.

The early church met together in homes where they were devoted to deep relationships. They became a spiritual family. In Acts 2:42 and following we see them exhibiting many of the characteristics of a family. They ate together, shared their possessions, and even sold their possessions if needed to take care of each other. They focussed on the Word of God and the teachings of the apostles. These actions not only depict the attitudes and actions of a family, but this is also the kind of bond and relationships that develop in a small group. A small group is a place where people can be be part of a smaller spiritual family.

When as an individual you understand the nature of the body of Christ, we need understand who we are and where we fit. As a member of the body of Christ, we do belong somewhere. When God’s grace has transformed us, we should find that it matters increasingly to us that we have been called into relationship with one another—into community. We’re diverse in the gifts that have been given; none of us can make up the body individually but only together. Each of us belongs to one another. We gather as church, then, in order to give of ourselves both to each other and, ultimately, to our Lord.  Church is not a place for you merely to show up at and attend. It is a body. It is our family. We need the church; and the church needs us.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you go to church? Do you experience Church as a building you go to or an event you attend, or do you really experience it as a spiritual family?
  2. Do you feel that it is important to have a spiritual family? If yes, why is it important to you?