WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON SETS US APART

“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” – Ephesians 4:16.

Christians, non-believers, and people of other faiths have always had something in common. Believers and non-believers can have meaningful dialogue and can make meaningful personal connections by virtue of what we have in common. We are all created in the image of God. We have common basic physical and emotional needs. We all experience similar joys and trials in life. We can connect with non-believers by simply asking about their lives and listening to them. The basic similarities always surface and they foster human connections.

God expects believers to make a connection with unbelievers. Galatians 6:10 says,  “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone….” Jesus spent a lot of His time connecting, and He wasn’t connecting in church groups. He wasn’t connecting just with His disciples. He was connecting with the sinners and the tax collectors. Jesus spent a lot, maybe most of His time, with people who were far away from God. The religious people of His day were talking about Jesus because He was connecting to people that didn’t have God at the center of their lives.

Christians can develop some biased perceptions in the way they view others and vice-versa. But as Christians, we need to refrain from going into a conversation with closed minds. Learning from non-Christians can help Christians more honestly engage in dialogue with a deeper understanding of what others believe. When someone feels like they are understood, they begin to lower their walls and let new ideas in. By taking a step back and genuinely listening to someone else’s situation, one will begin to learn much more.  You might never agree with someone’s position or agenda, but you can almost always demonstrate the love of God.   

The Apostle Paul was a great example of knowing other cultures and understanding where they came from. He used his knowledge of cultures and backgrounds to build common ground between the people he sought to lead to Jesus. 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 says, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” Paul spent large amounts of time living and working among the people, building common ground and using that platform to speak about the kingdom of God.

The hard truth is that the world is a pretty complex place and there isn’t a universal solution for every problem. Societies and cultures differ in almost every way, and one set of rules doesn’t always work for everyone. Christians need to become open to listening and learning from everyone they interact with, trying to avoid the mistake of isolating themselves in a Christian-only environment. Believers should never compromise their faith, but can’t ever be so closed-off that it pushes everyone who is even slightly different away.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is it alright to have close relationships with non-believers? Why or why not? 
  2. Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. We, like Jesus, need to be intentional about trying to connect with those who likely won’t set foot in our churches: Agree or disagree and why. 
  3. Where in your life are you connected with others, such that you could influence them through your faith? What keeps you or others from talking about God or sharing the Gospel? 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.  What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” – James 4:13-15.

The house I grew up in just sold again. I don’t know how many times it sold but it looks very much like it did when we moved into it so many years ago. As I looked at the photos of the house on the realtor’s website, I could visualize myself in each one. I pictured my parents and my siblings, even my grandfather, laughing, sharing, and grieving within the four walls of that house. At that moment I wondered why we tend to be nostalgic and dwell on things in the past. God wants us to look to the future, to move forward rather than focusing on what lay behind us. Where might God take me as an individual and we as a church in the future? So what’s next?

How often do we ask “what’s next?” We simply do not know what the future might bring. We make calculated predictions, we entertain fond hopes and dreams, and we warily consider possible troubles. But in the end, we can’t control or accurately forecast the future. We may imagine a future but we don’t have the power to create it. But that does not mean we don’t step out in faith.  We might want God to give us a sneak preview of what lies ahead, but He is usually content to lead us one step at a time because as James reminds us, God may intervene or He may not, but He is the one ultimately in control. But what we cannot forget is God grants us the freedom to shape the future.

The Bible contains many examples of Christian men and women who believed that God would work through them to make a significant difference for His kingdom. God placed Esther strategically in the king’s court at a crucial time when she could save the lives of God’s people (Ester 4:14). God placed Joseph strategically to become the most powerful adviser to the pharaoh in Egypt and to save Jacob and his family from a devastating drought (Genesis 41:39–40).

God placed us to make a difference in where we live and work. That prospect is both exhilarating and scary. The challenge seems overwhelming when you consider the number of people who are lost in the panhandle of Florida. Because the task seems so big, we can easily throw up our hands and decide to do nothing. You cannot do it all. No one can. But you are able to touch those who come into the scope of your influence. You can make a real difference even find common ground, start some productive conversations, and make a connection with only one here and another there.

There will always be more people to reach than time or energy or commitment can provide. But the truth is that each one of us can touch a few. We can participate in what the Lord is doing in the Florida Panhandle if we look past the four walls of the church and constantly ask God “what’s next?”

Discussion Questions:

  1. How often do you think about your spiritual future?
  2. What are some principles, truths, and priorities that should influence these plans that you are making for the future?

LET’S HAVE A CONVERSATION

“… As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” – Mark 9:2-7.

Most corporate managers complain about how much time they spend in meetings because most corporations have too many meetings. According to an article in MIT’s Sloan Management Review, the average executive spends 23 hours a week in meetings. That sounds like a lot of time and it is. Some of those meetings will be productive, but a large part of the time spent in meetings is wasted in irrelevant conversations, boring presentations, and back-and-forth chit-chat.

Whether we are corporate managers or not, we spend a lot of time having boring conversations with each other. But having a conversation about Jesus will usually be anything but boring because Jesus is anything but boring.

Jesus led them up in the evening hours as it was approaching dusk and Luke tells us that He went apart with them this way to pray. And as the disciples were watching Him in prayer, His face was suddenly altered; the countenance of His face began to shine and a glory shown up from Him that even affected His very garments so that He was bathed in a beautiful, luminous light (Luke 9:29) Just imagine what a shock it must have been for Peter, James, and John. Jesus is transfigured before their very eyes. Jesus is never boring just ask the three disciples. When you follow Jesus, you’d better get used to different. Different? Yes. Boring? No.

There should be nothing boring about our conversations about Jesus either. God didn’t design us to have conversations on Sunday and then be on the sidelines the rest of the week. He didn’t die on the cross so we can spend 10 minutes a day thinking about Him. Following God isn’t always fun, but it’s always an adventure. Day-to-day life for a Christian is never boring. The risen Christ is impossible to grow bored with.

One of the easiest ways to get started is to simply share your own experience. When you talk about what God is doing in your life right now, you’re not being confrontational. You’re simply letting the people around you know what Jesus is making in your life and you want to talk about it. Invite the person to church even if you think it could be weird for them or something they would not want to do. It could be that they say yes. If they do, they will hear the gospel and hopefully see a church community that is messy and broken and full of sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think speaking about God is ever boring? Why or why not?
  2. What would you do differently if you really thought the message of Jesus Christ was exciting?

FINDING HIGH GROUND THROUGH COMMON GROUND

“We can find common ground only by moving to higher ground.” –  Jim Wallis

Finding common ground with people can be difficult. It’s not just that we’re busy, though that’s part of it. It’s that we’re so busy that, when we have time to enjoy ourselves, we want to spend that time in the way that relaxes us the most. If you’re a runner, and you have time to relax on the weekend, you want to get out and run. If you enjoy sitting in front of a chessboard, you would tend to go to places where other people share your love of chess. Of course, if you never played chess, you would not find it fun or relaxing, and not something you would want to invest your free time on.

If we want to find common ground we must first find some shared interests. We must often, step out of our comfort zone to make a connection with someone. The ability to connect with people and share your own faith starts with being interested in others around you. We never know how the Lord will use daily situations to draw people together and to Himself. Faith and love are deciding to take a risk to have a conversation with someone that you wouldn’t have had on your own because you believe God put them in your life for a reason. When we put our personal interests aside we can actually begin to look around us at the people God has placed in our lives to love.

Philippians 2:4 says, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” You don’t see that too often: people looking out for the interests of others? Paul himself says later in this same chapter: “All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 2:21). Looking for the best interests of others is not something we do, but fortunately Jesus does. Jesus gave up His throne in heaven. He took on our human flesh. He lowered himself so low that He died on the cross to save us. No one does that if they are thinking of themselves. The way to look at the interests of others is to see that Jesus has your best interest in mind. Since He does, “look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others.”

Taking an interest in others starts in our families and close relationships, but carries into every part of our lives. We have the opportunity to build connections that will last for eternity. We have an opportunity to make investments for eternity. We make connections when we become flexible and figure out the best way to meet people where they are, respecting who they are and how they believe.

Our challenge is to create shared interests and connections in a way that not only tells people about the gospel but models it. Find common ground and start there. Talk about the common ground. Start getting to know people whom you don’t agree with, whom you don’t like, whom you think are crazy. Sit down. Share a meal. Listen to a story. Find some common ground. And begin to build on that common ground. You will begin to connect, to find something more, something greater, something amazing.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are we looking for common ground or common differences? What are some ways we can devote more time to building relationships or making current ones better?
  2. To what extent do you invest the necessary time and energy to make meaningful connections with others? What stands in the way? What choices are you making?

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL COME TO THE BEACH THIS SUMMER

“Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.” “All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.” – Genesis 18:4-5

Many people around the country are sitting in family rooms on their computers trying to decide where to take their summer vacation in 2023. Millions of them will put the Florida Panhandle at the top of their list of potential destinations. The percentage of first-time visitors doubled, jumping from 15 percent in 2021 to 31 percent in 2022. Those trends will continue in 2023.

The Florida Panhandle has everything you’d want to fulfill your vision of a sunshine-rich vacation. You have the weather, the white sand beaches, nice restaurants, activities, and attractions. And of course, the churches.

If you like mobs and traffic jams and high blood pressure, the Panhandle is the place to be this summer. It is easy to be cranky during the summer, but God expects us to be hospitable to everyone we come in contact with even if they live far away. Peter got to the heart of hospitality when he urged his readers to “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:9 NIV). Hospitality was a standard practice, out of necessity, in the first century. So Peter reminded Christians to take on this common activity without complaining.

In that same passage on hospitality, Peter tells us to “…show deep love for each other…” and “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (1 Peter 4:8, 10). Genuine, soul-filling hospitality doesn’t just happen by chance—it must be cultivated.

Genesis 18 offers an example of what it takes to be such a generous host. Abraham honored his guests by anticipating and meeting their needs. He knew they’d be thirsty, hungry, and dirty from traveling. He wanted them to feel refreshed for their journey ahead.

Abraham didn’t half-heartedly practice hospitality. He went above and beyond to serve his guests generously. He didn’t scrounge around in the back of his pantry to see what he didn’t need. “So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.” This did not appear to be a half-hearted effort.

A genuine heart for hospitality is cultivating a desire to use our gifts and offer what we have to serve those around us. Hospitality is a practical way to love your neighbor as yourself.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How can Christians practice hospitality?
  2. How does the practice of hospitality help people understand God better?

SERVING IS A PRIVILEGE

Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” — 1 Peter 4:9-11.

Any opportunity we have to serve others is a privilege.

Imagine you got a call from the staff of the president of the United States. He wants you to serve on the secretary of state cabinet for the remainder of the year. What would your reaction be? Would you think it was a prank call? Would you give it any credence at all? More than likely you would ask him, “Do you have the right person Mr. President? Who told you that I would be a good choice and more importantly why would you think so? There has to be many people who are more qualified and would do a better job than I would. I have no experience in this area. This is a bad decision.”

The person calling you responds, “We found you. It doesn’t matter how we found you. The president himself has chosen you among all other candidates. Yes, we have many talented people that can fill this role but the president wants you. Please prepare yourself for this assignment. Do you accept this invitation?”

How would you respond? Would you prepare yourself as best as you can, even though you have no experience or expertise in this area? Or would you turn down this opportunity that not everyone gets?

God doesn’t lack for people with talent in any area. So many people are more talented, have charisma, and skills than you. But, yet God chose you. He doesn’t care how great you can negotiate with foreign governments. He wants you to serve even though you cannot effectively communicate our government position on matters of state. He looks into your heart. He is giving you the privilege of serving Him. Would you be faithful and give the best that you can do in whatever He asks you to serve?

Lean into what the Lord is stirring in your heart to serve Him this week. Ask for His wisdom to see things through His eyes. Do you need to be praying for someone? Is God putting on your heart to send a note of encouragement? Have you been wanting to help out with cleaning at the church or maybe obeying that step of faith to lead a small group? Or maybe it is the gift of hospitality because the dining room or kitchen table in the home of a believer is one of the most impactful locations for ministry. Or maybe He is asking you to serve in the children’s ministry. Whatever the Lord is preparing your heart for, remember it is a true privilege to serve Him.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you view serving as a privilege? Yes or no and why?
  2. What area of service appeals to you in the church? What is stopping you from serving?

THINKING AND LIVING DIFFERENTLY

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

If you spend time reading scripture you will quickly learn that believers are commanded to stand out and be different. As a child of God, we are supposed to act and think differently than the world thinks. Our call as followers of Christ is to be set apart because Jesus was set apart. Jesus spoke directly about our responsibility to represent Him in Matthew 5:16 when He said, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

 In this day and age when the truth about God is being blurred, we need believers to be different. But this idea of being set apart does not seem very appealing. After all, who doesn’t want to blend in with those around us? If we don’t blend in we risk being an outcast.

Scripture is full of verses on how to live our lives set apart: “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives…” (Ephesians 4:17-18)

One of the qualities of being set apart is to have an upward and outward focus. The question is are we looking to be served, or are you looking to serve? The believers who most reflect Christ’s nature and heart are those who are constantly looking outward for opportunities and cheerfully pouring out their lives for others. We were not created to just hang out with the people who make us feel good but to love people through authentic relationships and care for those in need. Our purpose isn’t to live a life centered on us but centered on Christ and loving people.

The answer is to shift our focus to Christ and what He desires. A Christ-centered life is fueled by a love for the Savior, which flows from increasing knowledge of Him. And we learn to know Jesus more intimately through reading, praying, and quietly abiding in His presence. As Christ increases in our minds and heart, we’ll discover that our self-focus decreases and He becomes the delight of our lives; lives which will be better for it.  It is then we will be set apart.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does it mean to be set apart to you?
  2.  What can we do this week to be more outward-focused?

WE’RE BEING WATCHED

“Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.” – 1 Peter 2:12.

People have been trying to disprove the Bible for years. Every time someone thinks they have found evidence that proves the Bible is wrong there is no shortage of people who jump on the bandwagon and automatically portray it as being true. This feeds into the non-believer’s narrative. But those events don’t happen too often and are always proven false so non-believers need something else to justify their non-belief. The best way to do that is to put Christians under a microscope. We are being watched by those who would desire to see believers stumble. It is possible to either encourage someone or hinder them by what we say. The same is true about our actions.

The church today is doing some amazing things. The church is eager to share God’s grace with their friends, neighbors, or even with complete strangers. We can’t expect churches to heal all the wounds in our communities, but we can touch the hearts of people, leading to positive change either socially or spiritually. While we need to let our good deeds shine for all to see, we also need to recognize that non-believers are watching to see if we are walking the talk. Jesus spoke directly about our responsibility to represent Him in Matthew 5:16 when He said, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Whenever you sit down with a non-believer for a conversation there are several themes that tend to surface. The first theme is that the objections people raise about Christianity are due to the mistreatment they’ve experienced and/or misconduct they’ve observed on the part of those professing to be followers of Jesus. Another theme is perception: Christianity teaches things like how to become a better person, to love others, to forgive, etc. In other words, the perception of many unbelievers is that Christianity is primarily an ethical code; it’s heavy on right conduct but light on redemption and grace. That is why we need to think differently when we have a conversation with somebody whose heart is far from God.

Paul was a mentor to his younger protégé Timothy. Paul told Timothy: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12 ESV). Paul wanted Timothy’s life and conduct to be something that other people will be able to see and imitate.

In all he does, in all his behavior, Paul is asking Timothy to set an example in every facet of life. There is no area of life that isn’t covered by “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” This was true for Timothy and it is true of us today.

Our mission requires that we develop relationships with people. We don’t win converts, we don’t win arguments. We connect with people. We authentically love people. Love can only happen as we connect with people. As friends, we have an opportunity to be a witness and show others an amazing Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does the way you see Jesus and yourself impact the way you view others?  
  2. Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. We, like Jesus, need to be intentional about trying to connect with those who likely won’t set foot in our churches: Agree or disagree and why. 
  3. Where in your life are you connected with others, such that you could influence them with your faith?  

THINK DIFFERENTLY

“Don’t condemn someone just because they sin differently than you.” –  Unknown

In 1997, things looked bleak for Apple. As unlikely as it sounds now, the once-promising company was thinking about shuttering its doors. The decision was made to bring back Steve Jobs, but the turning point for Apple is widely considered to be a famous advertising campaign that summed up Jobs’ vision for Apple: Think Different. The ad campaign turned things in the right direction.  Fast forward to today and Apple is the world’s most valuable company. As Christians, we can learn from the idea of thinking differently.

Every person sees their life through a particular lens. We all have a worldview that influences how we interpret our circumstances and surroundings. Our worldview impacts the way we see and value other people. Jesus gives us the privilege to see things in a new light. Jesus enables us to see things differently.

We all want our unchurched friends to come to church. But what if we need to consider other ways to reach them before we can get them to even consider coming to the church? What if we need to think differently from the way we always approached the subject. Maybe we need to go to them rather than expecting them to come to us. That’s exactly what Jesus did consistently. Our Savior didn’t hang out in the temple and wait for them to come to Him.  Neither should we.

If we’re going to thrive as a church, we can’t be content doing what we’ve always done. To think differently means we don’t think inside the box, but we use God’s Word as a blueprint for thinking differently or outside of the box with Jesus.

Jesus lived in a world steeped in tradition where the phrase “But we’ve always done it this way” was the way of life. But we’ve always done it this way was about to be radically changed starting in Bethlehem. Jesus starts His time on earth in a most nontraditional way; a virgin birth, born in a manger. The rest of His life was no more traditional than His birth. This was not a one size fits all, status-quo ministry.

While there was a consistent, common goal in Jesus’ messages (getting people to believe in Him), how and what He communicated varied significantly from person to person and from group to group. Jesus communicated in just about every way possible. Throughout His ministry, He proclaimed, explained, had compassion, expressed anger, rejoiced, showed kindness, asked questions, and gave commandments. He did not serve people the same way each time but rather tailored what He did to the moment and the person.

So how does that apply to us? If Jesus, in a world where the pace of change was not near as rapid as today, thought outside of the box and took the risk, why shouldn’t we? We must remember, however, that Jesus aligned His earthly activity with the will of the Father (John. 5:17-23). He knew why He came and lived accordingly.

One size doesn’t fit all. Let’s be attentive to our audience, and truly endeavor to give people what they need to see the grace and love of God.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What in your mind does it mean to think differently?
  2. Does thinking differently mean you have to change your mind?

WELL ISN’T THAT SPECIAL

 “All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead. And God has reserved for his children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will make sure that you get there safely to receive it because you are trusting him. It will be yours in that coming last day for all to see.” – 1 Peter 1:3-5 (TLB).

The Church Lady was a recurring character in a series of sketches on Saturday Night Live, in which she would have a show called Church Chat. She was known for the catchphrase, “Well, isn’t that special?” But the reality is we are special.

Yes, I know it sounds a bit trite to say. And yes it sounds like something you would hear in a kindergarten class or at a positive affirmation workshop but that doesn’t change the statement’s truth. So what makes us special? We are special because we are made in the image of God. He has intentionally, carefully, and intricately formed and made you with an individual personality, physical makeup, preferences and personality traits, and talents.

The Bible tells us so: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it” (Psalm 139:13-14).

When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you were reborn as a unique component of the family of God. You might consider yourself small, untalented, or unremarkable, nevertheless, you play an essential role in fulfilling God’s mission. The church cannot be who it is meant to be unless you are willing to be who you were meant to be. That is until you are willing to use the gifts God gave you on behalf of His kingdom.

But on the other hand, we aren’t special. Our sin is not that special. If we think our past or present sins are special in that they are abhorrent or blameworthy, we need to look again to the cross of Jesus. The price for our sins was the cross of Jesus.

Our sin is a big deal, but it’s not that special, although we are tempted to think so. We fret over something we did wondering if we have gone too far this time. How can God love me anymore? How can I get back in His good graces? This is not only completely wrong, it suggests however innocent our intent, that the death and resurrection of Jesus were not sufficient to cover our special brand of sin. It was sufficient centuries ago, it is sufficient today and will be sufficient until the Lord returns.

The bottom line is this: our sin is not special. We might be unique but our sin is not. Our sin is not special enough to be the “exception” in the redemptive work of the cross.    

Discussion Questions:

  1. What should we do if we think our sins are special?
  2. Few of us find “guilt” or “fear of punishment” to be very good motivators for anything. What could be a different motivator for us to stop making choices that lead to sin?